Faith Fundamentals: The Holy Spirit

Faith Foundations • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago

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Introduction

Today we’ll be studying the third, and equal person of the Blessed Trinity: God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is just as much God as the Father and Son, and just as the Son glorifies the Father, so the Spirit glorifies the Son. He is powerful, mighty, and dwells within the bodies of every person that puts their faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus made clear that after His ascension He and the Father would send the Holy Spirit to the Church, and this happened at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out and the Church was born. The Spirit leads the Church, transforming believers and furthering Christ’s kingdom.

I put it this way, “The Spirit transforms us into the image of the Son, in order to do the will of the Father.”

The Spirit of God is seen from the beginning of Scripture in Genesis 1:2 “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” all the way until the end in Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” and everywhere in between.

The Deity of the Holy Spirit

While there was debate about the identity of Christ, the identity of the Holy Spirit as God has been almost universally agreed upon from the earliest days of the Church. Occasionally there were false teachers that arose who were called ‘Spirit Fighters’ that disputed His deity.

Today there are still some cultic groups like Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses who reduce the Holy Spirit to a mere ‘force’.

“What does the Spirit do? His works are ineffable in majesty, and innumerable in quantity. How can we even ponder what extends beyond the ages? What did He do before creation began? How great are the graces He showered on creation? What power will He wield in the age to come? He existed; He pre-existed; He co-existed with the Father and the Son before the ages. Even if you can imagine anything beyond the ages, you will discover that the Spirit is even further beyond.” - St. Basil the Great

The Holy Spirit is clearly demonstrated to be God in passages like

Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

1 Peter 1:2 “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.”

Acts 5:3–4 “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.””

2 Corinthians 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.”

In the same vein, the Holy Spirit is also a Person. The Holy Spirit is not an ‘it’.

John 14:15–17 ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

The Spirit is eternal and holy.

Hebrews 9:14 “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.”

Romans 1:4 “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

Romans 5:5 “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

The Holy Spirit has His own mind, and He prays for us

Romans 8:27 “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

The Spirit has emotions

Isaiah 63:10 “But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy, and himself fought against them.”

Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

The Holy Spirit has His own desires and will.

1 Corinthians 12:11 “All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient

Zechariah 4:6 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

Psalm 139:7–8 “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!”

1 Corinthians 2:10 “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

Isaiah 40:13 “Who has measured the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel?”

The Holy Spirit inspired all of Scripture, from the prophets of old, the the Gospel that the apostles preached.

1 Peter 1:10–12 “Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.”

John 16:12–13 ““I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

2 Peter 1:21 “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The entire Book of Acts is really about the Holy Spirit. Acts is short for “Acts of the Apostles” but it really should have been named “Acts of the Holy Spirit”. In short we learn that The Holy Spirit does what He wants, when He wants, how He wants, because He wants to.

The Holy Spirit and Us

In Jesus’ farewell address in John 14-17, He tells us that He must ascend to the Father so that the Holy Spirit will come. The Holy Spirit is a helper, counselor, and comforter. Most importantly Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will dwell in us and with us (John 14:17 “even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” )

This means that the Holy Spirit has a very intimate relationship with God’s people. As Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells within us and desires to have a personal relationship with us. We sometimes think it would be best to have Jesus next to us bodily, but we have something better: we have His Spirit living in our own bodies!

This pouring out of the Spirit began at Pentecost, and the Spirit came upon both Jews and Gentiles, becoming the new sign of God’s people. To have the Spirit is to be a child of God.

Now the Holy Spirit dwells within the Church collectively as the body of Christ, and as well as each individual member. Peter says this in his Pentecost sermon Acts 2:38–39 “And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.””

…of course the great debate is when exactly a person receives the Holy Spirit. Is it at baptism? After? Before? The answer is yes. Scripture seems to give examples of every possible scenario....and when you ask people they will usually give you their own personal testimonies of when they received the Spirit. Our focus shouldn’t be on when we receive the Holy Spirit, but that we do!

So what is our relationship with the Holy Spirit, and what does He do to and for us?

He helps us speak when we don’t know what to say

Mark 13:11 “And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”

The Counselor teaches and reminds of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, advisor, encourages, strengthener and guide.

Psalm 143:10 “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground!”

Acts 9:31 “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

Acts 13:2 “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.””

Acts 15:28 “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:”

1 John 5:6–8 “This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.”

1 Corinthians 2:9–10 “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

The Spirit is the engine behind the Gospel. He leads us in witnessing, provides us with power, calls people to Jesus, and draws them closer to Him.

Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”

Ephesians 3:16–19 “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

The Spirit gives us power to put the flesh to death, freeing us from sin that we cannot get rid of on our own. This is a lifelong process called sanctification.

Romans 8:2 “For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3–8 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

Through the Spirit we have received adoption as children of the Father.

Romans 8:15–16 “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin.

John 16:7–11 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

1 Thessalonians 1:5 “because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

The Spirit brings life and freedom, not bondage and slavery (as the flesh does)

Romans 8:10–11 “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

The Holy Spirit gives us hope.

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

The Spirit gives all of us, members of the Church, Christ’s body, different gifts to serve the Church community.

1 Corinthians 12:7 “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us, we will produce His fruit.

2 Corinthians 3:18 “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

God has given us His Holy Spirit as a deposit for our future resurrection.

2 Corinthians 5:4–5 “For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.”

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 “And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”

Just one problem...

We have a real Holy Spirit problem in our church(s) these days. We may say that we believe in Him, and that He dwells within us....but do we really live that way?

A.W. Tozer, a theologian who lived less than a century ago had these haunting quotes:

“If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, 95 percent of what they did would stop, and everybody would know the difference.”

“We may as well face it: the whole level of spirituality among us is low. We have measured ourselves by ourselves until the incentive to seek higher plateaus in the things of the Spirit is all but gone… We have imitated the world, sought popular favor, manufactured delights to substitute for the joy of the Lord and produced a cheap and synthetic power to substitute for the power of the Holy Ghost.”

Yikes! But it is hard to argue. Are our lives and churches being truly led by the Spirit? Our little corner of Christianity (the Independent Christian Churches) aren’t innocent in ‘quenching the Spirit’. American Christianity especially has great speakers, great services, tons of programming....but is the Holy Spirit here among us?

This is something I want to leave you with: pray for the Holy Spirit to lead and guide your life, and continue to transform you. Pray that you may walk in step with the Spirit. And pray that His fruit may be produced in you.

Are we the most joyful people in the world? Are we the most self-controlled? Loving? Peaceful? Faithful? Kind? Good?

When the world looks at you and me and our church, do they see something so radically different that they know the power of God is within us?

I’ll leave us with these quotes:

“The Lord challenges us to suffer persecutions and to confess him. He wants those who belong to him to be brave and fearless. He himself shows how weakness of the flesh is overcome by courage of the Spirit. This is the testimony of the apostles and in particular of the representative, administrating Spirit. A Christian is fearless.” - Tertullian (150-220 AD)

“What the soul is in our body, the Holy Spirit is in the body of Christ, which is the church.” - Augustine

“The Christian’s life in all its aspects - intellectual and ethical, devotional and relational, upsurging in worship and outgoing in witness - is supernatural; only the Spirit can initiate and sustain it. So apart from him, not only will there be no lively believers and no lively congregations, there will be no believers and no congregations at all.” - J.I. Packer

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