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Is the Holy Spirit God or a Divine Force?

 

Scripture reveals that God is One (Deuteronomy 6:4 & Isaiah 45:5-6,18) but also that there’s a tri-unity within that Oneness, as proven by several plain-as-day passages shown here.

The most popular verse in the Bible clearly shows the distinction of God and the Son (John 3:16) with Philippians 2:11 more plainly distinguishing the former as God the Father. Both the Father and Son are the LORD, aka YaHWeH (for proof see this article).

But the Holy Spirit is the LORD too, as observed when Christ gave the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).

The fact that the Holy Spirit is part of the divine tri-unity is also observed in Matthew 3:16-17 (and the parallel Mark 1:10–11), as well as the fact that Peter said Ananias “lied to the Holy Spirit” followed by “You have not lied just to human beings but to God” (Acts 5:3-4). Bear in mind that Christ plainly distinguished the Spirit from both the Father and Himself (John 16:7).

For those who argue that the Holy Ghost is merely the “force from God” and not a person, the Holy Spirit…

For those who argue that the Holy Spirit is simply the spirit of the Son or the spirit of the Father, Christ said “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:32) and something similar in Luke 12:10. This obviously distinguishes the Son from the Holy Spirit as separate persons within the divine oneness or Godhead.

Father God is also clearly distinguished from the Holy Spirit, like when Christ said: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). The Father sends the Holy Spirit to teach believers, not himself. Notice, by the way, the tri-unity of God detailed in the verse — Holy Spirit, the Father and Christ (“my name”).

Now observe how Paul differentiates Father God and the Spirit: “And he [our Heavenly Father] who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:27). The Holy Spirit has a mind — thoughts, purposes (Greek: phronéma) — and intercedes for believers, both of these bespeak of a person, albeit a divine person.

Now consider Paul’s blessing that he spoke over believers: “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14). This plainly bespeaks of a divine tri-unity. Observe the stress on the “fellowship of” the Holy Spirit. One does not fellowship with a force or radar, but rather a person or entity.

Hence, the Holy Spirit is not merely a force, but a divine person, coequal with the Father & Son and revealed in the opening verses of Scripture (Genesis 1:1-2). Of course one could argue that the Holy Spirit is both a person within the tri-unity of God as well as a divine force. For instance, we say “So & so is a force to be reckoned with,” which means that the person is powerful and influential. It’s the same with Holy Spirit except to the nth degree.

Whilst Father/Son/Holy Spirit are equally the LORD, Yahweh, there is subordination in an economical or relational sense. For instance, the Scriptures very clearly show that the Father is the head over the Son and this is explicitly stated (1 Corinthians 11:3 & 15:27-28). While the Father and Son are equal in being, the Son is subordinate to the Father in function or relationship. Hence, Christ would never contradict the Father; in fact, he can’t contradict the Father because, as he said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30) (see also John 14:9, 8:19 & 12:45). Meanwhile the Holy Spirit is the third person of the tri-unity of God.

 

I have no doubt that sincere believers who don’t embrace the tri-unity of God are genuinely saved and therefore brothers & sisters in the LORD. After all, you don’t have to properly understand someone’s nature in order to have a relationship with him/her. For instance, does a person have to properly grasp my physical/psychological/spiritual make-up to have close fellowship with me? Of course not. Just the same, you don’t have to have a perfect understanding of our Creator’s nature to have a genuine relationship.

Furthermore, no passage on salvation thru Christ, like John 3:16 or Romans 10:9-10, includes a clause about how the believer must embrace the tri-unity of God in order to be saved. In other words, while the nature of the LORD is an important topic in the Scriptures, it’s not essential to salvation. Put another way, to be a genuine Christian — a sincere learner of the Anointed One — you don’t have to have a perfect understanding of God’s nature.

Related Topics:

Trinity — Father/Son/Holy Spirit — Yes or No?

The Basics of Christianity

God’s Name — YHWH (Yahweh), the Tetragrammaton

What is Oneness theology—aka “Jesus Only”—and is it Biblical?

Does God have a Feminine side?

THE Angel of the LORD — Mighty Angel or Pre-Incarnate Christ?

Created in the Image of God — What Does it Mean?

Prayer—Communing with God

Is Christianity a “Relationship with God”?

What are the Nine Gifts of the Spirit?


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