Topical Bible: The Holy Spirit: is God: As Jehovah

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The Holy Spirit, as presented in the Holy Scriptures, is not merely an impersonal force or influence but is indeed God, sharing in the divine essence and attributes of Jehovah. This understanding is rooted in the biblical revelation of the triune nature of God, where the Holy Spirit is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.

Divine Attributes and Works

The Holy Spirit possesses attributes that are unique to God, affirming His deity. He is eternal, as seen in Hebrews 9:14, which refers to Him as the "eternal Spirit." Omniscience is another attribute, as the Spirit "searches all things, even the deep things of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). His omnipresence is affirmed in Psalm 139:7, where David acknowledges, "Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?"

The works of the Holy Spirit further testify to His divine nature. He was active in creation, as Genesis 1:2 describes the Spirit of God hovering over the waters. The Spirit is also involved in the work of regeneration, as Jesus explains in John 3:5-6, "Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit." The Spirit's role in sanctification is highlighted in 2 Thessalonians 2:13, where believers are "sanctified by the Spirit."

The Holy Spirit as Jehovah

The identification of the Holy Spirit with Jehovah is evident in several scriptural passages. In Acts 5:3-4, Peter confronts Ananias, saying, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit... You have not lied to men, but to God." This passage equates lying to the Holy Spirit with lying to God, underscoring the Spirit's divine identity.

Isaiah 6:8-10 records the prophet's vision of the Lord, and in Acts 28:25-27, Paul attributes the words spoken by Isaiah to the Holy Spirit, indicating that the Spirit is the Lord who spoke to Isaiah. This interchangeability between Jehovah and the Holy Spirit in the biblical text affirms the Spirit's deity.

The Spirit's Role in the Godhead

The Holy Spirit's role within the Godhead is both distinct and unified with the Father and the Son. The Great Commission in Matthew 28:19 commands baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," placing the Spirit on equal footing with the other persons of the Trinity. This triadic formula reflects the unity and co-equality of the Godhead.

In the economy of salvation, the Holy Spirit is the agent of application, bringing the work of Christ to fruition in the lives of believers. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8), and He indwells believers, sealing them as God's own (Ephesians 1:13-14).

Conclusion

The Holy Spirit, as revealed in Scripture, is indeed God, sharing in the divine nature and attributes of Jehovah. His works and presence throughout the biblical narrative affirm His deity and essential role within the Trinity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 17:7
And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
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Hebrews 3:7-9
Why (as the Holy Ghost said, To day if you will hear his voice,
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Numbers 12:6
And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision, and will speak to him in a dream.
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2 Peter 1:21
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
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Library

The Holy Spirit.
... by the Old Testament writers of the "Spirit of God," "the Spirit of Jehovah," and
the doctrine is fundamental in the Jewish Scriptures that "Holy men spake as ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the holy spirit.htm

The Deity of the Holy Spirit.
... distinctly Divine works, by referring statements which in the Old Testament clearly
name Jehovah, the Lord, or God as their subject to the Holy Spirit in the ...
/.../torrey/the person and work of the holy spirit/chapter ii the deity of.htm

On the Holy Spirit Respondent: James Mahot
... 9,) "The Spirit of Jehovah," (Isaiah 11:2,) and "His Holy Spirit." (lxiii, 10.)
By these expressions is signified, that He is the person by whom God the Father ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 6 on the holy.htm

The Holy Spirit's Chief Office
... God the Holy Ghost will have wrought more without me ... wrought myself, and to the Triune
Jehovah shall be all ... Has the Holy Spirit shown you Christ, the Sin-bearer ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 40 1894/the holy spirits chief office.htm

Jehovah-Shammah: a Glorious Name for the New Year
... and faith, that it shall be written, "Jehovah-shammah, the ... so simple and so poor
have God with them ... good, in prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit, it shall ...
/.../spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/jehovah-shammah a glorious name for.htm

Jehovah Tsidkenu: the Lord Our Righteousness
... in order to exalt the office of the Holy Spirit of God ... us with his blood is
Jehovah"very God of very God. ... homage that we pay to his Father and to the Spirit. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 7 1861/jehovah tsidkenu the lord our.htm

Jehovah. The "I Am. "
... If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy Spirit pictures Him as ... word "Before
Abraham was, I am" He had claimed that holy name for ... When God would teach ...
//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/jehovah the i am.htm

Note A. Holiness as Proprietorship.
... In the New Testament the Spirit of God claims the epithet holy 'as being in a very
special manner the source and influence of which God is the one and ...
/.../murray/holy in christ/note a holiness as proprietorship.htm

The Twenty-Second Psalm.
... Jehovah bruised Him; He put Him to grief ... The spotless One bore the wrath of God alone ...
How significant it is then that the Holy Spirit puts that word of the Lord ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/gaebelein/the lord of glory/the twenty-second psalm.htm

The Work of the Holy Spirit
... God;" blessed is that man: God and the holy angels call ... who hath received the quickening
of the Spirit, and is ... there is acceptance in the breast of God for aye ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the work of the holy.htm