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But What About...The Holy Spirit - Part 1
Episode 129 – But What About … the Holy Spirit
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script:
Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ …”
Revelation, chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 New Living Translation
********
VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K and today on Anchored by Truth we are continuing our latest study series brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’ve labeled this series “But what about” because a lot of time you hear questions like “but what about angels and demons” or “what about heaven and hell?” We live in an age that is dominated by secular concerns and secular worldviews. This means many people entirely discount the possibility of the supernatural. Christianity is, of course, a faith firmly grounded in time and place. But it is a faith that recognizes that in addition to the world around us there is a supernatural, spiritual realm. Some people embrace the supernatural so completely they lose sight of the proper relationship between the natural and supernatural. Yet others completely deny its existence. The key to staying grounded is to see what the Bible actually has to say about them. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, last time we took a look at a somewhat enigmatic figure in the Bible – the Angel of the Lord. And after studying the various Bible texts we concluded that the Angel of the Lord was most likely a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus. Can you amplify on that a bit?
RD: Before we get started I want to say a word of greeting and thanks to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Thank you for joining us here today. As you mentioned the Angel of the Lord is one of the most interesting, and perhaps enigmatic, figures that we encounter in the Bible. There aren’t a lot of references in the Bible to the Angel of the Lord but looking at them gave us an increased understanding of the overall picture of redemption. This is because all of the appearances of the Angel of Lord are in the early part of the Old Testament. This means they occur long before Jesus came to earth and adopted a human nature. So, it seems that when the 2nd Person of the Trinity, God the Son, wanted to directly intervene in the plan of redemption He did so by adopting the guise of an angel. But once God the Son came to earth as Jesus, there was no more need for Him to use the Angel of the Lord to veil His glory while He interacted in the physical creation. As Colossians 1:15 and 19 & 20 say, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. … For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
VK: In other words, once God the Son had adopted a human nature He set aside the need for any other forms of revealing Himself within the created order. There was a fundamental change that occurred in creation when Jesus came as God in the flesh. At that point in history God took the most important step in the plan of redemption. God made the sacrifice necessary to save His people and to begin the final phase of restoring perfect holiness to the created order. We’re still awaiting the completion of this final phase but everything necessary is in place for the plan to be consummated isn’t it?
RD: Yes. Views on eschatology (study of the end times) vary a bit. There are at least three main views on the so-called millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth: pre-millennialism, post-millennialism, and a millennialism. Pre-millennialists believe Christ’s 2nd coming is before the millennium. Post- millennialists believe it is after. Amillennialists don’t believe Christ will reign physically on the earth for a 1,000 years but that the references to the millennium in the Bible are symbolical or refer to an extended period of peace ushered in by a widespread acceptance of Christianity. The predominant view among American Christians today is probably premillennialism but all three views accept that someday Christ will someday make a final claim of His people, create a universe free of sin and rebellion, and dwell with his people in a pristine heaven and earth. So, God the Son having adopted a human nature and having done all that is required to complete the plan of salvation at a time of the Father’s choosing - there really is no more need for Him to appear within creation as the Angel of the Lord. This is not to say He couldn’t just that judging from references in scripture He hasn’t.
VK: For instance, when God the Son elected to appear to the Apostle Paul before Paul’s conversion, God the Son appeared to Paul as Jesus. And when He spoke to Paul He named Himself as Jesus. And, in the book of Revelation, we always see Jesus in His human nature. He is, to be sure, a glorified and glorious person but He is always pictured as being human whether seated on a throne, riding a heavenly horse, or issuing commands to His churches. In fact, Revelation, chapter 1, verse 1 says, “This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place.” God the Son now interacts with humanity and the angels as Jesus Christ, God incarnate.
RD: Exactly. But that does open up a legitimate question. Now that God the Son has adopted a human nature, and we know that He seated at the right hand of God, how is possible that He can fulfill the promise God made to never leave us or forsake us? The answer to this question is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16 and 17.
VK: In the New Living Translation those verses say, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”
RD: So, a few things to notice immediately. First, people who quote that verse sometimes miss the point that Jesus said He would send another Advocate. In some translations the Greek word that’s translated Advocate in the New Living Translation is translated as comforter, counselor, or helper. The Greek word is Parakletos and it is the same word that was used for an attorney or lawyer. It was someone who would come alongside someone else to represent them. But notice that Jesus says that the Father is going to give the people another advocate, comforter, or helper. The Father is sending another because He has already sent the first advocate or helper: Jesus.
VK: So – just to be thoroughly clear – Jesus said another advocate or helper because He was the first advocate or comforter. And Jesus specifically names the One who is coming as the Holy Spirit. This is truly a remarkable statement and it is about as clear a confirmation of the doctrine of the trinity as is possible. In verse 16 Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit.” (New Living Translation) So, in this one verse God affirms the Trinitarian quality of God. God is one in nature but three in person. This is a mystery that is beyond the ability of any human to grasp comprehensively. But it is a truth the Bible teaches.
RD: Right. In John 14:16 Jesus is the one who is speaking. Jesus is the “I” of “I will ask the Father.” Jesus is presenting a request to the Father. From the standpoint of personhood no one presents a request to themselves. There’s no need. You can either do or not do something that occurs to you as a desire. So, from the standpoint of relationship Jesus is clearly distinguished from the Father. Jesus is asking the Father to send another advocate or helper to assist his disciples after Jesus goes back to heaven after His death. And Jesus names the helper or comforter who will come: the Holy Spirit.
VK: So, today we want to take a more in-depth look at the promised comforter, the Holy Spirit. In previous eras many Christians used to refer to the 3rd Person of the Trinity as the Holy Ghost but the more contemporary terminology is the Holy Spirit.
RD: Yes. And because the 3rd Person of the Trinity has been referred to a ghost or spirit many people get the idea that this Person is almost not real. We think of ghosts or spirits as being insubstantial, ethereal, or almost wispy like strands of fog hanging over a swamp. But nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is no less substantial, powerful, or real than the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is a full and equal participant in all the attributes of divinity including omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc.
VK: And I think that the term Holy Spirit can be challenging for the very reason you said. We equate the term “spirit” with “ghost” or “apparition.” And our common conception of spirits or ghosts is that they are insubstantial, that they are more like smoke or vapor than a real, living being. But making that association with the Holy Spirit is not only misleading, it’s dangerous.
RD: Exactly. When we formulate an image of the Holy Spirit as a sort of wispy, vaporous Being we fall into the subtle trap of not only denying His reality but also His power. Again, the terminology here is challenging. That is why it is such a good idea to remind ourselves of what the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit.
VK: Well, one of the first things the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit, as you said, is that the Holy Spirit is a full and equal participant in the attributes of divinity. The New Geneva Study Bible puts it this way: “The divinity of the Spirit appears from the way the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are named together in benedictions (2 Corinthians 13:14, Revelation 1:4-6) and in the formula of baptism (Matthew 28:19.” So, let’s take a look at Matthew 28:19 which may be one of the most famous verses in all of scripture. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (New Living Translation)
RD: As you said Matthew 28:19 is one of the most famous verses in all of scripture and it’s probably the best known of the Trinitarian presentations. What a lot of people may not realize is that the other verses the New Geneva Study Bible cites do not list the 3 Persons of the Trinity as Father-Son-Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 13:14 they are listed as Son-Father-Spirit and in Revelation 1:4 they are listed as Father-Spirit-Son. I say this because there is a subtle temptation to think that the Matthew order is somehow prescribing a hierarchy within the Godhead. It’s not. All the Persons of the Godhead are equal in authority, power, and status and the varying orders in the different texts help us see that.
VK: But this does not mean that the different Persons within the Godhead do not have their individual roles that they play both in creation and within the plan of salvation. Now we, as limited human beings, will never be able to fathom all the depths of how the 3 Persons relate to one another and have elected to perform their work. But we can see from scripture what they want us to know. And from scripture we know that the Holy Spirit is a distinctly Personal Being.
RD: Exactly right. The Holy Spirit is said to speak in verses such as Acts 1:16, 8:29, 10:19, and 13:2. For instance, in Acts 13:2 the Bible says, “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Appoint Barnabas and [Paul] for the special work to which I have called them.’ ” (New Living Translation) Note that in this verse the Holy Spirit says “the special work to which I have called them.”
VK: But now let’s listen to how the scripture describes Paul’s original call in Acts, chapter 9, verses 5 & 6. “Who are you, lord?” [Paul] asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” So, in Acts, chapter 9 we distinctly hear that it is Jesus who called Paul to his ministry. But the Holy Spirit in chapter 13 can equally take responsibility for calling Paul. The 3 Persons of the Trinity all have different roles in creation, salvation, and ultimately glorification. But they always act in perfect harmony and unity. This is a very important point. The Members of the Trinity are distinguished based on Person but they are never distinguished based on purposes or plans.
RD: So, this shows that the Holy Spirit is no less a real Person than Jesus because the Holy Spirit says that He called Paul and Barnabas to their work. Calling is an intentional act of a specific person. Further evidence that the Holy Spirit is a Personal Being, not an impersonal force, is found when the Holy Spirit is said to teach (John 14:26), witness (John 15:26), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), and intercede (Romans 8:26 & 27). As the New Geneva Study Bible puts it “All these are the acts of an individual Person.”
VK: So, let’s listen to a couple of those verses just to reinforce the point we have been making. Romans, chapter 8, verses 26 and 27 say, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
RD: In these verses we hear that the Holy Spirit helps us, prays for us, and pleads for us. Helping, praying, and pleading are actions that require intentionality and personal involvement. An impersonal force cannot plead for someone. In addition, a careful reading of these verses gives us some additional information about the Holy Spirit besides just showing us that the Holy Spirit is a Person not a force.
VK: Such as?
RD: Such as the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. Notice that the latter part of verse 27 refers to the Spirit plead[ing] for “us believers.” This verse clearly shows that anyone who accepts Christ as their Savior immediately has the Holy Spirit acting as an intercessor on their behalf. In some denominations within Christianity the presence of the Holy Spirit within an individual believer is seen as a separate act that may or may not be true for all believers. But Paul makes no attempt in this verse to segregate believers into two groups – one that enjoys the intercession of the Holy Spirit and one that doesn’t.
VK: Well, I think some of those who see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as an act separate from the point of salvation would point to the early parts of the book of Acts like Pentecost. There are several references where the Holy Spirit seems to have come to group of believers at a time that’s separate from their original expression of belief in Jesus.
RD: That’s a fair point but I think that you have to go back to what Jesus said just before He ascended to heaven. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in [Jerusalem] until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The time period immediately following Jesus’ death and resurrection was a period of transition from the old covenant to the new. During that period there were a number of “firsts” if you will. Jesus had told the disciples that after He returned to the Father He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit. That happened at Pentecost and progressively as the disciples began to spread the gospel. But that seems to have been a feature of Christ launching His church after His earthly ministry to clearly signal that His life, death, and resurrection marked a turning point in the history of redemption. There are several important turning points throughout the grand saga of redemption that marked fundamental one-time events.
VK: Such as the flood of Noah or Moses receipt of the law on Mount Sinai. The flood was a one-time event – thank goodness. Afterward God said that the appearance of a rainbow would be a reminder that the global flood would be a one-time event. And once Moses had received the ten commandments and the other portions of the law there was no need for God to repeat Himself. So, you see the formation of the early church in a similar way.
RD: Yes. Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would come and He told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until it happened. But having arrived the Holy Spirit accompanied the disciples as the carried the message outside Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit could now begin His peculiar work. The New Geneva Study Bible puts it this way. “The work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ by showing His disciples who He is and what He means to them. … He gives God’s people what they need to serve Him.”
VK: And the Spirit does this in a variety of ways. One way is by bringing about a new spiritual birth. That’s what Jesus was telling Nicodemus when Jesus told him that he had to be “born again.” The Spirit is also the One who illuminates our minds to the truth and to scripture. By doing so the Spirit sanctifies us and transforms us. Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 & 23 say, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are new attributes that come into an authentic believer’s life.
RD: Yes. Now we’re not saying that none of these attributes may be present in the life of someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus, but we are saying that every real believer must at some point show evidence of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. I would be the first to tell you and testify that very few, if any, believers are ever going to see as much of this fruit of the Spirit as they would like or as soon as they like. The Holy Spirit doesn’t make us perfect the first second He comes into our lives. But that’s when He begins His work and as we grow and mature in Christ the Spirit’s presence should become more and more apparent.
VK: The fact that the Holy Spirit is present in all believers is reinforced by Galatians, chapter 4, verse 6. This verse says, “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” As is frequently noted the term “Abba Father” is essentially the way a child calls out to “Daddy.” It’s a very personal expression. And we can be sure that every believer has the Spirit because that verse says God sent the Spirit into our hearts. We can be very sure that if God sent the Spirit, the Spirit arrived. God is not going to fail when he does something.
RD: And the fact that the work of the Spirit is progressive in our lives is found in Philippians 1:6. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” In that verse Paul says “began the good work within you.” Beginning means starting something. And then he says “will continue” which means the work is ongoing as long as we’re alive. And Paul notes that work won’t be finished until “the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
VK: I think it’s very important for Christians to realize that we are all works-in-progress but that as long as don’t give up there will be progress. This is usually referred to as the process of sanctification. Sometimes it may seem like it’s going along pretty smoothly but other times it will seem like there’s no progress at all. The important thing is trust in the Lord and not trust in our own strength. The Bible is clear that this is a work of the Spirit but it is a work with which we must consciously agree with and pursue. That’s why Paul says in Philippians, chapter 2, verse 12 to “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”
RD: Right. So, let’s do a quick review and see some of the important points that we have discussed about the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. But in saying that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person we are not in any way saying that the Holy Spirit is inferior to either the Father or the Son. Saying the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person is just a form of description or nomenclature. It’s not a hierarchical designation. Next, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force of the variety that is postulated in some science fiction movies. The Holy Spirit makes personal choices and takes personal actions. He intercedes for us, teaches us, transforms us, and helps us personally and individually. Third, the Holy Spirit inhabits every believer the moment they accept Christ as their Savior. There are no 2nd class citizens when it comes to believers and the Holy Spirit. And it’s important to note that the Holy Spirit does not play favorites. The Holy Spirit is as fully present in believers the world might see as humble as He is in the most famous Christians who have ever lived.
VK: Well, that observation points out the need for us to read and become familiar with the entire Bible. To understand the nature and work of the Holy Spirit means that we have to be familiar with both the Old and New Testaments. We didn’t spend any time on it today but the very first verses of the book of Genesis tell us that the Holy Spirit didn’t come to the earth until Pentecost. He was there at the very beginning.
RD: Right. I know that sometimes the Holy Spirit can be a bit of a mysterious figure to many people especially when we remember that at one time He was more commonly referred to as the Holy Ghost. Spirits and ghosts are apparitions, possibly real but possibly not. They are more often felt than seen but we always think that it is very hard to know if they are really here or not. So, when we associate those concepts with The Holy Spirit they can lead us to some false ideas or conclusions. So, one key to grasping – at least insofar as it is humanly possible – an understanding of the Holy Spirit is to simply let the Bible text speak to us. We need to let the Bible tell us about the Holy Spirit and then just accept what it says. When we do that the Spirits presence, role, work, and purposes are very straightforward. But we must let the Bible do the talking. If we try to impose human ideas or concepts onto the scripture it’s much harder for us to learn and it would be impossible for us to have a coherent faith.
VK: Well, next time we’ll turn our attention to some additional elements about the Holy Spirit. We especially want to study some of the curious ways that 3rd Person of the Trinity is depicted in various scriptures and see what those depictions can tell us about the Comforter and Advocate that the Father sent to all His children. This sounds like a good time for a prayer. Since there is a desperate need in our nation for the wisdom of God to light a path to truth and freedom, today let’s pray a prayer for the renewal of the church.
---- PRAYER FOR RENEWAL OF THE CHURCH.
We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show.
If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!”
(Bible Quote from the New Living Translation)
Revelation, chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 New Living Translation
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Episode 129 – But What About … the Holy Spirit
Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God.
Script:
Grace and peace to you from the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; and from Jesus Christ …”
Revelation, chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 New Living Translation
********
VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K and today on Anchored by Truth we are continuing our latest study series brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. We’ve labeled this series “But what about” because a lot of time you hear questions like “but what about angels and demons” or “what about heaven and hell?” We live in an age that is dominated by secular concerns and secular worldviews. This means many people entirely discount the possibility of the supernatural. Christianity is, of course, a faith firmly grounded in time and place. But it is a faith that recognizes that in addition to the world around us there is a supernatural, spiritual realm. Some people embrace the supernatural so completely they lose sight of the proper relationship between the natural and supernatural. Yet others completely deny its existence. The key to staying grounded is to see what the Bible actually has to say about them. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder of Crystal Sea Books. RD, last time we took a look at a somewhat enigmatic figure in the Bible – the Angel of the Lord. And after studying the various Bible texts we concluded that the Angel of the Lord was most likely a pre-incarnate manifestation of Jesus. Can you amplify on that a bit?
RD: Before we get started I want to say a word of greeting and thanks to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Thank you for joining us here today. As you mentioned the Angel of the Lord is one of the most interesting, and perhaps enigmatic, figures that we encounter in the Bible. There aren’t a lot of references in the Bible to the Angel of the Lord but looking at them gave us an increased understanding of the overall picture of redemption. This is because all of the appearances of the Angel of Lord are in the early part of the Old Testament. This means they occur long before Jesus came to earth and adopted a human nature. So, it seems that when the 2nd Person of the Trinity, God the Son, wanted to directly intervene in the plan of redemption He did so by adopting the guise of an angel. But once God the Son came to earth as Jesus, there was no more need for Him to use the Angel of the Lord to veil His glory while He interacted in the physical creation. As Colossians 1:15 and 19 & 20 say, “Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. … For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
VK: In other words, once God the Son had adopted a human nature He set aside the need for any other forms of revealing Himself within the created order. There was a fundamental change that occurred in creation when Jesus came as God in the flesh. At that point in history God took the most important step in the plan of redemption. God made the sacrifice necessary to save His people and to begin the final phase of restoring perfect holiness to the created order. We’re still awaiting the completion of this final phase but everything necessary is in place for the plan to be consummated isn’t it?
RD: Yes. Views on eschatology (study of the end times) vary a bit. There are at least three main views on the so-called millennium, the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth: pre-millennialism, post-millennialism, and a millennialism. Pre-millennialists believe Christ’s 2nd coming is before the millennium. Post- millennialists believe it is after. Amillennialists don’t believe Christ will reign physically on the earth for a 1,000 years but that the references to the millennium in the Bible are symbolical or refer to an extended period of peace ushered in by a widespread acceptance of Christianity. The predominant view among American Christians today is probably premillennialism but all three views accept that someday Christ will someday make a final claim of His people, create a universe free of sin and rebellion, and dwell with his people in a pristine heaven and earth. So, God the Son having adopted a human nature and having done all that is required to complete the plan of salvation at a time of the Father’s choosing - there really is no more need for Him to appear within creation as the Angel of the Lord. This is not to say He couldn’t just that judging from references in scripture He hasn’t.
VK: For instance, when God the Son elected to appear to the Apostle Paul before Paul’s conversion, God the Son appeared to Paul as Jesus. And when He spoke to Paul He named Himself as Jesus. And, in the book of Revelation, we always see Jesus in His human nature. He is, to be sure, a glorified and glorious person but He is always pictured as being human whether seated on a throne, riding a heavenly horse, or issuing commands to His churches. In fact, Revelation, chapter 1, verse 1 says, “This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place.” God the Son now interacts with humanity and the angels as Jesus Christ, God incarnate.
RD: Exactly. But that does open up a legitimate question. Now that God the Son has adopted a human nature, and we know that He seated at the right hand of God, how is possible that He can fulfill the promise God made to never leave us or forsake us? The answer to this question is found in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 16 and 17.
VK: In the New Living Translation those verses say, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.”
RD: So, a few things to notice immediately. First, people who quote that verse sometimes miss the point that Jesus said He would send another Advocate. In some translations the Greek word that’s translated Advocate in the New Living Translation is translated as comforter, counselor, or helper. The Greek word is Parakletos and it is the same word that was used for an attorney or lawyer. It was someone who would come alongside someone else to represent them. But notice that Jesus says that the Father is going to give the people another advocate, comforter, or helper. The Father is sending another because He has already sent the first advocate or helper: Jesus.
VK: So – just to be thoroughly clear – Jesus said another advocate or helper because He was the first advocate or comforter. And Jesus specifically names the One who is coming as the Holy Spirit. This is truly a remarkable statement and it is about as clear a confirmation of the doctrine of the trinity as is possible. In verse 16 Jesus says, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit.” (New Living Translation) So, in this one verse God affirms the Trinitarian quality of God. God is one in nature but three in person. This is a mystery that is beyond the ability of any human to grasp comprehensively. But it is a truth the Bible teaches.
RD: Right. In John 14:16 Jesus is the one who is speaking. Jesus is the “I” of “I will ask the Father.” Jesus is presenting a request to the Father. From the standpoint of personhood no one presents a request to themselves. There’s no need. You can either do or not do something that occurs to you as a desire. So, from the standpoint of relationship Jesus is clearly distinguished from the Father. Jesus is asking the Father to send another advocate or helper to assist his disciples after Jesus goes back to heaven after His death. And Jesus names the helper or comforter who will come: the Holy Spirit.
VK: So, today we want to take a more in-depth look at the promised comforter, the Holy Spirit. In previous eras many Christians used to refer to the 3rd Person of the Trinity as the Holy Ghost but the more contemporary terminology is the Holy Spirit.
RD: Yes. And because the 3rd Person of the Trinity has been referred to a ghost or spirit many people get the idea that this Person is almost not real. We think of ghosts or spirits as being insubstantial, ethereal, or almost wispy like strands of fog hanging over a swamp. But nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is no less substantial, powerful, or real than the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is a full and equal participant in all the attributes of divinity including omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, etc.
VK: And I think that the term Holy Spirit can be challenging for the very reason you said. We equate the term “spirit” with “ghost” or “apparition.” And our common conception of spirits or ghosts is that they are insubstantial, that they are more like smoke or vapor than a real, living being. But making that association with the Holy Spirit is not only misleading, it’s dangerous.
RD: Exactly. When we formulate an image of the Holy Spirit as a sort of wispy, vaporous Being we fall into the subtle trap of not only denying His reality but also His power. Again, the terminology here is challenging. That is why it is such a good idea to remind ourselves of what the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit.
VK: Well, one of the first things the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit, as you said, is that the Holy Spirit is a full and equal participant in the attributes of divinity. The New Geneva Study Bible puts it this way: “The divinity of the Spirit appears from the way the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are named together in benedictions (2 Corinthians 13:14, Revelation 1:4-6) and in the formula of baptism (Matthew 28:19.” So, let’s take a look at Matthew 28:19 which may be one of the most famous verses in all of scripture. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (New Living Translation)
RD: As you said Matthew 28:19 is one of the most famous verses in all of scripture and it’s probably the best known of the Trinitarian presentations. What a lot of people may not realize is that the other verses the New Geneva Study Bible cites do not list the 3 Persons of the Trinity as Father-Son-Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 13:14 they are listed as Son-Father-Spirit and in Revelation 1:4 they are listed as Father-Spirit-Son. I say this because there is a subtle temptation to think that the Matthew order is somehow prescribing a hierarchy within the Godhead. It’s not. All the Persons of the Godhead are equal in authority, power, and status and the varying orders in the different texts help us see that.
VK: But this does not mean that the different Persons within the Godhead do not have their individual roles that they play both in creation and within the plan of salvation. Now we, as limited human beings, will never be able to fathom all the depths of how the 3 Persons relate to one another and have elected to perform their work. But we can see from scripture what they want us to know. And from scripture we know that the Holy Spirit is a distinctly Personal Being.
RD: Exactly right. The Holy Spirit is said to speak in verses such as Acts 1:16, 8:29, 10:19, and 13:2. For instance, in Acts 13:2 the Bible says, “One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Appoint Barnabas and [Paul] for the special work to which I have called them.’ ” (New Living Translation) Note that in this verse the Holy Spirit says “the special work to which I have called them.”
VK: But now let’s listen to how the scripture describes Paul’s original call in Acts, chapter 9, verses 5 & 6. “Who are you, lord?” [Paul] asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” So, in Acts, chapter 9 we distinctly hear that it is Jesus who called Paul to his ministry. But the Holy Spirit in chapter 13 can equally take responsibility for calling Paul. The 3 Persons of the Trinity all have different roles in creation, salvation, and ultimately glorification. But they always act in perfect harmony and unity. This is a very important point. The Members of the Trinity are distinguished based on Person but they are never distinguished based on purposes or plans.
RD: So, this shows that the Holy Spirit is no less a real Person than Jesus because the Holy Spirit says that He called Paul and Barnabas to their work. Calling is an intentional act of a specific person. Further evidence that the Holy Spirit is a Personal Being, not an impersonal force, is found when the Holy Spirit is said to teach (John 14:26), witness (John 15:26), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), and intercede (Romans 8:26 & 27). As the New Geneva Study Bible puts it “All these are the acts of an individual Person.”
VK: So, let’s listen to a couple of those verses just to reinforce the point we have been making. Romans, chapter 8, verses 26 and 27 say, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
RD: In these verses we hear that the Holy Spirit helps us, prays for us, and pleads for us. Helping, praying, and pleading are actions that require intentionality and personal involvement. An impersonal force cannot plead for someone. In addition, a careful reading of these verses gives us some additional information about the Holy Spirit besides just showing us that the Holy Spirit is a Person not a force.
VK: Such as?
RD: Such as the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells all believers. Notice that the latter part of verse 27 refers to the Spirit plead[ing] for “us believers.” This verse clearly shows that anyone who accepts Christ as their Savior immediately has the Holy Spirit acting as an intercessor on their behalf. In some denominations within Christianity the presence of the Holy Spirit within an individual believer is seen as a separate act that may or may not be true for all believers. But Paul makes no attempt in this verse to segregate believers into two groups – one that enjoys the intercession of the Holy Spirit and one that doesn’t.
VK: Well, I think some of those who see the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as an act separate from the point of salvation would point to the early parts of the book of Acts like Pentecost. There are several references where the Holy Spirit seems to have come to group of believers at a time that’s separate from their original expression of belief in Jesus.
RD: That’s a fair point but I think that you have to go back to what Jesus said just before He ascended to heaven. In Luke 24:49 Jesus said, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in [Jerusalem] until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The time period immediately following Jesus’ death and resurrection was a period of transition from the old covenant to the new. During that period there were a number of “firsts” if you will. Jesus had told the disciples that after He returned to the Father He would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit. That happened at Pentecost and progressively as the disciples began to spread the gospel. But that seems to have been a feature of Christ launching His church after His earthly ministry to clearly signal that His life, death, and resurrection marked a turning point in the history of redemption. There are several important turning points throughout the grand saga of redemption that marked fundamental one-time events.
VK: Such as the flood of Noah or Moses receipt of the law on Mount Sinai. The flood was a one-time event – thank goodness. Afterward God said that the appearance of a rainbow would be a reminder that the global flood would be a one-time event. And once Moses had received the ten commandments and the other portions of the law there was no need for God to repeat Himself. So, you see the formation of the early church in a similar way.
RD: Yes. Jesus had promised that the Holy Spirit would come and He told the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until it happened. But having arrived the Holy Spirit accompanied the disciples as the carried the message outside Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit could now begin His peculiar work. The New Geneva Study Bible puts it this way. “The work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ by showing His disciples who He is and what He means to them. … He gives God’s people what they need to serve Him.”
VK: And the Spirit does this in a variety of ways. One way is by bringing about a new spiritual birth. That’s what Jesus was telling Nicodemus when Jesus told him that he had to be “born again.” The Spirit is also the One who illuminates our minds to the truth and to scripture. By doing so the Spirit sanctifies us and transforms us. Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 & 23 say, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are new attributes that come into an authentic believer’s life.
RD: Yes. Now we’re not saying that none of these attributes may be present in the life of someone who hasn’t accepted Jesus, but we are saying that every real believer must at some point show evidence of the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. I would be the first to tell you and testify that very few, if any, believers are ever going to see as much of this fruit of the Spirit as they would like or as soon as they like. The Holy Spirit doesn’t make us perfect the first second He comes into our lives. But that’s when He begins His work and as we grow and mature in Christ the Spirit’s presence should become more and more apparent.
VK: The fact that the Holy Spirit is present in all believers is reinforced by Galatians, chapter 4, verse 6. This verse says, “And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” As is frequently noted the term “Abba Father” is essentially the way a child calls out to “Daddy.” It’s a very personal expression. And we can be sure that every believer has the Spirit because that verse says God sent the Spirit into our hearts. We can be very sure that if God sent the Spirit, the Spirit arrived. God is not going to fail when he does something.
RD: And the fact that the work of the Spirit is progressive in our lives is found in Philippians 1:6. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” In that verse Paul says “began the good work within you.” Beginning means starting something. And then he says “will continue” which means the work is ongoing as long as we’re alive. And Paul notes that work won’t be finished until “the day when Christ Jesus returns.”
VK: I think it’s very important for Christians to realize that we are all works-in-progress but that as long as don’t give up there will be progress. This is usually referred to as the process of sanctification. Sometimes it may seem like it’s going along pretty smoothly but other times it will seem like there’s no progress at all. The important thing is trust in the Lord and not trust in our own strength. The Bible is clear that this is a work of the Spirit but it is a work with which we must consciously agree with and pursue. That’s why Paul says in Philippians, chapter 2, verse 12 to “Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.”
RD: Right. So, let’s do a quick review and see some of the important points that we have discussed about the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person of the Trinity. But in saying that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person we are not in any way saying that the Holy Spirit is inferior to either the Father or the Son. Saying the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Person is just a form of description or nomenclature. It’s not a hierarchical designation. Next, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not an impersonal force of the variety that is postulated in some science fiction movies. The Holy Spirit makes personal choices and takes personal actions. He intercedes for us, teaches us, transforms us, and helps us personally and individually. Third, the Holy Spirit inhabits every believer the moment they accept Christ as their Savior. There are no 2nd class citizens when it comes to believers and the Holy Spirit. And it’s important to note that the Holy Spirit does not play favorites. The Holy Spirit is as fully present in believers the world might see as humble as He is in the most famous Christians who have ever lived.
VK: Well, that observation points out the need for us to read and become familiar with the entire Bible. To understand the nature and work of the Holy Spirit means that we have to be familiar with both the Old and New Testaments. We didn’t spend any time on it today but the very first verses of the book of Genesis tell us that the Holy Spirit didn’t come to the earth until Pentecost. He was there at the very beginning.
RD: Right. I know that sometimes the Holy Spirit can be a bit of a mysterious figure to many people especially when we remember that at one time He was more commonly referred to as the Holy Ghost. Spirits and ghosts are apparitions, possibly real but possibly not. They are more often felt than seen but we always think that it is very hard to know if they are really here or not. So, when we associate those concepts with The Holy Spirit they can lead us to some false ideas or conclusions. So, one key to grasping – at least insofar as it is humanly possible – an understanding of the Holy Spirit is to simply let the Bible text speak to us. We need to let the Bible tell us about the Holy Spirit and then just accept what it says. When we do that the Spirits presence, role, work, and purposes are very straightforward. But we must let the Bible do the talking. If we try to impose human ideas or concepts onto the scripture it’s much harder for us to learn and it would be impossible for us to have a coherent faith.
VK: Well, next time we’ll turn our attention to some additional elements about the Holy Spirit. We especially want to study some of the curious ways that 3rd Person of the Trinity is depicted in various scriptures and see what those depictions can tell us about the Comforter and Advocate that the Father sent to all His children. This sounds like a good time for a prayer. Since there is a desperate need in our nation for the wisdom of God to light a path to truth and freedom, today let’s pray a prayer for the renewal of the church.
---- PRAYER FOR RENEWAL OF THE CHURCH.
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(Bible Quote from the New Living Translation)
Revelation, chapter 1, verses 4 and 5 New Living Translation