The Personality of The Holy Spirit

1. The Holy Spirit is not some kind of influence or power

The Holy Spirit is not to be looked upon as some kind of influence or power. Many believers are robbed of a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit because they consider the Spirit to be an impersonal influence or power. It is true that the Holy Spirit influences the lives of believers but this influence is a personal one. There are several reasons why this misunderstanding has arisen. Some of them are as follows:

1. The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as being “the Spirit of God”, and the Word “Spirit” (Greek “Pneuma”) means “breath” or “wind”, which implies that He is some kind of an unseen force (Isaiah 40:7; John 3:5-8). Because man always wants to please his senses, not seeing the Holy Spirit makes Him an influence which should not be so.
2. The Holy Spirit is symbolized as being wind, water, fire, oil, a seal, or other impersonal objects. This seems to negate the fact that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person. There are many symbols relative to the Son of God also; such as a lamb, a rock and a lion, yet these things do not negate the Son being a divine Person. This is because the Son was revealed in the flesh but the Holy Spirit was revealed as Spirit. The symbols of the Spirit are not to negate His divine personality but rather to profess His uniqueness.
3. The Holy Spirit’s work seems to be so mystical, secret and invisible. We are not able to explain how healing and other miracles take place. This does not, however, deny the personality of the Spirit, for “God is a Spirit” (John 4:24) yet a real divine Person.
4. The name “Holy Spirit” seems harder for believers to relate to than the titles “Father” and “Son” (Matthew 28:19). The “Father” and “Son” no doubt have a much more human feeling to them than the “Holy Spirit”. But this does not deny the personality of the Spirit. Demons are real personalities and their work is evidenced everywhere. Angels are also real spirit beings with real personalities. Man is a spirit being with soul and body, a real person having corporality (Hebrews 1:7,14; 12:23; Proverbs 20:27; 1 Timothy 4:1). Thus the Holy Spirit is a real person, though invisible and incorporeal.

There are several reasons why the believer should not consider the Holy Spirit as a mere influence, force or power.

1. It is contrary to the teaching of the Scripture. The Bible shows the Holy Spirit to be a divine Person.
2. It will hinder worship. True worship is a personal activity, a means of personal relationship. Seeing Him as a force will hinder that personal relationship we ought to have with Him in worship.
3. It will hinder proper reverence. To speak of the Holy Spirit as an “it” is improper. There are some versions of the Word of God that “it” but this have been corrected in most versions. Even in the teaching of Jesus in John’s gospel, He uses personal pronouns over ten times concerning the Spirit. Not understanding the personality of the Holy Spirit can cause people to look on the Spirit as something like “this power” and want to purchase it, as Simon the Sorcerer did(Acts 8:9-24).
4. It will hinder relationship. God desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us. Thus God Himself comes and lives within us through the person of the Holy Spirit. It would be impossible to have any relationship with an impersonal force. We must know the Spirit as our friend, helper, comforter, and in-dweller. In this way we can honour Him. The believer does not have an “influence” or “power” living within him; he has the person of the Holy Spirit.
5. The Holy Spirit is revealed in the Scripture to be the third person in the eternal Godhead. This title is often associated with the person of the Father and the person of the Son (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:7,8). It would be meaningless to read these Scriptures and see the Father and Son as persons associated with an “influence”, i.e. the impersonal Holy Spirit. Personality does not demand corporeality in God as in mankind.
6. The Holy Spirit is referred to with Personal Pronouns

Although the word “Spirit” is in the neuter gender, the Lord Jesus used personal pronouns when He spoke of the Holy Spirit. The pronouns “He”, “Him” and “Himself” are used a number of times in John’s gospel when speaking of the Spirit. These pronouns are in the masculine gender (John 14:15,16,26; 16:7-14; 15:26-27).

1. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as having personal qualities.

The three main qualities which constitute personality are attributed to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has:

1. Mind (Romans 8:27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13)
2. Will (1 Corinthians 12:11)
3. Emotions (Romans 8:26-27; 15:30; Colossians 1:8)

These things cannot be applied to an impersonal influence or power.

1. The Holy Spirit is spoken of under personal titles

Personal titles are given to the Holy Spirit, which again show that He is a divine person. He is called “the comforter” which also means “the Advocate” (John 14:16,26). This same title is used of Jesus as a person, meaning “one who stands alongside” (John 14:26). In John 14:16 Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as “another Comforter”. The Holy Spirit could not take the place of Jesus personally if He was but an impersonal influence. He came to be personally related to the disciples that Jesus was personally related to while on earth. The Spirit came to be personally in them what Jesus was personally to them.

1. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as having personal feelings that could not be attributed to an impersonal power.
2. He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30)
3. He can be insulted (Hebrews 10:29)
4. He can be lied to (Acts 5:3)
5. He can be blasphemed (Matthew 12:31-32)
6. He can be resisted (Acts 7:51)
7. He can be tempted (Acts 6:9)
8. He can be vexed (Isaiah 63:10)
9. He can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19)

The Holy Spirit is a divine Person. He is God indwelling the redeemed and working within the believer to fulfil the will of God. It is the blessed and glorious privilege of all believers to have the conscious joy and knowledge of the Spirit within.