THE NATURE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
One of the ways to know something of the Holy Spirit is to examine the names or titles given to the Holy Spirit by Bible writers as they were inspired to write.
I want you to know that names given to deity in scripture designate their characters. We do not just refer to him as “the Holy Spirit” simply because that happen to be his name.
That name tells us what he is like. His names define his characters and his nature.
(a). He is called the “Spirit of grace. Heb. 10:29.
Because He is here on earth, administering the grace of God, making it real, applying it to the hearts of those who will receive it. He is holy and gracious. The lack of graciousness in the world, and even in the church, is not the fault of the Holy Spirit, because anything he does will be full of grace. The lack comes from our poor understanding of what the Holy Spirit is really like. It is said of the Lord Jesus, “and all … wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.” Lk. 4; 22;
The Holy Spirit delights to make us speak gracious words too. He says, “let not corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. Eph. 4:29; “and let your speech be always with grace. Col. 4:6
To speak gracious words as we are admonished in the word of God will not be difficult if we could get the gracious person of the Holy Spirit into our everyday living.
(b). He is called the spirit of truth. Jn. 14:17.
He loved the truth. He came to reveal to the ages the truth of Jesus Christ through the word. He always speaks the truth. He will not flatter us when we need some word of conviction. He will not fail us when we need some word if encouragement especially if we are in a position to receive it. There is a lot of false comfort in the world today. How can you comfort a man that has no hope? The Holy Spirit will not comfort us in our sin. Man may, but he will not. He will convict us of sin and lead us out of it, and we will be led, to a place where we can receive forgiveness and then encouragement.
If really you want the truth about yourself, listen to the Holy Spirit as he applies the word of God to your case.
(c). The Holy Spirit is also called the “spirit of his son” gal. 4:6:
The Holy Spirit will never act in away that is contrary to the will of God, or the work of the son. As the son was holy, so is the spirit holy. As the father does and as the son did, so does the spirit. Jesus said of the spirit, “when he, the spirit of truth, us come, he will guide you into all truth, for he shall not speak of himself, but he speak, and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me. For he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the father hath are mine. Therefore, said I That he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. Jn. 16:15-15.
(d). He is also called “Spirit of the living God” 2cor. 3:3; acts. 8:39: while we think of God as being distinctly three persons, the father, the son and the Holy spirit always work together, always in perfect harmony, in perfect oneness. As one is, so is the other.
(e). He is also called the spirit of glory. 1 peter.4: 14.
(f). The spirit of wisdom Eph. 1:17
The spirit of promise Acts.1: 4-5
The spirit of adoption Rom. 8:15
The spirit of holiness Rom. 1:4
The spirit of life Rom. 8:2
The comforter Jn. 14:26
As you study these names, you will discover not only the nature of the Holy Spirit but also his character and this help in shaping your understanding about the Holy Spirit.
A lot of people are using the name of the Holy spirit in vain, especially when they want to carry out the desire of their heart, they will say that the Holy spirit led me or spoke to me to do this or the other thing. As we can see from his nature he can never lead any person to do anything that is evil or against the revealed will of God in the Bible. Therefore, those who are using his name to perpetuate evil are doing so to their hurt.