Basic Elements of Christianity
The Holy Spirit and His Riches
19(8/16)
Basic Elements of Christianity
The Holy Spirit and His Riches
19(8/16)
You will soon see that there is much power in the Holy Spirit. Many who think of Him as only a force note the passages that display the moving power of the Holy Spirit upon men. However, they somehow overlook the passages where Christ identifies Himself with the Holy Spirit, Whom He referred to as another Comforter, which you will soon read about. The Spirit of Christ Himself worked in the disciples and Apostles to change them into the people God wanted them to be. For example, Peter, who had denied Christ before His death was later filled with the Holy Spirit. As a result, when he was thrown in prison with the likelihood of being killed for his faith he was so much at ease to the point where an angel of God had to smack him on the side to wake him up and get him out that prison. To the above and / or left is an old picture of Peter being led out of the prison. You can read this story in Acts 12:1-19.
Those who feel He is only a force might cite Rom. 8:16 and 26 in the KJV where it reads "the Spirit Itself." Three genders occur for nouns in the Koine Greek, viz., masculine, feminine and neuter. Pneuma, the word for "spirit," is neuter. This is why the KJV translators used "the Spirit Itself" in Rom. 8:16 and 26. However, though neuter, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit is a thing and not a being. The word pneuma is used for demon spirits (Mt. 8:16, Luke 4:33, 1 Peter 3:19) and we certainly know they are beings.
The NKJV renders those two verses in Romans as "the Spirit Himself." There is certainly good reason for this in the light of the balance of the NT and really the entire Holy Bible. It is clearly seen that the Holy Spirit has intellect (1 Cor. 2:10-11), sensibilities (Rom. 8:26-27), and will (1 Cor. 12:11).
Just before His death on the cross Christ comforted His disciples by telling them about the Holy Spirit. Please take the time to read all of John 14. At the moment, in this lesson I would like for us to look closely at John 14:15-18, and 23b . . .
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
The Greek word for "Comforter" is "parakletos" (pa-ra-klee-tos) and is also translated as "Helper." "Parakletos" is a masculine noun and in this passage and others it is directly related to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth.
Note carefully that this Helper, the Holy Spirit, is Christ Himself. You can clearly see that in the way the verse is written. It is even further substantiated in what you cannot see, unless you know some Greek. The Greek word here for "another" denotes "another one of the same kind."
Not only is this Helper the Son Himself, but verse 23b shows, with its context, the Father and the Son. A careful, prayerful reading of John 14 will show us that the Father and Christ are one and reside in the true Christian through the Holy Spirit.
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The word "Comforter" is from Parakletos, a Greek word which means "called alongside" (from the Greek words para, meaning "to the side of," and kaleo, "to summon"). It was a technical term used in Greek courts of justice. It referred to an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another, one who is called to another's side to aid him. A missionary among the Karre people in Africa found it very difficult to translate "Comforter" into their language. She could find no comparable word, so she questioned one African after another. Carefully she explained that the Holy Ghost encourages, admonishes, protects, helps, strengthens, comforts, and guides the Christian. "Isn't there some word that has this meaning?" she asked. They all shook their heads. She was at the point of frustration when finally someone said, "If someone would do all that for us, we would say, "He falls down beside us.'' He explained that porters in Africa go on very long journeys carrying heavy loads on their heads. If they grow exhausted they may collapse along the lonely trail. One may lie there all night, sick and helpless, in danger of being eaten by wild animals. However, if he is fortunate someone may come along the trail, find him, and take pity on him. This friend, like the Good Samaritan, may stoop down, pick the porter up, and carry him to safety in the next village. The Karre people refer to such a good person as "The one who falls down beside us." That was the very term the missionary wanted; it expressed just what the Comforter does for the Christian believer. |
And there are so many wonderful things to learn about this Helper. In preparing this lesson, I came across some very touching information by Robert C. Cunningham in the pamphlet, Filled With The Spirit. Please read what he wrote1 to the right.
That wonderful illustration shows us to some degree some of the purposes of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a mere force, but He Who makes the Father and the Son vibrant in our lives as we daily trust in Christ.
Perhaps you have already heard the Holy Spirit referred to as the "third Person of the Trinity." As you see in the Holy Scriptures already presented and the next two sets below, this is true. However, please keep in mind what was previously said about the nature of the Godhead. We certainly do not believe in three Gods. Nor do we believe in three separate persons comprising God. We use the term "person" to show that God is not just a force whenever the Holy Scriptures use the terms "Father", "Son", and "Holy Spirit (or Ghost)".
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit can be . . .
The Holy Spirit . . .
So it is with the Holy Spirit. We have already seen that He is called The Comforter / Helper. The following2 is a partial list of more of His Names based on a Holy Bible study written by brother Walter Beuttler, who is pictured to the left:
The Holy Spirit, Lk. 11:13— With good reason He is called Holy Spirit, for He brings to us all the moral attributes that the Father has required of us, all of which were met in Christ (Heb 2:10 and 5:8) along with all of the righteous acts of Christ. The Spirit Himself shuns sin (1 Sam. 16:14) and makes us holy (Rom. 15:16) if we let Him.
The Spirit of Truth, John 14:17— He gave the truth (2 Pet. 1:12), guides to truth (Jn. 16:13, and please note the personal pronouns used), and keeps us in truth (1 Jn. 2:27).
The Spirit of Promise, Eph. 1:13— Joel 2:28-29 was fulfilled in Acts 2:1-18, reaffirmed in Acts 2:37-39, and repeated in Acts 10:44-47 and 19:1-7. You will see in the next lesson the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Promise is most certainly available today.
The Spirit of Grace, Heb. 10:29— He gives grace to repent, Zech. 12:10. This verse is situated in a very beautiful passage that prophesies of the future salvation of those of Israel who shall make it past Armageddon. This verse states:
Above, Malachi Dawson Macinta is flanked by his adoptive parents, Jennifer and Jonathan Macinta, just prior to the judge announcing he had signed the legal document establishing Malachi's adoption. Because such a young child really cannot speak for themselves, a case worker is often assigned to represent the child. I will not forget the moment when the judge asked the case worker if Malachi should be adopted by Jen and Jon. The case worker responded with a tender heartfelt "yes", which immediately reminded me of the Holy Spirit being termed at one point as the "parakletos" and the usage of that word as a technical term in Greek courts of justice to refer to an advocate, one who pleads the cause of another, one who is called to another's side to aid him. (Please see, above, the quote from brother Cunningham.)
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The Spirit of Life, Rom. 8:2— He frees us from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2 and 13), gives spiritual life (Jn. 3:8), and produces fruit (Gal. 5:22-23).
The Spirit of Christ, Rom. 8:9, Isa. 11:1-2— He is sent in Christ's Name (Jn. 14:26), testifies of Christ (Jn. 15:26), and glorifies Christ (Jn. 16:14).
The Spirit of Adoption, Rom. 8:15— Adoption calls to mind that due to our sin nature derived from Adam we were alienated from God (Eph. 4:18) until He mercifully regenerated us, causing us by His Spirit to be born again. He brings into sonship (Jn. 3:5), gives conscious sonship (Rom. 8:15), and witnesses to sonship (Rom. 8:16).
Adoption is a high expression of the agape (ah-gah-pay) love of God, showing a most compassionate mercy and loving dedication to nurture, in all ways, the adopted to full development. The term "agape" will be explained to a degree below.
Usually the adoptive parents see to the best of their ability that the physical problems are remedied. However, sometimes it is more of a challenge to correct behavioral issues.
Let us say a true Christian couple adopts a four-year-old boy whose unsaved natural parents had been abusive and vulgar. The young boy might naturally use profanity and might be violent at times. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the Christian couple works to correct these matters by teaching the child the proper way, by themselves living the proper way, and lovingly and faithfully disciplining the child when he disobeys. It takes time, but through prayer and godly care the child takes on the moral traits of his adoptive parents.
And so for the spiritual realm, it is written (2 Peter 1:2-4, and 1 Peter 1:22-23),
1 Peter 1:23 gives us insight to the fact that God's adoption of a person is more powerful than a human parents' adoption. The Greek word for "seed" in that last verse is spora (spor-ah), from where we get our term "spore." It can be viewed that just as there is the genetic code in an apple seed to produce an apple tree with apples, with Christ dwelling within us through His Spirit there are all His righteous acts, and the Father's decrees to set those acts in motion upon our continued response in faith.
Now, let us read 1 John 3:9 which is crystal clear in Williams' translation:
The KJV uses "seed" for the "God-given life-principle." However, this time the Greek word is sperma, from where we get the word sperm. This was just another way of the Holy Spirit indicating that when one becomes born-again of God through Christ they take on, and are to develop, the moral qualities God wants us to have.
Instead of practicing and producing sin (mentioned in verses like Eph. 4:25-31, 5:3-6, Gal. 5:19-21, and others), we are to practice and produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. The following, from Gal. 5:22-23 (NKJV), are some of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As you have previously learned, the Holy Bible, not society, will show you what these words mean as you read about these characteristics in Christ and godly men. However, I want to give you a little more insight to the word "love" in this, and in many other passages of the Holy Bible. Suffice it to know for now that the Greek word used in Gal. 5:22 is agape and denotes a love that is unconditional (in the sense we do not merit it) and self-sacrificing. It stems from the will and not from emotion. You will later have a special lesson on love, as well as a lesson with details of the fruits of the Spirit.
As you study this list keep in mind that not all instances of each word always allude to the Holy Spirit. For example, "wind" can be representative of the force of the world system (Mt. 11:7), and "water" is sometimes associated with the Word of God (Eph. 5:26).
Wind(John 3:8)— ...is life giving (Gen. 2:7), regenerates (Ezk. 37:1-10), and is mysterious in its workings (John 3:8). On that last thought, in the days of our Lord's earthly ministry most of the ancients had no real idea as to where the wind came from and to where it would be going. This compares to the fact that those who are unregenerate (have not been born again) have very little understanding as to how those born of, and led by, the Spirit conduct their lives by the leading of the Spirit.
Oil (Zech. 4:1-14)— ... at times is a symbol of joy (Isa. 61:3), gives light (Ex. 25:6), and speaks of authorized service (Acts 10:38). On that last reference, note that by the Spirit Peter states, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good..." The word "anoint" is to be associated with the term, "oil."
By the Spirit, Isaiah prophesied of Christ in Isa. 11:1-9, stating in verse 2 that the Holy Spirit would rest upon Him in the following manner:
"And the spirit of YHVH shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of YHVH;"
This resting of the Holy Spirit upon Christ would be equivalent to the anointing, and in verse 2 above we can easily see seven "components" of that oil. This certainly correlates with Rev. 1:4, 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6. Here is Rev. 4:5—
And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
In an earlier lesson you learned that God subsists as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—three in one. We compared the truth of a three in one entity with ourselves being made of body, soul and spirit. Is there a natural example of seven in one? Indeed there is. Natural light is comprised of various wavelengths. When natural light strikes raindrops at the proper angle a rainbow is formed. A rainbow is considered as having seven main colors, viz., red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. It is good to remember that a rainbow in God's Word symbolizes that God keeps His promises (Gen. 9:13). By the way, if you place a little clean oil on water on a sunny day and look at it at a certain angle you will also rainbow colors.
Now, consider the words of Rev. 4:5, "...seven lamps of fire burning..." Lamps emit light, so the point is quite valid that light, being composed of seven main colors, illustrates the fact there are seven spirits in the one Holy Spirit. Adding to this, we may note that Christ said in John 8:12c, "...I am the light of the world."
Fire (Mt. 3:11)— ...sanctifies (Isa. 4:4), consumes (Mt. 3:11-12) and inspires (Jer. 20:9). With these thoughts there is added meaning to Rev. 4:5.
Dove(Mark 1:10)—...denotes a descending and hovering (Mk. 1:10). In regard to hovering also see Ge. 1:2. In regard to descending, we see the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the Word of God as recorded in Acts 10:44. A dove represents reconciliation (Gen. 8:8-12). It also symbolizes mourning (Isa. 38:14, and with that remember what you have just read concerning Zech. 12:10).
Earnest (2 Cor. 1:22)— According to Strong this Greek word denotes "money which in purchases is given as a pledge or down-payment that the full amount will subsequently be paid." The word is used in two other places, 2 Cor. 5:5 where it is viewed as a pledge in regard to our resurrection body and of our general inheritance in Christ in Eph. 1:14. While "earnest" is not specifically used in Rom. 8:23, we do see the term "firstfruits" which corresponds to the term "down-payment."
Seal (Eph. 1:13)— ...speaks of authority (Est. 8:8), attestation (1 Cor. 9:2), and ownership ( 2 Tim. 2:19). In contexts similar to the seven seals on the scroll in Revelation (Rev. 5:1 and 5 and the passages afterward to 8:1.), Vine4 states there is a combining of the ideas of "security and destination those of secrecy and postponement of disclosures."
Wine (Eph. 5:18-19)— ...is noted for being an ingredient for worship (Joel 1:10) and a complement to bread (Jdg. 19:19). It speaks of gladness (Psa. 104:15).
Water (John 7:37-39)— ...satisfies thirst (John 7:37), flows in manifestation (John 7:38), essential for life and is life giving (Eze. 47:1-12).
Take a quiz. English only.
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1Cunningham, Robert C.: Filled with the Spirit (Gospel Publishing House: Springfield, MO. 1972) p. 28
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