Do you know the Holy Spirit as a person?

Do you know the Holy Spirit as a person? Or do you think of Him more as a vapor, a cloud, or a dove? It’s easier to think of your heavenly Father by imagining a loving earthly Father. And maybe you can picture Jesus because movies about Him give you something to hang your thoughts on. But the Holy Spirit as a person? That’s harder to grasp. But it shouldn’t be.

Names of the Holy Spirit: Counselor, Helper, Spirit of God, Spirit of Life, Spirit of Truth, Comforter, Spirit of Holiness, Spirit of Might, Spirit of Wisdom

He is the Spirit of Christ

For you see, the Holy Spirit is just as much a person as the Father or the Son. Before Jesus left this earth, He promised to send another Helper.

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
(John 14:16)

That word another comes from allos, which means one of the same kind. Jesus promised to send someone who would do the same things He would do if He remained on earth. This other Helper is the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of Christ.

When Jesus came to earth, He said He was the visible representation of God. “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’”? (John 14:9). It may help you to remember that while Jesus was the visible representation of God, the Holy Spirit is the invisible representation of God.

If I could just see Him

I can almost hear you saying, “But it would be so much easier if I could just SEE the Holy Spirit!” The funny thing is, when Jesus came to earth, people did see Him. But that didn’t mean they believed in Him. He wasn’t who they expected Him to be. Instead of coming in kingly robes, dressed in splendor, He came as a humble servant. People could see Him with their eyes, but they still had to accept Him by faith, not sight (2 Cor. 5:7).

The Bible uses many metaphors to help us understand Christ. He’s called the Lamb of God because He sacrificed His life for us; but He isn’t an actual lamb. He’s called the Bread of Life because He gives us spiritual food; but He isn’t an actual loaf of bread. Likewise, the Bible uses metaphors to help us understand the Holy Spirit. He is like the wind, because though we can’t see Him, we can see the manifestation of His presence.

Why is it important to understand the Holy Spirit as a person? Until we know Him for who He is, we can’t work with Him in the divinely energized partnership He desires for us. It’s impossible to partner with the wind. But it is possible to partner with a person. He wants you to know Him as a person!

He will help you know Him

And here’s what’s so interesting: Understanding the Holy Spirit as a person takes the help of the person of the Holy Spirit. If you’re just learning how to know the Holy Spirit, take heart. He’s here to help you. . . Just ask Him.

That helper is the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept him, because it doesn’t see or know him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be in you.
(John 14:17*)