In the “Who Is The Holy Spirit” category of this blog I've written post on the Holy Spirit’s attributes, His position in the Trinity, and His work in the life of the believer. My first post was "Who Is The Holy Spirit". Today I am sharing what should have been my second post. The answer comes from a devotion from the YouVerson Reading Plan from Grace School of Theology, A Life of Glory.
Why is the Holy Spirit Called Holy?
(All bold mine)
Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are to manifest the glory (character) of God by conforming to His holy character. However, sin made us failures at holiness and placed us under God’s righteous judgment. Grace, through Jesus Christ, brought us back to a holy standing before God and the pursuit of a holy life possible. Our lives then are lived in triumph because we have been “graced” by God. But when we allow sin to control us it defeats the triumphant work of Christ. God therefore sets us free in Christ from the penalty of sin and when we practice “Know-Consider-Present” (Know who you are in Christ; consider yourself dead to that sin but alive to God in Christ; and present yourself to God as the righteous person you already are in Christ. KNOW, CONSIDER, PRESENT) we break sin’s attempts to control us. Though free from the penalty of sin we can still choose the flesh (me, myself, my), which will enslave us to sin. God again offers freedom from the power of sin in the flesh through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So, how does the Holy Spirit work in our lives? The Holy Spirit works in our lives in three very distinct ways. Let’s look at those three ways.
The gospel writer John tells us about the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is an act of Holy Spirit that occurs in all believers at the moment of belief and is an eternal gift from God. The Holy Spirit makes the believer His permanent dwelling place forever.
John 14:16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The second ministry is seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Here Paul talks about the Filling ministry of the Holy Spirit. He says that the issue of filling is control – your control or His.
Ephesians 5:18 NIV Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
His filling serves to affect our sanctification and when we yield to Him he fills us. The ultimate effect of this filing is that we are empowered for service to God. The more we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the more He fills and empowers us to serve.
Finally, in Galatians, Paul speaks of Walking in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit we rely on the Spirit’s resources to obey God, defeat the flesh and produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As we yield to Him He frees us from the flesh and helps produce fruit (God’s character) in us. When we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit He makes us what we were created to be… a holy people serving a holy God. That’s the Holy Spirit!
Galatians 5:16-26 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Why is the Holy Spirit Called Holy?
(All bold mine)
Once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are to manifest the glory (character) of God by conforming to His holy character. However, sin made us failures at holiness and placed us under God’s righteous judgment. Grace, through Jesus Christ, brought us back to a holy standing before God and the pursuit of a holy life possible. Our lives then are lived in triumph because we have been “graced” by God. But when we allow sin to control us it defeats the triumphant work of Christ. God therefore sets us free in Christ from the penalty of sin and when we practice “Know-Consider-Present” (Know who you are in Christ; consider yourself dead to that sin but alive to God in Christ; and present yourself to God as the righteous person you already are in Christ. KNOW, CONSIDER, PRESENT) we break sin’s attempts to control us. Though free from the penalty of sin we can still choose the flesh (me, myself, my), which will enslave us to sin. God again offers freedom from the power of sin in the flesh through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So, how does the Holy Spirit work in our lives? The Holy Spirit works in our lives in three very distinct ways. Let’s look at those three ways.
The gospel writer John tells us about the indwelling ministry of the Holy Spirit. This is an act of Holy Spirit that occurs in all believers at the moment of belief and is an eternal gift from God. The Holy Spirit makes the believer His permanent dwelling place forever.
John 14:16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
The second ministry is seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Here Paul talks about the Filling ministry of the Holy Spirit. He says that the issue of filling is control – your control or His.
Ephesians 5:18 NIV Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,
His filling serves to affect our sanctification and when we yield to Him he fills us. The ultimate effect of this filing is that we are empowered for service to God. The more we yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit, the more He fills and empowers us to serve.
Finally, in Galatians, Paul speaks of Walking in the Spirit. When we walk in the Spirit we rely on the Spirit’s resources to obey God, defeat the flesh and produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. As we yield to Him He frees us from the flesh and helps produce fruit (God’s character) in us. When we yield to the work of the Holy Spirit He makes us what we were created to be… a holy people serving a holy God. That’s the Holy Spirit!
Galatians 5:16-26 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
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