Spirit – His Person
His Person
He (we use the masculine but technically we are really speaking of the Holy “It”) is God, equal to the Father and the Son, yet distinct in Person and in Role. As a Divine Being, the Spirit is Eternal, with no beginning and no end. He was therefore present and active before and at Creation and will remain distinct and active forever. The mention of the Holy Ghost as an equal Divine Person is clearly mentioned with the verse: “Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them unto the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Notice the singular in the word “name“.
Another cool stuff to know. The Triune God never appear on earth at the same moment. This is indeed interesting. You see, when Jesus was on earth, as a man, the Spirit of God was not on earth. (He would “visit” but not dwell). Of course, here we are not talking of the omnipresence of God (God is everywhere). As an Entity, the Holy Ghost was sent to the earth after Jesus departed from the earth as revealed in the gospel of John. In that Gospel, Jesus tells his friends (disciples) that His departure was not final separation. He was going away in order to prepare a place for them in the Father’s house but He would return (eventually). This has to do with Jesus’ future return on earth according to Prophecies… but this is not our current subject. Back to the Spirit. In order to encourage his friends, Jesus tells them that even if he was leaving, he had great news (consolation) for them.
He tells them that while he would be away, (absent from earth and present in the Father’s House), Jesus would send “the Comforter, the Spirit of truth”, to be with them, and that this Person would do wonderful things for them. In fact, Jesus tells his believers that with the Holy Ghost, the believers in Jesus would do wondrous things that they would never have done while Jesus was on earth.
Another cool fact! When Jesus was on earth, Jesus was “with” us… but in the case of the Holy Ghost, He is not only “with” us but “in” us… and that makes the Holy Ghost most unique in his work in relation to us. In such a fashion, the Spirit teaches us, often, from inside, about things pertaining to the Lord Jesus: John 5: 19; John 16: 13.
That relationship makes it very unique. It may sound strange, but it’s like saying: we are better off with Jesus gone and with the Spirit here … we are gainers: “It is expedient for you that I go away: if I go not away, the Comforter will not come to you.”
Another thing. When we say that the Spirit is with and in us, we mean those who have faith in Jesus. I am not saying the Spirit is in everyone…for “the world cannot receive the Spirit of Truth, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14: 17).
In John 16: 23, Jesus announces that the Spirit had not come yet, but soon will. In John 14, Jesus says that the Spirit would be sent by the Father in the Son’s Name and in John 15, the Son would send Him as from the Father. In John 16, the Holy Spirit would come. Here, the Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth, “He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
Basically, the Holy Spirit guides us “into all the truth”, including “things to come”. There are many other important aspects to this Divine Person. Please read the other sections on this website to get a fuller picture of this wonderful Friend, Comforter and powerful Ally we have dwelling in us who have faith.
