When one accepts the reality that a God exists, the next step is for them to understand that God is a Person, not just a force like “The Force be with you.” To many, God is just a force, an energy source, a ‘Mother Nature,’ an unfeeling power. Were He just an energy force, there would be no possibility of a personal relationship or intimacy with Him. He would be a power source to use for our own self-centered needs, and unfortunately that is how many Christians see Him. Some Christians try to manipulate His power to lift them above their difficulties and give them a better life. They want to use the Spirit to make them feel good and carry them to victory over whatever they face, similar to having a magic genie in a bottle they can rub and wish for whatever they want. They end up chasing manifestations, emotions or charismatic leaders instead of Jesus. This is very similar to New Age where followers learn to channel an impersonal energy source for their own benefit. All this originated in ancient Hinduism and just comes repackaged in more socially acceptable forms in the New Age movement and in some churches. But it is all wrong, Satan’s counterfeit of the truth.
How can we show that not only is there a Holy Spirit, but that He is a person? First of all, we must understand what personality is. Personality means there is a mind that can think and reason, a free will than can make moral choices, and emotions which can feel. Humans have these, but where did they come from? We didn’t just develop them out of nothing. They had to have a source, and that was God. As a Person, God has a mind with which to think and reason. That is the creative source behind everything working so perfectly and fitting together so well in the universe, everything from the tiniest atom to a complex human being to the largest galaxy. Such a perfect, intricate system has ‘design’ and ‘intelligence’ written all over it. He also has a free will to make choices and emotions because He feels joy and sorrow, love and hate. Just like us.
The Holy Spirit also is a Person, a “He,” not an “it” (John 14:17; 16:13). He has a mind and intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-11; Romans 8:27). An impersonal force does not think, know or search things out. He has a will, volition (Ephesians 1:17; 1 Corinthians 12:11). He can make choices and decisions. Impersonal forces do not make choices about how to distribute spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11). He also has emotions, sensibilities (Romans 15:30; 8:26). He can be hurt and offended (Ephesians 4:30). You cannot hurt an impersonal force.
The Spirit performs many activities that show personality: teaching (John 14:26), guiding (Acts 8:29; Romans 8:14; ), striving (Genesis 6:3), speaking (John 16:13-14; Acts 13:2; Revelation 2:7), interceding (Romans 8:26), convicting (John 16:8), reminding (John 14:26), appointing (Acts 20:29), sending (Acts 13:2), comforting (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15), working (John 14:26), leading (Galatians 5:18), helping (John 14:26; 15:26), testifying (John 15:26), being resisted (Acts 7:51) and lied to (Acts 5:3-4).
The Holy Spirit is listed as equal to the Father and the Son, two unmistakable persons (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:18-20; Acts 7:55-56; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 5:6-10; Ephesians 2:13, 18; John 16:12-15). A force does not share a singular “name” with personal agents.
This truth was recognized early in Christian history and was formalized in councils like Nicaea (AD 325) and Constantinople (AD 381), emphasizing the Spirit’s divinity and personhood against views that reduced it to a subordinate force. Satan is bringing the old lie that the Spirit is only an impersonal force around again today and many Christians are falling for it! It is blasphemy because it denies the deity of the Holy Spirit. It is dangerous because it keeps man from having a personal relationship with God through His Spirit. It is spiritually damaging because it turns man’s focus on trying to manipulate the Spirit for his own benefit instead of submitting to His guidance and leading. It is demonic because it takes glory from the godhead and gives it to men who supposedly have insight on how to maneuver God’s power for their own ends.
The 19th century French inventor Louis Daguerre was one of the pioneers of photography. In those early days, he could take a picture by exposing a metal plate to light. When the plate was taken out of the camera, however, the image soon disappeared. Daguerre tried many ways to keep the image from fading, but nothing worked. One day he found a plate that had been left in a closet full of chemicals, and to his amazement the image was bright and sharp. He took other pictures, put the plates in that closet, and got the same results. He didn’t know what was causing the image to remain, so he kept the pictures in the closet and began removing items one at a time. Even after everything else was removed, the images remained on the plates. Finally, Daguerre discovered that some mercury had been spilled in the closet. Further experiments proved that mercury vapor was fixing the image on the plate.
The Holy Spirit does in you and me what the mercury vapor did to that photographic plate. He helps us keep Christ in focus. He comforts (John 14:16, 26; 15:25; 16:7), He teaches (John 14:26), He encourages (John 14:16-17), He guide and He directs us in Christlikeness (John 16:13; 14:26; Galatians 5:16,18). Our part is to be careful not to grieve (Ephesians 4:30) or quench (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Him. As we obey the Holy Spirit, He will keep before us a sharp image of Christ. Given a chance, the Spirit will work in us to develop the clear image of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:29). No inanimate, impersonal force can do that, only the living Spirit of God.
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a] the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Is God’s Spirit living in you?
Are you becoming more and more Christlike as you allow God’s Spirit to transform you into the image of Jesus?
Thank Him for His patience and work in your life.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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