The Holy Spirit (3) The Personhood of the Holy Spirit

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2Co 13:14)
 
Review
We’ve been talking about the Holy Spirit. Last Sunday, we reflected on the meaning of the Holy Spirit as another Advocate. Jesus told His disciples that another Advocate would come, indicating that He Himself is our Advocate, and the One He sends is of the same kind—someone who will carry out the same role as He did.
 
The Greek word used for Advocate is Parakletos, which can be translated as helper, mediator, intercessor, or comforter.
 
Jesus is the Mediator and Advocate between us and God.  John said, “… If anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” (1Jn 2:1)
 
Even when we sin, we don’t have to worry about the terrible eternal consequences of our sins because Jesus has already paid the full price for them and declared us righteous.
 
To pay that price, Jesus came into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, bore our sins, and died on the cross, shedding His precious blood. Only through Jesus Christ our sins can be forgiven and we can stand righteously before God.
 
Nevertheless, we still need the Holy Spirit because our sinful nature is still alive within us and continues to have a powerful influence over our lives. We are too weak to live the good and holy life God desires from us by our own strength alone.
 
So, knowing our sinful nature and human weakness, God sent us two Parakletos to help us. One is Jesus, and the other is the Holy Spirit. Jesus delivered us from the power of sin. The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, strengthens us in our weakness so that we may have the ability to fully obey God's Word. Because this Holy Spirit is with us, we—though weak and flawed—can still courageously carry out the mission God has given us, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
In other words, Jesus justifies us, gives us salvation, and allows us to be born again. The Holy Spirit then sanctifies us and enables us to keep our salvation until the end. He helps us to conform more to the image of Jesus Christ day by day and empowers us to obey God’s word and live a life worthy of the calling we have received from Him to proclaim the gospel.
 
These are the two Advocates that God has sent to help us and make us His holy people. They are both interceding for us even now, which is truly good and comforting news as we continue to struggle with sins and weaknesses every day.
 
Just remember: even though we’ve lost the image of God because of our sins and ignorance, we were created in His image. We were created to be so much more than who we are now. We were created to reflect God’s character—His love, mercy, holiness, and more. What God is doing now is recreating us to be new creations in Him through Jesus Christ His Son, and His Holy Spirit.
 
When we acknowledge our sins and humbly go to Him in total deference to Him through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, God will surely help us and transform us.
 
The Triune God
All right. That’s what we talked about last Sunday, and today, we will continue talking about the Holy Spirit. We’ll discuss who the Holy Spirit is and how we should treat Him.
 
The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of the Triune God. The Trinity is a profound mystery we cannot fully comprehend with our limited intellect. Yet based on what the Bible tells us, we can gain a glimpse into who the Holy Spirit is.
 
So let’s briefly talk about the Trinity. The Trinity is the important fundamental Christian doctrine which says that God is one Being in three persons.
 
Here, the word person comes from the Latin word persona, which was originally used in ancient Roman theater. Actors would use different masks to play different roles, and each mask was called a persona. Over time, this word came to mean a character or role played by an actor.
 
This is why early theologians referred to God as one being with three distinct persons. We believe that the one true God reveals Himself in three distinct roles and persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit.
 
This doctrine of the Trinity was first affirmed in the Nicene Creed, one of the most important creeds in church history. The Nicene Creed was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. This council was convened to counter the heretical teachings of a priest named Arius, who claimed that Jesus was a created being and therefore not equal to the God the Father.
 
Arius believed that only God the Father is eternal and absolute, and that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are inferior beings. This teaching was dangerous because it undermined the entire doctrine of salvation. Christianity is founded on the incarnation—God becoming a man—and the belief that the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God, accomplished our salvation. The reason Jesus' atoning death can bring forgiveness to all is because He is God and thus He is sinless and able to represent all humanity.
 
But Arianism denied the deity of Jesus and thus rejected the heart of the gospel. Although this might sound obviously false to us today, at the time, theological frameworks were not yet well established. Arianism spread throughout the Roman Empire and was even supported by several emperors, causing great confusion and division in the early church.
 
As a result, church leaders gathered in Nicaea in AD 325 to formally address the issue. The document they produced was the Nicene Creed, and it holds historical significance as the first creed to explicitly affirm the doctrine of the Trinity.
 
It’s not that long, so let me now read the Nicene Creed for you:
 
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,  the Father, the Almighty,
    maker of heaven and earth,
    of all that is, seen and unseen.
 
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
    the only Son of God,
    eternally begotten of the Father,
    God from God, Light from Light,
    true God from true God,
    begotten, not made,
    of one Being with the Father;
    through him all things were made.
   
    For us and for our salvation
    he came down from heaven,
    was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
    and became truly human.
    For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
    he suffered death and was buried.
    On the third day he rose again
    in accordance with the Scriptures;
    he ascended into heaven
    and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
    and his kingdom will have no end.
 
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
    who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
    who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
    who has spoken through the prophets.
 
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
 
Here, the expressions "one God,” "one Lord," and “one Being with the Father” are very important. Christianity is not polytheistic; it is monotheistic, which means that we don’t believe in three different gods, but in only one true God of the universe. This is the most important aspect of Trinitarian theology.
 
Nevertheless, while the Nicene Creed affirms one God, it also speaks of the three persons of the one God. God the Father created the world and planned salvation. God the Son, Jesus Christ, came to this world in human form to accomplish that salvation. He fulfilled it by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. And now, God the Holy Spirit comes to us as Spirit so that we may continue to walk in salvation, live sanctified lives, and boldly testify to the gospel.
 
However, these three persons are not three separate gods. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God who share the same essence and being. 
 
Human language cannot fully express the mystery of the Trinity, but this is the God testified to in Scripture, and we must humbly accept it by faith.
 
The Personhood of the Holy Spirit
The key point is this: The Holy Spirit is the same God as the Father and the Son. And because the Holy Spirit is God, He possesses personal attributes. That is the core of today’s message.
 
One common misunderstanding about the Holy Spirit is that He is merely a mysterious power, force, or energy. Of course, the Holy Spirit gives us strength and power. But it is wrong to regard Him as a non-personal, mystical force. The Holy Spirit is a personal being, just like God the Father and Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must not treat Him like a spiritual power source, but rather pay close attention to our personal relationship with Him.
 
When God created humans, He said: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over… all the earth’” (Gen 1:26).
 
Every time I read this verse, I wonder what Moses was thinking when he wrote it. Moses was the one who proclaimed absolute monotheism—that there is only one God.
 
In Deuteronomy 6:4, he said, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deut. 6:4)
 
The word one clearly means there is only one God. Yet, in Genesis, Moses records God saying, “Let us make mankind in our image,” not “in my image.” So, why did Moses depict God as a plural being, and what did he mean by it? Of course, I believe God revealed the truth to him and that he had some understanding of the Trinity. Still, it remains a fascinating mystery.
 
Returning to the main point, the Bible tells us that human beings are made in the image of God. And that God refers to Himself as “we”. This means we were created in the relational image of the Triune God. So, one of the essential characteristics of humanity lies in relationship. We were created in the image of God to have a relationship with Him, with one another, and with the world He created according to His will and in His love.
 
So, as we, who are made in the image of the triune God, are relational, the Holy Spirit is also a relational Being. He is a personal being. He cannot be reduced to just power, ability, or wisdom. That is what we must remember when we think about the Holy Spirit.
 
The Bible testifies to several personal attributes of the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit has intellect. Jesus called Him the “Spirit of truth.” This means the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth.
 
Jn 16:13 says, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth…” (Jn 16:13)
 
Second, the Holy Spirit has a will. According to the Book of Acts, when Paul and Timothy tried to enter Asia during their second missionary journey, the Holy Spirit stopped them.
 
Acts 16:6 says, “They were kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.” (Acts 16:6)
 
It doesn’t explain how or why the Spirit stopped them, but the result was that Paul’s team went instead to Macedonia and Achaia to preach the gospel. Later, during their third missionary journey, they preached in Ephesus, the central city of Asia Minor. What this teaches us is that the Holy Spirit has intention and will.
 
Third, the Holy Spirit has emotions. We often prioritize intellect and consider emotion to be weakness, but that shouldn’t be the case. Just as we have intellect, our emotions also come from being made in God’s image. So, the Holy Spirit, like us, has emotions. He rejoices, grieves, and more.
                                                                                   
First, the Holy Spirit grieves. Paul said in Ephesians 4:30: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” (Eph. 4:30) The Greek word for “grieve” here is lypeō (λυπέω), which refers to deep sorrow or pain.
 
The Holy Spirit sometimes grieves. When we sin or live contrary to God’s will, the Holy Spirit who dwells within us is pained and distressed.
 
Second, the Holy Spirit rejoices. The apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 The. 1:6)
 
At the time, the Thessalonian believers were going through great suffering due to persecution. Yet, in the midst of those trials, they kept their faith and became examples to all the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. What enabled them to do so was the joy of the Holy Spirit that filled them and gave them the strength to overcome.
 
So, the Holy Spirit rejoices. When we live in obedience to God's will and pursue holiness through the fullness of the Spirit, He rejoices in us.
 
Third, the Holy Spirit is jealous. The apostle James says, “Do you think Scripture says without reason that that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously?” (James 4:5, NIV)
 
God is a jealous God. When we love the world more than Him, He becomes jealous. Likewise, the Holy Spirit loves us with such passion that He yearns for us with godly jealousy. He wants our hearts to fully belong to God and expresses holy jealousy for us.
 
Lastly, the Holy Spirit groans. Paul writes in Romans 8:26, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Rom. 8:26)
 
The Holy Spirit groans on our behalf. When we wander without even not knowing what to pray for, He intercedes with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
 
So, as we have discovered, the Holy Spirit is a personal Being with intellect, will, and emotions. Because He has personhood like us, He can move our minds so that we may understand the truth, grant us His will, strengthen us with boldness, and understand all our emotions and use them to comfort and strengthen us.
 
The fact that the Holy Spirit is a person tells us how we should treat Him. Because the Holy Spirit is a personal Being, we too must relate to Him personally.
 
Jesus Himself had a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. When He was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him like a dove. He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested for forty days. All the miracles He performed were through the power of the Holy Spirit. And He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
So, from His birth to His ministry and even in His resurrection, every moment of Jesus’ life involved deep fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit. Not only so, we read how the apostles were empowered and led by the Holy Spirit in the Bible.
 
This is what should happen in our daily lives as well. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:14, let’s read it together again.
 
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” (2 Cor. 13:14)
 
This verse is Paul’s blessing to the believers in the church in Corinth, and it is often used as a benediction at the end of worship services. In this passage, Paul refers to the grace of Jesus, the love of God, and specifically, the “fellowship” of the Holy Spirit.
 
Here, the word fellowship is the rendering of the Greek word koinonia (κοινωνία), which means fellowship, communion, and union. So the fellowship of the Holy Spirit refers to intimate communion, union, and a mutual relationship with the Spirit.
 
Again, the Holy Spirit is not just a force or energy — He is an integral part of the triune God who has personhood. He is a personal Being who knows us personally. We can actually talk with Him, be led by Him, and enjoy a deep relationship with Him.
 
That is the true source of power in the Christian life. As believers, our wisdom, strength, and courage flow from our deep communion and unity with the Holy Spirit. That’s what I want us to pray for and experience in our daily lives.
 
I hope this deep fellowship with the Spirit of God would be restored in our lives today. It is not enough to merely acknowledge the presence of the Spirit or say we need Him. Our knowledge of the Holy Spirit must become concrete in our lives through experience and real relationship. That is why we must seek the fullness of the Spirit every day and come before Him in prayer.
 
So I want to strongly encourage you to seek the presence of the Holy Spirit. As you cultivate this personal relationship with Him in your daily life, you will grow to live a victorious and holy life through the strength and power He gives.
 
Let’s pray. 
 
<Closing prayer>
Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for sending us the Holy Spirit. At this time, we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. We confess that He is one with the Triune God—worthy of all glory and praise along with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ.
 
Lord, help us not to treat the Holy Spirit as a mere tool or a means to gain something. Forgive us for our ignorance and indifference toward Him. Let us encounter the Holy Spirit personally in our daily lives, so that we may live sanctified lives through His presence and deep fellowship.
 
Now, we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts. Let His joy become our joy, and grant us the spiritual sensitivity to feel His grief, so that we may not live in a way that saddens Him, but instead live in a way that brings Him delight and refreshes His heart.
 
We desire to always dwell in deep fellowship with the Holy Spirit, within the love of the Triune God. Lord, reign in us, and renew us daily through the presence of the Holy Spirit.
 
We pray all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
  
[Reflection Questions]
1. What does it mean that God is “one Being in three persons”? Why do you think it is important in Christian faith? How would you explain it in your own words?
 
2. Who do you think the Holy Spirit is? In what ways do Christians sometimes treat the Holy Spirit more like a tool than a person? What does the Scripture say about the personhood of the Holy Spirit, especially about His emotions?
 
3. What does “fellowship with the Holy Spirit” mean to you personally? Are there any areas where you’ve been ignoring the Spirit’s voice or leading? What practical steps can you take to cultivate a deeper, daily relationship with the Holy Spirit?