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SPIRIT, HOLY

The Holy Spirit (also called the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of God, the Spirit, etc.) is God Himself active in His creation. Just as the term spirit (see SPIRIT) carries the basic meaning of living power, so the expression "Holy Spirit" represents God especially in His creative life-giving and energizing activity. The additional description "Holy" signifies the absolute separateness and distinction of the Holy Spirit from all that is creaturely and worldly (see SANCTIFICATION, of God). "Holy" is thus essentially the equivalent of that which is divine, identifying the Holy Spirit as God.

While the distinct person of the Holy Spirit is not clearly revealed in the OT, there are indications in this direction (e.g., one's response to the Spirit equals one's response to the person of God, Isaiah 43:10-11; (cf. also Isaiah 48:16; Haggai 2:5). The distinct person of the Spirit becomes clear in the NT (cf. John 16:13), leading to the Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit as one of the three personal manifestations of God in the concept of the Trinity (see TRINITY).

In accordance with the meaning of His name, the Scriptures portray the work of the Spirit fundamentally as the Life-giver, both in the original creation and especially in the regeneration and renewing of the creation. This involves the life of non-human creation, but most predominantly the bestowal of God's life to mankind. Thus all that God is and does for His people is finally conveyed by the Spirit, whom God gives to indwell His people in direct contact with the human spirit, i.e., a fellowship of person to person.

person:

personality

personal attributes

♦ will

• 1 Corinthians 12:11

♦ thought

• Romans 8:27

♦ knowledge

• 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11

♦ language

• 1 Corinthians 2:13

♦ emotion

• Romans 15:30; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 10:29

♦ goodness

• Nehemiah 9:20

♦ personal pronouns

• John 16:7, 8, 13, 14

personal work (see SPIRIT, HOLY, work)

deity

♦ divine essence

• John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17

♦ divine names

• Genesis 6:3; 2 Chronicles 15:1; Isaiah 61:1; Matthew 10:20; Romans 8:9

divine attributes

♦ omniscience

• 1 Corinthians 2:10, 11

♦ omnipresence

• Psalms 139:7; John 14:17

♦ omnipotence

• Job 33:4; Psalms 33:6; 104:30

♦ eternality

• Hebrews 9:14

♦ truth

• 1 John 5:6-7 (cf. John 14:6)

♦ life

♦ Spirit interchangeable with God

• Exodus 17:2-7 (cf. Hebrews 3:7-9); Isaiah 6:8-10 (cf. Acts 28:25-27); Jeremiah 31:31-34 (cf. Hebrews 10:15-17); Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 6:19 (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16)

♦ trinitarian formulae

• Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 1 Peter 1:2

relation to members of Trinity:

♦ sent by Father:

• Psalms 104:30; Matthew 10:20

♦ "Spirit of your Father":

• John 14:26; 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:12

♦ sent by Christ:

• John 15:26; 16:7; 20:22

♦ called "Spirit of Christ":

• Romans 8:9; (cf. Galatians 4:6; Philippians 1:19)

♦ God's work is effected "of" or "by the Spirit":

• John 3:8; Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 2:18, 22; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:4, 5 (cf. also all works below)

work:

in the creation

♦ creator

• Genesis 1:2; 2:7; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psalms 33:6

♦ sustainer

• Psalms 104:27-30

♦ in production of Scripture

• 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

in Israel

♦ general

• Isaiah 63:10, 11, 14

♦ in prophecy

• Numbers 24:2; 1 Samuel 10:10; Nehemiah 9:20; Hosea 9:7; Joel 2:28; Zechariah 7:12; Luke 1:67; 2:25-33

♦ in leadership

• Numbers 27:18-20; Deuteronomy 34:9; Judges 6:34; 1 Samuel 10:6, 10; 16:13; Zechariah 4:6

♦ in craftsmanship

• Exodus 31:3-5; 35:31

in Jesus

♦ in prophecy

• Isaiah 11:2; 42:1; 61:1

♦ conception

• Matthew 1:18, 20; Luke 1:34-35

♦ anointing at baptism

• Luke 3:21-22; John 1:31-33

♦ led in temptation

• Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12-14; Luke 4:1

♦ in teaching

• John 3:34; Luke 4:16-21, 31-32

♦ ministry

• Luke 4:1, 16-21; Hebrews 9:14

♦ miracles

• Matthew 12:28; Acts 2:22; 10:38

♦ obedience to death

• Hebrews 9:14

♦ resurrection

• Romans 8:11; 1 Timothy 3:16

in church

prophesies concerning

♦ outpouring of

• Isaiah 32:15; 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; 7:38-39; Acts 1:5

♦ new covenant and

• Isaiah 59:20-21; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:27

fulfilment in church

♦ baptism with, gift of, Spirit

• Acts 2:1-4, 17, 33, 39; 11:15-16; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:5-8; Galatians 3:2-14; 3:27; 4:6; I Thessalonians 4:8

♦ regeneration

• John 3:5, 8; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3, 23

(See CREATION, new)

♦ sealing as guarantee of future inheritance

• 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30

♦ indwelling

• John 14:17; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16; 1 John 2:27

♦ controls (fills) believers lives

• Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 13:9

♦ sanctifies

• Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2

♦ source of all spiritual virtues

• Romans 5:5; 14:17; 15:13; Galatians 5:22-23 (fruit of the Spirit); I Thessalonians 1:6

♦ assurance of salvation

• Romans 8:16

♦ giving spiritual gifts

(See SPIRITUAL GIFTS)

• 1 Corinthians 12:7

♦ intercessor in prayer

• Romans 8:26, 27

♦ illumination and teaching

• John 14:26; 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 1 John 2:27

♦ comforting

• John 14:16, 17; 16:7

♦ guiding

• John 16:13; Romans 8:14; Galatians 5:18

♦ agent of resurrection

• Romans 8:11

♦ ministry in music

• 2 Kings 3:15; Ephesians 5:18-20

♦ empowerment and direction for mission

• Acts 1:8; 8:29, 39; 13:2; 16:6, 7

♦ oversight of church government

• Acts 15:28; 20:28

♦ in world

• Genesis 6:3; John 16:8-11

believer's relation to:

Spirit communicates with believer's spirit

• Romans 8:16; Galatians 6:18; Ephesians 4:23; Philippians 4:23; 2 Timothy 4:22 (cf. Ephesians 3:16; Galatians 4:6)

responsibility toward

♦ receive by faith in Christ

• John 7:37-39; Acts 2:38; Galatians 3:2, 13, 14; Ephesians 1:13

♦ walk by

• Galatians 5:16, 25

♦ be filled by

• Ephesians 5:18

♦ do not grieve

• Ephesians 4:30

♦ do not quench ministry of

• I Thessalonians 5:19

sin and:

♦ blasphemy of: (See also SIN)

• Matthew 12:31, 32

♦ resisting:

• Isaiah 63:10; Acts 5:1-3, 9; 7:51, 52

♦ grieving:

• Ephesians 4:30

♦ quenching:

• I Thessalonians 5:19

♦ struggle with the flesh:

(See also FLESH, FLESHLY)

• Romans 8:4-13; Galatians 5:17

This topic is from the Lockman Foundation.

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