Scripture Reading: John 16:8-15
The Holy Spirit
Intro.
1. Short course on Holy Spirit - Designed to identify major aspects of the subject (Holy Spirit 264 times in the New Testament).
2. Reason: Tremendous amount of confusion & division over the Holy Spirit [Baptism, gift, gifts, anointing, person or force, new birth, His work today, etc.] - Eph. 4:4; 1 Cor. 14:33.
3. This is an overview. Hope this will provide easy & helpful answers you can use in further study & teaching.
I. WHO THE HOLY SPIRIT IS (HIS NATURE).
A. He is Deity (God) - Acts 5:3-4.
1. Possesses attributes of deity (eternal - Heb. 9:14; omnipotent - Psa. 139:7-10; ....)
2. Anything which lessens His deity is false!
B. He is a Divine Person, not an Impersonal Force.
1. His works show this - (He speaks, Acts 1:16; teaches, Jno. 14:26; knowledge, 1 Cor. 2:11; has a will, 1 Cor. 12:11).
2. Pronouns in NT reveal this - Jno. 16:13.
3. Doctrines which render the Holy Spirit as a mere force without personality deny the truth!
II. WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS DONE.
A. He Inspired the Old Testament Prophets of God - (1 Pet. 1:10-11) 2 Pet. 1:21.
-Not merely human words - Divine source! (2 Tim. 3:16)
B. He Immersed the Apostles of Christ with Himself (His Power -- Holy Spirit baptism).
1. A promise to apostles, fulfilled by Jesus - cf. Matt. 3:11; Acts 1:2-5 (2:1-4).
2. Acts 1:8 - Give apostles power to be witnesses:
a. Revelation - Jno. 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:10.
b. Inspiration – 1 Cor. 2:13.
c. Confirmation - 1 Cor. 2:4-5 (Heb. 2:3-4).
3. Claims of H.S. baptism today must be for these same purposes, or it is not Holy Spirit baptism!
C. He Fell on Cornelius & House to Testify that Gentiles can also be Saved by the Gospel, Acts 15:7-9 (11:15; 10:44-47).
1. Not to produce faith - v. 7.
2. Not to purify their hearts (save them) - v. 9.
3. Not to enable understanding of Peter’s words (the gospel).
4. v. 8 - Bore them witness (“acknowledged them” - NKJV) - To remove final doubts about preaching the gospel to Gentiles - Acts 11:3, 15-18 (Joel 2:28--Acts 2:17).
D. He Gave Miraculous Gifts to Christians to Confirm and Spread the Gospel, Heb. 2:3-4; Mk. 16:17-20.
1. Acts 8:14-18 - By the laying on of an apostle’s hands.
2. 1 Cor. 12:11 - Miraculous gifts distributed according to His will.
3. Miraculous gifts ended when the revelation of God’s word was complete & adequately confirmed, and when the means of imparting miraculous gifts no longer existed.
III. WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS DOING TODAY.
A. He is Using His Product, the Word of Truth, to Accomplish Human Redemption. {Agency}
1. To convict the world - Jno. 16:8-13; 2 Ths. 2:13-14.
-Conversion / salvation / sanctification / cleansing.
2. To guide Christians - Rom. 8:14; 1:16. Jas. 1:21-22.
3. To testify of our sonship - Rom. 8:16.
-We know we are saved by the Spirit’s testimony of truth (1 Jno. 2:5).
4. Every action of the Holy Spirit in conviction & conversion is accomplished by means of the word He revealed! (Rom. 1:16; 10:17; Eph. 6:17).
B. He has Fellowship with Christians - Phil. 2:1.
1. “Spirit dwells in you” - Equivalent to “Christ in you.” HOW?
-By faith (cf. Eph. 3:17; Jno. 14:23) -- As the word of Christ dwells in us!
2. He communes with Christians - 1 Jno. 3:23-24; 4:12-13.
IV. WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT DOING TODAY.
A. He is not Baptizing People with Himself.
1. cf. The United Pentecostal Church -- “New birth” - cf. Eph. 4:5.
2. Purposes & promises of Holy Spirit baptism have been fulfilled.
B. He is not Distributing Miraculous Spiritual Gifts Today - 1 Cor. 13:8-10.
-Full revelation exists -- No longer need the “scaffolding.”
C. He is not Revealing New Truth - Jno. 16:13 (Jude 3).
D. He is not Enlightening People apart from the Word of Truth - Rom. 1:16 (Psa. 119:105; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; 3:8-9).
-Some brethren are using this terminology: “The Holy Spirit led me…”
E. He is not Personally Indwelling People’s Bodies - 1 Cor. 6:19.
1. Speaks of fellowship - cf. the Father and the Son (Jno. 14:23; Col. 1:27).
2. Deity incarnate is Jesus; Not Christians (Gal. 2:20).
Conclusion
1. Eph. 3:3-5 - Divine promise of understanding God’s plan of human redemption.
2. Work of the Holy Spirit is central to our salvation in Christ.
3. Don’t be afraid of studying and learning about the Holy Spirit.
4. He is God, & deserves our praise for what He has done & what He is doing for us (and all men) so that men may be saved.