TheosGuy

The following verses show that the initiator of our faith is the Holy Spirit. For apart from the Holy Spirit we could not call upon the name of the Lord.

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3 (NKJV)

The following definition is given by Dr. Bruce Ware in the seminar he conducted at The Master’s Seminary on The Universal Reign of the Triune God.

God’s whole and undivided essence belongs equally, eternally, simultaneously, and fully to each of the three Persons of the Godhead, so that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each is fully God while each is his own personal expression, in role and activity, of the one eternal and undivided divine essence.

Tags: Ware

Dr. David Hocking in his study on Ephesians 2, indicated the following four characteristics of spiritual death (Ephesians 2:1). My added thoughts are included in blue.

1. An inability to discern spiritual matters (1 Cor 2:14)

   The “natural man” would include non-believers, but also could include carnal believers. We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 and Romans 8:1-7, that it is possible for the believer to operate in the realm of the “natural man” when he is not walking in the Spirit.

   The non-believer faces both inability and non-capacity for discerning spiritual matters. I think the carnal believer has the ability and has the capacity, but chooses not to operate in either, by walking in the flesh rather than walking in the Spirit.

2. An inability to receive any help from God (Psa 66:18; Isa 59:1-2)

   It may be that the only prayer of a non-believer that is guaranteed to be heard is the prayer of repentance and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. An inability to produce any true good in the eyes of the LORD (Rom 3:10-12)

   I am reminded of the words of Christ that tell me what my personal efforts produce.

   John 15:5 NKJV – “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

4. An inability to please God (Rom 8:6-8)

   Colossians 1:10 NKJV – that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Many people in the Bible had the Spirit upon or within them giving power to do great things. Here is a list of several of them, but be sure to take a look at the last one in the list!

Rom 8:11 NKJV – But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

1. The Holy Spirit is revealed as a divine Person. This is expressly declared (e.g. John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-15; Mt. 28:19), and everywhere implied.
2. The revelation concerning Him is progressive:
1. In the O.T. (see Mal. 2:15, note) He comes upon whom He will, apparently without reference to conditions in them.
2. During His earth-life, Christ taught His disciples (Lk. 11:13) that they might receive the Spirit through prayer to the Father.
3. At the close of His ministry He promised that He would Himself pray the Father, and that in answer to His prayer the Comforter would come to abide (John 14:16-17).
4. On the evening of His resurrection He came to the disciples in the upper room, and breathed on them saying, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22), but instructed them to wait before beginning their ministry till the Spirit should come upon them (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8)
5. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came upon the whole body of believers (Acts 2:1-4).
6. After Pentecost, so long as the Gospel was preached to Jews only, the Spirit was imparted to such as believed by the laying. on of hands (Acts 8:17; 9:17, etc.).
7. When Peter opened the door of the kingdom to the Gentiles (Acts 10), the Holy Spirit, without delay, or other condition than faith, was given to those who believed. (Acts 10:44; Acts 11:15-18). This is the permanent fact for the entire church-age. Every believer is born of the Spirit (John 3:3, 6; 1 John 5:1), indwelt by the Spirit, whose presence makes the believer’s body a temple (1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9-15; 1 John 2:27; Gal. 4:6), and baptized by the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-13; 1 John 2:20, 27), thus sealing him for God (Eph. 1:13; 4:30).
3. The N.T. distinguishes between having the Spirit, which is true of all believers, and being filled with the Spirit, which is the believer’s privilege and duty (cf. Acts 2:4 with 4:29-31; Eph. 1:13-14 with Eph. 5:18)—”One baptism, many fillings.”
4. The Holy Spirit is related to Christ in His conception (Mt. 1:18-20; Lk. 1:35), baptism (Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10; Lk. 3:22; John 1:32-33), walk and service (Lk. 4:1-14), resurrection (Rom. 8:11), and as His witness throughout this age (John 15:26; 16:8-11, 13, 14).
5. The Spirit forms the church (Mt. 16:18; Heb. 12:23) by baptizing all believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-13), imparts gifts for service to every member of that body (1 Cor. 12:7-11, 27, 30), guides the members in their service (Lk. 2:27; 4:1; Acts 4:6-7), and is Himself the power of that service (Acts 1:8; 2:4; 1 Cor. 2:4).
6. The Spirit abides in the company of believers who constitute a local church, making of them, corporately, a temple (1 Cor. 3:16-17).
7. Christ indicates a threefold personal relationship of the Spirit to the believer: “With,” “in,” “upon” (John 14:17; Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:8). “With” indicates the approach of God to the soul, convicting of sin (John 16:9), presenting Christ as the object of faith (John 16:14), imparting faith (Eph. 2:8), and regenerating (John 3:3-16). “In” describes the abiding presence of the Spirit in the believer’s body (1 Cor. 6:19) to give victory over the flesh (Rom. 8:2-4; Gal. 5:16-17), to create the Christian character (Gal. 5:22-23), to help infirmities (Rom. 8:26), to inspire prayer (Eph. 6:18), to give conscious access to God (Eph. 2:18), to actualize to the believer his sonship (Gal. 4:6), to apply the Scriptures in cleansing and sanctification (Eph. 5:26; 2 Thes. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:2), to comfort and intercede (Acts 9:31; Rom. 8:26), and to reveal Christ (John 16:14).
8. Sins against the Spirit committed by unbelievers are: To blaspheme (Mt. 12:31), resist (Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29, “despite,” lit. insult). Believers’ sins against the Spirit are: To grieve Him by allowing evil in heart or life (Eph. 4:30-31), and to quench Him by disobedience (1 Thes. 5:19). The right attitude toward the Spirit is yieldedness to His sway in walk and service, and in constant willingness that He shall “put away” whatever grieves Him or hinders His power (Eph. 4:31).
9. The symbols of the Spirit are:
1. oil (John 3:34; Heb. 1:9);
2. water (John 7:38-39);
3. wind (Acts 2:1; John 3:8);
4. fire (Acts 2:3);
5. a dove (Mt. 3:16);
6. a seal (Eph. 1:13; 4:30);
7. an earnest or pledge (Eph. 1:14).

Adapted from Scofield, C. I. The Scofield Study Bible.

Tags: Trinity

1. The personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit appear from the attributes ascribed to Him, and from His works.
2. He is revealed as sharing the work of creation and therefore omnipotent (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; 33:4; Psa. 104:30); as omnipresent (Psa. 139:7); as striving with men (Gen. 6:3); as enlightening (Job 32:8); enduing with constructive skill (Ex. 28:3; 31:3); giving physical strength (Jdg. 14:6, 19); executive ability and wisdom (Jdg. 3:10; 6:34; 11:29; 13:25); enabling men to receive and utter divine revelations (Num. 11:25; 2 Sam. 23:2); and, generally, as empowering the servants of God (Psa. 51:12; Joel 2:28; Mic. 3:8; Zech. 4:6).
3. He is called holy (Psa. 51:11); good (Psa. 143:10); the Spirit of judgment and burning (Isa. 4:4); of Jehovah, of wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, good, knowledge, the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:2), and of grace and supplications (Zech. 12:10).
4. In the O.T. the Spirit acts in free sovereignty, coming upon men and even upon a dumb beast as He will, nor are conditions set forth (as in the N.T.) by complying with which any one may receive the Spirit. The indwelling of every believer by the abiding Spirit is a N.T. blessing consequent upon the death and resurrection of Christ (John 7:39; 16:7; Acts 2:33; Gal. 3:1-6).
5. The O.T. contains predictions of a future pouring out of the Spirit upon Israel (Eze. 37:14; 39:29), and upon “all flesh” (Joel 2:28-29). The expectation of Israel, therefore, was twofold—of the coming of Messiah-Immanuel, and of such an effusion of the Spirit as the prophets described. See Mat. 1:18, refs.

1. Scofield, C. I. The Scofield Study Bible.