The Personality of the Holy Spirit

John 16:13, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a living Person for He can be approached or shunned, trusted or doubted, loved or hated, adored and insulted. His Name is linked with the Father and Son in the Benediction and baptismal formula. The Scriptures uses personal pronouns in referring to the Holy Spirit, John 15:26, "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me"; John 16:8, "When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment"; John 16:14, "He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you."

The Holy Spirit is a Person for He possesses certain characteristics:

1. Will power. 1 Corinthians 12:11, "All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." The Holy Spirit makes decisions.

2. Intelligence. Nehemiah 9:20, "You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst." A power or influence does not have knowledge with which to teach. Romans 8:27, "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

3. Knowledge. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12, "but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."

4. Power. Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

5. Capacity for love. Romans 15:30, "I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me."

6. Capacity for grief. Ephesians 4:30, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

7. He is the official Comforter, John 14:16, "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever."

As a Person He becomes our best friend to guide and comfort us.