LESSON ELEVEN (11)
THE PERSONALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
MEMORY VERSE
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever- the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14: 16-17 (NIV)
INTRODUCTION
The Holy
Spirit who is the third person in the God Head (Trinity) is a personality.
Christians of today should eagerly seek Him after accepting Jesus as their Lord
and savior. A right knowledge of who the
Holy Spirit is, affects everything we do, say and think about Him. A proper
understanding of the Holy Spirit, therefore, can transform our lives. It must
therefore be said for a fact that we are living in the era or dispensation of
the Holy Spirit and that any Christian or Church organization that fails to
acknowledge the teaching and direction of the Holy Spirit is bound to fail, or
merely exist as a religious club.
Today
some people doubt the personality of the Holy Spirit. They consider Him a
power, a force or an energy, and not a person. However, Scripture shows clearly
that He is a person (a Being).
Despite the importance of understanding the Scriptures as a whole, there is much confusion and superstition in the minds of many people about the Holy Spirit. It is our intention in this lesson to present the true understanding of what the Bible teaches about the subject of the personality of the Holy Spirit.
Despite the importance of understanding the Scriptures as a whole, there is much confusion and superstition in the minds of many people about the Holy Spirit. It is our intention in this lesson to present the true understanding of what the Bible teaches about the subject of the personality of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson will however help you get answers to these questions;
a.
Is the Holy Spirit a person, or one that
possesses "personality"?
b.
Is the Holy Spirit simply an
"influence", or "impersonal force that emanates from God?
c.
Why is the Holy Spirit a person? His Personal
Characteristics.
WHY IS THE HOLY SPIRIT A PERSONALITY
A) THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS
1) What
does 1 Tim 4:1 say and who is speaking?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
2) Go to
that chariot and stay near it. Who said this according to Acts 8:29?
………………………………………………………………..
3)
According to Acts 10:19-20, Peter was given a
charge to execute. Who gave that charge and what was it?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
4)
Reading from Acts 13:1-4, what did you observe
the Holy Spirit do?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
B) THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES
5) According
to Jn. 14:26, the Counselor who was to teach
the Apostles and to remind them of all things was referred to as?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
It is worthy to note that Jesus consistently used a personal
pronoun “He” “Him” to refer to the Holy Spirit and not "it" (implying
a being, not an impersonal force) – Jn. 14:16-17, Jn. 16:7-13
C)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT BEARS TESTIMONY ABOUT CHRIST
a.
According to John 15:26, what would the Holy
Spirit do when He comes?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
b.
Just as the apostles (who were "Personal
Beings") would bear
witness, so also the Holy Spirit Jn. 15:27
witness, so also the Holy Spirit Jn. 15:27
D)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT GUIDES
c.
According to John. 16:13, what will the Holy
Spirit do?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
E)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT FORBIDS
d.
What did the Holy Spirit do according to Acts
16:6-7?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
This He
did by "forbidding" them and "not permitting" them, despite
their initial efforts. Sometimes the Holy Spirit can forbid us from making
certain decisions.
F)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT INTERCEDES
e.
The "Spirit Himself (note Paul's use of
the personal pronoun) …………………………..” Rom 8:26
G)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT POSSESSES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
f.
According to Rom 8:27, he who searches our
hearts knows …………………………………………………….
g.
1 Co 2:11 suggests that He has knowledge
because He knows ………………………………………………….
h.
Humans have affection (love) so do the Holy
Spirit. What does Romans 15:30 say?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
i.
According to 1 Cor. 12:11, who decides which
person to receive which gift(s)?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
j.
Can we say that based on 1 Cor. 12:11, the Holy
Spirit has a will?
Yes……………………
No …………………………
H)
THE HOLY
SPIRIT COULD BE OFFENDED
k. What
does Eph. 4:30 say?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
l.
Can we declare base on Eph. 4:30 that the Holy
Spirit has emotions?
Yes…………………………No
…………………………
m. What are
the three things you are not to do against the Holy Spirit according to Matt.
12:31-32
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
n. According
to Acts 5:3 what did Ananias and his wife, do and against who?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
o. What was
the result of their actions against the Holy Spirit?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
p. What did
the Jewish leaders do according to Acts 7:51-53?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Conclusion
From the discussions above, it is obvious to agree with the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a person who possesses all the unique characteristics such as a ability to speak, think, guide etc. He cannot be a force, energy or an object as some suggest.
From the discussions above, it is obvious to agree with the Bible that the Holy Spirit is a person who possesses all the unique characteristics such as a ability to speak, think, guide etc. He cannot be a force, energy or an object as some suggest.
Having
gone through this lesson, kindly meditate over how your personal relationship
with the Holy Spirit is. How does He feel towards you? What has He done,
and is doing, for you in God's scheme of redemption? And how does He react to
your reception or rejection of the Word He has revealed? How can you put into practice what you learned?
Would you encounter any obstacles incorporating these principles
into your life? If yes, how could you overcome them with the help of the Lord
and your discipler?