The personality of the Holy Spirit 1
Every believer needs to know of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit because of its importance. It is one of the major truths of redemption for mankind. The believer should therefore make an effort to know the personality of the Holy Spirit and His work as stipulated in scripture. From the first book to the last book of the Bible, the Holy Spirit is seen in manifestation. In Genesis 1: 1-2, the Holy Spirit is mentioned -“…and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters…”. In Revelation 22:17, He is also mentioned- “…and the Spirit and the bride say, come”. The Holy Spirit is mentioned many times in the Bible. It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to reveal the Father and Son to the heart of the believer (John 14:15-26). The terms ‘Holy Spirit’ and ‘Holy Ghost’ are used synonymously in scripture.
The Holy Spirit should not be seen as a mere influence. Anybody who sees Him as a mere influence loses that personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is not a power or energy without personality. The following are reasons why some people portray the Holy Spirit as a mere influence resulting in misunderstanding among some groups of people:
1. the Holy Ghost is referred to as ‘the Spirit of God’ and the Greek word for Spirit is ‘Pneuma’ which means ‘wind’ or ‘breath’. This may imply an unseen force. “the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass” (Isaiah 40:7).
2. Symbols such as wind, water, fire, oil, a seal and other impersonal elements are used to represent the Holy Spirit, making some people think that the Holy Spirit is not a person. Interestingly, Jesus Christ is also represented by several symbols such lamb, a rock, lion of the tribe of Judah and yet has personality.
3. the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit appears to be a mystery and invisible therefore some people think He is just an influence. Genesis 1: 1-2 -“…and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters…”.
4. The divine title ‘Holy Spirit’ appears a bit difficult to relate with compared to divine titles such as the ‘Father’ and the ‘Son’ (Matthew 28:19). The titles ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ have human affinity or feeling so most people are able to relate with these titles easily than the title ‘Holy Spirit’. Evil spirits have personality, angels are spirits with personality likewise man. Man is a spirit being living in a physical body and has soul (Hebrews 1:7, 14; 12:23; Proverbs 20:27; 1 Timothy 4:1). The Holy Spirit is a Spirit with personality! To know the personality of the Holy Spirit is an awesome experience!
