Living in the Spirit: Who is the Spirit?
First OT use: Gen 1:2 In the English it says the “Spirit of God.”
• The word “Spirit” here in Hebrew is the word ruwach (roo-akh)
o This word means: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
Second use: Gen 2:7 The phrase here is “the breath of life”
• The only difference between us and a pile of dust on the ground is the spirit or breath of God.
o Job 34:14 confirms this.
Gen 41:38: Pharaoh recognizes the Spirit of God in Joseph.
• Pharaoh could hardly be expected to recognize the Spirit of God, and yet Joseph’s life is so different and contained a power that others in his court didn’t have, he had to acknowledge it.
1 Samuel 16:13: This is the first time we see someone anointed and receiving the Holy Spirit.
o It says that the Spirit of God came on David in power.
• Note: We see the spirit of God used with different names for God.
o That means the Spirit of God contains all of the same characteristics of God.
Psalm 139:7 The idea of His presence and His Spirit are tied to together, they are the same.
• The presence of God always comes with the Spirit of God. We also can’t escape the Spirit.
The Spirit in NT: Luke 1:35: The word translated here as Spirit is the Greek word pnuema
o This word means: movement of air, wind, breath.
• The word translated here as Holy is the word agios (hag’ ee os ) which means holy, set apart, consecrated.
Matt 3:16 We are told that it had the appearance of a dove. A literal rendering would be “as if it were a dove”
• If the Spirit wants, it can have a physical appearance. In Acts 2:3 we see the Spirit appear as tongues of fire.
• Here we also see the Spirit descend or come to rest on someone and remain.
o This is the fulfillment of Isa 64:1
Luke 5:17 The word “power” is the Greek word dunamis which means power or strength.
o This power of God is of course the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:49 Jesus gives His disciples a very strong command here to wait until you have received the spirit.
o Trying to do ministry and life without the power of the spirit is a suicide mission.
John 14:16. Jesus uses the word Counselor. In Greek this is the word Parakletos.
o Which means helper, intercessor, comforter, advocate.
• This shows us not only a new name for the Holy Spirit but also a new role.
Verse 17: The word for Spirit here is followed by the Greek word aletheia. Which means truth.
Titus 3: 4 We are made righteous not by our own works but by the work of Jesus on the cross.
• But then the passage goes on to say that by the Holy Spirit we are washed and renewed.
Verse 6 That word generously really means abundantly or full measure.
Romans 8:11 The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead is living in us.
