In a time when spiritual experiences are common but theological clarity is often lacking, many believers are left wondering how to rightly interact with the Holy Spirit. Should every spiritual prompting be obeyed without question? Can pastors or teachers claim the Spirit’s authority and remain above critique? And how can we know when something is truly from God or when it is a counterfeit?
Scripture answers these concerns not with vague encouragement but with strong instruction. The Holy Spirit is real, personal, and present. Yet we are commanded to test the spirits, to examine prophetic claims, and to remain anchored in the Word. This lesson explores both who the Holy Spirit is and how the people of God are called to respond to His voice with reverence, wisdom, and truth.
Who Is the Holy Spirit? Yahweh Among Us
The Holy Spirit is not a mystical force or a divine power switch. He is the third Person of the Trinity, fully God, fully eternal, and fully personal. From the very first pages of Scripture, we see Him present in creation, hovering over the waters as the breath of Yahweh. He does what only God can do. He speaks, commands, empowers, and gives life.
The New Testament affirms this divine identity. Peter tells Ananias in Acts 5 that he has lied to the Holy Spirit, and then immediately states he has lied to God. Paul in 2 Corinthians 3 refers to the Spirit as “the Lord.” The Spirit is not a created being nor an impersonal wind. He is Yahweh, and to interact with Him is to encounter the living God.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon judges, prophets, and kings to empower them for specific roles. He anointed artisans, guided leaders, and spoke through messengers. Yet He did not dwell permanently within all of God’s people. His presence was selective and often temporary. This was not due to any deficiency, but because the covenant had not yet reached its fulfillment. The temple was sacred space. Only after the atoning work of Christ could human hearts become that temple.
At Pentecost, this changed. The Spirit descended not on a mountain or a sanctuary but on the gathered body of believers. He came to dwell within them, not just with them. This marked a new chapter in the life of God’s people. Every believer now becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. The same God who descended on Sinai and filled the Tabernacle now fills the hearts of those who belong to Christ.
This matters deeply for discernment. When we speak of testing the spirits, we are not dealing with vague impressions or spiritual atmospheres. We are discerning whether what we are hearing or experiencing aligns with the character, authority, and truth of the One who is Yahweh, the Spirit of God.
The Call to Discernment
John gives a direct and sobering command: do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. This is not a warning against all supernatural experiences. It is a call to distinguish between what is truly from the Spirit of God and what is false. The early church faced false prophets, counterfeit visions, and teachings that claimed divine authority. Today is no different.
Paul writes to the Thessalonians, urging them not to quench the Spirit and not to despise prophecy, but to test everything and hold fast to what is good. The balance is clear. We must be open to the Spirit’s work while remaining grounded in discernment. Testing is not opposition to the Spirit. It is obedience to Him.
Testing involves examining whether a message or experience lines up with Scripture. The Spirit never contradicts the Word He inspired. Isaiah tells the people of his day that if someone does not speak according to the law and the testimony, there is no light in them. This remains true. The Spirit of truth does not speak lies or encourage rebellion against God’s Word.
We also test by fruit. Jesus said a tree is known by its fruit. Does the spiritual experience or message produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and self-control? Or does it bring division, fear, pride, and confusion? The Spirit builds up the Church in holiness and unity. He does not lead people into chaos or flattery.
Another test is whether the Spirit glorifies Christ. Jesus said the Spirit would not speak on His own authority but would take what belongs to Christ and declare it. The Spirit always lifts up Jesus. Any voice or experience that shifts attention away from Him is not of God.
Finally, discernment happens in community. Paul instructed the Corinthians that prophetic words should be weighed by others. Even sincere believers can mishear, misunderstand, or be misled. A healthy church does not operate on private revelations that cannot be tested. The Bereans were praised for examining Paul’s words against the Scriptures. True spiritual leadership invites scrutiny because it is committed to the truth, not to control.
Spiritual Abuse and the Misuse of Authority
One of the most dangerous distortions of the Spirit’s work is when spiritual leaders use His name to shield themselves from accountability. If a pastor or teacher tells the congregation that their words must be accepted without question because they are Spirit-led, something is deeply wrong. No one is above testing. Not even Paul was exempt. In Galatians, Peter is corrected publicly for behavior that contradicted the gospel. True authority submits to the Word of God. When leaders resist examination, they are not protecting the Spirit. They are protecting themselves.
The Holy Spirit does not bless pride, manipulation, or spiritual intimidation. He convicts sin but never controls through fear. He leads but does not coerce. He exalts Christ, not personalities. Discernment is not rebellion. It is loyalty to the One who gave us His Spirit and called us to walk in truth.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit: The Sin That Will Not Be Forgiven
Jesus’ warning about the unforgivable sin has caused confusion and fear for generations. In Matthew 12, after the Pharisees accuse Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus responds with a grave rebuke. Every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, He says, except for blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. That sin will not be forgiven in this age or in the age to come.
To understand this, we must consider the context. The religious leaders had witnessed undeniable evidence of the Spirit’s power through Christ. A man was healed and delivered right before their eyes. But instead of responding in humility, they hardened their hearts and claimed the work of the Holy Spirit was demonic.
This was not a one-time slip. It was a willful rejection of the truth. They saw the Spirit at work and chose to call Him evil. Their hearts were not just mistaken; they were closed off to repentance. That is what makes the sin unforgivable. It is not a single act. It is a settled posture of rejection that cuts a person off from the very One who brings conviction, faith, and renewal.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit means knowingly and persistently attributing the work of God to the enemy, resisting the Spirit’s witness to Christ, and rejecting the truth with full knowledge of what is being denied. It is not a careless word or a moment of doubt. It is a defiant rejection of the Spirit’s testimony.
For believers who fear they may have committed this sin, that very fear is evidence that they have not. The unforgivable sin is not something someone accidentally stumbles into. It is a deliberate and final refusal of God’s offer of mercy. Those who grieve over sin, seek forgiveness, and desire to walk with the Spirit are not guilty of blaspheming Him.
This warning matters deeply in our age. When discernment becomes slander, when people mock what is genuinely from God because it does not fit their tradition, when leaders reject conviction and call it attack, they risk silencing the Spirit they claim to serve. The warning is not just for the ancient Pharisees. It is for anyone who hardens their heart and declares what is holy to be unclean.
We must test spiritual things carefully. But we must also be careful not to speak rashly against the Spirit’s work when we do not understand it. Discernment is not the same as accusation. Reverence demands that we weigh carefully, speak slowly, and remain humble before the presence of God.
Conclusion
To walk with the Spirit is to walk in the light. It is to be filled with the presence of Yahweh, to be shaped by the Word, and to be part of the community of truth. The Spirit is not afraid of questions. He is not threatened by testing. He commands it.
He is the third Yahweh, the Lord who spoke through the prophets, descended at Pentecost, and now dwells in every believer. He empowers, convicts, comforts, and teaches. But He always speaks in harmony with the Word and always glorifies the Son.
If a spiritual experience or teaching contradicts Scripture, exalts man, brings confusion, or silences accountability, it is not the Holy Spirit. We do not test because we are suspicious. We test because we love truth. And the Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth.
Discussion Questions
- What does it mean to say the Holy Spirit is Yahweh? How do we see that in Scripture?
- How did the Spirit’s role in the Old Testament differ from His role after Pentecost?
- Why is it essential to test spiritual experiences, even those that seem powerful or sincere?
- How does the Holy Spirit glorify Christ instead of drawing attention to Himself or to leaders?
- What safeguards can a local church put in place to protect against false spiritual claims?
Want to Know More?
- Gordon D. Fee, God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul
A comprehensive study of the Holy Spirit’s role in Paul’s theology, showing how the Spirit empowers, indwells, and sanctifies believers in the church age. - Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Holy Spirit
A theologically rich yet accessible book that explores the person and work of the Holy Spirit from a Reformed and biblical perspective, grounding experience in sound doctrine. - Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing the Holy Spirit Through the Old Testament
Demonstrates the Spirit’s active role in creation, covenant, leadership, and prophecy, connecting Old Testament themes to the fuller outpouring at Pentecost. - R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives
Offers a scriptural and pastoral call to embrace the Spirit’s ministry today without drifting into fanaticism or fear, addressing confusion in modern church practice. - Leon Morris, Spirit of the Living God
A concise and clear introduction to the Holy Spirit’s character, deity, and function throughout Scripture, written by one of the most respected evangelical scholars of the twentieth century.
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