As Father, Son and Spirit, God interacts with us in a variety of ways. I find I can relate, however imperfectly, to God the Father and Son. Their titles provoke images and ideas I feel comfortable embracing. The picture of God as Spirit is more mysterious to me. It is easy to think of the Holy Spirit as a force or instrument of God, but the Bible affirms His unique personhood.
God has chosen to be with us. It is seen as the Father pursues us, despite our sin, creating a way to be together. We see it in the Son, who walked with us and sacrificed His life for ours. And we see it in the Spirit who lives in us and works through us.
God did not just send us His power or authority (“here, you can have my credit card”), but came Himself as the powerful third person of the trinity.
Here are a few things about His personhood.
He knows - First Corinthians tells us about the Spirit searching and knowing the thoughts of God and teaching us His spiritual truths.
These things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:10-1
He feels - The Holy Spirit experiences emotions we can identify with – grief and yearning.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Ephesians 4:30
Or do you think the scripture means nothing when it says, “The spirit that God caused to live within us has an envious yearning?” James 4:5
He works – Among His many jobs, He comforts, teaches and empowers. I’ll look at that in more detail next week.
He wills, or purposes – He chooses and exerts His will, while always in perfect harmony with the Father and Son.
It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as He decides to each person, who produces all these things. 1 Corinthians 12:11
It is important to understand God is with us, with me – not just as the Father or the Son, but also as the Holy Spirit. I want to relate to the Spirit as a person and not treat Him as just some power that was sent to help me. I’m going to be more intentional about addressing the Holy Spirit directly, about noticing His work and giving Him thanks. Not because He needs it, He is God and all praise is His. But because it will draw me closer to the triune nature of my God
