Who is the Holy Spirit?
The doctrine of the Trinity has introduced much confusion about the identity of the Holy Spirit. Many sincere believers have been led to think the Spirit is a separate third divine being. But what does the Bible actually teach? Scripture reveals not the nature of the Holy Spirit (which remains a mystery), but clearly shows whose Spirit it is, from where it comes, and whose presence it brings to us.
1. The Holy Spirit Belongs to God and Comes Through Christ
Revelation 5:6 shows Christ as the Lamb with "seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth." Similarly, Acts 2:32-33 states that Jesus, exalted by the Father, received the Holy Spirit from Him and shed it forth to the disciples.
This means the Holy Spirit is not a third divine being, but the Spirit of God the Father, given through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is Christ who imparts this divine presence to us:
Matthew 10:20 — "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
John 14:18 — "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."
2. Jesus Himself Is the Comforter
When Jesus promised to send "another Comforter" (John 14:16-20), He clarified that the disciples already knew this Comforter because He was with them and would soon be in them. Who was with them? Jesus Himself. He even said, "I will come to you." This Comforter is not someone else—it's Jesus coming to His people by His Spirit.
Even in the book of Revelation, we see Jesus walking among the churches and speaking to them. Yet at the end of each message, the call is to "hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (Revelation 2:7). The Spirit is Christ speaking to His people—not a different being.
Revelation 3:1 — "These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God..."
2 Corinthians 3:17 — "Now the Lord is that Spirit."
3. The Holy Spirit Is Christ’s Own Spirit
The Bible repeatedly refers to the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ:
Galatians 4:6 — "God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts."
Philippians 1:19 — "The supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
Romans 8:9 — "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."
The Spirit Christ gives is His own divine life, which He received from the Father (John 3:34-35; Acts 2:33). It is not a separate person, but the very life, power, and presence of Christ imparted to us.
"The influence of the Holy Spirit is the life of Christ in the soul." (BE, June 17, 1901)
4. Living Water from the Rock: A Symbol of the Spirit
When Moses struck the rock and water flowed out for Israel, the Bible says:
1 Corinthians 10:4 — "That Rock was Christ."
And Jesus Himself declared:
John 7:38-39 — "Out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit...)"
The "living water" is the Holy Spirit, and it flows from Christ Himself. Just as water flowed from the rock in the wilderness, the Spirit flows from Jesus to all who believe.
John 4:10 — "He would have given thee living water."
Revelation 22:1 — "...a pure river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."
5. The Early Rain at Pentecost Came from Christ
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and "breathed on them, and saith... Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). This act was a foretaste of Pentecost, where Jesus, having received the full promise of the Spirit from the Father, poured it out on His followers:
Acts 2:33 — "Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this..."
"Then Jesus would breathe upon them the Holy Ghost..." (EW p. 55)
6. Christ in You: The Spirit Is His Presence in Us
The Spirit is Christ's abiding presence:
Colossians 1:27 — "Christ in you, the hope of glory."
Galatians 2:20 — "Christ liveth in me."
Romans 8:10 — "Christ is in you..."
Through the Spirit, Jesus dwells in our hearts, strengthens us, and leads us. It is not another being who sympathizes with our weaknesses, but the very one who was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin.
"We want the Holy Spirit, which is Jesus Christ." (Letter 66, 1894)
"The Saviour is our Comforter. This I have proved Him to be." (8MR, p.49)
Conclusion: The Holy Spirit Is the Personal Presence of Christ
The Bible is clear. The Holy Spirit is not a separate third person of a Trinity. It is the Spirit of God, given through His Son, to bring us into living union with Them. It is Christ's own divine life and power. Through His Spirit, Jesus is truly with us, to comfort, guide, and transform.
"God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6)