The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son and is of the same essence. Yet He is also distinct from them.

Scripture describes the Holy Spirit in personal terms, not as an impersonal force, when it says that He teaches, guides, comforts and intercedes.¹ He possesses emotions, intellect and will.² The Holy Spirit spoke to Philip and gave counsel to the church at Jerusalem.³ He was sinned against and lied to.⁴

The Scriptures also attest to the deity of the Holy Spirit. He is spoken of as God and is identified with the title of Jehovah.⁵ The Christian who is indwelt by the Spirit is indwelt by God.⁶ The Holy Spirit possesses the attributes of deity, such as omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence and eternality.⁷ He does works only God can do, such as creating, regenerating and sanctifying.⁸ He is equally associated with the other members of the Trinity.⁹

The work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament differed somewhat from His work in the New Testament. The possession of the Holy Spirit by the believer was not permanent in every case.¹⁰ The Spirit had a ministry of restraining sin and in the creation of the world.¹¹

The Holy Spirit today plays a major role in the application of salvation to the individual. It is the Spirit who brings conviction to the unbeliever and causes him to see the truth of the gospel in a clear light.¹² Those who respond to this conviction and place their faith in Jesus Christ receive eternal life and a new nature.¹³ The Holy Spirit unites the believer with Christ and places him in the body of Christ, the church.¹⁴ He also unites the believer with Christ in His death, enabling him to live victoriously over sin.¹⁵ The Holy Spirit controls the believer who yields to God and submits himself to God's Word.¹⁶ When these conditions are met, the believer lives in the power of the Spirit and produces the fruit of the Spirit.¹⁷

The Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently.¹⁸ While the child of God may sin and grieve the Spirit, the Spirit will never leave the true believer.¹⁹ Absence of the Holy Spirit is the mark of the unsaved.²⁰ The Holy Spirit seals the believer.²¹ This ministry guarantees the security of the believer "until the day of redemption."²²

The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts or abilities for service to every believer.²³Although His restraint of evil in the world today will cease with the rapture,²⁴He will continue to be present in the earth. In the tribulation period the Spirit will be involved in salvation and filling.²⁵ In the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ, the Spirit will be in God's people and the Spirit will be upon the King.²⁶

¹ John 14:26; Romans 8:14; John 14:26; Romans 8:26

² Ephesians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 2:10–14; 1 Corinthians 12:11

³ Acts 8:29; 15:28

⁴ Acts 5:3, 4

⁵ Acts 5:1–4; Isaiah 6:8–9 with Acts 28:25; Jeremiah 31:31–34; with Hebrews 10:15

⁶ 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; Ephesians 2:22

⁷ 1 Corinthians 2:10–11; Psalm 139:7; Zechariah 4:6; Hebrews 9:14

⁸ Genesis 1:2; John 3:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13

⁹ Matthew 28:19, 20; 2 Corinthians 13:14

¹⁰ Psalm 51:11

¹¹ Genesis 6:3; Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 40:12

¹² John 16:8–11