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Introduction
The topic of the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood topics in the church today. It seems that half the church dismisses the Holy Spirit as passé or unnecessary and the other half treats Him like a genie in a bottle. But who is the Holy Spirit? Is He a power or a person? Is the Holy Spirit an "it" or a "He"? Do we really need the Holy Spirit today, and if so...why? On this site we will attempt to answer those pressing questions in the following chapters:
1) The Holy Spirit
A) Who?
B) What?
C) Where?
D) When?
E) Why?
2) The Power of the Holy Spirit: Romans 8
3) The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: I Corinthians 12
4) The Fruits of the Holy Spirit: Galatians 5
5) Who Cannot Receive the Holy Spirit?
6) Conclusions
7) Every New Testament Reference
Initially, in the first chapter, we are attempting to tackle the issue of the Holy Spirit by asking the classic five questions of Who, What, Where, When and Why. This is the most thorough way of investigating any topic. Like a detective, we need to ask the right questions and draw the correct conclusions. Then in Chapters 2-4 we will be looking at the three main manifestations of the Holy Spirit: His Power, His Gifts, and His Fruit. In Chapter 5, we will look at who can, and who cannot, receive the Holy Spirit…and why. In Chapter 6 we will have some concluding observations and then end our study with Chapter 7, quoting every single reference to the Holy Spirit in the New Testament.
1) Who Is the Holy Spirit?
Just a brief clarification before we get started on this chapter, the Holy Spirit is the Holy Ghost. Most older translations of the Bible, such as the King James Version, use the term “Holy Ghost,“ whereas most of the more modern translations, such as the New International Version, use the term “Holy Spirit.” The terms are synonymous.
A) The Comforter:
Jesus said in John 14:16, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; (17) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but ye know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be [on the Day of Pentecost-author] in you. (18) I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you…”
Then in verse 27, Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
B) The Teacher:
Then in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
1 Corinthians 2:10 says, “But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God…”
Verse 12, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
C) The Testifier:
Later in John15:26, Jesus also says, “When the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me.”
D) The Sealer:
Paul said in Ephesians 1:13, “In whom you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…”
Ephesians 4:30 says, “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
E) The Sanctifier and Justifier:
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the (Holy) Spirit of our God.”
F) The Down Payment of Our Inheritance
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest (down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory.”
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