Tag: the Holy Spirit

Trinity (13) The Spirit

Rocks

A few weeks ago I enjoyed a coffee with my friend Sandy Robertson. He is a Pastor at New Covenant Church which is a church in the same town I pastor.  Titusville, Fl.  While we were chatting he said something I had heard many times before.  But, you know that moment when the Spirit of God quickens you and you hear something you have heard before and yet it is as if you heard for the first time.

He said:  “You know there is a reason why He is called the HOLY Spirit.”

That was it…. that simple…. and yet, so profound and true.  It grabbed my heart.  I hope it grabs yours today.

Why is the Spirit called the Holy Spirit?

1.) HOLY Spirit and HOLY Scripture

The word holy in the bible means to be set apart, consecrated, and blameless.  The Bible is a Holy Bible.  It is a “set apart” book – no other book like it on the face of the earth.  And, the Spirit is not just any spirit – He is the Holy Spirit.

You say…. ok – so what?

I am amazed at how a believer will attest to the above few sentences and turn around and knowingly and blatantly do the opposite of what scripture says and then…. pull the Spirit in the ditch with them by saying:  “I prayed about it and I feel lead this is what God (The Spirit) would have me to do.”

Nope….   The HOLY Spirit will NEVER lead you to do anything contrary to the HOLY Bible.  The Holy Spirit ALWAYS, ALWAYS leads us to do what we find in Scripture.

Christian, let’s stop this nonsense of dragging the Spirit into our UN-holy living.  Take up the Word of God, ask the Spirit of God to illuminate His Word, and follow Him.

2.)  The Holy Spirit and salvation

It is the work of the Holy Spirit, in our lives, that brings us from death to life.  See previous post:  Trinity (12).  It is the Spirit that makes us alive to the work of Christ (In His life, death, and resurrection.)

3.)  The Holy Spirit and sanctification

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

  • Have you come to a place of faith in Jesus Christ?
  • Do you desire to grow in Godliness?
  • Do you find yourself repenting of sin and seeking to pursue righteousness?
  • Have you ever pursued a friend for accountability to help you overcome an area of sin?
  • Have you ever had the thought:  I want to pray more or spend more time reading God’s Word?
  • Have you experienced conviction while reading Scripture, hearing the Word preached, or…….?

If you answered “yes” to these questions then Praise God and specifically Praise the Holy Spirit.  Just as the Father and Son play a specific role in your salvation and your life as a Christian, so does the Holy Spirit.

He is day by day, moment by moment, growing you in Christ Jesus.

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  (Philippians 1:6 ESV) 

Trinity (10) The Spirit

Butterfly

 

When it comes to the Trinity, and we speak of the Father and the Son, we have categories to help us understand and grasp these persons of the Godhead.  I have a father, I am a father, and I have sons, I am a son.  But, when it comes to the Spirit we seem to be left scratching our heads a bit. The goal in these next few posts is to unpack a little bit of the Spirit in the Trinity.

So who is the Holy Spirit?

He is the 3rd person of the Trinity!  Understanding that He is a person in the Godhead affects how we view the Spirit.

  • He is NOT an impersonal force of some sort
  • He is not a thing.
  • He IS a person and thus
  • He is personal!
  • Scripture always refers to the Spirit as a “He” or “Him” and never a “it”.

He IS a person of the Trinity – He IS God.

Does Scripture teach this?  YES!

One quick example is found in Acts 5:1-4.  In this text Ananias and his wife Sapphira sell a piece of property and seek to bring the proceeds and give the money to the apostles.  The problem was that they were lying by saying their donation was more than what it was.  Peter rebukes them by saying:  “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” He then concludes his rebuke by saying:  “you have not lied to man but to GOD.”

So, to lie to the Holy Spirit IS TO lie to God – Because the Holy Spirit IS God

Much more can be said here. For instance, Scripture speaks of the Spirit eternally which of course is an attribute of God Himself. For now, I will leave it at that. The Holy Spirit IS God!

In an effort to answer the 1st question (Who is the Spirit?) it might help us to ask a 2nd question:

What does the Holy Spirit do?

While He does many things (sanctifies, convicts, transforms) we might summarize all that He does by saying that the Spirit applies (or empowers) the work of Christ in our lives.

Christ’s work is an effective work, an empowered work, in our lives because of the work of the Spirit.

The Spirit’s work in Salvation:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

(John 3:1-8 ESV)

Having once been dead in sin, we are now alive in Christ Jesus.  (Ephesians 2:1-6)  We are born – again.  We have been given new life.  We were once spiritually dead – we are now spiritually alive.

Once dead – now alive in Christ Jesus – because of the work of the Spirit!

It is the Spirit of God who does this life giving!  It is the Spirit who takes the spiritually dead and gives them new life.  He gives life where there was no life.

Not unlike Lazerus being raised from the dead.  Jesus spoke words of life. “Lazerus come forth” – and his once, dead body obeyed!  The heart started to pump and blood began to flow again!

WOW – that is what has taken place (spiritually) in every person who places their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

  • Once dead
  • now alive in Christ
  • this is the work of the Holy Spirit.

Praise Him!