Wednesday: Divine Word of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit performs certain works, which the Bible ascribes only to God. He is active in the divine work of the creation, and He is just as active in God’s re-creation of sinners.
Read Titus 3:4-6. How does Paul describe the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the process of re-creation?
Image © Sally Weimer from GoodSalt.com
The Holy Spirit is mentioned side by side with “God our Savior” (Titus 3:4, NASB) in the context of the washing of regeneration (baptism) and our spiritual renewal (Titus 3:5). He is the agent of our new birth. He renews our hearts. He awakens our desire to follow Christ. He is the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2). He is the One who sanctifies sinners and transforms their character. He helps us to be obedient to Jesus Christ, who saved us. Only a divine being is capable of such wonderful things.
Compare Isaiah 6:8-10 with Acts 28:25-27. Whom do the biblical writers attribute the divine speaking to?
There are several biblical passages in which, on the one hand, God is said to be speaking and in which other biblical writers state that the Holy Spirit is said to be speaking. It is the Holy Spirit who supernaturally imparted the Holy Scriptures to us (2 Pet. 1:21), something that elsewhere is described as God’s inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16). Giving the Scriptures is another divine work of the Spirit.
What does Romans 8:11 teach us about the divinity of the Holy Spirit?
The Bible states that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and will also raise us. Only God has the power to raise people from the dead. Hence the Holy Spirit is God.
| What are changes you can make that would cause you to be more open to the leading of the Holy Spirit? That is, what practices might be keeping you from clearly discerning His leading in your life? |
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There is no way we may be guided spiritually if we can't allow the spirit of God to our lives.
The more we learn, know and recognize the divinity of the HS, the more we should accept his guidance in our lives!
We are so busy these days that we can easily forget that we need to exercise continuous contact with God and Christ, through the HS. Constant communion is one of the steps to follow His will...
The Holy Spirit is a true comforter & friend. He can renew us, if we let Him.
How can we feel if the Holy Spirit is in us?
I'm not sure it will be felt, but we'll know the Holy Spirit is there by our actions & our increased hungry for God
And a strong passion for truth and the salvation of others.
Joseph, when the Holy Spirit is in control of us it can be seen in our appearance. It is seen in our face, our choice of clothing. Our conversation of life is like that of Christ when the Holy Spirit motivates us instead of our selfishness. Love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, temperance, the Righteousness of Christ, etc. characterizes our actions. We have the motivation for the thoughts and feelings that make up that mind which was also in Christ Jesus.
Question:is it possible for someone who is not baptize to have holy spirit working in him?
Tito, John the Beloved tells us that Christ is the light that lightens *every* person. (John 1:9) This indicates to me that the Holy Spirit is active in every life unless he is totally rejected.
I believe that when a person hears about the God head and decides they want to make a change and follow Christ, even before baptisim with constant reading of the bible and positive support from others, they will feel the Holy Spirit working in them.
It could not be otherwise. People come to God (and become baptized) because He draws them, and that is the Holy Spirit's role. Consider for example the unbaptized pagan Cornelius that Peter was sent to reach. He received a vision telling him to go and ask for Peter. That vision was undoubtedly given by the Holy Spirit.
Sure if he could use a dumb donkey, or the king Nebuchadnezzar he is surely able to us anyone.
The lesson states that the Holy Spirit raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11), yet for eg., Acts 2:24,32, 3:15,26 and John 10:17-18 indicate the Father and Jesus himself raised Him. EGW calls the Holy Spirit "the personal presence of God." The Godhead raised Jesus from the dead. The Spirit emanates from the Father and Son.
Indeed, if the Holy Spirit is God, then the presence of the Spirit is "the personal presence of God." The verses you cited emphasize that the Godhead works in unity and the same acts are often ascribed to one or the other of the members of the Godhead or to all three. So let's examine the texts you provided:
Acts 2:24,32, 3:15,26 all indicate that God raised Jesus from the dead. The way we understand it, "God" is the generic word that is used for any or all members of the Godhead and is thus in perfect accordance with the other verses. On the other hand, a careful reading of John 10:17-18 says that Jesus gave up His life willingly - that no one could take it from Him if He did not give it up. He also claimed the power to raise Himself from the dead. Nevertheless, it seems to me that He waited for the Father to call Him before He rose from the dead.
What do you mean by saying that "The Spirit emanates from the Father and the Son"? Can a person "emanate" from another person? Perhaps this discussion should be shelved until next week's topic on "The Personality of the Holy Spirit" which deals with the Spirit being a Person, just as much as Christ, rather than some sort of "emanation."
It appears that the Holy Spirit lives and works from within any person He is working with rather than from outside. We are told that the Holy Spirit works in the conscience of our mind. Working to motivate God the Father and Christ, the Holy Spirit finds the function of producing fruit that is quite motivational such as Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, etc.
To emanate from within God to within another person would seem a reasonable occupation of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit did not just raise Jesus from the dead, he even was the one to impregnate Mary.
I can believe that The Father may have had something to do with that too.
I have problem with the usage of Romans 8:11 to explain the divinity of the Holy Spirit in that he raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Now, let's look at the text again: "But if the Spirit of HIM that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, HE that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11 KJV). Here, I think Paul is talking about indwelling of the Holy Spirit, making reference to God as the giver of the Holy Spirit. As it reads ".... the spirit of HIM that RAISED Christ from the dead......" The pronoun HIM is being used in place of God, as the one who did the action of RAISING up Christ but not the Holy spirit. I accept the divinity of the Holy Spirit, but the text is being used wrongly.
Is says that an angel came down and Cried," Jesus arise your father has called you." I think we often speculate to much on who is who and who did what. What is great is that Jesus did wake from the dead and we now have this hope.
Thank you, Kwame, I never saw it exactly that way before. The "Him" is the one who is doing the raising from the dead. The Spirit of "Him" can dwell in us but "He" who's Spirit is dwelling in us is doing the raising from the dead.
My question then is, "Does this Spirit have something to do with the resurrection of the dead soul as He did in the creation of Adam originally? Is He as much involved in the re-creation as He is in the original ceation? Could it be the same role, to motivate the thoughts and feelings of that soul?"
We must never forget that there is only one God. Just like when my wife and I got married, we became but one. It took both of us the make only one family. Me alone, or her alone would never of worked. God was completely envolved in creation and redemption, all of him.
By being more aware that the Holy Spirit cares about my hurts in life, and being open to listening to his guidance. Just being more watchful of everyone around me and what God wants me to do.