The Holy Spirit is God
See our previous articles as well proving God is Triune and also Jesus is God.
Divine Attributes
Scripture indicates that the Holy Spirit is of the same essence as the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is ascribed with the attributes of God, is equated with God and does work that only God does.
Eternality: The Holy Spirit, the Counselor, will be with us “forever” (John 14:16). The Spirit is “eternal” (Hebrews 9:14).
Omnipresence: David, praising God’s greatness, asked, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” (Psalm 139:7-8).
Omnipotence: The works that God does, such as creation, are also ascribed to the Holy Spirit (Job 33:4; Psalm 104:30). Miracles of Jesus Christ were done “by the Spirit” (Matthew 12:28). In Paul’s ministry, the work that “Christ has accomplished” was done “through the power of the Spirit” (Romans 15:18-19).
Omniscience: “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10). The Spirit of God “knows the thoughts of God” (verse 11). The Spirit therefore knows all things, and is able to teach all things (John 14:26).
Holiness, eternality, omnipresence, omnipotence and omniscience are attributes of God’s essence, that is, characteristic of the nature of divine existence. The Holy Spirit has the basic attributes of God. This is because the Holy Spirit is God.
Equated with God
Acts 5:3 says that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit; verse 4 says that Ananias lied to God. This indicates that “the Holy Spirit” and “God” are interchangeable and thus that the Holy Spirit is God. Some people try to explain this by saying that Ananias lied to God only indirectly, simply because the Holy Spirit represented God. This interpretation might be grammatically possible, but it would still imply that the Holy Spirit is personal, for one does not “lie” to an impersonal power. Moreover, Peter told Ananias that he lied not to humans, but to God. The point that Peter was trying to make is that Ananias has lied not merely to God’s representatives, but to God himself, and the Holy Spirit is God to whom Ananias lied.
Another word interchange can be seen in 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19. Christians are not only temples of God, they are also temples of the Holy Spirit; the two expressions mean the same thing. A temple is a habitation for a deity, not a monument to an impersonal power. When Paul writes “temple of the Holy Spirit,” he implies that the Holy Spirit is God.
Another type of verbal equation between God and the Holy Spirit is seen in Acts 13:2: “The Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Here, the Holy Spirit speaks on behalf of God, as God. In the same way, Hebrews 3:7-11 tells us that the Holy Spirit says the Israelites “tested and tried me”; the Holy Spirit says that “I was angry…. They shall never enter my rest.” The Holy Spirit is equated with the God of the Israelites. Hebrews 10:15-17 also equates the Spirit and the Lord who makes the new covenant. The Spirit who inspired the prophets is God. This is the work of God the Holy Spirit.
Acts 28:25 says: So, as they disagreed among themselves, they departed, after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:” (Isaiah 6:8-10 is then quoted in 28:26-27; it applies the words cited to God; thus the Holy Spirit and God are equated).
2 Corinthians 3:17 teaches, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
Personal Characteristics
Scripture describes the Holy Spirit as having personal characteristics: The Spirit has mind and will, speaks and can be spoken to, and acts and intercedes for us. These indicate that the Spirit is personal—a Person in the same sense that the Father and Son are.
Life: The Holy Spirit “lives” (Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
Intelligence: The Spirit “knows” (1 Corinthians 2:11). Romans 8:27 refers to “the mind of the Spirit.” This mind is able to make judgments — a decision “seemed good” to the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28).
Will: 1 Corinthians 12:11 says that the Spirit “determines” decisions, showing that the Spirit has a will.
Speaking: Numerous verses say that the Holy Spirit spoke (Acts 8:29; 10:19; 11:12; 21:11; 1 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 3:7; etc.). The Spirit speaks in the first person as ‘I’; ‘It was I who sent them’ (Acts 10:20)… ‘I have called them’ (Acts 13:2).
Interaction: The Spirit may be lied to (Acts 5:3), which indicates that the Spirit may be spoken to. The Spirit may be tested (Acts 5:9), insulted (Hebrews 10:29) or blasphemed (Matthew 12:31), which implies personal status. Scripture applies intensely personal analogies: guiding (Romans 8:14), convicting (John 16:8), interceding (Romans 8:26), calling (Acts 13:2), commissioning (Acts 20:28). Only a person can be vexed (Isaiah 63:10) or grieved (Ephesians 4:30).
Paraclete: Jesus called the Holy Spirit the parakletos — the Comforter, Advocate or Counselor. The Paraclete is active, teaching (John 14:26), testifying (15:26), convicting (16:8), guiding (16:13) and making truth known (16:14).
New life: The Holy Spirit regenerates us, giving us new life in Baptism (John 3:5). The Spirit sanctifies us (1 Peter 1:2) and leads us in that new life (Romans 8:14). The Spirit gives various gifts to build the church up (1 Corinthians 12:7-11), and throughout the book of Acts, we see that the Spirit guides the church.
Intercession: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us... The Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:26-27). The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal power, but an intelligent and divine Helper.
