Presence of the Holy Spirit

• Living & Walking in the Spirit 22nd July
• Praying & Ministering in the Spirit 29th July

 

Overview: The Presence of the Holy Spirit

1. The Trinity
2. Who is the Holy Spirit

 

1. The Trinity

• Trinity – This word is never mentioned in the Bible.
• The Shema (Jewish confession of faith) in the Hebrew Scriptures:
• Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.
• 1 Corinthians 8:4 Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol isnothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one.
• Galatians 3:20 Now a mediator does not mediatefor one only, but God is one.
• Trinity means three, so are there three “Gods” in Christian faith? This is a definite ‘NO!’.
• The Trinity attempts to describe the essence of God existing in Three Persons.
• Trinity is NOT One God acting in three roles.
• Trinity is One God manifesting in Three Persons.

 

Hebrew Noun and Pronoun

• Genesis 1:1– In the beginning God / Elohim created the heavens and the earth.
• Elohim – in Hebrew is a plural noun.
• “Elohim” and the pronoun “us” are plural forms in Hebrew they refer to more than two.
• Following verses there are also plural pronouns where “us” is used.
• Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
• Genesis 3:22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”
• Genesis 11:7Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.”
• Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here amI! Send me.”

 

Three Distinct Persons mentioned in Scripture

• Isaiah 48:16 “Come near to Me, hear this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; From the time that it was, I was And now the Lord Godand His Spirit have sent Me.”
• Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
• Other Scriptures: Isaiah 61:1, Matthew 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14

 

Each member of the Trinity is God

• Father as God (John 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2) – Philippians 1:2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ)
• Jesus as God (John 1:1, 14; Romans 9:5; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:8; 1 John 5:20) – Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
• Holy Spirit as God (1 Corinthians 3:16) – Acts 5:3–4 ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back partof the price of the land for yourself? ⁴ While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

 

There is subordination within the Trinity

• The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the Father and the Son; and the Son is subordinate to the Father.
• This does not deny the deity of any Person of the Trinity.
• Our finite minds cannot fully understand our infinite God.
• Concerning the Son (Luke 22:42, John 20:21, and 1 John 4:14) – John 5:36 But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.
• Concerning the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7) – John 16:13-14 ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority,but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ¹⁴ He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
• The Heart of God, the Mind of Christ and the Body yielded to the Holy Spirit

 

2. Who is the Holy Spirit

• Author of Scripture
• 2 Peter 1:20-21 ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they weremoved by the Holy Spirit.
• 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture isgiven by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

 

• The Convicter of Sin
• John 16:7-11 ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ¹¹ of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

 

• The Dweller in every believer
• Romans 8:9-11 ⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰ And if Christ isin you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ 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.
• Other Scriptures: Ephesians 2:21-22, 1 Corinthians 6:19

 

• Our Guide
• John 16:13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority,but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

 

• Our Helper (Advocate / Comforter / Counsellor)
• John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
• Other Scriptures: John 15:26, John 16:7

 

• Our Intercessor
• Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

 

• Our Teacher
• 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.
• 1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

 

• The Truth
• John 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
• Other Scriptures: John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:12-16

 

• The Witness
• Romans 8:16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God
• Hebrews 10:15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before

 

Living & Walking in the Spirit 22nd July

• Galatians 5:16-25 ¹⁶I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, ²⁰idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told youin time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 

1. Live in the Spirit

• Before we talk about praying and ministering in the Spirit, we must live and walk in the Spirit.
• Living in the Spirit is the way of life. Walking in the Spirit is the way we live our life; which encompasses our attitude & behavior.
• Living in the Spirit is a position that we take. Walking in the Spirit is our lifestyle.
• The thing which is directly opposing the Spirit is the lust of the flesh.
• Galatians 5:16-17 ¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
• If you are struggling against the flesh, that is a good news.

 

The works of the flesh.

• Galatians 5:19-21 ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness (Impure motives or lustful) , lewdness (licentiousness or self-indulgent flirtation), ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, ²¹envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries (Partying that involves drinking large amount of alcohol), and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
• Paul puts it simply, ‘those who practice such things will notgo to heaven’.
• “The tense of the verb (present) indicates a habitual continuation in fleshly sins rather than an isolated lapse, and the point is that those who continually practice such sins give evidence of having never received God’s Spirit.” (Boice)

 

The Evidence of living in the Spirit or living a Spirit-filled life

• Galatians 5:22-24 ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. ²⁴ And those who areChrist’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
• The evidence is not the demonstration of Spiritual gifts, but it is the fruit of the Spirit.
• Living in the Spirit is like living in a country… E.g. Singapore. We have to come under the authority of the government, and if we walk according to the law of Singapore (walk in the Spirit), we are free from the law.
• In other words, we are already following what is stipulated by the law and so we do not need to be bothered by the law.
• Are we walking by the Spirit or walking in the flesh – How do we know?
• Evidence of the Spirit is the Fruit of the Spirit
• We cannot walk in the Spirit unless we live in the Spirit. Because walking in the Spirit demands that we first crucify our flesh and die to our sin. If we do not crucify our flesh and die to our sin, it is impossible to walk in the Spirit.
• Galatians 5:25²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
• Living in the Spirit means to be fully immersed in Him.

 

1. Live in the Spirit
2. Walk by the Spirit

• We have heard “Walk the Talk” and not “Talk about the Walk”.
• Let us therefore be people who walk the talk.

 

WALK

• Galatians 5:16-17 ¹⁶ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
• Galatians 5:25²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
• Galatians 5:16: Walk (Lexicon: Strong’s G4043 –Peripateō: Commonly used word for walking
  • To make one’s way
  • To progress
  • To become a habitual practice (Present imperative)
• Galatians 5:25: Walk (Lexicon: Strong’s G4748 –Stoicheō)
  • To walk in line with
  • To proceed in a row as the march of a soldier
  • To go in order
  • To go on prosperously
  • To turn out well
  • To keep in step with the Spirit
• Galatians 5:16: Walk (Peripateō) – To walk according to His ways. (Thermometer that reflects the temperature)
• Galatians 5:25: Walk (Stoicheō) – To walk according to His will. (Thermostat that response to the temperature)

 

 

1. Live in the Spirit
2. Walk by the Spirit
3. Led by the Spirit

• How are we going to walk according to His will? We have to be led by the Holy Spirit.
• Galatians 5:18But if you are led (Lexicon: Strong’s G71 – Agō: to lead by laying hold of) by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
• We often think that being led by the Spirit is passive; just follow. No!
• It is active, it means to lead our life by laying hold of the Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit does not force us to follow Him, we must desire to follow Him.
• It is more than just want to follow the Holy Spirit, we need to lay hold of Him.

 

Application

How to live in, walk by and be led by the Holy Spirit?

1. Acknowledge that we need Him (the Holy Spirit)
2. Ask by faith according to His will
3. Act in obedience to Him