The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed from the tape, GC 70-13, titled "Bible Questions and Answers."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. Copyright 1992 by John MacArthur Jr., All Rights Reserved.

Question

I have some questions with regard to some scriptural references to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the eternal state. I just want to know some references that I could look up.

Answer

Isolating him out from the rest--I don’t know if I can think of that offhand. Isolating the Holy Spirit out from the rest of the Trinity to note that He is eternal. I mean, obviously, He is as eternal as any other member of the Trinity because He is God, the third person. So, His eternality is tied to His identity, His person. Try Hebrews 9:14. That comes to mind and I think…yes, verse 13, “If the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh. How much more will the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit…” Now, there’s a reference to the eternality of the Holy Spirit. And if you start there in Hebrews 9:13, you might want to check some other resources. You might find some other references to the eternality of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know-offhand, I can’t just grab any out of the air. But, anyway, you might be able to find some other ones.

I think about I Corinthians 15:28 because it’s just such an important one. It says that, ultimately, when everything is resolved, all things are subjected to God, “the Son Himself will be subjected to the One who has subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.” “All in all.” And so there you have the eternal God-everything ultimately resolved in His eternality in the end. And Hebrews 9:14 (I think) is the only reference to the eternal Spirit.

Question (continued)

And what is His function? What is His ministry, if you will?

Answer (continued)

Well, He will uphold everything, just like He does now. I mean, when we get to eternity, God’s not going to stop doing what He does now! If it’s going to be righteousness in eternity, He’s going to have to sustain the righteousness. The Holy Spirit will continue to do whatever the Holy Spirit has always done. The only difference is going to be with reference to us. But, you know, we’re not all there is. There’s a whole angelic creation; there’s an entire, endless universe; there’s a whole heaven of heavens; there’s a new Jerusalem; there’s the abode of God, and all the enterprise that God is involved in, in sustaining all that is…and whatever role Holy Spirit has always played in that, He will always continue to play in that.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur’s Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
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