Who God is
116. God – The Holy Spirit
The
Holy Spirit is often misunderstood.
The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit not as “it” but as “He.” He is God, the third person of the
Trinity. He is here to take the
place of Jesus. He is just as much
God as the Father and Jesus the Son.
In Acts chapter 1, the disciples wanted to know when Jesus
was going to come back and take care of their problems. An honest question. After all, if we are going to trust the
Lord, then we need to know when He is going to act on our behalf. If we don’t think that He will act,
then what’s the use?
Jesus answered their question in a funny way. He inferred that they were asking the
wrong question because He did not answer it directly. Instead, He told them that it was not their business to know
all of the times and circumstances regarding His coming again. He didn’t want them to focus on
that. He said that He will give
them power to go and tell what they had seen and heard. He would give them a
gift, and when they received it, He wanted them to go and give it away. It is Jesus’ unconditional love. It will never run out, but will be
increased.
The Holy Spirit was about to fall back on mankind, the
first time since the Garden of Eden.
Man was finally going to be returned to normal. A clay vessel filled with God. Jesus knew that we would be concerned
about our earthly life and what we eat or drink because we have been so
brainwashed. But He also knew that
being returned to normal meant that we needed to focus on relationship and not
on our earthly needs. This was the entire purpose of the Cross: to return man
to normal.
What did Jesus say to His
disciples in John 14-16 about His going away?
Maybe what He
said to them would have looked like this:
“Don’t be upset, I am making a place of comfort for
you.”
Thomas said, “We don’t know how to get there.”
“It’s a place in the Father and I am the way,” said
Jesus.
Then the disciples said, “Oh, well just show us the Father.”
Jesus said, “I have been with you for so long and you still
don’t understand the original blueprint of how man is supposed to be. Well, you see it’s this way, the Father
lives in Me and I live in Him through the Spirit. Remember Adam, he was a container for God. Well, in the same way I am going to
return you guys back to normal people; I will send the Spirit to live in you so
that you can be one with Me and the Father.
But the Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, and not everybody in
the world can, or will, receive Him, they won’t recognize Him. You see, not everybody wants Him. And since this is a love relationship,
there has to be love on both sides, not just one. The folks who keep My Word and spend time in My Word are the
ones who really love the Father and Me.
To those folks We will make ourselves real; We will unveil ourselves to
them and they will actually experience God inside of them.
You see it works like this. A grapevine is all branches. However, the branches make up the vine and they are actually
one with each other. Not like a
tree, which has a trunk and then branches, but a vine is actually made up of
the branches. I am the vine and
you are the branches. The Spirit
is like the sap and the life that runs through the vine and branches. It is this kind of combining of lives
and oneness that you will experience.
Now I don’t want you to think that just because you
experience distress and problems that I have not told you the truth. As a matter of fact, you will
experience all kinds of tribulation and persecution and problems. But the Spirit will be living in you
and He will remind you how much the Father and I love you no matter what
happens. He will give you peace
and joy in the middle of all of the problems. He will speak with you just as if I were here. He will
actually take My place and be your helper and comforter just as I have
been. However, He will be in you,
so actually, it is going to be better.
No matter what happens, just know that I have overcome all the evil that
can be thrown at you. You see, at
the Cross I will disarm and destroy all evil, and when I come to live inside of
you through the Spirit, it is that victory that is living in you. What really counts is that We will be
connected with you, and be one with you.
Also, Our work on this earth will continue. Actually, Our work will even be greater
because you will multiply and cover the earth and bear the fruit of more
spiritual children than I could ever bear if I stayed here. Whatever help you
need with this work, just ask the Father and He will give you whatever you need.
Sincerely,
Your
Friend, Jesus”
John 14 and 16 indicate that Jesus was getting ready to
leave His men and was telling them that He was coming back soon. Then He explained that He was actually
coming back in a different form: not in body, but in spirit. His Spirit would actually get inside of
them and be their comforter, helper, intercessor, standby, advocate and
Strengthener. Jesus said that it
would somewhat depend upon their keeping His Word. He told them that the Holy
Spirit would take His place and bring them messages from the Father
directly. He said that in this
life that we would experience a lot of trouble in the world, but that He would
give us peace and joy, and not to worry because He has conquered the world.
In short, the Holy Spirit is not some weird experience or
cloud of this age, but the Holy Spirit is called a He. He is God in another form. He is Jesus. He is the Father.
He takes their place on this planet and in the realm of our experience
for right now. The only way one
can experience God while in these bodies and on this earth (exceptions of
course) is via the Holy Spirit. In
the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would only live in a custom made Temple. The same is true today, except that
Temple is our body!
Jesus
explained the original blueprint: God
in Man, just like He had demonstrated.
Then He
said that in a little while they would not see Him any more, then they would
see Him but in a different form.
He told them that the world would no longer see Him because they did not
really love Him, so He will be veiled from the world in this new form. But He said in John 14:21 that if we
live in His Word and in the Spirit of Truth, then He will clearly show Himself
to us.
“And I will
ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper,
Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you
forever – The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to
its heart), because it does not see Him nor know and recognize Him. But you
know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.
I will not leave you as orphans...” (John 14:16-18, Amplified Bible).
“However, I am telling you nothing but the truth when I say
it is profitable (good, expedient, advantageous) for you that I go away.
Because if I do not go away, the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate,
Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you [into close fellowship
with you]; but if I go away, I will send Him to you [to be in close fellowship
with you]” (John 16:7, Amplified Bible).
John 15 explains the mystery, which is Christ in you,
with the parable of the branch and the vine. They cannot be separated, but the branch receives its life
from the vine, the sap, the very life of the vine, flows into the branch. We are the branches; not only do we
abide in the vine, but also the vine, its life, abides in us. That is the mystery that even angels
knew nothing of. Christ in
you the hope of glory!
God has chosen mere man to be
the container for Himself, the Holy Spirit.
He
chose my body to be one of the Temples, or dwelling places, of the Holy
Spirit. And He chose me to be a
part of a larger Temple that is His Body, or the Church. All you have to do is to look into the
Old Testament and you will see that it was no small thing for the Holy Spirit
to dwell somewhere. There had to
be dozens of animals brought to sacrifice; the priest had very special tasks to
perform in order to keep everyone alive.
Remember that we are not talking about coming into the presence of the
Pope or the President, but unto the Creator of all things. And He chose to live in you and
me! We belong to Him; we are His
property!
1 Corinthians 6:19 says, “Or do you not know that your body
is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you
are not your own?”
Remember each time you say something or do something that
God is living inside of you. Is He
proud of you?
Now look up the following
Scriptures for yourself:
1. God the Father anointed
Jesus with the Holy Spirit for His earthly ministry. Acts 10:38
2. John the Baptist
saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus.
Matthew 3:16
3. The Holy Spirit
enabled Jesus to preach and minister.
Luke 4:18
4. Jesus cast out
devils by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 12:28
5. Jesus told His
disciples that the Father would send the Holy Spirit. John 14:16, 26
6. Jesus told His
disciples that the Holy Spirit would reveal Jesus to His disciples. John 16:14; 15:26
7. Jesus told His
disciples that they would receive power to be witnesses for Him. Acts 1:8
8. John the Baptist
said that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8
9. Jesus told His
disciples that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5
10. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the
Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49
11. In the Old Testament’s book of Joel, God promised the
Holy Spirit. Joel 2:28-29
12. The promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-4
13. The Holy Spirit could not be given until Jesus was
crucified, buried, resurrected and ascended back to Heaven (glorified). [Note:
To be glorified means to show and reveal the truth and the real character of
something]. John 7:39
14. Jesus received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the
Father to dispense to us when He was exalted to the right hand of God after the
resurrection. Acts 2:33
15. The unbelievers could see and hear the Holy Spirit, and
they knew He had been poured out.
Acts 2:33
16. The unbelievers could hear the disciples speaking in
their own language through the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:7-8
17. The disciples quoted Joel 2:28-29 and said that what
was happening was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Acts 2:17
18. Peter said that the promise of the Holy Spirit was for
all, for all whom God would call.
Acts 2:39
19. God promised the Holy Spirit to anyone who asked. Luke 11:13
20. The Holy
Spirit reveals to us the mysteries of God, the things that God has hidden away
for us, in order to bring us into His presence. 1 Corinthians 2:7-16
21. Where does the Holy Spirit like to live? He likes to live with lambs or
lamb-like people. Lambs are not so
smart or wise, they are foolish and trusting. They are helpless and do not stand up for their own
rights. They will not complain
when led to the slaughterhouse.
They absolutely need a shepherd, just to survive. They cannot operate independently. When they try, they always get lost and
injured. Jesus was the Lamb of
God. John 1:29, 32.
Scriptures
for this lesson
Acts 10:38
says,
“...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit
and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by
the devil, for God was with Him.”
John
1:32-33 says,
“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water
said to me, “Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him,
this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
Luke
4:18 says,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; because He has anointed
Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty those who are oppressed.”
Matthew
12:28 says,
“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the
kingdom of God has come upon you.”
John
14:16 says,
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”
John
14:26 says,
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send
in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all
things that I said to you.”
John
16:14 says,
“He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and
declare it to you.”
John
15:26 says,
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from
the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify
of Me.”
Acts
1:8 says,
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Mark
1:8 says,
“I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts
1:5 says,
“For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Luke
24:49 says,
“Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but
tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Joel
2:28-29 says,
“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out
My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old
men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My
maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Acts
2:1-4 says,
“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of
fire, and one sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
John
7:39 says,
“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those
believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Acts
2:33 says,
“Therefore being exalted to the right of God, and having
received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this
which you now see and hear.”
Acts
2:7-8 says,
“Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one
another, ‘Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our
own language in which we were born?’”
Acts
2:17 says,
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that
I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.”
Acts
2:39 says,
“For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all
who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Luke
11:13 says,
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him?”
1
Corinthians 2:7-16 says,
“But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the
rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory. But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor
have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those
who love Him.’ But God has revealed them
to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep
things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the
man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit
of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who
is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by
God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but
which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But
the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are
foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly
judged by no one. For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may
instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of
Christ.”
John
1:29 says,
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’”
John
1:32 says,
“And John bore witness, saying, ‘I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.’”
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