Do you see Holy Spirit as a Person

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by feet breath on September 16, 2013 at 9:39pm

Yep,He is a person. :) He comforts,encourges,teaches us. He can be grieved and lied to and even blasphemed. Certainly He is a person. The third person in the Trinity.

Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on September 16, 2013 at 11:08pm

Yes, and Amen my Sister.  One of the reasons, I asked that question and the others were.  I believe when we see Holy Spirit, as something more than a mist that, just whispers thoughts and ideas to us.  And, Feet you put it so well, "Certainly He is a person. The third person in the Trinity."  Many of the thoughts and ideas others have shared over all this time, about Who Holy Spirit Is, and What He Does, may change.

To see how both Jesus and Holy Spirit took Their leads from The Father, in Obedience; in Love.  Yet, we see Three Persons Who, Lead, Protect, Bless, Pay the Ultimate Price, Created us for Fellowship, in Their own way Show us Their Love, the list goes on and on.  Again feet grieves as you said,"He comforts, encourages, teaches us."  We read The Words of Jesus, we read of the Actions of The Father.  If, we look Holy Spirit is all over The Word.  We can see and feel The Love of Christ.  We see His Actions for us, His Love for us is clear.  The Love of The Father is clear as well.  Yet, I think many have just not known how to see The Holy Spirit.  Yet, much is seen in these two verses.

But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control; against such things there is no law Gal 5:22-23

Now I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and by the Love that the Spirit produces, to join me in my struggle, earnestly praying to God for me  Rom 15:30

Permalink Reply by Colby on September 16, 2013 at 11:50pm

The Holy Spirit, like a wind that sweeps through our lives, is the presence of God in our midst. We are reborn and sealed as God's children by the Holy Spirit.  The Farewell Discourse from John contains many rich complexities, but nothing so profoundly simple as the promise that by action of the Holy Spirit, God will remain with us, will abide in us.

 

"Jesus said to them again, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.'  And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" 
(John 20:21-22, RSV)

Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on September 17, 2013 at 8:27pm

I am not quite sure what you are saying Brother.  Do you see The Holy Spirit as a Person," or like a wind that sweeps through our lives?" 

I am adding a number of verses and thoughts in how I view Holy Spirit.

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” John 20:19-23 Yes, ”He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” However it does not stop there. By what Jesus had done, they all of a sudden had the power to forgive sins. As we read about the event you have shared.

Pulpit Commentary
...So now He implies that the. time will come when, though He is sending His disciples forth from His immediate corporeal presence, they will touch Him by other faculties than eye, or ear, or hand. He is about to leave them for seven days; they are to learn the Reality of His Spiritual presence by an earnest of Pentecost, by such a gift of the Spirit that they will recognize, in the rushing mighty wind, the presence of the same uplifting, revealing, supernatural Energy. It is urged by Hofmann, Luthardt, Gess, Moulton, and to some extent Westcott and Coder, that the absence of the article must be represented in the translation, that we have here either "a Holy Spirit," or an energy, an impersonal force of Spirit, or "a gift of the Holy Spirit," an effusion of Holy Spirit, and not "the Spirit of the Father and Son," not the fullness of the Holy Ghost, not the realization of the Divine indwelling, only an earnest of the sublime reality, a symbolic expression of the promise of the Father….

It was obedience to what Jesus had told them to stay and wait. When we see in verse 14, I believe this,”effusion of Holy Spirit.” Lead them to Pray as One. And, we see Peter speaking Wisdom, taking Leadership, and clearly Knowing He was forgiven. 14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. 15 During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. 16“Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. We see here that Holy Spirit spoke through King David. Acts 1:14-16 However, it is not until The Day of Pentecost that they were Filled; Baptized in The Holy Spirit. There was no mistaking what was happening. They all were Filled with The Spirit. 1 When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability. Acts 2:1-4 I do not want to split hairs about speaking in tongues. What I want to point out is the Power that Filled them and even the upper room where they were. This was no mild breeze or a wind that sweeps through our lives. We see a very clear result from Peter, after he was filled with The Holy Spirit. All for the Glory of our Lord.

40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. Acts 2:40-41
Here we have a examples of what The Spirit is doing for us. We see as we yield to The Holy Spirit the importance of how The Spirit helps and Guides us in how to Pray. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; Rom 8:26 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Eph 6:18 11 Never be lazy in showing such devotion. Be on fire with the Spirit. Serve the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer. 13 Supply the needs of the saints. Extend hospitality to strangers. Rom 12:11-13

4 For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the Heavenly Gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have Tasted the Good Word of God and the Powers of the age to come, 6 and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. Heb 6:4-6

I believe this is “Blasphemy,” of The Holy Spirit. If we have Known Him, then deny The Holy Spirit, how can He bring us to repentance? So many young Christian think they have sinned in this way. The enemy whispers to them, yet it only can lie.

 "But the Helper, The Holy Spirit, Whom The Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. John 14:26 As Jesus was sent, we see Holy Spirit is sent as well. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Matt 28:19
"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;  John 14:16
"When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, John 15:26

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, Col 1:15
yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him. 1John 5:6

We without question, need all that The Father has provided for us.  There is a great importance in how we see, The Father, The Son, and Holy Spirit.  Jesus was the only One who, could do The Work; make and then become The Sacrifice we required.  So our relationship to The Father would be Healed, and Jesus our Lord be Glorified.  And so, What and Who The Holy Spirit is, I believe is important.  He is the Spirit of Truth, for He speaks of Jesus.  He is our Helper.  He Leads us and show us how best to Glorify Jesus through our actions.  I guess my point  is, how we view The Help God has provided us, is important.  His Wisdom, His Love, and all in between will guide us into who we are Called to be.

Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on September 21, 2013 at 12:51pm

Chris

 

I personally do not believe that the Holy Spirit has a body. A physical body that is. Just as Jesus said that "God is a Spirit" so I believe that the Holy Spirit is just that, a spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit definitely has a personality

simply because He is a reflection ( not the best word) of God Himself  and God definitely has a personality. He has the 'persoanlity of God Himself . I think that Jesus definitely had a body so that He could have something to sacrifice to fulfill the requirements of a Holy God and so that He could truly sympathize with our weaknesses and temptations,  and now posesses a 'glorified' body (whatever that actually is). I believe this because a physical body would restrict the ability to be to everyone whatever they need whenever they need it. And we know that the Spirit can be to everyone whatever they need whenever they need it.

 

I think that we are not really capable of understanding exactly what a "spirit" is with our finite minds.  It is something that we can only try to use the things of this world to try to get an idea of.  The Holy Sprit is defintely ( well supported scripturally ) a member of the ' trinity'. He is an influencing force that constantly tries to shape us into the mind of Christ and the will of God. 

 

But , as I said, I dont feel that we are capable of truly comprehanding what the 'spirit' is and therefore have to drawn on our very limited mental resources to comprehend the Holy Spirit and truly know what form He is in. I also believe that it does not really matter wha 'form' we invision Him to be in , we simply need to yield to His leadings and influences.

 

God bless

Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on September 24, 2013 at 11:47pm

Charles

Amen.  I do believe Holy Spirit has a personality, body not required.  I liken it to, when we see someone one day than the next time, they have "passed away."  And, we look at the body and we know we are looking at only a shell.  I think we actually do see far more than we realize.   So we yield to God's Wisdom, He will open our eyes and give us Understanding, according to His Will.  As we read in The Word, "...let Us Make man in Our Image..."  Again, what we see when we look at a body that is living.  More than what we do not see, as what we do.  Good to see you again, Brother