How many of you are Star Wars fans? Josh is eight now and he loves the Star Wars movies. We have light sabers and lego fighters the Star Wars games on the Nintendo DS and all of the movies except episode #2 which Josh has been begging me to buy. Every night before bed we have an epic battle that may or may not determine the fate of the universe.
For years my concept of the Holy Spirit came right from the Star Wars movie. I grew up when the original Star Wars movies were coming out and I thought that the Holy Spirit was kind of like the Force that Luke tapped into for power. If you have watched the movies you can still hear OB1 Kanobi telling Luke to use the force in his fight against evil. Luke goes deep into thought then has the ability to combine his will with the force and ultimately overcome evil.
When George Lucas wrote the Star Wars movies he was heavy into Eastern religions, especially Buddhism. He grew up a Methodist but was so influenced by Buddhism that the concept of the force originated out of his belief system. I believe that his concept of the force has been embraced by untold millions around the world including myself for years and years. But the Bible doesn’t say that the Holy Spirit is a cosmic mystical force that we need to have special powers to tap into. So what is the Holy Spirit? What is its function? And how can this Holy Spirit work in my life?
This is the third message in my five part foundations series. Every week we have touched on the building blocks of our faith. In week we covered the concept of the trinity, in other words, three in one and one in three. Last week we talked about why Jesus had to die. The big theological term is “substitutionary atonement” which means that Jesus died for your sins and my sins in our place so that we don’t have too. Today we are going to explore the third part of the trinity, the Holy Spirit.
The King James Version translates Holy Spirit as Holy Ghost. This has really messed up peoples perceptions of God. I grew up a Lutheran and we didn’t talk about the Holy Spirit much. In fact, I don’t ever remember talking about it. Then while serving in the USAF in Germany I became a Christian at a little fundamental independent Baptist church where we used the KJV and they always talked about the Holy Ghost but never really talked about who or what it is and why I need it. Then I went to Crown College and learned that the Holy Spirit is a vital part of the Christian life.
In the OT God spoke to his people through primarily through prophets. People like Isaiah and Daniel and Jonah. He spoke to the prophet and the prophet spoke to the people. Then Jesus came and spoke face to face with people about the kingdom of God. When he walked this earth for 33 short years he was the voice of God. After his ascention into heaven he sent the Holy Spirit to continue his work. The Bible says:
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 NIV
So who is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is part of the triune God. The Holy Spirit is God. When I think of God the Father I get a picture of a loving father in my mind. I had a father and I can relate to the concept of a heavenly Father. The concept of a Father is one that I can see and understand. When I think of God the Son I imagine a loving son. Since I have been a son and now have a son, it’s pretty easy for me to grasp the concept of God the Son. My mind draws off of my experience to formulate my perception of God the Father and God the Son.
But when it comes to the Holy Spirit a picture does not immediately come to mind other than the concept of a Force like the Star Wars movie or a person with a white sheet draped over their head. The Good news is that the Holy Spirit is not the same as the Star Wars force and it’s not like Casper the friendly ghost. The Holy Spirit is God.
The Bible says:
“Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God." Acts 5:3-4 NIV
When Ananias lied, he didn’t just lie to the people present in the room. He lied to God! This verse points this out. The apostle Paul also writes that the Holy Spirit is God when he wrote 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NIV
“..but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” 1 Corinthians 2:10-11 NIV
The Holy Spirit has its own identity within the Godhead. It’s unique in form and function just like God the Father and God the Son.
The Bible says:
“Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, ’In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ " Acts 21:11 NIV
A vague force or concept cannot talk. It has no personality. The Holy Spirit of the Bible has a personality and a distinct function because it is God.
Here are a few of the Holy Spirit’s functions.
The functions of the Holy Spirit.
1. To teach truth.
“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” John 16:7-11 NIV
The Holy Spirits function is to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. Why do you think you feel guilty when you lie? Why do you think you feel shame when you mistreat someone? If you are a born again Christian the Holy Spirit will work in your life and convict you of sin. You can try to convince yourself that what you did is justifiable or surround yourself with other people who are just as wrong as you so you feel right, but deep down inside, the Holy Spirit is revealing the truth. Why? Because it’s function is to convict the world of sin and simultaneously convict the world of righteousness. That means that the reason you know what is wrong is because the Holy Spirit is working in you to reveal what is right. You are being prepared for the day of judgment when all of your deeds both good and bad will be revealed in the presence of God. For those that have embraced the kingdom of God by believing in Jesus Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in their lives the doors of heaven will be opened wide. For those that have rejected the son of God and the power of the Holy Spirit the gates of hell will be opened for them because God loves people so much he would never force someone to spend eternity with him if they didn’t want to.
2. Indwell believers.
Jesus was a teacher and he taught with words and action. Millard J Erickson states: “The Holy Spirit is the point at which the Trinity becomes personal to the believer.” (Erickson, Introducing Christian Doctrine, page 260) The Holy Spirit gets to the very center of our thinking because it lives in us according to John 14 which says:
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 NIV
Sometimes I feel absolutely compelled to call someone or reach out to someone or help someone. I know that it is the Holy Spirit living in me that is prompting me to take action. That’s one way that God works. As the Holy Spirit lives in you and you listen to Him, He will guide you.
3. Empower believers.
In John 14:12 Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” John 14:2 NIV
The disciples had seen Jesus heal people and perform miracles left and right. Now they were standing in front of their master and he was telling them that they would do even greater things than him? They must have had their doubts! Yet after Jesus assention and the arrival of the Holy Spirit Jesus words were fulfilled in Peter’s life. The Bible says:
“Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 NIV
After Peter spoke about three thousand people put their faith in God that day. As far as we know, Jesus never saw 3000 people come to faith in one day. Acts chapter three records that Peter under the power of the Holy Spirit healed a crippled man in Jesus name. The Holy Spirit lives in you and me to empower us to do both the natural and supernatural in Jesus name.
4. Sanctify believers.
This means that as we desire to learn more about God and apply more of his principles in our lives the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit will draw us closer to God. 2 Corinthians says:
“But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.” 2 Corinthians 2:13 NIV
5. Intercedes for believers.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27 NIV
I have shared this before but when Josh was diagnosed with Leukemia I thought my life was over. I took Josh in to the Doctor on a Friday afternoon and on Friday night a cancer doctor from Children’s hospital called and told us to pack a bag when we came in at 7am the next morning. On Saturday, April 13th, 2003 they confirmed that Josh had leukemia and I cried so hard and for so long I think I became dehydrated. On Saturday night Josh fell asleep in his room and I went to the family room to sleep. All I could say was “help me Jesus.” And some how, some way, the Spirit of God living in me allowed me to endure one hour at a time.
I wanted to start drinking again and just bury my problems in booze but the HS kept reminding me that my son needed me by his side and not by my bottle. When I had nothing to say the Holy Spirit spoke peace and hope into my heart.
I know in my head that the Holy Spirit lives in me and I have seen dozens of miracles and watched marriages get reconciled and lives transformed. And I praise God for all that he has done. But in my life, the most powerful example of the work of the Holy Spirit came in my darkest hour. On the eight floor of Children’s Hospital while crying uncontrollably the Holy Spirit burned brightly in my heart and gave me the hope I needed to carry on.
Let me wrap this talk on the Holy Spirit up by saying this. God the Father leads people into righteousness and holiness. God the Son reveals God the Father. And the Holy Spirit reveals God the Son. All three work together to expose the Kingdom of God and invite the creation to participate in it of their own free will. AMEN.
