Getting to Know the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a Person
- He has emotions - Col 1:8; Rom 8:25-27
- He has a will - 1 Cor 12:11
- He has a mind - Rom 8:27; 1 Cor 2:10-13
Other aspects of His personality
- He can be lied to - Acts 5:3
- He can be grieved - Eph 4:30
- He can be insulted - Heb 10:29
- He can even be vexed - Isa 63: 1 0
The Holy Spirit is real but because of many misconceptions and much ignorance many
Christians are robbed of a wonderful relationship with him. Thus they end up spending
their Christian lives without the fullness of God, for He is God’s fullness. Satan
has managed to blind many Christians about the truth of the Holy Sprit in operation.
He has also sought to make the teachings on the Holy Spirit seem like false doctrine.
The only solution to remove the obscurity and the distortion is to sit down with
the Word of God and read it for yourself with an open mind. Do not put man‘s teachings
above God’s Word. Let the Word speak to you about the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God
- He is the third person of the Trinity
He has all of the attributes of God:
- He is omnipotent - Rom 15:18-19; Acts 1:8
- He is omnipresent - Ps. 13 9:7-12
- He is omniscient - John 16:12-13; John 14:26
- He is eternal - Heb 9:14
- He is the Creator - Job 33:4; Ps. 104:30; Gen 1:2,3
- He is the giver of eternal life - Rom 8:11; John 6:
The Symbols of The Holy Spirit
- Fire : symbolizes purging, purification, power - Matt 3:1; Isa 4:4
- Water : symbolizes cleansing, refreshing - John 4:14;John 7:38-39
- Wind : life-giving - Ezek 37:7-10
- Oil : soothing, healing - Ps 89:20
- Seal: symbolises ownership, authority - Eph 1:13
- Dove: symbolises tenderness, innocence, gentleness, and harmlessness - Matt 3:16
The Present Work of The Holy Spirit
Brings regeneration
This means to impart life, to revive or bring back to life. It is through the work
of the Holy Spirit that a sinner is drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ and convicted
of his sin to a point of repentance Titus 3:5; Rom 12:2; John 3:5-6
The new birth (being born-again) is only made possible through the power of the
Holy Spirit.
2 Cor 5:17-18
It is Jesus who makes us new creatures and sets us free from the powers of sin-BUT
it is The Holy Spirit who regenerates us, who convicts us of our sin, and brings
us to Jesus. 2 Cor 3:6
Gives strength to believers
He gives strength to the weak. Without the strength of the Holy Spirit in our inner
being, it is not possible for us to make it in our spiritual walk. Every true believer
should entirely depend on the power of the Spirit. Eph 3:16.
Bears witness to our spirit
The Holy Spirit confirms to our spirit that we are God’s children. He is the one
who introduces us to this wonderful relationship, which we can possess through the
finished work of Jesus Christ. When we do wrong, the Holy Spirit will convict us
and point us back to the truth. Rom 8:15-17
Helps believers in their prayer life
Praying in the Holy Sprit helps us to become bold. It increases our faith and spiritual
strength. Jude 1:20; Eph 6:18; Rom 8:26-27
Helps us to understand the mysteries of God
The things of God are spiritually discerned, and only through the power of the Holy
Spirit can we understand them. This is why people with carnal (natural) minds do
not understand the things of the Spirit. They think it is foolishness and senseless,
but those who are filled with the Spirit of God know it is God’s power Matt 11:25;
1 Cor 1:25-28; 1 Cor 2:10-14
Baptism
When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended and rested on him. This was to
confirm Him as God’s Son, to assure Him full support in His mission, to give Him
power in what He was about to do, and to be a sign to those present. In the same
manner when we make a stand for God in our personal lives, He, in turn, allows His
Holy Spirit to come and lead us, to help us in times of trials and temptations.
John 1:32-34; Luke 4:1,2
Anointing
Jesus was anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is how He performed great
signs and wonders. We cannot perform signs and wonders or function in the ministry
under the power of God until we have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
The anointing is not a one-time experience, but a continuous experience. We should
ask God’s anointing before we embark on any spiritual activity. Luke 4:16,18,21;Acts
10:38
Spiritual Warfare
Jesus cast out devils by the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot stand against Satan
by our own power or man’s wisdom, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy
Spirit is God’s power for believers against the enemy. Matt 12:28
Death
Jesus offered himself to God, the Father, through the Spirit of God. We believers
need to die to self before we can be a powerful witness for God. God’s spirit will
help us during this process of death. Heb 9:14
Resurrection
After death Jesus was resurrected by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit
is the giver of life. When we die to self, God’s spirit imparts to us a new life-life
in the Spirit, and this is the only life that pleases the Father. Rom 8:11; 1 Pet
3:18.
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