Questions About the Holy Spirit: The 60 Most Frequently Asked Questions About the Holy Spirit

Copyright © 2013 S. Michael Houdmann, General Editor.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-0261-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0260-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013913006

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/21/2013

CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction—The Ultimate Question

1. Questions About Who The Holy Spirit Is

2. Questions About The Ministry Of The Holy Spirit

3. Questions About The Fruit Of The Holy Spirit

4. Questions About The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

5. Miscellaneous Questions About The Holy Spirit

Appendix—Statement Of Faith

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T HIS BOOK IS dedicated to the more than 500 individuals who have served as volunteer writers for Got Questions Ministries in the past ten years. Their hard work, commitment, and passion are what make this ministry possible.

Special thanks goes to Kevin Stone, Rebekah Largent, MeLissa Houdmann, Gwen Sellers, and Kersley Fitzgerald who contributed greatly to this volume in writing, editing, organizing, and indexing.

All the glory goes to God, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

PREFACE

E VERY DAY, MORE and more people turn to the Internet to find answers to their questions about spiritual matters. Topics related to spirituality are the second-most searched subjects online. Sadly, websites that present false teachings far outnumber those that proclaim the truth of God’s Word.

In February of 2002, www.gotquestions.org was launched to help fill this gap and meet the needs of millions of spiritually-minded Web surfers. Since our launch, we have personally answered over 350,000 questions that have been submitted to us. Tens of millions of people have found answers to their questions via our Frequently Asked Questions archives, giving us a unique understanding of what questions are truly on people’s minds.

This volume is a collection of the most important and/or most frequently asked questions about the Holy Spirit. Each question is answered directly from the Bible, if the Bible specifically addresses the particular issue. Where the Bible is silent on an issue, biblical principles are used to lead to a solid and correct understanding. The Lord Jesus Christ is our passion, and declaring His Word is our mission.

Mission Statement of Got Questions Ministries:

Got Questions Ministries seeks to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ by providing biblical, applicable, and timely answers to spiritually-related questions.

INTRODUCTION—

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION

Question: What does it mean to be a born-again Christian?

Answer: The classic passage from the Bible that answers this question is John 3:1–21. The Lord Jesus Christ is talking to Nicodemus, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (the ruling body of the Jews). Nicodemus had come to Jesus at night with some questions.

As Jesus talked with Nicodemus, He told Nicodemus what it meant to be born again. ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’ ‘How can a man be born when he is old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again’ (John 3:3–7).

The phrase born again literally means born from above. Nicodemus had a real need. He needed a change of his heart—a spiritual transformation. New birth, being born again, is an act of the Holy Spirit whereby eternal life is imparted to the person who believes (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29). The life comes by being born of the Spirit. Titus 3:5 says that we are saved by rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

The next question logically follows: Why does a person need to be born again? In Ephesians 2:1, the apostle Paul says, And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins (NKJV). Sinners are spiritually dead, but when the Spirit gives them spiritual life, the Bible likens it to a rebirth. Only those who are born again have their sins forgiven and have a relationship with God.

How does the rebirth come to be? As we’ve seen, it is a work of the Holy Spirit. Faith is required on our part. Ephesians 2:8–9 states, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. When one is saved, he/she has been born again—spiritually renewed—and is now a child of God by right of new birth (John 1:12). Trusting in Jesus Christ, the One who paid the penalty of sin on the cross, is the means of being born again. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

If you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the prompting of the Holy Spirit as He speaks to your heart? You need to be born again. Will you pray the prayer of repentance and become a new creation in Christ today? To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God (John 1:12–13).

If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and be born again, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your salvation: God, I know that I have sinned against you and am deserving of punishment. But Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in Him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in You for salvation. Thank You for Your wonderful grace and forgiveness—the gift of eternal life!

Have you made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior because of what you read here? If so, please send us an email at questions@gotquestions.org.

Chapter 1

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS

Contents

Who is the Holy Spirit?

Is the Holy Spirit a person?

Is the Holy Spirit a He, She, or It (male, female, or neuter)?

What are the names and titles of the Holy Spirit?

What is the difference between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Ghost?

Should we worship the Holy Spirit?

Why is the dove often used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit?

How is the Holy Spirit like a fire?

Question: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Answer: There are many misconceptions about the identity of the Holy Spirit. Some view the Holy Spirit as a mystical force. Others believe that the Holy Spirit is the impersonal power that God makes available to followers of Christ. But what does the Bible say about the identity of the Holy Spirit? Simply put, the Bible declares that the Holy Spirit is God. He is the third person of the Trinity. Being a divine person, the Holy Spirit has a mind, emotions, and a will.

Many Scriptures clearly show that the Holy Spirit is God, such as Acts 5:3–4. In these verses, Peter confronts Ananias as to why he lied to the Holy Spirit and tells him that he had not lied to men but to God. It is a clear declaration that lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. We can also know that the Holy Spirit is God because He possesses the characteristics of God. For example, His omnipresence is seen in Psalm 139:7–8: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. Then in 1 Corinthians 2:1–11, we see the characteristic of omniscience in the Holy Spirit. But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God (verses 10–11).

We can know that the Holy Spirit is indeed a divine person because He