Is the Holy Spirit to be Worshipped?

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Foreigner

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In a recent discussion about the Holy Spirit, the following points about Him were brought out:


1. He is a person.
2. He is, like Jesus, a Comforter or Helper (John 14:16)
3. He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
4. He is a teacher.
5. He brings the teachings of Jesus to our remembrance (John 14:26)
6. He will guide us into all truth.
7. He will show us things to come. (John 16:13)


This brought on discussion of his position within the Trinity and that led to this question: Should the Holy Spirit be worshipped as Jesus is, as God is?


Not a trick question. Just want to hear people's opinions and possibly scripture to support them.


Many thanks.
 

Butch5

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In a recent discussion about the Holy Spirit, the following points about Him were brought out:


1. He is a person.
2. He is, like Jesus, a Comforter or Helper (John 14:16)
3. He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
4. He is a teacher.
5. He brings the teachings of Jesus to our remembrance (John 14:26)
6. He will guide us into all truth.
7. He will show us things to come. (John 16:13)


This brought on discussion of his position within the Trinity and that led to this question: Should the Holy Spirit be worshipped as Jesus is, as God is?


Not a trick question. Just want to hear people's opinions and possibly scripture to support them.


Many thanks.

We are to worship the Father. The Spirit honors Jesus and Jesus honors the Father.
 

Foreigner

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We are to worship the Father. The Spirit honors Jesus and Jesus honors the Father.

-- Our praise and worship is for Jesus, as well. Not just to the Father.

Is it then appropriate to bless the Holy Spirit?
 

Templar81

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From the NICeane Creed

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life,
who preceeds from teh Father and the Son, who with the Father and the son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

So yes, we do because with the father and the Son the Holy Spirit is also God and is the love between the Father and the Son.
 

kimberly

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This brought on discussion of his position within the Trinity and that led to this question: Should the Holy Spirit be worshipped as Jesus is, as God is?


Not a trick question. Just want to hear people's opinions and possibly scripture to support them

Here's a good commentary on that very thing. (I rate a commentary as "good" when it contains more exegesis from scripture than someone's opinion - even if their opinion is correct. I still think the Word speaks for itself most of the time.)

Here's the link from gotquestions.org: My link

And here's the main excerpt from the link in case anyone doesn't like clicking on links they are unfamiliar with. If you do go to the link, after the commentary is a host of other questions about the Holy Spirit that are answered.

Question: "Should we worship the Holy Spirit?"

Answer:
We know that only God should be worshipped. Only God demands worship and only God deserves worship. The question of whether we should worship the Holy Spirit is answered simply by determining whether the Spirit is God. Contrary to the ideas of some cults, the Holy Spirit is not merely a “force” but a personality. He is referred to in personal terms (John 15:26; 16:7-8, 13-14). He acts as a Being with personality would act—He speaks (1 Timothy 4:1), He loves (Romans 15:30), He teaches (John 14:26), He intercedes (Romans 8:26), and so on.

The Holy Spirit possesses the nature of deity—He shares the attributes of God. He is neither angelic nor human in essence. He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is everywhere present (Psalm 139:7-10). The Spirit is omniscient, i.e., He knows “all things, even the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10-11). He taught the apostles “all things” (John 14:26). He was involved in the creation process (Genesis 1:2). The Holy Spirit is spoken of in intimate association with both the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; John 14:16). As a Person, He can be lied to (Acts 5:3-4) and grieved (Ephesians 4:30). Furthermore, some passages in the Old Testament that are attributed to God are applied to the Spirit in the New Testament (see Isaiah 6:8 with Acts 28:25 and Exodus 16:7 with Hebrews 3:7-9).

A divine Person is worthy of worship. God is “worthy of praise” (Psalm 18:3). God is great “most worthy of praise” (Psalm 48:1). We are commanded to worship God (Matthew 4:10; Revelation 19:10, 22:9). If, then, the Spirit is deity, the third Person of our triune God, He is worthy of worship. Philippians 3:3 tells us that true believers, those whose hearts have been circumcised, worship God by the Spirit and glory and rejoice in Christ. Here is a beautiful picture of worship of all three members of the Godhead.

How do we worship the Holy Spirit? The same way we worship the Father and the Son. Christian worship is spiritual, flowing from the inward workings of the Holy Spirit to which we respond by offering our lives to Him (Romans 12:1). We worship the Spirit by obedience to His commands. Referring to Christ, the Apostle John explains that “those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us” (1 John 3:24). We see here the link between obeying Christ and the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, convicting us of all things—especially our need to worship by obedience—and empowering us to worship.

Worship is itself a function of the Spirit. Jesus says that we “worship in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Those who are spiritual are those who are indwelt by the Spirit who testifies to us that we belong to Him (Romans 8:16). His presence in our hearts enables us to return worship to Him in the Spirit. We are in Him as He is in us, just as Christ is in the Father and the Father is in us through the Spirit (John 14:20; 17:21).
 

Foreigner

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Thank you so much for your reply, Kimberly.

You have given me much to chew on.

And I agree with you about providing input via scripture as a main supporting point rather than opinion.
 

kimberly

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Oh and here's another thought. What are we calling "worship"? My own concepts about worship have changed over the years and I am leaning towards the bulk of worship as being obedience to God. So if we are talking about obedience, then yes, it's clear that we are to worship the Holy Spirit. He is to be obeyed.

Here's a good quote about that by Lou Giglio.


“Worship is our response to God. In other words, we don’t initiate worship; God does. He reveals; we respond. He discloses; we respond. He unveils; we respond. He chooses to show us how amazing He is; we say, God, You’re amazing!’ Our whole relationship with God works the same way. He loves; we love in return. He calls; we answer. He leads; we follow.”

We are to follow the Holy Spirit's leadership.

 

HammerStone

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To me that simple answer is yes. We struggle with the concept of one God being able to handle multiple "forms" (to put a word on it), but both Christ and the Holy Spirit are in our terms at least of God (and I would testify are God). I think the GotQuestions.org reference conveys this well.

I John 3:24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

A verse like the says God abides in us by his Spirit. God is the only thing, in my book, that can convey God. There are other Scriptures that bear this out, but this one came to mind.
 

rockytopva

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Should we worship God? Of course. So then, the question, is the Holy Spirit God?

God the Holy Spirit is his own personality in the third person along with God the Father and God the Son. The Holy Spirit cannot forgive sins or work through sinful man unless that mans body is properly prepared for him. So it is the work of Jesus to Baptize in the Holy Ghost. As Jesus paid the price for us he has also paved the way for us to get more of God in the form of the Holy Ghost. The way to both God the Father and God the Holy Spirit is through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.


I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: - Matthew 3:11

But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. - Mark 3:29 (Note the Holy Spirit has not the power to forgive sins)

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. - John 15:26

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. -John 16:13-14

So the Holy Spirit like Jesus proceeded from the Father. However the Holy Spirit cannot operate along with God the Father in our life without Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit knows that he did not suffer of die on a cross for us and has no authority to forgive sins. The Holy Spirit will not therefore glorify his own name but the name Of Jesus Christ.
 

aspen

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God alone is worthy of worship - the HS is God. He is worthy of worship.

Matthew 4:10
 

Selene

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In a recent discussion about the Holy Spirit, the following points about Him were brought out:


1. He is a person.
2. He is, like Jesus, a Comforter or Helper (John 14:16)
3. He is the Spirit of Truth (John 14:17)
4. He is a teacher.
5. He brings the teachings of Jesus to our remembrance (John 14:26)
6. He will guide us into all truth.
7. He will show us things to come. (John 16:13)


This brought on discussion of his position within the Trinity and that led to this question: Should the Holy Spirit be worshipped as Jesus is, as God is?


Not a trick question. Just want to hear people's opinions and possibly scripture to support them.


Many thanks.

The answer is yes. We worship the Holy Spirit because He is God. God is three persons in one. God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
 

Butch5

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-- Butch, do you really believe that Jesus is not God?

I believe Jesus is God, however, I don't believe He is the Father. That is why I asked you if you had any Scripture that suggests that we are to worship anyone other than the Father.
 

Duckybill

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Jesus was worshiped several times in the NT. If it was wrong Jesus would have rebuked them.
 

Foreigner

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I believe Jesus is God, however, I don't believe He is the Father. That is why I asked you if you had any Scripture that suggests that we are to worship anyone other than the Father.


-- If you, as you say, "believe Jesus is God," then Jesus should be worshipped, no?