We are continuing our series on Foundational Truths and looking specifically at the Holy Spirit. I will be speaking for three weeks on this amazing person of the Trinity. On Pentecost Sunday, the last week in May, we will principally be having some ministry and prayer time.
Remember we are looking at what we believe and why because it is Elim’s Centenary year.
Foundational Statement: We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son and the necessity of His work in conviction of sin, repentance, regeneration and sanctification, and that the believer is also promised an enduement of power as the gift of Christ through the baptism in the Holy Spirit with signs following. Through this enduement the believer is empowered for fuller participation in the ministry of the Church, its worship, evangelism and service.
Today is part reminder of some of the things we have covered in the last few months and part introduction to the next two weeks. It is important we are clear on these things for they will help us avoid errors in the future.
The Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity. We looked at this way back in February. The Holy Spirit is as much God as the Father and the Son are.
Yo my recall this little diagram that helped us out a lot:
The Trinity Simplified
We summarised the doctrine of the Trinity in seven statements:
(1) There is only one God.
(2) The Father is God.
(3) The Son is God.
(4) The Holy Spirit is God.
(5) The Father is not the Son.
(6) The Son is the not the Holy Spirit.
(7) The Holy Spirit is not the Father.
From this we can see the the Spirit is part of the Godhead. The Spirit has personhood. This means the Spirit is not an “it,” a “that,” a “force” or a “thing.” The Holy Spirit is a He!
The Holy Spirit and Creation
The Holy Spirit was active at creation but in a different way to the Father (who willed it/spoke it) and the Son (who carried out the Father’s will), hovering over the face of the creation:
Genesis 1:2: Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
The Holy Spirit is the sustaining and manifesting of God’s immediate presence in creation
Psalm 33:6: By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth
(the word for breathe here is ruach, meaning Spirit. It is always used of the Holy Spirit in the OT).
The Holy Spirit and our Salvation
After Jesus ascended back to heaven, and the holy Spirit was sent by the Father and Son to complete our redemption for us.
Jesus speaks of Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in His name (John 14:26).
Jesus also said that it will be He would send the holy Spirit (John 16:7 & John 15:26).
- The Holy Spirit Gives Us New Spiritual Life:
John 3:5-8: Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” 8 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.’
- The Holy Spirit Sanctifies Us
Romans 8:13: For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
( c.f. Romans 15:16; 1 Peter 1:2).
- The Holy Spirit Gives us Power and Gifts
Acts 1:8: But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
(c.f. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)
The work of the Holy Spirit is to bring to completion that which is planned by the Father and begun by the Son.
I’m Scared of the Spirit!
Some people are spooked by the Holy Spirit. In truth we have nothing to fear from Him. In truth people are spooked by weirdos claiming that what they do is the Holy Spirit working through them. Don't be put off by other people’s nonsense.
We can have every confidence in the Spirit for He is God. In character He is like the Son:
The Holy Spirit is like the Son!
John 14:6 & 26: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you for ever…. the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
When we think of the Holy Spirit we leap on the word advocate (some versions have counsellor or comforter).
We miss the word “another.” What is Jesus telling us? He is saying that He will send another counsellor, which means, Jesus is the counsellor and He is sending one like Himself!
Why would we fear the Holy Spirit when He is like Jesus. Different in function, but like Him all the same.
Symbols of the Spirit in Scripture
The Holy Spirt will arrive in church or in your life in one of several ways.
As a Dove:
Mark 1:9-10: At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
The dove has become the symbol of peace but it means more than this. A dove will never alight on a corpse or rotting flesh, other birds may, not doves.
The dove reminds us not just of peace that Jesus gives (John 14:27) but also of His gentleness.
Have you ever been in church and you have experienced what Kathryn Khulman used to call the “holy hush?” She didn’t patent it, she just coined a phrase. When there is silence and you know that if you were to speak it is going to disturb something precious. I believe that’s the Spirit, like a dove.
As the Spirit alighted on Jesus, so He rests on you too. It’s personal!
As a Cloud
Exodus 33:9: As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses.
There have been times in churches when clouds have appeared, not metrological phenomena, but a sign of the presence of the Spirit.
The cloud reminds us that, just as he met with and proved fro the children of Israel in the wilderness, He sill meet with and provide for you in your tough times.
As Oil
Psalm 23:5b: You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
The Bible is filled with the Holy Spirit anointing with oil.
Oil flows everywhere, it can get in the smallest of places.
It goes to the deepest part of our hearts.
In church we sometimes call this “the anointing,” making is sound as though it is for special ministers or pastors only. Because the Spirit is symbol of oil (James 5:14) we use this shorthand to describe it when the Spirit is moving, i.e: that sermon was really anointed.
It is a bit misleading though. All Born Again believers are anointed:
2 Corinthians 2:21-22: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22 set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
Note the inclusivity there. Paul speaks about the apostles and the church being anointed and sealed with the Spirit. You’re anointed this morning.
As a Wind
John 3:8: 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.
Acts 2:2: Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
The Holy Spirit is involved and seals our salvation. He also bestows gifts upon us (we’ll look at this in part three).
We should wait in the Holy Spirit for our second wind! Runners know all about getting second wind. Like most people. though, I never run long enough to know there is a second wind!
As Rain
Rain has a dual implication.
First as refreshing where there has been dryness and barrenness:
Joel 2:23-24: Be glad, people of Zion, rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you the autumn rains because he is faithful. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. 24 The threshing-floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
Second, as restoration where there has been loss:
Isaiah 28:11-12:For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,12 To whom He said, “This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest,” And, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. (NKJV).
The “pouring out” Peter refers to at Pentecost (Acts 2:17) is not an abstract use of the word; it has to do with “latter rain” that brought about the harvest and fruitful crops.
Needing to be refreshed doesn’t mean that I’ve backslid or sinned. When the lawn endures a hot day, it dries up and needs the refreshing of rain. The Holy Spirit, coming as rain, comes to bring refreshing and restoration.
As Rivers
Rivers are channels or conduits to places where the refreshing of water is needed.
The Holy Spirit is a river of living water for every believer:
John 4:14:but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:37-39: On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The Holy Spirit is manifest in rivers in order that the rain not only be a refreshing upon you, but also that the Lord would make you an overflowing tributary of His Holy Spirit fullness, life, and love to others (Jack Heyford)
As Fire
Matthew 3:11: ‘I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Acts 2:3: They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them
At Pentecost, the Bible says that tongues as of fire appeared over the heads of each of those who gathered together (Acts 2:3).
The Holy Spirit comes as fire to work something deep into the substance of our lives that will shape things around us, rather than us taking on the shape of the world.
As fire, He works in a dual way: to probe the inner recesses of our life and to refine us as gold or silver is refined in the fire; and to temper our personalities by causing there to be the penetration of fire into our system.
The purifying fire burns out the Adversary. When the three Hebrew young men were thrown into the furnace, not only were their lives spared, but also their clothes didn’t burn. But the ropes holding them in bondage burned (Daniel 3).
The Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit being “a spirit of judgment and burning” (Isa. 4:4). Judgment has to do with deliverance, in the way the judges of Israel led people out of bondage. The Holy Spirit, coming like fire, burns away any binding grip that the Enemy has imposed on us.
As Wine
Acts 2:13-17: Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘“In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.
Matthew 9:17: Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out, and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.’
The Wine shows the joy that the Holy Spirit gives us. It is not a temporary happiness r a numbing of the sense that an alcoholic may crave. it is a release of the enduring presence of god through the Spirit in our lives.
In God’s presence there is fullness of joy (Ps. 16:11) and that joy is our strength (Neh. 8:10).
Wrapping this up:
Next week we will look at the Holy Spirit and His fruit and the following week The Holy Spirit and His Gifts.
Pentecost Sunday we shall be inviting you to meet the Holy Spirit with a fresh touch from Him.
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