The Holy Spirit Is God

 •  4 min. read  •  grade level: 8
 
The Holy Spirit is GOD, equal with the Father and the Son in the unity of the Godhead, Three in One and One in Three, One in knowledge, purpose, power, will.
The Bible states facts, rather than setting out to prove them. For instance, the first four words in Scripture furnish us an example of this " In the beginning GOD " (Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)).
The name, God, is announced without any attempt at proof. Similarly ranging through Scripture one finds facts, stupendous facts, stated in such fashion as to carry conviction to the mind of the reader, for each carries its own credentials.
Not in so many words does the Scripture tells us that the Holy Spirit is God. Let us briefly piece together scriptural testimony to this great truth. We shall find that the testimony is as convincing as if the Scripture had said in so many words, The Holy Spirit is GOD.
To begin with the word, GOD, in Gen. 1:11In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) (as it is in thousands of cases throughout the Old Testament) is in the plural. The Hebrew language has three numbers-singular, dual, plural. The plural at the least must be three. Is there not seen clearly, in the fuller light that Scripture throws upon the opening verse of the Bible, the intimation of the Three Persons of the Holy Trinity-Father, Son and Spirit? Surely that much is clear.
Perhaps the most striking insistence on the unity of the Godhead (yet Three Persons in indissoluble unity) is found in the address to Israel:
" Hear,. O Israel, The LORD [Jehovah, singular] our God [Elohim, plural] is one LORD [Jehovah, singular] (Deut. 6:44Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: (Deuteronomy 6:4)).
One scarcely expects to find in the Old Testament the same clear unfolding of truth on this subject as is found in the fuller light of the New Testament. That waited for the time when our Lord should come into the world. However, there is one very clear passage in the Old Testament:
" Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there AM I [Jehovah, the I AM, an assertion of Deity]: and now the LORD [Adonai, plural] Goo [Jehovah, singular], and His Spirit, [Ruach] hath sent Me " (Isa. 48:1616Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Isaiah 48:16)).
Here we have two Divine Persons sending forth a third Divine Person. This verse is truly wonderful. It deserves special study. The One sent claims to be from " the beginning," the I AM, Jehovah. He states that He is SENT by the Lord GOD and His Spirit. Here we have the sovereign action of two Persons of the Holy Trinity sending a third Person of the Holy Trinity-All acting in perfect harmony for a desired end, which is gradually unfolded for God's glory and the blessing of man.
Furthermore, it is interesting to observe how one Scripture harmonizes with another, though the writers may be separated by seven long centuries. The Apostle John supports this passage in his testimony. In that Gospel it is recorded how our Lord again and again referred to Himself as the SENT One. Here are four examples:
" That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast SENT Me " (John 17:2121That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)).
In the light of the above Scriptures, we can have no doubt as to the teaching of Isa. 48:16,16Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me. (Isaiah 48:16) setting forth the truth of the Deity of the Holy Spirit.
Nor is this all. Other Scriptures fall into line. For instance we read:
" How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the ETERNAL Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb. 9:1414How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14)).
This adjective, ETERNAL, constitutes the assertion of the Deity of the Holy Spirit, for God alone is ETERNAL. It is remarkable that this adjective is used only in the case of the Spirit, and not in those of the Father and the Son, though the Deity of these is amply stated in the Scriptures.
Sovereignty, too, an attribute of Deity, is attributed to the Holy Spirit.
" But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally AS HE WILL" (1 Cor. 12:1111But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. (1 Corinthians 12:11)).
This could only be affirmed of God, and here it is said of the Holy Spirit.
It has often been taught that the Holy Spirit is only an influence, thus denying His Personality. The Holy Spirit is a Person, and every person has an influence, but in the case of the Holy Spirit His Personality embraces omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence. The Personality of the Holy Spirit is clearly affirmed in Scripture.
Here is a definite action by a definite Personality, and of such a character that it could only be attributed to God.