So, who is this Holy Spirit? First of all, please let me make it clear, He is not an "it" or a "what". He is a "person". That's right. He is the third person of the Godhead. He is not "fire", "water" or a dove even though the Bible refers to Him in this way. These are just some of His attributes. He is compassionate, He can be grieved, He leads, He speaks, He directs.
We will start from the beginning because that is always the best place to start.
Gen. 1:1-3 (NKJV)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 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.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
The Spirit of God was hovering. . . the Holy Spirit was waiting for the Word of God to go forth. He takes direction from the Father. He moves at the direction of the Word. The Holy Spirit is mentioned all throughout the Old Testament where it states time and time again that the Spirit of the Lord "came upon" so and so. The Holy Spirit "came upon" different ones in order to empower them for a task or for service. You see this on Samuel, Sampson, David, the prophets, etc.
In John 16:7, we read Jesus telling the disciples that it is necessary that He leaves, for if He does not leave, the Helper, Comforter, the Holy Spirit cannot come.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as The Helper. Why was it so important for Him to come? We will address this question a little later. But as we continue, John 16:13 states:
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Here, the Holy Spirit is referred to The Spirit of Truth. He will guide you into all truth. He speaks only that which He hears from the Father. Interesting it says that He will guide you into all truth. We know that Jesus is truth, not that He has truth, or knows truth but, He is Truth. So, if the Holy Spirit guides you into all truth then He points you, directs you or guides you to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will always point to Jesus - The Word.
John 16:14 continues:
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare itto you.
He, the Holy Spirit, will always glorify Jesus. He will take of what is Mine, says Jesus, and will declare it to you. In other words, He will bring revelation of the Word to you. As you read and study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will bring it to life. He will give you understanding and revelation. He will take what Jesus' (the Word) and will declare it to you.
In Matthew 4, Mark 1 and Luke 4 we review the account of Jesus right after being baptized by John the Baptist in the river Jordan. It says:
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
Mark 1:10-13
And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
Luke 4:1-2, 14
Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2 being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.
14Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
These are all accounts as how Jesus was baptized by John in the River Jordan and upon coming up, out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him "like" a dove. The Word says "like", you would have to look up the characteristics of a dove to see why the some of the attributes of the Holy Spirit are like those of a dove.
Upon His baptism, the Holy Spirit led or drove Jesus into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days during which time Jesus was tempted by the devil. The Holy Spirit actually empowered Jesus first, to be able to fast for 40 days, second, to withstand the enemy. I want to bring attention to Luke 4:14. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. It was only after the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and He had fasted for 40 days that He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. Now, I'm not saying that we have to fast for 40 days to be empowered by the Holy Spirit as you are empowered at the time you are baptized in the Spirit. See the scriptures below in Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16:
- Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
- Luke 3:16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
John stated that He, Jesus, would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Now, there are two meanings of the word "fire". First, fire represents power or empowerment for service. Secondly, an actual type of spiritual fire or burning within us to do that which God has called us to do. This fire is also to burn up everything in us that is not like God. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads and convicts us so that we know when we need to change certain areas of our lives, maybe a habit that needs to be broken or other things that are not like God. Baptism of the Holy Spirit brings change to our lives.
In Acts 2:1-4:
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We see that as the disciples and other followers of Jesus were in the upper room waiting for the promise of the Father and as they were sitting in the upper room, praying and in one accord, there came a sound from heaven and a mighty rushing wind. Here we see the metaphor that describes the Holy Spirit as a sound and a mighty rushing wind - attributes. And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire that sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were all filled, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
For now, I think this is enough to meditate on for a while. Next article will be on "The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit". The purpose for the power.
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