Who God is

116. God – The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is often misunderstood. The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit not as “it” but as “He.” He is God, the third person of the Trinity. He is here to take the place of Jesus. He is just as much God as the Father and Jesus the Son.

In Acts chapter 1, the disciples wanted to know when Jesus was going to come back and take care of their problems. An honest question. After all, if we are going to trust the Lord, then we need to know when He is going to act on our behalf. If we don’t think that He will act, then what’s the use?

Jesus answered their question in a funny way. He inferred that they were asking the wrong question because He did not answer it directly. Instead, He told them that it was not their business to know all of the times and circumstances regarding His coming again. He didn’t want them to focus on that. He said that He will give them power to go and tell what they had seen and heard. He would give them a gift, and when they received it, He wanted them to go and give it away. It is Jesus’ unconditional love. It will never run out, but will be increased.

The Holy Spirit was about to fall back on mankind, the first time since the Garden of Eden. Man was finally going to be returned to normal. A clay vessel filled with God. Jesus knew that we would be concerned about our earthly life and what we eat or drink because we have been so brainwashed. But He also knew that being returned to normal meant that we needed to focus on relationship and not on our earthly needs. This was the entire purpose of the Cross: to return man to normal.

What did Jesus say to His disciples in John 14-16 about His going away?

Maybe what He said to them would have looked like this:

“Don’t be upset, I am making a place of comfort for you.”

Thomas said, “We don’t know how to get there.”

“It’s a place in the Father and I am the way,” said Jesus.

Then the disciples said, “Oh, well just show us the Father.”

Jesus said, “I have been with you for so long and you still don’t understand the original blueprint of how man is supposed to be. Well, you see it’s this way, the Father lives in Me and I live in Him through the Spirit. Remember Adam, he was a container for God. Well, in the same way I am going to return you guys back to normal people; I will send the Spirit to live in you so that you can be one with Me and the Father.

But the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and not everybody in the world can, or will, receive Him, they won’t recognize Him. You see, not everybody wants Him. And since this is a love relationship, there has to be love on both sides, not just one. The folks who keep My Word and spend time in My Word are the ones who really love the Father and Me. To those folks We will make ourselves real; We will unveil ourselves to them and they will actually experience God inside of them.

You see it works like this. A grapevine is all branches. However, the branches make up the vine and they are actually one with each other. Not like a tree, which has a trunk and then branches, but a vine is actually made up of the branches. I am the vine and you are the branches. The Spirit is like the sap and the life that runs through the vine and branches. It is this kind of combining of lives and oneness that you will experience.

Now I don’t want you to think that just because you experience distress and problems that I have not told you the truth. As a matter of fact, you will experience all kinds of tribulation and persecution and problems. But the Spirit will be living in you and He will remind you how much the Father and I love you no matter what happens. He will give you peace and joy in the middle of all of the problems. He will speak with you just as if I were here. He will actually take My place and be your helper and comforter just as I have been. However, He will be in you, so actually, it is going to be better. No matter what happens, just know that I have overcome all the evil that can be thrown at you. You see, at the Cross I will disarm and destroy all evil, and when I come to live inside of you through the Spirit, it is that victory that is living in you. What really counts is that We will be connected with you, and be one with you.

Also, Our work on this earth will continue. Actually, Our work will even be greater because you will multiply and cover the earth and bear the fruit of more spiritual children than I could ever bear if I stayed here. Whatever help you need with this work, just ask the Father and He will give you whatever you need.

Sincerely,

Your Friend, Jesus”

John 14 and 16 indicate that Jesus was getting ready to leave His men and was telling them that He was coming back soon. Then He explained that He was actually coming back in a different form: not in body, but in spirit. His Spirit would actually get inside of them and be their comforter, helper, intercessor, standby, advocate and Strengthener. Jesus said that it would somewhat depend upon their keeping His Word. He told them that the Holy Spirit would take His place and bring them messages from the Father directly. He said that in this life that we would experience a lot of trouble in the world, but that He would give us peace and joy, and not to worry because He has conquered the world.

In short, the Holy Spirit is not some weird experience or cloud of this age, but the Holy Spirit is called a He. He is God in another form. He is Jesus. He is the Father. He takes their place on this planet and in the realm of our experience for right now. The only way one can experience God while in these bodies and on this earth (exceptions of course) is via the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would only live in a custom made Temple. The same is true today, except that Temple is our body!

Jesus explained the original blueprint: God in Man, just like He had demonstrated.

Then He said that in a little while they would not see Him any more, then they would see Him but in a different form. He told them that the world would no longer see Him because they did not really love Him, so He will be veiled from the world in this new form. But He said in John 14:21 that if we live in His Word and in the Spirit of Truth, then He will clearly show Himself to us.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever – The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him nor know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans...” (John 14:16-18, Amplified Bible).

“However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you]” (John 16:7, Amplified Bible).

John 15 explains the mystery, which is Christ in you, with the parable of the branch and the vine. They cannot be separated, but the branch receives its life from the vine, the sap, the very life of the vine, flows into the branch. We are the branches; not only do we abide in the vine, but also the vine, its life, abides in us. That is the mystery that even angels knew nothing of. Christ in you the hope of glory!

God has chosen mere man to be the container for Himself, the Holy Spirit.

He chose my body to be one of the Temples, or dwelling places, of the Holy Spirit. And He chose me to be a part of a larger Temple that is His Body, or the Church. All you have to do is to look into the Old Testament and you will see that it was no small thing for the Holy Spirit to dwell somewhere. There had to be dozens of animals brought to sacrifice; the priest had very special tasks to perform in order to keep everyone alive. Remember that we are not talking about coming into the presence of the Pope or the President, but unto the Creator of all things. And He chose to live in you and me! We belong to Him; we are His property!

1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

Remember each time you say something or do something that God is living inside of you. Is He proud of you?

Now look up the following Scriptures for yourself:

1. God the Father anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit for His earthly ministry. Acts 10:38

2. John the Baptist saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus. Matthew 3:16

3. The Holy Spirit enabled Jesus to preach and minister. Luke 4:18

4. Jesus cast out devils by the power of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 12:28

5. Jesus told His disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. John 14:16, 26

6. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would reveal Jesus to His disciples. John 16:14; 15:26

7. Jesus told His disciples that they would receive power to be witnesses for Him. Acts 1:8

8. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8

9. Jesus told His disciples that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5

10. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49

11. In the Old Testament’s book of Joel, God promised the Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28-29

12. The promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4

13. The Holy Spirit could not be given until Jesus was crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended back to Heaven (glorified). [Note: To be glorified means to show and reveal the truth and the real character of something]. John 7:39

14. Jesus received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father to dispense to us when He was exalted to the right hand of God after the resurrection. Acts 2:33

15. The unbelievers could see and hear the Holy Spirit, and they knew He had been poured out. Acts 2:33

16. The unbelievers could hear the disciples speaking in their own language through the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:7-8

17. The disciples quoted Joel 2:28-29 and said that what was happening was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Acts 2:17

18. Peter said that the promise of the Holy Spirit was for all, for all whom God would call. Acts 2:39

19. God promised the Holy Spirit to anyone who asked. Luke 11:13

20. The Holy Spirit reveals to us the mysteries of God, the things that God has hidden away for us, in order to bring us into His presence. 1 Corinthians 2:7-16

21. Where does the Holy Spirit like to live? He likes to live with lambs or lamb-like people. Lambs are not so smart or wise, they are foolish and trusting. They are helpless and do not stand up for their own rights. They will not complain when led to the slaughterhouse. They absolutely need a shepherd, just to survive. They cannot operate independently. When they try, they always get lost and injured. Jesus was the Lamb of God. John 1:29, 32.

Scriptures for this lesson

Acts 10:38 says,

“...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

John 1:32-33 says,

“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 4:18 says,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”

Matthew 12:28 says,

“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

John 14:16 says,

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

John 14:26 says,

“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 things that I said to you.”

John 16:14 says,

“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.”

John 15:26 says,

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

Acts 1:8 says,

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Mark 1:8 says,

“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:5 says,

“For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Luke 24:49 says,

“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Joel 2:28-29 says,

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

Acts 2:1-4 says,

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

John 7:39 says,

“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

Acts 2:33 says,

“Therefore being exalted to the right of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.”

Acts 2:7-8 says,

“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?’”

Acts 2:17 says,

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.”

Acts 2:39 says,

“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Luke 11:13 says,

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

1 Corinthians 2:7-16 says,

“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

John 1:29 says,

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”

John 1:32 says,

“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.’”

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