Prefer to listen? This article is ALSO available in audio. press play ABOVE.For example, the Holy Spirit:
Teaches (John 14:26)
Speaks (Acts 13:2)
Grieves (Ephesians 4:30)
Intercedes (Romans 8:26)
Guides (Romans 8:14)
These are not the actions of an impersonal force, but of a God who is intimately involved with humanity.
The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force, emotion, or mystical influence. Scripture consistently uses personal pronouns when referring to the Spirit (for example, see John 16:13-14), and the Spirit demonstrates personal attributes such as intellect, emotion, and will.
The distinction that God’s Spirit is intimately involved with his people matters deeply. Viewing God’s Spirit as a force strips Him of His divinity and reduces one’s relationship with Him to something mystical or manipulative (like a spiritual energy that can be controlled). But the Holy Spirit is sovereign. He is God, and He leads as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). Early Church creeds, such as the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 AD), affirm the Spirit as “the Lord and giver of life…who is worshiped and glorified” alongside the Father and the Son.
Misunderstanding the Spirit as a controllable energy diminishes His deity and undermines biblical pneumatology. Recognizing the Holy Spirit as a person encourages one to cultivate a relationship, not control.
In a world filled with counterfeit spirituality, it’s vital to remain biblically anchored. The Holy Spirit is not a vague energy or mystical spell one can conjure up, but an active part of the Godhead who continually points us to Jesus. Holy Spirit is our Comforter, Counselor, and Helper. He is God with us and in us. To walk by the Spirit is to yield to His leadership, and Lordship, and grow in holiness through His power (Galatians 5:16).
Holy Spirit — An active presence of God throughout the creation story to the completed story. Christ’s followers have been given the gift of a Helper who transforms, guides, and empowers them as they endure in faith in a world being redeemed. He is a “He,” not an “it.” He is not a substance but the third person of the Trinity. He is co-eternal and co-equal to Father God and Lord Jesus (John 14:26; Luke 12:12; Acts 1:4, 8; 2:1–4, 33, 39; 4:8; 10:38; 11:12; Rom. 8:26).
Definition from The Promised Presence by Jenny Randle (pg 208)
