Forgotten God Ch. 3 (Theology of the Holy Spirit 101)
Posted by Tyler Conrad | | Posted On Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 11:02 AM
In this chapter, Francis examines what scripture says about the Holy Spirit. Since much of the Holy Spirit is mysterious, this theology is far from complete, but it is a start. In the video that went with this chapter, Francis compared the church (in general) to a football team that gets in a huddle, calls a play, gets pumped up about it, and then goes and sits on the bench instead of running the play. A good thought to chew on for a while! Below are the questions/ concepts we went through relating to the theology of the Holy Spirit. Who the Spirit Is
1. Read the following statements about the Holy Spirit. Take your time. Think about the practical implications of that particular attribute of the Spirit. If you want to spend more time on each point, look up the accompanying Scripture references. Under each statement, record your thoughts about how understanding that truth about the Spirit should affect our lives.
a. The Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not an impersonal force or thing. Many people refer to the Spirit as an “it,” but the Bible consistently describes the Spirit as a Person (for example, see Matthew 28:19 where the Spirit is an equal member of the personal Godhead or Ephesians 4:30 where He is said to have emotions). Rather than using the Spirit as an energy boost or tapping into Him like an electric current, we actually talk to Him, relate to Him, cooperate with Him, and make ourselves available to Him (2 Corinthians 13:14). Give an example of how this difference between Person and thing should affect the way we live.
b. The Holy Spirit is God. He is not less than the Father or the Son; He is consistently presented as equal (Matt. 28:19). Just like the other members of the Godhead, the Spirit is sometimes referred to simply as “God” (Acts 5:3-4). How do you think this ought to change the way we relate to Him?
c. The Holy Spirit is eternal and holy. We read in the gospel of John about Jesus’ promise to His disciples that the Spirit will be with them forever (14:16). And in Hebrews we read that it was through “the eternal Spirit” that Jesus “offered himself unblemished to God (9:14).” Because the Spirit is holy (Romans 1:4; 5:5) and dwells in us, our bodies are holy sanctuaries from God’s vantage point. Too often we disdain our bodies as the source of sin and our fallenness; yet they are precisely where God the Spirit chooses to dwell! Thoughts?
d. The Holy Spirit has His own mind and will. He thinks and acts according to His own will and the will of God the Father (Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 12:11). The Spirit strategically enables and empowers us to fulfill our mission here on earth. How should the thought that the Holy Spirit has His own mind and will affect the way you think and plan?
e. The Holy Spirit has emotions. Paul tells us not to grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). When there is disunity and lack of love, whether with other people or with God Himself, we cause the Spirit to grieve. We rarely think about the effect our sin has on God, but He is clearly saddened when we fail to honor Him as we ought. How should understanding that the Spirit can be grieved affect our attitudes toward sin?
f. The Holy Spirit is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present. In Zechariah 4:6 God calls His people to rely on the power of the Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-16, Paul not only says that the Holy Spirit knows everything, but that He reveals truth to us. And in Psalm 139:7-8, David tells us that the Spirit is everywhere, and we cannot escape His presence. How do these three truths affect the way we look to the Spirit?
What the Holy Spirit Does In and Through Us
2. God’s Spirit works in and through us in a variety of ways to glorify Himself. Below is a list of ways that He does this. For each item, ask yourself, “How is the Spirit working in this way in my everyday life? Or how might He do so?”
a. The Spirit helps us when we are in precarious situations and need to bear witness (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12).
b. The Counselor teaches and reminds us of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and our strength. He guides us in the way we should go (Ps. 143:10; John 14-16; Acts 9:31; 13:2; 15:28; 1 Cor. 2:9-10; 1 John 5:6-8).
c. From the Spirit we receive power to be God’s witnesses to the ends of the earth. It is the Spirit who draws people to the gospel, the Spirit who equips us with the strength we need to accomplish God’s purposes. The Holy Spirit not only initially draws people to God the Father, but He also draws believers closer to Jesus (Acts. 1:8; Romans 8:26; Eph. 3:16-19).
d. By the power of the Spirit we put to death the misdeeds of the body. The Spirit sets us free from sin, which we cannot get rid of on our own. This is a lifelong process we entered into, in partnership with the Spirit, when we first believed (Rom. 8:2).
e. Through the Spirit we have received adoption as children, which leads us into intimacy with the Father, instead of a relationship based on fear and slavery. The Spirit bears witness to us that we are God’s children (Rom. 8:15-16).
f. The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin. He does this both before we initially enter into right relationship with God and as we journey through this life as believers (John 16:7-11; 1 Thess. 1:5).
g. The Spirit brings us life and freedom. Where the Spirit is, there is freedom, not bondage or slavery. In our world that is plagued with death, this is a profound truth that points to real hope (Rom. 8:10-11; 2 Cor. 3:17).
h. By the power of the Holy Spirit we abound with hope because our God is a God of hope, who fills His children with all joy and peace (Rom. 15:13).
i. As members of God’s kingdom community, each of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit in our lives for the purpose of the common good. We all have something to offer because of what the Spirit gives us (1 Cor. 12:7).
j. The fruit of being led by the Spirit of God includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These attitudes and actions will characterize our lives as we allow ourselves to be grown and molded by the Spirit. The Spirit is our sanctifier (Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Cor. 3:18).
k. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. When we don’t know what to pray for or what to do, He actually intercedes on our behalf. He gives us strength in the midst of uncertainty and asks the Father to work according to His will (Rom. 8:26-27).
3. Take a minute to ponder the amazing power of the Spirit of God. Looking at the situations God has placed you in, what do you think He might be calling you to do through the power of the Spirit? If you are willing, say them out loud and keep each other accountable for them.
4. Spend some time in prayer. After looking through these Scriptures about who the Holy Spirit is and what He does, there are bound to be a number of things that you need to begin applying to your life. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit so that the world around you will see His power.
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