The Holy Spirit (Part 1)

I.  The Holy Spirit (or Spirit of God) is also called the Holy Ghost.

 MAT 3:16 c/w LUK 3:22.

II.  The Spirit has personality; hence, He is not just a force.

 1CO 2:10-11; ROM 8:26-27; 1TI 4:1; JOH 14:16-17.

III.  The Holy Spirit is declared Deity. 

      ACT 5:3-4; ISA 6:5, 8-10 c/w ACT 28:25-27.

IV.  Consider the diverse operations of the Spirit. 1CO 12:4-6; REV 1:4.

 A.  The Spirit takes part in creation. GEN 1:2; JOB 26:13; 33:4.

 B.  The Spirit inspired prophecy/Scripture. 2SA 23:2; 2PE 1:21.

 C.  The Spirit imparts eternal life. JOH 3:5-8; 6:63; TIT 3:4-5.

  1.  Old Testament saints also received this operation. GAL 4:28-29.

  2.  The Spirit takes up residence in the elect that they may cry "Abba,     Father." GAL 4:6.

            3.  The Spirit will play an active role in the resurrection of their body.      EPH 1:13-14 c/w ROM 8:11.

      D. The Spirit played a role in Christ's sacrifice. HEB 9:14.

      E. The Spirit makes overseers of God's flock. 

            ACT 20:28; 1TI 4:14 c/w 2TI 1:6, 14.

 F.  The Spirit plays a role in teaching and empowering.

  1.  Christ promised that the Holy Ghost would come for this purpose.

   JOH 14:16-17, 26; 15:26-27; 16:7; ACT 1:4-5, 8.

  2.  These disciples were already born again. JOH 13:10; 15:3; 1:12-13.

  3.  This is part of the Spirit's operation as the Comforter.

                  a. Comfort: To strengthen (morally or spiritually); to encourage,

                        hearten, inspirit, incite. (fr. L. 'confortare:' to strengthen,

                        f. confiltered= intensive + fort = strong.

                  b. Con (as prefix): In Eng. com - The sense is 'together,

                        together with, in combination or union,' also, 'altogether,

                        completely', and hence, intensive.

  4.  The obedient believer receives this promise. 

                  JOH 7:37-39 c/w MAT 11:28-30 c/w Lu.6:46-49; 14:26-27.

   a.  Through obedience to the gospel, a person is graft into the

    local church by the Spirit. ACT 2:37-47 c/w 1CO 12:13.

   b.  The Spirit builds obedient believers together into the local church     where He dwells for this ministry of comforting.

    EPH 2:22 c/w 1CO 3:16.

  5.  Consider the Holy Spirit's ministry of teaching.

   a.  This was to the apostles immediately. 

                        JOH 15:15, 27; 16:12-13; 1CO 2:12-13; EPH 3:3-5.

   b.  This is to the believers mediately. 

                        JOH 17:20; 2 Ti.1:13; 2:2; 2PE 1:19.

   c.  Continued obedience is necessary for continual teaching.

    HEB 5:14; 1PE 2:1-2; COL 1:10.

   d.  Sin will blind the mind and obstruct this teaching ministry.

    HEB 3:13; EZE 14:4; 1PE 2:8.

   e.  There are exceptions where God's truth will be declared by

    the wicked. 

                        NUM 22-25:3 c/w 2PE 2:15-16 c/w JUDE 1:11;

                        JOH 11:49-52.

    (1)  God can cause any creature to declare His truth. 

                              LUK 19:40.

    (2)  However, this is no rule for enlightened Christians to walk

     by. A broken clock is right twice each day.

    (3)  Also, there is a difference in knowing certain aspects of

     truth and growing steadily in all truth. MAT 4:4.

                              aa. Devils know and believe that Jesus is Christ and that

                                    there is one God. LUK 4:34, 41; JAM 2:19.

                              bb. There is truth that men may know naturally, i.e.,

                                    without the Spirit. ROM 1:19-20; 1CO 11:14.

  6.  Consider the Spirit's ministry of empowering.

   a.  The goal of the gospel is obedience. ROM 15:18; 16:26.

   b.  The Holy Spirit empowers to obey. 

                        EZE 11:19-20; ROM 8:13-14.

    (1)  This power must be sought through believing prayer.

     EPH 3:16-17; MAT 6:13; ROM 5:2 c/w

                              HEB 4:16; 11:6.

    (2)  This power is experienced in faithful obedience to the       word, for the Spirit leads through the word. 

                              REV 19:10; 1PE 1:22; JOS 1:8-9; JOH 15:4-12;

                              GAL 5:16 c/w PSA 119:1-3.

    (3)  The obedient life of the believer is the Spirit's seal of that       person.

                              aa. Seal: To attest by a seal; to place a seal upon (a        document) as evidence of genuineness, or as a mark       of authoritative ratification or approval.

                bb.  The believer's seal is his belief of God's word.        JOH 3:33.

     cc.  God's seal is given in 2TI 2:19. This departure        from sin by one who names Christ is God's         evidence of the genuineness of that person as His        own.  EPH 1:13; 1TH 1:4-6.

     dd.  The formal attestation to being a son of God (the        seal) comes at baptism, as with Christ. 

                                    JOH 6:27 c/w MAT 3:17.

   c.  Works of righteousness may be performed by unbelievers as      seen in ACT 10:1-2, 35.

    (1)  Cornelius was yet lacking in his life toward God. 

                              ACT 10:6.

    (2)  Cornelius was not yet a disciple for Christ. He was not a

     witness for Christ. The following passages would not have

     applied to Cornelius before his conversion: 

                              JOH 15:8, 11, 14; 1CO 15:58; COL 2:2, 7;

                              PHM 1:4-6; 1JO 5:4-5.

  7.  The teaching and empowering ministry of the Spirit is the means for the    abundant life. JOH 10:10.

                  a. Abundantly: F. ab - away from + undare - to flow in waves =

                        abundare. Overflowingly, exceedingly, enough and to spare;

                        hence, in large measure, plentifully, copiously, amply,

                        sufficiently for all purposes.

   b.  The saint should not produce trickles, but rivers of the Spirit's      empowerment. JOH 7:38.

   c.  We should be FILLED with the spirit. EPH 5:17-21.

   d.  In so doing, we are FILLED with joy and peace. 

                        ROM 15:13; ACT 13:52.

  8.  Disobedience obstructs this ministry of the Spirit in the believer's life.      EPH 4:30; JUDE 1:5 c/w HEB 3:15-19 c/w ACT 7:51.

  9.  Failure to obey God in future leading can nullify the effects of other     obedience. EZE 18:24; REV 2:1-7; NUM 20:12; 1CO 9:27.