HOLY SPIRIT
Who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do?
The Holy Spirit is the THIRD Person of the TRIUNE GOD (THE TRINITY) and is EQUAL God with the Father and with the Son. He is a distinct Person of the Trinity yet ONE with and EQUAL in every way with the other two Persons of the TRINITY, the Father and the Son. BEFORE anything was created they were in PERFECT harmony within Themselves. They had NO need of or depended on anything or anyone in any way.
Like we said above, the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity and like the Father and the Son, God Himself. NOTHING can be ADDED to Them nor TAKEN AWAY from Them. God is ALWAYS perfect and complete.
The Mystery of the Trinity is unique to Christianity and is one of the most beautiful studies of the Scriptures you can make. You can see the interacting work of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit right through the Bible. It is such a blessing to make his study and when you read the Bible all you can do is rejoice over and praise/thank God for the amazing Love and Grace He blesses us with. When I say us, I mean the believers that walk in obedience to His Word and Will. Those that are believers but walk in disobedience to His Word and Will will miss out on many of these blessings.
Now let us look at the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit has a MIND. Romans 8:27 “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”. That means He can think and process His thoughts. He is NOT just a force or power.
The Holy Spirit has emotions. He can be GRIEVED and be SAD. Isaiah 63:10 “But they rebelled And GRIEVED His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.”
He can give LOVE and receive LOVE. Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE….” Romans 15:30 “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the LOVE of the SPIRIT, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,”
The Holy Spirit can be INSULTED. Hebrews 10:29 “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has INSULTED the Spirit of grace?”
The Holy Spirit can TEACH 1 Corinthians 2:13 “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those TAUGHT by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.” LUKE 12:12 “for the Holy Spirit will TEACH you in that very hour what you ought to say.” John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will TEACH you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
The Holy Spirit can GUIDE believers in their ways. Romans 8:14 “For all who are being LED by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The Holy Spirit can be LIED to. Acts 5:3 “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to LIE to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?”
The Holy Spirit STAMPS HIS AUTHORITY on the Scriptures 2 Peter 1:21 “for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men MOVED by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
The Holy Spirit CONVICTS people of their sins John16:8 “And He, when He comes, will CONVICT the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;”
The Holy Spirit DISTRIBUTES gifts 1 Corinthians12:11 “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, DISTRIBUTING to each one individually just as He wills.
There many more examples in the Scriptures that shows the Holy Spirit is a Person and not a force.
Another beautiful work of the Holy Spirit, full of LOVE and GRACE, is His work that enables us to believe in Jesus and receive salvation. It is the Holy Spirit that gives LIFE.”
John 6:63 ““It is the Spirit who GIVES LIFE; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
Here we again see that NO person can be BORN AGAIN unless is CHOSEN by the Father BEFORE the foundation of this world were laid. “The flesh profits NOTHING” means that there is NOTHING in humans that could enable them to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. NOTHING, they are spiritually DEAD because of the sinful nature they inherited from Adam at birth.
Ephesians 1:4 “just as He CHOSE us in Him BEFORE the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.”
This brings us to a form of reasoning where a “conclusion” is drawn from two “propositions” or premises. (Syllogism).
The two proposition verses are:
John 6:65 “And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that NO ONE can come to Me unless it has been GRANTED him from the Father.”
John 6:37 “All that the Father GIVES Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”
From these two verse we can conclude that NO ONE can come to Jesus and believe in Him as Lord and Saviour UNLESS the Father GRANTS it. This means that the ability to come to Jesus and have faith in Him is nothing that humans can generate themselves, but is the GIFT from the Father which He gives to those whom He has chosen through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Again many will jump up and down and say “How can a loving God chose some for Salvation and eternal life and some for eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire.?”
Well that is a very wrong conclusion as the Lake of Fire was prepared for Satan and his fallen angels, NOT for humans. All humans are on their way to the Lake of Fire because of their sinful nature inherited from Adam and their is NOTHING they themselves can do to stop that journey to the Lake of Fire.
Now take note all you humans that cry out why a loving God could send people to the Lake of Fire. He didn’t send them, they are already on their way.
BUT, because He IS a loving and merciful God He gave humans a WAY to lead the AWAY from that journey to the Lake of Fire and set the on the TRUE WAY to Eternity, and that WAY is His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE
You must understand that NO ONE knows whom the Father has chosen! The “WHOEVER” is an invitation ALL humans, but the unfortunate truth is that most humans DON’T want to believe in Jesus because they LOVE the world and all its glitter and temptations.
Matthew 22:14 “For many are CALLED, but few are CHOSEN.”
When I became BORN AGAIN over 40 years ago after reading a book and searching the Bible to see if it was true what was written in the book, it was I that made the decision to believe and get on my knees, confess my sins and asked Jesus for forgiveness and accepting Him as my Lord and Saviour, which was the BEST thing that ever happened to me and my family.
However, after I started studying the Bible every day I moved from the milk onto solid food very quickly and soon knew that I was CHOSEN in Jesus BEFORE the foundation of this world were laid. I learned that the Father had predestined to call me at the appointed time in my life and the Holy Spirit gave me FAITH so I could believe. He called me through His Word and the Holy Spirit gave me LIFE so I COULD believe.
You see, Jesus stand at the door of your heart and knocks, but YOU must open the door and let Him in.
Revelation 3:20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone HEARS MY VOICE and OPENS the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Again, YOU have to make that choice and invite Him into your heart.
There are many debates about whether or not John3:16 means Jesus died for all humans because He loved the world and gave His only begotten Son to the world.
We strongly believe that Jesus only died for His chosen ones.
John 3:16 only tells us that God GAVE His beloved Son. It is a GIFT.
We can also read in Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be GIVEN to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
Nothing is said here about Jesus dying.
Jesus died for ALL those that believe in Him, were chosen in Him and were given to Him by the Father.
It is all so beautifully written in the Good Shepherd chapter of John 10:1-16 and especially in John 10:14-15 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My OWN and My OWN know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I LAY DOWN My life FOR the sheep.“
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”
John 10:26 “But you do NOT BELIEVE because you are NOT OF MY SHEEP”
We know that when a stranger goes to a paddock full with sheep and calls out to them, they look up and then carry on grazing or walk away.
Should a shepherd of the sheep go a paddock full with sheep that are his and calls out to them, they will come to him and follow him. Why? Because the shepherd knows his sheep and the sheep know him and trust him.
That is exactly what Jesus was trying to get through to them, that the sheep that know/follow Him are the believers (the Church) and the sheep that don’t know/follow Him are the unbelievers.
He went further than that and told the Jews that the Father had GIVEN (His sheep that know and follow Him) them to Him. John 10:29 “My Father, who has GIVEN them to Me, is greater than all; and NO ONE is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
We know that the moment a person becomes BORN AGAIN the Father takes that person in His hand an NO ONE is able to take any believer out o the Father’s hand. He will never let you go.
Jesus said the same about Himself. John 10:27-28 “MY SHEEP hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and NO ONE will snatch them out of MY hand.“
John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” Two Persons, One God, doing the same safe-keeping.
To crown off this beautiful picture we know that the moment a person becomes BORN AGAIN the Holy Spirit takes His abode in the heart of that person (and all believers). Romans 5:5 “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our HEARTS through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
We also know that once a person is BORN AGAIN and the Holy Spirit has taken His abode in the heart of that believer, He will NEVER leave that person. John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another HELPER, that He MAY BE WITH YOU FOREVER;”
You can the beautiful TRIPLE action by THREE distinct PERSONS but the ONE AND ONLY GOD, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Can you see now how beautiful the study of the Trinity is and also the study of each Person of the Trinity.
You can see the amazing work of the Holy Spirit within ever believer and that He will NEVER leave a believer.
SECURE FOR EVER – or – ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED.
Do you get the picture now?
Jesus laid down His life for HIS sheep, but as they that don’t believe are NOT of HIS sheep, He DIDN’T die for them!
John 17:9 “I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of THOSE whom YOU have GIVEN Me; for they are Yours;”
Matthew 20:28 “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to GIVE HIS LIFE a ransom for MANY.” (Not ALL).
Matthew 26:28 “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for MANY for forgiveness of sins.” (MANY not ALL).
Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave HIMSELF up for HER,” (that is for the CHURCH not ALL).
Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour died for ALL believers of the Old Testament Times, the Church Age Time, the Tribulation Time, and the Millennium Time.
More about the different Saints on our Topic page “Saints”.
The very moment a person believes and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, the FATHER takes his/her hand into His hand and will NEVER let him/her go.
The very moment a person believes and trust in Jesus as Lord and Saviour, JESUS takes his/her hand into His hand and will NEVER let him/her go.
The other wonderful thing that happens at that moment is that the HOLY SPIRIT makes His abode in the heart of that person and seals him/her into the Body of Christ, the Church and the Holy Spirit will NEVER leave the heart of that person.
THE HOLY SPIRIT SEALS US INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR EVER
The other wonderful thing that happens at that moment is that the Holy Spirit makes His abode in the heart of that person and seals him/her into the Body of Christ, the Church AND He will NEVER leave a believer once He has sealed him/her into the body of Christ.
