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Lesson 3

What The Bible Teaches About
What The Bible Teaches About The Holy Spirit

The Personality Of The Holy Spirit

1. Besides the Holy Spirit, who forms part of the Godhead?

Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19 (KJV)
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

2. Who sends the Holy Spirit and what is He called?

John 15:26

John 15:26 (KJV)
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

The Work Of The Holy Spirit

3. The Holy Spirit guides us to whom?

John 16:13

John 16:13 (KJV)
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.

4. What does the Holy Spirit convict us of?

John 16:8-11

John 16:8-11 (KJV)
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

5. What assurance does the Holy Spirit give us?

Romans 8:14,16,17

Romans 8:14,16,17 (KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

6. How long will the Holy Spirit be with the faithful?

John 14:16

John 14:16 (KJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Receiving The Holy Spirit

7. What is the condition for receiving Holy Spirit?

Acts 5:32

Acts 5:32 (KJV)
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

8. What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

Galatians 5:22-26

Galatians 5:22-26 (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

WHAT MUST I DO?

1. Not grieve Him.

Ephesians 4:30

Ephesians 4:30 (KJV)
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

2. Not blaspheme or speak against the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 12:31-32

Matthew 12:31-32 (KJV)
31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

3. Ask God for Him.

Luke 11:13

Luke 11:13 (KJV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

MY RESOLUTION

I believe that the Holy Spirit is real and I desire that he take possession of my life.

Additional Study 3

Other names for the Holy Spirit

  • Spirit of Christ. (1 Peter 1:11).
  • Spirit of Truth. (John 14:17; 15:26).
  • Spirit of God. (Exodus 31:3)
  • Spirit of Jehovah. (1 Samuel 16:14)
  • Spirit. (Luke 4:1).

The divinity of the Holy Spirit

He is God (Acts 5:3, 4). He is eternal like God (Hebrews 9:14). He is omnipotent and omnipresent like God (Psalm 139). He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10, 11). He is Creator like God (Job 33:4).

The personality of the Holy Spirit

  • Gives gifts. (1 Corinthians 12:11).
  • Intercedes. (Romans 8:26).
  • Can be grieved. (Ephesians 4:30).
  • Speaks. (1 Timothy 4: 1).
  • Has knowledge. (1 Corinthians 2:11).
  • Teaches. (1 Corinthians 2:12).
  • Approves. (Acts 15:28).
  • Bears witness. (Romans 8:16).
  • Commissions. (Acts 13:2)
  • Impedes. (Acts 16:6, 7).
  • Administers, distributes. (1 Corinthians 12:1).
  • Can be resisted. (Acts 7:51).

The functions of the Holy Spirit

Gives gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Reveals Christ to us (John 16:14). Inspires the prophets (2 Samuel 23:2; 2 Peter 1:21). Transmits the love of God to human beings (Romans 5:5).

The Holy Spirit is the representative of Christ on earth (John 14:26)

Dwells in human beings (1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Can be sinned against (Matthew 12:31; Hebrews 10:26).

Commentary

"There are three living persons of the heavenly trio: The Father is all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and is invisible to mortal sight.

The Son (of God) is all the fullness of the Godhead manifested....

The Comforter that Christ promised to send after He ascended to heaven is the Spirit in all the fullness of the Godhead, making manifest the power of divine grace to all who receive and believe in Christ as a personal Saviour."

God is not a magnified or sublimated man. God alone has perfect personality. His perfect personality has existed since the days of eternity, long before a single human being, with his limitations, came to be. There are four things that are predicated of personality: 1) Will; 2) Intelligence; 3) Power; 4) Capacity for love. Personality involves a self-conscious, self-knowing, self-willing, and self-determining being.

A person is therefore a being who is approachable, who can be trusted or doubted, loved or hated, adored or insulted. These essentials of personality are but limited and imperfect in man, but limitless and perfect in God. So the personality of the Holy Spirit is not to be confined to comparisons with man. It will help us to listen to Jesus on this point here in these two chapters of John, the fourteenth and sixteenth.

Not a word does Jesus utter that can be construed as implying that the Holy Spirit is simply an influence. He addresses Him and treats Him as a person. He calls Him the Paraclete, which is the title of a person."

The Holy Spirit is more than a personality. He is a divine personality. He is called God (Acts 5:3, 4) the third person of the Godhead —Ellen G. White, The Coming of the Comforter, pages 43-45.