The Many Facets of God the Holy Spirit.........

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Principles connected with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

 

            1. The fact of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is given in 1 Corinthians 6:19,20; Romans 8:9; Galatians 3:2.

            2. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from the filling of the Spirit. It is one thing for all believers to be indwelt, it is something else to be filled. Only when we are filled with the Spirit are we accomplishing anything in the angelic conflict. We are never commanded to be indwelt but in Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. In Galatians 5:16 we are commanded to walk in the Spirit.

            3. It must be clearly understood in spite of the fact that we have this passage quoted in Leviticus 26:12, which is Millennial, that the Holy Spirit did not indwell all believers until the Church Age — John 7:37-39. This anticipates the intensified stage of the angelic conflict. There was no need for every believer to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. Had the need existed then every believer would have been indwelt, but it was no necessary. The purpose of the indwelling of the Spirit is to glorify Christ, as per 1 Corinthians 6:19; John 7:39.

            4. The indwelling of the Spirit must be distinguished from the indwelling of Christ. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is functional; the indwelling of Christ is strictly for the matter of fellowship — Revelation 3:20.

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The doctrine of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit

            1. The reason for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. (It never happened before. God the Holy Spirit empowered believers in other dispensations prior to the Church Age. We call that indument, empowering. But now the Holy Spirit actually indwells every believer) The universal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age is characteristic of this age only. It is necessary because of the strategic victory of the Lord Jesus Christ — His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and session. The strategic victory is followed by the intensification of the angelic conflict.

            Two things happen simultaneously. In heaven and in the angelic realm the session of Christ seated at the right hand of the Father causes intensification, the angelic conflict is intensified. Simultaneously the Age of Israel is interrupted; we now have the Church Age. When the Rapture of the Church occurs the intensification is over. The angelic conflict intensifies in the heavenlies as well as on the earth. That is not true in the Tribulation. The intensification of the angelic conflict and the Church Age started at the same time. The Age of Israel is actually interrupted to be continued again after the Rapture. The intensification of the angelic conflict causes the insertion of another dispensation — the Church Age. Up to this time no one in all of history was ever at the point of regeneration indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. But in the Church Age we have something new. On the day of Pentecost for the first time we have the baptism of the Holy Spirit whereby the believer enters into union with Jesus Christ. This causes the person to be born into the royal family. Abraham was born again, Moses was born again. Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, these people were all born again. But they are different from the royalty we have here, none of them were taken by the Holy Spirit and entered into union with Christ. We call this the baptism of the Holy Spirit and it is this that makes each one of us royalty. We are royalty as of the moment we are born again. It is the baptism of the Spirit that is the distinctive feature of the Church Age. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that puts us in union with Jesus Christ and makes us a part of the royal family. Jesus Christ is royalty in His deity, royalty in His humanity — descended from the line of David. Jesus Christ is royalty without being born again, He didn’t have to be born again. He was born physically into royalty and that’s it. What is the badge of royalty? Royalty always has a badge. A coat of arms has often been one of the badges of royalty, carrying some kind of a sceptre, the right to carry a certain type of sword, etc. We have a badge of royalty forever — the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit makes us royalty; the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the badge of royalty, the sign of nobility.

            Why suddenly is every believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Not only is it a sign of royalty but it is related to the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus Christ has a double royalty, that is why He is called King of kings. The first time we have King it refers to His deity; He is sovereignty and deity. “Of kings” refers to the fact that he is in His humanity a king. And there must be a relationship to the royal family. Jesus Christ on earth was indwelt by the Holy Spirit and John 7:37-39 says that the Spirit was not yet given to believers because Christ was not yet glorified. Therefore we begin to glorify Jesus Christ at the point of salvation because we are indwelt by God the Holy Spirit. No matter how we may fail in the materialistic realm or in the humanistic realm or in any way we are still royalty and the badge of royalty can never be removed.

            2. The documentation for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit: Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19,20; Galatians 3:2; 4:6; John 7:37-39; 14:16,17. We also have the anointing of the Spirit which merely indicates the indwelling of the Spirit relating Him to royalty. Anointing of the Spirit is synonymous with the indwelling of the Spirit in Acts 4:27; 10:38; 2 Corinthians 1:21; 1 John 2:20, 27.

            3. The distinction between salvation and the post-salvation ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is a difference between His ministry at salvation and His post-salvation ministry.

            God the Holy Spirit does five things for every believer at the point of salvation: baptism [how we enter the royal family], regeneration [how we enter the family of God], sealing [the security of our royalty], indwelling [the sign of our royalty], the provision of a spiritual gift. The first gift to royalty is a spiritual gift.

            In the post-salvation ministry of the Holy is Spirit we have His inner control in order that we might assimilate doctrine and fulfill the purpose for remaining on the earth. What is that purpose? The blessings of the supergrace life, to reach the tactical objective of supergrace and to enjoy the blessings of it. Both carnality and reversionism result in the loss of the filling of the Spirit but never the indwelling of the Spirit. When a believer is out of fellowship he is said to be grieving the Spirit — Ephesians 4:30. That is equivalent to sinning. He is said to be quenching the Spirit — 1 Thessalonians 5:19. That is equivalent to producing human good.

            4. Other nomenclature for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2:20, “unction.” In 1 John 2:27, “anointing.” These both refer to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit but they emphasise the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a sign of being a member of the royal family. Just as royalty wear the overt accouterments of nobility, so we wear inner accouterments of nobility. The believer in the Church Age is in the palace by means of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the sign of royalty.

            5. The prophecy of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ the King of kings, as a prophet, declared it in John 7:37-39; 14:16,17.

            6. The distinction between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the indwelling of Jesus Christ. The most obvious fact is that Jesus Christ is the second member of the Trinity and the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. As members of the Trinity they are coequal and co-eternal but they are different persons. They have the same essence but they are different in person. Christ indwells the believer for the purpose of fellowship on the road to supergrace. The Holy Spirit indwells the believer as a sign of royalty, a sign that we are members of the royal family of God. This means that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is permanent. We are royalty forever. However, the indwelling of Christ is not permanent. We can lose the indwelling of Christ by reversionism for the purpose of the indwelling of Christ is for fellowship on the road to supergrace. If we are on the road to reversionism then the Lord Jesus Christ removes Himself from us and instead knocks on the door of the soul as a warning that we are on the wrong road. And when we start to get back on the right road we open the door and let Him in, as per Revelation 3:20.

            7. The primary functional objective of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is the function of GAP — John 14:26; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 1 John 2:27. The universal priesthood of the believer demands the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit for the achievement of the objective of the supergrace life.

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8. It is also the objective of the indwelling Holy Spirit to suppress, to control, and to neutralise the function of the old sin nature — Galatians 5:17.

            9. Illustrations of the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. One is taken from the Word of God — Elijah in the cave of 1 Kings 19:9-18; the second is taken from the picture of oil as anointing of the Holy Spirit. So oil becomes an illustration of the functions and ministries of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

                        a) For example, oil lubricates. Friction ruins machines. One of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to remove friction among believers so that we function as a team as well as a royal family.

                        b) Oil heals. This was true in the ancient world where there was an extensive use of oil in healing. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit heals the sorrows, the sufferings, the pressures that come our way.

                        c) Oil was used as a system for lighting, just as the Holy Spirit illuminates the Word under the function of GAP.

                        d) Oil also propels. We learn this from diesel engines both on land and on sea. This illustrates the walking in the Spirit, moving toward our tactical objective.

                        e) Oil invigorates. For this reason athletes in the ancient world were anointed with oil before they entered their contest. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit invigorates the life of the believer.

                        f) Oil warms. Oil was used for heating fuel. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit warms the categories of love through His ministry indwelling.

                        g) Oil adorns. Oil has been used since time immemorial for grooming. The Holy Spirit produces the grooming of the soul through His indwelling.

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The doctrine of the deity of the Holy Spirit

 

            1. All the Trinity passages reveal the coequality with other members of the Godhead — 2 Corinthians 13:14 indicates the total deity of the Holy Spirit.

            2. The Holy Spirit is also called Jehovah in the Old Testament, this is a title of God — cf. Isaiah 6:8,9 with Acts 28:25, or Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15.

            3. The sovereignty of the Spirit is found in 1 Corinthians 12:11.

            4. God the Holy Spirit is said to be omniscient — 1 Corinthians 2:10,11.

            5. He is said to be omnipotent — Genesis 1:2. 

            6. He in omnipresent — Psalm 139:7.

            7. The deity of the Lordship of the Spirit is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 3:17.

 

            Principle: You cannot hurt someone else until you have first of all hurt or grieved God the Holy Spirit who indwells all members of the royal priesthood.

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The seven things that the Holy Spirit does for us at the moment of salvation

 

            1. The doctrine of efficacious grace starts out with the gospel being presented to those who are in spiritual brain death, and therefore God the Holy Spirit makes the gospel perspicuous because spiritual brain death cannot understand any part of spiritual phenomena. The gospel is spiritual phenomena. The Holy Spirit makes the gospel perspicuous under the concept of pneumatikoj which is spiritual phenomena. Now it goes down the pipeline to the nouj where the spiritually dead person understands that Christ is the issue, not sin, not human works, but Jesus Christ. That is the point of the divine call to believe which is nothing more or less than an invitation from the Father to believe in Christ, and an invitation that is given through our understanding of the issue. Then in spiritual death we can believe in Jesus Christ. Only faith in Jesus Christ can be taken by God the Holy Spirit and made effective for eternal salvation. This is called efficacious grace, a ministry of God the Holy Spirit at salvation which cannot occur if you add anything to faith.

            The positive volition of the spiritually dead person is described in two non-meritorious functions: a. The spiritually dead person can do one thing that is non-meritorious: he can listen to the gospel; b. The unbeliever believes in Christ.

            Because the unbeliever has spiritual brain death, according to 1 Corinthians 2:14, he does not understand what he hears. He uses his volition to listen because listening is non-meritorious. But the problem is that when you hear what is being said with regard to the gospel you cannot understand it apart from the ministry of God the Holy Spirit who makes it understandable. The Holy Spirit acting as the human spirit makes the gospel perspicuous and this is what we call common grace.

            The faith of the spiritually dead person has no power to produce the intended effect - salvation - and therefore God the Holy Spirit has to take our faith and make it effective for salvation. Common grace understands the gospel, the divine invitation or call works on the human will, not common grace. Efficacious grace is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in taking faith in Christ of the spiritually dead person and making it effective for salvation. Efficacious grace works on the faith of the spiritually dead person, not his will. The decision to believe has already been made and the Holy Spirit makes that faith effective.

            The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit is related to common and efficacious grace. When we believe we are spiritually dead. The Holy Spirit makes our faith effective and that is sealing salvation. The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit is actually a signature guarantee that includes four principles: the guarantee of the ministry of the Spirit in efficacious grace; the guarantee of eternal life; the guarantee of eternal security; the guarantee that in eternity past God the Father provided for each one of us our very own portfolio of invisible assets. The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit covers eternity past, time, and the eternal future in these four guarantees.

            2. Regeneration - Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23. Defined as the ministry of the Holy Spirit at salvation in creating a human spirit which causes the believer to become instantly trichotomous.

            The origin of the body is conception — biological life. There is the old sin nature in the biological life but it is not active in the womb because there is no human being, there is no volition, there is not temptation in the womb. But when biological life emerges from the womb (and simultaneously the OSN) God creates soul life and imputes it to biological life, and now you have a human being. In physical life we become dichotomous: a body, biological life, and soul life created by God imputed to it — a human being and a spiritually dead one.

            So we need salvation, the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. How? Because at the moment we believed in Christ God the Holy Spirit created the human spirit. This is the second birth, this is what it means to be born again. God the Father imputed eternal life to the human spirit. We had soul life prior to salvation, now we have soul life and eternal life.

            3. The baptism of the Holy Spirit.

            God the Holy Spirit takes each one of us at the moment of faith in Christ and enters us into union with the person of Christ. We are in that circle and we can never get out. That is positional sanctification. The baptism of the Spirit is the basis for the new spiritual species and the royal family of God. (The baptism of the Spirit is the only case in all of history where everyone is on an equal basis. There is absolute equality because every believer receives the same baptism of the Spirit at salvation). The baptism of the Spirit distinguishes the Church Age believer from all other dispensations. It never occurred before and it will never occur again after the Rapture.

            4. The Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation.

            This is something that never happened before. Neither the Father nor the Son nor the Spirit indwelt Old Testament saints. When the Rapture occurs and the Tribulation and Millennium there will be no indwelling by any member of the Godhead. Scripture for indwelling: 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19,20; 2 Corinthians 6:16. These passages are important because they also explain the purpose of the Holy Spirit.

            The Holy Spirit indwells our bodies. Why? To provide a temple. In every cell of the body, with one exception, the old sin nature resides. The Holy Spirit provides a temple for the indwelling of God the Father and the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            5. The filling of the Holy Spirit.

            It occurs at the moment of salvation but it is experiential.

            6. The sovereign distribution of a spiritual gift.

            God the Son, who was involved in the initial distribution of spiritual gifts in the beginning of the Church Age, Ephesians 4:7,8, has now turned that over to the Holy Spirit. So at the moment of salvation, 1 Corinthians 12:11, God the Holy Spirit gives to each one of us a spiritual gift.

            7. The sealing ministry of the Spirit — a signature guarantee.

            (Sealing in the ancient world was a signature guarantee) It is a signature guarantee of four things: a. Efficacious grace - the Holy Spirit takes the faith of the spiritually dead person and makes it effective for salvation; b. The guarantee of eternal life; c. The guarantee of eternal security; d. The guarantee of your very own portfolio of invisible assets which God the Father prepared for each one of us in eternity past.

            The sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit covers eternity past, our life in time, and our eternal future. That is the subject of Ephesians 4:30.

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The doctrine of sins against the Holy Spirit

 

            1. Inasmuch as the Holy Spirit has a certain specific relationship with members of the human race obviously there are certain ways in which the third Person of the Trinity can be offended. Remember that the Holy Spirit is God and it is easy for anyone with an old sin nature to specifically offend the third Person of the Trinity. Since the human race is divided into two categories, according to John 3:36, the sins against the Holy Spirit are also divided into two categories. The two categories of John 3:36 are believers and unbelievers. The cross is a divider, an attitude towards the cross divides the human race. Therefore it is quite logical for the scriptures to develop sins against the Holy Spirit which are committed only by unbelievers, and then sins against the Holy Spirit which can only be committed by believers.

            2. There are two basic sins which only the unbeliever can commit against the Holy Spirit. The first of these is called blasphemy against the Spirit and it is found in Matthew 12:14-32. The second is called resistance of the Holy Spirit — Acts 7:51 These cannot be committed by a believer, they can only be committed by an unbeliever. Then we have a second category: sins which only the believer can commit against the Holy Spirit. There are three of them: lying to the Spirit — Acts 5:3; quenching the Holy Spirit — 1 Thessalonians 5:19; grieving the Holy Spirit — Ephesians 4:30.

            3. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit — Matthew 12:14-32. This is also called the unpardonable sin. It is to ascribe to Jesus Christ the works of Satan during the time when Jesus Christ was on the earth. Actually, there was a span of only about three years when this sin could be committed. During three years when our Lord was presenting Himself as Messiah to Israel and having a specific ministry it was possible for anyone who was an unbeliever who came into contact with Jesus Christ, who saw His miracles, who heard His messages, and who said that He is doing all of this in the power of Beelzebub to commit this sin. When this is a system of rejection the Holy Spirit was involved. This type of rejection of Christ, again, could only be committed during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, it can’t be committed today. It couldn’t be committed after the resurrection and it couldn’t be committed before Jesus Christ began His public ministry by turning water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana. Actually, it is a sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as saviour and it was committed only by Jewish unbelievers who were reversionistic, who rejected the signs of Messiahship because of their unbelieving souls. It is called the unpardonable sin, and it is ascribing to Jesus Christ power from Satan to perform miracles, power from Satan to give great messages. It is tantamount, then, to rejecting Christ as personal saviour. It is no longer an issue today except that in Matthew 12 it demonstrates that when anyone refuses to believe in Jesus Christ in principle that person has committed a sin against the Holy Spirit.

            4. The resistance of the Holy Spirit is any person during the course of human history, from the fall of Adam to the end of the Millennium, rejecting Jesus Christ as saviour. There are a number of passages dealing with it — Acts 7:51. The reason is found also in a number of passages, for example in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “the soulish man receives not the things of the Spirit of God.” One of the functions of God the Holy Spirit in human history is to act as a human spirit when the gospel is presented and to make the gospel clear. resistance of the Holy Spirit is the unbeliever who finally understands the gospel and says no. The unbeliever, again, does not have a human spirit nor any means of understanding spiritual truth and therefore God the Holy Spirit takes whatever gospel is given and makes it perspicuous to the unbeliever. This was first taught in Genesis 6:3 — “And Jehovah [God the Father] said, My Spirit [the Holy Spirit] shall not convince inside of man forever.” In this passage it says that the Holy Spirit would keep striving until the flood. Once the flood came all unbelievers were going to die and they wouldn’t have any more chance. The big thing about that verse is not the fact that they still have 120 years before the flood, it is that God the Holy Spirit as long as you are alive will keep working on the unbeliever. Once he has heard the gospel the Holy Spirit will bring that into focus as long as he lives. Therefore, as long as a person is alive he can be saved. The presentation of the gospel must be true and accurate, that is all. God the Holy Spirit does the rest. The ministry of God the Holy Spirit is so described in John 16:7-11 — no royal family, no special ministry of the Spirit. Verse 8 — “ … He will convince you concerning sin, concerning righteousness, and concerning judgement.” These three are described so that we are not led astray.

            Verse 9 — “Concerning sin because they do not believe in me.” The only sin that the Holy Spirit deals with is the sin of rejection of Christ, for that is the issue in the gospel. This is not the multitude of personal sins, that is not the issue. The issue is believing or not believing in Christ.

            Verse 10 — “Concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer see me.” In other words, once Jesus Christ is ascended He is accepted at the right hand of the Father. He has a perfect righteousness and when you believe in Christ you receive that righteousness and you are acceptable to God the Father. You can get into heaven in spite of what a mess you may be on the earth! So concerning righteousness deals with imputation and justification.

            Verse 11 — “Concerning judgement, because the ruler of this world [Satan] has been judged.” He was judged at the cross. And therefore because of these things God the Holy Spirit has the wonderful and glorious ministry of taking gospel information and making it a reality in your soul.

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The sin of resisting the Holy Spirit, then, is found in certain passages where rejecting the gospel is resisting the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Notice that it isn’t resisting the one who is witnessing, it is resisting the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 1:18 — “For the preaching of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness; but to us who are saved it is the power of God.” Also 2 Corinthians 4:3,4. Note that this sin of resisting the Holy Spirit can only be committed by the unbeliever and it is tantamount to rejecting Christ as saviour. Therefore it is imperative to remember that whether it is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit or resisting the Holy Spirit this is simply rejection of Christ as saviour.

            5. Sins against the Holy Spirit committed only by believers. Lying to the Holy Spirit is committed by the believer in reversionism. Remember that Annanias and Sapphira were believers, jealous believers. They were jealous of Barnabas who had sold his property in Cyprus and had given all of the money to the church. He didn’t have to but he wanted to. In this case it was a bona fide gift from a believer with enough maturity to know what he was doing. Annanias and Sapphira up to this time were the biggest givers in the Jerusalem church and they were quite proud of it, they were arrogant. There had never been any pressure because they were the biggest givers. Now along comes Barnabas and drops a lot of money into the church and they suddenly have pressure on them which made them very jealous. Because they were jealous of Barnabas under this pressure they were not going to be outdone. They had a big piece of property and under the principle of reversionistic one-upmanship they sold this property and figured how much it would take to make it look a little bit better than Barnabas. So they put just a little bit more than Barnabas had in the coffers. The problem was they said they were giving all of the profits when they were not. It was a lie that they were telling, but it was more than a lie. A lie is a verbal sin. The problem here was that it was also a part of a mental attitude cluster — pride and jealousy. Pride is buried for the moment, jealousy emerges. Therefore they have committed this whole packet of sins which is called lying to the Holy Spirit. Peter asked: “Why hath Satan filled your right lobe?” The filling of the right lobe by Satan is the same as demon influence and it is the last three stages of reversionism. It wasn’t really the telling of the lie itself, it was the attempt to deceive everyone and to take credit to themselves under this system.

            6. Grieving the Holy Spirit is a reference to the sins of the reversionistic believer. We must learn to distinguish between the believer out of fellowship while he is advancing to supergrace. He is still positive and he is said to be carnal. But he rebounds and gets back into fellowship very quickly, keeping short accounts, and he never neglects doctrine. That is carnality and is not the same as what we have in grieving the Spirit. When a negative believer gets out of fellowship he stays put of fellowship, it is a part of reversionism — rejection of rebound, along with other doctrines. This is the area of grieving the Holy Spirit. These two are not the same. Grieving the Holy Spirit must be distinguished from carnality, it is the persistent sinfulness of the reversionistic believer, as in Ephesians 4:30,31.

            7. Quenching the Holy Spirit — 1 Thessalonians 5:19. This is a sin against the Holy Spirit emphasising the reversionistic believer under the influence of evil and producing human good. It must be remembered that the function of evil in reversionism produces both sinfulness as well as human good. Grieving the Spirit emphasises the sinfulness of the reversionist whereas quenching the Spirit emphasises the human good produced by the reversionist.

 

            Verse 14 — “I order you to keep this commandment unsullied, irreproachable, until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ is the Rapture of the church, not the second advent.

 

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The Holy Spirit

 

Filling

            1. The Holy Spirit INDWELLS for the purpose of glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ; this indwelling teams up with the filling of the Holy Spirit to glorify however. Indwelling alone does not guarantee glorification of Christ.

 

            2. In indwelling of the Holy Spirit is permanent — John 14:16.

 

            3. The command in Ephesians 5:18 is: Be habitually refilled with the Holy Spirit.

 

            4. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) and human good quenches His power in us (1 Thessalonians 5:19).

 

            6. Therefore it follows that the hindrance to the filling of the Holy Spirit is unconfessed sin in the life, and thus to be filled with the Holy Spirit sin must be confessed (1 John 1:9) which results in the Holy Spirit filling the life, motivating and producing divine good.

 

            7. Result: Christ is glorified in the believer’s life because the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit in the believer, which is the character of Christ.

 

            8. Nothing good is produced in the Christian life apart from the filling of the Holy Spirit — Romans 8:8; Galatians 3:3.

 

            9. Imitation is the great issue in spirituality.

                        a) The believer in fellowship imitates God: Ephesians 5:1, the Greek says, “Keep on becoming an imitator of God, beloved children.” Ephesians 1:6, “accepted in the beloved.”

                        b) The believer out of fellowship imitates the unbeliever — 1 John 1:6; 2 Corinthians 3:3.

 

            10. Results of the filling of the Spirit:

                        a) Imitation of Christ — John 16:14; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Philippians 1:20; Galatians 4:19.

                        b) Perception of the Word — John 14:26; 16:12-14; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16.

                        c) Witnessing — Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 3-5.

                        d) Guidance — Romans 8:14; Ephesians 5:16-18.

                        e) Assurance — Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:5,6 (Knowing eternal security is true)

                        f) Worship — Philippians 3:3; John 4:24.

                        g) Prayer — Ephesians 6:18 with Psalm 66:18.

                        h) Helping other Christians to rebound (1 John 1:9) — Galatians 6:1.

 

 

Fruit of the Spirit — Galatians 5:22,23

            I. Definition: The fruit of the Spirit is the character of Christ being formed in the believer while being filled with the Spirit.

 

            II. Types of Production of the Fruit of the Spirit:

 

                A. Inward or selfward:

                        1. Love: Mental attitude — what you think. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. Mental attitude which describes the divine attitude of love. A relaxed mental attitude toward the human race, free from envy, jealousy, hatred, implacability, etc.

                        2. Joy: Stimulated mental attitude of inner happiness. This comes from knowing doctrine.

                        3. Peace: Mental attitude stability. a) First: Peace with God (Reconciliation) Romans 5:1; b) Next: Peace of God (filling of the Holy Spirit).

 

                B. Outward or Neighbourward:

                        4. Long-suffering: Relaxed overt attitude toward the human race. Result of having love, joy, peace. This is faith-rest under pressure from people and circumstances. Ephesians 4:1-3 “ … walk worthy … in love” (in the filling of the Spirit).

                        5. Gentleness: Mental attitude kindness and grace toward others (give others the benefit of the doubt). 2 Timothy 2:24, “strive” bully others — wrong. Speaks of good manners.

                        6. Goodness: Overt expression of grace. If you think gentleness, you will act goodness. Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Colossians 3:13.

 

                C. Upward or Godward:

                        7. Faith: Using faith as the sole means of perception in transferring gnwsij to e)pignwsij, not operating on rationalism and empiricism.

                        8. Meekness: Humility. The mental attitude of grace with regard to divine provision. An attitude of grace orientation — not who and what we are, it is who and what He is. Passive — we receive humility.

                        9. Temperance: Self-control. Self-discipline. Controlling your tongue, thoughts, actions. When it is time to study, you do it. 1 Corinthians 9:27.

 

            When you are in fellowship (filled with the Spirit) you do not necessarily manifest all of the fruit of the Spirit, but various situations bring out various manifestations.

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Indwelling (Church Age)

                1. The Holy Spirit INDWELLS every regenerate person — Romans 5:5; 8:8,9.

 

            2. The Holy Spirit indwells at the MOMENT of SALVATION — Galatians 3:2; 4:6.

 

            3. In the Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit empowered certain believers TEMPORARILY for specific purposes — 1 Samuel 16:13 with Psalm 51:11.

 

            4. In the New Testament (Church Age) from the Day of Pentecost to the Rapture of the Church, the Holy Spirit indwells every believer at the moment of salvation — 1 Corinthians 12:13b.

 

            5. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot be lost; it is permanent as is salvation — John 14:16,17.

 

            6. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the potential power resident IN the believer, the use of which depends upon the filling of the Holy Spirit — 1 John 1:9.

 

            7. New Testament: The indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes the body of the believer the sanctuary (temple of God). 1 Corinthians 3:16,17; 6:19.

                Old Testament:  Sanctuary was the tabernacle (tent in the desert).

 

            8. Because we are INDWELT we should stay FILLED — 1 Corinthians 6:20.

 

            9. Sin will NOT remove the indwelling Holy Spirit in the Church Age — John 14:16.

 

            10. Provision has been made for sin in 1 John 1:9.

 

            11. The purpose of the INDWELLING of the Holy Spirit is to:

                        a) Understand spiritual truth — John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:12.

                        b) Glorify Christ by living a supernatural life — John 16:14; 1 Corinthians 6:20; Galatians 5:22.

                        c) Witness for Christ — Acts 1:8.

 

 

The Holy Spirit:  “I will pour out of my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28-32 as quoted in Acts 2)

                .1. A quotation does not always interpret, a quotation sometimes illustrates, as in Acts 2:17.

 

            2. Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:16-21.

 

            3. This is NOT the fulfillment of Joel 2:28-32 but is an illustration to refute the accusation of drunkenness.

 

            4. These believers are actually using the gift of tongues under the power of the Holy Spirit and can no more be charged with drunkenness than the believers in the Joel passage.

 

            5. These people are familiar with the book of Joel. They knew that the activities of Joel reflected spirituality in the Millennium.

 

            6. The Joel 2 passage by interpretation is the Millennium. The phenomenon which they observed is in the first 38 years of the Church Age.

 

            7. Peter does not say that the Joel passage is fulfilled. He is merely establishing a parallel between the phenomenon which is described in Joel 2 and the phenomenon which is occurring at that moment.

 

            8. The Joel passage could not be fulfilled at this point because of the doctrine of the mystery. Doctrine of the mystery: Ephesians 3:1-6; Colossians 1:25,26; Romans 16:25,26.

 

            9. The book of Joel is in the Old Testament and NO Church Age doctrine is given in the Old Testament, therefore Joel is not talking about the Church Age.

 

            10. The Joel passage refers to the Spirit-filled believer in the Millennium only (interpretation). Therefore, what is being said here, is that the Joel passage merely illustrates, but does not fulfill.

 

            11. The charge of drunkenness is going to be refuted by Peter by saying that what they see is not drunkenness, it is a spiritual phenomenon. They are no more drunken than the Millennial saints as depicted in Joel 2:28-32.

 

            12. Acts 2:16: “this is that”:  THIS IS THE SAME KIND OF THING AS THAT. The Day of Pentecost occurrence parallels the Millennium

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The Holy Spirit in the Millennium

                1. Believers of all ages will be in resurrection bodies in the Millennium with the exception of (see point 2).

 

            2. Tribulational believers who are alive at the second advent will go into the Millennium in their physical bodies.

 

            3. Those believers in physical bodies will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

 

            4. All believers in physical bodies (non-resurrection bodies) will have old sin natures:

                        a) Physical birth from these believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit will produce unbelievers with old sin natures. Therefore they must personally believe in Christ for salvation.

                        b) The old sin nature is restrained in the Millennium because:

                            1. The Lord Jesus will be present and visible. (Omniscient)

                            2. believers in resurrection bodies will be present and observing.

                            3. Angels will be observing.

                            4. Universal indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

                            5. Maximum knowledge of doctrine.

 

            5. When Jesus Christ returns to the earth at the 2nd advent, Operation Footstool is completed: All demons are removed from the earth, including Satan, therefore no religion.

 

            6. Because Christ is on the earth and it is not necessary to produce the character of Christ, spirituality becomes a matter of ecstatics — an appreciation of the person of Christ as he lives and reigns on the earth.

 

            7. There will be great spirituality in the Millennium. The Lord Jesus Christ will be present, and there will be perfect environment. Joel 2:28,29.

                        a) Verse 28: “afterward”: After the second advent.

                            “my spirit”: Holy Spirit.

                             “upon all flesh”: Tribulational believers alive at the second advent in physical bodies.

                             “prophesy”: Old Testament manifestation of the Spirit’s control.

 

                        b) Verse 29:  “upon the servants and upon the handmaids”: All believers in the Millennium will be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

 

            8. Isaiah 65:24 — Prayer system of the Millennium. All will be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

 

            9. System of worship in the Millennium — Zechariah 14:16,17.

 

 

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The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

                I. . God the Holy Spirit is eternal life — Hebrews 9:14.

 

            II. God the Holy Spirit has helped mankind and influenced the world from the beginning — Genesis 1:2b.

 

            III. In Creation:

                        a) The Father planned or designed — 1 Corinthians 8:6a; Psalm 102:25.

                        b) The Son did the creating — Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:16

                        c) The Holy Spirit restored original creation after it was destroyed — Psalm 104:30; Genesis 1:2b.

 

            IV. After creation the Holy Spirit did not leave the world but continued to:

                        a) Reveal God’s will to me.

                        b) Inspire the prophets to write scripture: 2 Peter 1:21.

                        c) Work miracles through the prophets and preachers.

 

            V. Purpose of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament:

                        a) God is sovereign: Psalm 135:6, “Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did He ...”

                        b) The Holy Spirit empowered some believers in the Old Testament, but not all.

                        c) It was not God’s purpose to fill or live in every believer in the Old Testament.   

                        d) God CHOSE to give certain believers the Holy Spirit for His purpose; it was not their qualification, but was God’s SOVEREIGN decision.

                        e) It is not who and what they were but who and what God is.

                        f) The Holy Spirit was WITH all believers (omnipresent) but the Holy Spirit was not IN (empowering) all believers.

                        g) In Old Testament times one could ask for the Holy Spirit and receive Him under special conditions. Elisha’s request was granted — 2 Kings 2:9, 15.

                        h) The Father is the one who sends the Holy Spirit on these special missions. Matthew 10:20 — “Spirit of your Father.”

                        i) Empowering of the Holy Spirit could be lost. David prayed: “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me” — Psalm 51:11, this prayer was the result of sin in his life.

                        j) Empowering of the Holy Spirit was removed when the work was finished..

 

                        John 14:17b “with you”: para plus the accusative = alongside of.

                                             “shall be”: future from then.

                                           “in you”: en plus the dative case = “in.”

 

            VI. Three occasions in the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit had a ministry with a carnal believer:

                        a) Balaam — Numbers 24:2

                        b) Samson — Judges 13:25; 14:6; 15:14.

                        c) King Saul — 1 Samuel 19:23,24. (Today, sin in the life hinders the Holy Spirit’s power but not His indwelling)

 

            VII. Those empowered in the Old Testament:

                        a) Joseph was the first believer mentioned as being empowered — Genesis 41:38: Empowered with the Holy Spirit to preserve a nation from starvation during a famine.

                        b) Bezaleel, Aholiab: Workers on the tabernacle were given special wisdom and ability through power of the Holy Spirit — Exodus 35:30-35.

                        c) Workers on Aaron’s garments — Exodus 28:3.

                        d) Moses and the elders (70) who helped him were empowered by the Holy Spirit to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt — Numbers 11:16,17.

                        e) King David was empowered — 1 Samuel 16:13.

                        f) King Saul was empowered — 1 Samuel 10:6. Perhaps Saul could have been Israel’s greatest king but through sin and continued disobedience, the Holy Spirit left Saul — 1 Samuel 16:14.

                        g) The prophets were empowered. Elijah, Elisha, 1 & 2 Kings (Isaiah, Daniel, 2 Peter 1:21)

                        h) Samson, a judge, was empowered — Judges 13:25; 14:6; 15:14.

 

            VIII. Summary:

                        a) The Holy Spirit empowered SPECIFIC PEOPLE for SPECIFIC JOBS.

                        b) The Holy Spirit gave some people special understanding and wisdom:

                            1. Became great leaders of God’s people, such as some of the judges.

                            2. Reveal God’s Word (Writers of the Old Testament)

                        c) The Holy Spirit gave some special skills, or unusual physical strength for use in God’s service, such as:

                            1. Workers in the tabernacle.

                            2. Samson.

                        d) The Holy Spirit was removed because:

                            1. Word was finished, or

                            2. Because of sin.

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Sealing Ministry

                I. The sealing work of the Holy Spirit is the basis of our ETERNAL SECURITY — Ephesians 4:30.

 

            II. Three phases to salvation is given in Ephesians 1:13:

                        a) You must hear the Word of truth — “after that (when) ye heard the Word of Truth.”

                        b) You must be a believer. “ … in whom also after that ye believed.”

                        c) “Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.”

 

            III. Sealing indicates:

                        a) A seal is used on invoices to authenticate them — to establish them as genuine.

                        b) A seal involves ownership. We are in the plan of God. We belong to God.

                        c) A seal ratifies (approves) treaties and documents. The Holy Spirit ratifies the New Covenant (salvation).

                        d) A seal is used to guarantee, preserve, and protect. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of eternal security.

 

            IV. A portion of our inheritance — Ephesians 1:14.

                        a) The Holy Spirit is the “earnest” (down-payment) of our inheritance until the “redemption of the purchased possession.” (Resurrection of the believer’s body at the Rapture) 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18.

                        b) “Earnest” in the Greek means a dot with a circle around it. The Lord has a circle around us. We are His possession. Our POSITION in Christ.

                        c) “Who hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” — 2 Corinthians 1:22.

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The Holy Spirit:  Five Sins Against

                I. By Unbelievers Only:

 

                        A. Resistance of the Holy Spirit — Acts 7:51. Rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Church Age. Pre-salvation ministry of the Holy Spirit is the convicting ministry (John 16:7-11) of:

                                    1. Sin of unbelief.

                                    2. The righteousness of God, the minus righteousness of man.

                                    3. Judgement.

            Rejecting Jesus Christ is resisting this ministry of the Holy Spirit.

 

                        B. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit — Matthew 12:31-32.

                                    Rejection of Jesus Christ while Jesus Christ was ministering on earth (previous dispensation: Jewish Age). Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit during His earthly ministry and to reject Him was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

 

            II. By believers: (All are a result of being controlled by the old sin nature)

                        A. Lying to the Holy Spirit — Acts 5:3.

                                    False motivation — Approbation lust sin.

                        B. Grieving the Holy Spirit — Ephesians 4:30.

                                    Producing sins from the area of weakness in the old sin nature: Moral issues (immorality), sins of the tongue , mental attitude sins. Any sin in the life of the believer which involves moral or ethical issues.

                        C. Quenching the Holy Spirit — 1 Thessalonians 5:19

            Producing human good from the area of strength in the old sin nature, such as witnessing, giving money, etc., to gain approbation. Human good soothes the conscience and keeps the believer from using rebound (1 John 1:9).

                        Do it as unto the Lord, or don’t do it!

                                    Disobedience to God’s Word that doesn’t involve an ethical or moral issue.           

 

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Sustaining Ministry to Jesus Christ

                1. Prophecy of the sustaining ministry in the life of Jesus Christ was given over 700 years before He came. Isaiah 11:2-3; 42:1-4; 61:1-2. Isaiah prophesied that when Messiah would come, the Holy Spirit would sustain, empower and fill Him so that the Father’s perfect will would be accomplished in His life.

            2. The Holy Spirit sustained the humanity of Jesus Christ at His birth — Matthew 1:18-21; Luke 1:35.

            3. Jesus Christ was sustained by the Holy Spirit only in His humanity because Jesus Christ is co-equal with the Holy Spirit in His deity.

            4. As the God-Man He revealed the essence box — Hebrews 1:3.

            5. As humanity he relied on the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit, and was led and guided by the Holy Spirit — Matthew 4:1; Mark 1:12.

            6. He didn’t depend upon His divine attributes to perform functions — Hebrews 2:14,15; Philippians 2:6-8, Greek says “He emptied Himself.”

            7. Jesus Christ subordinated His deity to the will of the Father. He did not use the characteristics of His deity independently of the Father’s plan.

            8. Therefore, Jesus Christ, during His incarnation, depended entirely upon the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit.

            9. He did not give up His divine essence. (Deity was always present: omnipresent) but He walked as a man, and as true humanity (indwelt by the Holy Spirit).

                        a) He was never commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

                        b) He was always filled with the Holy Spirit.

                        c) The Holy Spirit was given without measure to Him — John 3:34.

            10. The Holy Spirit was present in a special way at the baptism of Jesus Christ to guarantee that He would sustain Jesus Christ during His ministry — Matthew 3:16.

 

            11. The Holy Spirit empowered the humanity of Jesus Christ during His ministry, in His preaching and performing miracles in the power of the Spirit — Luke 4:14, 15, 18; Matthew 12:18, 28. “if”: 1st class condition, “and I do.”

 

            12. Jesus Christ gave Himself for crucifixion in the power of the Holy Spirit — Hebrews 9:14.

            13. The ministry of the Holy Spirit ceased when Jesus was on the cross — Psalm 22:1; 3; Matthew 27:46. The first “my God” refers to God the Father, the second “my God” refers to the Holy Spirit.

            14. The Holy Spirit had a part in the resurrection of Jesus Christ — Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 3:8; Romans 1:4.

 

            15. The present ministry of the Holy Spirit to Jesus Christ is to glorify Jesus Christ in the life of the believer — John 16:14; 7:39.

                        a) The believer in fellowship is set to glorify Christ.

                        b) Glorifying Jesus Christ is a result of soul breathing and the edification complex. The manifestation of the new nature.

            16. Jesus Christ set the pattern of the Church Age.

 

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The doctrine of the sins against the Holy Spirit

 

            There are five sins which are committed against the Holy Spirit but they fall into two categories. Two of these are committed by the unbeliever and three of them by the believer.

            1. The sins committed by the unbeliever.

                        a) The first of these is called blaspheming against the Holy Spirit — Matthew 12:14-32. It is tantamount to rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as saviour — actually, rejection of Christ during the earthly ministry of the Son of God in that context. When the unbeliever says no to the gospel this in effect is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because the unbeliever is minus a human spirit, therefore there is no way for him to take in the gospel or spiritual phenomena so that he can act upon it one way of the other with his volition. So God the Holy Spirit and makes the gospel a reality and then the individual takes a good look at it. He now understands it because God the Holy Spirit has made it clear. The individual now understands it and has the right to say yes or no to the gospel message. If he says no this is called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

                        b) The second sin of the unbeliever in this connection is called “resistance of the Holy Spirit” — Acts 7:51. Rejection of Christ as saviour during the Church Age is resisting the Spirit. This emphasises the ministry of God the Holy Spirit in making the gospel clear — 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2:14; John 16:7-11; Genesis 6:3. Resistance is also described in terms of 2 Corinthians 4:3,4.

            Basically these two phrases, blasphemy and resistance against the Holy Spirit, are sins committed by the unbeliever. In effect, it is the only sin that he can actually commit and go to hell. It is simply rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The last three sins which follow are committed by the believer.

            3. Lying to the Holy Spirit is the first — Acts 5:3. This is the function of a believer in reversionism, in this case the function of a believer in monetary reversionism. We have in this case a combination of approbation lust plus false motivation under conditions of blackout of the soul. It is the sin of false motivation, doing something for personal glory rather than for the honour of the Lord.

            4. Grieving the Holy Spirit is the function of the believer in reversionism whereby he produces extensive carnality in one of three categories: mental attitude sins, sins of the tongue, or overt sins. Grieving the Holy Spirit can occur under the following phases of reversionism. The first is the reaction phase, the one in which the sin accompanies disillusion. For example, if you are disillusioned about something and get bitter that would be grieving the Holy Spirit. In phase two of reversionism there is a frantic search for happiness and the sins here can run the gamut. These are grieving the Holy Spirit in phase two of reversionism. In phase three of reversionism we have emotional revolt of the soul. This is when the emotion of the soul takes over everything. The heart or the right lobe which usually dominates the soul is now dominated by the emotion. Example; the “gift” of tongues and the holy-rollers. This actually becomes a blasphemy, a faking out of the gift of tongues. The fourth phase of reversionism is the negative volition phase. It may be apathy or antagonism which is grieving the Holy Spirit. The fifth phase is the blackout of the soul which means you are now under Satanic influence. Now you have become a bleeding heart, a hippy, and have got into some activity of socialism or welfare, etc. In this phase blackout of the soul leads           to pride, bitterness, jealousy, vindictiveness, implacability. This is also the stage at which criminal activity becomes quite extensive. Phase six is the scar tissue phase and in this phase it is anything goes. When you grieve the Holy Spirit in the scar tissue phase there is no sin that the worst unbeliever in the world has committed that you as a believer cannot commit. You are not going to lose your salvation, you are going to be under divine discipline and will die the sin unto death. Phase seven is reverse process reversionism in which we have the same principle.

            The principle should be obvious. Grieving the Holy Spirit is something the believer does in one of the seven phases of reversionism.

            5. Quenching the Holy Spirit — 1 Thessalonians 5:19 is the function of the believer in reversionism by which he produces human good. This is the basic difference from grieving the Holy Spirit which is sin.