It behooves us all, believer and unbeliever alike, to be careful as to how we treat the Holy Spirit. Such a false doctrine is that of a cult. 2. He has the power to accomplish something that only God can do. The experience of the apostles in the Acts bears witness to the fact that they were repeatedly filled with the Spirit. 15:30) are guilty of a sin with eternal consequences. Except that man was made in the image and likeness of God. . It is not enough to learn the truth from human teachers, we must listen to the teaching of the Spirit.1 Cor.2:9-14 teaches us that there are some great truths that are spiritually discerned; they cannot be understood saving by the Spirit-filled man, for they are "spiritually discerned." In John 1 we read that the Word of God created all that was created. YAHWEH'S HOLY SPIRIT. First, yet, the preponderance of evidence in the OT is that the God of the OT was in fact the pre-incarnate Christ. Many can testify to the blessing that came into their lives when they came to know the Holy Spirit, not merely as a gracious influence . He is omniscient as are other members of the triune God. This cleansing is done by the blast of the Spirit's burning. The Spirit was motivating Him with the mind of the Father, first and foremost, we have to understand the true nature of the holy spirit in the sense that, its influence in human will automatically change him from spiritual beings and human, in this Case holy spirit is compassionate like our Christ Jesus, to take the course simple is that,holy spirit is our invisible God in you doing his word that comes through Jesus, so when u sin against the spirit that helps u digest the word when received from Jesus u have vexed him and leave, the truth am dropping here is that when you appease the holy spirit you appease God. We cannot, therefore, afford to remain in ignorance of this all-important doctrine. The Apostolic Benediction.2 Cor.13:14. If I cannot flee to a place where the Spirit of God is not, He is omnipresent (compare with x). Right, I do see what You are here saying here JC. It was the Spirit who was to guide the apostles into all the truth, and show them things to come (John 16:13). We become more rational. Your email address will not be published. f) The Holy Spirit is the Guide of the Believer's Life. IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER.3. As a result, we experience the following benefits: God’s Word teaches that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Counselor living within us—John 14:16. This is just one more piece of Scriptural evidence that the Holy Spirit has all of the divine attributes and abilities of God Himself and as such, has to be God and Lord Himself. Heb.10:29 -- "And hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace." Acts 2:4 with 4:31 showing that the apostles who were filled on the day of Pentecost were again filled a few days after). The Holy Spirit has an intellect and will and with those characteristics freely knows and loves as God. By the Deity of the Holy Spirit is meant that the Holy Spirit is God. As we shall see later, the Revised Version substitutes "himself" for "itself. Just as the incense at Mecca clings to the pilgrim when he passes through the streets, so it is with him who has the anointing of the Spirit. God cannot be measured by human standards. This seems to be the most grievous sin of all, for the Master asserts that there is no forgiveness for this sin. There are three groups: the first, in relation to God -- love, joy, peace; the second, in relation to our fellowman -- longsuffering, gentleness, goodness; the third, for our individual Christian life -- faith, meekness, self-control. 4:14). Just as Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost, so must every child of God who is to be an heir to the kingdom. Yet how ignorant is the average Christian concerning matters pertaining to the Spirit. The presence of the Spirit is the presence of God. Three distinctively Divine works are ascribed to the Holy Spirit. Here they refer to a miracle of the first magnitude, the virgin conception. The context of this passage (v.31) tells us how the Spirit may be grieved: by "foolish talking and jesting." d) Because the Word or Name "Spirit" is Neuter. To resist His appeal is to insult the Godhead. COMPARISON OF OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGES WITH SOME IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT IN RELATION TO THE BELIEVER. 3. John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; I John 5:6. HIS Spirit, also called the Spirit of YAHWEH in the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, was to rest upon the one that the prophet Isaiah called the "Branch." In 2 Cor.3:18 -- "We .... are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit" (R. V.). The filling with the Spirit, however, is not confined to one experience, or to any one point of time exclusively; it may be repeated times without number. There are seven things that we need to understand about the Holy Spirit. What are attributes of God that could only be qualities that belong to God that are found in the Holy Spirit? He is not a vague, ethereal shadow, nor an impersonal force. Identification with Christians. THE SPIRIT OF BURNING.4. The Holy Spirit also is all-powerful or almighty. It is the word used to describe the experience of Christ in Gethsemane; and so the sorrow of Gethsemane may be endured by the Holy Spirit. . Indeed, in the light of the last discourse of the Master (John 14-16), it seems superfluous, if not really insulting. So sinning against the HS eventually prevents that conviction. Indeed Psa.33:6 -- "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath (Spirit) of his mouth," attributes the work of creation to the Trinity, the Lord, the Word of the Lord, and the Spirit of the Lord. What a beautiful cluster of graces! Whenever we are called upon for any special service, or for any new emergency, we should seek a fresh infilling of the Spirit, either for life or service, as the case may be. And this in opposition to man, to whom, alone, Ananias thought he was talking. 1. What is glory? By his own choice, the Holy Spirit accomplishes a number of specific acts, such as giving spiritual gifts. a) Because, as Contrasted with the Other Persons of the Godhead, the Spirit Seems Impersonal. What a prominent part the Spirit played in selecting the fields of labor for the apostles! ♡♡__ Pure / without Spot, ☆☆1Timothy 6:16 The Pharisees continued to slander Jesus Christ by claiming that His mighty work was the work of the devil. I thought no~one has ever seen God. ♡♡_ Powerful /Miraculous, ☆☆_Romans 15:19 PERSONAL PRONOUNS USED OF THE SPIRIT.3. who is to get hold of us and use us. As such He radiates the glory of Jesus in us so we are aglow with Christ. Sunday: The King is Dead. Please enable JavaScript on your browser to best view this site. This sealing has to do with the heart and the conscience -- satisfying both as to the settlement of the sin and sonship question. In Hebrews 9:14, we see that the Holy Spirit is eternal. The Holy Spirit Has The Moral Attributes Of God The Holy Spirit also has moral attributes that belong to God. Then note how the Holy Spirit produces the blessed fruit of the Christian life (Gal.5:22, 23). The Holy Spirit not only calls people to faith in Jesus Christ, but he calls us to a … Such acts indicate personality. No person of the Godhead was left out of the creation process. THE SPIRIT OF GRACE.3. Sinning against the Spirit is fraught with terrific consequences. God is not a deified man; man is rather a limited God ("a little . Let us be careful also lest in criticizing the manifestation of the Spirit in the testimony of some believer, or the sermon of some preacher, we be found guilty of quenching the Spirit. Long Live the King! Therefore the Holy Spirit, along with the Father and the Son are said to have life in themselves. By disloyalty to the voice and call of the Spirit; by disobedience to His voice whether it be to testify, praise, to do any bit of service for God, or to refuse to go where He sends us to labor -- the foreign field, for example. Sins against the Son of Man may be forgiven because it was easily possible, by reason of His humble birth, lowly parentage, etc., to question the claims He put forth to deity. 1 Cor.6:19 -- "Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you." 1 Cor.3:16 -- "The Spirit of God dwelleth in you." Christianity holds that four attributes distinguish a divine being from all else: (1) omniscience, (2) omnipotence, (3) omnipresence, and (4) eternalness. 1. It is the Spirit who speaks through the apostles (10:20). ♡♡__ Perfect Knowledge, ☆☆Hebbrews 9:14 1 Pet.4:14 -- "The spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you." Not only is it true that the Spirit's agency is seen in the act of creation, but His power is seen also in the preservation of nature. It would be just as absurd to say, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of Moses" -- thus putting Moses on an equality with the Father and the Son -- as it would be to say, "Baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the wind" -- thus making the wind as personal as the Father and the Son. Sabbath School Department of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. . When, however, one possesses the attributes, properties and qualities of personality, then personality may be unquestionably predicated of such a being. (The Review and Herald, January 18, 1898). Only God is all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal, everywhere present, and unchanging. 2:10, 11; John 14: 26; John 16.12,13);omnipotence(Luke 1:35) ascribed to the Him in the Bible; Creator (Job 33: 4; Ps. Second, for service. Rom.8:2 -- "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (also vv.9-11). When the sinner refuses to believe or accept the testimony of the Spirit, he thereby insults the Spirit by esteeming the whole work of Christ as a deception and a lie, or accounts the death of Christ as the death of an ordinary or common man, and not as God's provision for the sinner. Glory as used in the Scripture means character. Yes he speak less of himself and exalts Christ through whom heaven has made propitiation for our sin. In the Scriptures creation is ascribed to the Holy Spirit. . Eph.4:30 speaks of believers as being "sealed," whereas 5:18 commands those same believers to "be filled (to be being filled again and again) with the Spirit.". 13. ye shall abide in him." Mind is an attribute of personality. Does the Holy Spirit possess such properties? Rom.8:9 -- "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Does the attitude of "I know enough, I have been through this" is preventing me from accepting new ideas and changing? Isa.4:4 -- "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion.... by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning." THE RELATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO JESUS CHRIST. For the meaning of "Lord" see under the Deity of Christ, p.60. (See Acts 6:10.) In fact it was jealousy on Satan's part as to Christ's special role in the creation of this world that contributed to his downfall. According to the Bible, how many eternal beings are there? Here the Spirit is called the Lord. THE SPIRIT POSSESSES PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS.5. They deliberately and maliciously maligned Jesus when they willfully and intentionally attributed His work to satanic powers. The sin of lying to the Spirit is very prominent when consecration is most popular. That Word interfaced between God and the creation. Let us see. It is the Holy Spirit who accomplishes a new spiritual birth (John 3:5-8). Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Holy Spirit is the life-giver. Third, for consecration. In the Genesis account of creation (1:3) the Spirit is seen actively engaged in the work of creation. He knows in a way that an outsider does not. Men could see Christ (the Word) but we could not see the Father or the Spirit. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to constantly bear witness of Christ and His finished work to the world of sinful and sinning men. THE DEITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. To grieve means to make sad or sorrowful. He burns up the dross in our lives when He enters and takes possession. The Scripture says the following. Are we getting older and becoming more flexible or stiffer? A. Of sin, belonging to man; of righteousness, belonging to Christ; of judgment, belonging to Satan. Stubborn, sullen, iron-hearted, they determined to close their eyes to all evidence, and thus they committed the unpardonable sin." Therefore, we cannot elaborate on what the Bible is strictly silent on. The Holy Spirit is represented as searching the deepest and profoundest truths of God, and possessing knowledge of His counsels sufficiently to understand His purposes (1 Cor.2:10, 11). The Holy Spirit “comes upon” or “falls on”. He is the Spirit of glory (1 Pet. 15:19; compare with Ps. Required fields are marked *. "The steps (and, as one has well said,'the stops') of a good man are ordered by the Lord.". Creation (Gen.1:2; Psa.104:30, R. V.); Job 33:4 -- "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE SPIRIT.2. Yet we must remember, in this connection, that the Apostolic Benediction in 2 Cor.13:14 does associate the three persons of the Trinity, thereby asserting their personality equally. The moving power within those wheels was the Spirit of God. Try Him. . THE HOLY SPIRIT.2. ♡♡__ Sovereign Creator/Provider, ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆. Question:If the holy Spirit is God, why would this Bible text be:"Anyone who 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 age to come."? In these passages it is the moral character of the Spirit that is set forth. He is "the Spirit of wisdom and revelation," Eph.1:17. Matt.3:11, 12 -- "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire." It is true that the same Greek word is translated wind and Spirit; also that the Authorized Version uses the neuter pronoun "itself," when speaking of the Holy Spirit (Rom.8:16, 26). Would not these passages rebel against such tautological and meaningless usage? I love the verses in Mark that say "all other blasphemy and sin is forgiven" the question then is "Am I willing to forgive all other Blasphemy's?" The other point, as has been previously stated is that all three members of the Godhead are spirit in nature (at least were, Christ will forever keep his humanity). God was not made in the image of man, but man in the image of God. The Holy Spirit’s divine attributes indicate that He is God. 9:14). How dependent Jesus Christ was, in His state of humiliation, on the Holy Spirit! It is therefore related more to the thought of service than to that of life. Jesus answered the charge of the Scribes in Mark 3: 22 - 30. This manifestation of the Spirit must not be quenched. Two points on this. The power of the Holy Spirit is Gods divine ability and authority released in believers lives for the purpose of godly living and fruitful service. 6:16). "Comforter" means one who is called to your side -- as a client calls a lawyer. Indeed to refuse any part of our moral nature to the full sway of the Spirit is to grieve Him. Whenever a new emergency arose they sought a fresh infilling with the Spirit (cf. The thought of quenching the Spirit seems to be used in connection with fire: "Smoking flax shall he not quench" (Matt.12:20); "Quench the fiery darts" (Eph.6:16). In spite of the plainest arguments, and the most incontestable facts this man wilfully rejects the evidence and refuses to accept the Christ so convincingly presented. If sinless perfection is not a Scriptural doctrine, sinful imperfection is certainly less Scriptural. Acts 19:2 does not contradict this statement. BY THE SINNER.a) Resisting.b) Insulting.c) Blaspheming.2. Spiritual gifts are distributed to believers according to the will of the Spirit (1 Cor.12). By the Deity of the Holy Spirit is meant that the Holy Spirit is God. Also 2:20. Note the contrast: "Ye, being evil," and "the Holy Spirit." How dependent Christ was upon the Holy Spirit for power in which to perform the duties of life is clear from such passages as Luke 4:18 -- "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach," etc. But when, after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came, and presented to every man's conscience evidence sufficient to prove the truth of these claims, the man who then refused to yield to Christ's claims was guilty of resisting, insulting, and that amounts to blaspheming the testimony of the whole Godhead, of which the Spirit is the executive. In this context, then, the unpardonable sin is a continued and willful attitude of hostility against the Holy Spirit; the proud, continued resistance against His guidance, the "persistent refusal to respond to the invitation to repent." If the Spirit is called eternal, then He must be God. That this name cannot be used of any abstract, impersonal influence is clear from the fact that in 1 John 2:1 the same word is used of Christ. "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." He is a person equal in every way with the Father and the Son. Yet, like Ananias, we like to have others believe that we have consecrated our all. But if you look a little deeper into Christian tradition, you might find that there is a female aspect to God, namely, The Holy Spirit. The Old Testament period may be called the Age of the Father; the period covered by the Gospels, the Age of the Son; from Pentecost until the second advent of Christ, the Age of the Spirit. They did everything in their power to misrepresent Him and to falsify His words.". The Holy Spirit enables the believer to get constant and continual victory over sin. 104:30. Acts 7:51-"Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." Could a mere influence do this? In these passages the Holy Spirit is seen calling missionaries, overseeing the church, and commanding the life and practice of the apostles and the whole church. 1. THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE.7. We may speak of the baptism of the Spirit as that initial act of the Spirit by which, at the moment of our regeneration, we are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ; the Spirit then comes and takes up His dwelling within the believer. As God is Love, so the Spirit is Truth. DIVINE WORKS.4. Remembering that in 1 John 1:9 the condition of forgiveness is confession, if we "speak" against the Holy Spirit what we are effectively doing is hardening our hearts to the point that we do not seek forgiveness. “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Cor. The three persons of the Godhead are of one divine essence, same nature, distinct in their roles, yet unified, indivisible, and eternal. This is not a pictorial personification, but a plain, definite, clear-cut statement asserting the personality of the Holy Spirit. 1. Every step in the missionary activity of the early church seemed to be under the direct guidance of the Spirit. The Spirit is said to have a mind, and that implies thought, purpose, determination: Rom.8:27, cf. The Holy Spirit is part of the triune nature of God which consists of the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Am I not closer to the Godhead's character when, by the power of the Holy Spirit, I am forgiving like He is!! John 3:3-5 -- "Born of ... the Spirit." Such a simple statement, however, leaves open the question of how that divine power expresses itself. e) The Holy Spirit Empowers the Believer for Life and Service. "No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost" (Rom.8:9; 1 Cor.12:3). Can any statement allege deity more clearly? The Spirit maketh intercession: Rom.8:26 (R. V.), cf. This article originally appeared here. That this is a true picture of resistance to the Holy Spirit is clearly seen from Stephen's recital of the facts in Acts 7:51-57. b) Insulting, or Doing Despite unto the Holy Spirit. DIVINE NAMES ARE GIVEN TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. But while the believer is still in the flesh, he does not live after the flesh (Rom.8:12, 13). As we get older, it happens that our ability to change may seem to fade. If the first two names are personal, is not the third? DIVINE WORKS ARE ASCRIBED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. Also 3:16; Rom.8:9. ☆☆1 Corinthians 2:10–11 Would that sound right? John 16:8-11 -- "And when He is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go unto my Father and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." The Holy Spirit also has the ability of will and the ability to exercise it. All Christians have the first; not all have the second, although all may have. Which is why I think The LORD GOD IS Saying to me that, this is one of those things that can only be taken with prayer and fasting. 139: 7-10); omniscience (1 Cor. The creation of man is attributed to the Spirit. And the difference lies in the fact that the Holy Spirit is hardly, if at all, mentioned in the seventh chapter, while in the eighth He is mentioned over twelve times. In the first part of chapter fourteen of John's gospel Christ speaks of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, then he goes on to say it is not just the Holy Spirit but the Father and the Son along with the Holy Spirit, provided - … He is given to all who have received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. He is the Comforter sent by Jesus, after He ascended back into heaven. God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit are at all times in full agreement because they are one God. It is the will of God that we should be filled (or, if you prefer the expression, "be baptized") with the Spirit at the moment of conversion, and remain filled all the time. The manifestation of the Spirit in prophesying was not to be quenched. Every believer, no matter how weak and imperfect he may be, or how immature his Christian experience, still has the indwelling of the Spirit. "For it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost, and to us." It should be made clear that at no point is God unwilling to forgive, He is merely respecting our own decision to not seek and accept it. How definitely this truth is taught in the Acts 8:27-29; 16:6, 7; 13:2-4. The context of 1 Thess.5:19 shows this. It is difficult to define personality when used of the Divine Being. When God appears to us, he is as a father because of his providence and protection, Christ appears as a Son because of Salvation, now the Holy Spirit appears as a Spirit because of his role as a spiritual guide to our salvation. Tit.3:5 -- "The... renewing of the Holy Ghost." I think it is following Biblical pathways. It would be proper, doubtless, to say that the Father created all things through the agency of the Word and the Spirit. Sabbath School Net is an independent ministry not affiliated with nor funded by the, Sabbath: When Your World Is Falling Apart, Friday: Further Thought ~ Crisis of Leadership, 2: Crisis of Leadership – HopeSS Video Discussion, 2: Crisis of Leadership – SPD Discipleship Video, 2: Crisis of Leadership – Singing with Inspiration. “In the Synoptic Gospels, the descent of the Spirit as a dove was something Jesus Himself witnessed (Mt. Shekinah and the Holy Spirit each seem to be a bridge to help us find Home–both are often presented visually with the symbol of a dove. The Bible says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). When we walk in the Spirit, were relying on His strength to accomplish Gods will. Since the Christ is also called the father, God himself in Hebrews 1 calls Christ God, since God is a spirit, Christ before flesh was spirit, God the father is said to be spirit as well hence the word Spirit doesn't lessen the holy Spirit to merely a force but just a name respective to what he is to us. 104: 30; Gen. 1: 3); Author of Scripture (2 Samuel 23: 2, 3; 2 Peter 1: 21). This thought will be kept in mind in the study of the offences against the Spirit. So in all our activity for God we must have the Spirit of power. Eph.1:13, 14 -- "In whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise; which is the earnest of our inheritance." The Spirit of YAHWEH is HIS divine characteristics, attributes or HIS very essence. It is of the highest experimental importance. So, when Christ visited Adam and Eve, He did like both he and angels did on other occasions--He took on a visible "persona" that they could relate to. HTML tags allowed in your comment:

. The Holy Spirit is seen as coming down upon this gathered assembly for praise, prayer, and testimony. The Holy Bible ascribes to the Holy Ghost some of the most distinctive Divine attributes such as eternity (Heb. The Spirit not only bestows spiritual gifts, but bestows them discreetly, according as He thinks best. . Your email address will not be published. In Romans 15:19, the apostle Paul acknowledges that his ministry was achieved by “mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God” (NKJV). Yet the Scripture says these attributes belong to each member of the Trinity. The evidence of His power exasperated them. 1 Thess.5:19-"Quench not the Spirit." Praise to the Sovereign Holy Lord God for Creation and Providence. He is called breath, wind, power. . Job 33:4 -- "The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life." We read in Job xxxiii.4, "The Spirit of God hath made me, … Would that affect our ability to accept the HS influence? Jesus Himself pointed out to us that Baptism is a rebirth “of … the Holy Spirit” (John 3:5), and St. Paul stated: “For in one Spirit were we all baptized” and “the Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit, that we are the sons of God” (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:16). The text reads:"For if we persist in sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins remains." THE NAME OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON. Only one who is equal to God can know the deep things of God (1 Cor. In trying to answer this question we are led to Ellen G White's writing. This He does largely, although hardly exclusively, through the testimony of believers to the saving power and work of Christ: "Ye also shall bear witness" (John 15:27). 2:11 and Isaiah 40:13 I think the reason why it is so dangerous to speak against the Holy Spirit is that it is the Holy Spirit that convicts us and that connects us with God Almighty and His pardon. But we need to place in ourselves the constant motivation to change. Here the picture is that of the Holy Spirit attacking the citadel of the soul of man, who violently resists the gracious attempts of the Spirit to win him. He is called the "Mother -- heart" of God. There can be no parity between a person and an influence. Here they refer to a miracle of the first magnitude, the virgin conception. Shekinah is the spark of the Divine within us, what A Course in Miracles calls the memory of God within us, aka, the Holy Spirit. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit all have the same divine nature and divine attributes. See also John 14:26; 16:13. If the Spirit is called eternal, then He must be God. In Luke 1:35 the phrases “the Holy Spirit” and “the power of the most High” (NASB) are synonymous constructions. This is incomprehensible unless the Spirit is divine.