THE HOLY SPIRIT
Holy Spirit is fully divine; being co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son. He proceeds from the Father (John 15:26) and is the third person in the Trinity; within which there is equal glory and majesty (Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 2:18). His participation in creation (Gen. 1:1-2) and his inspiration of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) attest to his divinity. Further, His divine attributes are revealed in Scripture, which include eternality (Heb. 9:14), omniscience (Isa. 40:13; 1 Cor. 12:10-11), omnipotence (Luke 1:35; Zech. 4:6), and omnipresence (Ps. 139:7-10). Also, the Scriptures acknowledge that He is God by title (Gen. 6:3; Isa. 61:1; Rom. 8:9) and direct assertion (Acts 5:3-4).
The Holy Spirit is a Person. This is evident in that he possesses the aspects of personhood such as intellect (1 Cor. 2:10-11), emotions (Eph. 4:30), and a will (1 Cor. 12:11). Moreover, He displays his personhood as he teaches (John 14:26), speaks (Acts 8:29, 13:12; Rev. 2:7), sends (Acts 13:4), and leads (John 16:13-14; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:18). The Bible also shows how he is treated as a person: being lied to (Acts 5:3), insulted (Heb. 10:29), and blasphemed (Matt. 12:31).
The Work of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit was instrumental in creation (Gen. 1:1-2, 26; Ps. 33:6) and is instrumental in sustaining life on earth (Ps. 104:30; Job 33:4). The ongoing ministry of the Spirit is to intercede for Christians (Rom. 8:26-27), to sanctify them (1 Peter 1:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 6:22-23), to empower them to be witnesses for Jesus (Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8), and to edify the church through the proper exercise of spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:4-11, 14:3-5, 12, 39-40). Spiritual gifts belong to the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4) who distributes them within the body of Christ as he wills (1 Cor. 12:11). The Holy Spirit also convicts (i.e. convinces) people of their need for Jesus (John 16:8-11).
%20-%20White.png)