The

Holy
Spirit
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever;” John 14:16 Pneumatology
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Mindy Myers

Bro. Goodwin

Pneumatology

April 22, 2009

Word Count: 4,815

The Holy Spirit

This whole semester has been an eye opener for me concerning the Holy Spirit. The

doctrine of the Holy Spirit is so vast. As I began to do my own personal study on the Holy Spirit,

I had no idea that there was so much information about the Holy Ghost. It wasn’t just the

information that boggled my mind; it was the fact of the Holy Spirit Himself. How He is seen

throughout the entire Bible, working in hearts and lives of men. From the Old Testament all the

way to the New, we see Him working behind the scenes. Even today, we can see the working of

the Holy Spirit. What a witness! That the same Holy Spirit in the book of Acts is still the same

Holy Spirit today.

With the exception of 2nd, 3rd John and Philemon, every book in the Bible makes

reference to the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost was present before the foundations of the world.

There are 88 references to the Holy Ghost in the Old Testament and 261 in the New Testament.

Right now, we are living in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, they were

under the Law of Moses and were led by the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. God

intervened directly to help men and guide their steps. He led Israel personally, until they wanted

their own King like other heathen nations. God granted them their request and gave Kings to rule

over Israel. We then see the prophets rising up, as men of God to be used by the Holy Spirit to

lead the Kings. The prophets heard from God and then in turn prophesied to the King. The King

would then decide if he would listen to the voice of the prophet, or rely on human wisdom. In the
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New Testament, Christ walked among men, teaching, healing, and leading multitudes. The

perfect plan of the Father was being carried out in the form of the Son. He fulfilled the will of

God when He died on the cross. From that moment on, everything changed. It was finished.

There would no longer have to be sacrifices of animals because the perfect sacrifice had finally

come. The veil of the temple had been rent in twain and by His death and resurrection, death was

defeated.

This is when the Holy Ghost was introduced in a way that had never been introduced

before. The disciples couldn’t imagine how it could get any better than having Jesus with them.

They were saddened at the fact that He was leaving them. Jesus said that it was better for Him to

go away so that He would send the comforter. I’m sure they didn’t comprehend what He was

trying to convey to them at that moment, but when the 120 were waiting in the upper room for

the Holy Ghost to fall, they finally understood. The Holy Spirit was the answer to Jesus’ prayer

in John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he

may abide with you for ever;” Many are not aware that they can be filled with the Spirit and

enjoy a Christian life far beyond what they ever imagined.

Sadly, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is one of the most neglected and misunderstood of

doctrines in churches today. Thank God for Holiness Pentecostal churches who teach and preach

the Holy Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to direct their services. The Holy Spirit is the one thing

that distinguishes us from any other denomination. Even if other denominations held the holiness

standard, it would still be different without the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost changes everything

about you. When people visit our church, yes, they’re interested in the way we dress, but more

than that, they are curious as to what it is that they feel in the services. That presence they feel is
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the real, powerful, Holy Ghost! I’m so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to study about Him

and be encouraged.

The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not an “it”. A mistake that many have made is making

the Holy Spirit an impersonal force instead of a person that has a genuine personality. He has a

will, intellect, and feelings. We damage our thinking of the Holy Ghost when we think of Him as

merely a force. If we know that He is as much a person as Jesus Christ, we are able to be

sensitive to His will. We know that a body is not what makes a person. It is the spirit and soul

within that person. Without the spirit and soul, the body is just a shell…worth nothing. The Holy

Spirit is just that, a spirit. It may be easy to mistake His personality because the Greek word for

spirit is pneuma, which means “breath”. Some of the symbols used for the Holy Spirit are

impersonal and you cannot see Him. Only the effects of the Holy Spirits working can be seen.

He has as much a personality as you and I. Evidences of His personality can be found in

scripture. Paul wrote about the “Mind of the Spirit” in Romans 8:27. In this passage, mind is

ascribed to the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated “mind” is a comprehensive word,

including the ideas of thought, feeling and purpose. It is the same that is used in Rom. 8:7 where

we read that “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God,

neither indeed can be.” The Holy Spirit is able to lead us (Luke 4:1; Romans 8:14), he speaks to

us (Acts 13:2; 16:6; 1 Corinthians 10-12), and He searches the hearts (Romans 8:27). All of

these things have to be done by intellect. The Holy Spirit has a will, as shown to us in 1

Corinthians 12:11; Acts 15:8; Romans 8:27) The Holy Spirit has feelings just as well as the

Father and the Son. He can be grieved or vexed. Ephesians 4:30 says, “And grieve not the holy

Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” The attribute of grief is

ascribed to the Holy Spirit. There are some other things that help to show that He is a real
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person. He reveals (2 Peter 1:21), teaches (John 14:26), witnesses (Galatians 4:6), intercedes

(Romans 8:26), speaks (revelation 2:7), commands (Acts 16:6-7), and testifies (John 15:26). He

strives (Genesis 6:3), calls (Acts 20:28), directs (John 15:13), and gives evidence of reality.

(Hebrews 10:15).

So often we treat Him as an impersonal force at work in our lives to give us the power!

We sing about the power and we pray for the power, but we forget that we’re talking to a real

person that has real feelings. It’s more than just praying for the Power of the Holy Spirit. We are

to live lives that please Him. When we do something against the will of God, we are grieving the

Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 63:10) How different would our lives be lived if we all understood the

personality of the Holy Spirit?

Sometimes it is easy to think of the Holy Spirit as impersonal because of the different

symbols that are used to describe Him. However, realize that the reason for using symbols lies in

the fact that our human language is not fully capable of describing Him. So, in order for our

finite minds to understand the workings of the Holy Spirit, symbols are given. In John chapter 7,

water is used to describe Him. Water is essential to human life, just as the Spirit is essential to

our spiritual life. We want the water of the Holy Spirit flowing freely through us, not stagnant

water that is un-pure. There is an abundance of the Holy Spirit that is available for the taking.

Water refreshes, cleans, and reveals the cracks in vessels, just like the Holy Spirit refreshes,

cleans, and reveals our imperfections in order to be more effective.

In Acts 10:38, oil is used. Oil is the most common symbol for the Holy Ghost. The

anointing was used in the Old Testament to inaugurate people into their offices (whether priest,

king, or prophet). It also speaks of the anointing oil for service. Before a person can be anointed

of God, they must first be saved. Christ, in His life on earth, was anointed with the Holy Ghost
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(Isaiah 61:1). We are to be anointed as well (2 Corinthians 1:21). The anointing is what helps us

in the ministry. The anointing is what breaks the yoke of sin (Isaiah 10:27).

2 John 3:8 and Acts 2:2 Luke compares Him to the wind or breath. Just as the wind and

breath is necessary for human life, the Holy Spirit is necessary in our lives. The wind is what

separates the chaff from the wheat and the Holy Spirit is what reveals the sin in our lives. The

wind and the Holy Ghost are both powerful forces. Although the wind is not seen, the effects of

it are. The wind doesn’t blow in the same direction, just as the Holy Spirit doesn’t move in the

same way each and every time. He is also likened to fire in Acts 2:3 and Revelation 4:5. In the

Old Testament, it denoted the presence of God (Moses and the burning bush and the pillar of fire

that led the children of Israel). Fire tries whatever it comes in contact with. It reveals what you’re

composed of. If the fire cannot consume you, it will purify you and refine you. The more gold is

taken through the fire, the purer it becomes. This speaks of cleansing in the Christian life. Fire

speaks of passion and zeal. A fire isn’t half-hearted. Once a fire is started, it’s aggressive and

bold. This is the type of church that we are to be, one that is set afire of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost is likened unto an Earnest. The earnest was a given as a small portion of

that which was promised. This speaks of our future inheritance. We have the Holy Ghost, but it

is only a small part of what we are really heirs of. An earnest is the indicator that a covenant or

contract that has been made. 1 John 4:13 “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us,

because he hath given us of his Spirit.” This is God’s earnest to us. We have hope of a future and

we have proof of this because of the Holy Ghost.

A seal is also used to symbolize the Holy Ghost. A seal is used to show ownership, we

are the property of God. To put a seal on something leaves an imprint, just like the Holy Ghost

leaves His imprint on our lives, changing us into the image of God (2 Cor. 3:18). Our hearts
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must be soft in order for the Holy Spirit to leave His mark; this softening is done at salvation. A

seal is what makes something secure and protects it. This is not a permanent seal; we have to be

sure to stay under that protection of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit can by symbolized to wine. When the onlookers spied the people on the

Day of Pentecost, they asked if they were drunk with new wine. That is the effect that the Holy

Ghost has on people. They were not drunk with wine, but rather with the Spirit!

The last symbol that the Holy Ghost is given is that of the Dove. This is seen in Genesis

1:2, where the spirit moved over the face of the waters. It is characteristic of the dove to find a

resting place. Noah sent out a dove to find a resting place. When the Holy Ghost was sent from

the Father, He went to abide in the hearts of men. We see the qualities of the Holy Spirit in the

dove because He is gentle, peaceful, pure, and harmless. It has often been said that the Holy

Spirit is a gentleman. The universal sign of peace is the dove. It is only by the Spirit that we can

have peace in this present world.

Just as the Holy Spirit is a person, who is referenced to through symbols, He is not just a

person. He is divine. He is an intricate part of the Godhead. If He is not equal with the Father

and the Son, we might as well close the book and go home. There are many scriptures

throughout the Bible that point to His divinity. Although, He has been in the background, it is

because He is not representing Himself, but rather Jesus Christ. It has been said that the Holy

Ghost is God’s mouthpiece.

Divine attributes have been attributed to Him. Hebrews 9:14 tells us that He is

eternal. In Psalm 139:7-10 David tells us of His omnipresence. He is omnipotent (Luke 1:35),

and omniscient (1 Cor. 2:10). The Holy Spirit is also self-existent (Romans 8:2). These are the

same things that have been attributed to God. The Holy Spirit is also given the attribute of
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Holiness in the scriptures over 95 times. How could all these things be ascribed to a person if

they were not divinity? There are other evidences that the Holy Spirit is divine. Divine acts are

attributed to Him, such as creation (Genesis 1:2), Re-generation (John 3:5) and the resurrection

(Romans 8:11). He is also known as the inspiration of the Word of God (2 Peter 1:21). The Holy

Spirit is named in accordance with the Father and the Son. He is placed in the same class (1

Corinthians 12:4-6; Matthew 28:19). When Jesus was teaching them about baptism, He taught

them that they were to be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy

Spirit” – Matthew 28:19 In 2 Corinthians 13:14, Paul uses the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in

coordination when he said, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship

of the Holy Spirit.” All three of these have their own characteristics and yet they complement each other.

Paul also uses the phrase “One Lord” in Ephesians 4:4-6 and when he writes about the gifts of the Spirit,

he says things like “Same Spirit, same Lord, and same God” to describe the organization and the

distribution of the gifts. Never in the Bible is the Holy Ghost spoken of as lesser than the Father or

the Son. There are even some scriptures that he is directly spoken of as God. (Acts 5:3-4; 1

Corinthians 3:16) There are some other workings of the Holy Spirit, aside from those that testify

to His deity. He convicts men (John 16:8), He intercedes (Romans 8:26), He performs miracles

(Acts 8:39), He teaches (1 John 2:27) He raises the dead (Romans 8:11) and He testifies (1 Peter

1:11).

The way the Holy Spirit works is truly a mystery. It is wonderful to be filled with the

Spirit and to feel that working in your own life. Sometimes we’re always looking for the great,

miraculous things that constitute a miracle. But we fail to see how the Spirit works in our own

lives every single day. (Genesis 3:5) I believe the working of the Spirit is both miraculous and

day to day experiences. The gifts of the Spirit are provided for the Spirit-filled Christian. They

empower the church and help the church to function properly. We are people that are living in
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the flesh, but once we are filled with the Spirit, even though we are humans, we can walk in the

Spirit. Paul said, “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in

you…” The flesh is no longer ruling over the Spirit, but now the flesh is in subjection to the

Spirit. We are to walk in the light. 1 John 1:7 “Walk in the light as He is in the light…” We can

come to that place where every day we are living and walking in the Spirit. The greatest working

of the Holy Spirit is not just the raising of those who are lame, but it is the complete changing of

a life. It is the Holy Spirit that draws men to God through the Son. Through the Spirit, a life that

was completely dead and unregenerate is brought to the saving grace of God. By the Spirit, that

same life that was changed continues to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus

Christ. That life is sanctified by the Spirit and if that person will yield themselves to the leading

of the Spirit, the Holy Ghost will continue to empower them for service.

Another way the Holy Spirit works is through the gifts of the Spirit. It has been

wonderful to be in Sister Goodwin’s class about Pentecostal Dynamics. We have been studying

the gifts of the Spirit. The nine gifts that are named are, the word of wisdom, the word of

knowledge, the working of miracles, the gift of faith, the gift of the working of miracles,

prophecy, interpretation of tongues, divers kinds of tongues, and the discerning of Spirits (1

Corinthians 12:4-11). All of these help the church function properly in a supernatural dimension.

The gifts of the spirit are given to those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit.

In Galatians 5, the fruit of the spirit is addressed. These are things that the Spirit produces

in a life when that life if fully submitted to Him. They become part of that person and part of the

character. When people see their lives, they are seeing the fruit of the Spirit (even if they don’t

realize it). These include: Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness,

meekness, and temperance. Interestingly enough, there are nine of these as well. Who wouldn’t
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want to have these qualities in their life? All of these are things that you can develop in your

everyday life. This is all very practical.

Just as you can sin against the Father and the Son, you can also commit sins against the

Holy Ghost. I believe that the sins against the Holy Ghost are most severe, because the Holy

Spirit is the one that draws you to the Father. If you have offended Him, you’ve cut off your life

line to the Father. You cannot come to the Father except by the Spirit. This is why blasphemy

against the Spirit is so serious. It called the unpardonable sin. Mainly because once you’ve

crossed the line with the Spirit, it is only the Spirit that can bring you back. If you don’t even

believe in something, you’re not going to yield to it. The Holy Spirit is that which makes our

Christian experience real. To blaspheme the Spirit is to attribute His working to the Devil. In

Matthew 12:31-34, these people were actually blaspheming Christ! They chose to reject Him and

the Spirit that worked in Him. When a man has his heart set against God, there’s no way to

forgiveness. When a man rejects the Spirit, there is no one else to bring Him to God.

In our Pneumatology class, we were taught that there 7 sins against the Holy Ghost.

Some people may not even realize that they are sinning against the Holy Spirit. This has opened

my eyes to realize that we need to be cautious and careful not to sin against the precious Holy

Spirit.

The first sin is resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51). If you resist the Holy Spirit, you’re

actually resisting the work of God. The Holy Spirit is the executive of the Father and He carries

out his will. This is mans choice to keep their sin, even though the Spirit has dealt with them

about it.

Rejecting the Spirits convicting call, as spoken about in John 6:44 “No man can come to

me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” I’ve
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already talked about this a little bit. If you reject the Spirit, you’ve rejected not just the Spirit, but

the Father and the Son. How can you be saved if you’ve rejected the Spirit?

Rejection of the Spirit’s revelation is also sin because you’re refusing to let Him change

your life. People want to cling to their opinions when the Spirit wants them to cling to Christ.

Even though you may have believed it your whole life, doesn’t make it right. It’s not about your

opinion, but about the Word of God says.

Another sin against the Spirit is the rejection of the sanctifying work. Notice that most of

these sins have to do with rejection! The Holy Spirit is a gentleman, He isn’t going to force His

way into your life. When you refuse to be sanctified, you’ve stopped growing. Once you say,

“No” to the Spirit, that’s as far as He can work in your life. You are no longer submitting

yourself to Him, but rather submitting to your own will. The Spirit works to make us more like

Christ. When we reject that, we are saying we don’t really want to be like Christ. People like

Salvation, until you tell them that they have to obey the laws God has established. They only

want enough of God to get them into Heaven. That’s not the way this works. Asserting self-will

instead of obeying the Spirit is rebellion against God.

To Quench the Spirit is also a sin (1 Thess.5:19). When you quench the Spirit, you are

actually choking Him out. You’re not yielding to Him and you’re putting your own plans and

programs above the work that He wants to do. The Spirit knows the hearts of man, we only know

what we see, unless God reveals otherwise. This being said, it is safe to say that the Holy Spirit

knows better than we do as to what work needs to be accomplished.

When you refuse to follow the Spirit’s plan for your life, you’re saying that you know the

best way and you’re going to do your own thing. The Spirit cannot use you when you’re in the

mindset to go your own way. Even if you’re not sure what His will is, you should be willing to
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do His will anyway. Every day, search out what His will is for you for that day. It doesn’t have

to be some far away goal. If you’re in the will of God today, you can be in the will of God

tomorrow. Take it one day at a time, staying in His will, letting Him leading you. When you

become half-hearted and you neglect so great a salvation, be assured that you have quenched the

Spirit somewhere in your life. We were never meant to be mediocre Christians. Is there such a

thing as a mediocre Christian? I think not. They are most likely backslidden or quickly on their

way. You cannot live in the sin of quenching the Spirit and stay saved.

There are times when the Spirit is quenched because of failure to take heed to the

wonderful gifts God has given us through the Holy Ghost. The Spirit longs to move in the

church, to work in hearts and lives through the gifts of the Spirit. They are meant to edify and lift

up the church, to help and protect the church. When we neglect them, we’re only hurting

ourselves. We sometimes hear stories of people who had been serving the Lord for many years,

only to find out that they’ve backslid and lost out on God. This obviously is a result of someone

who has continually quenched the Spirit. The longer you quench the Spirit, the less He deals

with you. You can quench the Spirit for so long that He declines to deal with you. Only God

knows how far His grace will reach, but I believe you’re in a scary position when you’ve gone

back on God. There’s no guarantee that you’ll ever make it back. This is called apostasy (2

Timothy 3:2-5).

This was in our notes and it is very true, “These are days of much religion, but little

righteousness” That is one of the saddest statements I’ve ever read. We’re living in a day where

people are not willing to yield to the Holy Spirit. They’re not willing to pay the price for revival.

Instead, they’re more worried about their own agendas and pocketbooks. The only way we’ll

ever see revival in our hearts is to walk in the Spirit as Galatians 5:25 admonishes us.
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The whole plan of God is to save souls and bring them into a right relationship with Him.

He longs to have fellowship with us. That was the purpose of Christ giving His life as a ransom.

Now we have that way to come to Christ, if we are willing to walk in the light as He is in the

light. God desires to give the Christian victory. It’s not God who takes the victory away from

people. It is people who fail to obey God who lose the victory. It is people who make grace what

they want it to be. Grace is not a license to sin. Grace is given to us that we would have power to

live above sin! We don’t have to sin every day, that’s a lie from the pit of Hell. If that were the

case, we would make Christ a liar. When we treat the grace of God this way, we grieve the Holy

Spirit. When we sin willfully, we are grieving the Spirit. Any presence of sin grieves Him. You

can either have the pleasures of sin or the perfection of Christ. Thank God that we have the

power to live above sin! We don’t have to carry around the load of guilt and shame, but rather

live a victorious life, walking with Christ. More than grief over the presence of sin, the Holy

Spirit is grieved that we would choose sin over His presence in our lives. He withdraws Himself

when we choose the way of sin.

By choosing sin, you’re choosing your flesh. You’re choosing yourself. You’re

disobeying God and making a mockery of the sacrifice of Christ. There is to be no confidence in

the flesh! We are no longer to rely on ourselves, but rather on the Holy Spirit. We are to die to

ourselves daily. If you refuse to do that, you’re rejecting the Holy Spirit once again and asserting

self. Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day

of redemption.” It is a command that we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit.

If you carry around your sin, you’re saying that the power of God is not able to deliver

you from that sin! You’re really telling God that you love your sin more than you love God.

Sometimes it may not even be sin, but rather things that you put above God. However, when
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something takes the place above God, it becomes sin because you love it more than God. 2

Timothy 3:4 “…lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…” This separates you from God.

How can you say you love God when you really love something that God hates?

There are things in you’re not doing that becomes sin. Neglecting to read the Word, pray,

or witness to others is a sin of omission. It’s not something you did; it’s something you failed to

do. This grieves the Spirit, just as much as sinning. If we’re really in love with someone, we’ll

want to do what pleases them. We’re going to want to obey them in every area, even if it’s hard

sometimes. This is the way it is with Christ. When we fall short of doing what we know we are

to do, it’s time to make it right and do what we know we are to do.

The Holy Spirit isn’t going to condemn. It isn’t the Spirit that condemns. Our own

conscious condemns us when we haven’t done wrong. Ro 8:1 ¶ “There is therefore now no

condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the

Spirit.” The Holy Spirit convicts us when we’ve done something wrong. As sincere Christians, it

is our duty to make it right. You’re not a total failure if you’ve messed up. You are a failure if

you continue to stay in that place, making the grace of God of none effect.