Article II: God the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
We as Baptists have tended in two different directions: either we stress the Holy Spirit to the point of elevating him almost above the Father and Son, or we downplay the Spirit as though his is merely a “fill-in-the-gaps” role of whatever Father and Son didn’t do must be the work of the Spirit. So we must be careful not to put too much emphasis on the Spirit, nor to neglect him. That’s why the first sentence in this article is so important:
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine.
We cannot relegate the Holy Spirit to a lessor class of divinity. He is God - fully. The Holy Spirit is not just some impersonal “life-force” that God has, nor is he just an attitude or state of mind for God. He is God, a distinct member of the tri-une God who is worthy of worship.However, the excesses of some who claim to be following the Spirit, who require baptism of the Spirit or who desire to be “slain” in the Spirit are countered by a biblical look at who the Spirit is.
He Enlightens Men
He Enlightens Men
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth.
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.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
He Exalts Christ
He Exalts Christ
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration.
3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
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.
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.
He Empowers Christians
He Empowers Christians
Through His Baptism
Through His Baptism
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ.
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’
17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
Through His Provisions
Through His Provisions
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;
5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Through His Protection
Through His Protection
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption.
13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Through His Presence
Through His Presence
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;
3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
Through His Power
Through His Power
Baptist Faith and Message, 2000 C. God the Holy Spirit
He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
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.