Lesson 1
April 14, 2002
Understanding the Person and Ministry of the
Holy Spirit
Introduction:
Our best is really not what
God wants. He wants faith in His best, the Lord Jesus Christ.
If we could live the
Christian life and serve the Lord without God's power through faith, why would
the Lord Jesus:
(1)
give the Holy Spirit the title of the "Helper" or [para,klhtoj] comforter, advocate, counselor, all of which
adds up to being "the Enabler" (John 14:16, 26), then
(2)
point to the disciples' inadequacy apart from the Spirit (John 16:7-15),
and
(3)
tell them not to attempt any ministry until the coming of the Spirit
(Acts 1:4-8)?
It has been said that, "Christianity is not just a way of
life, it is a life to live." Gal.
2:20
One of the great needs that
every believer has is to understand the importance of the identification truths
of Rom 6-8 in our daily life and to learn how to ensure that those truths and
some of the related Biblical imperatives like Ephesians 5:18, "be filled with [by] the Spirit,"
and Galatians 5:16, "walk by the
Spirit" or 2 Cor 5:7
"walk by faith", How do they all fit together? Where is the Biblical emphasis?
The purpose/objective of this study is to:
1.
Define and clarify just who the Holy Spirit is and what it is that He
does.
2.
Understand the unique age in which we live and how the Holy Spirit and
His ministry relates to it in a unique way.
3.
Define and clarify the terms used of the Holy Spirit such as anointing,
indwelling, and filling, etc..
4.
Demonstrate from Scripture what it means to be empowered for the
Christian life.
Subjects to be covered in this study.
The Personality of the Holy
Spirit: The Spirit is a Person
The Deity of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is God
The Promise of the Spirit as
God's Special Provision
The Primary Ministry and
Purpose of the Spirit
The Ministries of the Spirit
What the Spirit Is to
Believers in His Indwelling
The ongoing controversy
concerning the Holy Spirit's active ministry in the life of the believer.
The current emphasis on the
filling of the Spirit
The teaching of Ephesians
5:18 as a source of spirituality.
The filling of the Spirit in
the Greek New Testament
Various interpretations of
Ephesians 5:18
Conclusion: What Is the New Testament Basis of Developing
Maturity?