•God Is Spirit
(John 4:24)
•God Is Personal

Spirit beings are persons – “to think of God as impersonal or as anything less than personal is a denial of Jesus’ affirmation that God is spirit” (Cottrell 68). As a person, God has rational consciousness (thinking being), self-consciousness (awareness of self-existence and identity), self-determination (free will), and relationships with other persons. God’s essence is different from anything physical, being as Spirit He is nonmaterial and invisible.

•God Is Self-Existent

Self-sufficient, immortal, indestructible, independent. ( 1 Timothy 6:16/ Romans 1:23/ John 5:26/ Acts 17:24-25/ Isaiah 43:11-13)

•God Is One

“One indivisible being, not composed of parts” (Cottrell 69). As One, His attributes are one and equal— mercy, omnipotence, sovereignty, wisdom, omniscience, wrath, love, omnipresence, holiness, etc.. There is no attribute greater than another. God is the one and only God, which is called “the unity of singularity” (Cottrell 69). (Deuteronomy 6:4/ 1 Corinthians 8:4/ Exodus 20:2-3/ Isaiah 45:5/ Matthew 4:10)

•God Is Three: The Trinity

God is one and three at the same time: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. Three persons—each with distinct roles and personalities, one essence. “That God is three persons means that within the one divine nature are three individual centers of consciousness” (Cottrell 71). God is not divided into three distinct units or three separate Gods. ‘ĕlōhîm in the Scriptures is the plural masculine noun for “God” (‘ĕlōhîm is used over approx. 2,300 times for the True Yahweh God).

*”We must be on guard against heretical denials of the doctrine of the Trinity. Some deny the oneness of God and affirm polytheism. This is common among pagan religions and it true of Mormonism and the original Armstrongism. Others deny the threeness of God, saying there is only one truly divine person. An example is fourth-century Arianism, which taught that Jesus is not truly God but is a create being. Jehovah’s Witnesses are modern-day Arians. Another denial of God’s threeness is any form of unitarianism, which says there is only one divine person. One kind of unitarianism is called modalism, which says that in his inner nature there are no distinctions within God. Only in his external relations with his creatures does God assume different modes or roles in order to make himself known and accomplished his purposes among men. These modes are successive, not simultaneous. For example, in OT times the one divine person revealed himself as Father; then he became incarnate as the Son; now he relates to his creatures as the Spirit. A modern example of modalism is the “Oneness movement” among certain Pentacostal bodies, also known as the “Jesus only” Pentecostals” (Cottrell 73). Some famous speakers use the water analogy: solid, liquid, vapor example of the Trinity, which is modalism (a false-theology heresy).

“Below is the best symbol for the Trinity we are aware of” (Got Questions).

•God Is Infinite and Eternal

He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and Last, the Beginning and End. He is not bound by space or time. He is and was and always will be. He is not limited by anything outside of Himself, but is limited by His own nature—in other words, “he cannot do anything that is inconsistent with his attributes” (Cottrell 74). For instance, He is love, so He cannot do anything that is inconsistent with (contradicts) His love, and He is holy, so He cannot do anything that is inconsistent with (contradicts) holiness (same with all His other attributes). He is the Everlasting, and Eternal God and Immortal King. His existence has no beginning or end. He can know the entire scope of history at once, seeing from beginning to end in one moment. (Isaiah 40:28/ Romans 16:26/ 1 Timothy 1:17 / Isaiah 57:15/ Revelation 4:9-10/ Psalm 41:13/ Isaiah 44:6/ Revelation 1:8; 21:6/ 2 Peter 3:8 / Isaiah 41:21-26; 42:8-9; 44:6-8; 46:9-11)

•God Is Righteous/Just

God is a righteous, just Judge who shows no partiality.

(Psalm 129:4; 145:17; 11:7; 50:6/ Romans 2:5, 11/ Acts 3:14 (Jesus—God the Son)/ John 17:25)

•God Is Immutable

He does not, will not, and cannot change. (Malachi 3:6/ Psalm 102:25-27)

•God Is Transcendent/Holy

This means He is set apart, distinct, separate—this is both separate from sin and sinful creatures (ethical holiness) and separate from creation (ontological holiness). (Revelation 4:8/ Exodus 15:11/ Leviticus 19:2; 20:26/ 1 Peter 1:15-16)

•God Is Sovereign

He has absolute lordship/dominion over all—King of kings, Lord of lords. Lord = owner/master (ex. landlord). As such, He has “the inherent right to control and to use his possessions as he sees fit” (Cottrell 81). (Deuteronomy 10:17/ 1 Timothy 6:15-16/ Exodus 19:5)

*”There is a serious disagreement in the Christian world as to the exact meaning of divine sovereignty. Some, especially Calvinists, equate sovereignty with causation, and say that the only way for God to be sovereign is if he is the sole, ultimate cause or originator of everything that takes place, including events in the natural world as well as human decisions. Since God must be the ultimate cause of even human decisions, there is no truly free will…everything that comes to pass is part of God’s one original plan, his eternal decree, which is both all-embracing and efficacious. …equating divine sovereignty with omicasuality is arbitrary and antibiblical. Instead of causation, the key word for sovereignty is control. God is sovereign in the sense that he is in control of every event that takes place among creatures, whether he actually causes it (which is often the case), or simply permits it to happen (instead of preventing it, which he could do if he so chose). Either way God is ‘in charge’; he is in full control over his creation, he is sovereign” (Cottrell 81).

•God Is Omnipotent

He is all-powerful—šaday or Shaddai (Almighty) in the Old Testament and pantokratōr “the Almighty” in the New Testament. As such, He can do anything He so chooses, with exceptions like lie or be tempted by evil. (Job 36:22/ Psalm 62:11/ Genesis 49:25/ Exodus 6:3/ 2 Corinthians 6:18/ Revelation 1:8/ Jeremiah 32:27/ Matthew 19:26/ Titus 1:2/ James 1:13).

•God Is Wise

What does true wisdom, His wisdom, look like? what true wisdom, His wisdom looks like is found in James 3:17—”But the wisdom from above (God’s wisdom) is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” God’s wisdom works in miracles and providence. Miracles are not typical but do occur at His will. Providence is what we should understand as how God works in our everyday lives—”in his ability to use the forces of nature and the free decisions of human beings to carry out his purposes” (Cottrell 83). This subject is described more in detail here.(Romans 11:33; 16:27/ Daniel 2:20/ Romans 8:28)

•God Is Omniscient

He has infinite knowledge, which includes foreknowledge—which is of “future contingent choices of free-will beings” (Cottrell 86). (1 Samuel 2:3/ 1 John 3:20/ Romans 11:33/ Genesis 6:6/ Amos 7:3, 6)

•God Is Omnipresent

He is not limited by space, but is everywhere-present. (Jeremiah 23:23-24/ Acts 17:27-28)

•God Is Immanent

With His omnipresence, immanence “describes his presence and activity within the created world” (Cottrell 88). Although He is Sovereign King, He is also in our midst with us. He is present in His providence, miracles, in communication through prayer, and dwells with us by His Spirit. (Acts 17:27-28/ Psalm 34:15; 145:18/ James 4:8/ Matthew 18:20)

•God Is Glorious

Glory is great, majesty excellence, significant, important. (Psalm 24:7-10; 148:13/ Acts 7:2/ 1 Corinthians 2:8)

•God Is the Creator

God created everything Ex Nihilo—from nothing. This happened over a period of six literal, twenty-four-hour days. Therefore, the earth is young, approximately 6000 years, based on the records we have in Scripture. (Romans 4:17 1:20-25/ Hebrews 11:3/ John 1:1-3/ Genesis Chapters 1 & 2/ Exodus 31:12-18/ Isaiah 40:28)
Some good reads for this are:
ICR: How Old Is the Earth According to the Bible by John Morris
ARJ: How Scholars’ Perceptions of the Semantic Range of יוֹם Have Affected Their Discussions of the Age of the Universe (3 Part in-depth study to consider for your own studies)
“In reviewing the interpretation of ‘day’ in reference to the creation account …, it is evident that, throughout the biblical era, there is no explicit Scriptural evidence that Israelites regarded the timeframe of Genesis 1 as being anything other than an ordinary week” (Smith). 
AIG: Six Literal Days by  Dr. Terry Mortenson

•God Is Good, Gracious, Love, Holy, Truth, Justice, Wrath

He bestows grace which includes love, kindness, mercy, patience, wanting none to perish.  Scripture makes clear He is love (2 Peter 3:9/ 1 John 4:7-21 (fear in this context means fear of the final judgment, because our salvation is secure IF we are true converts and persevere)/ Exodus 34:6/ 1 Peter 1:3/ John 3:16, 17:3). His love is a pure, holy, righteous love.  His love never accepts sin, because He is holy, and the two cannot agree, they cannot intermingle. Which leads to the fact that He is also wrath.  “Because of God’s attribute of holiness in love, He displays the characteristics of justice and wrath.  Because of God’s attribute of love in holiness, He must respond to sin in justice and in love, and He must have responded to it in the way He did, by dying for us” (Melissa Dougherty). 
As for truth, He is the absolute standard for absolute truth, which never changes. (John 14:6/ John 17:17/ John 16:13/ Psalm 25:5) 
Furthermore, we see in Scripture that God hates (Deuteronomy 12:31; Hosea 9:15).  Since God’s nature is love, anything that is contrary to love, to His nature, He hates.  He created us with the capacity to love and hate.  “Hatred is sometimes justified—we naturally hate things that destroy what we love” (Got Questions).  Because of the first sin and its resulting corruption, love and hate get mixed up, they are corrupted just like everything else was corrupt.  “When the Bible does speak of God’s hatred, the object of His hatred is sin and wickedness. Among the things God hates are idolatry (Deuteronomy 12:31; 16:22), child sacrifice, sexual perversion (Leviticus 20:1–23), and those who do evil (Psalm 5:4–6; 11:5). Proverbs 6:16–19 lists seven things the Lord hates: pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false witnesses, and troublemakers. Notice that this passage does not include just things that God hates; it includes people as well. The reason is simple: sin cannot be separated from the sinner except by the forgiveness available in Christ alone. God hates lying, yes, but lying always involves a person—a liar—who chooses to lie. God cannot judge the lie without also judging the liar. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves the people of the world (John 3:16). God spared wicked Nineveh, bringing them to repentance (Jonah 3). God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:32). He is patient to an extreme, “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This is all proof of love—God wants what is best for His creation. At the same time, Psalm 5:5 says about God, “You hate all evildoers” (ESV). Psalm 11:5 is even harsher: “The wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion.”
Before a person [is saved] in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is the enemy of God (Colossians 1:21). Yet, even before he is saved, he is loved by God (Romans 5:8)—i.e., God sacrificed His only begotten Son on his behalf. The question then becomes, what happens to someone who spurns God’s love, refuses to repent, and stubbornly clings to his sin? Answer: God will judge him, because God must judge sin, and that means judging the sinner. These are the “wicked” whom God hates—those who persist in their sin and rebellion, even in the face of the grace and mercy of God in Christ.” (Got Questions).
(Romans 1:18/ Nahum 1: 2-3/ Colossians 3:5-6/ Ezekiel 13:13/ Psalm 78:56-66/ Joshua 7:1/ Romans 12:19/ Romans 2:5-6, Exodus 33:18-19/ Psalm 25:8; 34:8; 100:5; 145:9,15-16/ 1 Timothy 6:17)

•God Is Perfect

As He is holy, pure, set apart; He is the absolute standard of perfection.  He is complete.  He is morally flawless. (Matthew 5:48/ Psalm 18:30/ 1 John 4:18/ 2 Samuel 22:31)  

•Jesus Is Fully Man (Human Nature)

The New Testament confirms Jesus as a male human being. As man, He has a real, flesh-and-blood body. As man, He experienced all physical needs (food, rest, etc.), bodily limitations, and infirmities. As man, He was born of a woman, grew and matured. As man, He worked a trade (carpenter) to earn a living. As man, He possessed a soul with emotions and feelings; He developed affectionate friendships (phileō), He felt righteous anger toward those doing wrong, and He felt joy, bereavement, anguish, suffering, and helplessness—among other typical emotions and feelings. As man, He was tempted (yet, NEVER sinning), thus being able to sympathize with human weakness. Jesus refers to Himself as Son of Man, not a literal “son” of man, but that He is fully man, fully human. (Hebrews 2:14; 17; 4:15/ 1 Timothy 3:16/ John 1:14; 4:6; 11:3; 15:11/ Luke 2:5-7, 40, 52; 7:13; 19:41; 22:44/ Galatians 4:4/ Matthew 4:2; 8:24/ Daniel 7:13)

•Jesus Is Fully God (Divine Nature)

The Deity of Christ is found in the Old Testament. The Old Testament prophesies the coming Messiah (Redeemer/Christ), and that He would be divine. The Deity of Christ is confirmed in the New Testament. The New Testament fulfills the prophesies through Jesus the Messiah. As God, He performs divine works—creation, providence, salvation (Savior) and other miracles. As God, He was addressed as God in the New Testament, in which He did not deny. As God, He is equal with God. As God, He is worshiped. As God, He is identified with Yahweh (God of Israel). As God, He testifies that He is the First and the Last (Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End). As God, He is King of kings, Lord of lords, the Almighty. (Acts 2:36; 10:36/ John 1:1-3; 5:18-47; 10:30; 20:28/ Philippians 2:6, 10-11/ Revelation 1:17-18; ch.5; 17:14; 19:16/ 1 Timothy 6:15/ Romans 10:9/ Colossians 1:16; 2:9/ Mark 2:7-10/ Titus 2:13/ Galatians 1:1/ Hebrews 1:6 / Matthew 3:3 (Isaiah 40:3—Yahweh)

•Jesus is Immanuel, God in the Flesh
(emmanouēl—God with us)

As both fully man and fully God, “Jesus was God united with man, and showed that God was dwelling with man” (Blue Letter Bible). Jesus bridges divinity and humanity. (Matthew 1:23/ Colossians 2:9)

*”Jesus’ divine nature as God made Him fit for the work of Redeemer.  His human body allowed Him to shed the blood necessary to redeem.  No human being with a sin nature could pay such a debt.  No one else could meet the requirements to become the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.  If Jesus were merely a creation, or a good man as some claim, then He would have had a sin nature and would not be perfect (even angels rebel/fall).  If that was the case, His death and resurrection would have no power to save anyone.  Because Jesus was God in the flesh, He alone could pay the debt we owed to God.  His victory over death and the grave won the victory for everyone who (surrenders to Him)” (Got Questions).

•Jesus is God’s Son

Jesus the Christ is the One and Only begotten Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit. With this point in mind, God the Son (Jesus) is equal to God the Father, distinct from God the Father, and subordinate to God the Father. With this in mind, Jesus is not a literal son of God (not a created being). Son denotes having the same identity—character, nature, attributes—as the Father. Jesus is also called the Son of David, but we know He is not a literal son of David, but that He has the identity—character, nature, attributes—of the prophesied Messiah in the Davidic Covenant lineage, being fully man as well as fully God. ESV notes on Psalm 80:17 state, “Israel is at God’s right hand, called to carry out his purpose in the world…the additional ‘of man’ emphasizes Israel’s frailty and dependence on God. (One reason NT writers call Jesus God’s Son, and the Son of Man, is to show that he embodies all that Israel was called to be, which makes him the ideal heir of David).” (Psalm 2:7/ Matthew 3:17; 11:25; 15:22; 16:16/ John 3:16; 10:25, 29, 30, 36; 19:7/ Mark 3:11/ Romans 1:1-4/ Luke 1:35; 22:70/ Galatians 1:1/ Hebrews 1:3)

•Jesus Was Born of a Virgin

“The only real significance of the virgin birth lies in its necessary relation to the deity of Jesus. To perform the great saving works of atonement and resurrection, the Redeemer must be a sinless human being who is also God. The virgin birth is the means by which such a person has come into being” (Cottrell 253). It is the means by which the divine Savior was born, guaranteeing His deity. Scripture tells us in Luke 1:35, Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit’s power.

*”It should be obvious that the doctrine of the virgin birth is not a doctrine about Mary but about Jesus. Mary’s submissive obedience is highly commendable and her privilege unmatched, but she is not the focal point of this event” (Cottrell 252). To make her as such, is to create a false idol.

•Jesus Led a Perfect, Sinless Life

Only God, who is holy and set apart from sin and sinful creatures (ethical holiness) could come in the flesh as a sinless human, which was a prerequisite of the saving efficacy of substitutionary atonement. No created being (earthly/heavenly) could meet the requirement (since all humans have sin nature and angels have the ability to also rebel/fall [demons]). Only the perfect, holy Creator. “If Jesus had committed even one sin, he himself would have deserved to die and thus would not have qualified as a substitute for us” (Cottrell 245). (2 Corinthians 5:21/ Hebrews 4:15)

•Jesus Was Our Penal Substitutionary Atonement

God, by His righteous/just nature demands atonement (redemption) via blood sacrifice for sin. We are separated from a holy God through rebellion/sin beginning with Adam and Eve, condemned to [spiritual, eternal] death by breaking His law, and we are unable to atone for our sinfulness (we are not enough, not sufficient and worthy on our own). Sinless, pure Jesus—God the Son—gave Himself as sacrifice for our sin, taking our penalty of death upon Himself in our place in order to reconcile/redeem our relationship with God. “Jesus’ death on the cross propitiated, or satisfied, God’s requirement for justice. God’s mercy allows Jesus to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. As a result, Jesus’ sacrifice serves as a substitute for anyone who accepts it. In a very direct sense, Jesus is exchanged for us as the recipient of sin’s penalty” (Got Questions). (1 Peter 2:24; 3:18/ Ephesians 2:1/ Genesis 3:21 (first death to cover shame/sin)/ Exodus 12:13 (death passes over those who are atoned by blood sacrifice); 29:41-42 (requirement for blood atonement)/ Isaiah 53:4-6/ Romans 3:25–26; 5:10/ Hebrews 2:17; 9:26)

•Jesus Died (Crucified on a Cross),
Was Buried In a Tomb, and Was Fully Resurrected

Jesus’ death was the final, ultimate sacrifice once for all to redeem sinful mankind—”It is finished”/sin debt paid in full. The previous point details. Between His death and resurrection, His body was buried, but His Spirit was elsewhere. Going on Luke 23:43, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” So, from this verse, we can take Jesus’ promise to the thief that they both would be in paradise (Heaven). On the third day, however, Jesus was fully resurrected. “Others besides Jesus have been raised from the dead. By God’s miraculous power any dead person can be renewed to physical life. Jesus did not have to be divine in order to experience resurrection. But his resurrection was much more than this. When he arose from the dead, Jesus was not merely the recipient of God’s life-giving power; he was its very source” (Cottrell 245). His resurrection is important because it’s a promise and prophecy fulfilled—which is the power of God to confirm He is God. If He didn’t, death would have conquered Jesus, and He would not be God. He would have no power over death. If no power, then not God, which would mean Jesus couldn’t have been the Messiah and couldn’t have removed our sin nor reconciled us to God. The Gospel would be powerless. So, the resurrection demonstrated Jesus’ Lordship, devastated His enemies, inaugurated His Kingdom, validated His cross, originates the new creation, reanimates the spiritually dead, and renovates the universe. (1 Corinthians 15/ Matthew 27:32 – Matthew 28:20; 3:2; 12:28/ Romans 1:4; 6:9/ 1 John 3:8/ Hebrews 2:14/ Revelation 19:6; 21:1-5/ Daniel 2:44/ Philippians 2:9/ Colossians 2:15/ 1 Corinthians 2:8; 15:52/ 2 Peter 3:13/ Ephesians 1:18-20/ 2 Corinthians 5:17)

•Jesus Ascended into Heaven with God the Father

Jesus sits now at the right hand of God, preparing a place for believers, waiting to return to claim His bride. (Acts 1:6-11; 2:32-36/ Colossians 3:1 / Luke 22:69 / Ephesians 4:8/ 1 Timothy 3:16/ Romans 8:34/ John 14:2)

•Jesus Is Coming Again

The first time Jesus (God in flesh) came, it was quietly and humbly. Only a very select few on earth saw Him at the time of His arrival. The first time He came, it was to seek and save. He was here to bring peace (as the Prince of Peace) between God and man, yet He came to bring division between saved man and unsaved man (persecution). The first time He came, and now in the present, offers a time of grace. The second time He comes, He will be loudly proclaimed as King of kings and Lord of lords, because every eye will see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess He is Lord. Although His first coming brought judgment, the second time He comes will be as Judge. At His second coming, He will separate the sheep (saved) from the goats (unsaved). The second time He comes, it will be sudden and unpredictable. No matter how man tries to continue guessing, the hour of His return is and will be unknown. It was even unknown to Jesus, so those who make prediction claims speak heresy. (Romans 5:1/ John 9:39; 12:31-33; 1:16/ Matthew 25:31-46/ Luke 12:51; 19:10; 2:14/ Isaiah 9:6/ Romans 14:11; 5:1, 10/ Acts 17:31/ Revelation 19:11; 1:7; 16:15/ Matthew 24:36/ Mark 13:24-37/ 1 Thessalonians 5:2 / 2 Peter 3:10)

•Jesus Is the Only Means of Salvation,
the Only Mediator Between God and Man

There is only one path to reconciliation with God, eternal life, and Heaven, and it is through the gate of Jesus the Christ—His birth as God in flesh, His sinless life, His redemptive work on the cross and His resurrection, defeating death, the penalty of sin. Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (not a way or one way). He says, “‘No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6). “Many people believe that all roads—all religions and beliefs—lead to heaven, or they consider that God is so full of love and mercy that He will allow all people into heaven. God is certainly full of love and mercy; it was these qualities that led Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross for us [but He is also a just judge]. Jesus Christ is the exclusive door that leads to an eternity in heaven. Acts 4:12 says, ‘Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’ ‘There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (1 Timothy 2:5). …John 3:16, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ If we choose to reject God’s Son, we do not meet the requirements for salvation” (Got Questions). As Mediator/High Priest, He is the only one who stands between sinful man and holy God. “[P]riests were responsible for making intercession to God for the people by offering the many sacrifices that the law required. Among the priests, one was selected as the High Priest, and he entered into the Most Holy Place once a year on the Day of Atonement to place the blood of the sacrifice on the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:7). By these daily and yearly sacrifices, the sins of the people were temporarily covered until the Messiah came to take away their sins. …Like the Levitical priests, Jesus offered a sacrifice to satisfy the Law of God when He offered Himself for our sins (Hebrews 7:26-27). Unlike the Levitical priests, who had to continually offer sacrifices, Jesus only had to offer His sacrifice once, gaining eternal redemption for all who come to God through Him (Hebrews 9:12)” (Got Questions). (John 3:18, 36; 14:6; 10:9; 11:25/ Acts 4:12/ Romans 6:23/ Matthew 7:13-14/ Luke 13:22-30/ Hebrews 4:14-16)

•Jesus Is the Head of His Church

Bridging this point and the last—Jesus as Mediator and High Priest, we must understand that Jesus is the only One who has power and authority over His church, the Christian church (the universal body of baptized genuinely-saved believers). No one else has this power and authority. No one else is “holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26). Therefore, no one else can absolve sin. No one else can build Christ’s church. There is no other name by which we should pray and no other person to which we should pray than God through Jesus Christ. The only replacement for Christ given is the Holy Spirit. Although there are specific roles to be fulfilled by each member of the body (the church), there is no hierarchy. Jesus is the Cornerstone, and His church is the living stones. Jesus is the Head, and His church is His body. Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. (1 Timothy 2:5/John 15:1-11; 14:13-14, 26/ Colossians 1:18/ Ephesians 5:20; 5:23; 2:20/ Matthew 16:18/ 1 Peter 2:5/ Acts 4:12/ 1 John 5:14-15; 1:9)

•The Holy Spirit Is God, a Divine Person

The Holy Spirit is one of the three persons of God, the Trinity. As such, He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. As such, He is called Holy because He is set apart from finite, created beings. Also, He is called Holy because His work empowers (or “in”powers) the saved to be holy, ethically. As such, He is coequal with God the Father and God the Son (Jesus). Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as His replacement advocate/helper (John 14:16). As a person, He is listed along with other persons in Scripture (Acts 15:28). Matthew 28:19 coincides with this, as well as with His being a divine person. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2:10-11/ 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 13:14/ 1 Peter 1:2/ Acts 5:1-4/ Psalm 139:7-10/ Genesis 1:2/ Psalm 104:30/ Luke 3:21-22

•The Holy Spirit Dwells in the Genuinely Saved

The Holy Spirit convicts the lost of their sinfulness and need for Christ. When one receives and obeys the Gospel and is baptized (physically fully immersed in water [buried and raised to new life]) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), he is baptized under the three united persons of God. “The phrase into the ‘name of’ can mean generally ‘into a relationship with,’ which in this context would be a saving relationship in which all three persons of the Trinity participate. …[A] person becomes the ‘property’ equally of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, and surrenders to their shared lordship” (Cottrell 82). With this in mind, at baptism (with a genuine, contrite heart and genuine motives in repentance and with full faith/belief) a person receives the Holy Spirit. Being that Christians are filled with the Holy Spirt and are anointed at salvation, the ideas of “inviting,” “invoking,” “welcoming,” or “activating” the Holy Spirit and “decreeing” or “declaring” release of “special anointing” and “blessing” are false teachings. (Acts 2:38/ Luke 3:21-22/ Romans 8:9-11/ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20/ 1 John 2:20, 27/ 2 Corinthians 1:21–22/ 2 Timothy 1:14)

•The Holy Spirit Bestows Gifts/Powers at Reception

The Holy Spirit offers/offered three gifts/powers. First, are salvation gifts or moral power. This is the one-time act of regeneration/new life/being a new creation/being resurrected from spiritual death, and the on-going act of sanctification—empowering us to be holy as God is holy. This is the holy work the Holy Spirit does as God. At baptism we have forgiveness of sin, and sanctification begins to put sin to death in our lives (increasing more and more toward holiness as we grow and mature). We have the ability to resist temptation, and we have the ability to acknowledge sin, repent of sin (for we have an Advocate in Jesus), and cease sin by the Holy Spirit. This is also the same gift/power which will cultivate the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). Second, are service gifts or ministry power. These are gifts bestowed which empower saved individuals to serve the needs of the church. These are “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes ” (Ephesians 4:12-14). Some include, but are not limited to, teaching gifts, giving gifts, serving gifts, and evangelizing gifts. Third, are sign gifts or miraculous power. These were given to the appointed [by the Lord] Apostles by the Holy Spirit. These are supernatural gifts/miracles/signs/wonders which were to confirm new truth revealed and make God known (something that’s repeated over and over in the Old Testament), now as God the Son—Jesus the Christ, and what they had to do to surrender their lives to Him (Acts 2:22-41). “[T]he gift of speaking in tongues [in Acts 2 at Pentecost] was for the sole purpose of proving the truth of Peter’s Pentecost sermon” (Cottrell 105). There is no new truth/revelation which needs confirmation until Jesus’ return.
*Something to note about miracles: although God can and still does perform miracles at His will today, we cannot catalyze them as the Apostles did. In fact, although it seems like Scripture speaks of miracles as if they were regular occurrences, we have to keep in mind the Bible spans about 3000+ years, and the Bible has been said to have roughly 250 miracles. When you do the math, that’s not very frequent or regular at all. Most of what people associate with miracles today is God’s providence. I’ve written about all this here.
*Something to note about tongues and prophecy (supernatural gifts). For someone to equate being filled with the Spirit and babbling (what they’d consider “speaking in tongues” today—i.e., “Sheilaboughtahonda!” [as Melissa Dougherty has stated]) is erroneous and a misleading false doctrine. Tongues were and are known human languages/dialects. There is much debate about a “spiritual-language” facet of tongues (that are only known to God based on 1 Corinthians 14:2, which has been interpreted a few different ways). Likewise, prophecy is highly debated. From study, it has been highlighted that prophecy is simply revealing God’s words to us—His Word and its truth. Throughout the Old Testament, God warns of and condemns false prophets, and all through the New Testament, there is warning of false prophets/teachers and false teachings (in some way, in every book of the NT except one). So prophecy is no light matter. What we see in Scripture is prophecy which calls out iniquity and calls for repentance (see added Scriptures below for references). It is truth (often hard for the receiver to hear), not peace and good fortune, not flattery, good health, wealth or prosperity. It is edifying truth to build up Christ’s bride, His church, and offer exhortation and consolation (1 Corinthians 14:3). It is important to point out that God is still God, however. He uses His providence in our daily lives to convict or “nudge” us by His Spirit in us and even possibly through the advice, encouragement, rebuke, etc. of others. It’s up to us to use discernment, testing the spirits (1 John 4:1).
(Titus 3:5/ John 3:5/ 2 Corinthians 5:17/ Colossians 2:12/ 1 Peter 1:15-16/ Romans 8:13/ 1 John 1; 2:1-6; 3:4-9/ 1 Corinthians 10:13/ Galatians 5:22-23/ Ephesians 4:11/ Romans 12:8/ 1 Corinthians 12/Deuteronomy 18:20/ Jeremiah 14:13-16; 23:16-17; 29:31-32; 38:2-4/ Lamentations 2:14/ Ezekiel 12:24 & ch13/ Mark 8:34-35; 10:21/ Matthew 10:38-39; 19:23-24/ Luke 14:26-27)

•The Holy Spirit Bestows Knowledge

The Holy Spirit gives us knowledge through the Bible. “As human beings made in God’s image, we are under moral obligation to ‘be good,’ i.e., to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16), to be perfect as the Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This daunting responsibility requires two things: ONE, it requires knowing what constitutes goodness, holiness, and perfection. The Holy Spirit gives us this knowledge via Scripture. TWO, it requires doing what we know is good” (Cottrell 53). This knowledge is understanding spiritual truth, illuminating Scripture. This knowledge is wisdom and discernment (to distinguish good and truth from evil and counterfeit). The Holy Spirit does offer conviction and discernment. Although He (Holy Spirit/God) doesn’t “speak” to us per se (except through His Word), He—being active in us, omnipresent and omnipotent—urges/convicts/lays something heavily on our hearts, and we must choose to obey.
*Something to note: God does not routinely speak by personal revelation, a “word,” or any other mystical communication today, like we see in the Old Testament. Like stated above, though, God is still God. He uses His providence in our daily lives by those convictions previously mentioned through His Spirit in us and possibly through the advice, encouragement, rebuke, etc. of others. It’s up to us to use discernment, testing the spirits (1 John 4:1). (John 14:26; 16:13/ Ephesians 1:17-18/ 1 Corinthians 2:10-13/ John 16:12-15/ James 3:17)

•The Holy Spirit Is the Believer’s Helper

The Holy Spirit helps in times of trial, of persecution. He intercedes in prayer when believers do not quite have the words. He strengthens, encourages, and exhorts. As Helper, “the Holy Spirit [was] destined to take the place of Christ with the apostles (after his ascension to the Father), to lead them to a deeper knowledge of gospel truth, and to give them the divine strength needed to enable them to undergo trials and persecutions on behalf of the divine kingdom” (Blue Letter Bible). (Romans 8:26-27/ Ephesians 3:16/ John 14:16; 15:26; 16:7)

•The Holy Spirit Can Be Quenched and Grieved

The Holy Spirit is quenched when we choose to walk by the flesh and not according to Him. When we suppress Him, not revealing Him in our actions/words. The Holy Spirit is grieved in a like manner. We grieve Him by not living the Christian life as seen in Ephesians 4–5: “by living like the pagans (4:17-19), by lying (4:25), by being angry (4:26-27), by stealing (4:28), by cursing (4:29), by being bitter (4:31), by being unforgiving (4:32), and by being sexually immoral (5:3-5). To grieve the Spirit is to act out in a sinful manner, whether it is in thought only or in both thought and deed” (Got Questions). (1 Thessalonians 5:19/ Ephesians 4:30; 6:16 [same word used quench/extinguish—”sbennymi“]/ Galatians 5:16-23)

•Man is Created in the Image of God

“As human beings we are not just creatures; we are unique creatures, i.e., a unique part of the visible creation. We are the only earthly creatures whose essence is more than physical; man alone has a soul or spirit and is thus a combination of matter and spirit. Our spiritual nature makes us like angels, who are wholly spirit; it also makes us like God, who is also spirit, albeit uncreated and divine. Being spirit after the pattern of divine spirit means that we are created in the image of God” (Cottrell 149). Man is created in the likeness of God socially, mentally, and morally. As His image-bearers, fearfully and wonderfully made, each human being is created with intrinsic value. Each human being is created and known by God—even before the womb—on purpose for a purpose. We were each created by God to give Him pleasure through a genuine relationship. (Revelation 4:11/ Colossians 1:16/ John 15:14-15/ Genesis 1:26-27/ James 3:9/ Ephesians 4:24/ Psalm 139:13–14)

•Man Has Free Will

God creates and permits man to have free will. This is part of being made in God’s image—being a thinking, volitional creation, which reflects His freedom and intellect. This allows man to fabricate things (buildings, books, machines, etc.), rationalize and learn (languages, mathematics, etc.). It allows man to make choices, both righteous and evil. This also includes the choice to surrender to Him through Jesus Christ or refuse Him, glorify and honor Him or live by the flesh. God makes clear, however, every choice has a consequence—both bad and good. This is why Scripture contains exhortations, examples, correction, and guidance. He is patient and desires none to perish, but He doesn’t force man; that’s man’s free-will choice. Human beings have the ability to know, love, worship, fellowship with, and serve God, but they have to choose to do so. (Mark 12:30/ Genesis 3:8 /Deuteronomy 11:26-28/ 1 Peter 2:16/ Galatians 5:13/ Ephesians 4:1/ 2 Peter 3:9/ Joshua 24:14-15 John 7:17; 5:40)

•Man Is Not Equal to God

Although God created man in His image, and created man to fellowship with Him, He did not create man as equal to Him. Man is not God, nor is man a “little god.” Man is not divine. Likewise, man cannot control God, influence God, tell God what to do, or demand anything of/from God. God is Sovereign, and none match His Sovereignty. God is completely holy and perfect, and none match His perfection. (Deuteronomy 4:35/ Psalm 8:5)

*”Jesus was fully God and fully man… If the “little gods” hypothesis is accepted, it imputes to Jesus a lesser divinity of some kind” (Got Questions).

•All Are Not God’s Children

Although all are His image-bearers, not all are His children. Only when we surrender to Christ through rebirth (we die spiritually in baptism and are raised to new life In Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit, being reborn), are we adopted as sons and daughters of God, co-heirs with Christ. (Ephesians 1:5/ Romans 8:12-17 / Galatians 4:7; 3:26 / 1 John 3:1; 5:1/ John 1:12-13

•Man Is Separated from God by Sin

Man, like the rest of God’s creation, was initially created good. However, due to man’s first act of disobedience—through free will—in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the picture. Because of The Fall in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve, we are all born with a sinful nature. Sin separates man from holy, pure, perfect God. Since man broke God’s laws, man is deserving of the death penalty. Sin leads to eternal death in Hell (a very real place [Revelation 21:8/ Luke 10:15]). Man needs freedom from the bondage of sin and reconciliation with God, a relationship restored. Man is not enough on his own, not worthy, not capable of reconciling the broken relationship with God. Man can never be good enough when it comes to merit, to justification in salvation. Genesis 1:31; ch. 3/ Romans 5:12-21/ Romans 6:23/

•Saved Man and the Commission

The genuinely saved, Christian man is commissioned to make disciples. This entails sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone, everywhere, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all Jesus has commanded. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Since man is separated from God by sin and is not sufficient, not worthy to be reconciled with God on his own, he must submit to the saving grace of Jesus Christ through His salvation work on the cross and victory over death in resurrection (Romans 5/ Ephesians 2/ 1 Corinthians 15).

He has given us the opportunity to be saved, to offer that freedom and reconciliation. What we have to do is accept His free gift (Romans 6:23) by:

Coming to Him with a genuine, contrite heart, believing the Gospel, and confessing this belief,
Repenting (turning from living in sin and turning in full submission to God),
Being baptized into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sin and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (without which of both one cannot be saved—clothing yourself with Christ).
All steps are necessary and go hand-in-hand to be saved.

The result of true salvation is living life in sanctification—again, in full submission to Him, no longer being owner of yourself, but surrendering your life fully to His ownership as Lord.  We must make Him the true Lord (owner/master) of our lives. 
If we do not accept, we remain in our sin state, separated from God now and eternally.

*There is a lot of confusion and questions about baptism. I have written about baptism here.

Only those who are genuinely saved have reconciliation with God, eternal life, and will one day be joint heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven. Galatians 4:7 Romans 8:12-17/ John 14:6/ Acts 4:12 / John 10:9, 28/ Titus 1:1-2/ 1 Timothy 6:12/ John 14

Since we are separated by God in our natural state, because of our sin nature, the ONLY way to be reconciled to God—restoring a right relationship and being saved from bondage to sin and eternal death in Hell—is through Jesus the Christ. In order to be reconciled through Jesus the Christ, we first must know Who the true Jesus is, and when we deny any part of Who He is (or conjure up a Jesus in our mind that conforms to our own design and modern conformity—like with false religions [Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Seventh-Day Adventism, Progressivism, New Age, etc.]), we deny the true Jesus of the Bible (1 John 4:2-3/ Jude 1:4/ Titus 1:16). Therefore, there are some nonnegotiable, absolute truths we must hold (refer to the “Jesus” section of this page): Jesus is God in the flesh. Immanuel. He is both fully man (human nature) and fully God (divine nature). Therefore, to uphold His divine nature, we must hold that He was born of a virgin, sinless and pure, that He continued His sinless life, that His work on the cross was redemptive substitutionary atonement, that He died and that He was fully resurrected. All these demonstrating God’s power as God in the flesh. He, as God, was the very source of power to defeat slavery to sin and eternal death through His death and resurrection.

The church is the collective body of Christ.  The original word is Ekklēsia = called out/called forth.  Ekklēsia is baptized disciples (the genuinely saved) called out/forth not only to assemble together but called out from being part of the unsaved world.

Something key to note:
Church is not a building or denomination.
Church is genuinely saved disciples of Christ.

Church is both the universal church (all genuinely saved disciples/sons/daughters of Christ—1 Corinthians 12:13) and the local church (genuine saved disciples in a particular province/region local to their residence—examples: Galatians 1:2/ 1 Thessalonians 1:1).

The biblical church has no denomination. Scripture references “church of God,” “churches of Christ,” and “church [of whatever province],” as seen in Paul’s letters in the examples above. This is simply to identify the local church is part of God, Christ, and the people assembled in whatever province they were located. It wasn’t to signify an ordained, formal title, like a plaque for a building. (Acts 20:28/ 1 Corinthians 1:2/ Romans 16:16).

Each member of the one body of Christ, the church, has a specific role/service gift/ministry power he or she is called to in order to build up, spur on, encourage, correct, rebuke, and exhort one another, striving to attain unity in Christ. The understanding of service gifts/ministry power is highlighted above under Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit Bestows Gifts/Powers at Reception. No one gift is elevated above another, and no church has a “parent” authority apart from God the Father and Son—Christ Jesus—who is the head Authority, Husband, Cornerstone, Builder of His church (Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:1-16; 5:22-33/ Romans 12:4-5/ 1 Peter 2:1-12/ Colossians 1:18). There is no hierarchy in the church; though, we do see in Scripture the example of fully qualified (1 Timothy 3:1-7/Titus 1:5-16), appointed leaders (Overseers/Elders/Pastors) who set an example for the church and shepherd the church. Again, however, Christ is the only Head of the body, and Christians are equal members under the Head of the body. There are no appointed Apostles or Prophets today (no other final authority than Christ/God’s Word—for more on this, read my blog posts: Women and Prophetic). (1 Corinthians 12/ Ephesians 4/ 2 Timothy 3:16; 4:2/ Hebrews 10:24)

Being a devoted member of a local church should not be neglected. Considering the last point, each Christian has a crucial function/gift to offer in the universal church. This is also the case for the local church. Scripture urges in Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” We each have something to give and receive in order to help us spiritually grow and mature in the faith, becoming unified and more like Christ. As Christians, we are brothers and sisters, family.

Adapted from the sermon “Spiritual Growing Pains”

Scripture is the infallible, all-inspired (God-breathed) Word of God, and is used in its entirety “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Bible is given to man by God for the purpose of revealing Himself and leading man back to a reconciled relationship with Him through Jesus the Christ, since all are born with sinful nature (beginning with the first sin in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve – aka The Fall – Genesis 3/ Romans 5:12-21)

The Old Testament prophesies the Messiah’s coming. The New Testament fulfills the prophecy with the Messiah’s arrival. The Messiah is Jesus Christ, and the whole theme of the Bible is Jesus and His salvation work.

The Bible is comprised of letters, history, songs, poetry, stories, and philosophy. It was written over about 1500 years (covering well-over 3000 years) through about 40 different human conduits. This is a great testimony for its validation, being that it is coherently unified in its entirety.

When reading and studying the Bible, one must be incredibly careful about interpreting the context. The Bible has text that’s either prescriptive, descriptive, or both. Prescriptive text is instruction to follow, even today. Descriptive text simply tells a narrative. We must use proper hermeneutics (interpretation) and its exegesis (exposition) when reading and studying the Bible. We must take into account historical and literary context, audience, the author’s original intent and the text’s original purpose. It is crucial to read a passage in its full context, not cherry-picking a single verse or few out of proper context. It is crucial to avoid eisegesis (one’s own ideas/bias) when reading the Bible.

The Bible contains core doctrine necessary for Christian living. Therefore, genuine Christians cannot and do not reject or neglect the Bible. Being the Bible contains multiple warnings of false teachers/teachings, it is crucial to read and study in order to properly discern which teachings and their teachers are true and which are false. Only when we know the authentic can we discern the counterfeit. (1 Peter 3:15/ 2 Timothy 3:16/ Romans 16:17-18/ Ephesians 5:11)