A KEY SCRIPTURE

Genesis 1:2 "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." (NKJV)

ARRIVING AT AN ANSWER

The changelessness of the Holy Spirit is implied throughout the whole of Scripture. The first descriptive word of His creative activity shows the Holy Spirit is love (1 John 4:8 ). He is God the Holy Spirit. He is seen expressing His love in "hovering over". The Hebrew word 'rachaph' is rendered "moved" in the AV, and hovering in both New King James and the New International Version. It means to brood, relax, flutter, referring to the warm, devoted mother bird. As applied to the Holy Spirit He is shown to be "hovering over the face of the waters," and pouring His love on the newborn world, protecting and preparing Godhead's creative purposes.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of love unchanging. As New Testament people we know "the love of the Spirit," (Romans 15:30 ). His "comfort of love" (Philippians 2:1 ) is really experienced by us. He produces in us His fruit of love (Galatians 5:22 ), and pours out His unchanging love in our hearts (Romans 5:5 ).

A KEY SCRIPTURE

Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (NKJV)

Job 33:4 "The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (NKJV)

Job 34:14-15 "If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust." (NKJV)

ARRIVING AT AN ANSWER

The activity of the Spirit of God in the creation of man teaches that a body by itself, made of "dust of the ground," without the life-giving Spirit of God, would be just that - lifeless clay. We owe our physical and our spiritual life to the Spirit of God. Just as the formed body of Adam received the spirit of life by the quickening breath of the Spirit of God, we receive life and have our physical life sustained by the Spirit of God who is responsible for all life (Psalm 104:30 ). When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for personal salvation, we are born again of the Spirit (John 3:6 ) and become "a new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17 ). The Person and work of the Holy Spirit is unchanging.

Without the immutable Spirit of God all mankind would perish (Job 34:14-15 ). Every breath that we breath teaches us our dependence on Him. It is the same with our spiritual man. Without the changeless, energising Spirit of God breathing His life into our spiritual man, there would be no spiritual growth, nor power for service. The purpose of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is unchanging. He glorifies Christ Jesus to us, in us, and through us (John 16:14 ). The Holy Spirit will completely transform us (2 Corinthians 3:18 ), and will, as He raised Jesus, quicken our mortal bodies with resurrection life (Romans 8:11 ).

The unchanging Holy Spirit is seen in completeness before the throne. His completeness and perfection are described in the Revelation as "the seven Spirits who are before His throne" (Revelation 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6 ).The margin of the New International Version offers the rendering of "sevenfold Spirit". The number denotes completeness and perfection. The eternal Spirit, with the Father and the Son, has perfect equality in the Godhead, having all the attributes of deity. His being unchangeable means for the believer, among other glorious benefits, His unchanging abiding (John 14:16 ); His unchanging love (Romans 15:30 ); His unchanging anointing (1 John 2:27 ).