Holy Spirit Leading
Holy Trinity Series
Holy Spirit is a member of the Holy Trinity along with the Father and the Son. One Scripture verse that shows the Trinity describes a moment at the baptism of Jesus.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him;
and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:16-17 ESV
The fullness of God, the Trinity, is displayed here: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Being God, Holy Spirit was with God and was God, just as the Son, the Word, who we considered in the last study, The Name of Jesus. We see Holy Spirit at the time of creation.
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of
the waters.
Genesis 1:1-2 ESV
We previously discussed how God created the heavens and earth by the power of His Word. The Word, Jesus, the Son, created the heavens and the earth. God said, or spoke the Word. The Word had the full, desired effect that fulfilled the will of God.
We now see the presence of Holy Spirit at the time of creation. I see it this way; creation was of the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit saw to it that the Word of God was fulfilled. That which God intends to be, is always carried out.
so shall My word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and it shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:11 ESV
I believe that one function of Holy Spirit is to make certain that the Scripture is fulfilled; that the word of God is successful in doing what it is intended to. Like any analogy to the Holy Trinity falls short at some point, my view of the Trinity may fall short as well, but I do believe there is a pattern I see in Scripture that mirrors the verses above concerning creation.
I view the Holy Trinity as this:
- The Father – of whom
- The Son – through whom
- The Holy Spirit – by whom
As we see in Scripture, God desired, because of His great love for us, to send the Son to redeem us from our fallen state that we may become children of God, forgiven for our sinfulness, and restored unto a loving relationship with Himself. The Father – of whom.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name
of the only Son of God.”
John 3:16-18 ESV
We are to run the race set before us, or live our lives, looking to Jesus, our Savior, who by the shedding of His blood provided the forgiveness for us concerning our sinfulness. The Son agreed with the Father to come into His own creation to redeem us through His sacrifice on the cross. The Son – through whom.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 ESV
Holy Spirit saw to it that the desire of God was fulfilled. Facilitating the will of God, Holy Spirit made it possible, through the creative work of God, for Jesus to be born into this world. An angel was sent to Mary and explained to her what would take place. The Holy Spirit – by whom.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you;
therefore the child to be born will be called holy – the Son of God.”
Luke 1:34-35 ESV
Holy Spirit may be the member of the Godhead that is the most difficult to accurately define. I see Holy Spirit as a regulator of sorts, the one through whom the power of God flows and is directed.
Merriam-Webster online dictionary
Regulator: one that regulates
Regulate: verb
1 a : to govern or direct according to rule
b (1) : to bring under control of law or constituted authority
(2) : to make regulations for or concerning
2 : to bring order, method, or uniformity to
3 : to fix or adjust the time, amount, degree, or rate of
Though not an exact definition of the work of Holy Spirit, I believe each of these definition points can be seen in various functions of Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, being a member of the Holy Trinity, is God, and therefore is in full agreement with the Father and the Son concerning the will of God. The three members of the Godhead act in unison, united in purpose, as seen at the creation of mankind.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
Genesis 1:26a ESV
Notice the singularity of God, as well as the plurality of the Godhead. There is one God; “Then God said” shows a singular God with all members unified. There are three persons; the phrases “Let us” and “in our” shows the unity in the will of God by the multiple persons.
I am not going to pretend to know everything there is to know about the Trinity. I am not going to claim to have a complete understanding of the Trinity and how it functions. Such is the mystery of God, and we are to wrestle with our knowledge and understanding in order to grow in maturity and faith. I believe we are to pursue truth. I also believe that I am not expected to have total knowledge and understanding of truth all at once, or all of a sudden. I believe we grow into new levels of knowledge and understanding of God as we seek Him and dwell with Him in the secret place of the Most High.
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Proverbs 25:2 ESV
Holy Spirit was sent to us by God after the ascension of Christ Jesus. He was sent to us to be, among other things, a witness to Christ, to teach us, and to help us recall the Word of God.
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 have said to you.
John 14:26 ESV
“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness about Me.
John 15:26 ESV
So who sent the Spirit? The Father or the Son? Both. They are one God and unified in purpose and will. Jesus stated that He was indeed one with the Father.
“I and the Father are one.”
John 10:30 ESV
This is why the Jews wanted to stone Him. They said it was blasphemy for Him, being a man, making Himself to be God. Jesus also revealed His divinity in His prayer to the Father, The High Priestly Prayer. This prayer is chapter 17 of the Gospel According to John.
“And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, Keep them in your name, which You have given Me, that they may be one, even as We are one.”
John 17:11 ESV
And again (and this is one place where we are mentioned in the Scripture):
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so
that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
John 17:20-21 ESV
Holy Spirit, like the Son, is one with the Father, and proceeds from the Father. Holy Spirit, as we saw in John 15:26 above, is, “the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father.” Holy Spirit operates in the power and authority of God just as the Father and the Son do.
We must firmly establish in the depth of our being, as a portion of the abundance of our heart, that Holy Spirit is God, a member of the Holy Trinity, the Godhead. Just as the Father sent the Son for our redemption, He also sends us Holy Spirit to empower us to live this life in a fallen world, or as Paul put it, to run the race. Holy Spirit is our helper, our teacher, and a witness to the things of God.
Holy Spirit is the anointing. When we are asked by God to carry out a task, or an assignment, it is Holy Spirit who empowers us to do so. This is what is referred to as the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps you are familiar with this passage of Scripture referring to the ways and thoughts of God.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:9 ESV
So how then are we to understand God, or know what to do, how to do it, or what God thinks of a matter? We need Holy Spirit, our teacher, to bring to us the understanding and revelation we need in every situation. We are to have the mind of Christ.
The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 ESV
We are to have discernment to appraise all things. This comes through the revelation, knowledge, and understanding provided by Holy Spirit. At the same time, the unbelieving world will not understand faithful Christians who are in relationship with God, walking in obedience in love. Obedient believers who diligently study the Scriptures can understand all of Scripture for we have the mind of Christ. That is, Christ Jesus, who knows God’s thoughts, for He is God, sent Holy Spirit, also God, to us to teach us. They open our mind to the truths of God just as Jesus did when He spoke to Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus.
And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:27 ESV
Then Jesus appeared to the disciples, including Cleopas and the other, in Jerusalem. Jesus spoke to them, and it was described as:
Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
Luke 24:45 ESV
Likewise, as we receive the promise in the Holy Spirit at our salvation and baptism, our minds are opened to the Scriptures as Holy Spirit teaches us what we need to know. This comes through study, through other disciples teaching us, and through revelation from God.
Holy Spirit also carries the responsibility and authority to provide the spiritual gifts we need to do the ministry of the kingdom. The Father’s desire is for all mankind to come to know Him and the joy of His salvation. As we saw in John 3:16, the Father sent His Son to redeem us, and those who believe will not perish. Peter writes in his second letter:
The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2 Peter 3:9 ESV
The Lord, Christ Jesus, died for our sake, that all who believe may receive eternal life. He died for all, for the sin of the world, and the invitation to come to Him is open to every living soul. Again, John 3:16-18 tells of this plan and desire for all to come to the Lord and receive eternal life. The invitation is to whoever will come. There are no restrictions to who may come and believe.
For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no
distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is the Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 5:10-13 ESV
The Father, of whom, wants all to receive eternal life and not perish. The Son, through whom, provides the way to escape damnation and to receive eternal life. Holy Spirit, by whom, provides to those who believe the means to live this life for the eternal kingdom as opposed to living by the ways of the world.
Holy Spirit dwells within us. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
1 Corinthians 6:19 ESV
This is the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead.
If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Romans 8:11 ESV
And that same Spirit will lead us and guides us now and throughout eternity. Jesus said of the coming of Holy Spirit:
“When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things
that are to come.”
John 16:13 ESV
And it is Holy Spirit who distributes the spiritual gifts as He sees the need to do so.
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in
everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge
according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability
to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one
individually as He wills.
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 ESV
There is so much more that the Holy Spirit provides for us in our navigation of this life, including the discernment we need to determine what is worldly and what is Godly.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him. For all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes
and pride of life – is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
1 John 2:15-17 ESV
There is so much to study and learn of Holy Spirit that we cannot cover it all in one episode. We are to lean on Him for direction and understanding.
Concerning the Son and the Holy Spirit, I will close this portion of the study with a couple of cautions, or warnings, that I see in Scripture.
No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.1 John 2:23 ESV
“Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit
will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to
come.”
Matthew 12:30-32
God, the Holy Trinity, stand united as one. We are invited to stand as one with each other and with God.
Next time we will look at the love of the Father.