Holy Spirit Christianity
The Work of the Holy Spirit
Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved, to obtain forgiveness of sins, to be made right with God; He is the only true God, and in Him is the only truth there is about God. Jesus Christ is the source of all life, and the only source of eternal life; no one can approach God except through Him.
Luke 12:8-10 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
The Holy Spirit testifies to us that Jesus Christ is the way, and the truth, and the life. We blaspheme against the Holy Spirit when we reject the testimony of the Holy Spirit about Jesus Christ. Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s testimony is the same as rejecting Jesus Christ, and rejecting Jesus Christ is the unforgivable sin, the only unforgivable sin. John 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Titus 3:5-6 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
The Holy Spirit regenerates us, gives us new life, makes us a new creation when we believe in Jesus Christ. Since God is one, you cannot separate Jesus Christ from the Holy Spirit, if you have one you have the other. If you believe in Jesus Christ, you are a new creation and you have the Holy Spirit. John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. We are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:12-18 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
The Holy Spirit helps the born again Christian do good works. We have the power of God at work in us to do the will of God, to glorify the Father in the Son. Jesus said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you”, meaning that He would be with us and in us through His Spirit. If you believe in Jesus Christ you have the Holy Spirit, and if you have the Holy Spirit you have Jesus Christ living in you.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
The Holy Spirit is our teacher. We cannot understand spiritual truth apart from the Holy Spirit. The person that does not believe in Jesus Christ does not have the Holy Spirit and does not have the capacity to understand spiritual truth.
2 Pet 1:20-21 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Spirit gave us the word of God, through men, according to His will and not according to their will. Likewise. The understanding of scripture comes to us only by the working of the Holy Spirit. Just because a person has studied theology for many years and has many degrees behind their name does not mean they have any understanding of scripture. On the other hand, the person who believes in Jesus Christ has the Holy Spirit to give understanding, according to His will. The study of scripture has to begin with faith in Jesus Christ.
John 15:26-27 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
We must rely upon the Holy Spirit for all ability and success in witnessing for Jesus Christ. We cannot have any success apart from Him; therefore, God gets the glory and not we ourselves.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus Christ came to save mankind and to reveal God to us. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses for Jesus Christ, so that mankind can be saved.
1 Cor 2:4-5 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
The apostle Paul did not preach the gospel according to his own wisdom and abilities but his preaching was empowered by the Holy Spirit; therefore, God received the credit and God received the glory for all that Paul accomplished. We must also rely upon the Holy Spirit in all our preaching, in all our teaching, and in all that we do for the glory of God.
Eph 1:13-14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit not only places us into Christ Jesus but He also seals us in Christ to make our salvation as sure as a promise of God. We cannot be separated from Jesus Christ because we are kept by the power of the Holy Spirit. It would take a greater power than the power of God to separate us from Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 6:17-20 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
We have the Holy Spirit living in us not only to equip us and to keep us, but also to motivate us to live a life that is pleasing to God. We are challenged by the word of God, which was given to us by the Spirit of God, to live a lifestyle that is glorifying to God.
Gal 3:2-3 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
When we first believed in Jesus Christ we received the Holy Spirit as a result of our faith in Jesus Christ, we did not do anything to obtain the Holy Spirit except believe. We live the Christian life in the same way as we first received salvation, by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be with us forever; therefore, we can rest assured in knowing He will continue to help us, equip us, and perfect us.
Gal 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
The Holy Spirit teaches us to live by faith, to rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He teaches us to rely on God’s grace and not upon our own efforts. God has set us free from the Law; therefore, the Holy Spirit never leads us into bondage to any law. Religions of this world establish all kinds of rules, do’s and don’ts, but God has set us free.
Gal 5:20-25 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit works in us to make our lives fruitful. Just as fruit on a tree does not mature instantly, the fruit of the Spirit in our lives also takes time to mature. The Holy Spirit teaches us, through the word of God and through discipline, to live a fruitful life pleasing to God. We don’t need to place Christians under bondage of man-made rules and regulations because the Holy Spirit is at work to make each and every one of us mature and fruitful in Christ.
Phil 2:12-13 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
The desire, the motivation, and the ability to do God’s will all come to us through God, the Holy Spirit. We were not saved for doing good works but we were saved to do good works. Our desire is to be pleasing to God, and if we are to be pleasing to God, we must be careful to do His will as He leads us.
Phil 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The Holy Spirit of God is the one who began the good work in us and He will continue to do that good work in us until the day we see Christ Jesus and are made to be like Him. I Jn 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. When we see Jesus Christ we will be made perfect as He is perfect, but until then the Holy Spirit will continue to work in us to make us more like Him, with passing each day.
Eph 4:30-32 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we fail to be Christ-like. The Holy Spirit never leaves us no matter how much we grieve Him. He has sealed us for the day of redemption, until the day we are with Christ and are made to be completely like Christ, and no one can break His seal. Nevertheless, we cannot know the fulness of joy and peace in our salvation when we grieve the Holy Spirit. Rom 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. Fullness of joy and peace only comes from obedience.
1Thes 5:19-22 Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.
Our unbelief as well as our disobedience quenches the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must be careful to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us. We must rely upon Him to teach us, lead us, correct us, empower us, and keep us until the day of Christ Jesus.
1Thes 5:23-24 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
All Scripture taken from King James Bible
* Bible Studies by Max Swan
Thus says the LORD, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD. (NAS) Jer 9:23-24