I have never been good at first impressions. I’m tall, lanky, and—dare I say it—a bit awkward. When I’m not absolutely focused, I also tend to forget people’s names only two sentences after they introduce themselves. Because of these poor habits, I often fall face first into the most dreadful of awkward moments: times when someone says, “Hey, Garrett!” and, in forgetting their name, I can only respond with, “Hey… man!” The person, who I should know, is unknown to me. I may know a little bit about who they are, but I’ve failed to know the most fundamental thing about them: their name! And despite the tinge of guilt and shame I get every time this happens, I still haven’t broken my bad habit.
Not dissimilarly, the Holy Spirit is often unknown to Christians. We may not have forgotten the Holy Spirit’s name, specifically, but we can be hard pressed to say much more. Is the Holy Spirit a person or a force? Put another way, a “what” or a “he”? Who is the Holy Spirit in relation to the Trinity? How should we understand the Spirit’s works, and what do we need to know about the Holy Spirit’s identity? The first step in knowing the Holy Spirit is, like any human person, to be introduced. So, even if you know him but have forgotten something as simple as a name, please allow me to introduce you—maybe again—to the Holy Spirit.
Introducing the Holy Spirit?
To introduce the Holy Spirit, we’ll start like any Watermark member might when introducing themselves at a meet-and-greet or coffee: a 30-second, elevator-pitch-style-testimony.
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, equal in nature, power, and glory with the Father and the Son, and is to be worshiped together with them. The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son to apply Christ’s saving work to all who trust in him. The Spirit applies salvation by giving life, granting faith, uniting us to Christ, sanctifying, persevering, and glorifying all followers of Christ.
There are several elements involved here that should be unpacked. This elevator pitch on the Holy Spirit follows two key movements: who the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does. Let’s talk about both in order.
Who is the Holy Spirit?
First, take a look at the question we’re asking: “Who is…” as opposed to “What is…” because the Holy Spirit is not a “thing” or force—like fire or energy. Rather, the Holy Spirit is a divine person who does personal and relational things like speaking, thinking, feeling, and acting (Taylor). He teaches (John 14:26), speaks (Acts 13:2), gives spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11), and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26). He can also be lied to (Acts 5:3-4), grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and worshiped as God (Matthew 28:18-20). These are personal actions and reactions. So, sure, the Holy Spirit is a person. But how can we be so bold as to say that the Holy Spirit is God?
Space constrains us from turning this document into a “Trinitarian Foundations” class, so three simple statements must suffice:
- The Bible clearly teaches that the Holy Spirit is himself, God, in Acts 5:3-4.
- The Holy Spirit shares the triune name of God in the Bible’s clearly Trinitarian passages (Matthew 28:19-20, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2, etc.).
- From the church’s very beginning, it has affirmed the Holy Spirit’s deity as the third person of the Trinity. One more technical statement is in order, so bear with me! In the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is a distinct person from the Father and the Son, yet all possess the same divine nature. He is distinct from the Father and the Son by his name, his relation to them as the one who eternally proceeds (or is sent) from them both, and in the works that the Bible appropriates (or ascribes) particularly to him.
Therefore, we can say with confidence: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, equal in nature, power, and glory with the Father and the Son, and is to be worshiped together with them
What Does the Holy Spirit Do?
We see the Holy Spirit working across the entire Bible, from its first pages to its last. He is present in the first pages at creation, “hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2). He speaks in the last pages with all those who know God by inviting many to know and partake in Christ’s gift of salvation (Revelation 22:17). And between them, we see Him do so much more.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit primarily acts by empowering the people of Israel to accomplish specific tasks. Some examples include Israel’s judges (Judges 3:10), kings (1 Samuel 16:13) and prophets (Micah 3:8). The Holy Spirit constantly guided and taught countless Israelites, not merely Israel’s leaders, as they waited for the promised day an unprecedented work of the Spirit would occur under the New Covenant (Joel 2:28-29, cf. Jeremiah 31:31-34, Ezekiel 36:25-27). A greater reality of the Spirit was in the work of the promised Messiah in fulfillment of the long-awaited, anointed Davidic King.
In the New Testament, we see the Spirit’s work with even more clarity. After Jesus Christ lived, died, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit to live with and in the people of God at Pentecost (John 14:17, cf. Acts 2). In his coming, the Holy Spirit applies the atoning work of Christ to those dead in sin by uniting them with Christ in his life, death, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-5). The Holy Spirit washes believers clean from sin (Titus 3:5), gives them new life (2 Corinthians 5:17), adopts them into God’s family (Romans 8:14-17), seals their eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14), and sanctifies them over time (1 Peter 1:2). As noted above, the Holy Spirit also teaches, speaks, gives spiritual gifts, and intercedes for believers. While he speaks through Scripture (1 Peter 1:20-21), illumines believers to understand and apply it, and convicts the world of sin (John 16:8), the Holy Spirit is always working mightily to save the lost, empower believers for service, and perfect the church as she awaits Christ’s second coming.
Therefore, we can say with confidence: The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father and the Son to apply Christ’s saving work to all who trust in Him. The Spirit applies salvation by giving life, granting faith, uniting us to Christ, sanctifying, persevering, and glorifying all followers of Christ.
Conclusion
Think back to the awkward moment of forgetting someone’s name. Sometimes, you just grit your teeth and bear the frustration of not knowing it when you should. It happens. But I’m here to tell you that there is a better way. You can humbly ask the person what their name is. It’s not the end of the world, and it’s a great way to practice Christian humility. It may be awkward for a moment—but the alternative is to ignore the relationship and live under the ever-looming threat of more awkward elevator rides. I’ve been in many. I urge you—play the long game and ask their name.
Take that analogy to the church today. Many have forgotten about the Holy Spirit. Sure, his name is easy. But who really is he? What does he do? Here, we took the time to ask the Holy Spirit’s “name”—his true identity—so that we can know and relate to him truly and rightly. He is God. He is the third person of the Trinity. He is across our Bibles, from Genesis to Revelation. He empowers people for action. He indwells Christians today. He applies Christ’s work of salvation to the church. And he continues to sanctify us in this life. Let us see him, hopefully one little bit better today.
