The Holy Spirit of God

The topic of “the Holy Spirit” is mysterious to many people. It is vital to understand God’s word clearly about this subject so that, if it is presented to you incorrectly, you will be able to detect the deception. God’s children should not rely on anyone’s word concerning this subject, but the Bible itself.

1 John 2:27: “But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

The Bible Definition of the Word “SPIRIT”:

“Spirit” = [7307] Hebrew, [4151] Greek. Consider these definitions carefully.

Ruwach (Roo-ahk); [7307 Hebrew]. Strong’s Bible dictionary says: “Spirit, wind, or breath, from 7306.” (Spirit-7307 comes from the Hebrew root word Spirit-7306).

Gesenius’ Hebrew definition for ruwach is: “Breath of the mouth; to breath out; creative words of God; breath of air in motion; mode of thinking; will and counsel; steadfast mind.”

Gesenius’ Hebrew Dictionary gives this definition for the root word Spirit [7306]: “breathing in as to smell, smell with pleasure, to be pleased with smell, of breathing in.”

If a living person breathes in, what will he eventually have to do? He will have to breathe out! When they speak words out of the mouth, that wind is described as spirit. [7307 spirit].

Breathing in, or accepting air inwardly, is referred to as “ruwach.” Spirit [7306] is when we accept what comes out of someone’s mouth and allow it to enter our mind. Prayer is what comes out of one’s mouth and enters the ears of God. Prayer is received into the mind as breath is inhaled into the lungs. Here is an example of this concept.

Leviticus 26:31: “And I will make your cities waste, and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell [7306] the savour of your sweet odours [prayer].”

Savour is defined as: “To appreciate fully; enjoy or relish; a distinctive quality or sensation.”

Odours is defined as: “The property or quality of a thing that affects, stimulates, or is perceived by the sense of smell. A strong, pervasive quality: An odor of sadness permeated the gathering. Esteem; repute: a doctrine that is not currently in good odor.” Notice the following uses of ruwach when it refers to odours:

Deuteronomy 4:28: “And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell [7306].” Images cannot and do not receive prayers!

Amos 5:21: “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell [7306] in your solemn assemblies.” God told these people He would not respect, honour, or receive their worship, because they were rebellious

Breathing out or expelling is ruwach [7307]. Think all of this through! Have you ever heard of a dead person carrying on a conversation? Of course not! A dead person cannot carry on a conversation because there is no breath [spirit (7307) or wind] in him. In other words, they cannot talk or breathe.

Try an experiment: hold your breath and try talking. If you do it correctly, no air should come out of your lungs, or sound out of your mouth. This is because there is no air moving through your voice box. When a person is talking and air is moving through their voice box, they are expressing what is in their mind, or what they are thinking about. This is expressed as ruwach (spirit [7307]) or moving air.

Try to communicate clearly without any air moving out of your lungs. You can’t do it, can you? Now breathe out and say something at the same time. You have just successfully communicated! You have shared your spirit [7307] by speaking. (See Galatians 3:5)

An Example of Ministering Spirit

Suppose I ask you to go to my spouse and ask her for my car keys that are next to her desk. What do you suppose she will do? She will give you the keys!

Now, who was talking to her? You were! Whom do you think she heard when you spoke? Right again, she heard me speaking through your mouth because I was the only one who knew where the keys were. You were speaking for me! You were a messenger, and you carried the thoughts of my mind to her. You actually gave her my spirit or thinking, and she responded just as if I were speaking to her at that time.

Matthew 10:20: “For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”

The Spirit of God is the mind of God that has been revealed or expressed to us in words or knowledge. The Spirit of God has great power, so much power [authority] that whatever God says happens. So much power that heaven and earth will pass away, but not His Word [Spirit]. His word will not come back void.

Isaiah 55:11: “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit [4151] of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:8)

Scriptures Confirm this Point

Romans 1:20: “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.”

What do you suppose the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world were? Think for a moment. The thoughts of the Father and Son were invisible while they were involved in creation. But, they are now clearly seen. How? We can understand what they were thinking by the things that were made. Christ’s thoughts were made manifest when He spoke creation into existence. When looking at creation, you can understand what the Father and Son were thinking. Let us look at another scripture to confirm this.

Genesis 1:2 states: “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit [7307] of God moved upon the face of the waters [deep].” The Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters is the same as “and God said.” God spoke what was in His mind and it happened. If you look at verse three, it tells you so. “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.” The invisible things of Christ from the creation of the world were His thoughts. If a person were able to be there and listen to what was going on, he would have heard what was said, “let there be light” [God’s breath moving upon the waters].

The Words “Spirit” and “Mind” are Used Interchangeably

Isaiah 40:13: “Who hath directed the Spirit [7307 Hebrew] of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?” Paul quotes the Septuagint, or Greek version of this text, in Romans 11:34: “For who hath known the mind [3563 Greek] of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” In these two Scriptures, the words “mind” and “spirit” are interchangeable.

In this next text, the words spirit and mind are translated from the same Hebrew word spirit [7307].

Ezekiel 11:5: “And the Spirit [7307] of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, Speak; Thus saith the LORD; Thus have ye said, O house of Israel: for I know the things that come into your mind, [7307] every one of them.”

There are many Bible references to illustrate that mind and spirit are used interchangeably. Notice the following:

Psalm 33:6, 9: “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth [Spirit-7307]. ...For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” Genesis 1:2, 3 says: “...And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, And God said, Let there be light.” In the mouth of two or three witnesses, truth is established! These texts, or witnesses establish the truth in a simple and plain manner.

The words that Christ spoke, were they holy or unholy? Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit [4151 Greek: pneuma] that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit [4151], and they are life.” The words that Christ spoke were Holy and Spirit — Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 1:23: “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit [7307] unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” The Spirit of God is His revealed mind being expressed through His words. And they are all holy thoughts, or Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 61:1: “The Spirit [7307] of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” With the Spirit of God upon us, we can lead others to Him.

Luke 11:13: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit [4151] to them that ask him?”

Acts 11:15: “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost [4151] fell on them, as on us at the beginning.” (“Holy Spirit” and “Holy Ghost” are the same.) If we ask God for His Spirit, He will give it to us.

Joel 2:28: “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit [7307] upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” How is the Spirit of God poured out upon all flesh? God’s Spirit comes to us through His word; the Bible, through preaching that word, and through nature. Remember, nature reveals what the Father and Son were thinking of at creation.

Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [4151].” If you turn away from wickedness, then you will receive the gift of the Holy (mind) Spirit that’s being presented.

Deuteronomy 32:1, 2: “Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass”

Numbers 11:25: “And the LORD came down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the spirit [7307] that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit [7307] rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.”

Ezekiel 2:2: “And the spirit [7307] entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.” In other words, when God spoke to Ezekiel, His Spirit entered into him.

Acts 10:44: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy [mind] Ghost [4151] fell on all them which heard the word.”

Isaiah 19:3: “And the spirit [7307] of Egypt [the spirit of the world, or foul spirit] shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.” (Idols, charmers, and familiar spirits are all foul spirits.)

1 Corinthians 2:12 tells us that there are two spirits; one is of God, and it is Holy, the other is of the world, and that is unholy, or the spirit of Satan. Which spirit did Egypt have? Which spirit did Paul have? Which spirit do you have?

1 Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit [4151] of the world, but the spirit [4151] which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” Paul had that Spirit of God, we also should have that Spirit?

James 4:4: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” The spirit of the world is the spirit of Satan, and that is a foul spirit or an unholy spirit. This kind of spirit is an enemy to God and us.

Isaiah 30:1, 2: “Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit [7307] , that they may add sin to sin: That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt.” Egypt is represented as the thinking or spirit of the world, which ultimately is Satan’s spirit. However, we do not have to receive that foul spirit. Notice this wonderful promise from God: “As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit [7307] that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.” (Isaiah 59:21) Those who honor God, He will honor them with this promise.

Isaiah 63:11: “Then he remembered the days of old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he that put his holy Spirit [7307] within him?” The Spirit of God is the mind of God that has been revealed or expressed to us in words or knowledge.

Rejecting the Holy Spirit

Have you ever wondered what will happen if you reject God’s Holy Spirit? Why is the rejection of the Holy Spirit an unpardonable sin? Consider this: If you reject God’s word, His revealed mind, the Holy Spirit that gives us the hope of all hope, then what other hope is there left for you? You rejected the very means by which forgiveness and eternal life is imparted to you; there remains no other way to reach you! See John 6:63.

In John 14:6 Jesus declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If you reject what God has said through His Son, then you will not have eternal life, and Christ’s death would have been in vain for you. Revelation 21:8 says the unbelieving will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The bottom line is: do you respect the Father enough to do what He says? Do you have more respect for a man, such as the boss at work, than you do for God?

xwr: “SPIRIT”

(Hebrew is read from right to left.)

Hebrew letter: Literal Symbol: Spiritual meaning:

r Reysh head leadership

w Vav nail steadfastness

x Cheyth fence protection

Lesson on Hebrew

A picture is worth a thousand words. The Hebrew alphabet shows more of a picture story than our English alphabet does. Reading the Hebrew word “Spirit” gives you an expression and a picture of that word, all at the same time.

Can the Spirit of God (the breath or mind which is powerful), give you leadership, direction, protection, and at the same time make you steadfast in His word? Absolutely!

When you break down the word Spirit in its alphabet picture form, we find the following revealed: r leadership; w steadfastness; and x protection. What a wonderful God we have, that He can do all this for us through His Spirit. Absolutely fascinating.

Ghost? / Spirit?

The New Testament translators used the words Spirit and Ghost interchangeably. In other words, Spirit and Ghost mean the same thing. They both are translated from the same Greek word and have the very same Strong’s number and definition. For God’s people there is no mystery here. God’s word, properly understood, is the truth and it will set you free.

Two Spirits: Which Do You Have?

The words “holy” and “foul” describe the types of spirit the Bible speaks of. The adjective reveals the source of each spirit. The spirit that comes from God is holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that there are two spirits; one of the world, and one of God. If there are only two spirits and God’s Spirit is holy, then we know that the spirit of the world is unholy! Which spirit do you have?

Matthew 12:34-35: “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.” Which fruit do you have coming out of your mouth, holy or foul?

James 4:4: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”

Have you ever wondered why the spirit of the world is foul, evil, and unholy? The answer is because it is reflecting Satan’s thinking. Why would the Spirit of God be holy? God’s Spirit is reflecting God’s thinking. Everyone has twenty four hours in a day. How many hours do you use to be filled with the spirit of the world or the spirit of God?

James 1:17 tells us that every good gift and every perfect gift is from the Father, including all of His thoughts: His Holy Spirit!

Have you ever heard someone say, “He has such a foul mouth, or an ugly spirit;” or, “I ought to give him a piece of my mind?” These people are talking about expressing their feelings or thoughts whether holy or unholy. The texts below show how God’s word can change your life to make you speak with a new spirit, a new heart.

1 Peter 2:22: “Who [Christ] did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.”

Revelation 14:5: “And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

Zephaniah 3:13: “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

Isaiah 26:3: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Matthew 5:48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

Acts 4:31: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” The Lord gave them of His Spirit, and they spake those words with boldness as they shared it with others.

Galatians 3:5: “He therefore that ministereth to you the [Holy] Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” One has to hear God’s word first, before he can minister it.

When we reject God’s Spirit, we are called stiff-necked people. Stephen told the Jewish leaders in Acts 7:51: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.” This is quite opposite to what took place in Acts 4:31 where the disciples accepted the word with joy and were filled with God’s mind. This they gladly shared with boldness. If you truly knew God’s mind, wouldn’t you do the same? Remember who resisted the Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 2:12: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world [foul spirit], but the spirit which is of God [Holy Spirit]; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.”

A Wonderful Promise for Those Who are Sick

Exodus 15:26: “And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.”

Matthew 8:16: “When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits [the foul mindsets of the demons that possessed those people’s minds] with his word [Christ filled them up with His Father’s Spirit] and healed all that were sick.” Can you imagine what types of spirit those people had, that Christ had to cast it out of them?

Christ cast out the foul spirits, the wicked ways of thinking that possessed and oppressed those individuals, and He filled their minds with holy thinking, Holy Spirit, through his word!

Matthew 4:23, 24: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” Through Christ’s preaching and teaching, the people learned. They were then able to make choices of which spirits to choose. According to their choices, they were healed. Because all were healed, we know that all that heard accepted Him. According to thy faith are ye healed. Remember faith comes by hearing what God says.

Christ cast devils out of people’s lives. He gave us an example and the authority to do the same. Through the spoken word, broken minds and lives can be restored. There is hope for the hopeless. We must be responsible to partake in this commission. Study so you can show yourself approved of God, a laborer that can rightly divide the word of truth. Christ rightly divided the word of truth, He told us we can share God’s Spirit too.

A better understanding has been revealed to you in this study about the Father and Son. It is obvious they are not one Individual. The Bible teaches that there are only two who are worthy of worship, which are called “God”. (One definition of the word “God” is a divine Being, a title.) The Father and Son are both divine but not absolutely equal. Christ’s sacrifice is possible because of this. Christ actually died! He was dead on the cross and had to be raised. The Father is immortal, making it impossible for Him to die. Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

I want to encourage you to go back and read the scripture with this understanding: the Spirit of God is His mind and thoughts revealed to humanity through the scriptures, the prophets of old, His Son, nature, heavenly angels, and human beings. The Holy Spirit is not a third individual god. Many people refer to the Holy Spirit as “God the Holy Spirit!”

One must hear before he can obey. This is why God wants us to hear His words and obey them. You receive God’s Spirit by hearing His word. Some believe that the Holy Spirit, which they consider to be a third god, can possess them and cause them to do all sorts of supernatural feats.

God wants to reveal to us who He is, how He loves us, how His only begotten Son really died for our sins, and how He raised Him from the dead. See the following Scriptures: John 17:3; John 3:16; Romans 10:9.

If you are obedient to God, you will obey the counsel of 2 Timothy 2:15, and you will discover there is no mystery about the Godhead. If you understand this concept, Satan will flee from you! James 4:7 says: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If one looks very closely he will discover that Satan and his counterfeit system are not only in the world, but also in the popular belief called the Trinity. This religious concept about God is mysterious and deceptive in very subtle ways! Those who do not know God’s word are found wanting. To see how all this is possible, read the plans about Satan’s goals and his evil characteristics found in Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14, described in the next section.

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” (2 Corinthians 3:17)