Study the Bible with Pastor Gregory

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1. The Initiatives of the Spirit: – "We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person Who convicts the world of sin, or righteousness, and of judgment;"
   
   
1. The Personality of the Holy Spirit – "We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person …"
   
   
1. It is our belief that the Holy Spirit is revealed in Scripture to be a Person – not a force; He is the 3^rd Person of the Triune God.
1. He possesses the three primary attributes of personality:
1. Intellect – 1 Corinthians 2:10-11
2. Emotions – Ephesians 4:30
3. Will – Acts 16:6ff
2. He possesses the actions of a Person:
1. He teaches – John 14:26
2. He testifies – John 15:26
3. He guides – Romans 8:14
4. He convinces – John 16:7-8
5. He restrains – 2 Thessalonians 2:7ff
6. He commands – Acts 8:29
7. He performs miracles – Acts 8:39
8. He intercedes – Romans 8:26
9. He comforts – John 14:26
3. He is referred to by personal pronouns – John 15:26; Ephesians 1:14.
2. In all the divine attributes, He is coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son.
1. The evidence of His Divine Attributes:
1. Eternality – Hebrews 9:14
2. Omnipresence – Psalm 139:7-10
3. Omniscience – Isaiah 40:13-14
4. Omnipotence – Romans 15:13
5. Truthfulness – John 16:13
2. The evidence of His equality with the Father & Son:
1. He is named as part of the Godhead – Matthew 28:19
2. He is called God – Acts 5:3-4
   
   
2. The Pursuit by the Holy Spirit – "… Who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;"
   
   
1. The Redemptive Plan of God equally involves the three Persons of the Godhead –
1. It is arranged by the Father who sent His Son
2. It is accomplished by the Son in obedience to the Father
3. It is applied through the Spirit who actually does the work of regeneration –
2. However, the initial work performed for the sinner is the work of convincing men of the truth – cp. John 16:8-11
1. He convinces the world of the truth about sin – referring to the specific issue of man’s guilt before God as an offense to God
2. He convinces the world of righteousness – specifically that which contrasts to their sin = the righteousness of Jesus Christ
3. He convinces the world of judgment– specifically that which is the inevitable consequence of the disparity that exists between their sinful condition and the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
   
   
2. The Impact of the Spirit: - "… and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption."
   
   
1. The Power of the Holy Spirit – "… and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, …"
   
   
1. Again, we believe that the Holy Spirit is the Agent of redemption – the One who applies the grace of God specifically with the issues that relate to the alteration of man’s condition.
2. He is the One who works regeneration in the lives of sinful men;
1. The act of regeneration is the work performed to instill new life or to establish the new man – cp. Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 3:6
2. This new life is the eternal life – John 3:5-7
3. Through regeneration we are given a new nature – cp. 2 Corinthians 5:17
3. It is also through the work of the Holy Spirit that we are placed into the Body of Christ Jesus – 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
1. This refers to our new position in Christ – belonging to Christ as our Head – John 14:20; Ephesians 4:5
2. It enables us to be united with Christ – Galatians 2:20
   
   
2. The Permanence of the Holy Spirit – "… indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption."
   
   
1. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is something that is crucial to the issue of one’s salvation – without His indwelling presence we do not belong to Christ – Romans 8:9
2. The purpose of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is that we might know true holiness – cp. 1 Corinthians 6:19
3. Having been bought by Christ through His blood, He marks us as belonging to Him by giving to us His Spirit as a seal or "mark of ownership" – Ephesians 1:13-14
1. The importance of this concept is that it provides the security of our salvation – God cannot withdraw His promise of redemption because of the earnest given in the Spirit
2. This protection and ownership lasts not until we sin, but until the final day when we are called home – and redemption is complete – cp. Ephesians 4:30.
   
   
3. The Influence of the Spirit: – "We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; and, that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit."
   
   
1. The Pedagogy of the Spirit – "We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth;"
   
   
1. Jesus promised that the primary benefit that they would possess in His absence from them, would be that He would send another Comforter – the Helper – who is the Holy Spirit to lead them into truth – John 16:13
2. The initial work of the Spirit to fulfill Christ’s promise was by guiding the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God’s revelation: the Bible – cp. 2 Peter 1:20-21
3. It is this same Holy Spirit who guides us to understand the truth of God’s Word – 1 John 2:20, 27.
   
   
2. The Privilege in the Spirit – "and, that it is the privilege and duty of all saved to be filled with the Spirit."
   
   
1. In distinction to the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit which is not in any way relative or quantitatively variant (you either have Him or you don’t), the idea of filling is relative.
2. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit – meaning that we are to surrender to His influence and control as our primary duty – cp. Ephesians 5:18
3. This clearly refers to the level of control or influence that the Holy Spirit exerts – a matter that is directly proportional to our yieldedness.

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