The Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
October 3, 1999
Introduction
Last week we talked about the "person" of the Holy Spirit. He is not a cold, impersonal force. He is a person with all the aspects of personality. He wills, He feels, He thinks.
We need to be careful to realize we have a relationship with the Holy Spirit that needs to be cultivated. Talk to Him. Listen to Him. Learn about Him.
The Deity of the Holy Spirit
He is called God
Acts 5:1-11 tells the story of Ananias and Sapphira who "lied to the Holy Ghost." Peter also says, "Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." Peter equated the Holy Spirit with God.
(Acts 5:3-4 KJV) But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? {4} Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
In 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Paul speaks of the Lord as the Spirit and makes a direct association of One with the Other.
(2 Cor 3:17-18 KJV) Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. {18} But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
He is equated with Yahweh in the Old Testament
It was Yahweh that the people "tempted" in the wilderness.
Exodus 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
Yet the writer to the Hebrews says that in quoting Psalm 95, which talks about this same incident, it was the "Holy Spirit" who was speaking:
(Heb 3:7-9 KJV) Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, {8} Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: {9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
Isaiah 6:8-10 refers to Yahweh speaking. Acts 28:25-27 quotes the same verse, but says the Holy Spirit said it.
(Isa 6:8-10 KJV) Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. {9} And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. {10} Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
(Acts 28:25-27 KJV) And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, {26} Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: {27} For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
In Jer 31:31-33 God made a covenant. In Hebrews 10:15-17 it says the Holy Spirit made the covenant.
(Jer 31:31-34 KJV) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: {32} Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {33} But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. {34} And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
(Heb 10:15-17 KJV) Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, {16} This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; {17} And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Yahweh is the one who speaks to prophets.
Numbers 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Yet Peter tells us that the prophets were moved to prophesy by the Holy Ghost.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
He is prayed to as "Lord"
Simeon had a word revealed to Him by the "Holy Ghost", and then he turns and prays to the Lord, thanking Him for His word, the word of the Holy Ghost.
(Luke 2:26-29 KJV) And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. {27} And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, {28} Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, {29} Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Equal to the Father and the Son
He works with the Father and the Son in the church
(1 Cor 12:4-6 KJV) Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. {5} And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. {6} And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
As equal to and one with the Father
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, [be] with you all. Amen. <<[The second [epistle] to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, [a city] of Macedonia, by Titus and Lucas.]>>
As doing things that God does
As dwelling in saints
John 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.
1 Corinthians 14:25 And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on [his] face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
As Comforter of the Church
2 Corinthians 1:3 ¶ Blessed [be] God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Origin of the new birth
(John 1:12-13 NASB) But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, {13} who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 3:5-6 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. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.
The author of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Ghost.
You know the author of the world’s best seller.
He has the attributes of God
There are some things that are unique to God. These things are what set God apart from man.
Creator
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.
The Spirit was active in creation.
In Genesis 1:1 the plural word for God, "Elohim", indicates that the Trinity worked together.
Genesis 1:2 speaks of the Spirit moving on the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:26 gives us a glimpse of the Trinity working in harmony to create man. "Let Us make man in Our image."
Psalm 104:30 also speaks of the Spirit’s part in creation.
(Psa 104:30 KJV) Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
Glory
The phrase "glory of the Lord" appears 38 times in Scripture. Glory is an attribute of God.
1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy [are ye]; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Sovereign
Daniel 4:35 And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
God can do whatever He wants. He’s God. We’re not.
1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
Acts 13:2 As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
Acts 13:4 ¶ So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.
Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
As directing where the gospel should be preached
Acts 16:6 ¶ Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
Acts 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Acts 16:10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Eternal
Hebrews 9:14 speaks of "the eternal Spirit."
(Heb 9:14 KJV) How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
He never changes. He’s always the same. He’ll always be there.
Omniscient (all knowing)
Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 says the things of God are known only by the Spirit.
(1 Cor 2:10-11 KJV) But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. {11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
If there’s something you need to know, does the Spirit know it? Yes. Does He have the ability to let you in on what He knows? Yes. If He doesn’t let you know what’s going on, perhaps He doesn’t want you to know.
(Prov 25:2 KJV) It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Omnipresent (present everywhere)
In Psalm 139:7 David says the Spirit is everywhere.
(Psa 139:7 KJV) Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
We can sometimes think that we leave the Lord outside when we go into a place where we don’t belong. Yet He’s there with us even there.
Omnipotent (all powerful)
In Luke 1:35 the angel speaks of the Holy Spirit as the power of the Highest.
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
Romans 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
As the source of miraculous power
Matthew 12:28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.
Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
Acts 19:11 And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
Romans 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
There is NOTHING He can’t do. If you need something done, can He do it?
Why is this important?
Last week we talked about the Holy Spirit being a "person". He’s not some invisible, impersonal force. He’s a real person. We can relate to Him.
But He’s not just any old person, He’s God.
(Isa 31:3 KJV) Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.
We aren’t talking about learning to rely on any old person, we’re talking about God here.
He isn’t some "genie" in a bottle who is here to do your beck and call. He the Sovereign God, and we ought to learn to submit to Him.
He is all powerful and there’s nothing He can’t do. And He lives inside of us. Amazing.