Doctrines Concerning

God, The Holy Spirit

D. That the Holy Spirit is active in this present day. His present ministry includes:

1. He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Joh 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

Joh 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

Joh 16:9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Joh 16:10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

Joh 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

Personal Opinion:

It occurs to me just now that the attributes of the Holy Spirit must be something different that those of God the Father. 

The light given by the Father, I take it, is more than human eyes can bear.  On the other hand the Holy Spirit comes so near as to actually in-dwell the believer but with, now-a-days, no outward sign of unusual light.

Now also to be considered is that in the book of Acts, when the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers there was some rare happening having to do with light.

As a side issue I keep in mind that Jesus, though God, was not remarked to have any special outward sign of unusual light.

Where this all leads, I can't rightly say.

2. He regenerates the believer.

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Personal Opinion:

I have had it all wrong about John 3:3-5. 

We all need to have two born again experiences.  Both are by our own choice. 

The first concerns our remaining life here on earth.  I need (needed) to turn from my wicked ways, living by the call of the flesh and to live life by God's direction.  That's called being born of water.

Next I must ask Jesus to come into my heart in a spiritual form, to look to Him for my salvation from the penalty of sin.  That leads me to eternal life with God. That's being born of the Spirit.

The same two happenings are referred to by Paul in Titus 3:5.

Also, that is what John the Baptist is saying in Luke 3:16.

Now I must try to keep that all straight in my mind.

 

3. He indwells all believers.

Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Personal Opinion:

Now here we have two passages that puzzle me, how to keep separate God the Spirit and God the Son ; which all goes to show that it can't be done, no need to try.

Paul speaks of the "Spirit of Christ."  John reports that Jesus will give "another Comforter" and two verses later says "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you".  I take that to mean He is the comforter. 

But why not?  Somewhere else He says "I and My Father are One."

No need for me to know how, but the three individuals are also at the same time One.

4. He gives spiritual gifts to every believer for the work of the ministry and to edify the Body of Christ.

Rom 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Rom 12:7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;

Rom 12:8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

 

1Co 4:4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord.

1Co 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

1Co 4:6 And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

1Co 4:7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

1Co 4:8 Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

1Co 4:9 For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

1Co 4:11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

 

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Personal Opinion:

So, it's pretty much through Paul that we are made aware that the Holy Spirit is the source of spiritual gifts.

It does seem clear though that only the eleven apostles plus Paul himself received and by definition are eligible to receive the gift of being an apostle.

Further, not all but only "some" get to be evangelists, pastors and teachers.  The remainder of us in the body of Christ seem to have the label "saint" and our jobs seem to be the more humble in the workings of the Church and to be open to be more and more perfected and holy under the teaching of the pastors, teachers, evangelists.

5. He fills the believer who surrenders to His leading.

Act 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 11:24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Personal Opinion:

Hard to believe but apparently true, some of us are more or less filled with the Holy Spirit than others.

How, I have heard and used the expression "on fire for the Lord".  I do believe I have seen people to whom it applies.  I would guess they are "filled" with the Holy Spirit, more so than the average save person such as myself.

I wonder if all are invited or given the call to be a Stephan or a Barabas?

6. He illuminates the believer to understand Scripture.

1Co 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Personal Opinion:

Scripture at times is hard to understand, maybe impossible for those who refuse the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

So many times I have heard very well educated people say things about the Old and New Testament which are completely off the wall and people with very little education give interpretations which are right on the mark.  The difference can only be explained by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

However, I have to wonder if the passages cited to support this point is pertinent.  I take it here that Paul got his illumination not from scripture but direct from words spoken by Jesus or possibly the Holy Spirit during a very special religious experience unique to Paul.

7. He seals the believer unto the day of redemption.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Personal Opinion:

I tried to do a little research, but am still confused by the phrase "day of redemption".  Is that day the day I took Jesus as my savior, the day I die or some future day when Christ returns and the dead in Christ arise from their sleep in the grave?

For the present, I will be content to have the point unresolved and look at it as having little significance in God's eyes because questions concerning time have an entirely different meaning, maybe no meaning at all to entities which have infinite existence.

8. He restrains the influence and work of Satan.

2Th 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

Personal Opinion:

There truly does seem to be some delicate balance taking place here on earth.  Even in my life time we have seen examples of extreme depths of depravity which mankind is capable of reaching - Nazi Germany, communist Russia and China just to name three.  History is full of countless more.  How do we survive?

The only explanation is the work of the Holy Spirit, by God's mercy and protection.

The events of 9-11 were so improbable in the perfection which they were carried out that the only explanation can be through the superhuman aid if Satan.  Jerry Farwell hit it right on the button, The Holy Spirit ceased his restraining influence as a wake-up call to the ungodly direction which our country has taken.