The Holy Spirit / Part One

Issues – December 2014 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Photo © Alan D. Wilson, www.naturespicsonline.com

The Holy Spirit
IN THE LIGHT OF THE BIBLE / Part One

What Is The Truth?
The Bible is the Word of God; this Book alone is our authority when it comes to questions of faith. Rather than concerning ourselves with what various people and leaders have stated or practiced, we ask the question: What does the Bible say? This is because this holy, unique Book is inspired by God’s Spirit. The Holy Spirit Himself has given us God’s Word, in which the truth about Himself and the gifts of the Spirit are recorded for us.

Concerning Bibles we want to give a warning: In many churches the use of modern Bible paraphrase-like translations is increasingly advocated. These are certainly easier for modern day people to understand than some of the more literal translations. But in paraphrases the “translators” often express their own thoughts at the expense of God’s truth. Additionally, various statements are toned down which can also result in wrong convictions on the part of some Bible readers. The power of blessing of God’s Word is neutralized in this way. We cannot recommend such paraphrases.

Who Is The Holy Spirit?
In Hebrews 9:14 God’s Spirit is referred to as the “eternal Spirit” (NKJV). Only God is eternal. The Spirit of God has power and love (Rom. 15:13,30). He is a Person who thinks and judges, and intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26-27). He searches, knows, instructs and convicts (1 Cor. 2:10-11; Neh. 9:20; Jn. 16:8,13). He has His own sovereign will (1 Cor. 12:10-11; Acts 13:2). He lives in the believing individual (1 Cor. 6:19) and in the Church as a whole (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:22). He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30; Isa. 63:10), insulted (Heb. 10:29), His effectiveness can be quenched (1 Th. 5:19) and you can lie to Him (Acts 5:3).

The Lord Jesus speaks about Him as a Person (see John 14:16-17,26). The Bible confirms in Acts 5:3-4 that the Holy Spirit is God; and in various passages He is, as already mentioned, closely linked to God the Father and God the Son. So the conclusion is clear: the Holy Spirit is God the Holy Spirit – a divine Person who is equal in position to Father and the Son. He is certainly not a subordinate spirit or a vague influence or force. Rather, He has all power because He is God!

God’s Word clearly states that there is only one God (1 Tim. 2:5). Although the term “Trinity” is not found in the Bible, we do find the truth that God is three-in-one. There is only one God, but He is revealed in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Mt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Cor. 12:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; Gen. 1:26; Prov. 30:4; Isa. 9:6; Mic. 5:2 and other passages). This is not a truth that we can understand with our intellect, but one which we accept in faith. Anyone who does not accept this is denying the basis of the Christian faith and, according to the Bible, adheres to false doctrine (2 Jn. 8-11).

What Does He Do? What Is His Work?
His coming to the earth in Acts 2 had a very special, clearly defined goal. Actually He works to bring about two things: the worship of the Father (Jn. 4:23-24) and the glorification of the Son (Jn. 16:14). He does this by leading unbelievers to Christ (see also John 16:8-11) and subsequently enabling the individual believer and the Church as a whole to grow. How does He bring about this growth? By presenting the Word of God to us by means of the gifts which He has given to the Church for this purpose.

It is a fundamental point that the Holy Spirit did not come to earth to glorify Himself or His gifts, nor to (or cause people to) honor individuals or churches who claim to have a certain gift or who take pride in their numerous gifts. We will read more about the purpose of the Spirit dwelling in the believer and the Church later.

What Is The Proof That Someone Has Received God’s Spirit?
The Bible states and confirms that anyone who has heard and believed the entire message of the gospel of salvation and thus is saved (Acts 16:31) by faith in the Lord Jesus has also become a child of God (Jn. 1:12). Because such a person has been born again through the working of God’s Spirit (Jn. 3:5-7), the Holy Spirit lives in him or her.

He is a divine, holy Person who by God’s grace indwells true believers in the dispensation [time period determined by the characteristics of God’s dealing with man] of grace in which we live (consider John 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19). This is distinctive from what we see in any other dispensation – and we should be thankful for it. He should have complete liberty to govern, lead and encourage us in our spiritual pathway, but He never imposes His will. If we persist in acting against His guidance and will, He will be saddened and will eventually keep silent (Eph. 4:30; 1 Th. 5:19).

In Galatians we read that God gives His Spirit and works among us on the basis of the preaching of the faith, and not on the basis of works (Gal. 3:5). The sealing with the Holy Spirit is the consequence of our faith in the gospel (Eph. 1:13). The Spirit brings unbelievers to spiritual life and comes to dwell in believers. This means that God does not give us the Holy Spirit because we are particularly faithful or because we are unusually spiritual Christians. No, only on the basis of faith – the same faith by which we are all saved and become children of God, that is the same faith that God’s Spirit Himself brings about when we are born again by water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:5).

Naturally, God Himself does not need any proof of this. He knows exactly what anyone’s internal state is. But the proof of all these things to our eyes as humans (who, after all, do not know the heart) is that such a person confesses with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (1 Jn. 1:6-10; Rom. 10:9). However, this is not enough because we know that it is easy to talk; and many religious people claim that Jesus is their Lord. Often they learned this at catechism or Sunday school. But many have never done anything about it.

God’s Word gives us a second criterion: the fruit of the Spirit must be visible in our lives (Gal. 5:22; Mt. 12:33). After all, you can recognize a tree by its fruit. The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16), and this must be evident from how we live.

As long as we are living on earth we remain weak, fall short and often do not pay proper attention to the Word of our heavenly Father. But still – if our life after our conversion has not actually changed, if we act like people of this world, there is something basically wrong. Consider the facts of how the believers in Thessalonica radically changed; they “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Th. 1:8-10).

Please note: it is not the fact that I have a gift (or claim to have one) that will convince people around me that I am born again. No single “gift” proves that I have the Spirit of God. Do not assume that the devil is not able to imitate the gifts of a shepherd, teacher or evangelist, or of speaking in tongues, prophecy or the like. Since the day of the Fall, after all, he has been pretending to be an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). He imitates the work of God, as we can see in Acts (see 8:9, 19:13).

But even now there are blasphemers who expound wonderful passages in the Gospels from the pulpit. Great thinkers have crept into Christendom [all who claim to be Christians] and have swept many along with them. After a time these thinkers have revealed themselves to be false teachers. In the Epistle of Jude, they are referred to as “wandering stars” (v.13): They go astray themselves and put others on the wrong track. False prophets exist and many sincere believers cannot distinguish them from real servants of God. These “prophets” quote from the Bible, call on God or the Holy Spirit and claim they are working with power from above. In Africa, witch doctors speak in all sorts of languages when they go into ecstasy with their incantations. Dare we think that the devil can only do this in Africa?

When someone is converted, through grace he receives forgiveness of his sins. God offers forgiveness in and through His Son. Such a person is born again, not through the will of man but through God’s Spirit (Jn. 3:5), and can now freely turn to God as his Father (Rom. 8:15). The Holy Spirit comes to live in his body – his body becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit – and the Lord Jesus says that the Holy Spirit remains in such a person eternally (Jn. 14:16; 1 Jn. 2:27). God does not give the Spirit to or reveal His power through people who merely do very good deeds apart from faith in the Lord. But He gives the Holy Spirit and reveals Himself on the basis of saving faith in the Lord Jesus. The Bible, in Galatians 3:5, confirms this quite clearly.

By Erwin H. W. Luimes (Adapted from “Fire From Heaven.”)

Look for part two of this article in next month’s edition!

The Christian must be prayerful in the Holy Spirit. He must take time to speak to the One who speaks to him in the written Word. In this, unsaved people can have no part whatever, for no one can pray in the Spirit who is not indwelt by the Spirit. In Old Testament times people prayed according to the Spirit as they were controlled by Him, though He did not then indwell believers as He does now. “He dwells with you and will be in you” (Jn. 14:17). But though the Holy Spirit dwells in all believers now, all do not recognize this marvelous fact. To many it is only a theory, a mere doctrinal statement. “Believe in the Holy Spirit,” say many real Christians without the least understanding of the wonderful meaning of these words: “Having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). This divine person dwells in you if you are a believer. Your body is His temple. He has come to make His permanent residence in you. Have you recognized and welcomed Him at home there? Observe this: He is the Holy Spirit. —H. A. Ironside