The Holy Spirit

Meena_Ameen

I was encountered once again with a member or the protestant church, when i was at a restaraunt. I was speaking to my friend about how we are given the Holy Spirit but we are not one with the Holy spirit. She insisted that when we are baptised the Holy Spirit is always in us. I said that the only time a human and the Holy Spirit were united was in the body of Jesus Christ. I than told her that the Holy SPirit is WITH us and helps us when we let it.This prostestant lady over heard our conversation in the restaraunt and said no the Holy spirit is in us. She than pulled out her bible and pointed out acts 2:3 "and they were filled with the holy spirit".  How do i explain to her that this did not mean you are united completely witht he holy Ghost. For they were both saying that the holy spirit is IN you

Unknown

The Holy Spirit is in you, and works within you. That is not the same as being of one essence with the Holy Spirit, which is only true of the Father and the Son.

Anglican

Dear Meena,

Orthodox 11 is correct. Protestants usually fail to distinguish between the energies of God and His essence; we cannot be one with the latter, since only the Son and the Holy Spirit are of the same essence. It is His energies with which we can be filled.

In Christ,

Anglian