The Holy Spirit Devotional # 3 – The Holy Spirit is a Person
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 – 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.
From the prior two studies, we have learned a basic overview of who the Holy Spirit is and that the Holy Spirit is God. Now we turn our attention to the fact that the Holy Spirit is a person and has a personality. He is not merely energy or force. He is also not an “it,” but He has personhood.
The Holy Spirit has the attributes of personality.
How do we define personality? If we define personality as possessing the ability for knowledge, emotions, and will, it is very easy to demonstrate from Scripture that the Holy Spirit has personality. The following scriptures will detail those truths.
- He has knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:10–11; 2 Peter 1:21)
- He has emotion (Ephesians 4:30)
- He has the power of will (Acts 2:4; Acts 10:19–20; Acts 13:2)
The Holy Spirit can be sinned against.
One final way that we can see that the Holy Spirit is a Person is that He can be sinned against. The following Scripture speaks of how we, as humanity, can sin against the Holy Spirit.
- By rebelling against the Spirit (Isaiah 63:10)
- By blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31)
- By lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3)
- By resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51)
- By grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30)
- By quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)
- By despising the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10:29)
POINTS TO PONDER: The Holy Spirit has the attributes of personality, displays the actions of personality, and can be sinned against.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. Thank you for displaying and revealing that He has personality. Please remind me that He knows and searches all things of God. Remind me that He possesses the mind of God and can teach us. Also, remind me of the fact that He has emotions. Remind me that He can be grieved by the actions that I do. Please forgive me for doing that. Thank you for the fact that He distributes spiritual gifts. Please help me to use those gifts to obey Him, to reverence Him, and to bring glory to Your name through Him. Amen
Dr. James Long Jr. is pastor of The Chapel at Warren Valley, a professor at a Christian university, and a Board-Certified Counselor and Certified Biblical Counselor. For nearly 35 years, he has equipped individuals and families to pursue emotional strength, relational wisdom, and spiritual clarity. He is the founder of Lessons for Life, an online coaching community designed to help people take actionable steps toward lasting change through Christ-centered teaching, practical tools, and guided coaching pathways. Explore courses, resources, and coaching opportunities at JamesLongJr.org.