12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:12–17, ESV)

Introduction

The Spirit’s role in my personal sense of calling:

• The Holy Spirit—his power and presence—propelled me into ministry.
  • My story
• So, for me, the Word and the Spirit, the Spirit and the Word, have always been deeply intertwined.

Premise: The Spirit is vital for Christian living and church effectiveness.

• The chaos of our broken world is clear—the landscape is littered with depravity’s fallout.
  • Divided families
  • Digital addictions
  • Rampant pornography
  • Spiritual malaise
  • Prosperous but in pain
    • Anxious
    • Depressed
  • Spiritually poor and blind!
• We cannot simply teach or learn our way out—we need the Spirit’s power.

Problems:

• Abuse: Some traditions blame outrageous or ungodly behavior on the Spirit, creating confusion and misrepresentation.
• Rejection: Other traditions reject the modern day ministry of the Spirit, relegating it to a bygone era of church history.
• Neglect: Churches such as these believe the Spirit operates today and are confident the gifts are for today, but have little anticipation he will actually work in their midst.
  • This is the mushy middle of pneumatology.

Our need:

• My hope: To help nudge our congregation—each one of us, wherever we’re at—further into a biblically rich and relational knowledge of the Spirit as the third Person of the Trinity, who is fully God and our ever-present Helper.
  • In other words: We want to be biblical.
    • Encouragement: As we search the Scriptures, be open.

• Our Outline:

  • Week 1. Who is the Holy Spirit?—The Person and Power of God’s Spirit
  • Week 2. What does the Holy Spirit do?—From Redemption to Transformation
  • Week 3. How do we partner with the Holy Spirit?—Gifts, Filling, and Mission

1. The Spirit is God

What the Bible teaches:

• That the Holy Spirit is the third person of the triune Godhead, meaning he is entirely God, co-equal, and co-eternal with the Father and the Son.
  • This belief is standard Christian doctrine. Why?

He is called God and named with God in Scripture.

• Acts 5:3-4: Peter’s confrontation with Ananias
  • Verse 3: “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?”
  • Verse 4: “You have not lied to man but to God”
  • Clear Equation: Lying to the Holy Spirit = lying to God
• Trinitarian Honor: Often mentioned, honored, and esteemed alongside Father and Son
  • Example—Matthew 28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
  • Co-Equal Status: Co-equal, co-eternal, and co-glorified Spirit of God alongside Father and Son
• Jesus’ baptism—Father spoke, Son baptized, Spirit descended upon the Son.

He possesses the attributes of deity: The Bible ascribes characteristics to the Spirit that belong to God alone.

• He is Omniscient (All-Knowing):
  • 1 Corinthians 2:10-11: “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God”
    • Knows everything God knows, to the depths of his being.
  • John 14:26; 16:13: Teaching all things (John 14:26), guiding into all truth (John 16:13).
  • Romans 8:26-27: Interceding with groanings too deep for words
    • Knows everything within us
    • Searches hearts and reports to the Triune Godhead
  • Isaiah 11:2—He is the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge.
• He is Omnipresent (Everywhere-Present):
  • Psalm 139:7-10: “Where shall I go from your Spirit?”
    • David recounts places far and wide
    • Heaven, Sheol, wings of morning, uttermost parts of sea
    • Affirms Spirit’s pervasive presence
  • 1 Corinthians 3:16: Dwelling in every believer simultaneously
    • Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16, ESV)
  • John 14:16-17: Jesus’ promise of omnipresence—”to be with you forever” (John 14:16).
  • Genesis 1:2: From creation’s beginning, he was pervasively present.
• He is Omnipotent (All-Powerful):
  • Luke 1:35: Gabriel called the Spirit “The power of the Most High.”
    • Miraculous conception of Jesus
  • Ephesians 3:16: God strengthens with power through his Spirit
• He is Eternal and Holy:
  • Eternal—Hebrews 9:14: “The eternal Spirit”
  • Holy—Romans 1:4: “The Spirit of holiness”
    • Scripture repeatedly calls him Holy Spirit
    • Like seraphim crying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts”

He performs the actions of deity: The Spirit does things that only God can do.

• He Creates:
  • Genesis 1:2: “Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters”
    • Hovering, brooding over a nest
    • Actively engaged in creation process
  • Job 33:4: Elihu announced, “The Spirit of God has made me.”
  • Psalm 104:30: Speaking of God’s ongoing work in the natural world, the psalmist wrote, “When you send forth your Spirit, they are created.”
• He Inspires Scripture:
  • 2 Peter 1:21: “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”
    • 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is breathed out by God”
  • Acts 1:16:
    • “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. (Acts 1:16, ESV)
• He Resurrects:
  • Romans 8:11: “The Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead”
    • Romans 1:4: Jesus “declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness”
• He Regenerates Hearts:
  • John 3:5-6: “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit”
  • Titus 3:5: “Washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit”
  • Ezekiel 36:26-27: Fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies
    • “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you”
    • “I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes”

Implications of his divinity:

• He is untameable: You cannot tame, box in, or use him because you cannot tame, box in, or use God. God is a fire. God is unstoppable. God is majestic. God is holy.
• The New Covenant is a most radical doctrine: Through faith in Christ and the Spirit’s regeneration, we have become the temple of the Holy Spirit.

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2. The Spirit is a Person

He is more than a force or essence on behalf of God.

• Common Misconception: Modern people often think of Spirit as impersonal energy or abstract power
• Biblical Reality: He is a divine person
• Language Matters: Not mere semantics to avoid calling him “it”
  • Depersonalizes the very presence of God
  • He is not the Force from Star Wars.

He Has Personal Attributes:

• A Mind:

  • Knows God:
    • 1 Corinthians 2:10: “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God”
  • Knows Us:
    • Romans 8:27: “The God who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit”

• A Will:

  • Distribution of Spiritual Gifts
    • 1 Corinthians 12:11: Gifts “distributed to each one individually by the Spirit as he wills“
    • Personal Choice: Not random distribution but willful decision
  • Missionary Strategy and Guidance
    • Acts 16:6-7: Paul’s missionary journey
      • 6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. 7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6–10, ESV)
    • Personal Guide: Not passive or impersonal force
      • Strategic Planning: Personal guide with a plan for apostolic group

• Emotions:

  • Grief
    • Ephesians 4:30: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed”
    • Isaiah 63:10: “But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit”
      • Emotional Response: Spirit can feel sorrow or pain in grief

  • Love

    • Romans 15:30: “The love of the Spirit”
    • Overlooked Truth: We often hear about love of God or Christ, but rarely about Spirit’s love

  • Signs of Personhood

    • Love and grief are not functions of impersonal force or energy
    • They are signs of personhood and involvement

He Performs Personal Acts:

• He Teaches

  • John 14:26: “The Helper, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you”
    • Jesus’ comforting promise regarding his departure
  • Luke 12:12: “The Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say”
    • Instruction for handling future persecution
  • 1 Corinthians 2:13: “We impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit”
    • Paul’s declaration to Corinthians

• He Guides

  • Highly Personal Work: The work of a guide is highly personal
    • Romans 8:14: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God”
  • Biblical Examples:
    • Acts 8:29: Spirit told Philip to overtake Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot
    • Acts 13:2: In Antioch prayer meeting, Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul”
      • 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2, ESV)
    • Revelation 2:7: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”
  • Personal Characteristics:
    • Leads, speaks, commands, reveals God to his people
  • Force vs. Person: A force cannot call people by name, lead, guide, or implore—only a person can

• He Intercedes

  • Romans 8:26-27: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words”
    • God “knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God”
  • Most Personal Act: One of the most personal things we can do is pray
  • Divine Prayer: New Testament depicts Spirit as speaking with the Father

• He Can Be Sinned Against

  • Biblical Examples:
    • Acts 5: Ananias lying to the Holy Spirit
    • Acts 7: Religious establishment resisting the Holy Spirit
    • Hebrews 10:29: People who “outraged the Spirit of grace”
    • Matthew 12:31: “Blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven”
  • Personal Relationship: These are sins against a relational, holy person, not vague energy
    • He can be resisted, lied to, blasphemed, and insulted

Relationship, Not Utility

• Conclusion: The Spirit is one with whom we can have a true and real relationship
  • Trusted Roles: Seek him as comforter, guide, and advocate
  • Person vs. Power: Not a power to be used, but a person to be known

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3. The Spirit is our Present Helper and Comforter

The Promise Extends to Us

• Peter quoting Joel:
  • Acts 2:39: “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself”
• Like the Early Church: Meant to be recipients of enabling power of God’s Spirit
• Growing Conviction
  • Against “Magic Wand Christianity”: That expects God to do everything instantaneously without effort or process
  • For “Slow Burn Christianity”: The steady grind of sanctification
  • Colossians 1:29: “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me”
    • Partnership Model: Human effort empowered by divine strength

Our Response to the Spirit

• Enjoy partnership with him.

  • 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14, ESV)
  • Enjoy communion and fellowship with him

• Pray along with him.

  • Ephesians 6:18: “Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” – pray in and with his power

• Be filled with him.

  • 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit… (Ephesians 5:18, ESV)

Study Questions

Head Questions (Knowledge, Facts, Understanding)

1. Trinitarian Identity: What specific biblical evidence demonstrates that the Holy Spirit possesses the attributes of deity (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternality, and holiness)? How do these attributes prove his full membership in the Trinity?
2. Personal vs. Impersonal: What are the key differences between viewing the Holy Spirit as an impersonal force versus recognizing him as the third Person of the Trinity? How do the Spirit’s mind, will, and emotions demonstrate his personhood?
3. Divine Actions: What are the four specific actions that only God can perform that were outlined in this teaching? How does each divine work of the Holy Spirit confirm his deity, and why is it significant that the Spirit both creates and regenerates?

Heart Questions (Feelings, Impressions, Desires)

1. Personal Relationship: How does the distinction between seeking the Spirit “as a power to be used” versus “as a person to be known” change one’s heart approach to the Holy Spirit? What emotions might arise when considering having a personal relationship with him?
2. Spiritual Longing: What spiritual hungers or desires might this teaching stir regarding the Holy Spirit’s work in one’s life? How does the call to “long for a stronger sense of the Spirit’s presence without chicanery or trickery” resonate personally?
3. Helper and Comforter: What comfort or encouragement does the Spirit’s role as “present Helper and Comforter” bring to current circumstances? How might knowing the Spirit intercedes with “groanings too deep for words” impact one’s emotions and perspective?

Hands Questions (Actions, Commitments, Decisions, Beliefs)

1. Avoiding the Three Errors: Which of the three errors regarding the Spirit—abuse, rejection, or neglect—do you lean toward? What specific steps can be taken to move toward biblical balance in pneumatology?
2. Partnership with the Spirit: Among the three practical responses mentioned—”enjoy partnership with him,” “pray along with him,” and “be filled with him”—which area needs growth? What specific, measurable actions can be taken this week to develop that aspect of relationship with the Spirit?
3. Desperate Dependence: How can one practically cultivate the “desperation for a fuller experience of the Spirit” rather than relying solely on teaching and programming? What steps can be taken to encourage this spiritual hunger in both personal life and church community?