Who Is the Holy Spirit?
Overview
In Who is the Holy Spirit, Dr. Sproul addresses this controversial topic by going back to the Bible. He establishes the biblical teaching on the Spirit’s identity—he is one of the three persons of the Godhead, along with the Father and Son—then briefly sketches some of the most basic yet important roles the Spirit carries out. He shows that the Spirit gives new life to unbelievers, then sanctifies, strengthens, teaches, and anoints them for ministry. This booklet provides a basic understanding of the divine person on whom Christians’ very lives depend.
Top Highlights
“But none of these things avail for our benefit until they are applied to us personally. Therefore, the Father and the Son send the Holy Spirit into the world to apply salvation to us (John 15:26; Gal. 4:6). The role of the Holy Spirit chiefly and principally in the New Testament is to apply the work of Christ to believers.” (Pages 12–13)
“Therefore, the King James Version translators were telling us that the Holy Spirit comes to the people of Christ not to heal their wounds after a battle but to strengthen them before and during a struggle. The idea is that the church operates not so much as a hospital but as an army, and the Holy Spirit comes to empower and strengthen Christians, to ensure victory or conquest.” (Pages 32–33)
“He is a person who empowers the people of God for the Christian life” (Page 13)
“God is pure being, a being who has His life in and of Himself eternally. A human being is a creature, a being whose very existence from moment to moment depends on the power of the Supreme Being. God’s being is not dependent on anything or derived from anything. He has the power to be in and of Himself.” (Page 7)
“Also, He does things that we associate with personality. He teaches, He inspires, He guides, He leads, He grieves, He convicts us of sin, and more. Impersonal objects do not behave in this manner. Only a person can do these things.” (Page 10)
