He performs the work of God (Ro mans 8:12). He has been appointed overseers of the Church (Acts 20:28). He regenerates us, chang ing our lives, when we're born again (John 3:3). He is always con sidered an equal with God (Acts 5:3, 4). While we use the terminology, the Bible nowhere speaks of Him as "the third Person of the Trinity." For this reason some people may consider Him inferior to the other two Persons of the Godhead. Such is far from the truth. He is co equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the other two. It was the Holy Spirit who cre ated the body of the Lord Jesus. He overshadowed Mary. Through His mighty power He raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 1:4). He is never to be treated as a mere in fluence we may lay hold of and use. He is a Person who wants to lay hold of us for God's divine pur poses on the earth. Will we allow Him to teach, guide, empower, fill and speak through us so that we may be instruments of blessing to the lost and perishing world around us. The Holy Spirit brings into our poor hearts the very wealth of heaven. HOLY SPIRIT, OUR HELPER Tracing the ministry of the Holy Spirit let us observe Him in this study as He is revealed in the Old Testament. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit belongs distinctively to Christianity. No other religion has anything approaching this fact. Man has never evolved or devel oped a doctrine like that of the Holy Spirit. These truths have come down to us from another world, from Heaven itself. Human experi ence itself could never have re-
9. He witnesses (John 15:26). 10. He reveals (Ephesians 3:5). 11. He prophesies (I Timothy 4:1). 12. He gives gifts (I Corinthians 12 : 11 ). 13. He performs miracles (He brews 2:4). 14. He sanctifies the believer (I Corinthians 6:11). 15. He quickens the believer (John 6:63). 16. He sends teachers to the church (Acts 2:13). 17. He gives knowledge (I John 2:27). 18. He speaks by others (Mark 13:11).. 19. He dwells in His own people (Ephesians 2:22). 20. He made it possible for the dead to be raised in some in stances (Romans 8:11). 21. He convicts the unbeliever (John 16:8). 22. He communes with the believ er (2 Corinthians 13:14). The Scripture also represents the possibility of treating Him proper ly. Six specific sins against the Holy Spirit are mentioned in the Bible: 1. He may be blasphemed (Mat thew 12:31). 2. He may be rebelled against (Isaiah 63:10). 3. He may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30). 4. He may be done despite to (Hebrews 10:29). 5. He may be resisted (Acts 7:51). 6. He may be lied to (Acts 5:3). How could such acts by men in sin be performed against simply an influence or an impersonal force? The Holy Spirit is definitely a per son. Never think of Him as anything less than Cod! He is omnipresent (Psalms 139:7-10). He possesses the power to create (Genesis 1:2).
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