HOLY SPIRIT

A. WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE THIRD PERSON IN THE GODHEAD. HE IS GOD. HE IS DEITY.

• There is a religious group who denies both the deity and the personality of the Holy Spirit. They claim that the Holy Spirit is an "it" and an impersonal "active force." However, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is not an it. He is God and He has a personality.

a The Spirit is called God.

• "Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened" (Acts 5:3-5).

b. The Holy Spirit is associated on an equal basis with the Father and Son.

• "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Mt. 28:19).
• "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (2 Cor. 13:14).

c. The Spirit’s actions are those, which only God can perform.

(1) He was the agent in giving the inspired Scriptures.

• "For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:21).

(a) As the writers of Scripture wrote their prophecies, they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word for "carried along" is phero {fer’-o} which means "borne along," "impelled," or "carried along." Luke used this word in referring to a sailing vessel carried or driven along by the wind (Acts 27:15, 17). The Scriptures' human writers were controlled by the divine author, the Holy Spirit.

(2) He was involved in the creation of the world.

• "Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters" (Gen. 1:2).

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS A PERSONALITY.

a The Spirit has intelligence.

(1) The Spirit has a mind.

• "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will" (Rom. 8:26, 27).

(2) The Spirit is able to teach others.

• "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (Jn. 14:26).

(3) The Spirit has feelings.

(a) The Spirit can be grieved by the sinful actions of believers.

• "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" (Eph. 4:29-31).
• This passage teaches that if we use "unwholesome" talk sapros {sap-ros’} which means "rotten," or "worthless" talk , we grieve the Holy Spirit. The word for "grieve" lupeo {loo-peh’-o} means "to grieve," "afflict with sorrow," and "to make sad." This same word is used in (Mt. 17:23). When we use worthless talk, or if we are bitter, angry, posse rage and slander people, we hurt the Holy Spirit's feelings. He is grieved with pain and sorrow.

• Have you ever felt bad after exhibiting unwholesome talk? The Holy Spirit is letting you know that He is disappointed with you. We need to do everything we can to avoid hurting the Holy Spirit.

b. The Spirit is referred to with personal pronouns.

• "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it" (Jn. 14:13, 14).
• In verse 13, John twice used the masculine (neuter) pronoun to describe the Holy Spirit.

CONCLUSION:

1. The Holy Spirit, even though a spirit being, is as real a person as the Father, or the Son. The Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead and is a person.

B. THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.

1. In the Old Testament, did all God-fearing Jewish people receive the Holy Spirit?

a. No, only certain individuals were given the Holy Spirit.

(1) David received the Holy Spirit (1 Sam. 16:13).

• "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah."

(2) Samson received the Holy Spirit (Judges 14:6).

• "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told neither his father nor his mother what he had done."

(3) Moses received the Holy Spirit (Num. 11:17).

• "I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone."

(4) Micah received the Holy Spirit (Micah 3:8).

• "But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the LORD, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression, to Israel his sin"

CONCLUSION:

1. There are approximately 100 references to the Spirit of God in the OT. The Spirit was active during this period, but only to certain people. For the most part, God gave the Spirit to Israel's leadership like the prophets, priests, judges and kings. The Spirit helped these people to speak forth the will of God, govern God's people, and perform extraordinary feats.

C. THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED IN OLD TESTAMENT.

1. Even though in the Old Testament God primarily gave the Holy Spirit to Israel's leadership, the prophets envisioned a time when the Spirit would be available to every believer.

a. For example, the prophet Joel announced that one day God would pour out His Spirit on all people.

• Read (Joel 2:28-32).

(1) When was the Holy Spirit poured out on God's people? Well according to (Acts 2:16-21), it occurred on the Day of Pentecost. The day that the church was established.

(2) Let us examine (Acts 2:16-21).

(a) The last days began when Christ came to earth and will end when Christ returns (Heb. 1:2). We have been living in the last days for nearly 2000 years.

(b) In the last days, God will pour out His Spirit upon all people.

• Upon sons and daughters.
• Upon young men and old men.
• Upon His servants.

(c) The point is that God's Spirit shows no discrimination. The Spirit of God is available to all: male and female, young and old, slave and free, rich and poor.

(d) In the last days, God will pour out His Spirit with very special gifts.

• The gift of prophecy, which is speaking forth the will of God, will be given to both men and women.

• Young men will see visions. The Greek word for visions is (horaseis) which means "the act of seeing, a vision, or a appearance." That word is only used in (Acts 2:17; Rev. 4:3; 9:17).

• Old men will dream dreams. Sometimes, God revealed things to people in dreams (Mt. 1:20).

CONCLUSION:

1. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was promised by God through some of the OT prophets. Today, all believers receive the Holy Spirit.

D. WHEN DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

1. Believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of their conversion.

• "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).

2. People receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism. However, some have argued that the Spirit is not given after baptism because the reference to the Spirit in (Acts 2:38) is referring to spiritual gifts not the Holy Spirit.

• However, in (Acts 2:38), the Greek word used for gift is {do-reh-ah’} (Jn. 4:10; Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17; Rom. 5:15, 17; 2 Cor. 9:15; Eph. 3:7; 4:7; Heb. 6:4). The word translated “gift” in (1 Cor. 12:4) is charisma [gift]. These two words have similar meanings, however, the gift of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the spiritual gifts. The gift of the Holy Spirit in (Acts 2:38) simply means that after we repent and are baptized, we receive the free gift of the Holy Spirit.

3. Some people argue that the Holy Spirit is not given today since it can only be transferred through the laying on of the Apostles hands (Acts 8:12-17; 19:1-7).

a. Why did the Apostles have to lay their hands on the Samaritans before they received the Holy Spirit?

• We must understand that deep-seated hostility had existed between the Jews and Samaritans for generations. The Jews considered the Samaritans half-breeds because they intermarried with foreigners after Assyria was conquered in 722 BC. By giving the Spirit through Peter and John the Lord made it clear (1) that the church was one, and (2) that the Jewish Christians must accept the Samaritans as members of the body of Christ because they received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon the Samaritans through the Apostles to confirm that God has excepted all people into His Kingdom.

b. Can the Holy Spirit be given only through the laying on of the Apostles hands?

(1) In (Acts 10:44-48), Cornelius and his household received the Holy Spirit without the laying on of the Apostles hands.

CONCLUSION:

1. It is clear from (Acts 2:38), that the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to believers once they repent and are baptized into Christ.

2. This is considered the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are immersed in the Spirit after we are baptized into water. Jesus received the Holy Spirit after water baptism (Mt. 3:16f). The Bible teaches that there is one baptism (Eph. 4:5) and this one baptism is water baptism.

E. THE SPIRIT INDWELLING.

1. The Holy Spirit lives in the believer.

• "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you" (Jn. 14:16, 17).
• "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own" (1 Cor. 6:19).
• "Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us" (2 Tim. 1:14).
• The truth is that the Holy Spirit lives in believers. He dwells in us and with us. The Greek word that is translated “lives” is menei which literally means “to stay, abide, or remain.” When I go to bed at night, He is there. When I wake up in the morning, He is there. While at work, He is there. He is with us every moment of the day!

2. How do you know that the Holy Spirit is living in you?

a Because the Bible says He does.

• Many people ask, “How do you know the Holy Spirit is living in me?” I know in the same way that I know there is music on a cassette tape, even though I don’t see the music on the tape. I can know that in either of two ways. I can believe the label that says there is music, or I can play the tape and hear it. We can know the Holy Spirit indwells us by believing God, who tells us in His Word, or by seeing the results in our lives when we are obedient to Him.

a. Because I sense His presence.

(1) David knew that he had the Holy Spirit because in (Ps. 51:11), he pleaded with God not to take away the Holy Spirit from his life.

(2) I know that the Holy Spirit is in me because of the changes that have occurred in my life (Gal. 5:22-23).

F. THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN BELIEVERS.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT SEALS BELIEVERS.

1. Here are three passages that speak on the Spirit sealing:

• "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come" (2 Cor. 1:21, 22).
• "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of His glory" (Eph. 1:13, 14).
• "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30).

2. Here are some things we can learn from these passages.

a At our conversion, God “sealed” us with the promised Holy Spirit.

(1) What does “sealed” mean? The Greek word “sphragis” {sfrag-id’-zo} translated “seal” has various uses. In the ancient world, many people, especially the rich had their own seal which was made out of precious stones or sometimes wood which had their name on it. Some seals were rings or stamps.

(a) A seal indicated ownership.

• In the ancient world, a seal was placed on wills, and other important documents indicating ownership. Several years ago, when I paid off my truck, the title company sent me the title of ownership. On the certificate, it had my name and a notary seal indicating its genuineness. That truck was mine! I was the owner. Likewise, God owns us for we have the Spirit as proof.

(b) A seal indicated security & protection.

• Often times, when someone sent goods or packages, they would place their seal on it for protection in case it got lost or stolen. It served as protection. In (Mt. 27:66), Pilate told the guards to secure the tomb of Jesus. "So they went and made the tomb secure by putting a seal on the stone and posting the guard." They sealed the tomb for security.

• When we received the Holy Spirit, we were marked with a seal. Which means that God owns us; we are His possession. We belong to Him! It also means that we have security and protection. Our salvation is secure as long as we are faithful to God.

b The giving of the Holy Spirit is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance.

(1) God’s Spirit is an “arrabon” {ar-hrab-ohn’} a deposit or a pledge guaranteeing our inheritance. The word is drawn from the world of commerce, and means a deposit made on goods, which serves as a guarantee that full payment will be made and the goods will be collected by the buyer.

• Paul regards the Holy Spirit as the first installment of the Christian’s salvation. At the end of the age God will redeem His pledge and open the treasuries of heaven to all who are His in Christ. Meanwhile, the Spirit gives us the assurance that these things will one-day be ours.

3. Can the Holy Spirit leaven us meaning that we can lose our salvation?

a. In (1 Sam. 16:14), the Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.

• "Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him" (1 Sam. 16:14).

b. Can we lose our salvation?

• "It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace" (Heb. 6:4-6).
• "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position" (2 Pet. 3:17).
• If we fall away from the Lord, we can lose our salvation.

2. THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES BELIEVERS.

• "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (Jn. 14:26).
• Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit would help them remember what He had taught.

1. The Holy Spirit can help us in the same way. As we study the Bible, the Holy Spirit can help us recall what we have learned.