02650
THE HOLY SPIRIT INTRODUCED
The actual definition of pneumatology is the study of spirit beings,
however in our context our definition is a bit more specific. Our study
will concentrate on the study of God the Holy Spirit.
We could, indeed, combine this study with the study of angels, Satan
and demons under the heading of pneumatology. We won't do this, but will
study the Holy Spirit separate from angelology, the study of angels.
PNEUMATOLOGY the study of the Holy Spirit. The term comes from the Greek
word "pneuma" which means spirit, wind or breath.
There has been quite a phenomena concerning the Holy Spirit and His
study. When I entered Bible college in the 60's, if you hadn't had at least
two studies in your church on the subject, you weren't normal. Indeed,
I believe I had studied the Holy spirit twice before having a class in
pneumatology in college. Since, I have had three more courses.
The curious thing is that since college, I have heard nothing on the
subject. I have not run across any church that had the subject in their
Sunday School, nor have I run across a pastor preaching through the doctrine.
We seem to be avoiding the topic of the Holy Spirit. This is sad, due
to the close relationship that we have with Him, or at least should have.
I have given thought to the reasons why this avoidance might be true? I
would like to list some possible reasons.
1. People really don't understand the Holy Spirit; they don't know how
to approach teaching the subject.
2. People are afraid to teach about the Spirit in fear of being labeled
a Charismatic. This may well be part of the problem. It, however is somewhat
akin to not teaching about God the Father because the liberals overemphasize,
and have damaged the doctrine of God's love.
3. They have not been taught concerning the Spirit so do not feel that
it is an important doctrine.
4. The Devil is not comfortable with the believer knowing about one
of the main defenses the believer has against him. Walking in the Spirit's
control keeps us off of the Devil's turf and that ain't good.
This is a unique doctrine in some ways. There is only one source of
information concerning the Holy Spirit and that is the Bible. We have historical
information about Christ, and we have natural revelation about God, but
the only information we have concerning the Holy Spirit is that which the
Father has revealed to us through the Word.
No other religion has the Holy Spirit. Indeed, some might wonder if
Christianity did, as much as we ignore Him. We have no classical source
of information, and very little historical information.
Cambron makes a very stiff comment that may be good for us to consider.
"The Holy Spirit cannot displace the Son of God. The Holy Spirit did not
come to speak of (or from) Himself, but of Christ. One who speaks continually
about the Spirit and omits the Son shows evidence that he really does not
have the Spirit." (Cambron, Mark G. D.D.; "BIBLE DOCTRINES"; Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 1954,p 117)
There seems to be much confusion today concerning the Spirit, His manifestations,
and His ministries. Many are teaching false things concerning the Spirit
today and we need to be equipped to answer these false teachings. We also
have need of preparing those we minister to, lest they become involved
with the false teaching.
Those that are amiss in the area of the Spirit in their theology usually
are quite divisive in nature. They often will enter into a good church
and become a division to the assembly just to teach their falsehood. While
pastoring in the Midwest, we had a man attending our church. He was a strong
fundamentalist and a joy to have in the fellowship. His wife, however was
a full blown charismatic.
She had attended our church a time or two and happened to show up one
Sunday when I was speaking about the Devil's counterfeits, one of which
was tongues. She left during the closing prayer. I told the man I was sorry
if it offended her - He interrupted men and said, "Don't worry - she needed
it!"
The following Wednesday the husband told me he had overheard a phone
call his wife had made to a woman pastor. His wife described what I had
said. She paused then said, "Yes, I think he's just the spirit of antichrist
too!" Needless to say, they do believe they are right and everyone else
is wrong.
A small fundamental church in Kansas many years ago was functioning
well and a charismatic couple became members. Within a year the church
had split over the issue of tongues.
Missionaries have related several times that Charismatics have entered
towns where good works were already established and rented buildings as
close as possible to the churches and set up loud speakers outside to disrupt
the services of the established churches and try to draw the believers
to the excitement of the new group.
Bancroft mentions the need to hold the doctrine of the Spirit in the
correct light and that we need to hold it in the right proportion. A balanced
doctrine of the Spirit is needed.
Some term the 20th century as the century of the Spirit. Much of the
emphasis early in the century came from the missionary zeal that was generated
by the early missionaries. They realized that it was the empowerment of
the Holy Spirit that would get the job done.
It would be an interesting study to relate the decline in missions interest
to the incline of the charismatic movement, as well as the decline of teaching
about the Holy Spirit in fundamental churches.
In recent years there was a real emphasis on the gifts and the Spirit's
ministry through them. There has been some good, coming from this study
of the Spirit.
In recent years we have had a fresh look at the gifts of the Spirit,
not only in the negative with tongues and healing, but in the positive
with the realization that believers are gifted to do different things within
the local church. This emphasis on the Spiritual gifts has helped some
to realize that all members of the body are important and can be beneficial
to the Lord's work.
The thought we want to gain is that we should study the scriptures and
determine what they say about the Holy Spirit. We should then determine
in our minds to go no further than Scripture states, as some have.
I would like to look for a moment at a promise, a purpose, a power and
a program, in which the Holy Spirit is involved in. These items are the
current main function of the Holy Spirit.
I. THE PROMISE
When the Lord was speaking to the disciples He promised to send the
Holy Spirit to minister. "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." Jo. 14:16-17
Some things to notice briefly from this text:
A. "another Comforter" would indicate a very close resemblance of characteristics
to the Lord Himself. He was speaking in the context of leaving the disciples.
B. He will "abide" with them "forever." This is a promise of the Spirit's
presence throughout all of eternity. He is for our benefit and not the
world's; the world won't receive Him.
C. The Spirit was not yet indwelling them. This was a future occurrence
for the disciples.
D. The coming of the Comforter was to be directly related to Christ's
ascension to be with the Father. "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: It
is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." Jo.
16:7 Just why the Lord had to leave before the comforter could come is
not clearly stated in the Word, however we can do some logical assuming
for a possible answer.
There is a matter of sin that had not been taken care of for the Old
Testament saints and the living apostles. The Holy Spirit could not indwell
until the sin nature was cared for. This could not occur until the work
of the cross and the atonement for sin in the heavenly tabernacle. Thus,
we can assume that the Holy Spirit's delay was due to the incomplete work
of the cross. Upon the resurrection, the Spirit was free to come to indwell
all believers.
II. PURPOSE
There was to be an indwelling of believers: "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." Jo.
14:17
There was to be a testimony of Christ: "But when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me;" Jo. 15:26 Not only
by the Spirit, but the following verse mentions that the apostles also
would be witnesses.
There was to be a revealing of things to the apostles. Jo. 16:12-15.
This revealing resulted in the apostles setting down the books of the New
Testament.
This text mentions again as some of the other verses "truth". The Spirit
is truth and nothing false can come from Him.
There was to be an empowerment. "But ye shall receive power, after the
Holy Spirit is come upon you...." Acts 1:8a We will dwell on this empowerment
in the final section of our study of the Spirit.
III. POWER
Acts 1:8 mentions that the apostles were to receive power to do the
job set before them. "But ye shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit
is come upon you...." Acts 1:8a As you read through the book of Acts this
empowerment is quite evident in the lives of the apostles.
IIII. PROGRAM
The program was to be the propagation of the Gospel after the power
was received. "...And ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
Acts 1:8 b
There are some symbols and names that are used of the Spirit that we
need to look at in brief.
SYMBOLS OR TYPES:
1. CLOTHED WITH POWER: Lu. 24:49 We have this being in residence. We
can call upon Him for His help and aid at any moment of the day.
2. THE DOVE: Matt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10; Lu. 3:22; Jo. 1:32. Walvoord suggests
that there are four aspects to the dove that make it a fitting type of
the Spirit, beauty, gentleness, peace, heavenly nature and origin. The
choice of a dove to symbolize the Holy Spirit was a calculated decision
on the part of God. The dove must symbolize nicely the Spirit.
3. THE EARNEST OF THE SPIRIT: II Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14 "Of what
is the Spirit the Earnest? The Scriptures make it clear. All the future
blessings of God are assured by the presence of the Holy Spirit. His presence
is our guarantee. Our inheritance, our salvation, our glory, our fellowship
with God, our likeness unto Him, our freedom from sin and its evils, all
are represented in the token payment of the Person of the Spirit." (Walvoord,
John F., A.M., Th.D.; "THE HOLY SPIRIT"; Grand Rapids: Dunham Publishing
Co.; 1958, p 20)
4. FIRE: Acts 2:3 Again, the symbol of fire was chosen to symbolize
a specific aspect of the Spirit's ministry. This was the time when the
church was being started. It was time when the message of the Gospel would
go forth into the world to change lives. The symbol of fire is also used
in the Gospels to symbolize judgment.
5. OIL: A number of Old Testament references seem to use oil as a type
of the Spirit. Ex. 27:20-21, Lev. 2:1-16, Lev. 14:10-29, Ex. 40:9-16, Lev.
8, I Sam. 10:1, 16:13, I Ki. 1:39, Ps. 23:5.
In thinking of the Holy Spirit as being pictured by oil let me share
a comment. The Pastor's Manual put out by Baptist Publications/Spring 1976/p
38/Denver mentions a man wanting to drive an iron bar into a timber. He
drilled a hole the correct size, but the iron was rusty. He feared splitting
the timber so poured oil into the hole. The iron was driven in without
harm to the wood. So, with church change, we must allow the Holy Spirit
to be our oil.
How true in our witnessing - take a little oil with you!
Oil shows the holiness, consecration and sanctification of the Spirit.
He is pure, He is set apart, and He is an integrated part of every believer.
6. SEAL: II Cor. 1:22; Eph. 1:13; 4:30. The term indicates a number
of things to the believer, ownership, safety, authority, a completed agreement,
security, mark of recognition, and an obligation. The Holy Spirit is all
of these things to us.
Ownership: We are the Lord's whether we act like it or not. He has bought
and paid for us - we are His.
Safety: There is nothing that can harm us. We are His and He cares for
His own.
Authority: The Lord has authority over us. Indeed, like ownership, we
often do not live like it, but He does own us and He does have authority
over us. That authority may be set aside by the believer, but God will
one day exercise His authority.
A completed agreement: The deal of the Gospel is done. We accepted Christ
as payment for our sin, and He has done the rest. There is nothing more
to do, the deal is set, the deal is finished, the deal is complete.
Security: There is a guarantee of security. We are sealed by the Spirit
and this is God's sure mark that we are His.
Mark of recognition: Because we are His, we are marked as His so that
the principalities and powers of the air can know where we stand.
Obligation: It is God that is obligated to do as He has said. It is
His legal obligation to live up to His commitment. It is however, our moral
obligation to live up to our end of the bargain. He will not force us to
do so, but He certainly desires that we commit ourselves to Him.
7. SERVANT: Walvoord presents the servant of Abraham going for a wife
for Isaac as the picture of the Spirit going after the bride for Christ.
The Spirit's work in salvation being the picture.
You must admit as we continue in our study that the Holy Spirit is in
the background of the ministry of God to the believer. He is very important,
yet He is always in the back room serving the believer. We have the pure,
perfect Servant as an integrated part of our lives, and yet we so often
treat that Servant as the cruel slave owners of years past treated their
slaves. Someone to do the dirty work - someone that is totally insignificant.
How the Lord must grieve when we treat Him so.
8. WATER: Jo. 4:14; Jo. 7:37-39. The characteristics of water can be
seen in the ministry of the Spirit. He can be calm and waiting to work,
or He can be powerful as the sea in a storm. He can carry the believer
along as the sea transports the ships of commerce. He is the need of life,
as is water. Without water our bodies thirst, without Him our souls thirst.
9. WIND: Jo. 3:8; Acts 2:1-2; II Pet. 1:21. As the sea moves the ships,
so the wind can move ships from port to port. The wind is powerful to change
the landscape. In the life of the believer the wind of the Spirit can do
monumental landscaping. I was given a postcard from Mt. Rushmore, by my
son after he had visited the monument. The card showed the before and after
of the mountain. As we look at the lives of believers, we can see even
more drastic changes than even the sculptor of Rushmore.
NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. The Spirit: I Cor. 2:10; Jo. 3:6-8. This title depicts his nature.
He is a spiritual being and has no body. It also seems to me that this
may be a name that gives us a little familiarity with Him. The terms Holy
Spirit and Eternal Spirit seem to be a little stiff, yet the Spirit seems
to give evidence that one that knows Him might have a familiarity that
comes from knowledge and maybe even friendship. After all if we can call
The Father, Abba Father, which means Daddy, according to most commentators,
and we call The Son a friend, why shouldn't we have a friendship with the
Spirit as well. The thought of a teacher that is not somewhat of a friend
is foreign to my thinking as a teacher.
2. Eternal Spirit: Heb. 9:14. This depicts his state of existence. He
is eternal in nature - He has always existed and always will exist. Some
seem to think that this person is for their ultimate high, for their personal
benefit. He is there for the believer, to minister, to teach, to lead,
but He is not there to give them a high in the worship service, he is not
there to serve the believer, He is not there to bring about miraculous
things of desire for the believer. He is not the spirit version of Santa
Claus which gives riches and fortune to those that ask Him. He is the Eternal
Spirit, the almighty God that we should desire to serve.
3. Comforter: Jo. 15:26, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceedeth
from the Father, he shall testify of me;"
This name should bring us to the realization that He wants to be a comfort
to us in times of trouble - at all times for that matter, not just when
we are in trouble. We can receive comfort in good times as well as bad.
The last thought of the verse is one of great importance as well. The
Spirit is to give witness or testimony of the Son. He is not here to be
lifted up, He is not here to lift up Himself, so why is He the center of
attention in so many worship services? It seem that any group that concentrates
on the Spirit is doing damage to His image and ministry.
4. Holy Spirit: Lu. 11:13
His holiness should be a challenge to us as we realize that He is a
permanent resident! We ought to live as if we really believed that!
He is holy, He is our Holy guide, He is our Holy Leader, He is our Holy
teacher, He is our Holy Comforter. He is holy at all times. Any ministry
He has with us is a holy ministry, one that is free from sin, free from
error, and free from all possibility of error. A ministry and minister
to trust.
5. Holy Ghost: Rom. 5:5, "And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto
us."
His presence should result in the love of God flowing out through us.
This will automatically result as we walk with Him and allow the Spirit
to work in and through us. This love of God is not something that we must
struggle to produce, it is not something that we should concentrate on
doing, it is something that will automatically become a part of our daily
life, if we are in a proper relationship to Him.
Loving the unlovely, befriending the friendless and ministering to the
miserable, is not something that we as humans automatically do, but it
is something that we as believing humans will automatically do - if we
are correctly related to God.
6. Spirit of truth: Jo. 15:26; I Jo. 5:6
There is nothing but truth that is revealed by the Spirit. We can trust
the Word that he inspired and we can trust the leading that He can give
to us on a daily basis. There is no falsehood in Him, because He is truth.
His character will not allow for falsehood, nor can falsehood exist within
Him, for if there be anything false in Him, then He is not God. God is
truth.
7. Spirit of grace: Heb. 10:29 As we allow Him to show through, we will
become gracious acting people - we will have grace toward others. I have
met some believers that are so very caustic in their dealing with other
people. I often wonder how they are related to their God. If God is full
of grace, and He indwells us, then how can we not be gracious, if we are
in a proper relationship with Him?
8. Spirit of wisdom: "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord," Isa. 11:2
This is clearly not a promise of these things to us in this age, it
is a prophecy of the coming Messiah. However, this text speaks of the same
Spirit that indwells the believer today so it gives us some insight into
the ministry of the Spirit to all of mankind that has been redeemed.
Imagine, the wisdom of the universe is a part of a being that is an
integrated part of us. We have available to us the wisdom that the Holy
Spirit has. We have all wisdom, if we ask. James mentions, "If any of you
lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and
upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5
9. Spirit of understanding: Isa. 11:2 He has all the understanding that
He needs when we are in serious trouble or problems. He can minister to
us perfectly, because He understands perfectly what we are up against.
He knows what we need and can give it to us when we are down. He is our
understanding minister.
10. Spirit of counsel: Isa. 11:2 When we need His leading, He is our
perfect, and truthful counsel. When He leads us into a decision, we can
kick back and know that it was the correct one. We can trust in those decisions,
even later when things seem to be so wrong. We can look back and know that
the decision was from our Perfect counsel and God.
11. Spirit of might: Isa. 11:2 In Acts 1:8 it is mentioned that the
Lord would give power in witness. This power is available to us today.
As we go out to witness, we have the power that the apostle Paul had, for
the Spirit has not changed.
12. Spirit of knowledge: Isa. 11:2 He knows God for He is God, and He
can share His knowledge with us. We can know God as we go into the Word
seeking that knowledge. The Holy Spirit will lead us into the knowledge
that He desires us to have each day.
Imagine the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, Counsel, might and knowledge
IN RESIDENCE!
As I was working through these names I was impressed with the thought
that if we had a pastor or friend living next door, which had perfect wisdom,
understanding, counsel, might and knowledge and the many other items depicted
by these names, that the person would be constantly answering our questions.
RIGHT? So why aren't our prayer closets filled the same way seeking all
of these things from the Holy Spirit that dwells within us?
13. Spirit of promise: Eph. 1:13, "In whom ye also trusted, after ye
heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after
ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise," We have
God's promise that our salvation is sure, living within!
I will list some of the other names with a reference to get you started
on your own study. This would make a good devotional study. Take one name
each day to study and consider.
14. Spirit of glory: I Pet. 4:14
15. Spirit of God: I Cor. 3:16
16. Spirit of Jehovah: Isa. 11:2
17. Spirit of the Lord Jehovah: Isa. 61:1
18. Spirit of the Living God: II Cor. 3:3
19. Spirit of Christ: Rom. 8:9
20. Spirit of His Son: Gal. 4:6
21. Spirit of Jesus: Acts 16:6,7
22. Spirit of Jesus Christ: Phil. 1:19 cf. Gal. 4:6, Rom. 8:9
23. Spirit of life: Rom. 8:2
24. Spirit of the Lord: II Cor. 3:17,18
CONCLUSIONS:
1. We will be looking at the Spirit in an academic manner, yet there
is no reason that you shouldn't apply those academic thoughts to your own
personal life, and get to know the One that has indwelled you since your
spiritual birth.
2. We, the believers of the church age, are of all believers of all
time thus far, most special, for we have the Holy Spirit in residence.
We have the Spirit indwelling us. We have the Spirit available to minister
to us. We seldom, however call upon Him to minister unto our needs.
3. A short story will close our introduction.
A pastor friend and I took a trip to Colorado Springs yesterday to see
some friends of mine. About ten miles outside of Denver my car had a flat
tire. As I started to get out to fix the flat the pastor said, "Sit still,
Joe, I'll take care of it." This he did with much dispatch, and dirt as
well I might add. After brushing his suit off he returned to the car and
we continued on toward our destination.
As we entered town, I noticed a bar alongside the road. Knowing the
pastor would not approve of going inside I told him to stay in the car
while I went in for a drink.
As we continued into town I became convicted of my drinking. Not knowing
how to pray, I asked the pastor to pray for me which he did without hesitation.
We arrived at my friends' house safely and after introductions, sat
down to coffee. Knowing my friends did not like religion I asked the pastor
to go into the living room while we talked in the kitchen.
Before leaving town I asked the pastor to help me pick out a good camera
so we found a department store. Upon much looking and discussing the pastor
told me the model 301 was by far the best buy for me. I wanted a model
1440. It was more expensive, but much nicer looking, so I bought it.
On the return trip to Denver late that night we had an accident. The
car turned over in the ditch. I was pinned in and couldn't move. The pastor
walked ten miles to get help. Upon his return with help I was too busy
thinking about myself to thank the pastor.
The next day laying in the hospital bed, I thought back over the previous
day's events. I had gone all day without thanking the pastor for his help,
friendship and advice. I had also set him aside twice while I indulged
myself in sin and fellowship with ungodly people. I hadn't even followed
his advice about the camera, advice that I had asked for.
By the way, is this the way you treat the Holy Spirit? Do you set Him
aside when you're with ungodly people? Do you reject his advice? Do you
thank Him for the many things He does for you?
Consider this story and its ideas in relation to your life with the
Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a person; He is a friend; He is a comforter
-- treat Him accordingly.