The Holy Spirit is the essence, power, mind and spiritual extension of God. God begets Christians as His sons through this Spirit. It strengthens a Christian spiritually, converts his mind and serves as an earnest or guarantee of eternal life.
Doctrinal Overview:
The Holy Spirit is described in the Bible as “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” “the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” “the Spirit of truth,” and “comforter” or “advocate.” It is the power of God, the mind of God and the extended means by which God accomplishes His work throughout the universe. As such, the Holy Spirit is not a separate entity, it has no independent existence as an individual entity or person within the godhead.
It was through His Spirit that God created the earth (Gen. 1:2). It was through this Spirit that David received his moral strength (Psalm 51:10-13), and by it Elijah and Elisha––men with normal physical proclivities and weaknesses––were made into powerful prophets of God (2 Kings 2:9, 15). Even though these men and others had access to God’s Spirit, it is also clear that they were among the relative few who in the Old Testament era were blessed with the privilege of actually having the mind and power of God work with or dwell within them.
God uses His Spirit to accomplish all His work. Whether causing prophets to prophesy, kings to reign, craftsmen to create (Ex. 31:3), bodies to be moved (Ezek. 3:12, 14) or people to keep His laws (Ezek. 36:26-27), everything God does is through the power of His Spirit.
God is spirit (John. 4:24); both members of the godhead (“Elohim”), Father and Son, are literally composed of spirit; they are wholly made of spiritual essence, in the same fashion as we are made of physical particles. Yet God the Father and Jesus Christ are separate beings: each maintains His own distinct identity and independent existence; and each, therefore, utilizes His own “Spirit,” though both the Father’s Spirit and Christ’s Spirit are an integral part of the common Holy Spirit. The being who later became Jesus Christ was the God who revealed Himself to the patriarchs and prophets and worked with them. When He utilized His mind, His nature and His power, He was doing so through His Holy Spirit which was the projection of His own unique, perfect spiritual power. God the Father was unknown in the Old Testament; Jesus Christ came to reveal Him in the New. God the Father was the one who begat Jesus Christ; He did so through His Spirit, which is the same Spirit He begets spiritual children through today. Indeed, God the Father has retained to Himself the unique capacity to beget new spiritual beings.
Under the New Covenant the Spirit of the Father has been made available in a universal way, as was explained by Peter on the day of Pentecost when the Church began (Acts 2:17-18). Before His death, Christ promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit, which then worked with them should be given to them and should actually be in them (John 14:17). This “Comforter” should teach the disciples all things and remind them of all that Christ had said to them (John 14:26).
This same Spirit which was given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost is available to all whom God calls. Upon true repentance granted by God and upon true belief in Jesus Christ, one may be baptized and then receive God’s Spirit through the laying-on-of-hands ceremony performed by God’s ministers (Acts 2:38; 8:12-17). God further states that He gives His Holy Spirit only to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). God’s Holy Spirit is efficacious––it creates deep changes within the individual, actually converting or changing the type of mind that the person possesses. The Holy Spirit generates within Christians its very fruit, which “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal. 5:22-23). It encourages us through trials and empowers us to do the Work of God.
Once a person receives the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, he must use it in order to grow in the knowledge and grace of God. God’s Spirit gives Christians the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16) to enable them to view life from a godly perspective instead of from a selfish one. It is this power that gives us the capacity to obey God. The deep mystery of the plan of God for mankind cannot be completely and totally understood without the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:7-10).
Of even greater significance is the fact that through this Spirit we are actually “begotten” as sons of God and become members of the body of Christ––the Church (1 Cor. 12). 1 Corinthians 12:13 reads, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one spirit.” The seed of this Holy Spirit, planted by God after baptism, grows and develops spiritually within us as we grow in obedience and submission to God’s law. The Holy Spirit is dynamic: it flows from God to and through the Christian and is expressed in his attitudes and actions. The more we use God’s Spirit the stronger our new spiritual life becomes. Finally, at the resurrection, this spiritual part of us becomes the totality of our composition and essence and overtakes the physical, so “that mortality [our physical essence] might be swallowed up of [spiritual] life” (2 Cor. 5:4).
God’s Word reveals that the Holy Spirit is an “earnest”––a formal pledge or assurance––of eternal life which God has implanted within us, making us sons. As long as this Spirit is living within us, we are actually sons of God and brothers of Christ. “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). Indeed, the presence of the Holy Spirit is the best criterion to define the true Christian: it is his only real ratification, for one cannot be a true Christian without it.
As long as we nurture the Holy Spirit, and continue to renew it daily within us (2 Cor. 4:16) through prayer and diligent study of God’s Word, then this earnest of God’s Spirit is the absolute guarantee that we will be resurrected to spiritual life at Christ’s return (Eph. 1:13-14).
Summary: Read these scriptures in your own Bible:
Acts 2:17-18 and Leviticus 23:15-16 – The Holy Spirit first became available to large numbers of people on the Old Testament Holy Day of FEASTS OF FIRST FRUITS or Pentecost. Pentecost means to count fifty.
Psalm 51:10-13 – David received moral strength by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Exodus 31:3 – God can give craftsmen talent by His power.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 – Christians keep the Law by the power of the Holy Spirit.
John 4:24 – God is spirit.
Acts 2:17-18 – Under the New Covenant, the Spirit of God is available in a universal way.
John 14:17 – Jesus promised the disciples the Holy Spirit after His resurrection.
John 14 – The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter.
Acts 2:38 and 8:12-17 – The Holy Spirit is imparted by the ceremony known as the Laying on of Hands.
Galatians 5:22-23 – Read about the fruits of the spirit that are created within you by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:16 – By the Holy Spirit we develop the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:7-14 – We cannot fully understand the plan of God or spiritual concepts without the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 1 – Through the Holy Spirit in us, we are assured of eternal life. It is an earnest of eternal life.
Romans 8:9 – The Bible says that without the Holy Spirit we are none of His.
Romans 8:14 – If we are led by the Spirit, we are the sons of God.
2 Corinthians 4:16 – We are renewed day-by-day by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 and Acts 8:12-17 and 2 Corinthians 5:4 – A convert to Christianity at baptism is begotten by the Holy Spirit.
Questions (Answers Below):
1. The Holy Spirit is a spirit being. True or False?
2. The trinity is a false, man-made doctrine. True or False?
3. God begets Christians as His sons through this Spirit. True or False?
4. For a called out Christian, the Holy Spirit _______ his mind. [does what?]
5. The Holy Spirit gives the Christian spiritual ________. [what?]
6. The Holy Spirit in a Christian acts as an ______________ [what?] of eternal life.
7. God uses His Spirit to accomplish all His work. True or False?
8. In the New Testament, the word, “comforter” is referring to _________ [what?]
9. The Holy Spirit is not a _________ entity. [what?]
10. David received his moral strength by power of the Holy Spirit. True or False?
11. Not many in the Old Testament had access to the Holy Spirit. True or False?
12. Kings reign by power of the Holy Spirit and the will of God. True or False?
13. In the Bible we see craftsmen being given special talent to create beautiful works via the Holy Spirit. True or False?
14. Christians are able to keep the Law of God by their own power and will. True or False?
15. According to John 4:24 God is a ______. [what?]
16. Spirit beings, including Father and Son, have bodies composed of spirit. True or False?
17. Father and Son each maintain their own distinct identity and independent existence. True or False?
18. God the Father was unknown in the Old Testament. True or False?
19. Mary was made pregnant with Jesus by the Holy Spirit. True or False?
20. Jesus Christ can beget new spiritual beings by power of the Holy Spirit. True or False?
21. God begets spiritual children today by power of His Holy Spirit. True or False?
22. Under the New Covenant the Spirit of God is available in a universal way. True or False?
23. This (above statement) is first explained in what verses?
24. The Spirit of God in a Christian can guide them, teach them and remind them of the things of God. True or False?
25. Newly called Christians receive the Holy Spirit after repentance and baptism by the ceremony known as __________________________________. [what?] hint: Acts 2:38 and 8:12-17
26. According to Acts 5:32 to receive the Holy Spirit we must ________________. [do what?]
27. Members of God’s church do the Work of God by what power?
28. Godly principles (love, joy, peace, honesty, etc.) are created within a true Christian by the Holy Spirit. True or False?
29. Once a person has the Holy Spirit in them they must _______. [do what?]
30. You cannot understand the plan of God without the Holy Spirit. True or False?
31. A Christian, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can actually have the __________ [what?] of Christ.
hint: 1 Cor. 2:14-16
32. Just as a human father can beget children, God by power of the Holy Spirit can beget sons of God to become members of the Body of Christ––the Church. In what scripture passage do we read this? 33. Only people of Jewish roots receive the Holy Spirit in these New Testament times. True or False?
34. Once a person is baptized and receives the Holy Spirit in them, it actually continues to flow into them from God. True or False?
35. The more we use [or invoke] the power of the Holy Spirit in us, the stronger we become spiritually. True or False?
36. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we enter the Salvation Process as sons of God. We remain His son, assured of eternal life as long as we ________________________________. [what?]
37. Bible quote, “Now if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is ____ __ ____.” [what?] hint: Rom. 8:9.
38. Bible quote, “For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the ___ __ ___.” hint: Rom 8:14.
39. The best definition of a true Christian is ____________________________. [what?]
40. We are renewed daily by the Holy Spirit through _________ and _________. [what 2 actions or habits?]
Lesson Four –– Answers:
1. (False)
2. (True)
3. (True)
4. (converts)
5. (strength)
6. (earnest)
7. (True)
8. (The Holy Spirit)
9. (separate)
10. (True)
11. (True)
12. (True)
13. (True)
14. (False)
15. (spirit)
16. (True)
17. (True)
18. (True)
19. (True)
20. (False – God the Father retains this unique capacity.)
21. (True)
22. (True)
23. (Acts 2:17-18)
24. (True)
25. (the laying on of hands)
26. (obey God)
27. (by the power of the Holy Spirit)
28. (True)
29. (use it)
30. (True)
31. (mind of Christ)
32. (1 Corinthians 12)
33. (False. It is available to both Jew and Gentile – everyone!)
34. (True)
35. (True)
36. (retain God’s Spirit in us)
37. (none of His)
38. (sons of God)
39. (one who has the Holy Spirit)
40. (prayer; diligent study)
