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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Exploring the Trinity: Part 4 The Holy Spirit



Who is the Holy Spirit? How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives?
Salvation
We talked earlier this week about the role that the three members of the Trinity play in salvation. The Holy Spirit’s work in salvation is to call a sinful, spiritually-dead person into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 
Sanctification
Have you ever wondered that if all three members of the trinity are fully God, which means they are holy, why is the Spirit the only one that has the word “holy” in front of their name? Is it because the Spirit is more holy than the Father or the Son? 
The Spirit is holy, but no more than the Father or the Son. Perhaps it is called the Holy Spirit because one of the main works of the Holy Spirit is to make us holy by acting as a sanctifier in our lives.
“But just as the he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’ ” 1 Peter 1:15-16
Theologian R.C. Sproul defines sanctification as the process of being made holy or righteous. (2) The Holy Spirit aids in the process of believers becoming more holy. We must also participate. 
Counselor
The word helper can also mean “comforter” or “counselor.” These words come from the Greek word paraclete. In the ancient world, a paraclete was someone summoned to give assistance or help in the court of law. The Holy Spirit fulfills the role of paraclete in a believer’s life in a couple of different ways.
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever ... the Spirit of truth.” John 14:16
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all of these things and will remind you of everything I said to you.” John 14:26
Intercessor
The Holy Spirit helps in our prayers. When we don’t know what to say or how to say it, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us. When we refer to the Holy Spirit as a paraclete, this also shows us that the Holy Spirit is a comforter. 
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness! We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words can not express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” Romans 8:26-27
Power
It is because of the Holy Spirit that we as believers have the power to be a witness for Jesus Christ and share the Good News of the Gospel message.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
We may be tempted to think of the Holy Spirit as a power or force, but the Holy Spirit is the third PERSON of the Trinity whom we can have a real relationship with.
“May 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
It goes against our human logic to think about a relationship with anything named “Spirit,” but as the third PERSON of the trinity, it is possible! The Holy Spirit is a real, powerful person. 

We only covered a few of the roles or ways that the Holy Spirit is present in our lives. The verses below list additional ways the Holy Spirit impacts our lives.
Isaiah 44:3, Mark 13:11, John 7:37-39, Acts 1:5, 8, Romans 8:9-11, Romans 8:14, Romans 8:26-27, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, Titus 3:5-7, 1 Peter 1:2
Source
Questions to Ponder:
What is present in my life that is hindering the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit?
Will I stop viewing the Holy Spirit as a power or force and see the Holy Spirit as the powerful third PERSON of the Trinity? Will I spend time cultivating that relationship?

2 comments:

  1. I love how this matched up with our BSF lesson this week!

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  2. You are right! And a different passage were we see all 3 persons. Loved it!

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