Page 10 - Bible Doctrine Survey I - Student Textbook (3)

Study Section 2: Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

2.1 Connect.

There are religions and cults today that believe the Holy Spirit is simply a force of God. He is
not a real person, but like electricity is a power that comes from an electric plug, so the Holy
Spirit is the force that imitates from God as a force to do His bidding. While these religions
deny the deity of the Holy Spirit, they also deny the existence of a Triune God. They say that
to believe in the Trinity is to believe in three Gods. It is obvious that they twist the Bible and
the doctrines concerning the Holy Spirit to fit their errant theology. Let’s find out why we
believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, active in every believer’s life today…

2.2 Objectives:

1. The student should be able to articulate that the Bible clearly presents the Holy Spirit as
God, co-equal with the Father and Son.

2. The student should be able to describe the roles that Holy Spirit has played in the past and
in the present.

2.3 Doctrine of Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity and is God in every sense of the Word. He is co-
equal to the Father and Son, a tri-unity of persons making one God. The Holy Spirit is NOT an
impersonal “it” or a force of God. He is a person, and should always be referred to with a
personal pronoun (He).

The Person of the Holy Spirit - Evidences for the Personality of the Holy Spirit in Scripture.

1. The Holy Spirit has a MIND.

I Cor. 2:10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the
depths of God.

The Greek word for “searches” means to thoroughly investigate a matter. Only minds can investigate.

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as
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we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who
searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according
to the will of God.

2. The Holy Spirit has EMOTIONS.

Ephesians 4:30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of
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redemption.

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