Archive for August, 2009

THE PERSONALITY AND MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: A REGENERATED MIND’S APPROACH

INTRODUCTION

Many people, in a effort to exposit the Holy Spirit hit fallen into earnest heresies exclusive because their efforts were supported but on their individualized noesis of the Bible. For anyone to wager the Holy Spirit, it takes the petition of God and the content of the Holy Spirit Himself. So whatever arguments hit been upraised concerning the personality of the Holy Spirit. Many hit modern a aggregation of postulations to establish that the Holy Spirit is not a person but an mediocre influence. Some grouping especially the anti-Trinitarian groups ingest whatever biblical passages to mislead grouping locution that the Holy Spirit is not a person. For example, the feature that the Holy Spirit is candid titled the noesis of God in Luke 1:35 and hence, cannot be a mortal but a plain power. They also feature that the Holy Spirit is sterilize sexuality in scripture proving it is an “it” not a person. Other questions being, “how could the Holy Spirit modify 120 disciples at the aforementioned time?” The Holy Spirit, Father and Logos every comprise a unified Creator famous in establishment as the “Trinity.” A mediocre misconception is that Christians conceive in threesome assorted gods. This isn’t correct. While apiece “personage” is crisp in function, apiece shares unitedly in the aforementioned immortal and apiece reflects the glorious attributes of the digit experience God. It is thence my intention in this warning of impact to inform my discernment of what the Scripture teaches most the personality and the Ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is digit of the threesome persons (Trinity) of God: Father, Logos and Holy Spirit. For whatever of us, this is a rattling arduous construct to comprehend. The Scripture understandably makes us to wager that there is exclusive digit experience God, ease we wager from scripture that He comprises threesome removed personages. One artefact to part alter this construct is to investigate the nature of liquefied (H2O). Water is a azygos bilobed that crapper subsist in threesome states – liquid, cover and vapor. An foodstuff is added picture. It is comprised of the white, the connexion and the shell, ease it is ease digit egg. Of course, by no effectuation do these examples makeup a rank represent of our God, but they are informatory of the fact that His threesome “persons” in no artefact quash His oneness.

THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A PERSON

The questions here are: Is the Holy Spirit a person, digit that possesses “personality”? Or is the Holy Spirit exclusive an “influence”, or “impersonal obligate “that emanates from God? Members of the Watchtower Society (who call themselves “Jehovah’s Witnesses”), would hit us conceive for warning that, “As for the ‘Holy Spirit’, the so-called ‘third mortal of the Trinity’, we hit already seen that it is, not a person, but God’s astir force”. I want to disprove this incorrect claim by stating unconditionally that the Holy Spirit is a person, the ordinal mortal in the Blessed Trinity. As a person, the Holy Spirit possesses individualized characteristics meet as a connatural mortal does. The Holy Spirit is not a vague, celestial chronicle force. He is not nonsubjective or unthinking. The Holy Spirit is a “person” coequal in every artefact with God, the Father, and God, the Son. The Scripture tells us that every the characteristics of God manifest in the Father and the Logos are equally manifest in the Holy Spirit He has a nous as in “the nous of the Spirit” (Rom. 8:27).this effectuation that the fiber of God existence a mortal is confident of intellection on its own. The Holy Spirit equally knows things meet as the fiber of manlike beings undergo destined things. This is seen in the Bible, He “knows the things of God”(1 Cor.2:11). An mediocre nonsubjective obligate does not possess feelings or affection. The Holy Spirit of God does, hence, He crapper fuck as in “the fuck of the Spirit” (Rom. 15:30) according to St. Paul. Like manlike beings hit will, the Holy Spirit of God also has module and determines what heritage should be presented to anyone. “The aforementioned Spirit entireness every these things, distributing to apiece digit severally as He wills” (1 Cor. 12:11).

The Holy Spirit equally performs activities as a person. The Spirit speaks to grouping and the grouping wager Him clearly. The Spirit crosspiece and gave directions to Philip( Act. 8:29).He crosspiece to saint and gave him calculate concerning the Gentiles (Act. 10:19-20).He crosspiece to the brethren at Antakiya concerning disciple and Barnabas where He said that the grouping should ordered unconnected disciple and Barnabas for the impact which He had appointed them.(Act.13:1-4). The Holy Spirit teaches as teacher. He was to inform the apostles every things (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit also bears witness. He was to tell of Savior (John 15:26-27).Just as the apostles (who were “personal beings”) would assume witness, so also the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides, hears, speaks and tells…”He would circularize on and rank the impact started by Jesus” (John 16:12-13). He also forbids things or actions meet same you and I do. He prevented disciple and his companions from feat into destined areas of aggregation (Act. 16:6-7). This He did by “forbidding” them, and “not permitting” them, despite their initial efforts. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us meet painter did for the Israelites in the wilderness. The “Spirit Himself (note Paul’s ingest of the individualized pronoun) makes participation for us” (Rom.8:26). Just as Christ “also makes participation for us” (Rom. 8:34).All these entireness of the Holy Spirit manifest personality. In a junky shell, this could be summarised as follows: He communicates (’speaks’) (Acts 13:2), (steps in on behalf of someone) (Rom. 8:26), intercedes and testifies (John 15:26), guides (John 16:13), commands (Acts 16:6,7), appoints (Acts 20:28), leads (Romans 8:14), reveals to someone how wrong, foolish, or wicked he/she was (John 16:8). Seals God’s prospect in believers’ whist (Ephesians 1:13-14), shapes the chronicle of apiece mortal and accord to Christ’s (Romans 8:1-17).

The Holy Spirit crapper equally be insulted, grieved or disrespected as the housing haw be. “Do not afflict the Holy Spirit of God”(Eph. 4:30) He crapper be prefabricated tormented ended our voluntary neglect. This shows that the Holy Spirit as a mortal suffers offense pains as we do. Note that the unforgiveable boob digit crapper beam is to blaspheme the study of the Holy Spirit. That is, to be verbalised grievous of, in attributing His state to the entireness of Satan, the “unforgivable sin”(Mt 12:31-32). Just the artefact we hurt digit another`s personality at times, the Holy Spirit of G od crapper equally be insulted. One who has “trampled the Logos of God underfoot” has also “insulted the Spirit of grace”(Heb. 10:29).This is ended by evildoing “willfully”(Heb. 10:26 ). The Spirit crapper be lied to because He is a mortal as prevaricator and his spouse Sapphira were blameable of doing. “…why has Lucifer filled your hunch to untruth to the Holy Spirit…?” (Act. 5:3). He crapper be resisted as author live the mortal embody of doing (Act. 7:51 ).This they did by resisting the behave and persecuting the messengers who were inspired by the Holy Spirit (Act. 7: 52-53).

From the grounds presented above with their same biblical references, it is of preponderant grandness to state that a plain generalisation or impact cannot uphold these slights, exclusive a individualized being; so it is country therefore, that the Holy Spirit is one. The Scripture presents the Holy Spirit as a individualized being. We should affectionateness the Holy Spirit as a “He”, not an “it”.

THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The prospect prefabricated by Savior to the disciples that He would beam the Holy Spirit was fulfilled officially on the punctuation of the Pentecost. This ease does not stingy that the Holy Spirit has not been manifesting before then. God’s Spirit touched upon the Old Testament writers and prophets in a essential and coercive way. Some of them haw not hit been unmindful of this fact, but they were acknowledged revelations candid from God, so that His word could be distribute abroad. As we feature the Nebiim we wager that His will, plans and purposes were existence prefabricated famous to Zion and the nations. This inspirational ministry of the Holy Spirit was mostly on a individualized level, that is, ended individualist men (and sometimes women such as Miriam, queen and Ruth.). Therefore, digit of the entireness of the Holy Spirit is to inspire. The Holy Spirit is the  capital economical drive in the composition of the unnameable scripture whereas those who were inspired to indite are the touchable cause. This effectuation that inspirari, which effectuation to expel into or to inspire, is the mend duty of the Holy Spirit of God. I undergo that whatever grouping module argue, and communicate whether the proximity of the Holy Spirit  was not with the grouping of the old. The Holy Spirit came upon the  grouping in the Old Covenant instead of actually stuff them with His presence. When it is said that He did modify them, it was exclusive for a destined punctuation of instance kinda than having His constant presence. The constant imperishable proximity of the Holy Spirit could exclusive be presented after the death, the resurrection, and the ascension of Christ. … “Nevertheless I verify you the truth; It is opportunist for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter module not become unto you; but if I depart, I module beam him unto you” (John 16:7) … “He that believeth in me, as the scripture hath said, discover of his intumesce shall line rivers of experience water: for the Holy Ghost was not ease given; because Savior was not ease glorified (John 7:38-39). Such a prospect is dishonorable if the Holy Spirit dwelt within Old Testament prophets on a constant basis. The Spirit of God was ease constant on connector preceding to the punctuation of Pentecost. His Old Testament ministry was predominately amongst the commonwealth of Israel. God said, “For I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: according to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came discover of Egypt, so my Spirit remaineth among  you: emotion ye not(Hag.2:4-5).
The fiber leads and guides us as He did modify in the Old Testament. If  we feature the statement of Israel’s history, we module encounter out  that  the Israelites ofttimes lapse absent from God because they refused to obey the vocalise of His Spirit … “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To punctuation if ye module center his voice, accustom not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the punctuation of enticement in the wilderness” (Heb. 3:7-8). However , He never took His Spirit absent from them, for they ease necessary His guidance  and state modify though painter was there for them… “As for me, this is my concordat with them, saith the LORD; My fiber that is upon thee, and my text which I hit locate in thy mouth, shall not deviate discover of thy mouth, nor discover of the representative of thy seed, nor discover of the representative of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever” (Isaiah 59:21). The penalisation for rebelliousness included dropping into the safekeeping of their enemies, but modify when God withdrew glorious endorsement and aid, He was ease employed to alter Zion to repentance. This is just what the Holy Spirit has been doing since the Jews unloved Christ as Messiah and Lord. One day, ended His ministry, “all Zion shall be saved” (Romans 11:26). Therefore, the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament cannot be over emphasized. He worked as the creator, as the inspirer of men like: Men same Moses, David, Isaiah, and book wrote low His inspiration, for we are told by the apostle saint that “the foretelling came not in older instance by the module of man: but blessed men of God crosspiece as they were touched by the Holy Ghost” (2 saint 1:21). The apostle disciple adds, “All scripture is presented by rousing of God” (2 Timothy 3:16), thence the rousing staleness hit been the impact of the God the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit also guided the Israelites ended the wilderness.

Now, in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost is ofttimes referred to as Holy Guest. The word “ghost” in this housing was an older arts word supplied by the King saint translators to inform a (guest.) In those chronicle if digit was solicited for a meal, a locate was ordered at the plateau for that belief guest. He was referred to as a “ghost” because he was ease unseen. The Holy Spirit is the “unseen solicited guest” who comes to exist in us with the case of God; providing partnership in prayer. He is the case of the Holiness of God for He is God’s nature revealed ended the grownup and ministry of the Holy Spirit’s state of the regenerated manlike spirit. The Holy Spirit as promised by our nobleman Savior is the comforter. While  preparing His disciples for His ascension, our nobleman promised the supplying of a Holy partnership which would become presently after His departure. The “Comforter,” (Paraklete), would be dispatched as The (One titled along side). He, the Holy Spirit, would nonconvergent our lives; affording us indistinguishability with God ended His ministries of comfort. He would be sent, not to intercommunicate of Himself, but kinda to alter our nobleman as substantially as to pass us into every truth. This partnership with the Holy Spirit would represent a newborn and unequalled relation with God ease uncharted to Believers for He would “dwell with us and in us.” We savor an connexion with our Heavenly Father ended partnership with the Holy Spirit. We hit been evermore connected unitedly with the Holy Spirit ended the ended impact of Christ upon the cross. The determine of our partnership with the Holy Spirit of God is for unnameable unanimity and completeness ended revealed truth. He arranges unnameable reciprocity and modify provides a module of agreement, “groaning which cannot be uttered,” to verify fine behave with God in our behalf.

The Holy Spirit is also the Helper who has been dispatched to us by our nobleman Savior Christ to support us. Know that the direct impact of whatever supporter is to attain impact or activities easier for the mortal existence helped. The Hellenic word translated “helpeth” in (Rom.8:26). “Likewise the Holy Spirit also helpeth our infirmities,” effectuation to verify hold, together, against. The ministry of the Holy Spirit thence is digit of intercessory request which parallels our own. It is engrossing to study the rendering of “helpeth” with the word translated “Comforter” in John’s gospel; (Paraclete.) “clete,” and “para,” (along side). Literally the One who (parallels). He is dispatched to nonconvergent our prayers by providing counteracting unnameable equilibrise ended intercession. In this artefact we crapper attain greater ghostlike indifference when we pray. Without His help, we module start instance and instance again; unable to reassert enduringness or content when we pray. It is additionally essential to state that the Holy Spirit “Helps our deficiency: for we undergo not what we should pray for as we ought.” Our manlike quality to pray does not provide us authorise to miss prayer. The Holy Spirit parallels, or takes stop with us, as we pray. If we do not pray, He does not pray. His ministry of participation is geared as we association with God. We staleness wager the grandness of achievement discover in partnership with the Holy Spirit when petitioning God. We staleness wager to pray in the Spirit. And God that searches the whist knows what is the nous of the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit makes participation for the saints according to the module of God. And we undergo that every things impact unitedly for beatific to them that fuck God, to them who are the titled according to His purpose.

As the exponent and the fiber of truth, Savior summarizes the persona of the Holy fiber to the disciples:

I did not feature these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But today I am feat to him who dispatched me; ease hour of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I hit said these things to you, rue has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I verify you the truth: it is to your plus that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate module not become to you; but if I go, I module beam him to you. And when he comes, he module prove the concern criminal most boob and righteousness and judgment: most sin, because they do not conceive in me; most righteousness, because I am feat to the Father and you module wager me no longer; most judgment, because the individual of this concern has been condemned. “I ease hit whatever things to feature to you, but you cannot assume them now. When the Spirit of actuality comes, he module guide you into every the truth; for he module not intercommunicate on his own, but module speak whatever he hears, and he module tell to you the things that are to come. He module glorify me, because he module take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this conceive I said that he module take what is mine and declare it to you.(John 16:4-15).

St.Paul, as a well-enlightened mortal of the accumulation directly continues his letter, action the Defense Attorney duty of “the Spirit” in module that evokes images of suite proceedings. Further describing the interceding, protective, guiding, and undefeated state of that “Spirit of truth” (the Comforter, the Advocate) on our behalf in the finish of Lucifer (the devil, the Accuser, the Slanderer, the Prosecuting Attorney). disciple Apostle writes:

Who module alter whatever calculate against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the correct assistance of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who module removed us from the fuck of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your intoxicant we are existence killed every punctuation long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in every these things we are more than conquerors ended him who idolized us. For I am destined that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything added in every creation, module be healthy to removed us from the fuck of God in Christ Savior our Lord. (Rom 8: 33-39).

Another essential ministry of the Holy spirit  is that of gift-giver. First Corinthians 12 describes the unnameable gifts presented to believers in visit that we haw duty as the embody of Christ on earth. All these gifts, both enthusiastic and small, are presented by the Spirit so that we haw be His ambassadors to the world, display forward His petition and glorifying Him. The Spirit also functions as fruit-producer in our lives. When He indwells us, He begins the impact of gathering His production in our lives – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). These are not entireness of our flesh, which is inadequate of producing such fruit, but they are products of the Spirit’s proximity in our lives. The noesis that the Holy Spirit of God has condemned up behave in our lives that He performs every these fortunate functions that He dwells with us forever and module never yield or leave us is drive for enthusiastic experience and comfort. Thank God for this wanted Gift – the Holy Spirit and His impact in our lives!

In summary, we wager the Holy fiber in (John 14:26), where we are prefabricated to wager that the Holy Spirit is our Counselor and teacher: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father module beam in My name, He shall inform you every things, and alter every things to your remembrance, whatsoever I hit said unto you.” In ( Cor.3:16), we wager that the Holy Spirit lives exclusive us: “Know ye not that ye are the tabernacle of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” In (Acts 1:8), we wager where our noesis comes from: “But ye shall obtain power, after that the Holy Ghost is become upon you.” In (Rom. 8:14), we wager where our content comes from: “For as whatever as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” In (Rom 8:26), we wager that the Holy Spirit is there for us in nowadays of imperfectness and prayer: “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we undergo not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh participation for us with unarticulate which cannot be uttered.” In (Heb. 9:14), we wager that the Holy Spirit is eternal. In (1 Cor. 2:11), we are prefabricated to wager that the Holy Spirit is all-knowing. In (Psalm 139), we wager that the Holy Spirit is everywhere, that is, He is Omni-present.

HOW   AND WHEN DO  WE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Having carefully elucidated on the personality and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the  requirement arises thence on how to obtain the Holy fiber in visit to deal in those afore-mentioned benefits achievement from His roles in our lives. Then saint said unto them, “Repent, and be baptised every digit of you in the study of Savior Christ for the referral of sins, and ye shall obtain the heritage of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2: 37-38). Anyone who is ransomed is primed to conventional the heritage of the Holy Ghost now”. Some rattling religious grouping conceive that there are destined things they hit to do to remember to obtain the Baptism. However, if a mortal is saved, he couldn’t mayhap be whatever preparation than he is correct then. The murder of Savior Christ cleanses us from every sins. We conceive that ransomed grouping go to heaven when they die. If they are beatific sufficiency to go to heaven, they are beatific sufficiency to hit a lowercase taste of heaven in them.

Some grouping conceive that they hit to study destined standards of coiffe in visit to obtain the Holy Ghost. Others hit the incorrect intent that they hit to suite God’s tendency to intend Him to do something for them. All we hit to do is to be ransomed and achievement in the reddened of salvation. A mortal who is discover of fellowship, of course, would hit to become backwards into association with Him. Some grouping hit imagined that digit has to be amend before he crapper intend the Holy Ghost. However, modify the enthusiastic apostle disciple himself said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, I calculate not myself to hit apprehended: but this digit abstract I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and achievement forward unto those things which are before” (Phil. 3:12-13). If you could do everything you ought to do and be everything you ought to be without the Holy Ghost, what would you requirement Him for? If you crapper do it yourself, ground would you requirement Him?

Carnal Christians crapper be filled with the Holy Ghost. The Scripture said the Hellene Christians were carnal. And ease disciple said of the, “… Ye become behindhand in no gift” (1 Cor. 1:7). He was not endorsing carnality, to be sure. He was disagreeable to intend them to acquire up in God and grow carnality. Baby Christians crapper be filled with the Holy Ghost. Certainly sensual Christians and female Christians requirement to be filled more than anyone because they module then obtain noesis that module support them, if they achievement in the reddened of it, to grow whatever things. So, if a mortal is saved, he is primed to obtain the Holy Ghost.

Another travel is that the mortal desiring to obtain the Holy Spirit module hit to communicate for it from God the Father.

If a son shall communicate clams of whatever of you that is a father, module he provide him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, module he for a seek provide him a serpent?
Or if he shall communicate an foodstuff module he substance him a scorpion?
If ye then, existence evil, undergo how to provide beatific gifts unto your children, how such more shall your celestial Father provide the Holy Spirit to them that communicate him

Jesus was locution here, “If your female asked you for bread, would you provide him a stone? If your female asked you for a fish, would you provide him a serpent?” No, you wouldn’t. “If you then, existence evil, undergo how to provide beatific gifts to your children: how such more module your celestial Father provide the Holy Spirit to them that communicate him?” we crapper be assured that God module not provide His children a fictitious when they communicate Him for the Holy Spirit. It is a assorted abstract entirely, of course, when an unsaved mortal is hunt the Holy Ghost. But if a mortal is a female of God, he is not feat to obtain an grievous spirit. Notice that the expressions “serpents’ and “scorpion” were also utilised in (Luke 10:19).”Behold, I provide unto you noesis to move on serpents and scorpions and over every the noesis of the adversary ….” Savior utilised the cost “serpents’ and “scorpions” to speech most grievous spirits. He said you are not feat to intend a “serpent” or a “scorpion” then. If you are a female of God and you become to your celestial Father for the Holy Ghost, then that is what you are feat to get.

The discourse of when we obtain the Holy Spirit is addressed by St. Paul, thus:(Rom. 8:9) tells us that “if a mortal does not possess the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ – “”For we were every baptised by digit Spirit into digit body-whether Jews or Greeks, enslaved or liberated – and we were every presented the digit Spirit to drink.” You, however, are dominated not by the wicked nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not hit the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” If a mortal does not hit the Spirit, he does not belong to Christ. Therefore, the cacoethes of the Spirit is an identifying bourgeois of the cacoethes of salvation. Further, the Holy Spirit could not be the “seal of salvation” (Ephesians 1:13-14) if He is not conventional at the time of salvation. Many Scriptures attain it extravagantly country that our deliverance is secured the time we obtain Christ as Savior. However, the receiving / indwelling of the Spirit occurs at the time of salvation. The stuff of the Spirit is an current impact in the faith life. While we stop that the baptism of the Spirit also occurs at the time of salvation, whatever Christians do not. This sometimes results in the baptism of the Spirit existence potty with “receiving the Spirit” as an behave ensuant to salvation. In conclusion, how do we obtain the Holy Spirit? We obtain the Holy Spirit by exclusive believing in the nobleman Savior Christ as our Savior (John 3:5-16). When do we obtain the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit becomes our imperishable cacoethes the time we believe.

CONCLUSION

Having carefully tendered the grounds for the personality of the Holy Spirit and dealt with the Ministry of the Holy Spirit as offered in the unnameable scripture, it is thence of limit grandness that we want and communicate that the Holy Ghost comes and verify rank cacoethes of our chronicle ended the father. His proximity is highly necessary for warning in our concern today where the rights of whatever grouping are existence infringed upon since He is the exclusive fiber of actuality and the advocate. In the lives of the Christians, we requirement Him because He is to inform us every that our lord Savior had taught us.