What about the Holy Spirit?

In many ways the Holy Sprit is widely misunderstood. He is nothing like the increasingly popular view of ghosts. He is the third part of God.

Christians believe that God is three in one or a Trinity. By this they believe that God has three separate and independent persona - God the Father, Jesus the Son and, the Holy Spirit.

Our human understanding of this is limited to say the least and images that are used to try to explain it as a concept can easily be equally confusing.

Favourite images are

The Triangle:

A triangle is a complete whole, a unity but it is made up of three independent aspects.

Each side of a triangle can have its own properties and features (thickness, length, angle etc) but together they make a whole.

The Coin:

A coin is a complete single item but it has three aspects to it.

Two different sides and an edge that joins the two sides.

Each side and the edge are quite distinctive. Sides can have different faces, imprints, images and text, whilst the edge can be circular, heptagonal or any other shape, thickness etc.

On one side  whilst on the other  and on the edge

Another picture of this relationship compares the forms of water. Steam water and ice are all made of the same substance but exist in different forms.

None of these pictures can get anywhere near to what the Trinity is like or how it all works but they do establish the principle that things can be separate in identify but collectively form the whole. Equally they demonstrate that if any one of the three is removed or ignored then the whole ceases to exist.

These are the key messages in trying to understand the Holy Spirit. He is part of the whole of God yet He is independent.

Often Christians become aware of the Holy Spirit after an event rather than during it - just like you can't see the wind but you do see the effects of it like trees swaying.

The Bible says much more about what the Holy Spirit does than what or who He is. Jesus uses different words when talking about the Holy Spirit -  Comforter, Counsellor, Spirit, Guide and Advocate.

Even before Jesus lived on earth the Holy Spirit is talked about in the Bible. At the start of the very first book of the Bible - Genesis Chapter 1 verse 2 "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters".

We know the Holy Spirit is from God to help us understand things. In 1 Corinthians 2 v 12  "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us"

We know too that the Holy Spirit sanctifies us - that is makes us Holy in God's presence. In 1 Peter 1 v 1 and 2 "To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood"

The Holy Spirit in essence is the same as the Father and the Son but has a different function. In John 14 verse 26 Jesus says that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to teach "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you"

Paul describes another purpose of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 3 v16 as to "strengthen you with power through his Spirit"

and there are many other verses in the Bible showing what the Holy Spirit does.

Which ever way you look at it the Holy Spirit is part of God, is a friend and is here to help us grow closer to God through His Son - Jesus Christ.

Key characteristics of the Holy Spirit from God's Word

• The Holy Spirit is a personality. He is a person - not an "it". John 14 v16-17. We can therefore have a relationship with Him.
• The Holy Spirit is God. Matthew 28 v19, 2 Corinthians 13 v 14, 2 Corinthians 3 v 17-18
• The Holy Spirit has interchangeable names with Jesus and God. Romans 8 v 9-11. He is to be worshipped.
• The Holy Spirit is creator. Genesis 1 v2, Psalm 104 v 30
• The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible. 2 Peter 1 v 21
• The Holy Spirit brings us the truth. John 16 v 12-16