The Holy Spirit: The One God’s Indwelling Presence

The Holy Spirit is not a third person in a trinity. It is the very Spirit of God Himself, working in the world and dwelling within believers. The Old Testament speaks of the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2) and “coming upon” prophets and kings. In the New Testament, this same Spirit is given a new name in relation to Jesus: the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Christ.

Jesus made a remarkable statement about the coming of the Holy Spirit:

“But this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” — John 7:39

This verse confirms a crucial truth: the Holy Spirit could not be fully given until Jesus was “glorified.” What did it mean to be glorified? It meant returning to His original form as Spirit. The one God, who manifested Himself in the flesh of Jesus, returned to His Spirit form after His death and resurrection, and from this point, He could once again dwell everywhere at once. The Holy Spirit, therefore, is not a separate person but the omnipresent Spirit of the one true God, now made available to all who believe. For us, to receive the Spirit He needed to adopt us to be His Sons – Becoming His Image once again to preach the Gospel. Ephesians 1:5, Galatians 4:4-7, 1 John 3:9