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THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A
PERSON
Victor M.
Eskew
INTRODUCTION
A.
The Holy Spirit is a subject
that abounds on the pages of God’s Word.
1.
There is much ignorance on
the subject.
2.
There is much fear regarding
the subject.
3.
There is much controversy
regarding the subject.
B.
One should start learning
about the Holy Spirit by learning “who” He is.
1.
Even at this point, there is
much controversy.
a.
Some believe that the Spirit is an impersonal “it.”
b.
Some believe that He is “God’s active force.” In an article found at watchtower.org,
we read the following:
“The Bible’s use of ‘holy
spirit’ indicates that it is a controlled force that Jehovah God uses to
accomplish a variety of his purposes.
To a certain extent, it can be likened to electricity, a force that can
be adopted to perform a great variety of operations…
“No, the holy spirit is not
a person and it is not part of a Trinity.
The Holy Spirit is God’s active force that he uses to accomplish his
will. It is not equal to God but is
always at his disposition and subordinate to him” (The Holy Spirit Is God’s
Active Force).
c.
Others believe that the Holy
Spirit is a person. He is a real
being. In fact, He is the third
member of the Godhead.
2.
We believe that the third
position is the true one. The Holy
Spirit is a person, and we will prove this assertion in this
lesson.
I. THE
DIFFICULTY
A.
We usually associate
personality with body.
1.
The Holy Spirit does not
have a body.
2.
What we forget is that the
parts of the human frame are not characteristics of personality. They are the channels through which
personality flows.
3.
Personality is not the
outward building, but the tenant within.
4.
Definition: A person is a
being
a.
Conscious of self.
b.
Subsisting in individuality and identity.
c.
Endowed with intuitive reason, rational sensibility, and a free
will.
(The Holy Spirit, H. Leo Boles, p. 33)
B.
A
person is associated with HEART-MIND-WILL.
1.
Heart
a.
Definition: The seat of
affection.
b.
The Holy Spirit has the ability to love (Rom.
15:30).
Now I beseech
you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit,
that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for
me.
2.
Mind
a.
Definition: The source of
intelligence, reason, and knowledge.
b.
In Romans 8:27, Paul refers to “the mind of the
Spirit.”
And he that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is in the mind of the
Spirit…
c.
His mind knows the mind of the Father (I Cor.
2:11).
For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God.
3.
Will
a.
Defintion: The ability to
will (decide), giving expression to our thoughts.
b.
I Corinthians 12:11
But all these
(spiritual gifts) worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man
severally as he will.
II. THE HOLY SPIRIT’S
ACTIONS PROVE HE IS A PERSON
A.
In his book, All About
the Holy Spirit, Herbert Lockyer notes that some 160 passages in the Old and
New Testaments teach about the actions of the Spirit (p.
31).
B.
A
list of some of the things the Holy Spirit can do:
1.
Command (Acts
16:6-7).
2.
Guide (John
16:13).
Howbeit when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all
truth…
3.
Intercession (Rom.
8:26).
4.
Invites (Rev.
22:17).
5.
Leads (
For as many as
are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
6.
Quickens
(
7.
Reveals (Eph.
3:4-5).
8.
Searches (I Cor.
2:10).
But God hath
revealed them unto us by his Spirit:
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of
God.
9.
Speaks (I Tim. 4:1; Rev.
2:7).
Now the Spirit
speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith,
giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.
10.
Strives with man (Gen.
6:3).
11.
Teaches (John 14:26; Neh.
9:20).
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.
12.
Testifies (John
15:26).
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.
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN BE
MISTREATED, WHICH PROVES HE IS A PERSON
A.
There are at least seven (7)
actions that we can commit “against” the Holy Spirit.
1.
We can vex Him (Isa.
63:10).
But they
rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit:
therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against
them.
2.
We can blaspheme the Holy
Spirit (Matt. 12:31-32).
3.
We can lie to the Holy
Spirit just as Ananias and Sapphira did (Acts 5:3).
4.
We can resist the Holy
Spirit (Acts 7:51).
Ye stiffnecked
and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost, as your
Father did, so do ye.
5.
We can grieve the Holy
Spirit (Eph. 4:30).
6.
We can quench the Spirit (I
Thess. 5:19).
Quench not the
Spirit.
7.
We can do despite to the
Spirit (Heb. 10:29).
Of how much
sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under
foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was
sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of
grace?
B.
“If the Spirit of God is
simply an influence, there is no need to concern ourselves about man’s treatment
of Him, for influence is incapable of recognition, feeling an action” (Lockyer,
30).
CONCLUSION
A.
Dr. Jewett: “Our fellowship is not with a
‘something’ but with a ‘Somebody’; not with a ‘force’ but with a ‘Spirit’; not
with an ‘it’ but with a ‘Him.’”
B.
If He is a person, and He
is;
1.
He is due our faith, love,
and fellowship.
2. He is due our surrender, yielded and still.
