Before the incarnation, the title the Holy Spirit was not used. However, the King James Version does not make this fact clear in its translation of Psalm 51:11 and Isaiah 63:10-11. “Thy Holy Spirit” in Psalm 51:11 should be “the Spirit of Thy holiness,” and “his Holy Spirit” in Isaiah 63:10 and 11 should be “the Spirit of His holiness.” The title “the Holy Spirit” was first used with respect to Christ’s incarnation, to the time when the Spirit came to Mary to conceive the Lord Jesus.
According to Luke 1:35, the angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; wherefore also the holy thing which is born will be called, Son of God.” The Greek words rendered “holy thing” may also be rendered “holy one.” Both are correct. Before the incarnation of Christ, no one had been holy in nature. Rather, everyone from the time of Adam onward was common, ordinary. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not make anyone holy with the holy nature of God. Of course, certain persons and things were holy in the sense that they were separated unto God. For example, Aaron was separated unto the Lord to serve as high priest, but he did not become holy with the holy nature of God. Not until the Lord Jesus was born was there One who was holy in nature. This was possible because He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit has the element of the divine nature, which is holy. Therefore, Matthew 1:18 says that Mary “was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.” Also, the angel of the Lord said to Joseph, “Fear not to take Mary your wife, for that which is begotten in her is of the Holy Spirit” (v. 20).
In the New Testament sometimes the Greek says “the Spirit, the holy.” This expression indicates that the Spirit is the holy. This reveals that the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Jehovah, is now something further—the Holy Spirit with God’s holy nature, to bring forth someone who is holy in nature just as God Himself is holy. God is holy in His nature, not just in position. Because the Lord Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, He also is holy in nature.
The Holy Spirit is of such a nature as to make us, the believers, holy with God’s nature. If we understand this, we shall know the meaning of sanctification in the New Testament. New Testament sanctification is to make us holy not merely in position but also in nature. It is to make us holy in nature, even as God is holy. Therefore, we say that the Holy Spirit has the element of the holy divine nature.
John 7:39 says, “But this He said concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” This verse indicates that before Christ’s resurrection, the Spirit—the Spirit compounded with other elements—was “not yet.” The Spirit of God was there from the very beginning, but the Spirit as the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:19) was “not yet” when the Lord spoke this word, because He was not yet glorified. Jesus was glorified when He was resurrected (Luke 24:26). After His resurrection, the Spirit of God became the Spirit of the incarnated, crucified, and resurrected Jesus Christ, who was breathed into the disciples by Christ in the evening of the day He was resurrected (John 20:22). The Spirit is now “another Comforter,” who is the Spirit of reality promised by Christ before His death (John 14:16-17). When the Spirit was the Spirit of God, He had only the divine element. When He became the Spirit of Jesus Christ through Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection, He had both the divine and human element, with all the essence and reality of the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. Hence, He is now the all-inclusive Spirit of Jesus Christ.
From the time of Genesis 1 until the time of John 20:22, the Spirit was not yet. The term “the Spirit” is all-inclusive, for it includes all the elements of all the other titles of the Spirit. As we shall see, the Spirit includes the Spirit of reality, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of life, the life-giving Spirit, the Lord Spirit, the Spirit of grace, and the seven Spirits. How marvelous!
Concerning the Spirit, I urge you not to follow the traditional teachings. Those teachings have drugged many believers. I myself was drugged for a number of years, and it took a long time for the Lord to de-drug me. I am concerned that some of us, especially the older ones, are still under the drugging influence of the traditional teachings. This influence may cause you to be in a stupor whenever you read the Bible. This is the reason you do not receive light when you study the Word. You may still be too much under the influence of tradition and of your own natural understanding.
Whenever we come to the Bible, we must come with a sober mind, with a mind that has been unloaded and de-drugged. Furthermore, we need to be poor in spirit and pure in heart. The Lord Jesus said that those who are poor in spirit and pure in heart are blessed (Matt. 5:3, 8). We need to have a spirit that is not filled, occupied, with anything, and we need to have a heart that is pure, seeking only the Lord. If we have such a mind, spirit, and heart when we read about the Spirit in the Word, we shall see the significance of all the titles of the Spirit of God.
Not one title of the Spirit is without meaning. For instance, Hebrews 10:29 speaks of insulting the Spirit of grace. It is significant that this verse does not speak of insulting the Spirit of God. The Spirit of grace enables us to taste the Triune God as our enjoyment. This is the taste of grace. It is a very serious matter to insult the Spirit of grace. According to the book of Hebrews, we need to care for the sanctifying blood of Jesus and also for the Spirit of grace, the Spirit for our enjoyment. Hebrews 10:29 illustrates the fact that every title of the Spirit is significant, for each title points to a particular element of the Spirit.