Then in Acts 13 and verse 2 [“As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”], Luke quotes the Spirit Himself as He speaks and He [the Holy Spirit] will use the personal pronouns “I” and “Me” in referring to Himself.

Well, there are also some ATTRIBUTES OF PERSONALITY which are ascribed to the Spirit in the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 10 says, “He searches” [“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.”]. Then 1 Corinthians 12, verse 11 says that He works and divides (distributes) [“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”].

Then we see that the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SPIRIT AND MANKIND EMPHASIZE HIS PERSONALITY.

For example, He speaks to the apostles, John 16, and verse 13. We’ve just looked at that verse.

He participates in the new birth of Christians. Look at John, chapter 3 and verse 5. Here Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus: “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’” So the Spirit speaks to the apostles and He participates in the new birth when one becomes a Christian.

He is also a Comforter or Helper, as we see in John 14, verse 16 [“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”].

Then in 1 Peter 1 and verse 2, we see that He sanctifies. The word “sanctify” means to “set apart.” When we become Christians—when we are obedient to God in obeying the Gospel—then we are “set apart.” How is that done? Who is it that does the setting apart? In 1 Peter 1 and verse 2, Peter writes, “…elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, [for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.”].

So we see there some relations, if you will, between the Spirit and mankind. And as we see those relations, we see more emphasis on, or more revealing of, the Personality of the Spirit.

Now, not to be misunderstood or misled about the Spirit, when we speak about His personality, that, of course, ascribes to Him human characteristics and traits. But let’s not be mistaken: The SPIRIT IS DEITY. We have already referenced many Scriptures that show that the Holy Spirit is Divine and is connected with the Father and the Son. We see that there are DIVINE ATTRIBUTES that are given to Him as well, like His Omniscience, 1 Corinthians 12, verse 11 [“But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”]. “Omniscience” is what God has—that is, He knows all. Paul says the Spirit knows all, as well.

The Spirit is also an Eternal Being, Hebrews 9, verse 14 [“How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”]. Like God, He has no beginning—He has no end.

And then there are also some DIVINE WORKS that are attributed to the Spirit. For example, He was involved in creation, Genesis 1, verse 2 [“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”].

And He’s involved in salvation, John 3, verses 3, 5 and 8. [“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”… “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”… “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”]. So salvation is a Divine work, and the Spirit, Who is Divine, is involved in that work.

The Holy Spirit is the THIRD MEMBER OF THE GODHEAD, the Trinity, as it is called sometimes. As we discussed last time when looking at the Bible Doctrines concerning Jesus, the Christ, we talked about His equality with God, yet there was a subordination involved. The same is true with the Spirit. There is an equality within the Godhead, yet there is also an element of being subordinate.

We see that the Spirit is sent or dispatched, if you will, by the Father and the Son, and He does Their bidding. He does Their work, in certain areas. Christ prayed to the Father to send the Holy Spirit as a Comforter, or as a Helper, John 14, verses 16 and 26 [“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever…But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”].