Read 1 Peter 1:14-16. Why is the ultimate motivation for holiness just the reality of God Himself? What motivates you to live a holy life? What does it mean that God is holy? It’s popular to emphasize God’s love while ignoring His holiness. While God is love, the idea of holiness is more often connected … [Click to read more …]
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 Pet. 1:14-16; Isa. 6:3; Heb. 12:14; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Tim. 1:8; Ps. 15:1-2. Memory Text: “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians … [Click to read more …]
You can view an in-depth discussion of “The Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit” in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris. (Adobe Flash Player version.) A Youtube version of this week’s lesson at Hope Sabbath School is below. You can download the video, the MP3 audio, and the lesson outline … [Click to read more …]
It is only natural for any person to seek control of one’s life. We normally depend on our own efforts to achieve all that we can. While many people spend their lives in a quest for control, others have an unhealthy fear of losing control. This human dilemma finds an answer only in God. He … [Click to read more …]
Read Galatians 5:16-26 and compare it with Ephesians 5:1-9, Ephesians 5:17-20. List the differences between a self-centered life and a life that is filled with the Spirit. The life of a person who does not live in the Spirit is radically different from the life and values of a person who is filled with the … [Click to read more …]
Read Acts 5:32. Why is obedience to God’s Word an important condition for receiving the Holy Spirit? Then, as now, the Holy Spirit is granted to all who obey God. In the Bible, love and obedience go hand in hand, and true faith is expressed in obedience. If we trust God with all our hearts, … [Click to read more …]
My husband and I were very blessed by watching this video by Dr Jo Ann Davidson, Professor of Theology and author of the 2012 Adult Bible Study Guide on Glimpses of Our God. The presentation focuses on the triune nature of our God, and we were really touched by the sense of awe and delight in God that … [Click to read more …]
God’s Word points to certain conditions needed for the Spirit to abide in us. We will look at some important ones during the next two days. Read Acts 2:37-38. What is the first condition for receiving the Holy Spirit? One condition for receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is repentance. Hearing the Word of … [Click to read more …]
Read Ephesians 5:18, Acts 13:52, and Romans 8:9. What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? How does being filled with the Spirit happen in our lives? Once we are baptized and belong to Christ, we should live in the power of the Spirit. For this to happen we have to be … [Click to read more …]
Read Mark 1:8 (compare with Matt. 3:11, Luke 3:16, and John 1:33), Acts 1:5, and Acts 11:16. What other rite of initiation goes together with the baptism of the Spirit? In the New Testament there are only seven passages that speak about being baptized in the Holy Spirit. Four of those passages go back to … [Click to read more …]
