GODtalks Holy Spirit "HE"

This year for GODtalks the focus is the Holy Spirit. Each fall our church focuses on deepening our understanding of one particular subject matter in scripture. Our opening message on the Holy Spirit was a flyover of the awesome person and work of the Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testament. We first see the person of the Holy Spirit in the opening verses of the first chapter of Genesis:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” -Genesis 1:1,2-

The consciousness of the reality of the Holy Spirit pervades the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Many Old Testament writers refer to the Spirit, and the only three of the New Testament books do not allude to Him: Philemon, & 2nd and 3rdJohn. Jesus reveals the importance of the Holy Spirit in the life of everybeliever and the mission of the church…

 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he dshall testify of me:”

 -John 15:26-

 “He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you”

-John 16:14-

 

The Holy Spirit is a prominent figure in the Bible and HE is a member of the Godhead, a person not a mystical energy or force. He is recognized as a person with intelligence, feeling and will. The scriptures reveal the Holy Spirits involvement in the…

  •  Creation of the world and mankind,

  • The salvation of man,

  • Sanctification,

  • Man’s Calling,

  • Man’s Anointing,

  • Man’s day-to-day decision making.

  The first role of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to draw us to Jesus. How are we drawn to Jesus so that I can be saved?

 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment -John 16:8-

 We cannot come to God unless the Holy Spirit brings us. It is not true that man can find God on his own.

 Without the ‘drawing of the Holy Spirit' there is no 'finding God'.  Spiritual journeys do not lead us to God. The Holy Spirit alone leads us to God.

 

He does so by…

·      convicting us of our sin against God,

·      revealing true righteousness (Jesus) and

·      reminding us of our appointment with the final judge (Jesus).

 

When the Holy Spirit draws someone can they resist?

 

Yes.

Clearly, not everyone is attracted to Jesus and so many have resisted the drawing of Jesus.

  • Acts 7:51 describes the frustration of Stephen when he states that the Jews were always resisting the Holy Spirit.

  • 1 Thess 5:19 says not to quench (ie, resist) the Holy Spirit

  • Eph 4:30 says not to grieve (ie, resist) the Holy Spirit

  • 1 Tim 6:10 warns the lure of money that can separate us from God

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many sorrow

I Timothy 6:10 (ASV)

When the Holy Spirit draws us to God, we must welcome His invitation. Genesis 6:3 reminds us that our opportunity to respond has a window.

 

“And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years”

                                                -Genesis 6:3-


The first most obvious window is our lifespan here on earth. We don’t know the number of our days only God knows. That makes every opportunity offered us by the Holy Spirit of the highest importance in our life decisions. Second, the window Romans 1:26 reveals there are those who God gives up to their vile affections.

 A tragic last stand in rebellion where the individual rejects God completely and replaces Him with vile affections.

 HOW DO I KNOW I AM SAVED?

 

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”

                                          -Romans 8:16-

 

The Holy Spirit confirms and bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s Children. We know we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus and the one who confirms it daily to our spirit is the Holy Spirit the very presence of God!

THE BIBLE REVEALS THE HOLY SPIRIT IS OUR FIRST BAPTIZER!

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body”

(I Cor. 12:13)

 We are baptized by the Holy Spirit at Salvation into the Body of Christ. This is how we become members of one body. This is why when I was young, we called members in our church brother and sister. We were all family.

BAPTIZED IN WATER

 We are baptized in water by a disciple of Christ acknowledging our membership in the body of Christ.

 John the Baptist spoke of this baptism when he said…

 “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance.”

The New Life Version renders it…

“I baptize with water those who are sorry for their sins and turn from them.”  

                                        Matt. 3:11(NLV)


WATER BAPTISM IS…

  A public declaration that we are following Jesus. Water Baptism does not make you a Christian it reveals publicly to all looking on that you have been baptized into Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Water Baptism is not just merely a ceremony it is a public declaration of your faith in Christ. Your church family are witnesses of your declaration. You are on the Journey of faith together and are to hold one another accountable. Water Baptism also connects us to the ‘body of Christ’, his people in the earth. In water baptism there is a real sense of being joined with other believers, not just participating in an individual act of our own spiritual journey.

 “…For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body…”

                                                                        -1 Corinthians 12:12-13-

  

JESUS BAPTIZES US IN/WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Now that we are a member of the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit has baptized us into Jesus, now John tells us that Jesus is going to baptize us into the Holy Spirit.

 

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” -Matt. 3:11-

 

 We are going to take a more in depth look at this baptism in a later message, but I want to lay the landscape for a clear understanding of the work and person of the Holy Spirit

 

Let’s take a quick review of what we have learned.

 

1.          The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and draws us to Jesus for Salvation

2.          The Holy Spirit confirms to our spirit that we are indeed the sons and daughters of God

3.          The Holy Spirit Baptizes us into Jesus

4.          The Disciple Baptizes us in water a declaration of our newfound faith in Christ Jesus.

5.          Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Spirit

Each week I will add to this blog post as we go through the teaching on the Holy Spirit. Our desire at the Grace Place Church is to help you grow to know God better. It is important for every follower of Jesus to regularly attend church services with members of the body of Christ. If you do not have a home church and you live in our area, we want to invite you to attend.

Pastor Alan Kirkpatrick

Grace PlaceComment