1 The Promise Of The Spirit Series

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

The study of the Holy Spirit is always an interesting one, but it is also one that is neglected.

Don Stewart listed several reasons why the study of the Holy Spirit is overlooked. Among those he listed:

-The fear of fanaticism. Because the fanatical behavior of some individuals has been attributed to the Holy Spirit, there is the overreaction of neglecting the Holy Spirit altogether.

-The Holy Spirit Is Invisible. Since the Holy Spirit has no body or shape He is often thought of in an impersonal or unimportant way. This leads people to ignore or neglect His ministry.

-He Works Inwardly Not Outwardly. There are no great outward signs of His ordinary work. Jesus Christ the Savior did something outward for believers while the Holy Spirit does things inside believers.

-The Holy Spirit Is Hard to Conceive Of. While it is easy to conceive of God the Father and God the Son, it is difficult to conceive of God the Holy Spirit. Jesus was a Person who lived in history. The New Testament gives us many details about His life and ministry. Thus we are able to relate to Him. Likewise, it is easy to understand God as an all-wise, all-powerful Father. However it is not the same with the Holy Spirit.

-The Holy Spirit Does Not Speak of Himself. He is always representing others. He was sent to testify of Jesus. Jesus said: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come”(John 16:12, 13 NKJV).

-We Do Not Have a Personal Relationship with the Holy Spirit. While believers have a relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ, there is no such relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is the means through which we know the Father and the Son. We do not have a unique relationship with Him alone.

We shouldn’t let any of these things keep us from growing in the knowledge and appreciation for the Holy Spirit!

We begin with the promise of the Spirit.

John Stott: “The Christian life is life in the Spirit… it would be impossible to be a Christian, let alone to

live and grow as a Christian, without the ministry of the gracious Spirit of God. All we have and are as

Christians we owe to him.”

The Christian life begins with a new birth, and the new birth is a birth “of the Spirit”.

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.”

1. The Promise of the Spirit is the Promise of Sonship!

Stott “All who have the Spirit of God are the sons and daughters of God, and all who are sons and daughters of God have the Spirit of God.”

Galatians 4:6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15-16 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

Romans 5:5b “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Paul sums it up by affirming that “And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to

Christ.” (Romans 8:9).

Romans 8 is of considerable importance because it demonstrates that in Paul’s mind to be “in Christ” and

“in the Spirit,” to have “the Spirit in you” and “Christ in you” are all synonymous expressions.

2. His Ministry is Both to Reveal Christ to us and to form Christ in us.

It is by the power of the indwelling Spirit that the evil desires of our fallen nature are restrained and the good fruit of Christian character is produced.

He also unites us to the Body of Christ, the Church, so that Christian fellowship is “the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,” and Christian worship is worship in or by the Holy Spirit. Philippians 2:1, 3:3 ESV So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,....who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus ..."