The Attributes of the Holy Spirit: Part 1 - Eternal and Omniscient

TBC Glassboro Sermons and More · The Attributes of the Holy Spirit: Part 1 - Eternal and Omniscient

Because the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead, He shares the same attributes as the other members.  A. H. Strong states that God’s attributes are “those distinguishing characteristics of the divine nature which are inseparable from the idea of God and which constitute the basis and ground for his various manifestations to his creatures.” (1)

The Holy Spirit is Eternal (Hebrews 9:14).   

• how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? - Hebrews 9:14

Eternality means that the Holy Spirit is not beholden to temporal limitation.  Charles Hodge stated, “With Him there is no distinction between the present, past, and future; but all things are equally and always present to Him.” (2)  Everything created exists within time.  Whatever exists within time changes.  Since the Holy Spirit is not limited by time, He cannot change — He remains the same eternally.

The Holy Spirit has omniscience (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).   

• For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. - 1 Corinthians 2:10-11

Omniscience refers to His ability to know all things actual, possible, past, present, and future in one moment.  The Holy Spirit knows all things possible, including every variable.  Thus, He is referred to as the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and the Spirit of Counsel and the Spirit of Knowledge (Isaiah 11:2). 

• The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. - Isaiah 11:2

ENDNOTES:

1. Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1907), 244.
2. ​Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1989), 193.