The Holy Spirit (I)

1. The Holy Spirit (I) Power and Presence for the New life Jn 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

2. The Giver of life • “Spirit” = Heb. ruach (OT); Gk. pneuma (NT). • Lit. “Breath” or “wind” • E.g., pneumatic (air-wrenches, air-drills, air-nailers) • E.g., Pneumonia (disease of the lungs – breathing)

3. The Giver of life • “Breath of life” Gen 2:7 “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

4. The Giver of life • “Breath of life” • Body without breath/spirit is dead: Psalms 104:29 “You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust.”

5. The Giver of life • “Breath of life” • Body without breath/spirit is dead: Eccl 12:7 “then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

6. The Giver of life • “Breath of life” • Body without breath/spirit is dead: Jas 2:26 “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”

7. The Giver of life • The power for life comes from God’s Spirit • It is God’s Spirit that gives us life: Job 33:4 “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”

8. The Giver of life • The power for life comes from God’s Spirit • When God removes his Spirit, we die: Job 34:14-15 “If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, All flesh would perish together, And man would return to dust.”

9. The Giver of life • The power for life comes from God’s Spirit • When God sends his Spirit, life is renewed: Psa 104:29-30 “You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire And return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground.”

10. The Giver of life • The power for life comes from God’s Spirit • When God sends his Spirit, life is renewed: Ezek 37:14 “I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the LORD, have spoken and done it," declares the LORD.’”

11. The Giver of life • The Spirit renews spiritual and physical life Jn 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

12. The Giver of life • The Spirit renews spiritual and physical life • Physical life restored: Rom 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

13. The Giver of life • The Spirit renews spiritual and physical life • Spiritual life renewed: Titus 3:5 “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit”

14. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowerment to perform a divinely-ordained task: Ex 31:1-6 “Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings, and in the carving of wood, that he may work in all kinds of craftsmanship. And behold, I Myself have appointed with him Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are skillful I have put skill, that they may make all that I have commanded you’”

15. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowerment to perform a divinely-ordained task: Zech 4:6 “Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ' Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts.”

16. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered the Judges/Deliverers such as Othniel (Jud 3:10), Gideon (6:34), Jephthah (11:29), and Sampson (Jud 14:6)

17. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered the prophets: 1 Pet 1:10-12 “As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven — things into which angels long to look.”

18. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered the prophets: 2 Pet 1:20-21 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

19. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered Jesus and the apostles to do miracles – cf: Mt 12:28; Acts 1:8

20. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered God’s people to preach with boldness: Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers and elders of the people…’”

21. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • Empowered God’s people to preach with boldness: Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

22. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • “The Holy Spirit and power”: Micah 3:8 “On the other hand I am filled with power — With the Spirit of the LORD — And with justice and courage To make known to Jacob his rebellious act, Even to Israel his sin.”

23. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • “The Holy Spirit and power”: 1 Cor 2:4 “and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

24. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • “The Holy Spirit and power”: 1 Thess 1:5 “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

25. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • “The Holy Spirit and power”: Rom 15:13 “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

26. The Provider of Power • The Supernatural Enabler • “The Holy Spirit and power”: Eph 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”

27. Mediates the Presence of God Psa 51:11 “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

28. Mediates the Presence of God • In the OT, the Spirit’s presence was limited and temporary: Num 11:24-29 “and He took of the Spirit who was upon him and placed Him upon the seventy elders. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do it again. But two men had remained in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them (now they were among those who had been registered, but had not gone out to the tent), and they prophesied in the camp. So a young man ran and told Moses and said, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ Then Joshua the son of Nun, the attendant of Moses from his youth, said, ‘Moses, my lord, restrain them.’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD'S people were prophets, that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!’”

29. Mediates the Presence of God • In the NT, would become unlimited and permanent: Joel 2:28-29 “It will come about after this That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”

30. Mediates the Presence of God • In the NT, would become unlimited and permanent • Jesus promised to bring this about: Jn 14:16-18 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

31. Mediates the Presence of God • In the NT, would become unlimited and permanent • Jesus promised to bring this about: Jn 14:16-18 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

32. Mediates the Presence of God • In the NT, would become unlimited and permanent • Jesus promised to bring this about: Jn 14:16-18 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

33. Mediates the Presence of God • In the NT, would become unlimited and permanent • Jesus promised to bring this about: Jn 16:7-8 “But 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. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”

34. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • Waiting for the promise -- Acts 1:4-8 • The promise poured out -- Acts 2:1-4 • Fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy and Jesus’ promise -- Acts 2:12-18,33,37-38

35. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”

36. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • What is the promise of Acts 2:38-39? Acts 2:38-39 “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’”

37. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: Rom 8:9 “However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”

38. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Will be with us and in us – Jn 14:16-17

39. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Our body the temple of the Holy Spirit: 1 Cor 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”

40. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • A pledge and seal (guarantee) of our inheritance: Eph 1:13-14 “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation — having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

41. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Not just through the word

42. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Not in the same way Christ or the Father live in Christians: • Jesus dwells in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit Eph 3:16-17 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love.”

43. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Not in the same way Christ or the Father live in Christians: • Jesus dwells in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit 1 Jn 3:24 “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

44. Mediates the Presence of God • The Forgotten Gift • The Indwelling Spirit: • Not in the same way Christ or the Father live in Christians: • Jesus dwells in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit • Cf. Jn 14:17-19 “I will come to you,” in the sending of the Holy Spirit.

45. The Holy SpiritPower and Presence for the New life • The Giver of life • The Provider of Power • Mediates the Presence of God

46. Gal 3:1-3 “Are [we] so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are [we] now seeking to be perfected by the flesh?”