A Morning Bible Study - Just What Is the Holy Spirit?

Leonard V. Johnson     About

The Holy Spirit. Do you have the Spirit of God? Do you understand just what God’s Spirit is? Do you understand why you need it?

This third in a brief series about God’s Spirit will help you properly understand – from God’s living word – these crucial questions.

I pray that you find these Bible Studies easy. You just look up in your own Bible the Scriptures after each question. And the following information after the questions further elaborates. These studies are based on the New King James Version of God’s living word unless otherwise indicated.

We have posted a plethora of articles speaking about God’s Spirit. You can certainly find these articles on our website – www.owensborocojc.com.

In this world’s so-called Christianity they have taught for centuries that God is a “trinity” made up of three beings – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Yet, in truth, God’s living word reveals to us that the Holy Spirit is the awesome power and energy of the God family, as well as Their very nature, and mind – not a separate being!

1) Is there anywhere you can go where God is not?

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8) If I ascend into heaven [outer space], You are there; If I make my bed in hell [Hebrew – ŝe ‘ôl, meaning grave], behold, You are there. 9) If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10) Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me” – Psalm 139:7-10.

“’ Can ANYONE hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?’ says the LORD; ‘DO I NOT FILL HEAVEN AND EARTH?’ says the LORD” – Jeremiah 23:24.

We believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – but as the Bible teaches, not any human council or human tradition. There simply is no verse in the Bible that supports the false doctrine of the “trinity.”

Is the Spirit of God the power by which the Godhead created all things?

“’ Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You’” – Jeremiah 32:17.

“You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth” – Psalm 104:30.

We do indeed believe in the Father (who is God), the Son (who is God), and the Holy Spirit (which is the power, the mind, emanating from the Father and the Son), we do not accept the trinitarian definition of the Godhead – as it is not biblical.

Minister Michael C. Garrett once spoke of something that is most relevant here. He said something to the effect ─ wouldn’t it be fantastic to discover that every single atom has within it the Spirit of God!?

“DESIGN – throughout the whole of the universe, there’s design. From a snowflake to different mineral deposits. You look – the scientists tell you – at an atom, that you have a little nucleus, and flying around it like little satellites are electrons. But it’s the same thing you see when you look at the Earth! You see the Earth (the nucleus) and flying around it is a satellite.

Well, you look at the entire solar system. You see the Sun (the nucleus) and surrounding it are these little satellites. The design is consistent throughout nature. It’s consistent because it had ONE DESIGNER! The Almighty God!”

(Garrett, M.C., The Confusion About Death! 2019, pgs. 13-14).

2) How was God’s Spirit utilized to create all things?

“Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2) Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3) Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4) Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5) Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created” – Psalm 148:1-5.

In the Book of Ephesians chapter 3, the apostle Paul says –

Verse 9 – “ … from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.”

Also notice –

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. 7) He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. … 9) For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” – Psalm 33:6-7, 9.

It was done by the Spirit that emanates from the very being of God the Father and from the being God the Son – the Word.

Truly, according to God’s living word, Spirit proceeds from the Father and from the Son and literally fills the whole of the universe! Notice that God’s divine Spirit is instrumental by which the God family creates!

“In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) He was in the beginning with God. 3) ALL THINGS were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” – John 1:1-3.

TWO SEPARATE DISTINCT BEINGS!

3) Does the God family sustain the whole universe by Their great and awesome power?

“He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah” – Psalm 66:7.

“has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir OF ALL THINGS, through whom also He made the worlds; 3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and UPHOLDING ALL THINGS BY THE WORD OF HIS POWER, …” – Hebrews: 1:2, 3.

“’ You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You’” – Nehemiah 9:6.

A multitude of Scriptures in His living word proves that the Spirit of God is not a separate being, but rather the very power of the LORD God. If you haven’t already, be sure to read today our free online booklet “Is God a TRINITY?” – 2019. We also have this very informative booklet translated into Kiswahili – “Je, Mungu Ni UTATU?”

4) What was the kind of trees that the LORD God caused to grow in the garden of Eden?

“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9) And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of Life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” – Genesis 2:8-9.

The LORD God offered His Holy Spirit – represented by the tree of Life – to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Notice which tree the LORD God warned the man not to eat –

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16) And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden [including, of course, the tree of Life] you may freely eat; 17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil YOU SHALL NOT EAT, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” – vs. 15-17.

Had they partook of the fruit of the tree of Life, they would have received His Holy Spirit. And, I want you to understand that mankind was going to die – no matter if they were to choose the tree of Life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Had they chosen the tree of Life, they would still have lived out their days and died; and indeed we find this did happen, “So all the days that Adam lived were 930 years; and he died” – Genesis 5:5 – but would have, after losing consciousness, “in the twinkling of an eye,” been resurrected unto eternal life! We, of course, know just who our first parents listened to. Satan the Devil. They instead partook of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They partook of the tree of death – cf. Revelation 20:14-15; 21:7-8. They CUT THEMSELVES OFF FROM GOD AND HIS SPIRIT. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil meant them taking unto themselves what is good and what is evil.

The tree of Life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil were literal trees! Notice –

“’ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit [the very mind of God] says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God’” – Revelation 2:7.

Paradise being the throne of God – the third heaven – cf. 2 Corinthians 12:1-4. But, these trees in the midst of the garden of Eden had great symbolic meaning. And, the tree of Life is coming back with the LORD God – cf. Revelation 22:2. The tree of Life is a symbol of eternal life.

Truly the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the way of the evil one – Satan the Devil. It represents sin and its ultimate penalty – eternal death – cf. Romans 6:23.

In short – God placed them within the garden of Eden Adam and Eve, and the LORD God told them God’s Way and had the tree of Life readily available to them. And He certainly wanted them to choose of the tree of Life! Yet, we know the outcome – they chose from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They chose to follow the way of Satan the Devil. They rejected the very kingdom of God and willingly placed themselves under the rule of the “god of this present evil age” – 2 Corinthians 4:4. And people ever since have been following their lead – choosing to follow Satan the Devil’s way rather than Almighty God’s. God allowed them to choose their own way.

5) Was Adam deceived?

“And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” – 1 Timothy 2:14.

Adam was not deceived. Nevertheless, he partook of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

“So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate” – Genesis 3:6.

On that very FIRST SABBATH, the LORD God – the very One who would later become JESUS CHRIST – INSTRUCTED THE MAN AND THE WOMAN IN GOD’S WAY – in GOD’S GOVERNMENT! Instructing them in the causes of desired blessings or curses.

As soon as the Sabbath had ended, and the LORD God had finished instructing MAN in the Way of God, along came “the serpent” – the enchanting whisperer – an evil and vile cherubim – on the FIRST DAY of the week. Known today as the day of the sun.

He began instructing the first woman in the religion of Satan – teaching her that MAN has an immortal soul and that God had lied –

“’ You will not surely die. 5) For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’” – Genesis 3:4-5.

So, the woman reached out and TOOK! She rejected the LORD God and His revelation. She rejected God’s revealed knowledge – she used her own reasoning. She reasoned that the forbidden tree was “good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise.”

They REJECTED the LORD God’s Holy Spirit – God’s love, God’s government, and eternal life! They disobeyed an explicit command of their CREATOR and sinned, bringing the penalty of sin upon themselves and their descendants – all of whom have also sinned. Notice –

“Therefore, just as THROUGH ONE MAN sin entered the world, and death THROUGH sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” – Romans 5:12.

Were our first parents denied any further access to the tree of Life, hence the Spirit of God?

“Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of Life, and eat, and live forever’─23) therefore the LORD sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24) So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the Way to the tree of Life” – Genesis 3:22-24.

Now, the LORD God created ADAM (literally a word in Hebrew, adama, meaning earth) - from the ground - gave him a temporary existence. He did not give man, at that time, true LIFE. Man's existence came from the physical energy supplied by food and water - from the ground, and by the circulation of blood oxidized by the breath of oxygen. Man's average span of this physical-chemical existence is but 70 years, today. And, God offered the first human, ADAM, life - through the symbolic tree of LIFE in the garden of Eden. However, man disbelieved the LORD God, instead believing Satan the Devil, and rejected God’s Kingdom and Way of life - choosing for himself the knowledge of good and evil. He made a CHOICE for his entire HUMAN FAMILY. And, God had to shut off true LIFE from man.

And, indeed, the LORD God has postponed JUDGMENT on humans (Adam's family) - the whole world. Understand, judgment is a trial to determine whether we shall choose to live God’s Way in eternal life or take the ultimate penalty of eternal DEATH. And, this judgment could NOT begin UNTIL the Son of God had come, lived a perfect life, and then paid the penalty for humanity, so that, when humanity is judged, he may REPENT and be reconciled to God, who alone has LIFE to give.

The human family has been cut off from God’s Holy Spirit – except for a special few whom God the Father has individually called to serve, such as the patriarchs Noah and Abraham and the prophets – 1 Peter 1:10-11.

6) Is there a Second Adam spoken of in God’s living word?

“And so it is written, ‘The first man Adam became a living being.’ The last Adam became A LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT. 46) However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47) The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the SECOND MAN is the Lord from heaven” – 1 Corinthians 15:45-47.

Yes!

“And as we have borne the image of the man of dust [the word ” ‘Ādām,” meaning a name], we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man [the Second Adam, Christ Jesus]. 50)Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood CANNOT inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51) Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed – 52) in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye [within a split second], AT THE LAST TRUMPET. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead [the dead in Christ] will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53) For this corruptible MUST put on incorruption, and this mortal MUST put on immortality.” – vs. 49-53; see also 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17.

Did the LORD God make available again THROUGH JESUS CHRIST the glorious Holy Spirit?

“For as in Adam all die, even so IN CHRIST all shall be made alive” – 1 Corinthians 15:22, John 1:4, 10:10.

“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying. ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” – John 7:37-38.

In the Word [“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14)] was life. ETERNAL LIFE! And unlike what Stephen Hawking hawked and Carl Sagan avoided (he virtually countered any question relating to God by answering, “First of all, what do you mean when you use the word God?”) God is the SOURCE of all life! And life can only come from life! It cannot come from nothingness. And it cannot come from the not living.

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12) He who has the Son has [eternal] life; …” – 1 John 5:11, 12.

Truly, since our Lord Jesus Christ’s first coming, it is only those whom God the Father calls out of this present evil age who may receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become one of His “firstfruits.” Notice –

“’ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; …’” – John 6:44.

And then to make it a little more clearer in John 15:16 – doesn’t get much more clearer than this! “’ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and [ordained] you that you should go and bear fruit, …’” And so, no, you didn’t pick God. You didn’t set out on your quest for God! If you ever did sort of, “I’m gonna look into the Bible!” It was God that put the motivation in you! Somewhere on that trip, He put you into contact with human beings or literature that had been produced by His people, by His Church, and that kept the process going and gave you the fuel to continue to learn.

“Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 39) For the promise is to you and to your children, and TO ALL WHO ARE AFAR OFF, as many as the Lord our God will call’” – Acts 2:38-39.

7) Are REPENTANCE and BAPTISM required steps in receiving the gift of God’s Spirit?

Yes! Notice –

“’ Go therefore and make disciples [teach] of all nations, BAPTIZING THEM in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20) teaching them to OBSERVE ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE COMMANDED you; …’” – Matthew 28:19, 20.

“Now after John [the Baptist] was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15) saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. REPENT, and believe [obey] in the gospel’” – Mark 1:14-15.

The LORD God will only gift Their Spirit to those who have demonstrated, both in attitude and action, that they have sincerely REPENTED and truly want to OBEY ALL THAT GOD HAS COMMANDED!

TRUE REPENTANCE means a willingness to change. To turn around and go the other way – God’s Way. To forsake all one’s own lustful natural desires that have been contrary to the LORD God’s. To “’ believe in the gospel” means to believe in the glorious Message that our Lord Jesus Christ brought from Father God – the good news of the soon-coming kingdom of God to this earth! – which does indeed include the belief on and the acceptance of our Lord Jesus as personal SAVIOR!

After heartfelt repentance, the very next step is proper water baptism. □

Scriptural Index:

Old Testament - Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17; 3:4-5, 6, 22-24; 5:5, Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 33:6-7, 9; 66:7; 104:30; 139:7-10; 148:1-5; Jeremiah 23:24; 32:17.

New Testament - Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 1:14-15; John 1:1-3, 4, 14; 6:44; 7:37-38; 10:10; 15:16; Acts 2:38-39; Romans 5:12; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45-47, 49-53; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 12:1-4; Ephesians 3:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 1 Timothy 2:14; Hebrews 1:2, 3; 1 Peter 1:10-11; 1 John 5:11, 12; Revelation 2:7; 20:14-15; 21:7-8; 22:2.