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The Holy Spirit - His nature and working

The Holy Spirit - a Devine Person

Published since 30. Apr. 2025
Bible passages:
Romans 8:26.27; Acts 5:5;

The Spirit - A Divine Person

Old Testament believers knew God as one singular entity. Only in the New Testament do we come to understand Him as the triune God, comprising God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While there is only one God, He is revealed to us in three persons of the Godhead, who exist in complete harmony with one another. This profound truth transcends our understanding and imagination; we must accept it by faith.

The divinity of the Holy Spirit, like that of the Son and the Father, is confirmed in several passages. A clear example is found in Acts 5, where Peter accuses Ananias of lying to the Holy Spirit, which amounts to lying to God (see verses 3 and 4). One cannot lie to an influence or a mere force; one can only lie to a person.

Moreover, the New Testament teaches us that the Holy Spirit possesses various personal characteristics:

  • Thinks and judges (Romans 8:26, 27)
  • Searches and reveals (1 Corinthians 2:10)
  • Teaches and reminds (John 14:26)
  • Testifies (John 15:26)
  • Convicts (John 16:8)
  • Has a unified will (1 Corinthians 12:11)
  • Can speak (Acts 13:2)
  • Dwells within believers (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16)
  • Guides (Romans 8:14)
  • Serves (2 Corinthians 3:8)
  • Can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30)
  • Can be reviled (Hebrews 10:29)
  • Can be extinguished (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

Most of these characteristics cannot apply to an influence or a force but to a person. Therefore, claiming that the Holy Spirit is merely an influence is incorrect. In doing so, we insult God Himself, for the Holy Spirit is indeed God.

One might argue that the spirit cannot be divine because it lacks a physical body. However, we should ask ourselves: Does God the Father have a body? While the Father is revealed through the Son, indicated by the statement, "Anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father" (John 14:9), we understand that the Father does not possess a body. Nonetheless, no born-again Christian would seriously question the divinity of the Father. Was not the Son a divine person even before His incarnation? Absolutely.

We must avoid the notion that beings can only exist in connection with a body. This idea may hold true for humans, as our personhood and our bodies are inseparable during our earthly existence. However, "this understanding does not apply to God. According to R. Brockhaus, "A person is a living being conscious of its existence, capable of thought, will, and action." This definition applies to God and, therefore, also to the Holy Spirit.

Complete Unity in the Godhead

We have established that there is complete unity in the Godhead. While there is one God, we recognize three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is important to detach ourselves from the idea of a "hierarchy" within the Godhead. Referring to the Spirit as the "third person of the Godhead" does not imply a rank but serves only to distinguish Him from the Father and the Son.

An attentive reader of the Bible will find that many passages confirm the truth of complete unity in the Godhead. This reaffirms that the Holy Spirit is indeed God. There is perfect unity in the Godhead—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—in both essence and actions.

1. Conformity in Essence

The New Testament tells us that God is light and love (1 John 1:5; 4:8). These characteristics define God's essence and can be found in all persons of the Godhead.

a) In Relation to Love

  • The Father loves (e.g., John 16:27).
  • The Son loves (e.g., John 5:15:9).
  • The "love of the Spirit" is also mentioned (Romans 15:30). Although it is not explicitly stated that the Spirit loves, He is associated with love.

b) In Relation to Light (manifesting as holiness)

  • The Father is holy (e.g., John 17:11).
  • The Son is holy (e.g., Luke 1:35).
  • The Spirit is called the "Holy" Spirit in many places, which is characteristic of Him.

Light and love exist harmoniously within the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

2. Consistency in Action

When we consider God's actions, we can see the agreement among the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here are a few examples:

  1. The work on Golgotha was accomplished by the Son, who gave Himself for us. It was the Father who gave the Son. Together, they went to Golgotha, as exemplified in Genesis 22, where Abraham and Isaac went together to Moriah. The Son offered Himself without spot to God through the eternal Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).
  2. In the resurrection of the Lord, we observe all three persons of the Godhead involved. The Lord Jesus, as the Son of God, had power over life and death and stated, "No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again" (John 10:18). His resurrection proves His divinity. It was also the Father who raised Him from the dead (Romans 6:4). Additionally, the Holy Spirit played a role, as it is through the Spirit that the Lord was "made alive" (1 Peter 3:18).
  3. We also see the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit united in the mission to save the lost sinner, illustrated in the three-part parable from Luke 15." In the first story (verses 4-7), we see the efforts of the good shepherd, the Lord Jesus, seeking the lost sheep. The second story (verses 8-10) highlights the Spirit's role in convicting the sinner (cf. John 16:8), shining divine light into a sinner's life to reveal their condition. The third story shows the Father waiting for the prodigal son's return; when he returns with sincere repentance, the Father embraces him as his son.
  4. When a sinner allows themselves to be found and approaches the Father, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work together in the new birth. In James 1:18, we learn that the Father has begotten us according to His will through the word of truth. This is confirmed in 1 Peter 1:23, which states that we are born again through the living and abiding Word of God—the Lord Jesus Himself. Lastly, John 3 clearly depicts the Spirit's work in connection with the new birth (especially verses 5-8).
  5. In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle speaks of the exercise of spiritual gifts. Here, too, we see all three persons of the Godhead at work (verses 4-6). The Holy Spirit gives each of us a gift (verse 4) and motivates us to use it (verses 7-12). It is the Lord (the Son) to whom we are accountable for exercising our gifts correctly (verse 5), and ultimately, it is God (the Father) who produces the results—namely, the fruits of our ministry (verse 6).

These examples illustrate how perfectly the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work together in their actions. From this, we can confidently conclude that the Spirit is just as much God as the Father and the Son.

Is this question unimportant?

Some may think that whether the Holy Spirit is a divine person or merely an influence in our lives is insignificant. However, this is far from an unimportant question for two key reasons:

  1. Recognizing the Holy Spirit solely as a power or influence undermines a fundamental truth of the Bible: the triune nature of God. The Bible presents God as a triune being—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—a truth that may be difficult to comprehend, but it is affirmed throughout Scripture. Questioning or de "denying" this truth attacks the glory and majesty of God. Is this unimportant?
  2. If the Holy Spirit were merely a force or an influence, this would have immediate practical implications for my life. I would think of myself as the doer and decision-maker, carrying out my plans with the Spirit's power but originating those impulses on my own. However, this is not how it should be. The Holy Spirit lives within me; He is the one who makes plans, decides, leads, guides, and fulfills me. I am not the doer; the Holy Spirit who dwells in me is. I am simply an instrument He wishes to use.

Let us adhere to what the Bible teaches: the Holy Spirit is a divine person. Furthermore, it is a significant truth that He does not just come upon us temporarily; rather, He dwells in believers and within the assembly of God here on Earth. This reality is connected with infinite blessings.

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