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The Holy Spirit
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsThe Holy Spirit is the power and mind of God, and it imparts wisdom and understanding to those who receive it (Isaiah 11:2). No one can grasp the whole truth of God through scholarship, human reason or intelligence. Only the Spirit's intervention calls us to understand it. Through divine revelation, God opens our minds to the mysteries of the truth and enables us to discern what is vital to our salvation (John 6:44-45; I Corinthians 2:7-14). The Spirit teaches God's way of life and brings to mind what Christ taught (John 14:26; 16:13). It also comforts and helps us, and when we cannot express ourselves in prayer, it aids us in making our requests before God (Romans 8:26-27). Because the Spirit is the mind and essence of the divine nature, it empowers the mind to comprehend spiritual matters, and this produces conversion. It gives a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7), along with the strength, will and faith to overcome sin. God gives the Spirit to those who have repented, been baptized and obeyed His commandments. The wisdom it imparts shows itself in the fruit of the Spirit, as God shapes His called children toward the image of Christ.
What the Holy Spirit Does (2005)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit imparts wisdom by setting a person apart from others, endowing them with deep understanding and sound judgment. This is evident in Joseph, who, through God's Spirit, demonstrated discernment and wisdom in interpreting Pharaoh's obscure dreams and making prudent decisions based on that understanding. Pharaoh himself recognized this difference, attributing it to the presence of God's Spirit in Joseph, which prompted and guided him in these qualities. Similarly, Jesus Christ, possessing the same Spirit, exhibited these attributes throughout His life, growing in favor with God and man. Beyond wisdom and discernment, the Spirit also grants counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, showing that its influence extends to various aspects of understanding and action. Moreover, the Holy Spirit enhances natural talents and inspires excellence, as seen in Bezaleel, who was filled with God's Spirit to craft the Tabernacle with exceptional skill. This enhancement was not for personal gain but for fulfilling God's work, raising Bezaleel's abilities to meet the divine purpose. In a broader sense, the Spirit equips all believers with gifts and attitudes necessary for their specific roles in God's plan, whether physical or spiritual, always directing efforts toward excellence in service to Him. Additionally, the Holy Spirit reveals truth and opens eyes to reality as God sees it. In the case of Balaam, a pagan sorcerer, the Spirit enabled him to see and speak God's perspective, even prophesying about the coming Savior. This unveiling of truth removes the blinders of deception, allowing a wider, godly vision of reality to emerge, which grows over time through the Spirit's ongoing work in a believer's life. Finally, as an overarching principle, the Holy Spirit operates within the bounds of love, power, and a sound mind, ensuring that any inspired action or decision reflects godly reason and avoids foolishness or harm, guiding believers to make wise and beneficial choices.
What the Holy Spirit Does
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit imparts wisdom and discernment, setting a person apart from others by promoting deep understanding and wise action. As seen in the example of Joseph in Genesis 41, Pharaoh recognized God's Spirit in him, noting his superior discernment and wisdom, which enabled Joseph to interpret dreams and provide a plan to save the nation. This shows that the Holy Spirit does not create simpletons or fools but fosters the ability to make right and good decisions, leading to godly and prudent courses of action. Similarly, in Isaiah 11, a prophecy of Jesus Christ highlights additional qualities imparted by the Holy Spirit, such as counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, demonstrating that working with the Holy Spirit under God's guidance produces these attributes. Furthermore, in II Timothy 1:6-7, it is emphasized that the Holy Spirit grants a sound mind, along with power and love, ensuring that any inspiration from God's Spirit will be reasonable, loving, and not promote fear or foolishness. Thus, the Holy Spirit equips individuals with the wisdom and understanding necessary to fulfill God's will effectively.
The Wonderful, Powerful Gift of God's Holy Spirit
Sermon by John O. ReidThe Holy Spirit, as a gift from God, imparts profound wisdom and understanding to those who receive it. Through His Spirit, God reveals the mystery of His will, making known what was once concealed and granting insight into His divine plan. This wisdom is not merely general knowledge but specific, personal teaching tailored to each individual, guiding them to grow and overcome personal challenges. The Spirit shapes the will of the one being taught by communicating righteous knowledge, impressing the commandments of Jesus Christ upon their minds and urging obedience. It bears witness to the way Christ lived, amplifying the laws of God, His love, concern for others, and the absolute truth regarding God's Kingdom. By His Spirit, God provides sound thinking and prudence, enabling His people to understand the wise planning that underpins His purpose for them and the world. This divine guidance sets them free from the superstitions and lies of the world, teaching the right practice of truth and declaring God's will for each person individually.
Christ Our Wisdom
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsWisdom, in its truest sense, is presented as a divine gift imparted through the Holy Spirit rather than something attainable through human effort or worldly philosophy. This is illustrated through Bezaleel, whom God filled "with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge" to accomplish skilled craftsmanship for the Temple, showing that even practical, artistic wisdom originates from God's Spirit. Stephen's ability to speak with wisdom that his adversaries could not resist is likewise attributed to God's inspiration working through him. Paul explicitly identifies wisdom as one of the manifestations of the Spirit, given "for the profit of all," alongside the word of knowledge, demonstrating that spiritual wisdom is distributed as a gift rather than earned through intellectual pursuit. This divine wisdom stands in stark contrast to the wisdom of this world, which is described as intuition and experience without revelation, ultimately impoverished, foolish, or even satanic when separated from God. The natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit because they are spiritually discerned, but believers have received "not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God," enabling them to know what has been freely given. Paul emphasizes that his preaching came "not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power," ensuring that faith rests in God's power rather than human cleverness. The Spirit searches "the deep things of God," and only through the Spirit of God can anyone truly know the things of God, since no one comprehends divine matters except by God's own Spirit within. Ephesians 3 connects this impartation to being "strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man," enabling comprehension of Christ's love which surpasses ordinary knowledge—a wisdom exceeding both rabbinic and Greek philosophical claims. Believers are urged to "be filled with the Spirit" as a mark of wise living, contrasted with foolish, dissipated behavior. Ultimately, since "all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden in Christ, it is through the Holy Spirit that these treasures are revealed and explored, making the Spirit the essential channel by which God's wisdom—otherwise concealed as a mystery—becomes accessible to those He calls, transforming them from spiritual simplicity into true understanding of salvation.
Do You See God?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughUnless we acknowledge God's sovereign authority in our lives, following through with the things we learn from scripture, we, like atheists, will not see God.
Reluctant Leaders
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughDo we as God's called-out ones find ourselves reluctant heirs to the throne or priesthood? We are all commoners, not yet equipped for rulership.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Twenty-One)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Biblical wisdom (sagacity, quickness of perception, soundness of judgment) is achievable by anyone called of God because God is the source of this wisdom.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Eighteen)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughPaul never taught any Jew to forsake the Law of Moses, but he did warn against Pharisaical additions for the expressed purpose of attaining justification.
Forgiving, Giving, and Living
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod possesses attributes that are His alone, like omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience. But there are other attributes that become part of our new nature.
How the Human Mind Shapes What We Believe
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThere are numerous fallacious reasoning patterns to which we can all fall prey, seen in a number of incidents recorded throughout the Bible.