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Who Is The Holy Spirit Part I Series
Contributed by Don Jones on Sep 2, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: The first in a series concerning the Holy Spirit focusing on His indwelling, sealing power.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
General Information
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God’s word reveal each as equal, separate and yet one triune God. We cannot comprehend God because He is God and we are not. However, we must accept the truth of scripture on faith whether we understand it or not.
The Holy Spirit is a He not an it. A word in the KJV translated incorrectly is Ghost instead of Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a ghost as we think but rather the personal presence of the Son indwelling every believer’s life.
The Holy Spirit Indwells Believers
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. John 14:16
You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Rms 8:9
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? I Cor. 3:16
These scriptures give us a clear picture that the Holy Spirit is residing in every believer and if you say he does not, then neither does Jesus. He also will be with us forever as John 14:16 says. Like Jesus, "He will never leave or forsake us." The Spirit seals, confirms and affirms we are God’s and God’s alone. We have been sealed and marked as His, by the Holy Spirit. If you like westerns, we have been branded by the Spirit and like a brand it will never come off.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Rms.8:16
When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.
John 15:26
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. I John 4:13
And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory. Eph. 1:13
Jesus also refers to Him as the Counselor. As such He guides and leads us at all times, IF we allow Him. But it is our choice if we want to be filled by Him. While there is one receiving when we receive Christ, there are many filling or yielding to the Spirit.