LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
The Person of the Holy Spirit
Submitted to Dr. James Sulfridge
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
DSMN 500
Discipleship Ministries
By
Anthony Bean
The Person of the Holy Spirit
The Identity (Names) of the Holy Spirit
The Spirit is God and he is a distinct person from God the Father and God the Son. The
Bible depicts the Spirit of God as a person. The Spirit is much more than a thing, a gift or power
that God gives and takes. The Spirit is God. He is God the Holy Spirit among the Trinity.
Knowing, acknowledging and growing in relationship with the Holy Spirit is a vital part of the
Christian life. It is because God who is with us and in us is the Holy Spirit. It is because Christ in
us, the hope of glory, is the Holy Spirit (Col 1:27).
Refer to the biblical references regarding the deity of the Spirit: Ps 106:33, Eze 3:24, Ac
16:7, Mt 28:18-20; Eph 4:30; Isa 62:10; 2Co 13:14; Rev 2-3; Jn 4:24; Mt 28:18-20. As we can see
in the these references, the Bible treats the Holy Spirit not only as a person as but also as God.
He is God the Holy Spirit that we are not to rebel against Him or grieve Him. The Holy Spirit
comes to each of us personally and comforts and strengthens us. The Holy Spirit leads and
guide our missions. The Holy Spirit speaks to the churches with the same authority of God the
Father and of Christ the Son. God in essence is spirit. And we are to worship the Holy Spirit.
There is a tendency to treat the Holy Spirit as a power from God or as an assistant for us to
do God’s work. Such a tendency has led people to Charismatism, which means treating the Holy
Spirit only as gifts or manifestations of God’s power. But the Spirit is a person. He is God the
Holy Spirit whom we are to worship and who has come to us to make his dwelling with us, as
we believe in Jesus (Jn 14:23). As we are growing in relationship with the Holy Spirit, he will
manifest himself in various ways to glorify Christ and to expand the kingdom of the Father.
Why “Spirit” and why “Holy?”
Spirit – Jesus said, “God is spirit.” What can this mean? The Spirit is ever present and He is
everywhere. Psalm 139:7 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
presence?” Not only in the general sense of his presence but also in the specific sense of his
presence, God the Father sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with his people (Isa 62:12). The Spirit is
compared to wind or water because of his characteristics (Ge 8:1; Jn 3:3-7; Jn 4:13,14). The
Spirit is also understood to be “the breath” because of his essence, the centrality of life (Ge 2:7;
Jn 20:22).
Holy – The word “holy” is an adjective. Some say that holy is the first name of the Spirit.
“Holy” seems to be the best description of the Spirit of God. Holy means primarily different
from all others. God’s Spirit is different from all others in his power, in his works and in his
essence and characteristics (Isa 6:3). It is because as God is holy, the Spirit of God is holy. Only
in three places is the Spirit called “the Holy Spirit” in the Old Testament (in Isaiah). But in the
New Testament he is called “the Holy Spirit” 96 times. This has something to do with the work
of the Spirit who makes the children of God holy as He is holy. As the Holy Spirit resurrected
Jesus from death (Rom 1:4), the Spirit resurrects us from the dead state to a new life. The Holy
Spirit comes and lives in us to make us holy and enables us to live a holy life.
The Relationship with the Father and the Son
Relationship with God the Father
The Spirit is frequently called “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” or “the Spirit of
the living God” or “my Spirit.” In short, the Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit. Though the Holy Spirit is
God, he is from God the Father and the Father sends the Holy Spirit to his beloved. The Holy
Spirit does what the Father does and He carries out what is in the Father’s heart. He knows the
Father’s thought. He executes the Father’s will. He is God’s Spirit. He is God’s power. The Holy
Spirit among us and in us is the very heart of God, the mind of God and the power of God. As a
man’s spirit can not be separated from him, the Holy Spirit is one with God the Father.
See the biblical references regarding the Spirit’s relationship with God the Father: Ge 1:1-2;
Isa 40:13; Isa 42:1; 1Co 2:11; 2Co 3:17; Jn 14:26. As we can see here, in the Old Testament as
well as the New Testament, the Holy Spirit does not operate on his own or separately from God
the Father. God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to his people for his own good purpose. The
Holy Spirit does all things for God and according to God’s intentions. The Holy Spirit is the One
who helps people to know God, fear God, understand God and worship God. The Holy Spirit is
God’s Spirit.
Relationship with God the Son
In the Old Testament prophecy, the Spirit of the Lord is closely related to the Messiah.
Isaiah 11:2 says of the Spirit: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and
of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the
Lord.” In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is also the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus and
the Spirit of sonship. Jesus and his ministry have inseparable relationship with the Holy Spirit
and His coming and His ministry. Jesus was conceived through the Holy Spirit. Jesus launched
his ministry after he was anointed with the Holy Spirit at the Jordan River (Mt 3:16). Two of
Jesus’ essential ministries on earth were: (a) Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the
sins of the world, (b) and thus Jesus is the One who baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit (Jn
1:29-34). Jesus’ last and the greatest promise to his disciples was the baptism of the Holy Spirit
upon his disciples (Ac 1:8; 2:1-4,38). The Holy Spirit comes to those who accept Jesus as the
Lord and Savior. And Jesus is the One who sends the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit testifies about
Jesus. The Holy Spirit does what Jesus had done on earth, and even more, through those who
believe in Jesus’ name (Jn 14:12). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus (Ac 16:7; Ro 8:9b,15; Php
1:19; Jn 15:26, 16:13). Jesus did not leave his disciples like orphans. Rather, he came to them
through the Holy Spirit. As he was with them, He is with them through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit
of Jesus has been doing what Jesus had done on earth through the disciples to bring God’s
kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
