The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity

I- Introduction

The Holy Spirit: A Person, not a Force

Have you ever wondered who the Holy Spirit really is? Do you have a concept of Him that involves a personal relationship, or does He remain a vague, confusing, abstract concept, or even an illusory and formless force?

The Holy Spirit is not just an impersonal force emanating from God. He is neither a poetic way of speaking of God in action, nor a creature commissioned by God to do His work in His place. The Holy Spirit is something else entirely. He is a Person Who provides God’s people with the means to live the Christian life to the fullest.

Often called the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, or the Spirit of the Lord, He appears numerous times in the Bible. Yet, there is no passage that provides a formal definition. This lack of definition has sparked theological controversy for centuries, leading to multiple explanations and interpretations of the Holy Spirit throughout the history of Christianity.

The purpose of this study is to present only the most basic concepts to you, in order to offer you an insight that, I humbly hope, will be assimilated into our human understanding, generally accustomed to what is found in the physical world. The best way to grasp the Holy Spirit is through His roles and works, which are concretely manifested in believers. It is by observing what He does that we can begin to know Him.



Let us pray: Dear “Holy Spirit”! Give us the grace to love You more each day. Teach us to let ourselves be guided by You in all things. You are our Light and our Salvation. May Your love, Your joy, Your peace, Your patience, Your kindness, Your goodness, Your faith, Your gentleness, and Your self-control be manifested in us.

In the name of Christ! Amen!

II- Reflection

II.1- General Overview of the Trinity

God, One in Essence and Three in Persons

Please follow this link to get an overview of the Trinity Doctrine which is fundamental in Christianity.

https://phalin.net/trinity/

II.2- The Holy Spirit Is a Divine Person

Understanding the Holy Spirit: A Divine Person

Unlike God the Father, whom we might imagine as a creator, or Jesus the Son, whom we know through the Gospel accounts, the Holy Spirit is often perceived as more abstract to us, more like an active force than a tangible figure. He is the most “invisible” person of the Trinity, particularly in relation to our thinking and knowledge. It is sometimes difficult to fully grasp Him!

We often understand Him through His actions and symbols, such as:

• Water: symbolizing purification, new life and baptism.
• Fire: symbolizing purification, passion and divine energy.
• The breath, the wind (in Hebrew ruach): symbolizing His invisible power and His capacity to transform.
• Oil (anointing): symbolizing consecration and spiritual strength.
• The dove: symbolizing peace and the presence of God at the baptism of Jesus.
• The cloud: symbol of the manifestation of God.
• Light: symbolizing holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace and hope.

In the human mind, the apprehension of the Holy Spirit through His actions and symbols is often easier to assimilate than His nature as a distinct divine person.

The Person and Divinity of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is not a part of God, a third of God, nor merely part of a team that together constitutes God. He is one of the persons who fully possesses the divine essence.

The Holy Spirit is truly a divine person, just like the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is truly a person: He thinks, He feels, He loves, and He acts. He comforts us, He prays for us, He listens to our prayers, He teaches us, He guides us, He purifies us, and He dwells within us.

There are numerous biblical references concerning the Person and Divinity of the Holy Spirit:

• John 14:26 “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 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”.
• Acts 1:16 “and said, “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus.”.

The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit using the masculine personal pronouns ” He ” and ” Him“. For example, in John 16:13 above, the Holy Spirit performs actions that we associate with a personality: He leads, He speaks, He listens, He announces. Impersonal objects do not behave this way. Only a person can do all of this.

The divinity of the Person of the Holy Spirit is explicitly affirmed in Acts 5:3-4 “³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴ Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.””. In these verses, Peter is primarily concerned with the state of Ananias ’s soul. The words he uses are chosen to signify that “To lie to the Holy Spirit is to lie to God Himself”, thus affirming that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person.

II.3 Works of the Holy Spirit

The Works of the Holy Spirit: Manifestations and Actions

By definition, the works of the Holy Spirit are based on specific actions, concrete manifestations of His power and tangible results of His intervention.

The works of the Holy Spirit are mentioned extensively in the Bible. Here are some major examples:

• Divine Inspiration: The primary work of the Holy Spirit is to inspire the prophets of the Old Testament as well as the writers of the entire Bible. He communicates God’s peace and love to humans.
• Participation in Creation: The Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the world, as mentioned in Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”.
• Distribution of Spiritual Gifts: In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts for the edification of the Church.
• Production of the Fruit of the Spirit: The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit, which includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
• Conception of Jesus: According to Luke 1:35, the Holy Spirit was uniquely involved in the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb: “The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.“.
• Testimony of Jesus Christ: The Holy Spirit bears witness of Jesus Christ, as John 15:26 indicates “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.”.
• Teaching and Leading Believers: The Holy Spirit teaches and leads believers into all truth (John 14:26 “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.” and John 16:13 “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”).

And many other works, such as the unity of the Church, spiritual regeneration, His indwelling in believers, the progressive sanctification of believers, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, etc.

II.4 Roles of the Holy Spirit

Roles of the Holy Spirit: Functions, Responsibilities and Ways of Acting

While the works of the Holy Spirit refer to specific actions, manifestations, and concrete results of His power, the roles of the Holy Spirit describe the nature of His involvement: His characteristic functions, responsibilities, and ways of acting in His interaction with the other two Divine Persons of the Trinity, with the world, and with believers.

It is therefore crucial to distinguish between the “work” and the “role” of the Holy Spirit by focusing on:

• Action versus Function
• Result versus Identity
• Specific versus General

Consider “Specific versus General”: works are specific actions or results, while roles are more general descriptions of how the Holy Spirit interacts and operates.

Trinitarian Roles in Salvation and Redemption

Each member of the Trinity plays a distinct role. In Salvation and Redemption, each person of the Trinity acts in synergy, as described by James Packer and RC Sproul.

• James Packer explains that salvation is the work of these three persons acting together: “The Father conceived the plan of redemption, the Son carried it out, and the Spirit works to put it into practice in the lives of men, that is, He applies the work of Christ to believers.”
• RC Sproul expresses the same idea: “Most importantly, redemption is a Trinitarian work. The Father sent the Son into the world (1 John 4:14). The Son accomplished all the work necessary for our salvation—by living a life of perfect obedience and by dying to obtain perfect satisfaction for us (Philippians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3). But all these things are of no use to us unless they apply to us personally. Therefore, the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world to grant us salvation (John 15:26; Galatians 4:6). “

The Holy Spirit as “Paraclete”: A Constant Helper

Depending on the translation, the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as “Comforter,” “Helper,” or “Defender”. These words are translated from the Greek word “parakletos” which corresponds to the English word “paraclete.” The word “parakletos” is composed of the prefix “para-,” meaning “beside,” and a root ” kletos” meaning “to call” (a verb).

RC Sproul sheds light on this term in his book “Who is the Holy Spirit?”:

A parakletos, then, is a person called to stand by another. This term generally applied to a lawyer, but not just any lawyer. Technically, the parakletos was the family’s lawyer with a standing mandate. Whenever a problem arose in the family, the parakletos was called, and he or she would immediately come to help find a solution. It is the same in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We are part of God’s family, and the family’s lawyer is the Holy Spirit Himself. He is always present to accompany us and help us in difficult times.

RC Sproul believes that the choice of the word “Comforter” in some translations to refer to the Holy Spirit misses the point. In John 14:16 – KJV (“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;“), RC Sproul explains that, in the context of Jesus telling His disciples that He was about to leave them, one of the primary tasks of the Holy Spirit is to bring comfort to the brokenhearted. However, the disciples would find themselves alone in a hostile world, filled with pressure, hostility, and persecution. No one would be willing to live through such a scenario without a constant helper at their side. RC Sproul develops the idea that the Holy Spirit comes to Christ’s people not to heal their wounds after a battle, but to strengthen them before and during the battle.

Summary Table: Roles versus Works of the Holy Spirit

II.5 Believers and Illumination by the Holy Spirit

The Illumination of the Holy Spirit: A Light on the Word of God

Illumination often manifests in believers through the Word of God. The Holy Spirit works in the Word, with the Word, and through the Word, bringing us back to divine revelation. This enables us to overcome our prejudices about the truth and perceive its beauty. The flooding light of the Holy Spirit enlightens us, and the Word of God becomes delicious to those who receive it, as Ezekiel experienced in Ezekiel 3:3 “Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.”. Believers experience this type of illumination throughout their lives and their sanctification process.

The Holy Spirit: The One Who Searches for Us

Frequently, when we read, study, or meditate on the Scriptures, a particular truth suddenly springs forth, illuminating itself in our minds and piercing our hearts, souls, and spirits. It is the Holy Spirit who works within us and accomplishes this work of illumination. This is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 2:10 “these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”

The word “search” used by Paul in this passage has a very profound meaning. It does not mean that the Holy Spirit seeks knowledge for Himself, for He is a Divine Person endowed with infinite knowledge. Paul means that the Holy Spirit searches the depths of God for us. He acts in the background as an injector of light, illuminating the biblical texts so that we can understand their meaning as we read, study, and meditate on them.

Without the help of the Holy Spirit, one can read the Scriptures without discerning their spiritual depth. Let us return to the example of the word “search” in 1 Corinthians 2:10: Without the illumination of the Holy Spirit, a biblical text can remain a mere intellectual slogan devoid of spiritual meaning.

Managing Apparent Biblical Contradictions

Sometimes we read passages of Scripture that seem to create tension or even contradict each other. It is important to keep in mind, first, that there are never any tensions, errors, or contradictions in the Bible. Second, the Bible was written over a period of approximately 1,500 years by more than 40 different authors, each with a distinct style, perspective, audience, and purpose. If you encounter such difficulties, submit yourself to the Holy Spirit, pray to Him, and trust Him; He will help you resolve them.

The Ways of the Illumination of the Holy Spirit

The illumination of the Holy Spirit operates not only through the Word of God, but also:

• Through prayer, by which we ask God to open our eyes to the truth of His Word.
• By the community of believers, since the Spirit works in the body of Christ.
• Through experience and relationship with God.

Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the believer experiences spiritual growth which also advances his sanctification.

III- Conclusion

The Holy Spirit: Our Comforter, We Are Not Orphans

It is crucial to understand the divine nature, roles, and works of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we believers would be completely orphaned after the departure of our Lord Jesus Christ. This image of orphaned believers is very telling and highlights the absolutely essential role of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:18, Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” It is precisely through the Holy Spirit that this coming is fulfilled. Jesus’s promise not to leave us alone is thus fulfilled: the Holy Spirit fills the void left by Jesus’ physical absence, making Christ’s presence real and ongoing in the lives of believers.

We are not orphans because:

• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9 “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.“). Through Him, Christ dwells in us (John 14:23 “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.“), thus fulfilling His promise not to leave us alone.
• The Holy Spirit is the means by which we enter into communion with God in His Trinity. It is “through Him and with Him and in Him” that we have access to the Father, through the Son.
• As our Paraclete (see R.C. Sproul’s explanation), the Holy Spirit is called to our help, our comfort, our encouragement, bringing us strength and constant support in our life, thus fulfilling the role of a loving parent for an orphan.
• In Romans 8:15-17, Paul says that the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we have been adopted as children of God and heirs with Christ; we are not forsaken.
• The Holy Spirit guides us into truth, protects us spiritually, and gives us the wisdom and discernment needed to navigate a world that is often hostile to faith.
• We are reassured that the Lord has always wanted to live close to us. It is wonderful to know that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in us, we are His home, and He desires us to know Him, worship Him, and trust Him.

I am a poor sinner, unworthy of His presence! I sometimes find it hard to believe that He has made His home in me. I often even forget who I really am: the house of the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit, our relationship with God would remain distant and purely intellectual.

Why is the Holy Spirit Often Misunderstood?

It is all the more regrettable, as some people point out, that the Holy Spirit is often the least known divine person. This is a fairly common perception.

This could be due to several reasons:

• The work of the Holy Spirit is often more discreet, working deep within our hearts. Humility may be a characteristic of the Holy Spirit’s nature, contributing to the perception of His work as more discreet.
• A lack of teaching and understanding of His essential role.

The perspective presented above reminds us of the crucial importance of recognizing and cultivating our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It is by opening ourselves to His action that we fully experience the presence of Christ and communion with the Triune God, thus overcoming the feeling of spiritual orphanhood.

Our relationship with the first two Divine Persons, God the Father and God the Son (Jesus Christ), is effected through the Holy Spirit, since the whole God is present in the Spirit.

In short, we must confidently affirm that we are blessed and not orphaned by the work of the Holy Spirit. Let us not hesitate to proclaim this truth! It is at the heart of the fullness of life in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let us seek to understand and know the Holy Spirit ever more.



Let us pray: Lord! For a fulfilling Christian life, I need the Holy Spirit. I pray that the Holy Spirit may be abundantly at work in my life and in the lives of all Your followers. I pray that the Holy Spirit may pour out God’s love in my heart, soul, and mind.

In the name of Christ! Amen!