The Holy Who?
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. ––1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Here’s the good news: a 2020 survey by Ligonier Ministries revealed that 94% of evangelicals “affirm that there is one true God in three persons.” Which is awesome. But then the not-so-good news: in a Barna Group survey on American spirituality, people were asked to respond to the following statement: “The Holy Spirit is a force but is not a personal being.” Only 56% of evangelicals either agreed with or were unsure about the statement.
So chances are, the next time you walk into church and look around, more than half the folks have confusion or doubts about the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Let me assure you: The Holy Spirit is alive and well, He is a Person, and the same Spirit who came upon the church in the upper room at Pentecost is the same today as He was yesterday. So why the confusion and doubt? A few reasons, I believe:
- Ignorance. We just don’t hear about the Holy Spirit as much in the American church as we do about God and Jesus. The joke is that Christianity in America has become more about “the Father, the Son, and the Holy Scriptures” rather than the Holy Spirit.
- Mystery. We get to know both YHWH and Jesus quite well in the Bible—many stories are told where their character and nature are profiled, articulated, and brought to life. Not so much with the Holy Spirit.
- Confusion. There’s confusion over the Spirit of God and each Christian’s own spirit (lowercase s). As God’s creation, our spirit is made by Him, and it is eternal—every human has a spirit that will live for eternity, either in heaven or in hell.
The critical question you need to ask yourself:
Who do I believe the Holy Spirit is, and what is His function?
The scriptures tell us over and over that the Spirit is a Person—He’s not a mood or a vibe or a sometime-presence. Who better to describe the Holy Spirit than Jesus:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
–––John 14:16-17
This points to His ascension and the fact that Jesus will be seated at the right hand of the Father, interceding (advocating, like a defense attorney) on our behalf. The “other” Jesus refers to, of course, is the Holy Spirit, who is our:
- Advocate
- Helper
- Comforter
- Truth-giver
- Indweller
- Ever-present Resident
- And so much more!
I highly recommend the book The Names of the Holy Spirit by Dr. Elmer Towns—a classic exploration of all the biblical names of the Holy Spirit, His character, purpose, and functions.
The coolest news of all about the Holy Spirit? Reread the last line of John 14:17 above. You have Jesus’ assurance that the Holy Spirit lives both with you and that He will be in you. As you walk, so the Holy Spirit walks with you. As you face temptation, so the Holy Spirit is the One who battles with and for you.
He’s both with and in you. Does it get any better than that?
Lord, I invite Your Holy Spirit to guide me, teach me, and keep me in the way of all truth!
1 https://www.smalltowntheologian.org/many-professing-christians-apparently-dont-know-the-holy-spirit-hc-ld-20-qa-53/