Thursday, April 11, 2024

Various Scriptures - The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

Genesis 1:1-2 
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.


What the Lord is Saying: The Spirit of God begins in our Bible where God the Father begins. This is God. In Acts 5:3-4 the Holy Spirit is lied to. Heb. 10:15-17 identifies the Holy Spirit with Yahweh. The words of Jeremiah 31:31-34 were words from Yahweh but in Hebrews says the Holy Spirit spoke them. Because of the references to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as God, the Church embraces the trinity - God one in essence, three in person. The Holy Spirit is to be worshiped, honored, and served with all of our might.  

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John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.


What the Lord is Saying: Protestants and Roman Catholics differ on much but not on the Trinity. The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (381 AD) states the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son and distinguishes the three, but the divine attributes are shared. In today's passage, the Father and the Son send the Spirit and John 15:26 mentions Jesus sending the Spirit. 

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Exodus 35:30-35
30 Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; 32 to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, 33 and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. 34 He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35 He has filled them with skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.


What the Lord is Saying: The Holy Spirit empowers us for ministry, sanctify us or make us holy, but most notably equips people to create beauty. In Exodus 35:30-35 the Holy Spirit fills men tasked with designing and outfitting the tabernacle, enabling them to create a beautiful sanctuary for worship. Primary beauty is God Himself, the standard for beauty. Secondary beauty is the beauty we see in creation, which is imparted by God the Holy Spirit. In creating the beauty of creation, the Holy Spirit comes to the fore, as the Son Jesus comes to the fore in atonement and the Father to the fore in planning redemption. The Spirit gives us the ability to make beautiful things. 

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John 14:27b
Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.


What the Lord is Saying: Friedrich Nietzsche, the philosopher, rejected Christianity, stating among other things it strips people of courage and passion to cast off conventional morality and define their own right and wrong. But, courage is one of the most important Christian virtues. But courage is important for the Christian, rooted in the Lord (Deut 31:6). The church sometimes has been the reverse, cowards to the cause of redemption, fearing the ramifications. To be courageous is to first be fearful, but then doing what we need to do even when we are filled with fear. We do what is right because of God's presence with us. Today's verse is a reminder from Jesus that we should not be afraid because the Holy Spirit or Comforter is with us, giving us strength and courage. 

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Ephesians 2:1-10
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. 3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.


What the Lord is Saying: Believers were formerly dead in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). All are born into this except Jesus and we can do nothing on our own to make us spiritually alive. In regeneration we are brought from spiritual death to spiritual life. In John 3:5-6 it explains the Holy Spirit does this work, but John 6:44 also says the Father draws people to Christ and Ephesians 2:10 that we are created in Christ Jesus. Regeneration happens in the Son of God as the Father draws us and the Holy Spirit breathes new life into us.  All three members are active but the Spirit stands out as Scripture states He changes the hearts of those whom the Father has chosen for salvation (Job 33:4; John 6:63). 

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Luke 3:15-17
15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, 16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”


What the Lord is Saying: In Pentecostal and Charismatic churches the timing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs post conversion. John the Baptist looked forward to the Messiah baptizing people of with God with the Spirit (Luke 3:16), promised by old covenant people (Joel 2:28-29). Thus, it is clear old covenant believers did not have the same experience of the Holy Spirit that we do. They enjoyed regeneration, but not the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was limited to just a few Israelites but would one day belong to every believer (Numbers 11:29). With the baptism of the Spirit we are empowered to ministry. Here our Creator distributes spiritual gifts to us and all gifts are necessary to the healthy functioning of the Body. 

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Acts 1:8
8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”


What the Lord is Saying: Those who believe in a second baptism after conversion often cite this understanding from the Book of Acts (2:1-41; 8:9-25; 10; and 19:1-10) with the idea that people were believers prior to receiving the Holy Spirit though at times this is disputable. Yet, we are never told we lack the Holy Spirit. Acts describes a transitional period in the history of redemption from old covenant Israel to the new covenant church, but these texts also assume every Christian has received the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12:13). 

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I Thessalonians 4:3
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;


What the Lord is Saying: Being Holy, the 3rd person of the Trinity has a special role in making us holy. He sanctifies us. We have purpose to grow in holiness (I Thess. 4:3). We need sanctification because of how sin has affected us. Sin causes us to incur guilt. By faith alone we are forgiven of sin and granted the gift of His perfect righteousness. But the stain of sin remains until we are glorified. We struggle with sin (Romans 7). But the Spirit indwells in us to fight against this (Gal. 5:16). The Holy Spirit works on our consciences, convicting us, moving us to repent (John 16:7-8). We are transformed by this renewed mind (Rom. 12:1-2). Out thinking and affection for truth changes over time changing our behavior. We die to sin more and live to righteousness, but none of us on this earth are without sin (I John 1:8-9) until we enter glory. But the Spirit gives us progress in holiness. 


Summary: The Holy Spirit is one person of the Trinity, empowering us for ministry, equipping us but also working in us to create works of beauty. We are given courage by the help of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit changes hearts towards redemption as the Father draws. Upon conversion, we never lack the Holy Spirit, but as New Testament believers we not only are regenerated but we are progressing in holiness, sanctified by the Spirit. 

Prayer: Thank you Holy Spirit for always being present, for creating, and ministering to me to awaken me to the knowledge of my need for a Savior and understanding God. Thank you Jesus for dying for my sins and you Father for drawing me to this faith. I praise you for your work of making me holy in this life, moving me constantly towards this. Help me to continually get out of the way of your work. You are to be praised God, through the Father, Son, and Spirit. 

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