Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God, just like Jesus the Father.

The Holy Spirit is not a ghost, even though another name for Him is the Holy Ghost. Each part of God (together we call them the Trinity) has different roles or jobs to do, but they are all still the same Person—God.

In the Bible, God the Father sometimes spoke aloud to people, and so did Jesus. The Holy Spirit doesn’t speak to us in words, but instead He works in our hearts. He helps to guide our thinking and give us good or bad feelings – we call them convictions – that tell us when something is a sin or when we should make a certain decision. Some people have a hard time understanding the Holy Spirit, because we can’t quite understand what He looks like and we don’t hear Him. However, He is still God.

Anything the Bible tells us about the nature of Jesus or the Father is also true of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knows everything you’re thinking and everything you do. He gives you special power to understand the Bible when you read it, so you can understand God’s special messages for you. He helps you have faith in Jesus as your Savior and helps you trust in Him (God) each day. He is joyful when you ask God the Father for what you need and tell Him about your problems and concerns. He talks to God the Father about the things you need and the worries you have – this is called intercession.

Bible Truth

• “In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don’t know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words. All of our thoughts are known to God. He understands what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God’s people” (Romans 8:26-27, New Century Version).
  
  
• “Where could I go to escape from your Spirit or from your [God’s] sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there” (Psalm 139:7-8).



• “I will ask the Father, and He will give you [believers] another Helper to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth [Holy Spirit]. The world cannot accept Him, because it does not see Him or know Him. But you [believers] know Him, because He lives with you and will be in you…the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my [Jesus’] name, will teach you [believers] all things and will remind you of everything I [Jesus] have said to you (John 14:16-17, 26).

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