In the second lesson, which was about God, we learned that God is three, separate, distinct persons--the Holy Spirit being the third person of the Godhead. During the fourth century a heresy arose which denied the Holy Spirit was a distinct person of the Godhead. The purpose of this lesson is to examine what the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit and his work.
Jn.15:26 (Jesus said,) “When the Helper comes, whom I myself will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me."
- Jesus promised he would send the Holy Spirit to his disciples.
- The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son of God.
Acts 2:1-4 Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they (the disciples) all were together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a violent driving wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire that were distributed, and it sat upon each one of them. And they all were filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit was enabling them to speak.
- On Pentecost Jesus fulfilled his promise. The Holy Spirit came in a miraculous manner and filled the disciples.
The Truth Is: On Pentecost the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples and filled them with his gifts.
Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us (the apostles and elders) not to lay more of a burden upon you than these necessary things: . . .
- Since not laying a burden upon the Gentile Christians seemed good to both the Holy Spirit and to the apostles and elders, it is clear that the Holy Spirit was separate from the spirit of the apostles and elders.
Ro.8:16 The Spirit himself testifies with our (believers') spirit that we are children of God.
- Since the Holy Spirit testifies together with the spirit of believers, the Holy Spirit is certainly separate from the spirit of Christian believers.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit is a distinct person himself, separate from the spirit of us Christians.
Acts 5:3,4 And Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you lied to the Holy Spirit. . . You have not lied to men but to God!”
- When Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit, he lied to God. The Holy Spirit, then, is God.
1 Cor.12:4-6 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of ministries, and the same Lord. And there are different kinds of things worked, but the same God, who works all things in all individuals.
- In the above verses the Holy Spirit is called Lord and God.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit is Lord and God.
Mt.3:16,17 And when Jesus had been baptized, immediately he went up from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and coming upon him. And behold, a voice from the heavens was saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
- The Holy Spirit was neither the Father who spoke from heaven, nor the Son of God who was baptized. God the Holy Spirit, then, is a separate person of the Godhead, distinct from the Father and from the Son.
Mt.28:19 Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . .
- The Holy Spirit is named as a separate person from the Father and the Son.
1 Pet.1:2 . . . (God’s elect) chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling of his blood; . . .
- The Holy Spirit is a separate person from the Father and from the Son, whose work is called sanctification.
1 Cor.2:11 . . . the things of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.
- The Holy Spirit is an intelligent being possessing knowledge.
1 Cor.12:11 Now one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one separately just as he wills.
- The Holy Spirit has a will and self-determination of his own.
Isa.63:10 . . . but they rebelled and they grieved his Holy Spirit . . .
- The Holy Spirit is an emotional being capable of feeling emotions.
The Holy Spirit is an active, working person. He comes, testifies (Jn.15:26; Ro.8:16), teaches (Jn.14:26; 1 Cor.2:13), convicts the world of sin (Jn.16:8), guides men to the truth, speaks, prophesies, and glorifies (Jn.16:13,14) leads (Ro.8:14), helps the weak, prays, and intercedes (Ro.8:26), lives in believers (Ro.8:9), conceived Jesus (Mt.1:18; Lk.1:35), reveals, searches (1 Cor.2:10), gives spiritual gifts (1 Cor.12:7-11), works faith (1 Cor.12:3), works miracles (Acts 2:4), calls men into the ministry (Acts 13:2), makes men pastors of churches (Acts 20:29), directs mission work and the preaching of the gospel (Acts 8:29-40; 16:6-10). He was active in creating the world (Gen.1:2) and creates the world’s creatures (Ps.104:30).
The Truth Is: 1. The Holy Spirit is a separate person of the Godhead, not to be confused with the Father or the Son.
2. The Holy Spirit is an individual person of the Godhead, who possesses an intellect, will, and emotions of his own.
3. The Holy Spirit is an active, working person of the Godhead.
Ro.8:7 . . . because the sinful mind is hostile toward God, . . .
- By nature we are hostile to God and opposed to him.
1 Cor.2:9 No eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor has it entered the mind of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love him.
- By nature we are ignorant of the salvation God has prepared for us through Jesus Christ.
1 Cor.2:14 But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- By nature we cannot accept the spiritual truths of the gospel, for we are spiritually blind, and lacking understanding. We think these spiritual truths are only foolishness.
Eph.2:1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, . . .
- By nature we are spiritually dead, unable to bring ourselves to faith or to co-operate in bringing ourselves to faith.
1 Cor.12:3 . . . no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
- By our own thinking and self-determination we cannot believe and confess that Jesus is the Son of God and our Savior. Only the Holy Spirit can work such faith and understanding in us.
Eph.2:8,9 For by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.
- Faith and salvation are gracious gifts of God. We do not accomplish these ourselves.
The Truth Is: We need the Holy Spirit because:
1. By nature we are enemies of God who cannot accept the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ, for we are spiritually ignorant, blind, and dead.
2. Only he can awaken the faith in our hearts by which we are saved.
Jn.16:8 And when he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world with regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.
- The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins and guilt and coming judgment, so we despair of thinking we can save ourselvs by our efforts and works, and so we fear God’s wrath.
Ro.3:20 . . . for through law comes a consciousness of sin.
1. The Holy Spirit uses the law to convict us of our sins so we fear God’s punishment.
Mt.18:3 . . . and he (Jesus) said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you shall absolutely not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”
- To be saved we must be converted from unbelief to faith in Jesus.
- We cannot convert ourselves because we are spiritually dead, blind, and ignorant, and we oppose God and his plan for saving us through Jesus. Only the Holy Spirit can convert us, or turn us, from unbelief to faith in Jesus. He changes the spiritual condition of our hearts, so we desire to be saved in the way God has saved us--through Jesus Christ.
- The Bible uses various word pictures to portray the Holy Spirit’s converting us, as will be seen in the following verses.
2 Thess.2:14 To this (salvation through the Holy Spirit’s work) he (God) called you through our gospel, for the purpose of obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- The Holy Spirit converts us by calling us through the gospel to faith in Jesus for salvation.
Jn.3:3,5,6; Tit.3:5 Jesus answered and said to him, “. . . unless one is born again, . . . unless one is born by water and the Spirit, . . . and that which is born by the Spirit is spirit. . . (God our Savior) saved us, . . . by the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, . . .
- The Holy Spirit converts us by awakening in us a new spiritual life, so we are able to believe God has saved us through Jesus. This is known as being born again, or a rebirth.
2 Cor.4:6 For God, who said, “Light will shine forth out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- The Holy Spirit converts us by enlightening us in the glorious gospel of God’s salvation in the person of Jesus Christ. Then we are able to see and understand this gospel, which we could not understand in our spiritual blindness and ignorance. This is known as enlightenment.
Eph.2:4,5; Col.3:1 . . . even when we were dead in sins, (God) made us alive together with Christ . . . Since, therefore, you have been raised with Christ, seek the things above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.
- The Holy Spirit converts us by resurrecting us from our spiritual state of deadness to a new spiritual life. This is known as a resurrection, regeneration, and quickening.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit awakens us from our spiritual ignorance, blindness, and death by:
1. Convicting us through the law of our sins and coming judgment, so we fear God’s punishment. This is known as contrition, and repentance in its narrow sense, which occur when we are crushed by the guilt of our sins and despair of being able to save ourselves.
2. Converting us through the gospel from unbelief to faith in Jesus Christ. Other terms for conversion are: a calling, a rebirth or being born again, an enlightenment, a resurrection.
2 Thess.2:13 . . . because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit abd faith in the truth.
- The Holy Spirit’s work is called sanctification, which includes everything he does to save us, beginning with our conversion to our entrance into heaven. This is sanctification in its wide sense of the term.
1 Cor.12:3 . . . no one is able to say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit’s work of sancification includes his bringing us to faith. This is known as conversion.
Phil.1:6 I am convinced of just this, that he who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus.
- The Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification includes his keeping us in the faith until we enter heaven. This is known as preservation.
1 Thess.4:3,7,8 For this is the will of God – your sanctification, that you keep away from every kind of illicit sexual intercourse, . . . For God did not call us to impurity but in sanctification. For this very reason he who rejects this is rejecting not man but the One true God who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
- The Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification includes his bringing forth our fruits of faith, the good works we do and the God-pleasing Christian life we live by faith according to his commandments. This is sanctification in its narrow sense of the word.
Phil.2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to act in behalf of his good will.
- God the Holy Spirit works in us to will and to do what is in behalf of his good will.
Ro.8:13,14 . . . if by the Spirit you are putting to death the evil deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
- God the Holy Spirit enables us to stop the sinful things we had been doing to do what is right and good according to the commandments.
Gal.5:22,23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
- God the Holy Spirit brings forth these fruits of faith and virtues in our Christian life.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification includes:
1. Bringing us to faith. (Conversion)
2. Keeping us in the faith. (Preservation)
3. Bringing forth our fruits of faith. (Our Christian life of good works)
2 Thess.2:13,14 . . . because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel, for the purpose of obtaining the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Since God called us to salvation through the gospel and saved us through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, it is clear that the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work is done through the gospel.
Jn.17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
- God the Holy Spirit sanctifies Christians like us in his Word of truth, which is the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit accomplishes his work of sanctification through the gospel.
Eph.2:8,9 For by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast.
- Faith is the first, essential gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor.13:13 But now remain faith, hope, love – these three; but the greatest of these is love.
- Faith, hope, and love are the greatest of the Holy Spirit’s gifts, and of them love is the greatest, for it fulfills God’s law.
1 Cor.14:1,3 Pursue love, and earnestly desire spiritual gifts, and preferably that you may prophesy. . . But he who prophesies speaks to men for their edification and encouragement and comfort.
- Preaching God’s Word, which is called prophesying in this verse, for the benefit of others is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor.12:8-10 For to one is given the word of wisdom by the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another working of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another distinguishing spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation of tongues.
- The Holy Spirit gives a variety of gifts to his Christian people.
1 Cor.12:11 Now one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one separately just as he wills.
- The Holy Spirit determines which gifts he will give to which Christians, as the previous verses said, “to one, . . . to another.” He does not give every Christian the same gifts, nor does he necessarily give one particular gift, or even all of the gifts, to every Christian.
1 Cor.12:13,29-30 For by one Spirit we all were baptized into one body, . . . and we were all made to drink of the one Spirit. . . All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not miracle workers, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak in tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they?
- All believers in Jesus have been baptized by the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism by the Word and have received him. Yet not all believers have the same spiritual gifts of the Spirit.
- The charismatics’ teaching, therefore, that all who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit will have, and even must have, the gifts of speaking in tongues or healing is a heresy, as is their waterless baptism of the Spirit. The Nicene Creed of the Christian Church confesses, “We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.”
1 Cor.12:7 Now to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
- The Holy Spirit gives his gifts for the common good of the whole church.
- The Holy Spirit’s gifts were not given to prove and to testify to his presence, as the charismatics teach, for according to Christ the Holy Spirit comes to give testimony to him, Christ. See John 14:26; 15:26. If the Holy Spirit were giving these gifts to testify to himself, he would not be doing what Christ said he would do. The Spirit and Christ, both the one God, could not so disagree.
Isa.8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
- To determine whether those who perform feats defying human explanation are from God and have gifts of the Spirit, we must compare what they teach and preach to the Word of God. If their teachings disagree with God’s Word, they are not from God, their miraculous works are not done by God, and they lack the true spiritual enlightenment of the Spirit.
- Satan is responsible for the miraculous things done by the false prophets and teachers. See 2 Thessalonians 2:9, where his miracles are called lying wonders. Christ foretold false teachers would perform great signs and wonders to deceive us believers in him. See Matthew 24:24. Satan masquerades and disguises himself as an angel of light, a messenger from God holding out the truth. See 2 Corinthians 11:13-15. When he performs miraculous wonders through false teachers whose heresies lead people from the truth of God’s Word, he is the white devil, as Luther called him. Witch doctors and idolatrous priests, who certainly did not have gifts of the Spirit, also performed magical healings and spoke in tongues.
- The charismatics uphold unscriptural teachings, such as the ordination of women, religious unionism, and faith is a personal decision. Except for an emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit, especially speaking in tongues, they have shown an indifference to doctrine. We should not, therefore, conclude the Holy Spirit is working their “gifts”.
The Truth Is: 1. Faith, hope, and love are the greatest gifts of the Spirit.
2. The Holy Spirit gives a variety of gifts to his Christian people.
3. The Holy Spirit determines which gifts he will give to which Christians.
4. The Holy Spirit gives his gifts for the common good of the whole church.
5. To determine if a “gift” is really from the Holy Spirit, we must compare what is being taught in connection with the “gift” to what the Word of God says. If the doctrine disagrees with God’s Word, the “gift” is not from God but the devil.
Ez.33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! For why will you die, O house of Israel?’ ”
- The Lord God swears by himself in this verse that he is not pleased with the death and perishing of the wicked. Rather he wants them to repent and be saved.
1 Tim.2:4 . . . (God our Savior), who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
- This verse clearly teaches that God wants all people to be saved.
The Truth Is: God the Holy Spirit does wish everyone would be saved.
Eph.2:8 For by grace have you been saved through faith; . . .
- Some are saved solely by the grace of God.
Mt.23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who continues killing the prophets and stoning those sent to her, how often I have wished to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her young under her wings, and you were not willing.
- Those who are lost are lost because they opposed the Lord’s gospel, which he had proclaimed to them, and they were unwilling to believe it.
Acts 7:51 (Stephen told the religious leaders of the Jews,) “You stiff necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you always indeed resist the Holy Spirit! You are just like your fathers!”
- Some are lost because they are stubborn and resist the Holy Spirit’s working faith in them.
2 Pet.2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce damning heresies, even denying their Master who bought them, bringing on themselves a swift damnation.
- Some are lost because they denied their Lord Jesus, who had saved them, and brought eternal destruction on themselves.
The Truth Is: 1. Some are saved solely by the grace of God.
2. The others are lost because they opposed the gospel and the Holy Spirit, denied Jesus Christ who saved them, and brought destruction on themselves.
Eph.1:4 . . . he (God our heavenly Father) chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before him.
- Before creation God picked us out to be saved in the righteousness of Christ.
2 Thess.2:13 . . . because God chose you from the beginning for salvation by the sanctifying work of the Spirit and faith in the truth.
- Long before we were alive God chose us to be brought to salvation through the Holy Spirit’s working faith in Jesus Christ in our hearts.
The Truth Is: The Holy Spirit comforts us with the knowledge that God elected us before creation to be brought to faith in Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, so we would be saved.
Note: To know whether you are one of God’s elect, ask yourself if you believe Jesus Christ is your Savior. If you do believe this, you are one of the elect, for Acts 13:48 says, “All who were appointed for eternal life believed.”
1. Check which of the following statements are correct.
a. The Holy Spirit is God.
b. The Holy Spirit is another name and form of the Father.
c. The Holy Spirit is the holy spirit of the believers.
d. The Holy Spirit is a separate, distinct person of the Godhead, who is neither the Father nor the Son.
e. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and is sent by the Son.
f. The Holy Spirit conceived the man Jesus Christ.
g. The Holy Spirit conceived the Son of God, who became the man Jesus Christ.2. List some of the activities of the Holy Spirit.
3. Which of the following statements is correct?a. We believe because we brought ourselves to faith.
b. We believe because we decided to believe and co-operated in bringing ourselves to faith.
c. We believe because the Holy Spirit awakened faith in us through the gospel.4. Does the Holy Spirit work in us through the law? If so, how?
5. Does the Holy Spirit work in us through the gospel? If so, how?
6. What is the work of the Holy Spirit called?
7. Define sanctification in its widest sense.
8. Define sanctication in its narrow sense.
9. What are the other names for conversion?
10. Through what means does the Holy Spirit accomplish his work of sanctification in us? Does he work in us without using that means?
11. What are the greatest gifts of the Holy Spirit?
12. Fill in the blank. The gifts of the Spirit are distributed as he ____________.
13. Indicate which of the following statements are true and which are false.a. Some are not saved because God did not really want them to be saved.
b. Some are not saved because they resisted the Holy Spirit.
c. Some are saved because they were willing to believe and co-operated with the Holy Spirit’s bringing them to faith.
d. All who are saved are saved solely by the grace of God.
e. Some are lost because God elected them before creation to be damned.
f. Some are saved because God elected them before creation for salvation.
g. God’s election for salvation was an election to faith in Jesus Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit in the gospel.
h. Everyone who has been elected will come to believe in Jesus Christ.
i. The elect are those whom God selected to be saved, and they will be saved whether they believe in Jesus or not.
j. If we desire to know whether we are one of the elect, we should ask ourselves if we are one of the elect.