In our previous lessons we have already discussed the first and second persons of the Godhead – God the Father and God the Son. We saw that God the Father, the One we call the first person of the trinity, is the originator of all things. All the beauties of the created world came from Him through the Son, and He sustains His creation by His providential hand of love.
We have also pointed out that as Christians we believe Jesus Christ is God. He has the right to be recognized as a member of the Godhead. Failure to acknowledge the deity of Christ is failure to know God. We cannot overemphasize the fact that the Lord Jesus is God. And, as the second person of the Trinity, He deserves our worship.
In this lesson we come to the third person of the Trinity – the Holy Spirit. To know God, you must also know what the Scriptures teach about the Holy Spirit. Does what you believe about the Holy Spirit agree with what the Scriptures declare?
Article III: DECLARATION OF FAITH
Section B. The True God: 3. The Holy Spirit:
a. His Personality. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and is of the same nature (John 16:7).
1. How do the following verses teach that the Holy Spirit is a person rather than an impersonal force?
· 1 Corinthians 2:10 – 11; Romans 8:27
· Ephesians 4:30
· Acts 5:3
· John 16:7
b. His Work in the World. We believe that in His relationship to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one (2 Thess. 2:7), and that He convicts the lost of sin, of righteousness, and judgment; bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel as the Word is presented (John 16:8 – 11).
2. Read 2 Thessalonians 2:6 – 7. The withholding force referred to in verse 6 is also referred to in verse 7. When the restraining force is taken out of the way, what word is used to indicate that the force is in fact a person?
3. By what means does the Spirit do His convicting work? See Acts 1:8; 2:14, 32, 37 -41 and John 20:30 – 31.
4. Who indwells the believer to give victory over the evil in the world? See John 14:16 – 17 and 1 John 4:2 – 4.
c. His Work in Regeneration. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Agent in the New Birth. That all believers are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-14), and that from the moment of conversion He indwells the child of God (1 Cor. 3:16).
5. What does being baptized by the Holy Spirit do for a believer? (1 Cor. 12:12 – 14)
6. What is required to enter into the kingdom of God? John 3:5
7. Who is indwelt by the Spirit of God? See Romans 8:9 and 1 Cor. 3:16.
d. His Work in the Christian. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides the believer into all truth (John 16:13). That it is His power in the believer that gives victory over sin and Satan (Eph. 1:19 – 23). That it is the privilege and responsibility of every Christian to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be thus empowered for the work to which he has been called (Eph. 5;17, 18).
8. Read John 16:13. How is the Spirit identified and what significant help does He give to the believer?
9. How does a believer overcome the lust of the flesh? See Galatians 5:16 – 17.
10. Why is being filled with the Spirit the responsibility of the believer? See Ephesians 5:17 – 18.
11. What are some indicators that a believer is filled with the Spirit? See Ephesians 5:19 – 21 and Galatians 5:22 – 25.
e. His Work in Sign Gifts. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, although God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21 – 22).
12. What was the purpose of tongues and who was it for? See 1 Corinthians 14:21 – 22; 1:22.
13. Read 1 Corinthians 13:8. What did Paul indicate would happen to the gift of tongues?
14. What is more important than speaking in tongues? See 1 Cor. 14:19, 23 – 25.
In Conclusion: Does the Holy Spirit dwell within you? He does if you know Christ. And it’s your responsibility to live in such a way as to honor and please Him. Surrender to the Lord and invite the Holy Spirit to control your life. You will experience the joys of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
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