I Believe in the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Why do men give engagement rings to their future bride?

Story of me proposing to Ashley and giving her an engagement ring as a down payment that I would marry her.

The ring was a promise, a symbol of my love and commitment to her.

It symbolized that in some ways (not fully though) that she belonged to me and I her. . . she was my fiance and I was hers. . . she would soon be my wife. . . and I her husband.

It represented me. When she was scared or doubted my love or commitment, looking at the ring would testify to her my love and remind her that I would marry her.

You see, without the ring and symbol of commitment, Ashley, like any other girl, would question if I would follow through with my words.

I think women need wedding rings because all people. . . both men and women. . . are prone to doubt, question, and become anxious when waiting for something.

We need assurance, we need evidence, we need a visible symbol of an unseen reality that is yet to take place. . .

Because of sin, our hearts are prone to wander. . . and we need help.

In a similar way. . . Ephesians 1:13-14 says the Holy Spirit is like a wedding ring.

Key Point: The Holy Spirit is the third divine person of the Trinity who gives life, helps, guides, leads, assures, and convicts us to make us more like Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is a person and is fully God along with the Father and Son.

We are baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:20).

“You have not lied to me but to God (the Holy Spirit)” (Acts 5:3-4).

Paul equates God’s Spirit with God himself in describing how we are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in us (1 Cor. 3:16).

The Holy Spirit is omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-8).

The Holy Spirit is omniscient and knows the depths of God (1 Cor. 2:10-11).

Even though the fullness of the Spirit’s work is not seen until the New Testament, the Holy Spirit was still involved and active in the Old Testament.

In creation, hovering over the waters (Gen. 1:2).

Temporarily filling, empowering, and working through people to serve the Lord (Num. 27:18; Gen 41:38).

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

In the New Testament, we see five specific functions of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

1. The Holy Spirit Gives New Life

Romans 8:1-17.

The Holy Spirit sets us free from sin and death (Romans 8:1-4).

Romans 8:14-17: We no longer have a spirit of slavery but the Spirit of adoption as Sons of God. . . and not only sons but heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ!

The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to our hearts, giving us Jesus’ righteousness, and giving us new life (John 3:5-7; Romans 8:3-4; Titus 3:4-8).

Romans 8:3-4 says We fulfill the law by walking in the Spirit.

By living and walking according to the Spirit, the work of Christ is applied to our hearts. We are given Jesus’ perfect obedience to the law, and by the Spirit, are considered to have been counted as fulfilling the law (through Christ’s obedience being given to us).

Romans 8:6-11.

v. 6: Setting our minds on the Spirit brings life and peace.

v. 10: The Spirit gives us life and unites us with Christ.

v. 11: The same Spirit that rose Christ Jesus from the dead lives in us and will give immortal life to our mortal bodies.

2. The Holy Spirit is Our Helper

John 14:15–19 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.

Jesus will ask the Father and give us “another” helper who will be with us forever.

He will be with us and in us (v. 17)

Not only does Jesus help us, but the Holy Spirit will help us also.

The Holy Spirit is our “helper,” which refers to him being an advocate, intercessory, and mediator.

The word “advocate” is used when “one is called upon for support, one called in for assistance.”

We have two advocates in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will help us bear witness for Jesus and comfort us in times of affliction (Acts. 1:7-8; Mark 13; 2 Corinthians 1:1-3).

The Holy Spirit helps us to pray (Romans 8:26-27).

The Holy Spirit helps us kill sin in our lives (Romans 8:12-13).

Sanctifies us. . . makes us more like Jesus.

v. 27 says that Jesus will give us peace through the giving of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is given to the disciples to replace the physical absence of Jesus so that Jesus will not leave them as orphans (v. 18). Therefore, the Spirit is a representation of Jesus to his people.

He allows the Triune God to “make his home” in us!

3. The Holy Spirit Teaches and Guides Us in all Truth

John 14:25–26 ESV

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 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 have said to you.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth who guide us into all truth.

The Spirit helps us understand spiritual things and the mind of God. . . He helps us understand God’s word (1 Cor. 2:12-14).

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and will teach the disciples “all things” and bring remembrance to the disciples “all” that Jesus said to them.

4. The Holy Spirit Convicts Us of Sin and Bears Witness of Jesus

John 16:7–11 ESV

7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment.

v. 12-15 says The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus.

John 16:12–15 ESV

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

The Holy Spirit teaches the word of Christ and is witness to the word and works of Christ (John 15:26-27).

He speaks not on his own behalf or his own authority, but he speaks whatever Christ says. . . and he will declare to the disciples the things that are to come.

All that the Father has, Jesus has, and the Holy Spirit will take what is Christ’s and declare it to the disciples.

This seems to imply that, through the Spirit, the disciples will receive all that is the Father’s since it is also the Son’s! This is an amazing truth!

Discipleship started with the Triune God. . . passed from the Father to the Son and to the Spirit. . . now to us.

“What we preach and teach does not stem from Jesus or the Spirit but from the Trinity as a whole, with the Spirit making known what the Father has revealed through the Son.” Grant R. Osborne

5. The Holy Spirit Gives Us Gifts

The Spirit gives numerous gifts to the church to edify the people of God and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12-14).

Response

If we believe in the Holy Spirit. . . we will:

Be Born of the Spirit.

John 3:5–7 ESV

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Be Filled With the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 ESV

18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,

Walk by the Spirit

Galatians 5:16 ESV

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Put to death the deeds of the flesh and Produce the fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.