Partake Module 2 – God & Man - God the Holy Spirit

Partake Module 2 – God & Man - God the Holy Spirit

"When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me.” (John 15v26)

The Holy Spirit is God, and a member of the Trinitarian Godhead. He is spoken of as God (Acts 5v3-4; 1 Corinthians 3v16). The attributes of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit life (Romans 8v2), truth (John 16v13) and love (Romans 15v30). It was He who spoke through the Old Testament prophets and induced godliness (Ezekiel 36), and equipped God’s leaders for service (Judges 13v25; Zechariah 4v6).

The Holy Spirit is also a Person: Some people refer to the Holy Spirit as “It”, but they are clearly wrong and in error! The Holy Spirit is always referred to as ‘He’ in the New Testament (John 16v14). He relates to us as a person for He is comforter, guide and teacher (John 14). He can be blasphemed against and be grieved (Ephesians 4v30), and wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and Son are also present because they are one. (John 14v18-23).

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

What is the ministry of the Holy Spirit and what does He have to do with Christian Disciples?

1. Glorify Christ: He will glorify God the Son, Jesus Christ (John 16v13-14) He will testify for Jesus Christ (John 15v26). He will witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1v8). This is the Spirit’s prime role, that Jesus Christ the Son of God is praised and glorified. This would intimate that the Holy Spirit is inordinately self-effacing. When Jesus was baptized and the Spirit descended upon Him, it signified that Jesus was only filled with the Spirit but was also the Spirit-giver (Luke 4v1-18). It was by the eternal Holy Spirit, that Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice (Hebrews 9v14).

2. The Paraclete – Comforter: He is one called to stand alongside (John 14v16). Jesus said it would be better for Him to go away and send the Holy Spirit to live in us (John 16v7). The Holy Spirit ministers to us all that Jesus would be to us if He were here in person.

Declares God’s Word:

The Holy Spirit has a prime role in revelation. It was he that spoke through the prophets (Ezekiel 2v2) and it was He who inspired the Bible, God’s Word (2 Peter 1v21). Further to this, the Holy Spirit interprets and illuminates God’s Word (John 16v12-15; 1 Corinthians 2v10-16) to people! Without the role of the Holy Spirit, the Bible would simply be another book.

4. Conviction: The Holy Spirit is sent to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16v8)

5. Salvation: Christian disciples are born of the Holy Spirit and are known as regenerated (John 3v3-8)

6. Indwelling: God lives inside each Christian disciple through the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, a person cannot be a Christian disciple (Romans 8v9; Gal 2v20; Colossians 1v25-27)

7. Sealing / Ownership: The Holy Spirit indwelling the Christian disciple is assured proof of being God’s possession (2 Corinthians 1v22; Ephesians 1v3)

8. Security: The Holy Spirit is a deposit, guaranteeing our future redemption, salvation and inheritance (Ephesians 1v13; 2 Corinthians 1v22).

9. Filling: This speaks of the Holy Spirit’s control or domination of our lives. We cannot have more or less of the Holy Spirit, because He is a person. The imperative thing is rather how much the Holy Spirit has of the Christian disciple! As Christian disciples, we are to be continually filled (Ephesians 5v18), and this is meant to be our normal state. He gives power to enable Christian disciples to evangelise (Acts 1v8; 4v8, 31)

10. Sanctification: The Holy Spirit transforms us into the likeness of Christ (2 Corinthians 7-18). As we walk and live in the Spirit, led by the Spirit (Galatians. 5v16; Romans 8v13), the fruit of the Spirit, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”, is produced in the life of the Christian disciple (Galatians. 5v22-23).

11. Baptism: This expression occurs 7 times in the New Testament.

· 4 times in the gospels, referring to Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Acts 1v5 referring to Jesus baptism with Holy Spirit and fire. Acts 11v16 shows that Cornelius was an example of being baptized with Holy Spirit, just like the Disciples at Pentecost.

1 Corinthians 12v13 states that we are all baptized with the Holy Spirit into one body. This takes place at conversion.

Some suggest however, that this is a secondary experience to gain power for service, and based on John 20v20 ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’ records the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2 Pentecost is baptism of spiritual power. ; Acts 19v4-7 records the receiving of Holy Spirit for believers.

However, we should consider the following -

· Jesus’ words in John 16v7 makes it clear that the Holy Spirit would not come to dwell in believers until Jesus Christ returned to the Father. Pentecost is therefore the arrival of the Holy Spirit for the first time, not a secondary experience.

· Gift of the Spirit = Baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1v4-5). “Repent... and you will receive the gift (or baptism) of the Spirit, and it is therefore not conditional (Acts 2v38).

· The Samaritans (Acts 8v14-17): this instance seems to suggest believers can receive the Holy Spirit after conversion. However, they received the person of the Holy Spirit, as a Samaritan ‘Pentecost’, proving to the Jews that God would indwell the Samaritan’s. There were no Samaritans at Pentecost.

· Cornelius (Acts 11): His ‘baptism of the Spirit’, was at his conversion.

· Ephesians (Acts 19v1-7): The ‘disciples’ were disciples of John the Baptist, not Jesus. They were corrected, converted and received the Holy Spirit.

God may still give signs for those who need them, but God prefers faith to signs. (John 14v11, 20, 29). Needless to say, that God still uses people on both sides of the debate – but then He can also use donkeys to do His bidding as well.

12. Service: The Holy Spirit equips us for service. God is working in you to will and to act accordingly to his purpose (Phil. 2v13), to be my witnesses (Acts 1v8).

How is the Spirit seen? For all the supposed miracles and healings, these are not the prima facie evidence for the work of the Holy Spirit. All those things can be counterfeited by satan (2 Thessalonians 2v9; Colossians 2v18). That is not to say that miracles and healings by God don’t occur, just that its not the main evidence of His work. The best and most assured signs are that Jesus is glorified, acknowledged, trusted and served. The Spirit’s work is in evidence, where people’s lives become more holy and more like Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12v3; 2 Corinthians 13v7).

How does the Holy Spirit equip Christian Disciples for Service? Through the giving of spiritual gifts, and that is what I hope to discuss next time.

For more to think about please do read 1 Corinthians 12v1-10. Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.

Q1. What are my spiritual gifts and am I using them for God’s glory or my own?

Q2. How do I give more of myself to the Holy Spirit?

Q3. How can I as a Christian disciple make the Holy Spirit more active and visible to others?

As ever, if you have any comments to make on this, please do contact me at partake(at)hotmail.co.uk. Thank you.

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