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"My hope in writing is to glorify Jesus Christ, and to encourage you to love Him with all of your heart. I pray that you get a glimpse of the Father through these words and devotions. My desire is for heart-strings to be tugged and souls to be searched as I express my adoration for Jesus." Ever So Thankful, |
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The Holy Spirit
Meet the Holy Spirit...
These teaching notes were shared with my Sunday School class one day. You may use these notes as a personal study as you research the Scriptures...
* If you think the Holy Spirit is just a force or a mystical power, then you may wonder, "How can I get more of the Holy Spirit?" But if you think of the Holy Spirit as a real person, then you will want to know, "How can He have more of me? You don't use the Holy Spirit, He uses you.
He is not an "activity you can add to your life". He is not a "thing" you can acquire. You cannot "earn" the Spirit.
* The Spirit is actually a divine person, not a thing or a form or a mystical force. He is God. He is the third person of the Godhead. (The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).
* The Hebrew name for "Spirit" is "Rhua", and it means "wind". The Greek name, "Pneuma", means "breath". So the Holy Spirit is the Breath of God, and has other names as well.
Names for the Holy Spirit in the Bible:
* Breath of the Almighty, Comforter, Eternal Spirit, Free Spirit, Good Spirit, God, Power of the Highest, Spirit of Adoption, Spirit of Burning, Spirit of Christ, Spirit of Counsel, Spirit of Glory, Spirit of God, Spirit of Grace, Spirit of Holiness, Spirit of Judgment, Spirit of Knowledge, Spirit of Life, Spirit of Might, Spirit of Prophecy, Spirit of Revelation, Spirit of the Father, Spirit of the Fear of the Lord, Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Understanding, and Spirit of Wisdom.
The Spirit has qualities only a Person can have:
The Spirit is a divine person: He is God.
- He is the Creator. The word for "God" in Genesis 1:1, is the first mention of the Spirit in Scripture. The name for God here is "Elohim", meaning the plural creator God. Genesis 1:26 refers to "us" as the Godhead. This means the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit all 3 made man in "their" image.
- What do you think it means to be created in the "image of God"? * "In their image" really means that man was created to be in the shadow of God, or under the ‘shade' of God. It also means that man was intended to be close to the Trinity with communion and fellowship. The original Hebrew word is "tselem". * Many think it means we have the attributes of God, to be created in His image.
- Read Job 33:4 - For the Spirit of God has made me, and the Breath of the Almighty gives me life.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
Exodus 25:31- the Lampstand
- The Lampstand in the Tabernacle is an example of the Holy Spirit. This shows the 7 attributes of the Holy Spirit mentioned in Isaiah 11:2... "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him (Jesus)- the Spirit of Wisdom, and of understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and of power, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the Lord...He is called the "Sevenfold Spirit".
- The Lampstand was the only source of illumination in the Tabernacle. It was made of pure gold that was beaten and hammered. It weighed about 75 lbs. The Lampstand was the only means of seeing evidence of God in His Holy Place, in the Tabernacle. Measurements were not given to Moses on how tall to make it, because the Illumination of the Holy Spirit cannot be measured. It was made from a single piece of gold. Gold represented the "deity" of God.
- Read Revelation 4:1-5... The 7 Spirits of God is the Holy Spirit. The "Sevenfold Spirit" is also the Holy Spirit.
- The Lampstand was to continually burn with oil.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit could: "Come upon a person for a length of time. He would "rest upon" a person, and He "filled" a person to carry out the plans of the building of the Tabernacle.
He did not forever dwell inside of these special people in the days of Old like the Spirit does for all Believers today. The Spirit was selective and temporary with whom he came upon. He could:
- remain with a person for a time, like King David. (1 Sam.16:13- so Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. David prayed in the Psalms that God would not take His Holy Spirit away from Him.
- He could leave when a person disobeyed God, as He did Saul. (1Sam.16:14)
- He could prepare a warrior for battle (Gideon) (Joshua) (Samson).
- He would inspire the prophets to deliver messages from God, as well as ordinary people to deliver messages from the Lord. (Saul's men, in 1 Sam. 19:19-21).
- Ezekiel 36:26- God told the prophet to give Israel this message: "I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you".
- The Old Testament saints went to the Father. They spoke to Him and waited in expectation for the coming Messiah...
The New Testament and the Holy Spirit:
Jesus had to have the H.S. come with Him to earth, protect Him from Satan, change Him to flesh, and keep Him sinless.
- The miracle of Jesus being born of a woman was made possible by the Holy Spirit. (Mat. 1:20).
- When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove. (Luke 3:21-22).
- The H.S. filled Jesus and directed Him, and then He anointed Jesus to preach the Good News. (Luke 4:1, 14, and 18). He gave Jesus the power to perform miracles.
- The H.S. gave Jesus the power to offer Himself to God "as a perfect sacrifice for our sins" (Heb.9:14).
- Each member of the Godhead raised Jesus from the dead. Romans 1:4 states that God raised Jesus from the dead "by means of the Holy Spirit".
- He will bring Jesus back when He returns for the Rapture of the Church.
*** If Jesus, the Son of God, depended on the Holy Spirit., then who are we to think we can live our live with God without doing the same???
**** Who lives inside of you??? Who saved your soul? Who brought you to Jesus? Who reveals the Word to you? Who convicts you of sin? (The Holy Spirit)
*** Why do we ignore Him???( Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, interceding for you right now.) The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and with us now.
- The New Testament Saints went to God the Son for comfort, teaching, etc.
- Read John 14:16-17; 26
- Another name for "counselor" is ‘paraclete", which is the Greek word Jesus used for the Spirit. A Paraclete comes along side you as a companion to counsel, comfort, instruct, and advise you. He stepped in for Jesus after Jesus left to return to Heaven. The Spirit provides assistance for us with things we cannot do alone. He provides advice, direction, and comfort.
- Read John 15:26... John 16:7-15...
- Jesus died on the cross, was buried, rose again the 3rd day, and then appeared to His Disciples. Read John 20:21-22...
- Jesus ‘breathed on" the disciples to receive His Holy Spirit because they already "accepted Him and believed in Him as the Messiah". Remember the H.S. is also the "Breath of God".
- The primary work of the H.S. is to tell us about Jesus and glorify Him! To "glorify' means to "praise, honor and magnify." The H.S. shines a great spotlight on Christ and says, "Here He is!"
- The Spirit helps us to pray. Read Romans 8: 26-27. When we get spiritually tongue-tied, the spirit steps in and prays for you in a spiritual language no words can duplicate. Even though you don't know what to pray, the Spirit tells God what is in your heart. He not only prays for you, but He tells you how to pray God's will... (Jude 20).
- The Holy Spirit helps you worship!! We need help to worship the Most High God, and the Spirit is there to help us do that.
- How do you feel comfortable worshiping God? (Quietly, through nature, symbolism, dancing, laying prostrate, music, etc.)
- The Holy Spirit takes me by the hand and introduces me to Jesus. When we touch the hand of Jesus and invite Him to be the Lord of our lives, Jesus says, "Now that you've met me, I am leaving you with the Holy Spirit. I am in Heaven interceding for you, and I will return to take you home one day soon. Until then, listen and obey the Spirit...
- The Holy Spirit is a "gentleman". He will follow you because He is faithful to the Master. We can choose to ignore Him as He follows us, but He is inside of our hearts and abides with us.
- He enables me to love Jesus, to worship Jesus, to remember all I have been taught about Jesus. He helps me to understand the Word.
- He gives each of us spiritual, divine gifts to glorify God and build up the Church. He expects us to use them. Can you name some of the Spiritual Gifts? (There are 23 gifts listed in the Bible.) God holds us responsible with how we use our gifts. ( They are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Cor.12:8-10; Eph. 4:11).
- "Charisma" means "a gift of holy grace". "pneumatika" means "things belonging to the Spirit". Both of these Greek terms mean "gifts".
- The Holy Spirit chooses who gets what gifts, and He is the giver of the gifts at His pleasure. We are held accountable for using the gifts in which He gives us. 2 Cor. 5:10 says that we will have to answer to God about how we used what He has given us. Each Believer has at least 1 gift that is uniquely his or her own. I believe we can ask the Spirit for a particular gift, and if He chooses, He will manifest it. But if He chooses not to, then we should not be envious of others' or sin by thinking our gift is unimportant. The apostle Paul said to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts".
- I believe we obtain more gifts as we grow in our relationship with Christ.
- The purpose of spiritual gifts is to build up the body of Christ.
Sins against the Holy Spirit:
1. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit:
There is no forgiveness for this sin. This is the one that is not forgiven!!
This sin is committed by UNBELIEVERS and is called the "unpardonable sin". It was committed by enemies of Jesus when they accused Him of casting out devils by the power of Satan after Jesus clearly told them that they were cast out by the Power of God. (Matt.12: 31-32).
This unpardonable sin involves the total and irrevocable rejection of Jesus Christ. Resisting the Holy Spirit is a sin committed by Unbelievers. If a person rejects or makes fun of the Holy Spirit, they are also rejecting and mocking Jesus Christ.
Grieving the Holy Spirit:
1. This can be committed by Christians.
2. Read Eph. 4:30... The good news is that the Spirit seals us forever, and we cannot lose our salvation. Paul is talking about the things we do that make the Spirit sad and wound His heart. We can bring pain to the Spirit by what we do.
3. We "grieve" only those who love us. Grief takes a long time to recover from, as compared to hurt.
4. How do we grieve the Spirit? See Eph.4:20-32:...... Whatever is unlike Christ in our conduct, speech, or disposition grieves the Spirit.
5. Anything false, deceitful, or hypocritical grieves Him.
6. Doubt, distrust, anxiety, and worry grieve Him.
7. Whatever in us that is hard, bitter, malicious, ungracious, unforgiving, or unloving grieves Him.
8. Anything unclean, defiling or degrading grieves Him.
What happens when we grieve Him? Ordinarily He delights to reveal the things of Christ to us. He also imparts to us joy, peace, gladness. But when we grieve Him, this ministry is suspended. His ministry to us does not stop, but is it impaired. To grieve Him is not to lose Him in my life. He does not remove Himself from me.
- When He is grieved, he brings about the absence of joy and power in our lives until we can renounce and confess the sin. Though we may appear happy, we are inwardly wretched when we are out of communion with the Holy Spirit. He doesn't move... We do.
- If we glorify the Holy Spirit, we will grieve Him. If we glorify Jesus, we will please Him!
Quenching the Spirit:
1 Thes. 5:19 says, "Do not quench the Spirit."
* The word "quench" means to "put out, to put a damper on". It relates to the Holy Spirit as a "fire".
* When we do not stir up our souls, when we do not use the means of grace, when we fail to pray, witness, or read the Word, then the fire of the Spirit is banked. These things are channels through which God gives us the fuel that keeps the fire of the Spirit burning.
* Willful sin also quenches the Spirit. When we criticize, act unkindly, belittle the work of others by careless or unappreciative words, we smother the fire and put it out.
* This happens when some Christians sometimes seek to block what God may be doing in a new way in the church!
The Father is the Commander. He has the ideas. He says, "Let there be light...."think of Him as the Sun shining in the sky...
The Son, Jesus is the performer. He does nothing without the Father telling Him. He is like the Light of the Sun in the sky.
The Spirit is the power that brings the performance of the Son and the commands of the Father into being. He is like the Heat from the sun in the sky. The Spirit is the power that keeps the sun shining and burning. He is the power of the Godhead.
Alison