The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

BIBLE STUDY – 19/03/2022

Who is the Holy Spirit?

John 14:15-27, 16:5-16 AMP

• Third Person in the Trinity (triune God).
• Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and standby).
  Advocate = a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. As Advocate, the Holy Spirit came to support the cause of Jesus Christ in that the work of the cross was not a one-time thing but a continued work in our lives.
• Remains with us forever; lives with us [constantly] and will be in us.
• The Spirit of Truth. He guides us into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth), speaking what He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him].
• Teaches us all things, and causes us to recall (reminds us of, brings to remembrance) every word of Christ.
• Sent to us by the Father in Jesus’ Name [in Jesus’ place, to represent Him and act on Christ’s behalf]
• Honours and glorifies Jesus, because He takes of (receives, draws upon)what is Christ’s and reveals (declares, discloses, transmits) it to us.
• Convicts and convinces the world and brings demonstration to it about sin and about righteousness (uprightness of heart and right standing with God) and about judgment.
• Announces and declares to us the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].

The Promise of the Holy Spirit Fulfilled

• Acts 2:1-21
• Filled (diffused throughout their souls) the apostles who began to speak in
• other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expressions [in each tongue in appropriate words]. They were [telling of] the mighty works of God!
• It’s amazing how the lives of the apostles were transformed when they received the Holy Spirit. E.g. the same Peter who denied Christ three times before His death was the same Peter who boldly stood up to declare the wonders of God through Christ to the crowd that had gathered there at Pentecost. This demonstrates the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.
• Peter’s life also demonstrates the redemptive and merciful nature of Christ – Jesus still kept him as His disciple after the denial and enabled him to play a pivotal role in building the church of Christ.
• Also, Jesus picked Peter, a fisherman (unlearned, with no strong standing in society), to lead His church. It was the power of the Holy Spirit in him (and in the members of the early church) that made him effective in God’s work. Similarly, in the Old Testament (O.T.), Moses’ stammering may have made him feel inadequate to be used by God to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh, but this was no hindrance to Yahweh.
• The different languages spoken by the apostles as enabled by the Spirit resulted in a diverse group of people being ministered to, as if to show that though God confused men’s languages during the days of the tower of Babel, He still cares for every individual and will reach out to them in their own language.
• John 16:7 – Jesus knew how beneficial it would be for His disciples to have the Holy Spirit, though they probably didn’t think it good for Him to leave them.
• The Holy Spirit brought boldness among the disciples. Compare John 20:19 and Acts 2 – they were no longer hiding. The believers and apostles in Acts had so much boldness that they were willing to die for their faith, e.g. Stephen. Are you ready to die for your faith in Jesus?
• Even if not actual physical death, as believers we do somehow ‘die’ daily when we choose good over evil in our current world setting; the price to pay for choosing right is often much more difficult than choosing to follow the crowd. But Jesus’, words couldn’t be truer in Luke 9:23-25 and Matt. 7:13-14.
• Acts 2:17-18 The gift of prophecy is for men and women, sons and daughters – no gender separation here. It could be the least/most basic spiritual gift anyone in Christ should possess! And we can trust God for it. It is not just for a select few (pastors, etc.). Also, prophecy need not be forceful and violent! It needs to be by the Holy
• Spirit, bearing good fruit, and done in love.
  Isaiah 3:12 While the leadership role is a calling God has placed over the
• men, there is equality when it comes to the working of the Holy Spirit – Gal. 3:28-29 and Acts 2:17-18 above.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

We can see the Holy Spirit throughout the Scriptures, e.g.:

• In creation – Genesis 1:1-2
• In the lives of the O.T. saints (David, Samuel, Samson, etc.). While the HolySpirit was present and active in the O.T., it is only after Christ’s finished work on the cross that He can now dwell in us. This is a great honour – being temples of the Holy Spirit, carrying the presence of God everywhere we go!
• Balaam and the donkey!
• The skilled craftsmen (Bezalel and Oholiab) in Exodus 31 – they weren’t merely skilled but were filled with the Spirit of God to make artistic designs for the tabernacle.
• The choosing of the seven (Acts 6:1-6) – criteria: full of the Spirit and wisdom. We should never allow ourselves to puff up over the gifts God has given us to serve Him (which He gives without repentance), e.g. good singing voice, great profession, ministry, preaching, playing music, etc. Instead, we are to allow the Holy Spirit to help us utilise these gifts for the glory of God alone. Matt. 7:21-23 Skill/gifting + the anointing of the Holy Spirit is a phenomenal combination. David as a shepherd boy sharpened his skills on the harp, playing in the presence of God and of his father’s sheep. Later on, whenever he would play before King Saul, the evil spirit that tormented him (Saul) would always leave.
• In redemption’s plan – Luke 1:35.
• The life of Jesus – Acts 10:38 All the work that Jesus did was by/through the Holy Spirit.
• In the life of believers – Acts 2:32-33, 6:3, throughout Scripture.

How Can We Get To Know The Holy Spirit Better?

• Reading the Word and meditating on it; listening to Him even as we speak to Him.
• We need to recognise and acknowledge our need of Him – Acts 19:1-6, 8:14- 17. He is ever-present, even in our daily circumstances. He is and has always been in the equation. He gives us promptings and urgings that He longs for us to respond to, and these bring us to a point of closer communion with Him.
• Col. 3:16-17 As we teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, let’s do it sober-mindedly, acknowledging that it is by God’s power and not our own abilities, and giving thanks to God in humility. John 4:24 Let us be truthful before the LORD in the simplest ways.
• We need to surrender to Him. If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, how much more do we? Matt. 3:16, Acts 10:38.
• We have an invitation of fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and we should take it! 2 Cor. 13:14 AMP, Prov. 3:5-6 AMP Let us give Him room.