The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
It is essential that Jesus' followers recognize the importance of the Holy Spirit in God's purpose to spiritually redeem people (i.e., to rescue them from sin, renew them spiritually and restore them to a personal relationship with Himself). Many Christians have not even considered how different things would have been had there not been the presence of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no universe, no human race (Gen 1:2 ; Job 33:4), without the Holy Spirit there would be no Bible (2 Peter 1:21), no new testament (John 14:26; 15:26-27; 1 Co 2:10-14) and no power to effectively communicate the message about Christ (Acts 1:8). Without the Holy Spirit there would be no way to have faith in God, no way to experience spiritual salvation or renewal, no way for Jesus' followers to live in holiness (i.e., moral purity, spiritual wholeness, separation from evil and dedication to God.) In fact, there would be no Christians at all in the world. This article explores some of the basic teachings about the Holy Spirit and his purpose.
THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Many non-believers, and even some believers, view the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force or concept that represents God or his presence. But the Bible describes the Holy Spirit in personal terms, not as a mere influence or spiritual power. Throughout God's Word, The Spirit is revealed as a distinct individual (2 Cor. 3:17-18; Heb 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2). He is a divine person (i.e., fully God) - like the Father and the Son (see Mark 1:11 ) - with personal characteristics all his own. He thinks (Roman 15:30), wills (e.i., desires, determines and purposes specific things (1 Cor. 12:11), and has the capacity to love and enjoy personal companionship. John 15:26 says that the Spirit goes out from God the Father and testifies about Christ, which means that He moves about and communicates. He was sent by the Father to bring belivers into a close personal relationship with Jesus (John 14:16-18,26). God created us with a desires to experience that kind of a relationship with him, and sent Jesus to provide that opportunity. Jesus, in turn, gives us the Holy Spirit to fulfill that desires and to enable us to experience a personal relationship with Christ. Because he is God, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). He is also loving, forgiving, merciful and persistent . When people sence things about God "in thier hearts" or conscience, it is often the work of the Holy Spirit prompting them toward God or leading them into a closer relationship with God. In light of these truths, we should treat him as a person and understand that he is the infinite living God, worthy of our worship, love and surrender (Mark 1:11).
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: In the New testament, NT revelation about the Holy Spirit describes a variety of unique and specific roles.
(a) The Holy Spirit is the agent, or motivating power, behind spiritual salvation. First, he convicts us of guilt (John 16:7-8)which means he exposes our offenses against God and makes us conscience of our need for forgiveness. He also reveals to our conscience the truth about Jesus (John 14:16,26). The Holy Spirit can then cause a spiritual birth in those who respond with faith to the message about Christ (John 3:3-6). This makes them part of His "body" (1Cor 12:13), which is all true believers- the church . When individuals accept God's forgivness and willingly yield thier lives to Christ, they receive the Spirit (John 3:3-6; 20:22). He comes to live in and through them, renewing them spiritually and allowing them to participate in God's purpose and to develop Jesus' character traits (2Peter 1:4). In addition , the Spirit is a Christians "seal" and "deposit" (Eph 1:13-14) - a guarantee of spiritual salvation and eternal life. This means that his constant presence gives Christians a taste of what it will be like to be in God's presence forever in Heaven. Because the Holy Spirit is with us now, we know that Jesus will return to take us back with Him to Heaven. The Holy Spirit's presence is our assurance that we are never alone. (see John 14:16-18).
b) The Holy Spirit is the agent of sanctification (i.e, the process of being set apart for God's possession and purposes, and the ongoing process of spiritual growth and development). At the point when we receive God's forgiveness and entrust our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us to spiritually purify and prepare us for God's specific purpose (Romans 8:9 ; 1Cor 6:19) He then begins to motivate us and lead us into a life of holiness (i.e., moral and spiritual purity , wholeness, separation from evil and dedication to God). In doing so, He rescues us from slavery to sin (Romans 8:2-4; Gal 5:16-17; 2 Thes. 2:13) and spares us from the disatrous consequences of going our own way. If we are truly following Christ, the Holy Spirit constantly reminds us that we are God's children. (Romans 8:16). He helps us in our efforts to worship and honor God (Acts 10:46). He helps us pray and even intercedes (i.e., pleads our case) for us when we are over whelmed and do not know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27). He also develops within us a more Christ-like character that honors Jesus (Gal 5:22-23 ; 1Peter 1:2). As our Godly teacher and counselor (John 14:16,26; 16:7), he provides information from God that is beyond our natural understanding. He reminds us of what God has already revealed in his Word, and he guides us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:26; 1Cor. 2:9-16). He continually conveys God's love to us (Romans 5:5) and gives us joy, comfort and help (John 14:16; 1 Thes. 1:6).
(c) The Holy Spirit is the agent of empowerment for Christian service. He enables Christ's followers to serve His purposes and to effectively communicate to others His message of forgiveness and new life. This work of the Holy Spirit is related to the baptism in the Spirit. When we are baptized in the Spirit, we are "immersed in" and "filled with" God's power to spread Christ's message, to serve effectively within the church and to reflect God's love and character to the world (Acts 1:8). We receive the same "anointing" (i.e., commission and empowerment ) that came on Christ (John 1:32-33) and on his first disciples (Acts 2:4; see 1:5), causing us to be able to communicate God's Word (Acts 1:8; 4:31) and work miracles(Acts 2:43; 3:2-8; 5:15, 6:8; 10:38). It is God's purpose that all Christ's followers experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:39). Christians today need the same power and guidance that Christ's first followers experienced in order to carry out their God-given mission in the world. To help Christians fulfill their mission, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts (i.e. special God-given abilities and ministries) to individual believers so they can help build up and strengthen the church (1 Cor. 12-14). Using these gifts, the Holy Spirit works through individual Christians to reveal Christ's presence, love, truth and standards for the benefit of an entire congregation of Christians (1 Cor. 12:7-11).
(d) The Holy Spirit draws into unity all of God's people into the one "body" of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), which is made up of all true Christians. Each member has a unique role in his overall purpose for the church. As the spiritual motivator behind the ministries of the church , the Holy Spirit lives in the church (1 Cor. 3:16), builds the church (Eph 2:22), inspires Godly worship in the church (Phil. 3:3), directs the church's mission (Acts 13:2, 4), appoints workers in the church (Acts 20:28), gives special gifts and abilities to the church(1Cor.12:1-11), empowers preachers (Acts 2:4; 1Cor.2:4), guards the gospel, (i.e, the true message of Christ) (2 Tim. 1:14) and promotes and preserves the church's right relationship with God (Jn 16:8; 1Cor. 3:16; 6:18-20)
The various activities of the Holy Spirit all work together for a common purpose- to help carry out Jesus' purposes and bring honor to Him (Jn 16:12-14). In fact, all four facets of the Holy Spirit's work mentioned above are interlinked and cannot be fully separated in a Christians life. This means that in order to experience (a) true spiritual salvation and renewed life in Christ, (b) proper spiritual growth and development, (c) real power to communicate Christ's message and serve his purposes and (d) complete community within the church , all four aspects must be actively operating at the same time in our lives. For example, to experience the ongoing benefits of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we must also allow the Spirit's leading into a deeper knowledge of and commitment to God's Word.
It is essential that Jesus' followers recognize the importance of the Holy Spirit in God's purpose to spiritually redeem people (i.e., to rescue them from sin, renew them spiritually and restore them to a personal relationship with Himself). Many Christians have not even considered how different things would have been had there not been the presence of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning. Without the Holy Spirit there would be no creation, no universe, no human race (Gen 1:2 ; Job 33:4), without the Holy Spirit there would be no Bible (2 Peter 1:21), no new testament (John 14:26; 15:26-27; 1 Co 2:10-14) and no power to effectively communicate the message about Christ (Acts 1:8). Without the Holy Spirit there would be no way to have faith in God, no way to experience spiritual salvation or renewal, no way for Jesus' followers to live in holiness (i.e., moral purity, spiritual wholeness, separation from evil and dedication to God.) In fact, there would be no Christians at all in the world. This article explores some of the basic teachings about the Holy Spirit and his purpose.
THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Many non-believers, and even some believers, view the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force or concept that represents God or his presence. But the Bible describes the Holy Spirit in personal terms, not as a mere influence or spiritual power. Throughout God's Word, The Spirit is revealed as a distinct individual (2 Cor. 3:17-18; Heb 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2). He is a divine person (i.e., fully God) - like the Father and the Son (see Mark 1:11 ) - with personal characteristics all his own. He thinks (Roman 15:30), wills (e.i., desires, determines and purposes specific things (1 Cor. 12:11), and has the capacity to love and enjoy personal companionship. John 15:26 says that the Spirit goes out from God the Father and testifies about Christ, which means that He moves about and communicates. He was sent by the Father to bring belivers into a close personal relationship with Jesus (John 14:16-18,26). God created us with a desires to experience that kind of a relationship with him, and sent Jesus to provide that opportunity. Jesus, in turn, gives us the Holy Spirit to fulfill that desires and to enable us to experience a personal relationship with Christ. Because he is God, the Holy Spirit is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time), omniscient (all knowing) and omnipotent (all powerful). He is also loving, forgiving, merciful and persistent . When people sence things about God "in thier hearts" or conscience, it is often the work of the Holy Spirit prompting them toward God or leading them into a closer relationship with God. In light of these truths, we should treat him as a person and understand that he is the infinite living God, worthy of our worship, love and surrender (Mark 1:11).
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: In the New testament, NT revelation about the Holy Spirit describes a variety of unique and specific roles.
(a) The Holy Spirit is the agent, or motivating power, behind spiritual salvation. First, he convicts us of guilt (John 16:7-8)which means he exposes our offenses against God and makes us conscience of our need for forgiveness. He also reveals to our conscience the truth about Jesus (John 14:16,26). The Holy Spirit can then cause a spiritual birth in those who respond with faith to the message about Christ (John 3:3-6). This makes them part of His "body" (1Cor 12:13), which is all true believers- the church . When individuals accept God's forgivness and willingly yield thier lives to Christ, they receive the Spirit (John 3:3-6; 20:22). He comes to live in and through them, renewing them spiritually and allowing them to participate in God's purpose and to develop Jesus' character traits (2Peter 1:4). In addition , the Spirit is a Christians "seal" and "deposit" (Eph 1:13-14) - a guarantee of spiritual salvation and eternal life. This means that his constant presence gives Christians a taste of what it will be like to be in God's presence forever in Heaven. Because the Holy Spirit is with us now, we know that Jesus will return to take us back with Him to Heaven. The Holy Spirit's presence is our assurance that we are never alone. (see John 14:16-18).
b) The Holy Spirit is the agent of sanctification (i.e, the process of being set apart for God's possession and purposes, and the ongoing process of spiritual growth and development). At the point when we receive God's forgiveness and entrust our lives to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us to spiritually purify and prepare us for God's specific purpose (Romans 8:9 ; 1Cor 6:19) He then begins to motivate us and lead us into a life of holiness (i.e., moral and spiritual purity , wholeness, separation from evil and dedication to God). In doing so, He rescues us from slavery to sin (Romans 8:2-4; Gal 5:16-17; 2 Thes. 2:13) and spares us from the disatrous consequences of going our own way. If we are truly following Christ, the Holy Spirit constantly reminds us that we are God's children. (Romans 8:16). He helps us in our efforts to worship and honor God (Acts 10:46). He helps us pray and even intercedes (i.e., pleads our case) for us when we are over whelmed and do not know what to pray (Romans 8:26-27). He also develops within us a more Christ-like character that honors Jesus (Gal 5:22-23 ; 1Peter 1:2). As our Godly teacher and counselor (John 14:16,26; 16:7), he provides information from God that is beyond our natural understanding. He reminds us of what God has already revealed in his Word, and he guides us into all truth (John 16:13; 14:26; 1Cor. 2:9-16). He continually conveys God's love to us (Romans 5:5) and gives us joy, comfort and help (John 14:16; 1 Thes. 1:6).
(c) The Holy Spirit is the agent of empowerment for Christian service. He enables Christ's followers to serve His purposes and to effectively communicate to others His message of forgiveness and new life. This work of the Holy Spirit is related to the baptism in the Spirit. When we are baptized in the Spirit, we are "immersed in" and "filled with" God's power to spread Christ's message, to serve effectively within the church and to reflect God's love and character to the world (Acts 1:8). We receive the same "anointing" (i.e., commission and empowerment ) that came on Christ (John 1:32-33) and on his first disciples (Acts 2:4; see 1:5), causing us to be able to communicate God's Word (Acts 1:8; 4:31) and work miracles(Acts 2:43; 3:2-8; 5:15, 6:8; 10:38). It is God's purpose that all Christ's followers experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:39). Christians today need the same power and guidance that Christ's first followers experienced in order to carry out their God-given mission in the world. To help Christians fulfill their mission, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts (i.e. special God-given abilities and ministries) to individual believers so they can help build up and strengthen the church (1 Cor. 12-14). Using these gifts, the Holy Spirit works through individual Christians to reveal Christ's presence, love, truth and standards for the benefit of an entire congregation of Christians (1 Cor. 12:7-11).
(d) The Holy Spirit draws into unity all of God's people into the one "body" of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), which is made up of all true Christians. Each member has a unique role in his overall purpose for the church. As the spiritual motivator behind the ministries of the church , the Holy Spirit lives in the church (1 Cor. 3:16), builds the church (Eph 2:22), inspires Godly worship in the church (Phil. 3:3), directs the church's mission (Acts 13:2, 4), appoints workers in the church (Acts 20:28), gives special gifts and abilities to the church(1Cor.12:1-11), empowers preachers (Acts 2:4; 1Cor.2:4), guards the gospel, (i.e, the true message of Christ) (2 Tim. 1:14) and promotes and preserves the church's right relationship with God (Jn 16:8; 1Cor. 3:16; 6:18-20)
The various activities of the Holy Spirit all work together for a common purpose- to help carry out Jesus' purposes and bring honor to Him (Jn 16:12-14). In fact, all four facets of the Holy Spirit's work mentioned above are interlinked and cannot be fully separated in a Christians life. This means that in order to experience (a) true spiritual salvation and renewed life in Christ, (b) proper spiritual growth and development, (c) real power to communicate Christ's message and serve his purposes and (d) complete community within the church , all four aspects must be actively operating at the same time in our lives. For example, to experience the ongoing benefits of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we must also allow the Spirit's leading into a deeper knowledge of and commitment to God's Word.