Wednesday 5th February Bible Study
“Holy Spirit as Friend and God” – Troy Rist
Introduction:
Is the Holy Spirit weird? Does he make us do weird things?
We need the Holy Spirit to live thriving lives as Christians (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit is our helper (John 14:15-18), guide (John 16:13), councillor (1 John 2:1).
Amazing Benefits:
There are four amazing benefits the Holy Spirit brings when he becomes our friend.
1st is power. Acts 1:8 says “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you”. It is impossible to live the Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit.” (A car without petrol/diesel).
2nd love. Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
3rd is the Fruit of the Holy Spirit
4th is the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
How the Spirit Speaks:
The Holy Spirit speaks to heal, restore, encourage, and bless. It is never to condemn or ridicule.
The Holy Spirit is a person.
As the Holy Spirit was the inspiration behind every word in the bible, a good starting point for a relationship with Him is in the Word of God.
In John 10:1-5,27 Jesus tells us: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and the follow me.”
Getting into God’s presence, living there, dwelling there, listening there, is how you practice hearing God’s voice.
Holy Spirit as God
The Holy Spirit tends to shift the focus onto honouring and praising God, and to lifting Jesus up as the Son of God. In John 16:14 Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit to his disciples by saying: “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you.”
Scripture reveals the trinity
John 14:16, 26 – And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever…But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he will teach you all things.”
John 15:26 – “But when the helper comes, whom shall I send to you from the father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the father, he will testify of me.”
Luke 3:22 – “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven which said, ‘You are my beloved son; in you I am well pleased’”.
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Peter’s words ring true when he said to Ananias: “Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? You have not lied to men but to God” Acts 5:4
Connecting us to the Father and Son.
One of the main focuses of the Holy Spirit, and of the amazing thing he does, is help hurting people to connect with a father who loves them and the saviour who died for them.
To sum things up, there are 3 things we can always keep close to help us: 1) the Holy Spirit was sent to help us. 2) He wants to be your intimate friend. 3) He is God.