Is the Holy Ghost a force or a person?

The Man Who Thought the Holy Ghost Was a Force, Not a Person

He had been taught that the Holy Ghost is not a person, but an impersonal active force that God uses, something like electricity or a power that proceeds from Him. So he came to think of Him as a tool rather than a person: with no mind, no will, no self, merely an energy that is directed. He lived without knowing the Spirit as one knows a person who can be addressed, grieved, and obeyed, but reckoned Him a power to be used. But one day he read in the book of Acts how Peter spoke to Ananias, who had lied, and found that to lie to the Holy Ghost is the very same thing as lying to God: "why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?... thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 5:3-4). And he stopped: one does not lie to a force like electricity; one lies only to a person. And the One lied to was called God.

The Bible's answer to the question of the Holy Ghost is a single sentence, and once it is grasped it transforms anyone who thought Him a force: the Holy Ghost is a true divine Person, not an impersonal power. He speaks, teaches, and guides; He has a mind and a will; He can be lied to and grieved — and these are acts and feelings possible only to a person. And He is God, for to lie to Him is to lie to God. The teaching that He is an active force like electricity contradicts the Bible, which ascribes to Him all the attributes and acts of a person, and sets Him as the third Person alongside the Father and the Son.

What Jehovah's Witnesses Teach About the Holy Ghost

Let the position be stated fairly. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the Holy Ghost is not a Person, but the «active force» that Jehovah uses to accomplish His will, which they sometimes liken to electricity or to a power that proceeds from God and works at His command. They hold that the ascription of speech, will, and feelings to the Spirit in the Bible is merely a figure of speech, as when wisdom is said to «call out» or nature is said to «act.» For them the Spirit is an instrument and not an agent, an energy and not a self.

And we acknowledge that their zeal for the oneness of God lies behind this teaching, and that they fear the personhood of the Spirit would lead to a plurality of gods — a fear whose root we share, for we too believe that God is one. But the problem is that their solution collides with the texts of the Bible, which ascribe to the Spirit the acts and feelings of persons, not the actions of forces. A force does not speak in the first person, does not issue a command, cannot be lied to, and cannot be grieved. The Bible ascribes all of these to the Holy Ghost, so He cannot be a force. And the oneness of the Bible has room for three persons in one divine essence — not for three gods, and not for a force without a self.

The Spirit Speaks and Commands in the First Person

How do we know that some being is a person and not a force? We look at what he does. A force does not speak in the first person, nor issue a command by its own will, but the Holy Ghost does this. In Antioch He said to the church: "Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts 13:2). Consider it: «separate me» — the first person — and «I have called them» — a personal will and call. Electricity does not say «separate me,» nor does it call anyone to a work; only a person with a self and a will does that.

And the Holy Ghost teaches and guides, and these are the acts of a person, not of a force. The Lord Jesus Christ promised His disciples: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things" (John 14:26). And He described Him as a guide who speaks: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself" (John 16:13). Notice that the Lord called Him «he,» in the masculine, not «it,» pointing to a person and not a force. Teaching, guiding, and speaking are the acts of a rational, willing self.

He Can Be Lied To — So He Is a Person, and He Is God

The strongest proof of both the personhood and the deity of the Spirit together is that He can be lied to, and that to lie to Him is to lie to God. When Ananias lied, Peter said to him: "why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost" (Acts 5:3), and then, in the same breath: "thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 5:4). Consider the double proof: one does not lie to an impersonal force — no one «lies» to electricity — so that He can be lied to proves He is a person; and the One lied to was called «God,» which proves He is God.

So the single verse demolishes the teaching of the force from two directions at once: it establishes the personhood, because a lie can be told only to a self that is addressed; and it establishes the deity, because lying to the Holy Ghost was named lying to God. Were the Spirit a force, it could not be lied to, and the lie to Him could not be called a lie to God. So from the mouth of Peter himself we learn that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person, not an energy without a self.

He Can Be Grieved — and a Force Cannot Be Grieved

The Bible ascribes to the Holy Ghost a feeling possible only to a person: grief. The apostle Paul wrote: "And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Ephesians 4:30). Consider it: «grieve not» — and grief is a personal feeling that proceeds from a self that loves and is wounded. Electricity is not grieved, nor does an energy suffer; only the person whose love is wounded is grieved. So that the Holy Ghost can be grieved is proof that He is a person with feelings, not a force without sensation.

And He has more than grief: He has a mind and a will. He has thought and knowledge: "But he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit" (Romans 8:27). And He has a will by which He distributes gifts as He Himself chooses, not as He is directed: "But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will" (1 Corinthians 12:11). «As he will» — so He has His own will, by which He divides as He chooses. A force does not will and does not choose; only a person wills and chooses. And He intercedes as well: "but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26).

«Merely a Figure of Speech» — Answered From the Lie, the Grief, and the Name

Here the trained Witness raises an objection: might these acts not be merely figures of speech, as when wisdom is said to «call out» or the wind to «will»? The answer is that figurative personification is possible in poetic speech, but it does not account for what can be said only of a real person. We may say figuratively that a force «works,» but we do not say that a force is «lied to» in a moral sense, nor that it is «grieved.» Lying and grieving are not poetic personifications, but a moral relationship that exists only between persons. There is no sense in which lying to electricity is a sin, nor in which the feelings of an energy are wounded.

And the decisive proof is that the Holy Ghost stands as the third Person in the baptismal formula, alongside the Father and the Son, not as a subordinate force: "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). Notice: «in the name» — one name for three, not «in the name of the Father and the Son and the active force.» Were the Spirit a force, it would be like baptizing «in the name of the Father and the Son and electricity,» which is unfitting. Rather He is a Person with the Father and the Son in the one name. And the apostle Paul sets Him as the third in the benediction: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost" (2 Corinthians 13:14). For communion is with a person, not with a force.

The Word of God Alone

The Word of God in Scripture is the sole and sufficient standard for testing every teaching. The Bereans "searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11) -- they did not accept teaching because an organization issued it but because it was found in Scripture. This standard protects the believer from every distortion. Complete salvation is freely available through faith alone in Jesus Christ -- it requires no institutional membership, no organization approval, no additional requirements. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). Come to the Lord Jesus Christ directly and freely now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever and ever. Amen.

Scripture Is Complete and Sufficient

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What was inspired is present in the written Scripture. Every addition or alteration to the text is warned against in Revelation 22:18-19. The sincere person who reads the Bible with open eyes finds in it everything needed for salvation and life -- without institutional mediation. The complete and eternal salvation that Jesus Christ purchased is available now to every person who believes, through faith alone, without any additional requirement. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen. Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

The Nature of Jesus Christ in Scripture

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." (John 1:1, 14). "The Word was God" -- not "a god" or "a divine being" but God. Philippians 2:6 describes Jesus as "being in the form of God" -- the same form, the same nature. Colossians 2:9: "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" -- all the fullness, not part of it. Thomas declared to the risen Jesus: "My Lord and my God." (John 20:28). And Jesus accepted this worship rather than correcting it. This is the Jesus Christ of Scripture -- the eternal God who became flesh for human redemption. Come to Him directly. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen.

The Complete Atonement

"By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14). "Once" -- not repeated. "Perfected for ever" -- no incompleteness requiring supplementation. The death of Jesus Christ on the cross paid for the sins of every believer once and for all time. When Jesus said "It is finished" (John 19:30), the atonement was complete. No ongoing ritual, no organizational programme, no progressive works are needed to complete what God has already declared complete. The person who receives this finished work by personal faith receives full, certain, and eternal salvation immediately. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ, for ever and ever and ever. Amen.

Galatians 1:8 -- Every Teaching Tested by Scripture

"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:8). This apostolic warning covers every source -- even a heavenly messenger. Any teaching that contradicts the biblical gospel -- salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone -- falls under this warning regardless of its institutional source. The written Word of God is the faithful measure of every religious claim. The sincere person who comes to Scripture alone with honest questions will find the true gospel and the true Christ who saves completely and freely. Amen. Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen.

The Direct Invitation -- No Organizational Mediator

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28). "Unto me" -- directly to Jesus, not to an organization or institutional gateway. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John 6:37). Every sincere person who reads the Bible honestly is invited to come directly to Jesus Christ for complete, free, and eternal salvation. No organizational membership is required. No institutional approval is needed. The door is open to every person who believes. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ now. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

Isaiah 43:10 -- No God Before or After

"Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." (Isaiah 43:10). The God of Scripture has no competitors, no predecessors, and no successors. This declares the absolute uniqueness of God in a way that cannot accommodate a secondary divine being or a created angelic figure elevated to near-deity. The Jesus Christ of Scripture is not a created being who attained a high divine status -- He is the eternal God who took human flesh. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9). All the fullness -- not part of it. Come to the true Christ of Scripture. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." (Acts 16:31). Amen. Glory to God for ever. Amen. Amen and amen. Glory to God in our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen. Amen! So be it. Amen. Amen.

Closing — Know the Holy Ghost as a Person Who Dwells in You

If you were taught that the Holy Ghost is a force to be used, the Bible calls you to something deeper and sweeter: to know Him as a divine Person who dwells in the believer, teaching, guiding, and comforting him. He is not an energy to be directed, but a Person to be addressed, obeyed, and not grieved, a Person alongside the Father and the Son. You are not called to «use» a force, but to know a Person and to walk with Him. And this Spirit is the One who bears witness to Christ, who died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and receive Him as your own personal Saviour, and the Holy Ghost will dwell in you as a Person who teaches and guides you. Do not let a teaching that diminishes the Spirit to a force rob you of knowing Him as a divine Person. For the One who dwells in the believer is not an energy without a self, but God Himself, the Holy Ghost, a Person to be known and loved.

A Special Prayer

If you have come to see that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person and not a force, and that the believer knows Him and walks with Him, you may come to God now. What saves you is not the words of a prayer, but faith that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose again. So pray from your heart to the living God who hears:

"O great and holy and loving God, the one true God: I was long taught that the Holy Ghost is a force to be used, and I see now that He is a divine Person, alongside Thee and Thy Son. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I need a Saviour. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. I trust in Him alone as my Saviour, and I ask that Thy Holy Spirit would dwell in me as a Person who teaches and guides me. Forgive me, receive me, and grant me eternal life. I pray in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."

After You Have Prayed

If you prayed this prayer from a sincere and believing heart, then the Holy Ghost dwells in you as a divine Person who teaches and guides you, and you have become a child of God forever. Here are steps to steady you:

First — read the Word of God every day. Know that the King James Version (KJV) is the truest and purest copy of the Word of God in all the world, His true and pure Word, and you will find it on this website (alinjil.com); and in Arabic, read the trustworthy Van Dyck translation. Begin with the Gospel of John, not in haste, but with meditation and prayer, for God speaks to you through His Word.

Second — ask the Holy Ghost who dwells in you to guide you in the Word of God, and know Him as a Person you walk with, not a force you use.

Third — pray to God directly every day in words from your own heart, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fourth — beware of grieving the Holy Ghost, but submit to His guidance, for He is a Person to be honoured and obeyed.

Fifth — seek a church that believes in the Holy Ghost as a divine Person, join the fellowship of believers, be baptized in obedience to the Lord, and bear witness to others with gentleness that the Spirit is a Person and not a force.

And keep reading the Word of God in the King James Version, the truest and purest Word of God in the world, and in the Van Dyck in Arabic — both found on this website — that you may grow in the knowledge of the triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

A Personal Word to You, Dear Reader

Thank you for taking the time to read this message about the Person of the Holy Ghost, and the salvation that God offers through the Lord Jesus Christ. If you have received Christ as your own personal Saviour, the Holy Ghost dwells in you as a Person who teaches you, and you have become a child of God forever. "thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God" (Acts 5:4).

We encourage you to begin reading the Gospel of John for yourself, to continue in the Word of God in the King James Version — the truest and purest Word of God in the world — and in the Van Dyck in Arabic, both found on this website (alinjil.com), and to share this good news with everyone who was taught that the Holy Ghost is a force and not a Person. May God richly bless you as you know His Holy Spirit as a Person who dwells in you and guides you.

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