Who is the Holy Spirit?
For us to understand the Holy Spirit, we first need to know what a ‘’Spirit’’ is. The Spirit is the invincible, none-physical part of a ”living entity”. Previously in one of our articles, we learned that man is made up of the Body, Soul and Spirit. Additionally, the Soul is the part of man that is responsible for attributes like personality, character, feelings, emotions, gifts and abilities. Man is a living soul in a physical body, which expresses the state of the soul. The Spirit is the innermost part of man and is what makes us human.
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God.
Our Heavenly Father is the creator. His presence and power is manifested through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God (The Father, The word-Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit).
1st John 5:7. 7For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
1st Timothy 3:16. 16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
God confirms to us the three of His persons during the creation when He said ‘’Let us’’.
Genesis 1:26. 26And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. The Three persons of God are the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
As the Father has always been there, so is His Holy Spirit and the Word-Jesus Christ.
Before the foundations of the world were made, before the creation itself came into being, The Father, The Holy Spirit and the Word existed.
Genesis 1:2. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Job 26:13. 13By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent.
John 1:1-3. 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
The Spirit of God comes upon His chosen servants and messengers.
We have seen many times in the past and in the presence that God equips His chosen men with the Holy Spirit to perform Kingdom duties and for the work of the Ministry. The Holy Spirit empowers and enables us to undertake the laid-out work by giving different kinds of abilities and gifts as dictated by the task at hand.
The artisans who made the priestly garments for Aaron were filled with the Holy Spirit that gifted them with artistry and wisdom in their duties for the Kingdom.
Exodus 28:3. 3And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
The builders of the Tabernacle were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Exodus 31:2-6. Bezaleel and Aholiab were filled with the Holy Spirit of wisdom in understanding and knowledge in all manner of workmanship for the building of the tabernacle.
2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
6And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;
The Holy Spirit empowered Jephthah to conquer the Ammonites who had risen up against the Israelites.
Judges 11:28,32. 29Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead, and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpeh of Gilead, and from Mizpeh of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.
32So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them; and the LORD delivered them into his hands.
Unlike in the Old dispensation, in the new dispensation every faithful believer receives the Holy Spirit at the appointed time.
John the Baptist declared that Christ who was to come would baptize every repented and faithful believer with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
Mark 1:8. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
This was a fulfillment of the prophecies by prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26,27. 19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:
26A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Jeremiah 31:31-33. 31Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
After His ascension to Heaven, Jesus Christ promised and sent us the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16,17. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
John 16:7. 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
John 16:13. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
If you are right with God, and walk in righteousness, the Holy Spirit comes suddenly and powerfully.
Just as parent gifts his child with a present for being a good child in a surprising way, so does our Father in Jesus Christ. John the Baptist baptized souls unto repentance ( as symbolized by water immersion) but declared that Jesus Christ would baptize the believers (then and now and in the future) with the Holy Spirit. As believers we are to grow in the faith steadily right from the day, we receive Christ. The lifestyle we adopt after accepting Christ determines if we will receive the Holy Spirit. Additionally, to receive the Holy Spirit, one must do the following:
- Daily bible study to grow the inner spirit
- Live a prayerful life and this means that you constantly communicate with God in Jesus Christ.
- Desist from sinful lifestyle and avoid all avenues of temptation.
- Become a member Holy spirit filled Bible believing church.
- Have a passion for working for the Kingdom e.g., intercession, soul winning, evangelism, church cleaning etc.
Moreover, The Holy Spirit also comes with various gifts and powers (1st Corinthians 12, 1st Corinthians 14) e.g., Healing, prophecy, word knowledge, discernment, speaking and praying in tongues and many more. He also comes with the FIVE-FOLD ministry (Ephesians 4:11,12) as follows:
- Teachers
- Pastors
- Prophets
- Evangelists
- Apostles