Thursday: The Holy Spirit and Christ
The Holy Spirit effected the incarnation of Jesus (Luke 1:34-35). He anointed Jesus for His mission (Luke 3:21-22). The anointing of Jesus endued Him with power to fulfill His Messianic mission and qualified Him to bestow the Holy Spirit on His disciples. The Holy Spirit guided and sustained Jesus in His temptations (Mark 1:12; Matt. 4:1; Luke 4:1-2, Luke 4:14) so that Jesus “is able to aid those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18, NKJV; compare with Heb. 4:15-16).
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for this redemptive work (Heb. 9:14) and made Jesus’ resurrection possible (1 Pet. 3:18). In all this the Holy Spirit remained in the background and helped to bring Jesus Christ to prominence.
Read Luke 24:44-49; Galatians 5:16-23; and Ephesians 4:23-24. What do we learn about the work of the Holy Spirit in these passages? How does the Holy Spirit glorify Jesus?
The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus in at least the following ways:
- By teaching about Him in the Holy Scriptures in a trustworthy and reliable manner. Nothing that is necessary for us to know about Christ and His salvation is missing or misleading. It’s all there in the Word of God, if we would but read it in faith and submission.
- By drawing men and women into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit gently works on people’s hearts and minds. He gives them understanding so that they understand spiritual things and so that they will be willing to place their trust in Jesus Christ and accept Him as their Leader and Redeemer.
- By reproducing Christ’s character in us. He thus brings to life Christlike virtues in our lives (Gal. 5:22-23). Through the blood of Jesus we are given victory over sin (compare Rev. 12:11) and the Holy Spirit enables us to walk in faithfulness to God’s commandments.
- By enabling us to live a Christlike, selfless, and loving life of service to others. He calls men and women into specific lines of work for God and enables us to reach out to others in the attractive Spirit of Christ.
| How does the work of reproducing the character of Christ in our lives bring glory to the Father? |
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But, I want you to see that the effects of this Holy Ghost went much deeper than the initial experience, and it installed in them something that would go on and on and on...
The Holy Spirit effected the incarnation of Jesus and supported His redemptive work behind the scenes. So if Hebrews 9:14 (NKJV) is questioning my conscience (faith) for idleness because I have been cleansed by the spotless blood of Jesus Christ and blessed with gifts to serve. I am born-again (baptized) so am made alive by the Spirit (1 Peter 3:18 NKJV). The Spirit is (now and forever will be) living in me, meaning I am fully equipped to do good works.
It is now my/our turn to pour out that Spirit for my/our fellowman, in other words to reproduce Christ-like character (Gal. 5:22-23).
If we are still struggling, then we are not in the Spirit but of the world. We simply cannot live by worldly desires and expect our spiritual lives to grow. We need to have it the other way around, live by the Spirit and see your blessings grow in your physical life. The Spirit world is a world of stepping out in faith, to doing good for the glory of Jesus Christ/God. Be yourself, do not try to be somebody else. Step out in faith with what you are blessed and give the glory back to God.
It is written in 1 John 1:9 that when we sin and confess. He is faithful and just to forgive us for our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. Peter struggled with his faith. The fact that we struggle is that the Holy Spirit is working. If there is no struggle, then we are either lost or are in Christ Jesus.
The attainment of Christ like character,shows the goodness of God,as a result people will admire to live that life.
If, somehow, a few traces of the love of Jesus can be seen in our lives, perhaps we're in the right way... But this is an impact on others, because what is natural to us cannot surprise (ourselves)! May God impress our hearts to do the right thing, always. While we fail (because we do), May the Grace of Jesus cover us.
To the question at the end, 2 Cor 3:3 reveals to us our appointed responsibility towards the Holy Spirit's influence over us.
In studying today's lesson, I was blessed by the reading of Luke 24:44-49 and Gal 5:16-23. However, I do not find that Ephesians 4:23,24 relates to the topic of the Holy Spirit directly. The use of the word "spirit" in verse 23 is not referring to the Holy Spirit, which we can decipher from the fact that no capital "S" is used and from the text "spirit of your mind." Thus, it appears that the "spirit" referred to is actually the "condition" or "state" of your mind. When you invite the actual Holy Spirit into your life, then the spirit of your personal life/thoughts will mirror the Holy Spirit and you will be like Him. However, the Holy Spirit would never be a spirit of our mind, but the Spirit that lives in us and shapes our minds.
Otherwise, I'm blessed by the lesson! Blessings!
The life we live in Christ Jesus, love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness and faith are attributes to the work of reproducing the character of Jesus christ in our lives, this practise will bring glory to the Father.
When we love our Lord Jesus with all our hearts, when we by His grace and mercy in obedience show love to all mankind, when we share the love of God with our fellow men by preaching and teaching, do what we can to help meet peoples need, God sees us in secret and He reward us in secret. Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me Matthew 25:40.
May God help us to be faithful in all things. God bless
Last question first, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus by helping us to understand His vital importance in saving us from sin, and by bringing to our view the love for humanity He displayed in His life, His death in our place, and His eager desire to save all who will receive Him and believe on His name.
The work of the Holy Spirit includes empowering sinners to live as Jesus lived; in perfect harmony with the will of God, which is our sanctification. We can only become holy as God is holy(1 Pe 1:15) by the power of the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit cannot dwell where sin dwells, so we must repent, and present ourselves as living sacrifices unto God, who will transform us by the renewing of our minds through the “washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost”. As breath brings life and healing to the body, the Holy Breath gives life and healing to the soul.
I believe that Christ reliance on our Father and the Holy Spirit was necessary, as an example to us. We glorify God when we submit and/or surrender our lives/will to Him.
I see the work of the Holy Spirit as a continuation of the work of Jesus. Unable to continue with all of us personally,because in His human nature He has lost His omnipresence, “The Holy Spirit, which proceeds from the only-begotten Son of God, binds the human agent, body, soul, and spirit, to the perfect, divine-human nature of Christ.” {EGW, 1SM 251.1}
"When God’s people take the position that they are the temple of the Holy Ghost, Christ Himself abiding within, they will so clearly reveal Him in spirit, words and actions, that there will be an unmistakable distinction between them and Satan’s followers." {Ms100-1902 (July 14, 1902) par. 24} - EGW
Just as Jesus' disciples were distinct from all those around them by their connection to the Savior, so also shall we be distinct from the world by the indwelling Christ by His Spirit. Jesus continues His work with His people and the more we come to realize that "without Me ye can do nothing", the more He will be able to work within us as we become partakers of the divine nature and are changed into His image.