The Personality and the Roles

of the Holy Spirit

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False views

• Some Christians view the Holy Spirit as the “character” or “mind of God.”
• Other Christians consider the Holy Spirit to be an “active force” of God. A
powerful force that God causes to originate from himself to accomplish his
holy will.
• Others teach what is known as the “Twinity” (two), as opposed to the
“Trinity” (three).
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Holy Spirit is a Person:
1. Holy Spirit is a person, not an impersonal force.
 “He will glorify me,” he will take what is mine and declare it for you,” John
16:14.
 The early believers viewed him as a person, Acts 15:28.
 He is described as a person equal with the Father and the Son, (Matt 28:19;
2 Cor 13:14).
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Holy Spirit is a Person:

2. The Holy Spirit has personality.

 He can be grieved, (Eph 4:30); He gives/chooses the gifts for the
believers, (I Cor 12:11); strives (Gen 6:3), teaches (Luke 12:12), convicts
(John 16:8), directs church affairs (Acts 13:2), helps and intercedes (Rom
8:26) and inspires (2 Peter 1:21).
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Holy Spirit is God
 The Bible associates the divine attributes with the Holy
Spirit.
 He is eternal, (Heb 9:14); omnipotent/all powerful, (Luke 1:35);
omnipresent/everywhere at all times, (Psa 139:7) and omniscient/all
knowing (1 Cor 2:10-11); He is the spirit of God, (Eph 4:30); He is the
spirit of truth, (John 16:13); He shapes people’s lives for Christ, (Rom 8:1-
17).
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What is the relationship between the
Holy Spirit and Trinity?
• God the Holy Spirit lived within the Godhead from eternity. The Father,
Son and the Holy Spirit are self-existent.
• He was actively involved in Christ’s birth (Luke 1:35); confirmed his public
ministry at Jesus’ baptism (Matt 3:16-17); he gives life to believers as he
did for Jesus at his resurrection, (Rom 8:11).
• Holy Spirit implemented the plan of salvation and made it reality. The Holy
Spirit was actively involved in creation, (Gen 1:2).
• So within the Godhead, the Holy Spirit was actively involved in the
incarnation, creation, and recreation.
What are the roles of the Holy Spirit? 7

a. In relation to sinful person

 The “Spirit” convicts human of sin (John 16:8), leads (Ps 143:10;
teaches (Luke 12:12); directs (Acts 13:2) and sanctifies (1 Peter
1:2).
 While the “flesh” drives us toward acts of immorality, impurity,
selfish ambition, dissension (Gal 5:19-21), the “Spirit” leads to
“faithfulness, gentleness and self -control (verse 22).
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b. In Relation to the righteous

1) The Holy Spirit comes upon the righteous and often enables them
to carry out the will of God. This is illustrated in the Old Testament
by such verbs as “came upon him” (Judg 3:10), “stir” (Judg 13:25);
“pour” (Ezek 39:29) and “fill” (Mic 3:8).
2) The Holy Spirit brings the presence of Christ. He brings the very
presence of Christ into the believer’s heart, John 14:17-18; Heb
13:5; Matt 28:20). The NT refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit
of Jesus,” (Phil 1:19). The HS is Christ’s representative.
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 B. In relation to the righteous

 3) The Spirit imparts life (Ezek. 37:9, 14; Rom. 8:11), hope (Rom. 15:13),
joy (Rom. 14:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; Gal. 5:22), love (Rom. 5:5), physical strength
(Judges 14:6, 19; 15;14, 15), victory over the flesh (Rom. 8:4, 13; Gal. 5:16,
25), and inner strength (Eph. 3:16).
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 C. In relation to the finishing of the gospel work

1) Before His ascension into heaven, Jesus promised the gift of the
Holy Spirit to the church (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8).
2) The Holy Spirit equips the church with a variety of gifts: Rom.
12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10, 27-31; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; Eph. 4:8-13). The
purpose of these gifts is to build up the body of Christ (the
church).
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Reference
“Holy Spirit-False Views,” Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (2016)
https://carm.org/false-holy- spirit (accessed 3 April 2016).
O’Uiha, Manu L. “The mystery of the Godhead: God the Holy Spirit.” Elder’s Digest 18:4
(2012). Available at: http://eldersdigest.org/archives-en (accessed 13 January, 2016): 6-
7.
Seventh-day Adventists Believe… A Biblical Exposition of Fundamental Doctrines.
Washington: DC, Ministerial Association of the General Conference of the Seventh-day
Adventists, 2005: 69-77.