Sabbath: The Holy Spirit
Read for This Week’s Study: John 14:16-18; John 14:26; John 15:26; Matt. 12:31-32; John 16:8; John 3:5-8; Luke 11:9-13.
Memory Text: And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:16, NKJV).
Of the three Persons of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is the least understood. It is ironic that the Person who is closest to us, the Being who produces the new birth in us, who dwells in us and transforms us, is the One we know so little about.
Why? To begin with, the Bible is less explicit regarding the Holy Spirit than it is about the Father and the Son. There are many references to the Spirit in Scripture, but most are metaphoric or symbolic. The Bible gives us ample information about the work of the Spirit, but it says little about His nature.
Another reason arises from the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is constantly trying to focus our attention on Christ, not on His own Person. In the plan of salvation, the Spirit plays a subordinated role, serving the Father and the Son, although this function does not imply inferiority in essence.
This week, as we listen to what Jesus taught about the Spirit, let us eagerly pray for His transforming presence in our lives.
*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, July 19.
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It seems from my study that the Holy Spirit is primary in the very motivation of God the same as He is in God's children. When Abraham gave up the Ghost, he died. When Jesus gave up His Spirit He died. When Jesus was resurrected from the tomb it was the Holy Spirit that quickened Him from the tomb (Romans 8). The same Spirit also quickens us from being dead in trespasses and sins. The Holy Spirit may have been involved in the Breath of Life God breathed into the nostrils of Adam (look in Strong's lexicon). I believe the Holy Spirit to be the motivation for basic thoughts and feelings in those in God's Kingdom. Thoughts and feelings are basic to produce habits which make up character.
I especially like the idea of the Spirit quickening us. I believe that the willful commission of a known sin silences the witnessing voice of the Spirit, and separates our souls from God. This is why we need a new spirit Ps. 51:10. Then we can receive divine light and cooperate with God because we are born again, freed from the defilement of sin by the power and spirit of Christ. We commune with Christ and cleave to him through His spirit. We must cooperate with Christ's spirit in the labor of overcoming. For this reason we were given Jesus "the comforter". Through faith God delights to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think if we faithfully surrender to the indwelling of Christ's spirit.
It Is Christ' s spirit that brings conviction to hearts, but we must take in the spirit of Christ if we would impart it to others. It was the pleasure of the Father that in Christ should "all the fullness dwell," and "in Him ye are made full". Col 1:19, 2:10. In Thursday's lesson last week we were told that we need to accept the third person of the Godhead by Faith because we can't explain it rationally. God says come let us reason together. If there is no reason to the science of salvation it becomes presumption. With so much written about Jesus the comforter in whom dwells all fullness how does a third person fit? Christ said if you've seen me you've seen the father. If Christ is the physical representation of the invisible father, and they share a spirit of unity what would be the purpose for a second visible member. Somewhere we would have a quote like (in Christ and in the spirit dwell all the fullness of the Godhead). Christ can be our comforter because in his humanity he was touched with the feeling of our infirmities and in so many ways is our savior? Why do we need another other than for ecuminism?
Jesus said, "I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" (Jn 14:16 NKJV). Another implies someone other than Jesus.
If the Holy Spirit of Jesus is in us then the Spirit brings the thoughts and feelings of Jesus into us which is the same as Jesus being in us. In essence this "other Comforter" is the same as Jesus, but working inside us invisibly putting the countenance of Jesus on our face--Jesus inside us. Then we can truthfully say I do nothing but the Father teaches me, like Jesus did.
It is of vital importance not to identify the word spirit with the Holy Spirit in the Bible. The Ghost that Abraham gave up is the BREATH of life. The spirit that Jesus gave up on the cross was His BREATH.
If there is one thing that the body of Christ is lacking it is the Holy Spirit we think that Holy Spirit is number 3 where's God the Father,Son and HS are one and equal. They are not 1,2&3 but just ONE!!! And we really do need to study more about the Holy Spirit because without us understanding it we will not make it! Or we will barely make it! We will liv a defeated Christian life with no Power! We will never know the maximum enjoyment of being a Christian here on earth! Holy Spirit is the key for us to liv a victorious life! It teaches us the word! How to worship! How to Pray! It reminds us! It comfort us! It reveals mistrys of God! John 4 v 24 God is spirit they that worship Him should worship Hin in spirit and in truth! And the just shall liv by Faith- you can't be in faith if you are not in spirit in fact in order for us to do our best we really need the Holy spirit in every Area of our Christian life.
Often, as I pray for the renewing of my heart, I wonder---do I ask Jesus to come into my heart or the Holy Spirit? I think it is His spirit. Over the years I have had a hard time with the Trinity. I keep going back and forth because I am supposed to believe in Three. It is rather exhausting! I don't talk to the Spirit. I talk to my Father or Jesus. Is the spirit going to feel left out? Guess I think mostly of the spirit being a powerful force, a line, a connection, wifi? 😉
I think that you will find that God is not really concerned about which member of the Godhead you talk to in your prayer. God has many ways of Him communicating to us and vice versa and I am sure that he understands whatever name we use. I have a variety of names for my wife and sometimes I don't use a name at all; but she knows when I am talking to her.
I have heard lots of arguments about who we are praying to and I think that most of them fall far short of the fact that God is always willing to listen to someone who is willing to talk to Him. God is not strong on communication protocol. You talk - he listens! Of course we should seriously think about the other half of the communication cycle too. When God talks, do we listen, or do we turn deaf!
The two ideas I have a problem with are that the son isn't a mind of the comforter/spirit, and the other is that, as a person, the spirit has to have a body. I prefer to believe that the spirit is the mode or agency that unites the father and son with eachother and the universe; the omnipresence nature of the Godhead. A definition of person is agency. The following appears to be an adventist view: "While we reject modalism, we do not deny that a person can be saved while holding that God is not three Persons, but rather simply revealed Himself in three “modes.”
Reading the comments I am left with the impression that there is a degree of confusion about the "Trinity". Could the confusion result from our world view that largely stems from Greek culture versus Hebrew culture? Take a pencil, holding it up in the air, ask someone to define that device for you. Most will start describing it's appearance instead of its functionality. That is Greek thinking. Hebrews, the Biblical authors, thought in terms of functionality, not appearance. So they wrote the same way.
So, when you think of Trinity, do not think of God in terms of appearance but in terms of functionality, what God does, not what God looks like.
God, Jesus (he was not always the Father's Son, otherwise it would imply an eternal mother) functions on our, relational level/scale. We are intelligent creatures. More intelligent then ants, which are more intelligent then rocks. God needs to relate to God's intelligent creatures. That is Jesus's function.
God, Holy Spirit. First time Spirit was mentioned was during creation time. Hovering over the waters. Holy Spirits function is to manipulate matter and energy. Converting water molecules into atmospheric molecules. Dirt molecules into cellular structures, living organisms, living intelligent creatures. Repairing living/dead tissues into healthy organisms/people etc, etc. Just remember what you read about all the healing Jesus performed, that is Holy spirit in action, the functions Holy Spirit performs.
God, Father. Functions as general manager. What ever Jesus said or did, Jesus said he was instructed by the Father.
in Summery... God the Father manages the creation. God the Son relates to the creatures. God the Spirit manipulates the creation.
God is/has unlimited amounts of energy so God converts some of that energy into matter and converts some of that matter into flesh so god can have us to relate to because GOD is LOVE and love can not exist without relating to intelligent creatures.
Deuteronomy 29: 29, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law". When we exhausted all Scripture references to the study of God, we will see a Triune God in 3 separate Persons and one in divine harmony in nature. The Holy Spirit according to what's revealed in Scriptures, is a separate person of the Godhead. Let us dwell with what is clearly revealed to us in the Bible and not guesting our way through the truth. When we venture beyond of what is revealed, then we will enter into that slippery slope that will lead us down to deeper perplexities and Satan will overcome our finite intelligence.
When Jesus acended to Heaven He said : " I Will send you another HELPER ! " He NEVER said: " I Will send u another GOD ! " So how ON EARTH can U call The Spirit of Jesus for God when NEITHER
THE FARHER Jesus NEVER did ?
The scripture view the Holy Spirit as God, Paul told Ananias in Acts 5:3,4. And also Matt: 31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
I think this can be only true if he is God.
Where in the Bible does it say that the holy spirit of Jesus is God ? ? ?
When Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and teach all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. All 3 members of the Godhead were revealed by Jesus in the conveyance of the Great commission to His Disciples. This also show us the involvement of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit in the plan of salvation of mankind. This also shed light on Genesis 1: 24, Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness". The word God is a human term that help our finite minds to comprehend the Almighty. The term God is like a last name, take for example the Kennedy family, there's Ted Kennedy, John Kennedy, but they're all Kennedy. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The study of God is the highest study of all studies we can attend to, and we must approach the study of God with our finite minds, totally surrender to the guidance and leading of the Holy Spirit. Fail to do this will invite the spirit of error to perplexed the understanding. The number one goal of Satan is to misrepresent the true nature of God in the minds of mankind. The Truth is, the Holy Spirit is one of the Godheads. God the Holy Spirit.
What I really do think is that God the Father is the one that overseas all and the Final Decision Maker God the Son is the One whom planted the seed of the Gospel enabling the Spirit to have an easier job in the aspect of our hearts are little opened or have heard a bit of Jesus so that he can work within us in my mind he is our main warrior/ messenger of both sides our link among the three. He works with us tell God the Son/ Jesus about our progress and Jesus prays for us and Plead for us to God. Only makes sense to me... May God bless us and pray that the holy spirit stay and walks within us through our good and bad times.
I think the holyspirit is God's spirit that was in Christ and is in every believer.it is God's seal on us.His power in us.Not another God.in d old testament he gave his spirit to one person at a time f his glory .christ's death and resurrection resulted in God releasing his spirit on earth like in d garden of Eden to commune with man kind and abide with those who will believe.
Perhaps there is another way of understanding what Jesus promised:
" And I will pray the Father, and tHe will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
Jesus said: "you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
Notice that Jesus said that the one coming would be the same one that was living with them--Jesus. But now he would dwell in them in a physically invisible manner; and he concluded by stating: "I will come to you."
In this passage the identity of the Holy Spirit is clearly revealed: It is Jesus' presence manifested in an invisible manner.
Thank you. That was clear.
The Holy Spirit gets inside us and transforms us.It makes us look unto Christ and submit everything to Him. The Father's will is done in our lives through Christ.Without the Holy Spirit there is no Christ in us and therefore we are without God.
So when we are praying we should first ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us to Jesus and through Him the Father's will be done.
Acts 10:44-48 the Gentiles started praising God only after receiving the Holy Spirit
This discussion regarding the position of the Holy Spirit has been inspirational. This subject/question has been explored and debated by many theologians and Bible scholars for many years. While I am neither of the above after my short non exhaustive Bible research (inspired by this dialogue) these past 2 mornings I can only say, Praise God the Father for the Gift of His Son and for the Gift of the Holy Spirit. May we truly understand how wonderful God is and realize these powerful parts of Himself that He has made available to us. May I not grieve the Holy Spirit by doubting its importance or position. It reminds me of the Isrealites complaining even though the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night was there everyday to remind them of God's presence and power. Yet they doubted and grieved God. Therefore I hope to recognize when I complain about my life, that I stop and say "Father, thank you for the Gift of Your Son who came and died so that I can inherit eternal life. Thank you for the Gift of the Holy Spirit to be with me daily, to guide, encourage, comfort and enlighten me. May I not fear nor be discouraged, for you 'Oh God' are with me wherever I go." May I be available to encourage others and share with them how good you are and how wonderful the gift of Jesus Christ and the gift the Holy Spirit are.
I have enjoyed reading the above comments and inspiration to study deeper. God bless us all!
What an inspirational debate. I dont regrate accessing it late 4 l might have miss some of è comments. It really makes me understand what Jesus meant in John 17:3 that "Eternal life is knowing u God ...." Without è knowledge of God we can b totaly lost. Yet we cant know Him if He doesnt reveal Himself 2 us, but we still have 2 choose 2 accept His revelation or not. For me, as è author meantioned in é lesson that è bible gave less information about è humanity of è Holy Spirit, here is è little l found about Him being God. Acts 5:3-4ASV But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back of the price of the land? 4 While it remained, did it not remain thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thy power? How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? Thou has not lied unto men, but unto God. 1JOHN5:7-8KJV For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If yo bible isnt KJV but has foot notes, Plz check them. Matthew 28:19KJV Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost
The conclusion of John 14.16-18 is that Jesus will come to us (v.18)and live in us by his spirit.He does not mention another God.
David is praying in Salm 51: Take not your holy spirit from me.He is praying to God the Father
In Romans 8,9: But you are not in the flesh, you are in the spirit, if Gods spirit lives in you. But if anybody do not have the spirit of Christ, he than do not belong to Christ(translated from a norwegian bible).
You can also read the acts of the apostles 16,7. There it talkes about the spirit of Jesus.
The holy spirit is the spirit of Jesus and the spirit of God the Father it says in these verses above.The holy Spirit is a person in that way that it is Jesus, the Son of God and it is God the Father It is so simple as that and we do not have to be so confused as them that believe in the trinity.
Thank you for your comment, Ruth 🙂
As I understand it, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are so closely united that to know one is to know all of God. Thus the Holy Spirit is "the Spirit of Jesus" and the Spirit of the Father. Yet, He is a distinct person (See Monday's lesson)
Remember Jesus said clearly that to know Him is to know the Father. (See John 14:9) Thus, to talk to Jesus is to talk to the Father, for they are One. (John 10:30) In the same way, to listen to the Holy Spirit is to listen to Christ. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the indwelling of Christ, because He has appointed the Spirit to relate to us on His behalf. (John 15:26)
This is one of the mysteries of the Godhead, and in trying to make it comprehensible to human minds, we are likely to make it less than true.
Oh yes The holy Spirit is fully God 'for He guides us comforts us and lead us into all truth,no one else can do that besides God.