Who is the Holy Spirit?

Who is the Holy Spirit? What is the Holy Spirit? To understand things of the spirit we look at God’s nature as Spirit.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

First, in order to understand the things of the Spirit, one must be born again of the Spirit. Otherwise, the carnal human mind simply cannot comprehend the things of the Spirit (John 3).

If you have not begun a relationship with our Lord, click here.

When we think spiritually, we can hold many concepts in mind at the same time.

Our natural human mind understands that three is not one, and one is not three.

You either have three cookies, or you have one cookie.

But in the spiritual world, it is possible for one to be three and three to be one, with no contradiction.

I talk about this more in, Knowing God: How is God Three and One?

Since we understand this concept, we are going to look at the question of Who is the Holy Spirit?

God is Spirit

When Jesus told the Samaritan woman, “God is Spirit” (John 4:24), He emphasized that God does not have a physical nature and is not limited by a physical body to location.

Jesus was countering the common idea of the time that there could be only one place for proper worship.

He was emphasizing the Spirit of God is present everywhere.

The Psalmist David wrote, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there” (Ps 139:7-8).

God is Spirit, not composed of matter; He is Spirit, eternal and omnipresent (everywhere present).

Therefore, He can be worshiped any place by a receptive and responsive heart.

The Holy Spirit of God

In the Bible’s original languages, the Hebrew concept of spirit (ru’ach) and the Greek concept of spirit (pneuma) both can mean “wind,” “breath,” “life,” and “life-giving, life-creating power” depending on the context. ^[1]

The Spirit of God is life and gives life

Jesus told Nicodemus that the Spirit is like the wind which one cannot see, but one can see its effects (John 3)
Elihu acknowledged to Job that the Spirit of God had made him and was the source of his life (Job 33:4)
Psalm 104 reveals, “You send forth Your Spirit (breath), they [the animals] are created” (Ps 104:30).

God is Spirit and bestows life on all His creatures, every living thing, including humans.

He is the Living One in dynamic creative movement and energy.

Through times past, present, future, and beyond time, the Triune God exists in a relational unity.

“To understand things of the Spirit, we must think spiritually.”

God is Not Like Anything in Our Physical World

As Spirit, He cannot be represented by any physical object or likeness.

When instructing Moses to build the tabernacle furniture, God instructed him to build a box where His Spirit could dwell.

The representation of Himself to the people was not an object or creature, but an ark, a box, a chest of remembrance containing items representing His grace and covenant relationship with His people.

It was covered by symbols of His gracious atonement of sins indicating the desire for spiritual fellowship.^[2]

The Nature of God

It is helpful to understand two specific qualities of God’s nature in conversing about His holy presence.

God’s nature is both transcendent and immanent at the same time.

Don’t let the fancy words scare you.

God’s transcendence simply means that God transcends our earth. God’s nature and power stand outside time and space independent of humanity.^[3]

He is truly “out of this world.”

He is Creator; we are creation!

However, God is also immanent, which simply means He is fully present in the world He created.

He is our Creator Father and is “near” to each of us, here and now.

He is Immanuel, which means “God with us.”^[4]

Through His Spirit, God is accessible to us, His creation, in a variety of ways.

[If you want to learn how to become more aware of His presence, start with this free checklist in the Free Resources Library that gives you simple and easy ideas on how to become more aware of His presence and helps you connect more frequently with His presence.]

Who is the Holy Spirit From the Beginning?

From the beginning of earth’s creation, God’s Spirit has been active and moving.

In Genesis 1:2 we begin to see God’s working in creation through His Spirit. “The Spirit of God was [hovering] moving over the surface of the waters.”

The word translated “Spirit”^[5] from the original Hebrew language is the word rûaḥ, which we learned above means, “wind, breeze, life-giving breath.”

The breath of the God’s Spirit has been hovering and moving on the earth since then to bring His purposes to pass.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God—God’s Breath—God’s Powerful Presence.

The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

For Old Testament writers, using the phrase “the Spirit” was a way of talking about the presence of God.

It expressed the sense that God was present through his Spirit. Soon writers began to add the adjective “good” and “holy.”^[6]

Throughout the Old Testament, the Spirit of God would “come upon” judges, prophets and seers to empower them to deliver, lead, guide, teach, preach, prophesy, and perform miracles.

God sent His Spirit to be the agent of revelation to Joseph; and the mode of empowerment for leaders such as Moses, Joshua, and Sampson, etc.; He was the inspiration for the prophets.

The Holy Spirit in the New Testament

We see similar purposes in the movings of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.

The Old Testament prophets foretold a new era, where God would not only “move upon” His people, but He would put His Spirit “in” His people and give them a new heart.

Humanity would be new creations, born anew to once again enjoy the intimate relationship once only known in the Garden of Eden.

All throughout recorded Scripture, God has fervently desired to dwell with humanity in intimate fellowship.

This new relationship with God would be more intimate and accessible.^[7]

In this era, the Promise of the Father (gift of the Holy Spirit) would be freely given to all. ^[8]

No longer would God move temporarily “upon” human souls, but His Spirit would be poured out to “dwell in” human beings and fill them to overflowing.

We are living in those days, here, now.

We receive Him into our hearts.

And the next step is to allow Him to fill us up with all the fullness of His loving gifts.

To read more about the gift (aka infilling or baptism) of the Holy Spirit, see What is the Baptism (Gift) of the Holy Spirit?

Who Is The Holy Spirit?

God is Spirit. He is not like anything we understand with our natural mind.

To understand things of the spirit we must think spiritually.

The Holy Spirit is God’s breath, power, and presence that moves and hovers over creation to accomplish His eternal purposes.

Today we have the blessed opportunity to come to know Him personally and intimately.

Thank you for reading. I pray God gives you abundant grace and peace in your Christian Journey.