Tuesday, April 24
The Holy Spirit has been misunderstood, almost as much as the Father. Some theologians have thought of the Spirit as the love between the Father and the Son. In other words, the Spirit is merely affection between the Father and the Son. This means that He is diminished to a relationship between two members of the Godhead and is not a member Himself.
But Scripture proves His personhood. Christians are baptized in His name along with the Father and Son (Matthew 28:19) . The Spirit glorifies Christ (John 16:14) . The Spirit convicts people (John 16:8) . He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30) . He is a Comforter (John 14:16) , Helper (NKJV) , Counselor (RSV) . He teaches (Luke 12:12) , intercedes (Romans 8:26), and sanctifies (1 Peter 1:2) . Christ said the Spirit guides people into all truth (John 16:13) .
In short, the Holy Spirit is God, as are the Father and the Son. Together, they are One God.
Everything the Spirit does reveals divine love. What are some of the things He does? Luke 12:12, John 16:8-13, Acts 13:2.
The greatest evidence that the Holy Spirit is God is the incarnation of Christ. Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20) . Only God could “create” like that.
The Holy Spirit is able to perform two opposite miracles for Christ. First, He brought the omnipresent Christ into the womb of Mary. Christ ascended bodily to heaven in a human body, confined within that body. Second, the Spirit brings Christ confined by His humanity and, in another inexplicable miracle, makes Him present to Christians around the world.
Thus, the Holy Spirit, along with the Father and the Son, is working in our behalf. “The Godhead was stirred with pity for the race, and the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit gave Themselves to the working out of the plan of redemption”. — Ellen G. White, Counsels on Health, p. 222.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit love us equally and are working in order to save us into God’s eternal kingdom. How can we, then, neglect so great a salvation?
How much comfort can we draw from the fact that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all at work for our eternal good?
