the ghost - the person of the holy spirit (part 1)

8/7/2019 The Ghost - The Person of the Holy Spirit (Part 1)

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GHOSTPart 1

The Person of the Holy Spirit

I. WHO IS THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

A. He is: The Holy Spirit; The Spirit of God; The Spirit; The Spirit ofJehovah;

The Spirit of the Living God; The Spirit of Christ; The Spirit of His Son; TheSpirit of Jesus Christ; The Spirit of Holiness; The Spirit of Burning; The Spirit

of Truth; The Spirit of Life; The Spirit of Glory; The Spirit of Grace; TheEternal Spirit; The Holy Spirit of Promise; The Comforter.(*See reference)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but ofrighteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17 ESV)

B. He is the doer of the Trinity:

1. The Father Designs

2. The Son Declares

3. The Holy Spirit DOES (He is creative, active, and expressive)

C. The Holy Spirit was poured out as a fulfillment of prophecy.

The Lord will pour out His Spirit And it shall come to pass afterward, that Iwill pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall

prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall seevisions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour outmy Spirit. (Joel 2:2829 ESV)

1. This prophecy was referenced by Peter in the sermon given at theinception of the Church. (Acts 2:16-21)

2. A new age called the Church began when the Holy Spirit came. It wasdistinct because of the work of Christ on the cross and the work of theHoly Spirit in the Church.

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Pastor Jon Cobler April 30/May 1, 2011

Church of Living Water Saturday/Sunday

Olympia Foursquare Church


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II. UNDERSATNDING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CENTRAL TO UNDERSTANDINGHOW GOD WORKS THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

A. The primary way the Holy Spirit interacted with people in the Old Testament

was a selective coming and going. There was not an abiding sense of the

Holy Spirit in or on peoples lives.

1. Saul:

When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart.And all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah,behold, a group of prophets met him, andthe Spirit of God rushed uponhim, and he prophesied among them.(1 Samuel 10:910 ESV)

2. Bezalel:

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribeof Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability andintelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship(Exodus 31:23 ESV)

B. Finally, the Old Testament prophesied of the time that the Holy Spirit wouldrest upon the Messiah in fullness and power.

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom andunderstanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge andthe fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2 ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me tobring 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 whoare bound (Isaiah 61:1 ESV)

1. This was fulfilled at His baptism:

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had beenbaptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spiritdescended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from

heaven, You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.(Luke 3:2122 ESV)

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2. It was declared, by Jesus Himself, in the synagogue:

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled thescroll and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord isupon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the

poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering ofsight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaimthe year of the Lords favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it backto the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue werefixed on him. And he began to say to them, Today this Scripture hasbeen fulfilled in your hearing.(Luke 4:1721 ESV)

3. The Holy Spirit has often been a dividing force because Hewill not be silent or remain still.

C. Jesus spoke of a time when the Holy Spirit would come and be in every born-

again believer.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with youforever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because itneither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you andwill be in you. (John 14:1617 ESV)

1. In fact, the coming of the Holy Spirit was so significant that Jesus madetwo huge observations:

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 willsend him to you. (John 16:7 ESV)

So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at thistime restore the kingdom to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you toknow times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. Butyou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, andyou will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, andto the end of the earth.(Acts 1:68 ESV)

III. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY?

A. He gives life and strength.

1. Born of the Spirit:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spiritis spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, You must be born again.(John 3:67 ESV)

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2. The Spirit caused Mary to conceive:

And the angel answered her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and thepower of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born

will be called holythe Son of God. (Luke 1:35 ESV)

3. In the Spirit is life but in the flesh is nothing:

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that Ihave spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63 ESV)

4. Jesus returned in power:

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a reportabout him went out through all the surrounding country. (Luke 4:14 ESV)

B. He purifies.

1. We are changed into His likeness:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are beingtransformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. Forthis comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

2. The Spirit puts to death the deeds of the flesh:

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you putto death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13 ESV)

C. He reveals.

1. Old testament scripture breathed by the Spirit:

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spokefrom God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 ESV)

2. Glorifies Jesus:

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.(John 16:14 ESV)

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3. Will testify of Gods presence through signs:

And John bore witness: I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like adove, and it remained on him. (John 1:32 ESV)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushingwind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.(Acts 2:12 ESV)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in othertongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4 ESV)

4. Gives security to us as Gods children:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of

God (Romans 8:16 ESV)

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into ourhearts, crying, Abba! Father!(Galatians 4:6 ESV)

5. Our guarantee of a future inheritance:

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of yoursalvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:1314 ESV)

6. Direction:

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carriedPhilip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his wayrejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he

preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.(Acts 8:3940 ESV)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.(Romans 8:14 ESV)

7. Teaches:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, hewill teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have saidto you. (John 14:26 ESV)

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8. Helps in understanding the gifts:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is fromGod, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.(1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)

D. He unifies.

1. Fellowship:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowshipof the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV)

2. One new house:

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by

the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22 ESV)

3. Gives gifts:

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.(1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV)

IV. THE BAD NEWS

A. Why dont more people enjoy the peace, power, fellowship and joy of the HolySpirit?

1. We can grieve the Holy Spirit.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for theday of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 ESV)

2. We can quench the Holy Spirit.

Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV)

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* Names of the Spirit in scripture:

a) The Holy Spirit: How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spiritto them that ask Him? (Lk. 11:13). The Holy Spirit is the most precious gift that ourFather in Heaven can give us; which He is abundantly willing to impart.

b) The Spirit of God: Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit ofGod dwelleth in you? (1 Cor. 3:16). In 1 Corinthians 6:19, the temple of the Spirit is theindividual believer, but here it is the Church of Christ (observe the pronoun ye, as in2 Cor. 6:16).

c) The Spirit: That which is born of the Spirit is spirit (Jn. 3:6b). The Spirit producesthe born-again experience in the believer; it is He who imparts new life (zoe in additionto bios). (See Ps. 104:30; 1 Cor. 2:10; Jn. 3:68).

d) The Spirit ofJehovah: And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,

and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him,the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit ofknowledge and the fear of the Lord. (Is. 11:1, 2). This is clearly a messianicprophecy. The Spirit ofJehovah will rest upon the Christ, both in His earthly ministry asRedeemer (Is. 42:1; Mt. 3:16; Jn. 3:33, 34) and in His Millennial Reign. (See alsoIs. 61:1 where the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit ofJehovah, and where theprophetic particulars point to both of Christs comings).

e) The Spirit of the Living God: Ye are the epistle of Christ written not withink, but with the Spirit of the Living God. (2 Cor. 3:3). The Church is an epistle, atestimony to Christ before all men, a testimony not of human works, but an epistle

written by the Spirit of the Living God (the giver of Divine life) upon the tables of theheart. In other words, the Spirit will engrave the Character of Jesus on our hearts as wefunction in the Body of Christ.

f) The Spirit of Christ: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His(Rom. 8:9b). Possessing the Spirit of Christ identifies us as one of His.

g) The Spirit of His Son: And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit ofHis Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father (Gal. 4:6). The Son of God became theSon of man that the sons of men may become the sons of God with the privilege ofcalling God, Abba, Father.

h) The Spirit of Jesus Christ: For I know that this shall turn to my salvation throughyour prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. (Phil. 1:19). As we pray forthose who minister, God will supply the same Spirit who sustained Christ Jesus in Hismission. The use of one definite article with both the prayer and the supply showsthat the two are related.

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i) The Spirit of Holiness: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according tothe Spirit of Holiness. (Rom. 1:4). Jesus came as the promised seed of David whowas also the Divine Son of God, His Deity being declared by His Resurrection from thedead by the agency of the Spirit of Holiness. Only God is absolutely Holy; His Spirit isthe Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Holiness.

j) The Spirit of Burning: Isaiah calls the Spirit, the Spirit of burning, and of judgment.(Is. 4:4). The Spirit of Holiness purges sin and iniquity from Zion by burning and

judgment, resulting in salvation. The Holy Spirits fan is in His hand, and He willthoroughly purge His floor. (Matt. 3:11, 12).

k) The Spirit of Truth: John calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth because He is theAgent of Divine revelation who will enable the Apostles to record the teachings of Jesusand to accurately interpret the redeeming events of sacred history. (See Jn. 14:17;15:26; 16:13).

l) The Spirit of Life: The principle of the Spirit of Life in Christ has replaced theprinciple of the flesh (selfish ego), so that now, this new dynamic can bring forth therighteousness of Christ in us and through us. (Rom. 8:2).

m) The Spirit of Glory: If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; forthe spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. (1 Pt. 4:14). When Jesus approachedthe Cross, during His last week, He cried, The hour is come, that the Son of manshould be glorified (Jn. 12:2333). Jesus considered his ordeal of crucifixion as Hishour of glory. Peter, speaking to persecuted Christians, and remembering the words ofJesus about His hour of glory, assured them that their sufferings for Christ were theirglory and that the Spirit of glory was resting upon them; they were participating in the

sufferings of Christ, and they would also participate in His glory. (See 1 Pt. 2:19, 3:14).

n) The Spirit of Grace: Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he bethought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted theblood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath donedespite unto the Spirit of grace? (Heb. 10:29). Here is clearly a case of apostasy on thepart of one who was formerly sanctified by the blood. We are saved by grace, and not ofworks; but it is possible to so do despite to the Spirit of Grace that we forfeit Godsgracious gift and fall into judgment.

o) The Eternal Spirit: Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself withoutspot to God (Heb. 9:14). The eternity of the Spirit demonstrates His Deity. The Spirit,who overshadowed Jesus at His conception, His baptism, and His temptation was withJesus at the Cross and with Him up from the grave.

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p) The Holy Spirit of Promise: After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the HolySpirit of promise (Eph. 1:13). In Luke 24:49, Jesus had promised to pour out the Spiritupon the tarrying disciples. This promise is repeated in Acts 1:4, 5. Jesus referred to theSpirit as the promise of the Father, taking the promise probably from Joel 2:28, andEzekiel 36:27, 28. The Holy Spirits empowerment of believers was well anticipated by

Jesus, and by the Father, through the mouths of Ezekiel and Joel.

q) The Comforter: If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if Idepart, I will send him unto you (Jn. 16:7). (Also Jn. 14:26; 15:26). Comforter isperhaps, not the best translation for our day because we think of comfort asconsolation. In old English, the word meant strengthener. The Latin source wordcomfortare meant to strengthen much. The biblical Greek word isparakletos, meaningone called alongside to help. Some have preferred the word Advocate. The NewAmerican Standard Bible (NASB) renders the word, Helper. The New InternationalVersion (NIV) employs the word, Counsellor. It seems that HELPER is the bestgeneral term which does justice to the Greek wordparakletos.1

Duffield, G. P., & Van Cleave, N. M. (1983). Foundations of Pentecostal theology(111

114). Los Angeles, Calif.: L.I.F.E. Bible College.

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the ghost - the person of the holy spirit (part 1)

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