Bible Study Course: Lesson 9 - The Transforming Power of God's Spirit
The Holy Spirit in the Church
How vital is the Holy Spirit to our relationship with God the Father
and Jesus Christ?
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
the Spirit of adoption by [which] we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The
Spirit [itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and
if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed
we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Romans 8:14-17).
Only those who have God the Father and Jesus the Son dwelling in them through
the power of the Holy Spirit are considered "children of God."
Notice that God leads His children with His Spirit. He does not drive them.
God’s Spirit empowers only those who choose to serve Him. That explains
why Paul wrote: "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body,
that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments
of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from
the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God" (Romans
6:12-13).
Paul is telling us that God, through His Spirit, will help us live righteously.
If we respond He will instill more and more of His divine nature and character
in us. But He will not force us. We must trust Him to help us so we can act
in faith. As we need more faith, He will provide it (Ephesians 2:8; compare
Psalm 1:1-3).
Is it possible to be a true Christian without the Holy Spirit?
"So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are
not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in
you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And
if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life
to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [which] dwells in you" (Romans
8:8-11).
Anyone who claims to be a converted follower of Christ who has not truly
repented and received the indwel-ling power of God through the Holy Spirit
is sorely mistaken about his status in God’s sight. Such a person’s
outlook on life is still being shaped mostly by his fleshly feelings, desires
and impulses because "the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit
against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another ..." (Galatians
5:17).
Notice that Paul spoke of the Holy Spirit proceeding from both the Father
and Jesus. The Scriptures represent the Spirit’s divine power as available
to us from either of Them. But it is represented as the same Spirit—with
no distinction. As Paul explains: "There is ... one Spirit, just as you
were called in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4).
Why, in addition to spiritual strength, do we need the Holy Spirit?
"Now we did not receive the spirit of the world, but we received the
Spirit that is from God so that we can know all that God has given us. And
we speak about these things, not with words taught us by human wisdom but
with words taught us by the Spirit. And so we explain spiritual truths to
spiritual people" (1 Corinthians 2:12-13, NCV).
Jesus told His disciples, "... It has been given to you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [who are not disciples] it
has not been given" (Matthew 13:11). Without God’s Spirit no one
can fully comprehend the Holy Scriptures. God’s help, through His Spirit,
is essential for us to attain that level of understanding.
Should we ask God to guide us, through His Spirit, to rightly understand
the Scriptures?
"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!" (Luke 11:13).
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, [which] the Father will send in My
name, [it] will teach you all things ..." (John 14:26).
"However, when [it], the Spirit of truth, has come, [it] will guide
you into all truth ..." (John 16:13).
From the above scriptures it is clear that God does the guiding, and He does
it through His Spirit.
Does God expect us to spiritually mature and grow?
"We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by
every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in
deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every
way into him who is the head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:14-15, NRSV).
"You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are
not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"
(2 Peter 3:17-18, NRSV).
"... As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may
grow thereby" (1 Peter 2:2).
When we receive God’s Spirit we are no more than spiritual infants.
But we should begin growing by quickly learning the basics of God’s
way of life, by thriving on the milk of the Word. If we do, God will work
in us, though the Holy Spirit, to transform our lives.
Is effort on our part necessary?
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does
not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy
2:15).
"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence
only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).
"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you,
so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding,
if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then
you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God"
(Proverbs 2:1-5).
God expects us to study the Holy Scriptures so we will correctly understand
them. He wants us to learn how to effectively apply His Word in our in daily
lives. The Scriptures tell us that "solid food belongs to those who are
of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised
to discern both good and evil" (Hebrews 5:14).
In contrast, those who neglect spiritual growth are told: "For though
by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again
the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk
and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in
the word of righteousness, for he is a babe" (verses 12-13). As our knowledge
of God’s Word increases, our skill in discerning the proper application
of its spiritual principles should also greatly increase.
Notice Paul’s prayer for God’s converted children: "For
this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom
the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according
to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit
in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that
you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all
the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the
love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the
fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:14-19).
Paul prayed that God would help His children to discern His will, to comprehend
the intent of His Word. Through His Spirit God helps us incorporate this understanding
into our character—patterning it after His character, His divine nature
(2 Peter 1:4). With our cooperation, He writes the principles embodied in
His laws in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10).
The marvelous process of developing character is a miracle. We could never
accomplish it by ourselves. That is why Paul wrote: "For by grace [God’s
loving gift] you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are
His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:8-10).
No amount of effort on our part, unless it is accompanied by the power of
God’s Spirit, would ever shape us into what God wants us to be. But
with His Spirit working in us we become His workmanship—enabled to perform
works truly pleasing to Him. We can comprehend what those righteous works
are because God helps us, through the power of His Spirit, to discern how
to observe the spirit (the intent) of "every word of God" (Luke
4:4).
How does the Bible define the "good works" we should "walk
in"?
"But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted
by Him" (Acts 10:35).
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct
that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom" (James 3:13).
"[Christ] gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works"
(Titus 2:14).
"They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable,
disobedient, and disqualified for every good work" (Titus 1:16).
A "lawless deed" cannot qualify as a "good work." Rather,
one who "works righteousness" is also known by his "good conduct."
Jesus stressed this truth when He said, "Many will say to Me in that
day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons
in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare
to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
(Matthew 7:23).
In contrast, through the power of the Holy Spirit God writes His laws in
our hearts and minds, enabling us to obey the Scriptures (Hebrews 10:15-16;
Ezekiel 36:26-27). As Peter wrote: "Like obedient children, do not be
conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. Instead, as he
who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct" (1 Peter
1:14-15, NRSV).
Righteous works are simply the application of the principles found in God’s
Word—performed through the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Therefore,
as Jesus reminds us: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
of God" (Luke 4:4). We can consistently do this, however, only if God works
in us through His Spirit.
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