Nicene Creed - Verse by verse - Part 3. The Holy Spirit – The Giver of Life

The Nicene Creed reaches its third great movement with the confession of the Holy Spirit. Having spoken of the Father who creates and the Son who redeems, the Creed now turns to the Spirit who gives life, sanctifies, and sustains the Church. This section is shorter than the one about Christ, but it is no less important. Without the Spirit, the truths of the Creed would remain distant ideas. It is the Spirit who makes faith alive in our hearts, who unites us to Christ, and who empowers us to live as God’s people.

When we say, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets,” we are affirming the full divinity of the Spirit and His vital role in God’s ongoing work in the world. This confession reminds us that the Spirit is not a feeling, a force, or a vague influence. He is a divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son, working in creation, redemption, and the Church until the end of time.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life	John 14:16–17  “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.”The Spirit is a divine Person, not a force, who dwells with believers and gives life. Genesis 2:7  “The LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”God’s Spirit is the source of physical and spiritual life. Romans 8:11  “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ will also give life to your mortal bodies.”The Holy Spirit gives resurrection life, continuing the life-giving work of God in believers.
Who proceeds from the Father and the Son	John 15:26  “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.”Jesus teaches that the Spirit comes from the Father and is sent by the Son, showing unity within the Trinity. Galatians 4:6  “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’”The Spirit’s presence in believers reflects the shared mission of the Father and the Son. Romans 8:9  “You are controlled not by the flesh but by the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”The Spirit is both the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ, revealing their shared divine essence.
Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified	Matthew 28:19  “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”The Spirit is included equally with the Father and the Son in the act of baptism and worship. 2 Corinthians 13:14  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”Paul places the Spirit within the same divine blessing, affirming His co-equality and glory. Revelation 22:17  “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’”The Spirit participates in divine invitation and worship, working alongside the Son to call the faithful.
Who has spoken through the prophets	2 Peter 1:21  “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”The Holy Spirit is the divine author behind Scripture, guiding the prophets to speak God’s truth. Hebrews 1:1–2  “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.”God’s revelation through the prophets was the work of the Spirit leading to the final revelation in Christ. Nehemiah 9:30  “You warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not listen.”The Old Testament clearly identifies the Spirit as the one who inspired and empowered prophetic messages.

The Holy Spirit as Lord

Calling the Holy Spirit “Lord” is a declaration of His divinity. The same word used for God the Father and Jesus Christ is now used for the Spirit. He is not secondary or subordinate; He is God Himself, actively present in the world. In Acts 5, when Ananias and Sapphira lie to the apostles, Peter says they have lied not to men but to God. The Spirit is the Lord who searches hearts and knows all things.

To call Him Lord also means He is worthy of obedience. The Spirit is not our helper in the sense of a servant who does our bidding. He is the One who leads, guides, and commands. To walk with the Spirit is to yield to His authority, trusting His wisdom more than our own understanding. His lordship is gentle but firm, leading us always toward holiness and truth.

The Giver of Life

The Creed next describes the Spirit as “the giver of life.” This truth stretches from the opening pages of Scripture to the end of Revelation. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes life into Adam, and he becomes a living being. The Hebrew word for “breath” is ruach, the same word for “spirit.” Physical life begins with the Spirit’s breath.

But the Spirit also gives spiritual life. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:5 that no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are “born of water and the Spirit.” Salvation is not merely forgiveness; it is new birth. The Spirit regenerates our hearts, awakens faith, and makes us alive to God.

The Spirit is also the giver of resurrection life. Romans 8:11 says that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to our mortal bodies. Every breath we take, every spiritual renewal we experience, and every hope of eternal life flows from His presence and power.

Who Proceeds from the Father and the Son

This phrase speaks of the Spirit’s eternal relationship within the Trinity. He “proceeds” from the Father and the Son, meaning that His existence and mission come from their shared love and will. This truth protects us from thinking of the Spirit as an independent power or as a later addition to the Trinity. He is eternally divine, united with the Father and the Son in one being.

In John 15:26, Jesus says, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me.” The Father sends the Spirit through the Son, and the Son sends the Spirit from the Father. Their work is inseparable.

This also means that the Spirit’s mission in the world is consistent with that of Christ. He does not speak on His own but glorifies the Son and draws people to the Father. Wherever the Spirit is truly at work, Jesus is exalted, and lives are transformed to reflect His likeness.

Who With the Father and the Son Is Worshiped and Glorified

The Church does not worship the Spirit separately from the Father and the Son but together with them. The same adoration, honor, and praise given to the Father and the Son belong equally to the Spirit. This is one of the clearest affirmations of the Spirit’s full divinity.

In baptism, we invoke one name—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In prayer and worship, we encounter the Triune God who is one in essence and three in person. This unity invites us into communion with God Himself. To worship in the Spirit is not a mere emotional experience but participation in the divine fellowship that has existed eternally.

When believers worship, the Spirit is both the means and the presence of that worship. Romans 8:26 says that when we do not know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. He is the breath of our prayer, the life of our praise, and the fire of our devotion.

Who Has Spoken Through the Prophets

The final line of this section grounds the Spirit’s work in history. The same Spirit who gives life and holiness also gives revelation. He is the author of Scripture, speaking through the prophets and apostles to reveal God’s truth. Second Peter 1:21 says that “prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

This means that the Bible is not a human book with divine inspiration sprinkled on top; it is a divine message delivered through human voices. The Spirit ensured that the words written were exactly what God intended. Because of this, Scripture carries authority and reliability.

The Spirit continues to speak today, not by adding new revelation equal to Scripture but by illuminating the written Word. He opens our minds to understand and apply it. Without Him, the Bible remains a closed book; with Him, it becomes the living Word of God that pierces the heart and transforms the soul.

The Spirit in the Life of the Church

The Nicene Creed’s confession of the Spirit naturally leads to the Church’s existence. The Spirit is the one who gives birth to the Church at Pentecost, uniting believers from every nation and language into one body. He distributes spiritual gifts for the building up of the community and empowers believers for witness and service.

When the Church forgets the Holy Spirit, it becomes a mere organization. When it walks in step with the Spirit, it becomes a living movement of God’s power and love. Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses.” Every revival in history, every movement of renewal, every act of courageous faith has been the result of the Spirit’s presence.

For individual believers, the Spirit is both comforter and challenger. He comforts the broken, convicts the sinner, and renews the weary. He shapes the character of Christ in us, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To live by the Spirit is to live in daily dependence on God’s grace.

Why This Matters Today

In a world obsessed with power, productivity, and personal control, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit calls us to a different kind of strength—the power of surrender. The Spirit’s work is not about making us more self-reliant but about making us more God-reliant.

Many Christians today struggle with dryness, restlessness, and spiritual fatigue. The answer is not in more activity but in deeper dependence on the Spirit. He is the one who brings the presence of the risen Christ into our lives. He turns doctrine into experience, belief into transformation, and knowledge into love.

To confess faith in the Holy Spirit is to believe that God is not distant. He is present, active, and personal. The same Spirit who hovered over the waters at creation now dwells in the hearts of believers. The same Spirit who inspired the prophets speaks through Scripture today. The same Spirit who empowered the early Church empowers us now to bear witness in a world that desperately needs hope.

Every time we declare, “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,” we are reminding ourselves that Christianity is not a human achievement. It is a divine miracle. The Spirit breathes life where there was death, unity where there was division, and courage where there was fear. He is the living presence of God among His people, guiding the Church until the day when Christ returns and all creation is made new.