THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A FULL PART OF
THE TRINITY OF THE GODHEAD
When the apostle Peter confronted Ananias for his deception in Acts 5, he revealed the deity of the Holy Spirit when he said:
ACTS 5:3-4
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
From this Scripture, it is abundantly clear that the Holy Spirit is God, and He is co-equal, co-eternal and co-existent with the Father and the Son. The deity of the Holy Spirit is demonstrated in that He possesses divine attributes:
- He is everywhere present in the universe. Psalm 139:7-8 – Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? or wither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou are there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
- He has all power. Luke 1:35 – And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
- He has all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 – But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
- He is eternal. Hebrews 9:14 – How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
His deity is seen in the fact that His name is coupled in equality with the Father and the Son:
- He has equality in the baptism of the believer. Matthew 28:19 – Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- He has equality in the apostolic benediction. 2 Corinthians 13:14 – The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
His relationship to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ show His deity:
- Our Savior was conceived of the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35 – And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
- He was anointed by the Holy Spirit for service. Acts 10:38 – How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: Who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.
- He was led by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 4:1 – Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
- He was crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 9:14 – How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
- He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 – But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.
- He gave commandments to the apostles through the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:2 – Until the day in which He was taken up, after that He through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen:
If Jesus Christ depended solely upon the power of the Holy Spirit during His earthly life and ministry – how can we do less? The Holy Spirit has always been there. He is not a disembodied entity, as taught by the Mormons. Nor is He the invisible “active force of God,” as the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach. He is very God, of very God, and has been so forever.
The Vine Vigil 