"And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." - Genesis 1:2
When you think of God, what comes to your mind? I tend to think of God as Father most of the time. Whether in my prayer time or in worship, I am drawn to the thought of my heavenly Father who loves me and provides for me. He is my source of strength to face the challenges of the day. For many, Jesus is foremost in their thoughts, and rightly so. It is Jesus who came to earth, lived as a man, exemplified a life without sin, and delivers us from our own sin. He is the embodiment of God's love and grace. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "He is the image of the invisible God, and the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:15a, 18a).
But when you think of God, do you also think of the Holy Spirit? If you are new to Christianity, you may have never heard of the Holy Spirit. It is easier to explain God in terms of Father and Son because we can tangibly associate them with mental images of our earthly fathers and sons. But you can't see or touch a spirit. A spirit is mysterious, an essence without form. God infinitely transcends anything we can envision in our minds, and the Spirit of God seems to hold the greatest mystery. Perhaps this is why many churches tend to avoid the subject of the Holy Spirit. We prefer what seems to be tangible to something that is difficult to explain. But the one true God is the Triune God, who eternally exists as one God in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If we avoid knowing the Spirit, we cannot truly know God, nor can we experience the fullness of our relationship with him.
Some do not believe that the Spirit is a Person, or that he is even God. They prefer to think of the Spirit as a mysterious, invisible force, or as a manifestation of God. But the Scriptures testify of the Spirit as God.
Four Things to Know About the Holy Spirit
1. He is a Person, not a Force
If the Spirit were merely a manifestation of God, or an invisible force, he would not possess characteristics of a person. But the Spirit displays intelligence. He inspired the words of Scripture, teaches us to understand the truth of God and knows the mind of God. He also manifests emotions. He is grieved by sin, and is outraged by those who profane the blood of Christ.
2. He is Divine
God's divine attributes are his omniscience (infinite knowledge), omnipotence (infinite power) and omnipresence (infinite presence). The Scriptures reveal that the Spirit possesses all of these attributes (see 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; Luke 1:35; Psalm 139:7-8).
3. He Personally Indwells All Who Believe in Christ
Have you ever heard the phrase "your body is a temple"? If you have trusted in Christ as your Savior, the Holy Spirit dwells in you. Your body is actually a temple of God! Before Jesus ascended to heaven he told his disciples that he would send the Spirit who would live with them and in them (John 14:17). It is the indwelling of the Spirit in you that gives you eternal life, enables you to live in obedience to God, comforts you in the midst of trials, and equips you to serve others for the glory of God.
4. He is Worthy of Worship
The Holy Spirit, who hovered over the face of the waters before creation, is sent to us from the Father, in the name of the Son to all who believe in Christ (John 14:26). If we are to worship God fully, we must know that we worship the Triune God -- the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is a mysterious God, worthy of our worship and our praise!