The Holy Spirit #1- By Pastor George Lehman
The Holy Spirit is God at work; creating, speaking, transforming us; living within us, working in us.
The idea of the Spirit held by the average church member is so vague as to be nearly non-existent. When he thinks of the matter at all he is likely to try to imagine a nebulous substance like a wisp of invisible smoke that is said to be present in churches and to hover over good people when they are dying. Frankly he does not believe in any such thing, but he wants to believe something, and not feeling up to the task of examining the whole truth in the light of Scripture he compromises by holding belief in the Spirit as far out from the center of his life as possible, letting it make no difference in anything that touches him practically. This describes a surprisingly large number of earnest persons who are sincerely trying to be Christians. – A.W. Tozer
We need to be able to recognize the Holy Spirit.
Then we will know when He is moving in our lives and the church or when He is absent.
The bible introduces the Triune Godhead in…
Genesis 1:1-2 (Amp) – In the beginning God (prepared, formed, fashioned, and) created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was moving (hovering, brooding) over the face of the waters.
Notice, we are first introduced NOT to the Father or the Son, but to the Holy Spirit who was ‘hovering over the face of the waters.
The Holy Spirit moved with creative power on behalf of the Godhead and… this creative role carried through the formation of the earth and everything in it.
Genesis 1:3 (Amp) – God said, “let there be light” and there was light.
Psalm 33:6 (NIV) – By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the hosts of them by the breath [Spirit] of His mouth.
The Holy Spirit was forming what God spoke
It is significant that God’s Holy Spirit is the first person of the Godhead we encounter in the bible.
When we develop a personal relationship with God, when we are Born-Again, initial contact is made not by the Father or the Son, but by the Holy Spirit who introduces us to the Son.
John 3:8 (NIV) – “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
If you have to be reasoned into Christianity, some wise fellow can reason you out of it. If you come to Christ in a flash of the Holy Spirit so that inwardly you know that you are a child of God, you know it by text, but you also know it by inner light, the inner illumination of the Holy Spirit and “No one can ever reason you out of it”. – A.W. Tozer
The Holy Spirit has a special role in the process of redemption.
In every stage, Father, Son and Holy Spirit co-operate to perform crucial acts.
Jesus’ birth…
Matthew 1:18 (Amp) – Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place under these circumstances: When His mother Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be pregnant [through the power] of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:34-35 (Amp) – And Mary said to the angel, how can this be, since I have no [intimacy with any man as a] husband? Then the angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a shining cloud]; and so the holy (pure, sinless) Thing (Offspring) which shall be born of you will be called the Son of God.
The Holy Spirit actually formed the infant Jesus within Mary’s womb.
The Holy Spirit also played a key role in Jesus’ miracles and ministry on earth.
Acts 10:38 (Amp) – How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.
Jesus’ death on the cross…
Hebrews 9:14 (NIV) – Christ…through the eternal Spirit [the Holy Spirit] offered Himself without spot to God.
Again, we see three persons working together – Christ the Son offered Himself through the Holy Spirit to the Father.
The same is true of the resurrection.
Romans 1:3-4 (NIV) – Regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
The power that raised Jesus from the dead was the Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:11 – And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Acts 2 describes Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples and caused them to speak in tongues.
Acts 2:32-33 (NIV) – God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.
Notice, the Son received the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured out the Spirit on the waiting disciples.
This outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to equip and empower the church from day one until Jesus returns.
Nowhere in the Word of God is there any text or passage that can be tortured or twisted into teaching that the organic living church of Jesus Christ just prior to His return will not have every right and every power and every obligation that she knew in that early part of the book of Acts. – A.W. Tozer
When the Holy Spirit is in full control of our lives, He will expect our obedience to the written Word of God. But it is part of our human problem that we would like to be full of the Spirit and yet go on and do as we please! -A.W. Tozer
It’s the Holy Spirit that impacts the life of man.
Notice something here…
This depicts a man whose heart is devoid of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 14:1-3 (Amp) – The [empty-headed] fool has said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none that does good or right. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any who understood, dealt wisely, and sought-after God, inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him [of vital necessity]. They are all gone aside, they have all together become filthy; there is none that does good or right, no, not one.
When the spirit of God is absent, man’s heart neither seeks God nor knows it should.
Romans 8:9 (NIV) – You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
It’s the Holy Spirit alone that fills people with a longing for truth.
It’s by the Holy Spirit that people turn from sin, humble themselves, seek God and place their faith in Him.
Holiness alone is imparted by the Holy Spirit.
The work of the Holy Spirit does not stop there.
Ephesians 2:18 (Amp) – For it is through Him that we both [whether far off or near] now have an introduction (access) by one [Holy] Spirit to the Father [so that we are able to approach Him].
We have access to the Father through Jesus the Son, by the Spirit.
It’s not by religion, doctrine nor by smart-sounding clever words without the help of the Holy Spirit.
All Christians need a relationship with Him. Sadly, many don’t – that’s why they live such defeated, powerless lives.
We must understand that the Holy Spirit is as much a person as God the Father and God the Son.
He is not a vapor, a smoke, or a theological idea.
He is a real person – our walk with God will be so much different when we relate to Him as such.
When Jesus took leave of His disciples, He assured them…
John 16:13 (Amp) – But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
Notice, Jesus says “He” – it was to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is a person to whom we must relate to as such.
John 16:7 (Amp) – However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away. Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
The passage describes an exchange of persons.
Jesus will go to the Father and then He will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
He will come and take Jesus’ place on the earth as a person like Jesus was.
What a confident assurance we have…
Hebrews 13:5b (Amp) – for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
We need an advocate, someone who pleads our case before God.
He protects us against the devil’s snares.
Romans 8:26-27 (Amp) – So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] on behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.
When the will of God is at your front door, the Holy Spirit will lead you to open the door.
And when faith and the Holy Spirit come together, there is an interaction – it does what a match does to dynamite.
