# 3~ THE HOLY SPIRIT: BIBLE DOCTRINE 7-21-12
Today we'll continue with our study to do with Bible doctrine and say some things to do with the Holy Spirit.
Let me say first of all that the Holy Spirit is God; He is equal in deity with the Father and the Son and not a subordinate, and He should never be referred to as an "it."
There are organizations that don't except Bible doctrine:
> The Unitarian churches deny the doctrine of the Trinity, accepting the moral teachings of Jesus but reject His divinity, and holding that God exists as one person or being.
> The Jehovah's Witnesses and some other churches do not accept the doctrine of the Trinity, to them the Holy Spirit is God's spirit or God's active force, and not a separate person.
> In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Holy Spirit is considered a third and individual member of the Godhead, but distinct from the Father and the Son, having a body of spirit (whereas the Father and the Son are believed to be resurrected individuals such as you and I, having immortalized bodies of flesh and bone .
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When we think of a person we usually think of a body that we're accustom to seeing, but must a person have a body? What happens when a human being dies? Only the body dies, but the person continues to exist consciously forever, either in heaven or hell.
Paul said in;
2 Corinthians 4: 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
Listen; what are the essential characteristics of a person? Three things; intelligence, emotions, and will.
If the Holy Spirit were only a force or an influence or a thing, He would not possess these three things. But He does.
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* The Holy Spirit has the characteristics of a person, He has Intelligence: He knows the things of God --
1 Corinthians 2:10-11 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
* The Holy Spirit has Emotions, He can be grieved.
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
* The Holy Spirit has a Will; He gives spiritual gifts "as He so wills"
1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
* The Holy Spirit does some things that we're used to seeing people do, such as teach.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you
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There may be times when we become so distressed and burdened with what might be going on around us or in our lives that we don't really know how to pray or talk to the Father, so then;
* The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf.
The Lord's disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. All of us from time to time have difficulty in knowing how to pray and for what to pray, when this happens God has given us His Holy Spirit to make intercession for us
Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
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* Jesus always referred to the Holy Spirit as "HE" -- NOT AS "it".
John 16:13-14 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. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
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* The Holy Spirit is named with other persons of Trinity:
Acts 5:3-4 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
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Matt 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: --
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2 Cor.13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
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* The Holy Spirit begot Jesus:
Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
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Let me say that because of this act of God the Child born of Mary would be called the Son of God.
The virgin conception of Christ guarantees the perfect union of two natures in one Person. He is Jesus, the God-Man.
The conceiving of this child is a holy thing, and therefore He must not and can not be conceived by ordinary generation; the Child must not be in any way connected to the common corruption and pollution of the human nature. Therefore He is spoken of emphatically, That Holy Thing, such as never was.
Mary is not bringing a sinner into the world; He is Holy. The union of sinful man and woman can only produce a child with a sinful nature. But by the virgin birth was the only way God could bring that "holy thing" into the human family.
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* Today the Holy Spirit is busy convicting men of their sins.
John 16:8 And when HE is come, HE will reprove the world of sin,--
* Another work of the Holy Spirit today is regenerating men;
John 3:5-6 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water* (the word) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
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In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was an instrument of divine action in nature and in the human heart.
* Before the creation of the world, the Holy Spirit was brooding over the waters.
Gen. 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
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* The Holy Spirit inspired Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man to do the work of the tabernacle:
Exod. 36:1-2 Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded. 2And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
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* The Holy Spirit directed the leadership and triumphs of Joshua:
Moses, by divine appointment, had ordained Joshua to be Israel's leader, Joshua was to be his successor, Moses prayed to God to qualify Joshua for the service to which he had called him; and this is the reason why God gave him a more than ordinary spirit of wisdom, because his designation to the government was God's own act.
Deut. 34:9 And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
* The Holy Spirit gave super strength to Samson:
Judges 14:5-6 Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnath, and came to the vineyards of Timnath: and, behold, a young lion roared against him. 6And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: -- (a kid-- a young goat)
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* He is Omniscient, which means He knows all things.
1 Cor 2:11--- Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
* He is Omnipotent, that means He is ALL powerful;
Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
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* He is Omnipresence, which means that He is every place at the same time.
Ps 139:7 -8 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
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You and I don't understand how that can be, but remember He is God and we're not, I'm glad that our Great GOD CAN NOT BE FIGURED OUT, He can not be placed in a test tube and test run on Him.
Isaiah 55:8 -9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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* THE HOLY SPIRIT is Wisdom, He totally understands everything.
Isa. 40:13 -14 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him? 14With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?
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Listen; why would Isaiah write down hundreds of years before mankind found out that the world was a sphere that the world was like a circle? It would have been impossible for any man at that time to know that, He pinned it because the Holy Spirit directed him to do so.
Isaiah 40:22-- It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, --
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2 Peter 1:22 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
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The Holy Spirit's ministry focuses on Christ; He never does anything to draw attention to Himself, as the charismatics do today.
John 15:26 26But 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:
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* He is sent by the Father and the Son, to be a helper & counselor.
John 14:15 -17 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
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* The Holy Spirit enables the believer to overcome our sinful desires.
Gal 5:16-18 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
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* He empowers believers to act boldly to accomplish God's purpose.
Acts 4:29-31 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, 30By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
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* He gives evidence of His presence and working by producing good fruit in believer's lives.
Gal 5:22-- 23 But the fruit* (not fruits) of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance:--
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Let me remind us that God always has had a Great plan, He always does every thing at the right time, God did not send His Son Jesus to the earth to dwell among men before the proper time.
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
So until Gods preordained time to send Jesus, Gods Holy Spirit was to be about His work, preparing the way for the Son of God.
