The mere fact that people anxiously ask whether they have committed the unforgivable sin reveals that they most surely haven’t. If they had committed it, they certainly wouldn’t be worrying about it. Their worry is all the evidence they need that, indeed, they are still open to the Spirit’s leading. What the person should do … Continue reading –>
Alluring sin. The lesson for this week opens with the comment that sin is appealing and alluring to us humans and the thought that we are “feeble sinners.” What is the cure for being attracted to sin? How can the Holy Spirit help to separate us from the lure of sin that the evil one presents … Continue reading –>
Read Mark 3:28-29; Luke 12:10; and Matthew 12:31-32. If all sins and blasphemies can be forgiven, what is it that cannot be forgiven? Perhaps no other sin has caused greater uncertainty and anguish among Christians and has been more misunderstood than has the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Some think that Jesus has in mind … Continue reading –>
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21. How can the Holy Spirit be quenched? The word “quenching” suggests the idea of a fire. The same Greek root word is used in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and in Ephesians 6:16. This suggests that something about the Holy Spirit is like a fire that we can extinguish. We should remember that … Continue reading –>
That the Holy Spirit can be grieved tells us that God is not indifferent to us and what we do. God is affected by what we decide and how we live. Read Ephesians 4:25-5:2. What are we told to do here and how different would our lives be were we to follow these biblical commands? … Continue reading –>
Read Ephesians 4:30. Here Paul uses an imperative and admonishes us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a personal being, not just a divine force. That is why He can be grieved. But how do we grieve the Holy Spirit? Perhaps we … Continue reading –>
Read Acts 7:51. What warning was given here, and how does it apply to us today, as well? There are a number of sins specifically mentioned in Scripture as sins against the Holy Spirit. Many of those sins are on the individual level. However, there is also a corporate dimension involved, as we can conclude … Continue reading –>
Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. Mark 5:15 NKJV When the demoniac became converted, he was clothed and in his right mind. So today, the closer we come to Jesus the more appropriately we dress. In … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:24-25; Eph. 4:25-5:2; 1 Thess. 5:19-21; Mark 3:28-29. Memory Text: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30, NKJV). The Holy Spirit has the unique ability to lead sinners to an awareness of their … Continue reading –>
Key Thought: As we pray, believe, and claim the promise of the Spirit; He will be poured out on us in abundant measure. Lesson 10, March 11, 2017 1. Have a volunteer read Romans 8:26,27. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is. b. Is … Continue reading –>
Read Ellen G. White, “Asking to Give,” pp. 139-149, in Christ’s Object Lessons. For a helpful collection of encouraging promises read Ellen G. White, “God has Promised” (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982). Without prayer, we would have no spiritual power in our lives, because prayer connects us to the Source of that power. Without … Continue reading –>
Read Ephesians 3:16 and Acts 2:38. What do these texts tell us about receiving the Holy Spirit in our lives? There are many things we can pray for, but there is one great need in this time of peril in which we live: it is the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is the greatest … Continue reading –>
