DOCTRINE: Holy Spirit

As we take a deep dive into the prophets and prophecy this week, we learn in 2 Peter 1:21 that all prophets spoke what was given to them by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit enabled the prophets to deliver God’s timely messages that spoke into their current culture and revealed His heart for people and His plan for redemptive history.

and the Holy Spirit that spoke to the prophets in the OT is the same Spirit that lives inside each and every believer today.

The Holy Spirit is not an “it” or a force, but a person.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are equal but distinct members of the Trinity.

The Holy Spirit is the 3rd part of the trinity not because He is less than God the Father or Jesus, but because He was the last to be revealed.

He is equally and wholly God…

and He lives in you...

He speaks to you and actively works in you to reveal Christ, glorify God, and accomplish God’s purposes.

At the moment of salvation- the Holy Spirit indwells- or lives- in every believer- this is permanent and at that moment He seals our salvation forever.

However, the “filling” of the Holy Spirit happens repeatedly- giving believers increased power to serve God and witness for Christ.

He empowers you to interpret and understand scripture.

He convicts. He guides..

He gives you POWER over sin- the ability to obey God and walk in His ways.

And he does this in complete harmony of purpose with the Father and the Son.

So....do you know His voice when he speaks to you?

Do you ask Him to daily fill you- to empower you- to convict you?

And then when you do hear…do you take steps forward in obedience?

Or do you push His voice aside- continuing to do what you want how you want to do it...

While there is no specific formula to hear from the Holy Spirit-

The primary way He speaks to us is through the word of God- the very words that He gave centuries ago to the prophets.

He is the reason we can read the same passage 100 times and the 99th time we read it- we see something that didn’t stick out to us before…

He brings scripture alive to us- to meet us in our current situation.

If you don’t know his voice- if you don’t take time to listen- to be in His word word- then you will be consumed by the false voices constantly bombarding you...

So- what is the Holy Spirit telling YOU in YOUR current life circumstance right now…

Is there a constant theme that keeps coming up?

This happened to me recently. God said wait.

He told me through his word.

He told me through worship.

He told me through friends.

and He spoke to me through Lea’s lecture last week.

When I believe that the Holy Spirit is the source of God’s presence and power in my life, I learn to listen for His voice and respond to His impulses.

I don’t like to wait. God knows that. So He told me many times and in many ways.

Many times I know it’s the Holy Spirit cuz something jumps out at me in scripture or the still small voice in my head...

and that thought- the one that aligns with scripture BUT blows up my plans- was definitely not from me...

But in telling me to wait- the Holy Spirit didn’t just bring conviction about all the ways I wasn’t waiting,

He brought comfort-

a reminder that He is with me and working in the waiting…

His voice told me the waiting was worth it...

o Today – how have you felt His promptings, His comfort, His conviction, and/or His power to say “no” to sin?

Take time to listen and then take steps to walk in his ways…as you do, you will begin to learn about God’s individual and personal care for you as He provides comfort and direction......

So…are you listening?…how might listening to the Holy Spirit change what you do today…in your personal life…or even, as you carry out your leadership role in BSF?

Turn now and tell another leader about an area where in your life you need to hear from or obey the Holy Spirit this week?