A brief study of the Holy Spirit
There’s actually a term, Pneumatology that means “The study of the Holy Spirit.” I think it’s really important to understand what the Bible says about who the Holy Spirit is, in order to help break through the confusion that many believer’s have surrounding His role. The Holy Spirit described in the Bible is identified as fully God!
Also, it’s clear that the Scriptures identify the Holy Spirit as a person who has been present with the Father and the Son since before time began. Genesis 1:2 says, “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
2 Peter 1:20-21 says, “But understand this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of or comes from one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” It’s super helpful to understand that the Biblical reality is that the Holy Spirit moved the prophets of God with the words of God!
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have [received as a gift] from God, and that you are not your own? You were bought with a price [you were actually purchased with the precious blood of Jesus and made His own]. So then, honor and glorify God with your body.”
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding what it means to be ‘born again.’ Jesus says in John 3:5-7, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be surprised that I have told you, ‘You must be born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].” According to Jesus, in order to go to heaven after we die, we must be born of the Spirit!
Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit, the Helper, was different from Himself. In John 14:25-26 He says, “I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” I don’t know about you, but I’m over-the-top thrilled, and so very grateful that God the Father provided me with the Spirit of Truth!
Wherever you may find yourself currently in your faith journey, may these words from Jesus in John 16:7-15 just before His crucifixion, encourage you to lean heavily into Him, as you recognize you’re never ever alone if you’ve been born again … “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.”