Who Is the Holy Spirit? - Ligonier Resources

Order from Chaos

Sinclair Ferguson

Many Christians have either heard, or even muttered, the phrase, "The Holy Spirit is the forgotten person of the Trinity." This assertion misses the real problem in the church today, a problem not extant in generations past. Christians know about the Holy Spirit, but, unlike the Father or the Son, they don't really know who the Holy Spirit is. In this message, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson purposes to remove this ignorance by exploring the questions of the identity of the Spirit, the nature of His character, how we, as Christians, may come to know and have fellowship with Him, and more.

The Face of God

Sinclair Ferguson

Many people have claimed at various times and in various ways that the God of the Old Testament is not the same God as the God of the New Testament. Sadly, this assertion misunderstands the nature and purposes of God. God is immutable: He does not change in His nature, character, will, or purposes. Nonetheless, He has chosen to reveal His person and plans progressively in the history of redemption through His Spirit. This does not mean that the Spirit did not reveal the face of God at all in the Old Testament. On the contrary, the Old Testament reveals that the Spirit disclosed the very personal nature of our Lord to His people throughout the old covenant while pointing forward to the fullness of this disclosure in Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of the Lord

Sinclair Ferguson

It is tempting to understand the Spirit as an impersonal force fulfilling the purposes of God mechanically. However, the Scriptures paint a different picture, and they portray the Spirit as anything but impersonal. The third person of the Trinity is personal, and His role in the life and ministry of Jesus attests to this fact. The Spirit is the lifelong companion and friend of Jesus, and the two were never, nor ever will be, apart. This revelation is marvelous, and our wonder should increase as we consider Jesus' role in sending His Spirit, His companion and friend, to dwell with us.

Dwelling Within

Sinclair Ferguson

The temptations endured by Jesus in the wilderness are remarkable accounts of Jesus' righteous fortitude in the face of the most trying conditions. Having received the approval of the Father and the anointing of the Spirit at His baptism, Jesus, debilitated and suffering, succeeded where our forefather, the first Adam, failed, setting the stage for a ministry that would lead to His victory in the resurrection. However, Jesus did not undergo these trials alone, but He received the ministrations and support of His companion, the Holy Spirit, the same person who led Jesus into the wilderness. The Spirit orchestrated these events and assisted Jesus in order that He might rebuke the Devil and move into His rightful position as our Savior.

Trinitarian Fellowship

Sinclair Ferguson

Companionship plays a large role in the life of Christians and non-Christians alike. It is wonderful to possess friends and loved ones with whom you can reveal the inner workings of your heart without fear, rejection, and spite. We don't need to explain ourselves or our emotions to these loved ones. They know us just as we know them. The Father, Son, and Spirit experience this mutual love, openness, and adoration in a manner that cannot be explained or replicated. When Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, He marveled at the work of His companion, the Holy Spirit, who sought to bring about the purposes of the Father so that the Savior, who He had nurtured and preserved throughout His entire life, might achieve the joy the Father had intended for Him since the beginning of time.

The Sustainer

Sinclair Ferguson

The picture of Jesus on the cross at Calvary is the loneliest portrait of a man in the history of the world. He hung dying, incurring the wrath of His Father as He bore the sins of the world. These sins were not His own, and He had never before been prevented from communing with His heavenly Father. Yet, the Holy Spirit sustained Jesus through His sacrifice, and He preserved Him just as He had done from the moment of Christ's conception. This same Spirit who fortified Jesus to atone for the sins of His people dwells in us today, an unspeakable privilege that should unite the church in humility, thankfulness, and love.

Rivers of Living Water

Sinclair Ferguson

New covenant believers receive such a fullness of the Spirit that sometimes we struggle to understand the conditions of believers in the old covenant. The Spirit withheld the fullness of His manifestation, and only some experienced a heightened revelation of His goodness. While this was more than sufficient for faith and worship, new covenant believers enjoy the astounding privilege of seeing the almighty God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus promised this blessing, and He fulfilled His promise at Pentecost, the unique event at which He poured out His Spirit in rivers of living water to His church.

A Heavenly Birth

Sinclair Ferguson

For those who stand outside of faith, the message of the gospel may appear burdensome and shackling. Yet, this could not be farther from the truth. The regeneration of the Spirit liberates believers to turn their affections to Christ and put their faith in Him. God's people were created to enjoy this knowledge and love of the Savior, and they receive fulfillment only when their hearts are turned to Him. Jesus' yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matt. 11:30), and man remains in darkness, empty, burdened, and miserable, until the Spirit breathes life and light into his dead, sinful heart.

A Heavenly Helper

Sinclair Ferguson

The thought of walking, sitting, and eating with Jesus brings Christians great joy, and His physical absence leaves us longing to be in His presence. As wonderful as this thought and longing is, we should not neglect the truth that Jesus has sent another helper. The Holy Spirit, the comforter, teacher, advocate, and homemaker, dwells within God's people and illuminates their hearts with the fullness of Christ. We see Christ clearly now because His companion, His Spirit, resides within us.

Walking in the Spirit

Sinclair Ferguson

Scripture gives many titles to the Spirit, both explicitly and implicitly. He is our comforter, advocate, and the one who regenerates our hearts and pours life into dust. Yet, there is one title that we pass over simply because of its familiarity: the Spirit is the Holy Spirit. He is holy in and of Himself, and Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to dwell in us in order that we might be holy. Long ago, the Lord commanded, "be holy, for I am holy." The Spirit of Jesus aids believers in their sanctification and their growth in the image of our holy Savior.

The Inward Groan

Sinclair Ferguson

All Christians face the tension in their lives between the promise of complete, permanent restoration and the present state of struggle with sin. Yet, it is important to remember that if we were left alone and unaided, then there would be no struggle on our part, only failure. By the grace of God, the Holy Spirit works on our behalf to transform us into the image of Christ and to assist us in our moral weaknesses. Furthermore, He does not pop in and out at sporadic intervals, exerting only the barest amount of power. On the contrary, just as the Spirit dwells in Jesus, He dwells in us permanently, and He is content to bear the brunt of our burden.

The Spirit of Sonship

Sinclair Ferguson

Children need their parents. Yet, at certain times, this need is heightened. The majority of these cases involve distress and suffering. When Paul speaks about the sons of God crying out to their Father, he has these times in mind. Even in times of deepest sorrow, in stages of greatest need, the child of God may cry out to Him with confidence that He desires their supplication. The sons of God have this privileged access on account of the work of the Holy Spirit, who brings us from the darkness into the light of God's family and conforms us to the image of our perfect elder brother, Jesus.