Understanding The Holy Spirit Series

Understanding the Holy Spirit

LESSON ONE

I. Who Is the Holy Spirit?

A. The Holy Spirit is more than an “experience.”

1) The Holy Spirit is not an “it.”

2) The Holy Spirit is a person and He has a Personality.

B. Jesus never referred to the Holy Spirit as just a resource or an experience.

1) He always presented the Holy Spirit with a personal noun or pronoun, setting forth His person, or personality.

2) In John 16:13-15 Jesus used the personal pronoun nine times in these three verses as He talked about the Holy Spirit.

 John 16:13-15 (KJV)

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

15 All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

3) Altogether, in John chapters 14-16, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit in personal terms no less than 19 times.

C. The New Testament gives many further references to the Holy Spirit in personal terms.

1) The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (Matthew 12:31-32).

 Matthew 12:31-32 (KJV)

31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

a. Jesus was anointed of the Holy Spirit that He in the form of a man might destroy the works of the devil.

b. In Matthew chapter 12, a man with a withered hand in healed by Jesus.

• Multitudes are healed “He healed the all” verse 15.

• Who did He healed? The multitudes that followed Him.

• Then they brought unto Him one who was possessed with a devil and was blind and dumb and Jesus healed Him and He was able to speak and to see.

c. The people are amazed and they asked “Is not this the Son of David?” Verse 23

• Some were more concerned about having a political leader.

• But Jesus had come to destroy the works of satan.

• He was able to heal the sick and to cast out devils because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

• The Pharisees accused Him of casting out devils by the power of the devil.

• They are attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to that of the devil.

• Matthew 12:24 (KJV) “But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.”

So blaspheming the Holy Spirit is to say that the things He is doing are of the devil. It is to put down His works. It is speaking against the Holy Spirit.

A kingdom or a house divided cannot stand – it will tear its own self apart.

2) The Holy Spirit testifies (John 15:26).

 John 15:26 (KJV)

26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

a. I love this passage – the “Spirit of Truth” cannot lie – He can only speak the TRUTH because He is the very Spirit of TRUTH and He that is the Spirit of Truth will testify of Jesus.

b. We see again in this passage –- The Holy Spirit is sent by the Father.

c. His comforts us by testifying of Jesus.

d. He makes Jesus known unto us.

e. He causes the POWER of JESUS to work within the yielded believers today.

f. Jesus is very much alive and He is active in His Church today by way of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

3) The Holy Spirit can be lied to. (Acts 5:3,4)

a. Ananias and Sapphira

4) He leads (Acts 8:29, Romans 8:14)

Acts 8:29 (KJV) “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.”

• A man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians.

• Philip won this man to Christ and took him down to the water and baptized him, all because he heard and obeyed the voice of the Holy Spirit.

a. We are to be led of the Holy Spirit today.

• Romans 8:14 (KJV) “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”