The Deity Of The Holy Spirit - Horizon Church

Horizon Church

September 21, 2014

A Christian Fellowship

The Deity Of The Holy Spirit

Intro: Last week we examined the biblical evidence supporting the deity of the Son

of God, Jesus Christ. This morning I would like to examine the deity of the

Holy Spirit. As the Third Person in the Trinity, He is described as possessing

all the attributes of the Godhead; He is co-equal co-eternal, inseparable, interdependent, and eternally united in One absolute divine Essence with the

Father and the Son.

The study of the Holy Spirit is especially important because the Holy Spirit

is the particular Person of the Trinity through whom the Triune God works

in and through believers today. Whereas God the Father is most conspicuous

in the Old Testament period, as was the Son of God, Jesus Christ, during His

earthly sojourn, the Holy Spirit has occupied center stage from Pentecost to

the present day. The Holy Spirit is active within the lives of believers; He has

taken up residence within us, and will abide in us forever. If we are to commune with God today, then, we must be acquainted with the Holy Spirit¡¯s

activity.

A study of the Holy Spirit is also important to refute those who advance the

false teaching that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than an impersonal force

or manifestation emanating from God. It is essential to know that the Holy

Spirit is indeed a Person, the Third Person of the Trinity. Look with me then

at the Personality of the Holy Spirit, the Deity of the Holy spirit, and the

Works of the Holy Spirit.

I. The Personality Of The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a Person¡ªBefore we can assert that the Holy Spirit is God,

we must first establish that He is a Person and possesses all the qualities that

that implies. Several lines of evidence support the Holy Spirit¡¯s personality.

A. Personal pronouns are used of Him

The first evidence of the Spirit¡¯s personality is the use of the masculine pronoun ¡°He.¡± Even though the Greek word for spirit, pneu`ma, is neuter and

should be accompanied by a neuter pronoun, the masculine pronoun ¡°He¡± is

used 12 times in John 14:26; 16:7, 8, 13, 14. Jesus in John 14:26 and 16:13

used the masculine demonstrative pronoun ¡°He¡± (that One) of the Holy

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Spirit. Greek scholars tell us that this is not just personification, but a

definite assertion of the Holy Spirit¡¯s personality.

B. He is called the Comforter or Helper.

A second evidence of the Holy Spirit¡¯s personality is found in a number of

passages where He is called the ¡°Paraclete,¡± the Comforter or Helper. Jesus

Himself was the first Comforter, and He promised His disciples in John

14:16-17 that He would ask the Father, and He would send them another

Comforter when He was gone. The Comforter He promised to send is called

the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:5). Jesus links the

Spirit¡¯s coming with His own going away. The Holy Spirit would replace

the Lord Jesus Christ, and carry on the same role. Since this term ¡°Paraclete

or Comforter¡± expresses personality when applied to Christ, it must do the

same when applied to the Holy Spirit. This is strong proof that the Hoy

Spirit, like Jesus, is a Person.

C. He possesses the three essential elements of personality: intellect, will, and

emotions.

1. Intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-12)

The Holy Spirit searches the hidden thoughts of God, and reveals His

thoughts to believers, so that we might know the things freely given to us

by God. Look at 1 Corinthians 2:10-12,

1 Cor. 2:10-12¡ª¡°For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the

Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among

men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is I

n him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of

God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit

who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by

God.¡±

The Holy Spirit¡¯s ability to search the mind of God, and to make His

thoughts known to believers, affirms His intellectual ability.

2. Will (1 Corinthians 12:11; Acts 16:6-7)

The Holy Spirit has a will of His own. When it comes to the assigning of

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Spiritual gifts to believers, we read in 1 Corinthians 12:11 ¡°But one and

the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.¡± The Holy Spirit apportions Spiritual gifts to each

believers just as He wills.

We read in Acts 16:6-7¡ªthat during his second missionary journey,

when the Apostle Paul attempted to proceed north into Bithynia in order

to share Christ, the Spirit of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, did not permit him.

3. Emotions (Ephesians 4:30)

Paul admonished believers in Ephesians 4:30 not to grieve the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is especially grieved when we permit unwholesome or

profane words to proceed from our mouths. The sins of our tongues are

particularly grievous to the Holy Spirit. In fact, every unkind word, every

selfish deed, and every impure thought grieves the Holy Spirit.

II. The Deity Of The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit in not merely a Person, He is a divine Person. He is the third

Person of the Triune Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. His deity is affirmed

in several ways.

A. He possesses the attributes of deity

1. He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14)

Hebrews 9:14 clearly state that the Holy Spirit is eternal. ¡°How much

more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered

Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead

works to serve the living God?

2. He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10; John 14:26; 16:13)

According to 1 Corinthians 2:10¡ªthe Holy Spirit is omniscient, He

searches all things, even the depths of God.

John 14:26¡ªJesus promised His disciples that ¡°the Helper, the Holy

Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all

things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.¡±

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John 16:13¡ªJesus told His disciples ¡°But when He, the Spirit of truth,

comes, He will guide you into all the truth.¡±

3. He is omnipotent (Luke 1:35)

The Holy Spirit brought about the conception of the Son of God in the

Virgin Mary¡¯s womb. Luke 1:35¡ªAnd the angel answered and said to

her, ¡° The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most

High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall

be called the Son of God.¡±

4. He is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10)

The Holy Spirit gives life to all living things, and reside in every

believer because He is omnipresent, Psalm 139:7-10¡ª

7 Where can I go from Thy Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Thy presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there;

If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Thy hand will lead me,

And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.

B. Works of deity are ascribed to Him

1. He took part in creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30)

Genesis 1:2¡ªThe Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the heavens

and the earth. And in the creation of man, Gen. 1:26-27,

Genesis 1:26-27¡ªThen God said, ¡°Let Us make man in Our image,

according to Our likeness¡±. . . 27 And God created

man in His own image, in the image of God He

created him; male and female He created them.

Job 33:4¡ª¡°The Spirit of God has made me,

And the breath/Spirit of the Almighty gives me life.¡±

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Psalm 104:30¡ª¡°Thou dost send forth Thy Spirit, they are created.¡±

All Three Members of the Godhead where involved in the creation of

the universe and all that is in it. And man was God¡¯s crowning act.

2. He regenerates lost men (John 3:3-5; Ephesians 1:13-14; Titus 3:5)

All Three members of the Triune Godhead are also involved in mans¡¯

redemption. Whereas the Father decreed mans¡¯ redemption, the Son of

God took on flesh and died as the sacrificial atonement for sin, and the

Holy Spirit regenerates men when they place their faith in the sacrifice

of Jesus Christ. Regeneration is spiritual re-creation by the Holy Spirit.

John 3:3-5¡ªJesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews,

that unless one is born again he cannot see/enter the kingdom of God.

The new birth of which Christ spoke is a gift of God through the Holy

Spirit. v. 6¡ªJesus said ¡°That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that

which is born of the Spirit is spirit.¡±

The moment a person believes of Jesus Christ, he/she is regenerated by

the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 1:13-14¡ª¡°In Him, you also, after listening to the message

of truth, the gospel of your salvation¡ªhaving also believed, you were

sealed in Him (Jesus Christ) with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is

given as a pledge or earnest of our inheritance, with a view to the

redemption of God¡¯s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

Titus 3:5¡ª¡°He [God the Father] saved us, not on the basis of deeds

which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by

the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom

He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.¡±

Again, these verse make it clear that all Three Members of the Triune

Godhead are involved in the salvation of every believer.

3. He inspired men to write Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16)

According to 2 Peter 1:20-21 the Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture.

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