STUDIES ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
Note: This is not a full study of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit? Your Life depends on the answer to this question!
Why? Because anyone who does not know - or believe in - the Holy Spirit
is dead! Of course we refer to spiritual death, not physical death.
You cannot be truly alive without a correct understanding of the Holy Spirit.
From a human point of view you may appear to be full of vigour and vitality
but before God you are dead. If you believe what the Bible tells us about
the Holy Spirit, you will readily accept this. And before going any further,
let us emphasize that only from the Bible can we derive the right words to
say about the Holy Spirit. Only God can tell us about His Holy Spirit. As
His Name suggests, the Holy Spirit is a spiritual being. It's not easy to
imagine this. We would, of course, rather see or observe something. The "spirit
world" as we call it, is mysterious to us. There is nothing tangible
or visible about it. It's even frightening to a degree. And it should be
- if we refer to the world of demons. Demons are rightly to be feared, for
they proceed from the Devil.
But we are speaking about the Holy Spirit, who comes from God. He is the
Spirit who originates with and proceeds from God the Father and from Jesus
Christ,
the eternal Son of God. He can only be good and pure, great and glorious. He
is called "Holy" for a reason: the Word suggests that He is set apart,
separated from all that is evil and corrupt, in enmity with God. With the Father
and the Son, the Holy Spirit forms the Holy Trinity: Almighty God, the creator
and the upholder of all Creation. Our limited intelligence will never comprehend
this or even less express it adequately, but we must believe it. It is a matter
of faith - faith, which must be worked in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. If
we want to know about the Holy Spirit, we should look at what He does. Much
can be read about this in the Bible.
The very first page of the Bible speaks of Him: "... the Spirit of God
was moving over the water...." Genesis 1 is about the creation of Heaven
and earth. We see here that the Holy Spirit was a participant in the act of
creation. Like the Father and the Son, he had an active role (cf Psalm 104:30).
God's Spirit begot life. And from this same text we can also learn that the
life-creating work of the Spirit is not restricted to the original formation
of the world, "in the beginning", but that it still continues.
God renews the face of the earth - His Spirit continually brings forth life.
The beauty of nature, the changing of the seasons, the rich variety of animal
life, all of this is due to the work of the Holy Spirit. Without exception,
each new life is His handiwork - how terribly distressing this makes the sin
of abortion! It is clear from the above that the Holy Spirit is God Himself.
For who can create, bring forth new life, renew all things, but God alone?
Together with the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is the true and eternal
God in whom everyone must believe; and to whom everyone must pray and offer
praise. God's Spirit is also active in God's plan of salvation. God not only
created. He also re-creates. He wants to heal and renew what was broken through
sin. In other words, He takes His creation and all His children out of the
grasp of sin and the Devil - although they were in this state through their
own disobedience and guilt. Now it is God's Spirit who gives us true faith
in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His Son. By faithful reading and studying
of God's Word, and by going to church and listening to the explanation of God's
Word. The Holy Spirit uses these means to work and maintain true faith in our
hearts.
And through that faith we are freed from Satan's power and saved for God. This
is the good news of the gospel. And it is the Holy Spirit who will continually
reassure us of the certainty of this good news. Thus we learn to trust in God,
to live and die with Him, and finally to be with Him in glory forever. When
the Lord Jesus Christ had almost completed His work on earth - shortly before
his final suffering - He spoke with His disciples. This was His earnest message: "...
I will soon go to my Father... and where I am going you cannot follow me now,
but you shall follow afterward... and He will give you another Counselor, to
be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth. For He dwells with you, and
will be in you... but the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom my Father will send
in My name. He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
that I have said to you." (John 14,15,16) Christ's promise to His Church
was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was
a wonderful and comforting event for God's children - and wonderful heavenly
gifts and powers were revealed in them. On that first day, 3000 people were
brought to faith through their witness. God's true children may still experience
the upholding power of God's Spirit. His work does not stop when we have come
to faith, but His work in us continues. The Holy Spirit changes us into different
people. We no longer have pleasure in sin. but want to live in true love with
God and our neighbour. It will be a struggle: between our "flesh" (our
sinful desires) and the Spirit (God's perfect Will); but God's Spirit will
continue to work, and will progress. Our life is renewed and blessed, our heart
finds peace in God. God's Spirit continues to give gifts and powers so that
His gospel may be brought to "the ends of the earth". Thus Christ's
Church is gathered here on earth; until Christ returns to gather His harvest
of souls, and to give them the eternal life which He has earned for them with
His blood .
The question can easily be asked – “isn’t there too much emphasis on the Holy Spirit in this current renewal movement?”
However, an examination of scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit is central to the activity of God on the earth and in people’s lives. The strong emphasis on the work of the Holy Spirit is not diminishing the powerful work of the Word of God, but a recognition of the truth of 2 Cor. 3:6.
Also, note that the emphasis is on the working of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives and not on the manifestations are often an “uncovering or revealing” (literal meaning of manifestations) of the fact that the Spirit is at work.
Public manifestations (1Cor 12:7) – i.e. the gifts of the Spirit for public worship – are for the “common good”. Private manifestations, which may be viewed publicly, are for the individuals good-lives are being transformed, hope is being restored, times of refreshing are coming (Acts 3:19).
Refer to a separate study on the Biblical basis of the manifestations.
HOLY SPIRIT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is identified as the “Spirit of God” or the Spirit of the Lord”. The Hebrew term is ‘RUACH’ meaning breath for wind. He was present and active in creation, Gen 1:2, the one who sought to keep men following God, Gen 6:3.
He was the empowerer of those the Lord used to deliver His people, Judges 3:9; 6:34; 14:6; 1 Sam 11:6; 18:10.
He is prophesied as the one who will anoint the servant of the Lord, Is 42:1; 11:2; 61:1 cf Luke 4:18-19, and the one through whom the work of God is accomplished, Zech 4:6.
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE LIFE OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus was the Messiah, i.e. the anointed one.
He only ministered after receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Lk 3:21-22;
4:18-19, Acts 10:38.
He was full of the Spirit, led by the Spirit, and moved in the power of the Spirit, Lk 4:1, 2, 14. He was raised from the dead by the Spirit, 1 Pet 3:18; Rom 8:11.
IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
The book of ‘The Acts of the Apostles’ could more accurately be entitled ‘The Acts of the holy spirit’. It starts with a group of frightened disciples who get totally transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit and then follows the subsequent spread of Christianity THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. As men and women were filled with the Holy Spirit they filled the known world with the gospel of Christ, and saw the miracle working power of God confirming the word they spoke. As Paul stated in 1 Thess 1:5 the gospel came with ‘power and in the Holy Spirit’.
THE CENTRALITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES OF BELIVERS
The remainder of this study will highlight how all of our christian life is to be lived in total reliance on the Holy Spirit. The following are groups of scriptures showing the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
a) in salvation, Jn 3:8; Tit 3:5
b) God indwells us by the spirit, Jn 14:17; Eph 2:22.
c) We are to be filled and use filled people in ministry, Eph 5:18; Acts
6:3,5;7:55; 11:24
d) The Spirit sanctifies us, Rom 2:29; 8:13; 15:16; 1cor 6:11,Gal 5:16; 2
Thes 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2
e) Christian character is by the Spirit, Gal 5:22
f) He give hope Rom 15:13
g) He gives peace and joy Rom 14:17; 1Thes 1:6
h) He is the source of God’s love Rom 5:5; Col 1:8
i) He empowers us to witness Acts 1:8; Rom 15:19
j) He strengthens the inner man Eph 3:16
k) He keeps our conscience in line with the ways of God Rom 9:1
l) He guides, Acts 13:4; 16:6
m) He reveals the things of God, Luke 2:26; Acts 11:28; 1 Cor 2:10
n) Eph 3:5; Acts 4:25; 2Pet 1:21
As Christians we are to be:-
a) Pray in the Spirit, Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20
b) Be led by the Spirit, Rom 8:14; Matt 4:1; Lk 2:27; Acts 20:22
c) Have our minds controlled by the Spirit, Rom 8:6
d) Have our minds set on the Spirit’s desires, Rom 8:5
e) Keep in step with the Spirit’s desires, Rom 8:5
f) Keep in step with the Spirit, Gal 5:25
g) Worship in the Spirit, Phil 3:3
h) Grow in the Spirit, Gal: 3:3
i) Be helped by the Spirit, Phil 1:19; Jn 14:26
As it can be seen by working through these scriptures the Christian life can only be lived through a vital, living relationship with the Holy Spirit. There can never be an over emphasis on the ministry and activity of the Holy Spirit in the believers life although there can be imbalance or deception when one disregards the Word of God.
Indeed the Word of God is the “sword of the Spirit”.
We are to seek as much activity of the Spirit in our lives as we possibly can and in the words of one of the translations of Jn 14:17 ‘have an eye for the Spirit’, always looking for His activity and over the earth in these days, seek Him with all or your heart – this is a visitation of God.
HOW TO LEAD YOUR CHURCH INTO A GREATER MOVE OF THE SPIRIT
The following are not to be taken as a ‘method’ or list of steps that will MAKE the Holy Spirit move within your Church but are offered as ‘advice’ from experience and teaching of those who have successfully seen the current move of the Spirit firmly established in their own churches and spread to touch the majority of their members.
1. KEEP YOURSELF FILLED
a) In private prayer-keep hungry, keep drinking, ‘soak’ in the
presence of the Spirit.
b) Associate and pray with those who are ‘in the river’
c) Be in the Word studying the Holy Spirit, the manifestations etc.
d) Maintain a repentant attitude Acts 3:19
2. WORK WITH YOUR LEADERSHIP FIRST
a) Unity is vital
b) Establish them in anointing first
c) Pray frequently together and ‘soak’ in the Spirit.
3. PUBLICLY DECLARE what has happened to you and that your church is now yielded to the Holy Spirit.
4. PREACH AND TEACH ON THE HOLY SPIRIT
a) The person of the Spirit
b) The ministry of the Spirit
c) The need of refreshing
d) The Biblical basis for the manifestations.
e) Preaching on other subjects in the initial stages of the move will not
build the faith level of the people and established in platform for the Spirit
to move. As the move is established in your Church you can return to presenting
the “balanced diet”.
5. ALLOW OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SPIRIT TO MOVE
a) Welcome Him, be gentle, be patient
b) Be sensitive during the worship. An increase in the of God may not be
for the extending of the time of worship but to move into a time of ministry.
Seek God at that point for the direction He wants to move in.
c) Don’t be bound to programmes
d) Hold special ‘seeking God’ meetings
e) Don’t give up
6. BUILD THE ANOINTING
The manifestations are not the anointing but evidence of the effect of the
anointing.
a) In the initial stages (possibly several weeks or months) of a fresh
visitation don’t stop the manifestations so you can preach etc. or because you
fear the flesh is getting involved. Rather encouraged more people to receive
more. Deal with excesses of the flesh is less of a problem than people falling
asleep in church – another problem of the flesh!
b) Initially only a few may receive and you as the Pastor are concerned that the others will get ‘bond’, ‘skeptical’, ‘critical’ or similar.
c) Don’t yield to this pressure but seek to build the anointing so more will enter in.
d) Use those getting touched to build faith in the service.
- Can gather them in the front and pray more for them
- Have them testify and pray for them, if you know their lives are ‘in
order’ …
- Have them pray for each other
- Invite others to be prayed for by them
- Teach these ones principles of praying for others
- Use their testimonies to build faith and credibility
e) ‘Use their testimonies’ to have been a major
factor in the spread of the move.
f) Continually emphasize the importance
g) Always show love and encouragement to these ones.
8. BE PREPARED FOR POSITION AND HANDLE IT WELL
a) Don’t let it turn you from whole-heartedly seeking more of the Spirit.
b) Be ready to teach publicly and privately about what is going on.
c) Use good testimonies of changed lives (not manifestations) to validate
what is happening.
d) Spend time on your face before God.
e) Be prepared to let people leave who are opposing the move.
9. MAKE SURE EVERY MINISTRY IN YOUR CHURCH BECOMES A WELL SPRING OF THE
SPIRIT.
