There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy
Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others understand the
Holy Spirit as the impersonal power that God makes available to followers of
Christ. What does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply
put, the Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God. The Bible also tells us
that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, a being with a mind, emotions, and a
will.
The fact that the Holy Spirit is God is clearly seen in many
Scriptures, including Acts 5:3-4. In this verse Peter confronts Ananias as to
why he lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had “not lied to men but
to God.” It is a clear declaration that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to
God. We can also know that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the
characteristics of God. For example, His omnipresence is seen in Psalm 139:7-8;
“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go
up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are
there.” Then in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; we see the characteristic of omniscience
in the Holy Spirit. “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit
searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the
thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one
knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
We can know that the Holy Spirit is indeed a divine person
because He possesses a mind, emotions, and a will. The Holy Spirit thinks and
knows (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26-27). He makes decisions according to
His will (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The Holy Spirit is God, the third Person of
the Trinity. As God, the Holy Spirit can truly function as the Comforter and
Counselor that Jesus promised He would be (John 14:1626, 15:26).
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