Holy Spirit

	"For what the Law could not do," Paul writes in Romans 8:3-11, "weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and {as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.  For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able { to do so}; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you."
	As we have seen in past discussions, God is the Creator, the sustainer and the controller.  He is spirit.  He is near.  He is the judge.  Jesus is also divine.  He is the redeemer and reconciler.  He is the head of the church.  He is the king.  Today we're going to take a look at the Holy Spirit, the third being of the Godhead.
	Before we examine specific characteristics of the Holy Spirit, we need to make some preliminary observations.  First of all, the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit is a "He," not an "it."  In other words, the Holy Spirit is a living being and not an inanimate force.  Then, although the Bible does not use the word, "Trinity," it does contain the concept of a Divine Nature or Godhead.
	"Being then the offspring of God," Paul preaches in Acts 17:29, "we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man."
	The King James version uses "Godhead" in the place of "Divine Nature."
	"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations," Jesus commands in Matthew 28:19, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
	While our finite minds may not be able to grasp the complex nature of the Godhead, it exists just the same.  Just what is the relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
	"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," we read in 1 Peter 1:1-2, "who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."
	This passage indicates that what we have comes from God through Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
	What can we learn, now, about the Holy Spirit?  For one thing, He inspires.  Sometimes this inspiration takes the form of revealing.
	"It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves," 1 Peter 1:12 says of the prophets, "but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven-- things into which angels long to look."
	"That by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief," Paul indicates in Ephesians 3:3-5.  "And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit."
	"For to us God revealed {them} through the Spirit," we find in 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, "for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.  For who among men knows the {thoughts} of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the {thoughts} of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual {thoughts} with spiritual {words.}  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised."
	The Holy Spirit inspires by revelation.  He also inspires by reminding.
	"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things," Jesus promises His apostles in John 14:26, "and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
	The Holy Spirit inspires by revealing and reminding.  In addition, He inspires by guiding.
	"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth," Jesus adds in John 16:13, "for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come."
	The Holy Spirit inspires by revealing, reminding and guiding.  And He inspires by moving or motivating.
	"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is {a matter} of one's own interpretation," 2 Peter 1:20-21 expresses, "for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
	What do we have in our hands when we pick up the Bible?  We have an inspired book.  The Holy Spirit has motivated these writers.  He has reminded the authors of things which they have experienced and revealed to them that which they have not.  He has guided these men in their writing.

	The Holy Spirit inspires.  For those who have written the Scriptures, He has revealed, reminded, guided and motivated.
	Through this, the Holy Spirit carries out a second task.  He glorifies. 
	"He shall glorify Me," Jesus states in John 16:14, "for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose {it} to you."
	The Holy Spirit inspires and glorifies.  He also bears witness.  As we have already seen, He bears witness of Jesus.  But he bears witness of something else, too.
	"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God," Paul notes in Romans 8:16-17, "and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with {Him} in order that we may also be glorified with {Him.}"
	"Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God," Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, "who also sealed us and gave {us} the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge."
	The Holy Spirit bears witness to our adoption as children of God.
	The Holy Spirit inspires, glorifies and bears witness.  According to Romans 8:26-27, He mediates.
	"And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness," this passage points out, "for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for {us} with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to {the will of} God."
	The Holy Spirit inspires, glorifies, bears witness and mediates.  Taking another look at 1 Peter 1:2, we find that He sanctifies.
	"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ," we read in this Scripture, "to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure."
	We have seen how the Holy Spirit has guided the inspired writers.  Through the Scriptures, He also guides and leads us.
	"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh," Paul advises in Galatians 5:16-17. "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."
	For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God," Romans 8:14 teaches.
	The Holy Spirit inspires, glorifies, bears witness, mediates, sanctifies and guides.  We should mention two other tasks before we close.  The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin.
	"But I tell you the truth," Jesus says in John 16:7-11, "it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.  And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged."
	The Holy Spirit convicts sinners.  On the other hand, He refreshes believers.
	"Now on the last day, the great {day} of the feast," John 7:37-39 records, "Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, "From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet {given,} because Jesus was not yet glorified."
	Regardless of what we do or say, the Holy Spirit inspires, glorifies, bears witness, mediates, sanctifies and guides.  But our relationship with Him in the last two areas depends on our actions.  Will we ignore the divine instructions that He has inspired and, as a result, be convicted with the world?  Or will we be refreshed because we have obeyed the truth and been set free?

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."