Is the Holy Spirit God?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Holy Spirit is fully God, a distinct Person of the Trinity, equal with the Father and the Son. The Old Testament reveals His divinity through names like “Spirit of God” and by describing Him doing actions only God can perform, such as creating life and empowering leaders. The New Testament further shows His personhood, emotions, intellect, and work in believers, including giving gifts, teaching, and dwelling within Christians. He is an integral part of the Trinity, inspiring Scripture, guiding the early church, and convicting and empowering believers today. By the Holy Spirit, Jesus was raised from the dead, and the same power that raised Christ from the dead lives within each believer today. Understanding the Holy Spirit as God assures us that He is not a distant force, but God’s personal presence, actively working in and through us.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Old Testament gives several indications that the Holy Spirit is fully divine, though the Trinity is more fully revealed in the New Testament. The Spirit is called the “Spirit of God” (Genesis 1:2) and the “Spirit of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2), showing His close identification with God Himself.
• The Spirit also performs divine actions that only God can do: giving life (Genesis 2:7; Job 33:4), creating (Psalm 104:30), empowering leaders and prophets (Exodus 31:2–5; Numbers 11:25–26), and guiding the nations (Isaiah 63:10–11).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Holy Spirit is a Person, just as Jesus Christ and God the Father are. He is not only a spiritual force. He has a mind, which He uses to search "everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10).
• The Holy Spirit has emotions (Ephesians 4:30).
• The Holy Spirit gives us gifts from God (1 Corinthians 12:4–7), and He fellowships with us (2 Corinthians 13:14).
• All three Persons of the triune Godhead were mentioned as uniquely present at Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:9–11).
• Jesus mentioned all three Persons distinctly when He mentioned the coming Holy Spirit. Jesus said it was better for us if He left so that the Holy Spirit could come: "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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 14:25–26).
• When we become a "born again" Christian, we are born of the Spirit (John 3:5). We become filled with the Spirit and a temple for Him to dwell in (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit works in us and through us. When the early church believers were filled with the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, they spoke "as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4).
• In Acts 5, the Holy Spirit is equated with God when Peter is confronting Ananias and Sapphira for lying: "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God'" (Acts 5:3–4). The Holy Spirit and God are referred to here as if they are one and the same.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

The Holy Spirit points us to God, and He is our direct link to God. He has been present since the beginning and was involved with creation (Genesis 1:2; Psalm 33:6). The Holy Spirit gave prophets words from God (Nehemiah 9:30), and He breathed inspiration from God into the writers of the Bible (Acts 28:25; 2 Timothy 3:16). Second Peter 1:21 says: "For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." The Holy Spirit spoke to the early church believers to give them instructions, and He is still speaking to us today (John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 13:2; 16:6).

UNDERSTAND

• The Holy Spirit is fully God—a distinct Person of the Trinity.
• The Holy Spirit lives in believers.
• Both the Old and New Testaments confirm the Holy Spirit’s divinity and active role in God’s work.

REFLECT

• How have you experienced the Holy Spirit guiding, comforting, or empowering you?
• How do you recognize the Holy Spirit as a personal presence, rather than just a spiritual force?
• How does understanding the Holy Spirit as fully God affect your trust and reliance on Him?

ENGAGE

• How do we see the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of believers today compared to biblical accounts?
• How does acknowledging the Holy Spirit as God change our understanding of the Trinity and our relationship with God?
• How can we be more attentive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and presence in our personal and community life?