Deuteronomy 6:4-5 is clear only God is to be worshiped: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." This one God consists of the three Persons of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Does this mean we should worship the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Triune Godhead who has perfect knowledge (1 Corinthians 2:11), a mind (Romans 8:27), love (Romans 15:30), and a will (1 Corinthians 12:11). He can be insulted (Hebrews 10:29), lied to (Acts 5:3), resisted (Acts 7:51), and grieved (Ephesians 4:30). He is fully equal with God the Father and God the Son. Therefore, He can and should be worshiped as God.
A good example of the worship of the Holy Spirit can be found in the opening or conclusion of certain New Testament books. For example, Colossians 1:6-8 opens, "… since the day you heard [the Gospel] and understood the grace of God in truth, just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf and has made known to us your love in the Spirit." Second Corinthians 13:14 ends, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all." In both cases, all three Persons of the Triune God are acknowledged with thanks or worship.
In fact, worship of God cannot take place apart from the Spirit of God. God's Spirit lives within believers (Romans 8:16) and causes us to respond in worship. We are to worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24) as we give praise to God.
We can worship God through our actions and with our words. Romans 12:1 teaches, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
If the Holy Spirit is God, then all our worship of God is also worship of the Holy Spirit. The traditional Doxology sung in many churches shares the biblical perspective in including the Holy Spirit in worship, sharing:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Copyright 2011-2024 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved.
