Coming to class today did you guys see anything beautiful? Maybe it was a car. Perhaps a work of art made of glass. Maybe it was jewelry or it is was a flower. If it is really beautiful, you tend to look at it from every direction to appreciate each aspect of it. It just feels good to take in all of the beauty, and satisfying to your senses. Well, I feel that way about the Holy Spirit, how the Holy Spirit leads in our life with an emphasis on His physical direction, how the Holy Spirit leads us spiritually is simply beautiful. Wouldn’t you say?
Are you being led by the Spirit? Are you in the Spirit? Does the Spirit dwell in you? It is certainly important for you to be able to answer yes to these questions, but just saying so is not sufficient enough. There is, quite simply, many unscriptural ideas about what these phrases mean. Many people wrongly believe that the Holy Spirit's influence on a person is a "mystical revelation" which overpowers human intentions and that we discern right decisions from wrong ones based on feelings which the Holy Spirit puts directly into our heads apart from Biblical revelation. Many say that the way they feel carries much more weight than the written word. If one can honestly answer "yes" to the questions above, it is only because he has chosen to yield to the teachings and urgings of the Spirit that have been provided to us Christians by God's providence in His Holy Scriptures. You are not really led by the Holy Spirit if you are not living according to His teachings in the gospel. The Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul, shares a great deal of information to us about this subject in Romans 8:1-17.
Romans 8 may be described as falling into three distinct but closely related categories. Vers...
... middle of paper ...
...ristian has a choice. He can either live in the realm of the flesh or of the Holy Spirit. The Christian must choose between these two worlds, the way of the flesh, or of the way of the Spirit. Those who walk according to the flesh are condemned to death. On the other hand, those who walk according to the Spirit are led to eternal life. To walk in the Spirit is to have confidence that God is your Father, and that all guidance and strength comes through the Holy Spirit.
"I put my mind on Christ and try to listen and obey the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:5), the Holy Spirit will give me life and peace (Romans 8:6). If a man is a Christian, he has the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9). His spirit has been made alive (Romans 8:10) The Holy Spirit is giving life back to his body, bringing it back from the deadness of sin (Romans 8:11) and bring abundant new life in Christ."(Graham)
In the film “The Holy Ghost People,” right away we get individual accounts of what the “Holy Spirit” is to certain individuals. One woman says the Holy Ghost guides her and keeps her going. The people are very intense about their beliefs, which comes from the religion Pentecostalism, which has a hyper focus on personal experience with God and baptism with the Holy Spirit. We see them in their church, we hear the sermon, and see the ritualistic dances and the way the prayer overcomes them, and causes seizure like motions. We see and hear the prayers for the healing of one woman’s eyesight, and another woman’s back pain. One man, seemingly the pastor, says that “if God is not doing what they ask, people aren’t believing hard enough.” Later we get an account from a woman of how she was nursed back to health as a little girl brought her nutrients, and she believes it was
The Spirit helps us implore (Romans 8:26-27). He gives us new life (John 3:3-6). He is our consoler, and he helps us comprehend God's statement (John 14:26). He lifts up Christ (John 15:26). He convicts us of wrongdoing (John 16:7-11). He helps us to live holy lives (Romans 15:16). He gives us love, happiness, peace, tolerance, thoughtfulness, goodness, faithfulness, tenderness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). He helps us share our confidence (Acts 1:8). What's more, he lives inside us (Romans
Man knows that the Gospel is God’s power to save, that the truth purifies the heart and the truth sanctifies the heart; for, that information has been revealed through His Word by the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 1:16; I Peter 1:22; John
Now that we have established the Spirit as a person, how does He play a personal role in our lives and what is His role in the Trinity? When we are faced with trials and di...
First, we are declared righteous before God. Paul says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). We no longer are condemned by our sin; instead, we are righteous before God because we are in Christ. Second, we live in the power and strength of Jesus Christ. Paul makes this clear when he says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Paul struggled with a thorn in the flesh, and he asked God to remove it, but God responded and said His grace was sufficient. His power is made perfect in our weaknesses so that the power of Christ rests in us (2 Cor.
In these letters Paul provides the most complete statement of the doctrine in the New Testament. If want to know the ins and outs of Christianity, let people check out the writings of Paul to the Romans. So says a notable interpreter. Because of that this note on Romans should earnestly by every Christian, as very important and contains the full spiritual object.
The statement by John, “Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire,” has an undertone which is connected to a theme which intertestamental Jews held. This idea was not related directly to the Holy Spirit and the work He would have at Jesus’ baptism or in Jesus’ ministry. A question such as, why would an unrelated belief have a connection to the Holy Spirit who was to come in the baptism of Jesus? This belief was the idea that a time of affliction or anguish would take place before the coming of the messiah. This was referred to as the birth pangs of the messiah. One reference which is used to support this is from the prophet Daniel, where in one of his visions he refers to war being made against the saints and until the ancient of days would come there would be judgment upon the saints (Dan. 7:21-22). The fire which john speaks about could be a fire of judgment for the people as well as a fire which would purify the saints. Various OT prophets confirm this idea of judgment by fire (Amos 7:4; Mal. 4:1) which the people would have to experience. Another reference to fire as judgment 2 Peter 3:6-7 where the fire is being stored up for the heavens and the earth until the day of judgment. The imagery of this fire in Jesus’ baptism is seen as a river or stream of fire (Dan. 7:10). Another element of this early held view of the fire of Jesus’ baptism was also dual purposed in its nature. As the fire would destroy the wicked it would also purge and cleanse the righteous. These references to fire help clarify the possible understanding of the differences between John’s and Jesus baptisms. This was not the sole purpose of His baptism; he was preparing the way (Matt. 3:3) for Jesus. One way the baptism of Jesus could be seen,...
While people who are not Christians can do “good things” it is not until a person becomes a Christian that they receive one or more gifts of the Holy Spirit. “One of the important ministries of the Holy Spirit to believers today is His bestowal of spiritual gifts to Christians at the time of their conversion” (Walvoord 109). People are then supposed to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead them in how they should use their gifts. The gifts are meant to be used for building up the body of Christ and helping others (Walvoord 109).
Introductory The Epistle letter to the Romans covers the chief parts of the gospel from Creation to the Cross. It gives Christians a systematic way to understand Biblical truths and to walk, with confidence, in the way of Christ. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul, shares his deep understanding of Scripture in his letter to the Romans providing solid Biblical instruction in the way of Salvation. Throughout the Epistle, we are reminded that we are justified by the gift of God’s grace, through the redemption that is in Christ.
According to 1 Timothy 4:1, He speaks, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later ties some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. This verse is a prophetic word that is spoken by the Holy Spirit, which is a characteristic of people prophesying as well. By the Holy Spirit being able to speak, it makes Him relatable so that we are able to be in communication with Him. He also intercedes on behalf of the people who are weak and have no power. When we are unsure of what to pray, or unable to pray as we should, the Spirit intercedes on our behalf with a grief and groan that so deep that words are unable to be spoken (Romans 8:26). We need the Spirit to pray for us in times of need, because most times we do not pray for the correct things. By His intercession, we are also able to grow closer to God because of our trust put in the Spirit to pray on our behalf. The Bible also says He testifies and bears witness about Jesus, speaking only truth and life (John 15:26). As followers of Christ we are also called to witness about Jesus and speak life into others. Because the Spirit also witnesses, it creates a connection between us so that we can let the Spirit flow through us. With the Spirit flowing in us, we are able to have confidence when witnessing to
“Jesus states that there is a difference between the Holy Spirit and
This happens instantaneously. And for this to happen, a person must get involved together with God. This being God’s readily given priceless gift, one is at liberty to accept or reject it. Brengle views the Spirit’s work as very important in uniting the believers with Christ which eventually brings up Christlike behaviour. that moral and spiritual change that touches the individual at the level of both will and motivation.
Driven / The difficult choice / Mark 1:9-15; 1 Peter 3:18; Psalm 25:10 At the Baptism of Jesus, the heavenly voice revealed Jesus as God’s beloved Son (Mark 1:9-11). After this tremendous event, , Jesus was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit where he is tempted (Mark 1:12-15). This week’s sermon was “Driven.”
Swindoll, Charles R. Swindoll’s New Testament Insights: Insights on Romans. Grand Rapides, MI: Zondervan, 2010.
When one fully gives himself to God, but has not receive the Holy Spirit, he must just keep trusting God that His word is true and that He will do the work. Also one can expect temptation just like Jesus did. When the Holy Spirit comes, He does not leave quickly. When one seeks the Holy Spirit when He is already there, it grieves Him. One should be prayerfully watchful and seek to be an open channel instead of seeking for more power.3