Holy Spirit

Among all the Christian doctrines, the nature of the Holy Spirit is among the most difficult to understand, and one that is commonly misconstrued.

Even theologians admit that the Holy Spirit is a mystery to them. Yet the confusion comes from pagan thought patterns that have affected how Scripture is read.

Most of Christianity believes in the Trinity, but a slim minority holds to a much older belief, one that hearkens back to the earliest Christians.

God's Holy Spirit typically refers to the mind of God and Christ, which is added to our human spirit to create a sound mind by which we witness of God.

What is the Holy Spirit? What does it do? Who has it? How does it work? What does it produce?

The Father and the Son are two separate personalities, with the Father having pre-eminence. The Bible contains no evidence of a third person in the God family.

Just as our human spirit can be grieved, God is grieved by willful sinful behavior—sullying, suppressing, or stifling the Spirit that identifies us as His.

The architects of the trinity doctrine admit that it is a 'somewhat unsteady silhouette', requiring assumptions and inferences, but unsupportable by Scripture.

There are varieties of spirit, motivating people to 'go with the flow' and conform to a sheep-like mob psychology. Satan's spirit encourages sinfulness.

The preposition 'in'—as in the expressions 'in Christ,' 'in the church,' 'in you," or 'in the spirit'—refers not to literal physical dimensions, but instead our 'concern with' or 'involvement with' something. As being 'in love' or 'in the . . .

How do we lie to the Holy Spirit? Does this mean that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Godhead? What does the "whole counsel of God" say?

Theologians, misapplying grammatical gender and personification, falsely deduce a phantom third person, propped up by a spurious insertion (I John 5:7-8).

God's Spirit is the essence of His mind rather than a third person. With this Spirit, God opens our minds, dwells in us, and transfers His nature to us.

In most biblical contexts, 'spirit' refers to the invisible, internal activating dimension of the mind. Synonyms include heart, mind, and thoughts.

Jesus taught about the Holy Spirit's function to carry out God's work, including inspiring one to speak the words of God and to resist the power of Satan.

God is working to build a relationship with us, dispensing gifts for overcoming and working out His greater purpose. God's Spirit is 1) an immaterial, invisible force which motivates, impels, and compels; 2) whenever referring to a person clearly identifie. . .

God's Spirit will never prod us to do anything that is not godly love, and because it a spirit of a sound mind, it will never motivate us to do crazy things.

We are intrigued by supernatural power, and many seek to display it. Yet the Scriptures show the activity of the Holy Spirit in ways that are commonly missed.

The receiving of God's Spirit is for God's creative effort in our lives. God's Spirit transforms us from a state of destruction into a state of purity.

The true understanding of Elohim dismantles the entire trinity argument. God is reproducing Himself; we are being prepared to become a part of Elohim.

Acts 5:32 declares that God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him, yet some argue that keeping God's law is not necessary. What is the truth?

God personally handpicks individuals with whom He desires to form a reciprocal relationship. This relationship must be dressed, kept, tended, and maintained.

If fleshly things become more important, we are on a trajectory toward death. We must exercise control, drawing on the power of God's Spirit.

Spirit is an invisible force, the effects of which are clear by its manifestations. Spirit can be discerned by thinking through and evaluating its effects.

God controls the invisible wind—powerful or gentle—making it an ideal symbol for His Spirit. God's breathing life into Adam foreshadowed giving the Holy Spirit.

The Bible frequently uses the symbol of fruit. Here is an in-depth look at what it means to bear fruit, and the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

Paul's use of the presence-absence dichotomy clarified that absence does not materially affect the Work of God because the same Holy Spirit is always present.

The Apostle John exhorts us to test and discern the spirits, judging between the true and the false, using the scripture as the steady standard of truth.

The Holy Spirit is never venerated as a separate being. Our hope is the indwelling of Christ, used interchangeably with 'Spirit of God' and 'Spirit of Truth.'

Pentecost's uniqueness consists of the extra-special gift to God's called-out ones, namely the precious additive of God's Holy Spirit, enabling us to perform the tasks God has prepared, giving us the power to overcome, build character, and attain membershi. . .

Jesus Christ's promise of the Helper is often used by Trinitarians as a proof text, yet Christ warns the disciples His language is figurative. The Advocate, Helper, and Holy Spirit are alternate terms for Himself. God the Father and Jesus Christ make their. . .

In this Pentecost message and the conclusion for the "What Does God Really Want?" series, John Ritenbaugh insists that God's Spirit comes first before anyone is empowered to do anything. God's gifts are in reality tools to do His work. In every s. . .

John Ritenbaugh refutes the erroneous belief that glossolalia (or speaking in tongues) constitutes a sign or condition of having received God's Holy Spirit. The dramatic manifestations in Acts 2 (cloven tongues of fire, rushing wind, and the miracle of spe. . .

We cannot assume that angels are immortal and share the same kind of spirit God Almighty has; we cannot assume they are indestructible.

Jesus Christ and God the Father are one in spirit and purpose, purposing to draw us toward that same kind of unity that currently exists between them.

Pentecost is known for its stupendous signs, particularly the display of power in Acts 2. David Grabbe shows that Pentecost teaches us of another, more personal witness: our own display of Christ's way of life in us.

John Ritenbaugh, clarifying our worldview with respect to the Israel of God (or the Church) in the context of eschatological (that is, end times) events, declares that our vision of our calling as well as our level of responsibility before the imploding of. . .