The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is called pneumatolgy, from the Greek word πνεύμα (pneuma) meaning spirit, ghost, or breath.
The Holy Spirit was pre-existent as the Third Person of the Godhead, and thus has always been active, but the period preceding Pentecost was not the time of His special activity. the Old Testament period was one of preparation and of waiting . . . He is spoken of eighty-eight times in the Old Testament and more than half as many times in the Book of Acts alone; while in the entire New Testament He is mentioned more than three times for every reference of Him in the Old (Testament)
– Dr. Emery Bancroft, D.D., Elemental Theology, p. 151
Through the Holy Spirit comes our restoration to paradise, our ascension into the kingdom of heaven, our return to the adoption of sons, our liberty to call God our Father, our being made partakers of the grace of Christ, our being called children of light, our sharing in eternal glory, and, in a word, our being brought into a state of all “fulness of blessing,” both in this world and in the world to come, of all the good gifts that are in store for us, by promise hereof, through faith, beholding the reflection of their grace as though they were already present, we await the full enjoyment.
– Basil the Great
1. He is part of the Holy Trinity
Nevertheless it seems proper to inquire what is the reason why he who is regenerated by God unto salvation has to do both with Father and Son and Holy Spirit, and does not obtain salvation unless with the co-operation of the entire Trinity; and why it is impossible to become partaker of the Father or the Son without the Holy Spirit.
– Origen
In other words, the Holy Spirit is the delight that the Father and the Son have in each other, and He carries in Himself so fully the essence of the Father and the Son that He Himself stands forth as a third Person in His own right.
– Jonathan Edwards
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
– Matthew 28:19-20 (LSB)
For, in the name of God, the Father and Lord of the universe, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit, they then receive the washing with water.
– Justin Martyr
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
– 2 Corinthians 13:14 (LSB)
(T)hat the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of Him,
– Ephesians 1:17 (LSB)
For if there is one God of the universe, the Father of Christ, “of whom are all things;” and one Lord Jesus Christ, our [Lord], “by whom are all things;” and also one Holy Spirit, who wrought in Moses, and in the prophets and apostles;
– Ignatius
And after being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and behold, there was a voice out of the heavens saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
– Matthew 3:16-17 (LSB)
2. He is a Person
The Spirit changes people
– R. C. Sproil
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
– Acts 15:28 (LSB)
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
– 1 Corinthians 12:11 (LSB)
Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,
– Romans 15:30 (LSB)
And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”
– Acts 21:11 (LSB)
Only a person can reason, search, have a will, love, and speak.
3. He Creates
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
– Genesis 1:1-2 (LSB)
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
– Psalm 51: 10-12 (LSB)
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
And sustain me with a willing spirit.
When it is a question of God’s almighty Spirit, never say, “I can’t.”
– Oswald Chambers
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
– Psalm 104:30 (LSB)
And You renew the face of the ground.
The Spirit of God has made me,
– Job 33:4 (LSB)
And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.
– Hudson Taylor
4. He Reveals
But 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 depths of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
– 1 Corinthians 2: 10-11 (LSB)
(W)hich in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it was now revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit:
– Ephesians 3:5 (LSB)
And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
– Romans 8:26-27 (LSB)
The Christian’s life in all its aspects—intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness—is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all.
– J. I. Packer
5. He Convicts of Sin
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
– John 16:7-11 (LSB)
You men—stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears—are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
– Acts 7:51 (LSB)
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. . .Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified. Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men, brothers, what should we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
– Acts 2:4, 36-38 (LSB)
6. He Regenerates
A sinner can no more repent and believe without the Holy Spirit’s aid than he can create a world.
– Charles Spurgeon
Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
– John 3:3-6 (LSB)
He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit
– Titus 3:5 (LSB)
The Spirit is the One who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
– John 6:63 (LSB)
The Holy Spirit illuminates the minds of people, makes us yearn for God, and takes spiritual truth and makes it understandable to us.”
— Billy Graham
7. He Baptizes into the Body of Christ
And John bore witness saying, “I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He abided on Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit descending and abiding on Him, this is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I myself have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.
– John 1:32-34 (LSB)
For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For also by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
– 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (LSB)
(F)or John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
– Acts 1:5 (LSB)
Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God’s new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.
– N.T. Wright
8. He Indwells
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be! Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
– 1 Corinthians 6:15-19 (LSB)
The Spirit-filled life is not a special, deluxe edition of Christianity. It is part and parcel of the total plan of God for His people.
– A. W. Tozer
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
– Romans 8:9 (LSB)
Do you not know that you are a sanctuary of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
– 1 Corinthians 3:16 (LSB)
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit
– Ephesians 5:18 (LSB)
The true spirit of prayer is no other than God’s own Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the saints. And as this spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings and pantings. It naturally leads to God, to converse with him by prayer.
– Jonathan Edwards
9. He Leads us into Truth
The indwelling Spirit shall teach him what is of God and what is not. This is why sometimes we can conjure up no logical reason for opposing a certain teaching, yet in the very depth of our being arises a resistance.
– Watchman Nee
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
– John 16:13-15 (LSB)
The Spirit of Yahweh will rest on Him,
– Isaiah 11:2 (LSB)
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and might,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of Yahweh.
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
– John 14:16-17 (LSB)
10. He Comforts
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
– John 14:26 (KJV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (LSB)
The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with Him, the more the Spirit will make you like Him. The more you are like Him, the better you will understand His utter sufficiency for all of life’s difficulties. And that is the only way to know real satisfaction.
– John MacArthur
Now may the God of perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
– Romans 15:5-6 (LSB)
11. He Equips
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the depths graciously given to us by God, of which depths we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual depths with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the depths of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually examined.
– 1 Corinthians 2:12-14 (LSB)
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. In addition to all, having taken up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one, also receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit, and to this end, being on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
– Ephesians 6:10-18 (LSB)
Just as it is written,
– Romans 8:36-37 (LSB)
“For Your sake we are being put to death all day long;
We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you.
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mold you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.
12. He Produces Fruit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
– Galatians 5:22-23 (LSB)
I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
– John 15:1-5 (LSB)
Love is patient, love is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, is not puffed up; 5 it does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered; it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
– 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (LSB)
And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in full knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and without fault until the day of Christ, 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
– Philippians 1:9-11 (LSB)
As the Lord put on the body, leaving behind all principality and power, so Christians put on the Holy Spirit, and are at rest.
– Macarius the Great
In Him, you also, after listening to the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, unto the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
– Ephesians 1:13-14 (LSB)
Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.
– Hudson Taylor
And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
– Jesus, John 20:22 (LSB)
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