Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a spiritual person who makes us come alive spiritually. The moment we receive the Holy Spirit we become reborn in Christ, into the Kingdom of heaven and eternal life. In Genesis 2:15-17'we were spiritually cut off from God when Adam and
Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Also read Genesis 3:13-19. We became spiritually dead to become born of the flesh only (verse 19).
When we receive the Holy Spirit, we have to turn our backs on sin and the desires of the flesh and yield to the Holy Spirit instead. As we yield daily to the Holt Spirit, He begins to transform our lives from one degree of glory to another until we become more like Christ.
The promise of the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 1.5.
The reason the Holy Spirit is given is found in Acts 1.8.
The promise of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled in Acts 2.1-4.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit are found in Corinthians 12.4-11
1. When we receive the Holy Spirit we become a citizen of Heaven; so therefore can call God our father, who art in Heaven.
2. Unbelievers cannot call God their Father; for they are born physically on earth, but not Heaven. You have to be born again of the Holy Spirit to become spiritually alive in the heavenly realm. Then you can ascend into the heavenly realm in prayer where our father dwells. For our Father does not dwell on earth, but in heaven. See John 3:1-6 & 3:31-36 and compare them with Genesis 2:15-17 & 3:13-19
3. The Holy Spirit is not just given to us to give us eternal life, but also equips us to
spread the good news of the gospel of Christ.
The Holy Spirit enables us to live in the supernatural realm. Able to prove by signs, word of knowledge wonders and healings that our Lord Jesus is truly alive.
Lately I visited a chemist. I looked at hundreds of medicines on the shelves for sale. Then I saw a poster with many known ailments and sicknesses and the medicines needed to combat them. I then realised that I had actively seen the Lord cure every one of these ailments without any of these medicines. A simple prayer had healed them.
Imagine all the medicines one would have to carry to Africa if prayer did not work? However the good news is that through the Holy Spirit every prayer works. All we need to take with us is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Even with this Bible course. Imagine carrying a generator, video player, TV etc. into the remote villages on a bicycle. Praise God we can cycle anywhere with a Bible, a few notes and the glorious Holy Spirit.
4. The Holv Spirit equips us with the gifts to help us spread the gospel
a) The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God alive
b) The Holy Spirit teaches us and leads us into all truth
c) The Holy Spirit gives us the gifts from God we need
d) The Holy Spirit enables people to receive their healing , deliverance and salvation
e) The Holy Spirit can even raise the dead
If we are filled with the Holy Spirit He is all we need. We can leave the rest as unnecessary luggage. When I saw the Holy Spirit come down on a group of the poorest of people in a mud hut it was such a glory, that nothing in,the world could ever produce, nor could ever compare with what Jesus did that night in that room. Everyone was also healed including the lady who was dying on a stretcher. It was as if Jesus Himself was standing amongst us. Can anything bring the Bible more alive to us, than Jesus in our midst?
5. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do God's work
ICorinthians 2:4 "My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power." The demonstration of God's healing power demonstrated that Jesus is truly alive.
The word power comes from the Greek word dunamis meaning dynamic, or dynamite or explosive power. When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus He was filled with the 'dunamis power of God' = a walking stick of dynamic power (John 1:32, Acts 19.11-12)
5. The Holy Spirit is available to each one of us
a) Actsl:8 "butyou shall receive power When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and
you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the
end of the earth.". When we receive the Holy Spirit we become full of the dynamic
power to do God's work.
b) However many have received the Holy Spirit and are not moving in the power of the
Holy Spirit. In order to move in the power of the Holy Spirit we must :-
i. Believe that the Lord has called us to move in this power
ii. Move out in faith and live it. As soon as we walk in faith the power of the Holy Spirit will be released through us in power. Faith and works go together. (James 2:20, Hebrews 11:1, Mark 5:34}
QUESTIONS FROM THE READINGS
- What is the earthly realm?
- What is the Heavenly realm?
- How can we get from the earthly realm into the Heavenly realm?
- Name three reasons why the Holy Spirit is given
- Name some things the Holy Spirit can do through our lives