The Names of God the Spirit: The Spirit

"You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9, NIV).

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 in Article II, part C, "God the Holy Spirit," states,

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

As Baptist, we are confident and comfortable talking about God the Father and God the Son, but I think we are less confident and comfortable talking about God the Holy Spirit. I offer a helpful warning: the Spirit is a real person, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, and we should address the Spirit as he/him, and not as it.

There are three truths in Romans 8:9 at which I want to look.

1. The Spirit is simultaneously God's and Christ's, yet distinct from both. Paul stated, through contrast, that Christians were controlled by the Spirit. By referring first to the Spirit and then adding the expressions "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ, Paul demonstrates that the Spirit is both one with God (the Father) and with Christ, while at the same time distinct from both. George W. Knight states, "The first dramatic truth emphasized by this verse is that the Holy Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. This is a bold affirmation that Jesus was one with the Father, yet distinct from him at the same time" (The Names of God, pg. 213).

2. The Spirit is our life. The verse teaches us that the Spirit is both the source of our life and its driving force. The Spirit is our life because apart from him we are spiritually dead. His presence brings us to life spiritually, so that we can obey God. Paul tells us that we are "controlled" by the Spirit.  He moves us beyond sinful natural inclinations to pursue the glory of God.

3. The Spirit lives in us. Simply put, to have the Spirit is to have Christ. Or we could say that if we have Christ we have the Spirit. This should surprise us because Jesus said as much in John 14:15-21.

These truths are heavy and wonderful and worthy of contemplation. May they give you comfort.