In christianity, the Holy Spirit is replaced by water baptism and human translations of scripture.
Much of christianity teaches a counterfeit baptism that is based on the physical foreshadow (water), and is used as part of a false salvation that is declared by a person, teaching that the person’s decision places the Holy Spirit into him, and that water baptism is a declaration of that “salvation.” Scripturally, water baptism never followed salvation, but preceded it. It was a foreshadow, not an afterthought.
Since water baptism only a foreshadows the work of the Holy Spirit, using it as a purported declaration then replaces the true role and authority of the Holy Spirit, and the unwitting christian then rests some of his eternal security on the false doctrines of his water baptism. The misguided christian replaces the Holy Spirit’s personal, direct, and unique confirmation of salvation with his own declaration, and thinks that his getting physically wet in front of people seals his justification before the Father.
In like manner, and from the same lack of spiritual understanding, christians replace the true role and authority of the Holy Spirit with their bibles. Just as they use water baptism to declare their salvation, they falsely use their English translations of the scriptures to “confirm” their salvation, and they actually believe that citing specific verses proves they have been given the Holy Spirit. The entire notion is absurd, when one understands the true purpose of the scriptures, and the power that lies, not in the words themselves, but in the Author of the words.
One of the sources of this entire false construct of “bible-as-Holy-Spirit” comes from honest ignorance of the meaning of the word “WORD.” English translations of scripture use the word “word” for two different things—one is a living being, and one is actual words. But, if one doesn’t know which of those things a passage is referring to, then the actual meaning of the verse cannot be understood.
The Hebrew DABAR and IMRAH, and the Greek LOGOS and RHEMA all get translated as “word” in the English translations.
The Hebrew IMRAH and Greek RHEMA are equivalents. They are utterances. So the RHEMA of Yah are His utterances—His statements. And, the focus is the actual words themselves.
The Hebrew DABAR and Greek LOGOS are equivalents. They are also utterances, but the focus is the one doing the speaking. So, when the Word (DABAR) came and spoke to the prophets in the OT, it was not a scroll, it was not any written words. It was the living being who was producing the utterances of Elohim. It was the Holy Spirit.
Messiah Yahoshua is the Word (LOGOS) made flesh. He was here, but then He HAD to go away (the wedding traditions required it), so another was sent in His place, and the One He sent is the Word (LOGOS) to the bride (“He will lead you into all truth, and tell you of the coming things”). Thus, christians, ignorant of the actual meaning of the words used in the original languages, think their bibles are the “word of God.” They aren’t.
Their English bibles are a translation of the RHEMA, they are not the LOGOS. And, only the LOGOS can confirm one’s salvation. Christians falsely believe that their translation of the RHEMA can confirm they have been given the Holy Spirit, and there is simply no way that can, or ever will, happen. In so doing, christians replace the Holy Spirit with their human translation of the scriptures.
Hebrews 4:12 says nothing about scripture. It is speaking of the Holy Spirit.
For more information: Christianity’s Holy Spirit – Some Water and a Book