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Friday, January 28, 2011 - 2:14 AM
Text: John 14:16,17,26 and 15:26 and 16:5-14
Introduction: What is your view and attitude toward the Holy Spirit? For some people, the Holy Spirit for them has become associated with the strange, peculiar, bizarre, and weird out of balance religious actions of demonstrative people in what they term as "Out of Control" churches...Is this how you feel?
> Just who is the Holy Spirit?
1. An unnamed impersonal power?
2. A force?
3. A warm fuzzy feeling?
> There are some Christians who become uneasy at any mention of the Holy Spirit. No need to be frightened or feel uneasy. Why?
1. He is a "PERSON":
a). Personal pronouns are used of Him. Read John 14:26..."But the Helper, the Holy Spirit...He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
John 15:26..."When the Helper comes...He will testify about me."
b). John 16:8..."and He, when He comes He will convict the world concerning sin..and
verse 13, "He will guide you into all truth"...He hears...He will speak and He will dsclose to you what is to come. Verse 14..."He will glorify me...for He will take of mine and will disclose it to you." ver and over again it states He...He...He...a person!
2. He is called "HELPER" (Comforter) That is what the Holy Spirit is...A Helper, or an Assistant...Read John 14:16,26 and 15: 26 and 16:7.
a). He is a Powerful Person to have on our side working for us and with us. To comfort and counsel.
b). The term HELPER is applied to both the Holy Spirit and to Christ. Read John 14:16 and 1 John 2:1. In other words , Jesus said to His disciples; "What I have been to you for the past three and one half years, the Holy Spirit will now be and do for you."Jesus said "I will come to you"...to have the Holy Spirit is to have Jesus Himself...WOW!
c). He said..."It is to you advantage that I go away". (16:7)
d). Jesus said..."I will not leave you alone as orphans to fend for yourselves, the Holy Spirit will be your Helper! I will send you a Helper! What love He has for His children!
e). He does not leave us helpless or defenseless...He will be with us forever!
3. Personal Characteristics are ascribed to Him. He has the three essential elements of personality.
a). Intellect: 1 Corinthians 2 :11..."Who know the thoughts of man except the Spirit of man which is in Him". No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."
b). Emotions: Romans 8:26-27
c). Will: 1 Cor 12:11 "The Holy Spirit gives gifts just as He wills."
d). Personal Acts are performed by Him. (Examples):
* He "REGENERATES"...John 3:5
* He "TEACHES"...John 14:26
Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what He had been teaching them.
The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. He helps us remember what we have been taught. As we study the Bible, we can trust Him to plant truth in our mind, convince us of God's will, an remind us when we stray from it...Amen!
* HE BEARS WITNESS: John 15:26
Here, Jesus uses two names for the Holy Spirit..."HELPER" and "SPIRIT OF TRUTH"...points to the teachings, illuminating, and reminding work of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit ministers to both the HEAD and the HEART and both dimensions are important.
* He CONVICTS...John 16:8-11
Three important tasks of the Holy Spirit are:
1. Convicting the world of its sin and calling it to repentance.
2. Revealing the standard of God's RIGHTEOUSNESS to anyone who believes because Christ would no longer be physically present on earth.
3. Demonstrating Christ's JUDGMENT over satan
* HE GUIDES INTO ALL TRUTH...John 16:13
The Holy Spirit helps us to discern right from wrong
.
* HE GLORIFIES CHRIST...John 16:14
The Holy Spirit always guides us in the glorifies Jesus Christ.
If something or someone is not glorifying Jesus Christ, it is not of the Holy Spirit.
* HE CALLS MEN INTO CHRISTIAN SEVICES...Acts 13:2
* HE SPEAKS...Acts 13:2 Revelations 2:7
The Holy Spirit said...:He who has an ear, let him hear what the Holy Spirit says to the churches..Rev. 2:7
* HE DIRECTS MEN IN SERVICE...Acts 16:6
Paul and Timothy "were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to seak the word in Asia."
The Holy Spirit will tell you when to speak and when to shut up if you will listen to Him.
* HE WILL INTERCEDE...Romans 8:26-27
Sometimes we don't know how to pray or what to say and the Holy Spirit takes over and prays through us. He knows the will of God. WE DO NOT!
* HE SEARCHES OUT... 1 Corintians 2:10
The Holy Spirit searches all things even the depths of God.
Question: What are the depths of God?
This refers to God's unfathomable nature and His wonderful plan...Jesus' death and resurrection, and the promise of salvation revealed only to those who believe that what God says is true.
Those who believe in Christ's death and resurrection and put their faith in Him will know all they need to know to be saved.
This knowledge,however can not be grasped by even the wisest people unless they accept God's message.
All who reject God's message;(Jesus), are foolish, no matter how wise the world thinks they are.
* HE WORKS...1 Corinthians 12:11
Following a list of Spiritual Gifts, we read; "But one and the same Spirit works all these things". Distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
No matter what gift a person has, each gift is given by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit decides which gifts each one of us should have.
We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given us.
* HE RELATES TO THE FATHER AND THE SON AS A PERSON!
a). The Baptism formula...Matthew 28:19
b). The Apostolic Benediction...2 Corinthian 13:14
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
* THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE CHURCH...1 Corinthians 12:4-6
"Now there are varieties of "GIFTS" but the same Spirit. There are varieties of "MINISTRIES" and the same Lord. There are varieties of "EFFECTS" but the same God who works all things in all persons."
* HE IS SUSCEPTIBLE OF PERSONAL TREATMENT.
a). He can be "TEMPTED"..Acts 5:9
b). He can be "LIED" to...Acts 5:3
All lying is bad, but when we lie to try to deceive God and His people about our relationship with Him, we destroy our testimony and we can destroy our church and prevent the Holy Spirit from moving as He desires.
* HE CAN BE "GRIEVED"...Ephesians 4:30
"Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God". And Paul goes on to list some of the things that grieve the Holy Spirit, or make God sad. What are they?
Bitterness, wrath, anger, slander, malice, and unforgiveness...etc.
Isaiah 63:10..."But they (Israel) rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit".
* HE CAN BE RESISTED...Acts 7:51
Stephen said; "You men are stifnecked always resisting the Holy Spirit."
Being rebellious or stifnecked and uncooperative grieves the Holy Spirit.
* HE CAN BE INSULTED...Hebrews 10:29
"You have insulted the Spirit of Grace".
When we go on sinning willfully and ignore the sacrifice of Jesus' blood and the price He paid for our sins...and we harden our hearts and refuse to repent and change our ways...we are insulting the Spirit of Grace.
This passage talks about the severe punishment some will receive for insulting the Spirit of Grace.
* HE CAN BE BLASPHEMED...Matthew 12:31
"Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven."
What is Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
a). The unpardonable sin is the deliberate refusal to acknowledge God's power in Christ.
b). It indicates a deliberate and irreversible hardness of heart.
c). Sometimes believers worry that they have accidentally committed this unforgivable sin.
d). Only those who have turned their backs on God and rejected all faith have any need to worry.
e). Jesus said, they can not be forgiven. Not because their sin is worse than any other, but because they will never ask for forgiveness.
f). Who ever rejects the prompting of the Holy Spirit removes himself or herself from the only force that an lead him or her repentance and restoration to God....THINK ABOUT IT!
ALL THESE THINGS PROVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A "PERSON", NOT A MERE INFLUENCE OR FORCE OR WARM FEELING
* HE IS DEITY
The Holy Spirit is recognized as God. He is not only a person, He is a divine person.
a). Attributes of deity are affirmed of Him.
* HE IS ETERNAL...Hebrews 9:14
The eternal Spirit
* HE IS OMNISCIENT...1 Corinthians 2:10
"God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things even the depths of God."
Read John 14:26..."He will teach you all things"
Read John 16:12..."He will guide you into all truth"
* HE IS EXPRESSLY CALLED "GOD"...Acts 5:3, 2 Corinthians 3:17
"Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty" (freedom)
OTHER DIVINE NAMES:
1. Spirit of God
2. The Spirit of Christ
3. The Comforter
4. The Holy Spirit
5. The Holy Spirit of Promise
6. The Spirit of Truth
7. The Spirit of Grace
8. The Spirit of Life
9. The Spirit of Adoption
10. The Spirit of Holiness
NOTE: He is called the"HOLY" Spirit. And the Spirit of "HOLINESS". Why? Above all He Is "HOLY". Set apart from all moral pollution, clean and pure. His objective is to make people "HOLY".
In Romans 6:22 Paul describes what we become. He connects the two key words..."FRUIT" and "HOLINESS".
The ultimate fruit of the Holy Spirit is a Holy People...1 Peter 1:15, 2:9
His job is to conform us to the image of Christ...Romans 8:29
CONCLUSION: Turn to Hebrews 3:7-10
> Who is the Holy Spirit? He is a Person and He is deity, and He is God.
> All these references prove that the Holy Spirit equally with the Father and the Son IS GOD!
> Orthodox Christianity has always held to the deity of the Holy Spirit.
> As Jesus Christ is the Son of God, so the Spirit is the Spirit of God
> The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within us! Helping us live as God wants and desires.
DO YOU HUNGER AND THIRST FOR MORE OF HIM?
LET'S COME AND SEEK AFTER HIM TOGETHER!
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