Introduction:
A. The story is told about a Christian who arrived in Heaven and was excited to meet many people from Old Testament times and he had lots of questions for them.
1. To Noah, he asked what it was like to be in the ark with all those animals.
2. To Joseph, he asked what it was like to understand dreams and be second in command of all of Egypt.
3. To Moses, he asked what it was like when the Red Sea parted.
4. To David, he asked what it was like to take down Goliath.
5. To Solomon, he asked what it was like to have such great wisdom.
6. To Daniel, he asked what it was like to be protected in the lion’s den.
7. Each of the great people of the Old Testament answered the Christian’s question, but then each of them asked the Christian the same question: What was it like to have the Spirit of God living in you?
B. See, as great as all the displays of God’s power in their time, none of them had the promised Holy Spirit living in them.
1. The promised Holy Spirit living in us is a new covenant promise for Christians.
2. I hope we can appreciate how unique and wonderful the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is.
C. As you know, we are in a new sermon series called “7 Ones Equal Unity” based on Eph. 4:4-6, where Paul declared . 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
1. The seven ones that lead to unity are: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father.
2. In the first sermon in the series, we looked at the context of these verses in the book of Ephesians, in general, and in chapter 4 of Ephesians, specifically.
a. It is God’s desire that we live a life that represents the worthiness of our calling.
b. A life worthy of our calling includes a life characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, and a commitment to keeping the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. (Eph. 4:1-3)
3. Last week, in the second sermon of the series, we talked about the fact that there is only one body.
a. There is only one body, meaning there is only one kingdom of God, one family of God, one church of God, one church of Christ, and one temple of God.
b. When we obey the Gospel then God adds us to the body, the church.
c. The other thing we talked about last week is that the universal, spiritual body of Christ is also made up of smaller, individual bodies of Christ, congregations of people.
d. In each of these congregations of God’s people, each part of the body must be equally cared about, and each body part has a part, and must play their part.
D. Now let’s turn our attention to the second “one” that leads to unity and it is that there is one Spirit.
1. Let’s begin by asking: What is that one Spirit? Or better yet, who is that one Spirit?
I. Who is the One Spirit?
A. There are various names and descriptions used in the Bible to identify the Holy Spirit.
1. The Greek word “pneuma” is the word that is translated “spirit” or “ghost” (KJV).
2. It literally means “wind” or “breath” and can be used to describe many things, including: the One Spirit of God, the human spirit, the inner person, a disposition (like the spirit of gentleness), a type of gift (like a spiritual gift), and just physical breath and wind.
3. When the word is used in reference to God, we often see it with a capital “S” and sometimes designated as the Holy Spirit – Romans 1:4 describes the Spirit as “the Spirit of holiness.”
4. The Spirit is also called “the Spirit of God” or “the Spirit of the Lord.”
5. Three times in the Gospel of John, the Holy Spirit is referred to as “the Spirit of truth” (Jn. 14:17; 15:26; 16:13) – this points to the Spirits role in revealing God’s Word and truths.
6. The Holy Spirit is also described as “the Spirit of grace” (Zech. 12:10; Heb. 10:29).
B. It’s important for us to understand that the Holy Spirit is God and is a distinct and separate person in the Godhead.
1. The Spirit isn’t just a manifestation of God the Father, or of God the Son in a different form.
a. Christians believe that we serve one God in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
b. The three distinct persons of the Godhead are equal in power and ability and yet are separate and distinct individuals.
c. We must accept that this is a mystery that defines human explanation or understanding.
2. There are a number of passages in the Bible that point to the reality of our one God having three persons.
a. Starting in Genesis 1, when God made human kind God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” (Gen. 1:26) (Notice the plural rathe singular pronouns)
b. Jesus would often speak of His Father and Him being one and yet they are separate (Jn. 10:30).
c. At Jesus’ baptism we see and experience the three members of the Godhead – Jesus the Son is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends like a dove, and the Father speaks from heaven.
d. When Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28, He told His disciples to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 28:19)
e. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever.” (Jn. 14:16)
f. In 2 Corinthians 13:14, the apostle Paul wrote: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
g. In 1 Peter 1:1-2, the apostle Peter wrote about the foreknowledge of God the Father, the sanctification by the Spirit, and obedience to Jesus Christ.
h. Jude encouraged Christians to build themselves up in the faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping themselves in the love of God, as they wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1:20-21)
i. And so, the Bible reveals that there is one God in three persons.
3. The Bible identifies divine characteristics of the Holy Spirit.
a. The Spirit is eternal (Heb. 9:14 refers to the Spirit as the “eternal Spirit”).
b. The Spirit is omnipresent (is everywhere - Ps. 139:7 asks the question where can I go to escape your Spirit?)
c. The Spirit is omnipotent (is all powerful – Ps. 104:30 says the Spirit creates and renews).
d. The Spirit is omniscient (knows all things – 1 Cor. 2:10-11 says that the Spirit searches all things and knows all things).
4. We know that the Spirit is also a person and not just a thing (like a force) – the Spirit’s personhood is seen in His ability to do the following:
a. The Spirit thinks – Acts 15:28 says that it seemed good to the Holy Spirit…
b. The Spirit speaks – Acts 1:16 – He spoke through David, He intercedes (Rom. 8:26-27).
b. The Spirit grieves – the Spirit has emotions – Eph. 4:30 says we can grieve the Holy Spirit.
c. The Spirit decides - He choose Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13:2, 1 Cor. 12:11 says He gives us gifts or abilities as He determines.
5. So, in answer to the first question: Who is the One Spirit – the One Spirit is a divine member of the Godhead and is a person, not a thing or a force.
II. What is the Role of the One Spirit?
A. The Holy Spirit plays a number of important roles.
1. First, the One Spirit played a crucial role in the giving of Scripture.
a. We can see that God the Father plays the role as the orchestrator of the eternal plan, Jesus serves as the Lamb of God and Savior in that plan, and the Spirit plays the all-important role of helping people know about the divine plan being carried out.
2. In 2 Peter 1:20-21, Peter explains: 20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
a. God was able to reveal to the writers of the Bible and those who were His mouthpieces what He wanted for men to know through the work of the Holy Spirit.
3. The work of the apostles was monumental in the establishment and growth of Christianity and so God the Father ensured that their leadership and teaching would be guided by the Holy Spirit living in them.
a. Jesus promised the apostles: “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.” (Jn. 14:26)
b. The apostle Paul explained to the Corinthians: 4 My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5 so that your faith might not be based on human wisdom but on God’s power… 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. (1 Cor. 2:4-5, 12-13)
4. So, the One Spirit plays a critical role in revealing Scripture.
B. Second, the One Spirit also plays an important part in bringing us unto salvation (spiritual life) and bringing about our sanctification (our spiritual growth).
1. Everyone must be born again in order to enter God’s kingdom, God’s family, the one body.
a. Jesus said, 5 “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (Jn. 3:5-6)
b. The one baptism with the one Spirit, puts us into the one body.
c. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body… (1 Cor. 12:13).
d. Those who repented and were baptized received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
e. In Ephesians 1, Paul explained: 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit… 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory (Eph. 1:13-14).
2. The Holy Spirit in us gives us life and spiritual power for growth and change.
a. Jesus promised: 37 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified. (Jn. 7:37-39)
b. How wonderful that the Holy Spirit in us is like a fountain of living water bringing spiritual refreshment in our souls!
c. In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul explained how the Spirit brings freedom and transformation: 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor. 3:17-18)
3. As our Comforter and Helper, the Spirit inside us brings life, confirms our sonship, and intercedes on our behalf.
a. Paul wrote: 10 Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you… 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him… 26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom. 8:10-11, 16-17, 26-27)
b. Aren’t you thankful we have the Holy Spirit in us…bringing life, confirming our sonship and inheritance, and interceding for us?
4. Now that we know who the One Spirit is and what the One Spirit does, let’s talk about how we should respond to the One Spirit.
III. How Should We Respond to the One Spirit?
A. First, and most obviously, we should not blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
1. In Matthew 12, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak.
a. The Pharisees said that Jesus “drives out demons only by Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.
b. In response, Jesus said, “Therefore, I tell you, people will be forgiven every sin and blasphemy, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the one to come. (Mt. 12:31-32)
2. The term blasphemy may be generally defined as “defiant irreverence.”
a. The term can be applied to such sins as cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God.
b. Blasphemy is also attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him.
c. This particular case of blasphemy, however, is called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit”
d. And this case of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit the Pharisees accused Jesus of being demon-possessed instead of Spirit-filled.
3. Since Jesus is not here on earth today, no one can blaspheme the Holy Spirit in the same way those Pharisees did, and yet today people can continue to have an unbelieving heart that rejects everything about who Jesus is and what Jesus did.
a. If a person continues to reject Jesus and the Holy Spirit who is trying to bring them to faith and repentance, then they have cut themselves off from the only source of forgiveness there is.
b. And so in that sense, they have sinned in an unpardonable way – for they have cut themselves off from the source of God’s mercy and grace.
4. So, the first way we should respond to the One Spirit is not to blaspheme the Spirit.
B. Second, we should not grieve the Holy Spirit.
1. The seven ones, including the one Spirit appear in Ephesians 4, but later in that chapter Paul instructs us to: 22 take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. (Eph. 4:22-24)
2. Then Paul continued: 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. (Eph. 4:30-32)
3. How do we grieve the Holy Spirit?
a. We grieve the Spirit when we allow the old self with its ways to hang around.
b. The old ways of bitterness, anger, wrath, slander and malice must be removed and must be replaced with kindness, compassion and forgiveness.
c. The Spirit can’t bring life and unity inside us or inside our fellowship if those old, destructive things are filling us.
d. Those destructive things are like weeds in the garden and take over and choke out the life of the good plants and flowers that we want to grow.
4. Now that we’ve learned about two negative responses to the Spirit, let’s look at three positive ones.
C. Third, we should keep in step with the Spirit.
1. When Paul wrote to the Galatians, here’s how he described how to cooperate with the Spirit: 16 I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.
19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, 21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:16-17. 19-25)
2. That’s a great section of Scripture that reveals a lot of important spiritual truths.
3. We see how the flesh and the Spirit can be in opposition with each other and how important it is for us to crucify and seek to contain the flesh, while giving full reign to the Spirit.
a. When the Spirit reigns in us then the fruit of the Spirit comes forth from us.
4. Paul speaks of walking by the Spirit, living by the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit.
5. The phrase “keep in step” comes from a Greek word which means to walk in an orderly way.
a. The word was often used in reference to marching – like in the military.
b. Can you hear the drill sergeant calling the cadence: “Left, right, left, right?”
c. The sergeant tries to get the whole squadron in step and keep them in step, and when they are it is a beautiful thing to behold.
d. The Holy Spirit is our drill sergeant who is calling the cadence and instructing us to walk in step and keep in step with the Spirit, and when we do it is a beautiful thing.
e. And when the whole body of Christ is in step with the Spirit it is truly a beautiful thing!
6. But when anyone of us is out of step with the Spirit and not walking in the Spirit, damage is done to our individual lives and to the whole spiritual body as well.
C. Fourth, we should be filled with the Spirit.
1. In Ephesians 5, Paul contrasts being filled with “the spirits” and being filled with “The Spirit.”
2. Paul wrote: And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit (Eph. 5:18).
3. The Christian who has given themselves over to alcohol has surrendered to the wrong kind of spirit and the result will be destruction, but the Christian who surrenders to the Holy Spirit and allows the Holy Spirit to fill them and control them will experience the abundant life.
4. If we want to be filled with the Spirit, then we must empty ourselves of other things.
5. When I was a teenager, our youth group used to sing a song that said, “I want to be filled with the Spirit, I want to be useful and free, but I can’t be filled with the Spirit, ‘til I’m emptied of me.”
6. Let’s strive to empty ourselves of selfish and sinful stuff, so that the Spirit has room to fill us and has the freedom to work in us and through us.
D. Finally, we should take up the sword of the Spirit and pray in the Spirit.
1. In Ephesians 6, Paul talked about the spiritual war and told us to be sure to put on the full armor of God.
2. Paul instructs us to take up the sword of the Spirit – which is the word of God (Eph. 6:17).
3. And Paul instructs us to pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request (Eph. 6:18).
4. As disciples of Jesus, equipped and engaged in the spiritual battle, we need to know how to work with the Spirit through the word of God and prayer.
5. The only way to know how to work with the Spirit through the word of God and prayer is through study and practice.
6. Through constant use of the Scriptures we learn how to employ them and through the regular practice of prayer we grow stronger in the Spirit and for spiritual battle.
E. So, blaspheming and grieving the Spirit are two wrong responses and keeping in step with the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, and praying in the Spirit and using the sword of the Spirit are the right responses to the Spirit.
1. We don’t have time today to talk about the miraculous gifts of the Spirit that the apostles had and how they were given for their day, not ours, but that’s another sermon for another time.
Conclusion:
A. Praise God for the one Spirit who brings us into God’s family and makes us one body.
1. Praise God that the Spirit lives in us, brings us life, and transforms us into the likeness of God.
2. Praise God for the way the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit and gives us spiritual victory.
B. I pray that all of us will be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit and not grieve the Holy Spirit.
1. I pray that we will prepare ourselves for the spiritual battle by taking up the sword of the Spirit and by praying in the Spirit, so that the Spirit will enable us to win the battle.
C. But it all starts by being born again of the water and the Spirit – when we are baptized into Christ, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
1. And it all continues by walking in step with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit and not grieving the Spirit.
Resources:
• Ephesians and Philippians, Jay Lockhart and David Roper, Truth for Today Commentary, 2009.
• There is One Spirit, Sermon by Dave Schmidt, Southside Church of Christ
• The Basis for Christian Unity, Steven Cole
https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-26-basis-christian-unity-ephesians-44-6
• Ephesians 4:4-6 Basis for Church Unity, http://www.abideinchrist.com/messages/eph4v4.html
• The Basis for Unity, Brent Kercheville, Westpalmbeachchurchofchrist.com
• There is One Spirit, Sermon by Nick Angel, Pleasant Plains Church of Christ
