Holy Spirit

To most of us, the Holy Spirit seems mysterious. We can’t fit him into a human form. They symbols used to represent him in Scripture (oil, fire, wind, dove) don’t really help. The Bible teaches us that the Holy Spirit, like God the Father, and God the Son is to be worshipped, loved and obeyed… because he is God. It also teaches that we can get to know Him personally.

While we can’t really picture the Holy Spirit, it’s important to know that the most important part of you, is your spirit.

Close your eyes, picture yourself… but a different self than you are now. Picture yourself growing string in your faith. You have a rich relationship with god and you feel his presence and love in your life all the time. You would be able to say, that you are living the life God wants you to live. That’s the impact of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Review

1. God relates to us as the Trinity: three person in one being.

2. God is one, he is not three Gods, but one. Deut 6:4

3. The Father is God; the Son is God; the Spirit is God.

4. The three are distinct from each other, but one.

Historical Background of the Holy Spirit

In the Old testament the Holy Spirit came upon people at various times for specific purposes. He did not indwell people permanently.

Everything changes when Jesus comes. Before Jesus was on earth, the HS was present in the world, but did not remain in or upon people. He will fill them for specific tasks.

God had something different planned a Joel, the prophet said it...

Joel 2:28 NLT

28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.

Then Jesus himself talked about the Spirit coming.

John 16:7 NLT

7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.

Jesus said that he was leaving but sending the HS to us.

Acts 1:5 NLT

5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Acts 1 says we will be baptized by the Spirit and 1 CO says we were all baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ.

What happened in between these passages? Pentecost.

What is the Role of the Holy Spirit today?

1. The Holy Spirit regenerates me.

John 3:3 NLT

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

The HS is the reason we become born again.

Titus 3:5 NLT

5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

Here is the truth.

Before I came to Christ, I was Spiritually Dead. Now I am Spiritually Alive through new birth.

What does it mean to be dead spiritually?

We are not connected to God and will spend eternity in hell.

Car battery. If your battery is dead, it doesn’t matter how nice the car is, it won’t work. You need a new battery. We need a new heart and the Spirit gives us that.

John 6:63 NLT

63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

The HS came into your life and saved you through rebirth.

2. The Holy Spirit baptizes me into the Body of Christ.

The HS baptizes us into Christ. It’s simple. God comes to live inside us.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the placing of the Christian into the Body of Christ and into Christ Himself.

1 Corinthians 12:13 NLT

13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

We are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ. We are now in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 NLT

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

Paper into a Bible Illustration

The Baptism by the Holy Spirit into Christ occurs when you are born again.

The Baptism by the Holy Spirit is mean for all Christians.

Galatians 3:26–27 NLT

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

3. The Holy Spirit Indwells me.

In the OT, the HS did not indwell people. He came upon them.

In the OT, people had to travel to the temple to be near the presence of God. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom and access to the Holy of Holies was available to all.

Now the HS lives in us.

1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

4. The Holy Spirit identifies us as belonging to Jesus.

Ephesians 1:13 NLT

When we belong to Jesus, it implies ownership and protection.

5. The Holy Spirit is the deposit of God’s promise.

Ephesians 1:14 NIV

14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

2 Corinthians 5:5 NIV

5 Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

A deposit is paid when buying a house to signify you are going to actually buy the house. HS is God’s down payment in our lives and there is much more in our future… power to overcome… eternal and abundant life… joy… peace....

In a few weeks, we will do an entire series on the HS where we will look much deeper into Him and how he helps us in our faith walk.

6. The Holy Spirit Fills us

Acts 1:8 NLT

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”