THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

 

Chapter 11

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The Portrait of the Holy Spirit (Part II)

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Text

1 Cor. 12:4-6 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.​​

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​​​​Memory Verse

Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

 

Introduction

If the Spirit of God acts like God, He deserves the honour due to God. To ridicule the Spirit is to ridicule the God who sent Him. The Holy Spirit is an executive member in heaven’s government, far above all created things.

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When God finally restores creation, the Son and the Spirit will return to be in the Father eternally, just as before, so that God will be all in all (1 Cor. 15:24-28).

 

1 Cor. 15:24-28 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him”, it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.

 

Objectives
(1) To understand how the Holy Spirit is identified through His functions, relationship, and status in the Godhead.

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(2) To understand that the Holy Spirit is the ‘earnest’ (deposit / guarantee) of our salvation.

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(3) To know that to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit all you have to do is ask (in a spirit of humility and repentance, not pride).

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Presentation

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1. The Spirit’s Relationship with the Father and the Son

The Holy Spirit is an executive member of the Godhead (2 Cor. 13:14). He is called “the finger of God” through whom God created and sustains the universe (Luke 11:20; Gen. 1:2).

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He shares the same attributes as the Father and Son: all-powerful, everywhere present, all-knowing (Ps. 139:7-10; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; Matt. 28:19). He is the Spirit of God who is holy - hence, the Holy Spirit.

 

He is not independent of God, but He is distinct from the Father and the Son. He works in our minds, will, and actions to enable true worship. It is a mystery: the Spirit is one with God, yet distinct from Him.

 

He is also called the Spirit of Christ.

 

Rom. 8:9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.

 

Jesus said that the Spirit would speak not of his own accord, but only what he hears.

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John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

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Whether we call Him the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, or the Holy Spirit, there is no essential difference. Their goal is the same: to redeem God’s creation (Rom. 8:18-25).

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Rom. 8:18-25 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

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2. Identity According to His Functions

He is the Spirit of Christ because:

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(1) He is sent by Jesus.

 

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

 

(2) He gives new life.

The new life of Christ flows through the Spirit. Believers are baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit:

 

Acts 1:4-5 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

 

(3) He glorifies Christ.

 

John 16:14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

 

His job is to make people worship Christ by following His teaching.

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(4) He makes Christ real to us.

The Spirit makes Christ and His atoning love real in believers. If you are born again, you are both “in Christ” and “in the Spirit”, because both dwell in you (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 8:9).

3. The Holy Spirit is the Seal of Our Salvation: Ask and You Shall Receive

How do you receive the Holy Spirit?

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You ask the Father for Him! Keep asking, seeking, knocking.

 

Luke 11:9-13 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

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Salvation is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9); the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is our ‘seal’, the Father’s gift to us and the ‘earnest’ (pledge or guarantee) of our salvation.

 

Eph. 1:13-14 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

 

The Greek word for ‘guarantee’ is ‘arrabon’, meaning a part payment in advance for security.

 

Christ stands at the door of our heart and knocks (Rev. 3:20).

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It is the job of the Holy Spirit to build Christ’s Church, the assembly.

 

As with all things of God, there is an order to salvation (Rom. 11:25). Thus no-one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him (John 6:44), but anyone who comes to Christ, He will accept (John 6:37).  If you are reading this book and do not have Christ’s Spirit, the chances are the Father is drawing you to come to Christ.

 

Note that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom. 10:13). Furthermore, it is not the Father’s wish that any should perish:

 

2 Pet. 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

 

So if you are unsure, do not hesitate, ask! The Father wants us to ask, He draws us to ask. But He will not force us to ask.

 

Ask in a spirit of contrition and with an expectation of receiving:

 

Isa. 55:6-7 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

 

Isa. 57:15 For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

 

Jam. 1:6-8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

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Turn to Jesus Christ, seek, and you will find! He and the Father will come to you and dwell with you, and you will be cleansed from the inside out.

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Conclusion
When God replaced the old covenant with the new one through Jesus and the apostles, He made sure the Spirit would be present to guard the truth. The Spirit prevents Satan from diluting the Gospel with lies.

All who turn to the Lord with genuine repentance will receive the Holy Spirit, and they will be changed. Those who are in dwelt by the Spirit can be recognised by how they live.

Knock on the door, and it will be opened to you. You will receive the Holy Spirit, our seal until redemption.
 

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​​Evaluation Questions & Answers

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1. With regards to creation, how do the members of the Godhead relate?

   • The Father creates by the Son and through the Spirit.

   • The Spirit is called “the finger of God” who moved over the waters at creation (Gen. 1:2).

   • All three are involved in creating and sustaining the universe.

2. Give two descriptions of the Holy Spirit in His relationship with the Father and the Son.

   • He is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9).

   • He is one with God yet distinct from Him, working to reveal the Father and Son to us (John 16:13).

3. Why is the Holy Spirit identified as the Spirit of Christ?

   • Because He is sent by Jesus (John 14:26), He glorifies Christ (John 16:14), and He makes the life of Christ real in believers. Where Christ is, the Spirit is.

4. How does the Holy Spirit glorify Christ?

   • He makes Christ known, teaches His words, and enables believers to live like Him.

   • He points people to Christ, not to Himself, and helps them worship Christ in Spirit and truth (John 16:13-14).

 

Prayer

Father, thank You for revealing Yourself to us through Your Spirit. Make us clear in our understanding so that Satan’s lies cannot distort our fellowship with You. Let Your Spirit make Christ real in us today. Amen.

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