The Gospel (part 9) The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a contentious topic sometimes. Some believe the Holy Spirit is here to guide believers. Some believe He is here to point out sin. Some believe the Holy Spirit lets men know what sin is for them, in terms of sin is different for the individual person. There are people who believe the Holy Spirit is only a New Testament idea and is only come because of Christ. With all these different ideas, I thought it would be a good idea to see exactly what the Word has to say about a few Holy Spirit questions. Who is the Holy Spirit? Is the Holy Spirit only found in the New Testament? What is His purpose here with believers? Starting with these questions, I believe we can gain a much better understanding of what to expect from the Holy Spirit within our lives. We will start with whether or not the Holy Spirit is found only in the New Testament.

Genesis 1:2

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.

The Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God, was there with God before the Earth was formed.

Genesis 6:3

And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

Here we can see the Spirit of YHWH will not strive with man forever. Meaning, man had the Holy Spirit, but would only last about 120 more years before it was taken away from all men. After this point, we see how the Holy Spirit would come upon only certain men.

1 Samuel 16:13

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

2 Chronicles 24:20

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you.’ ”

Numbers 11:25

Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

Acts 28:25

So when they did not agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,

Psalm 51:12

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

This shows the Holy Spirit was not simply a New Testament idea. The prophet Isaiah has been given as an example as to how the same Holy Spirit was speaking to him. The Psalmist links the Holy Spirit with bringing YWHW’s salvation, also showing both Testaments point to the same Spirit doing the same things. I point this out because I have heard an argument about how the Holy Spirit was either not the same Holy Spirit or was viewed differently than how we see Him in the modern day church.

The Spirit was originally meant for all men. However, they chose to sin and YHWH removed His Spirit from all men. At this point He chose who would receive His Spirit throughout the rest of the Old Testament.

Next we can focus on who the Holy Spirit is. Is He truly part of God, or is it a separate being altogether?

Acts 5:3-4

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

Acts shows us a link between both the Holy Spirit and YHWH. Ananias was led to lie to the Holy Spirit, then it is said he lied not to men but to God. This seems to point to the idea that the Holy Spirit is God or at the very least, an extension of Him.

Luke 1:35

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Mary had the Holy Spirit come upon her and it is said the Holy Spirit is the power of the Highest, who is God. So, this Spirit is an extension of God, and it is the Power of God.

Psalm 139:7-8

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

The Spirit of God is His presence. It is omnipresent. We always hear about God being everywhere at once, this is the very same thing we see here about the Holy Spirit. We can conclude, the Holy Spirit is God. Considering what we have read, the built points we can take away concerning who the Holy Spirit is…

1.       Omnipresent

2.       The Power of the Highest

3.       An Extension of God

Now that we know the Holy Spirit is found in both the Old and New Testaments, as well as knowing the Holy Spirit is God, the major concern is, what is the purpose of the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do for us as believers and what should we expect to understand?

2 Peter 1:19-21

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was given to the prophets causing them to prophecy. It is for this reason we cannot understand prophecy as a private interpretation. It must be held up to the Scriptures.

Acts 5:32

And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

This makes sense in terms of the previous verse. The Holy Spirit is given to those who obey YHWH. All the prophets found in the Old Testament not only obeyed YHWH’s Law, but they preached that Israel would do the same. This particular verse is from Acts. This means His Law, which is how we obey Him, is still important.

Micah 3:8

But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, And of justice and might, To declare to Jacob his transgression And to Israel his sin.

The Holy Spirit helps to point out transgression and sin. Which also in in sync with the previous two verses. It is very important to keep YHWH’s Law, according to the Holy Spirit.

Nehemiah 9:20

You also gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, And did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, And gave them water for their thirst.

The Spirit is given to instruct men in the ways of YHWH. If we couple this with the previous verse, we can understand the Spirit instructs men in the ways of YHWH, which is exactly what we see in the following passage.

Ezekiel 36:26-27

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

This is probably one of the most important verses concerning the Holy Spirit found in the entire Bible. This is written in a last day’s context. Taking that into consideration and understanding what is being said, it seems clear YHWH’s Law is important for all believers. This goes hand in hand with the previous three verses which link God’s Law with the Holy Spirit. This is the very purpose for the Holy Spirit. This is what we should expect from the Holy Spirit considering YHWH Himself says this is what His Spirit will do for men. Knowing this purpose, compare this now with Romans 8.

Romans 8:1-8

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

James 1:15

Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

Deuteronomy 6:25

Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us.’

There is a lot packed into these few verses and passages. Knowing the Holy Spirit causes men to keep the Laws and Commandments of YHWH, then we can conclude to walk in the Spirit is to walk according to His Law. The opposite of walking in the Spirit is to walk in the flesh. Walking in the flesh is to walk in sin. This aligns perfectly with 1 John.

1 John 3:4

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

YHWH’s Law is the law of the Spirit of life and it is His Law which sets men free from the law of sin and death. The law of sin and death is the law that says if you sin, you will die.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the Lord your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

If we choose to obey His Laws, and keep His commands we are set free from the law of sin and death.

Now, Yeshua condemned sin in the flesh and the House of Israel can again fulfil the righteous requirement of the Law by not walking according to the flesh. Which is obeying His Laws by walking in the Spirit. Again, those who walk according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit, and the Spirit causes men to keep His commandments. To be carnally minded is to live according to the flesh, and to live according to the flesh is to not keep His Law. This brings death because not keeping His Law is to live according to sin. The carnal mind is hatred toward YHWH and His Law. The carnal mind, and this is quoted, “is not subject to the law of God”. All these things match up, from both the Old and New Testaments.

There are some who like to argue we are not under the Law but under Grace because we have the Holy Spirit guiding us. Well, if all this hasn’t made an impact on your thought process, I would like to add a few more bits of info. First, let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 2:14

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Proverbs 1:7

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Deuteronomy 6:24

And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Romans 7:14

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

The man who does not know YHWH cannot understand the things of the Holy Spirit. The things of the Spirit are foolish to the man who doesn’t know YHWH. We then read from proverbs wisdom and instruction is despised by fools which is related to the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord comes from His command for us to observe His commands and statutes. Finally, we know His Law, commands, and statutes are spiritual, and not carnal. What can we take away from these passages? The man who is natural, without God, cannot understand His Law and considers it foolish to keep. God’s Law are a set of instructions for men to live Holy lives and the Spirit helps us to understand and keep them. 

After having this information, I would like to point out something that was really interesting to learn. It relates directly to the House of Israel and the Holy Spirit and what and how they responded to God’s Law and Isaiah’s interpretation of their response.

Isaiah 63:7-10

I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the Lord And the praises of the Lord, According to all that the Lord has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses. For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior. In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.

Notice, it was the House of Israel who is being spoken about. YHWH called them His people and He became their Savior. When they were suffering He was suffering. It was the Angel of His presence who saved them. He redeemed them. They rebelled against Him, and we know this means they did not keep His commands and Laws, which are instructions. This grieved His Holy Spirit causing Him to turn against them. Now consider this verse found in Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

This is the very same terminology used in both passages. To grieve the Spirit is to go against YHWH’s Law, His instructions. This is rebellion. 

Next is something that could potentially have huge ramifications. Everyone who considers men who keep the Law of God and teaches keeping as not having or being filled with the Holy Spirit, or even being possessed by an evil spirit must pay close attention to this verse.

Mark 3:28-30

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Considering all the scripture given concerning the purpose of the Holy Spirit, I would strongly caution against this line of thinking. If, you are one of these people who make claims against the spirit of the men who keep and teach Torah, you better be absolutely sure you are correct and have more scriptural evidence than given here to support your claim because this is a very serious issue and can potentially bring eternal condemnation. I admit, I could be completely wrong on the topic of keeping the Law, however, it seems there is plenty of scripture backing everything I am saying. 

Yeshua has a few more things to say about the Holy Spirit before I wrap up. This goes directly against the argument of teaching Christ after the cross. This means, what He did before He died was just for the Jews.

John 14:15-17

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:26

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.

First notice He says if you love Him, you will keep His commandments. Doing this will result is Yeshua praying YHWH will send the Holy Spirit to you. Not just anyone can receive the Holy Spirit because the world cannot see Him and they do not know Him. This is directly related to the keeping of His commandments. Second, notice, and this is what directly contradicts the stated argument, the Holy Spirit will remind men of everything Yeshua taught. This means teaching a different gospel of after the cross is not teaching the gospel at all. Everything Yeshua said before the cross is still relevant after the cross. It was not just for the Jews because the Jews are made up of the House of Judah and Yeshua said He came only for the House of Israel. 

Finally I’d like to share this concerning the Holy Spirit and the love of God. Again, this is quite interesting considering all the things that can be linked together from the Old Testament to the New, from Jesus to Paul to all the apostles.

Romans 5:5

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

To conclude all this, the Holy Spirit absolutely can be found in the Old Testament and it is the very same Holy Spirit with the same purpose. The Holy Spirit is an extension of YHWH and repeatedly does His will within His prophets, and chosen people. Finally, the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to cause God’s chosen people to keep His Law. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come upon someone until they have already begun to do so, but He is our helper to ensure we don’t fall back into sin and He convicts us when we are committing sin.