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The Wonderful, Powerful Gift of God's Holy Spirit
Sermon by John O. ReidIn 31 AD, after His crucifixion, Jesus appeared to His disciples and breathed on them, declaring, Receive you the Holy Spirit. He presented it as a gift from their Father, instructing them to wait in Jerusalem to receive it. With the receiving of God's Spirit comes the responsibility to live in a manner that reflects light to the world, a duty so vital that Jesus Christ will save the world because of His chosen ones. God's people are to fully utilize this Spirit that is given to them. At Pentecost, as the disciples assembled in unity, a mighty wind sound filled the house without any movement of air, and flames like divided tongues of fire rested on each of them, yet no heat was felt. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the power of God manifested in an awesome miracle as they began to speak in unfamiliar languages. This Spirit enabled every man present to understand the message in his own language and dialect, showcasing the wonderful works of God. This event marked the introduction of God's Holy Spirit to the world, making it available to mankind upon being called by God the Father. God's Holy Spirit is the power of God in action, inspiring and accomplishing feats through individuals. It filled men with superhuman strength and great courage, enabling impossible deeds, as seen in the mighty men of David and numerous biblical miracles like the parting of the Red Sea and water from a stone. This Spirit continues to intervene in behalf of God's people, revealing its many facets throughout history. The Holy Spirit serves to teach and remind God's people of Jesus Christ's obedience, faith, and righteous character, impressing His commandments on their minds to prompt obedience. It bears witness to the way Christ lived, amplifying the laws of God, His love for others, and the truth of God's Kingdom. It guides into all truth, freeing from the lies and superstitions of the world, and shapes the will of those taught by communicating righteous knowledge. God's Spirit also convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, bringing an acute sense of guilt and awareness that cannot be ignored. It reveals the necessity of righteous living under God's laws, showing that Jesus overcame satan and that sin will be condemned. Through this Spirit, God aims to save mankind, demonstrating His determination to restore harmony. As the power that holds the universe together, God's Holy Spirit guides and operates His church, endowing gifts to all members for stability and encouragement. Yet, with this gift comes the command to overcome, as it is possible to quench the Spirit by valuing worldly attractions over obedience to God. The Spirit provides the power to resist sin and develop godly character, essential for becoming sons of God and heirs in wisdom, ability, and right judgment. God's intent in giving His Spirit is to seal His people with the promise of inheritance as members of the God family, marking them as genuine and approved. This Holy Spirit is a down payment of that inheritance, inspiring hope and obedience, urging a deep appreciation for this gift and a desire for it to be increased within, to ultimately be changed into Spirit as part of God's family.
The Holy Spirit
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsThe Spirit of God is a vital force that enables us to comprehend God's way of life and transforms us into the image of Christ. It is through the Spirit within us that we become children of God and receive the promise of eternal life. When the Holy Spirit works in us, our lives bear the fruit of the Spirit, reflecting elements of God's own character and demonstrating our growth into Christ's likeness. The Holy Spirit is not a person but the power of God, the essence of His mind and love. It emanates from Him, being poured out, breathed, used to fill, and to anoint. God grants His Spirit only to those who have repented, been baptized, and obey His commandments. Through the intervention of the Spirit, God calls us to understand the truth, opening our minds to the mysteries vital to our salvation by divine revelation. Beyond this, the Spirit of God imparts wisdom and understanding, teaches His way of life, comforts, and helps us, even aiding in our prayers when we cannot express ourselves. By giving His Spirit to those He calls, God shapes traits in them that produce the fruit of the Spirit, by which a person is known through their actions and works. Though not offered to all since Adam's rejection, God will provide everyone the opportunity to receive His Spirit in the World Tomorrow after Christ's return. The Holy Spirit delivers us from death and leads us to the gift of eternal life, a gift from God that we neither inherit at birth nor can earn. Once regenerated by the Spirit from the Father, we must continually be led by it, bearing spiritual fruit throughout our lives. If we produce the fruit of the Spirit, exhibiting a sound mind, we know it is working within us, empowering us to comprehend spiritual matters, produce conversion, and gain the strength, will, and faith to overcome our sins.
A Primer On Spirit
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The Spirit of God is a profound and mysterious force, central to understanding His nature and His interaction with humanity. Unlike material things that we can perceive through our senses, spirit is invisible and immaterial, yet its effects are evident in the world and within us. In the beginning, as described in Genesis 1:2, it was the thought processes emerging from the mind of God, His Spirit, that hovered over the face of the earth, planning and preparing for creation without any material form. The term "spirit," represented by the Hebrew word "ruach" and the Greek word "pneuma," suggests a movement of air, an invisible force or power that motivates action or inaction. This invisible power, though unseen, manifests in ways that can be witnessed externally through human senses and discerned internally through thought processes. God's Spirit is distinct in its holiness, embodying purity, righteousness, and love, setting it apart from all other spiritual influences. God Himself is composed of spirit, immaterial and invisible, yet possessing form and shape, as humans are made in His image. His Spirit, often referred to as the Holy Spirit, is the essence of His mind, thoughts, words, character, and attitude, emanating from Him to influence and empower those who allow it. This Spirit imparts life, particularly eternal life, as Jesus Christ conveyed through His teachings, emphasizing that His words are spirit, carrying the power to inspire and lead to salvation. The Spirit of God also serves as a spiritual link between Him and humanity, enabling a connection that transcends the material. It is an immaterial quality that empowers the human intellect and facilitates communication within the mind, allowing humans to think, plan, and worship their Creator in ways that set them apart from animals. This God-given spirit in man provides the potential to reflect His image even before conversion, fostering thoughts and aspirations aligned with His nature. In contrast to other spiritual influences that may lead to evil, God's Holy Spirit always liberates, produces life on the divine level, and shares in His goodness. It never enslaves or destroys but builds up with purity and love. To grow in the quantity and quality of this Spirit, one must spend time with God, immersing in His word and prayer, thereby imbibing the essence of His mind and ensuring that the spiritual influence remains good and holy.
The Trinity and the Holy Spirit (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The Spirit of God is not a personality within the God family but is instead the power of God, emanating from the Father and the Son to accomplish His will across creation. It is described as an inanimate force, often depicted through metaphors such as a rushing mighty wind, something that falls or is poured out, and invisible like the wind, with effects that can be observed but not seen directly. This power dwells in believers, joining them into one spiritual family with each other, with God, and with Jesus Christ, enabling communion with Him and aiding in their transformation into the God kind. Unlike the Father and the Son, who are distinct personalities, the Spirit of God is consistently absent as a person in scriptural greetings and references to the God family, reinforcing that it is not a separate entity but the means through which God directs and carries out His purposes. In various descriptions, such as water flowing from bellies or hovering like a dove, the Spirit is shown as a force, not a being with shape or personal characteristics, further distinguishing it from the personal natures of the Father and the Son.
Grieving the Holy Spirit
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Spirit of God, often referred to as the Holy Spirit, holds a significant place in the relationship between God and His people. It is described as the Holy Spirit of God, a unique construction emphasizing that its holiness derives from God Himself. This Spirit is not presented as a separate entity but as an extension of God's essence, through which He can be grieved by the actions of His covenant people. When we sin or act contrary to His commands, we grieve the Holy Spirit of God, causing sorrow to God Himself. This grief is not merely an emotional response but a reflection of the deep bond between God and His children, who are sealed by this Spirit for the day of redemption. The sealing by the Spirit of God marks believers as His own, identifying them as His children and guaranteeing their inheritance. This seal is not a one-time event but a continuing presence throughout the Christian life, aiding in spiritual growth and sanctification. As long as we are sealed by this Spirit, we are urged not to grieve it through sinful behaviors such as lying, anger, or corrupt communication. These actions, even if seemingly minor, cause pain to God, who is holy and cannot bear sin in any form. Scriptural examples further illustrate how rebellion and resistance against God's commands grieve His Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, Israel's disobedience grieved His Spirit, leading to God turning against them as an enemy. Similarly, under the New Covenant, only those who have made a covenant with Him and have access to His Spirit can truly grieve it, as they are the ones in whom Christ lives and whose bodies are temples of God's Spirit. Actions like lying to the Holy Spirit, as seen with Ananias and Sapphira, are equated with lying to God Himself, underscoring that the Spirit is God's own essence. Moreover, resisting or quenching the Spirit of God stifles its influence in our lives, suppressing its promptings and potentially leading to a severed relationship with God. The ultimate offense is to insult the Spirit of grace by willfully returning to sin after receiving the knowledge of truth, treating Christ's sacrifice as common and risking unpardonable sin. Therefore, we are called to walk and live in the Spirit, putting off the old man and embracing the new, so as not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God but to bring joy and pride to Him through our conduct.
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Spirit of God is central to the transformative relationship between God and humanity, representing the essence of His mind that dwells within us. This Spirit is life because of righteousness, as seen in Romans 8:10-11, where the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead quickens our mortal bodies through its indwelling presence. It is through this Spirit that the Father and the Son share perfect harmony in mind, heart, purpose, perspective, and attitude, desiring to extend this harmony to us. The Spirit of God is not a physical entity residing within us but the immaterial essence of His character, attitudes, and perspectives that we absorb as we yield to Him. As II Corinthians 3:17-18 illustrates, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty, and we are changed into His image from glory to glory by this Spirit. Hebrews 8:10 further reveals that God actively puts His laws into our minds and writes them in our hearts, a supernatural act of creation that shapes us into His image. This Spirit is sent forth by God to create and project His thoughts into our minds, as Psalm 104:30 states, enabling us to respond to His call and grow in awareness of our responsibilities to Him and His Word. Through His Spirit, God triggers thoughts, inspires, and empowers us, acting as the Potter while we are the clay, forming us into vessels for His purpose. As I Corinthians 2:10 shows, revelation comes through His Spirit, searching the deep things of God and interfacing directly with us to prepare us for His Kingdom. John 14:17 and 23 emphasize that the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot receive, dwells with us and in us, signifying that the Father and the Son make their abode with us through the essence of their mind. This indwelling is not a physical presence but a profound relationship, as we are in Them and They in us, reflecting Their characteristics to the degree we mirror Christ in our lives. The Spirit of God also embodies the power of His Word, which, as Isaiah 55:9-11 declares, does not return void but accomplishes His purpose. This Word, alive and powerful according to Hebrews 4:12, pierces to the core of our being, discerning thoughts and intents, enforced by God's authority in the lives of those He has called. Revelation 19:10 ties the testimony of Jesus to the spirit of prophecy, indicating that this Spirit is the heart and core of inspired speaking and foretelling, central to the gospel's message of God's purpose and creation. Ultimately, the Spirit of God is the divine nature, the essence of His mind that purifies our thinking, taking up residence in us through words and experiences in our relationship with Him. It includes concepts, attitudes, and attributes like love, joy, and peace, guiding and empowering us to conduct life as God would, glorifying Him through our transformation.
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Spirit of God is an invisible and immaterial source of power, often external to mankind and supernatural in nature. In Exodus 35:30-31, God filled Bezaleel with the Spirit of God, granting him wisdom, understanding, and knowledge in all manner of workmanship to fulfill a divine purpose. This enhancement of natural abilities enabled Bezaleel and others, as seen in Exodus 35:32-35 and 36:1-2, to perform at a level beyond normal human skill, showing that God can empower individuals to go above and beyond for His work. In Judges 14:19 and 15:14, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, endowing him with extraordinary strength to accomplish feats no human could naturally achieve, such as slaying thirty men and breaking cords as if they were nothing. This demonstrates a different form of supernatural power through physical strength, attributed to the Spirit of God working through Samson. Romans 8:9-16 highlights that a Christian is one who has the Spirit of God dwelling in them, indicating a spiritual relationship rather than a physical location. This Spirit bears witness with our spirit, affirming our identity as children of God, and shows a concern with the things of the Spirit of God, involving mind, attitude, thought, perspective, wisdom, and direction of life. In II Corinthians 3:13-18, the Spirit of the Lord brings liberty and transformation, changing us into the image of God by beholding His glory. This transformation occurs through spirit, with words as a medium of spiritual power, facilitating the recreation of God's heart and mind in us, as further emphasized in Hebrews 8:10, where God promises to put His laws into our minds and write them in our hearts by His Spirit.
What the Holy Spirit Does
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit always inspires loving, wise, sound-minded actions according to God's will. This helps us discern true guidance from other spirits.
What the Holy Spirit Does (2005)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Spirit of God, as revealed in the beginning of Scripture, is a possession of God Himself, belonging to Him and not existing as a separate entity. In Genesis 1:2, the Spirit of God is described as hovering over the face of the waters, suggesting constant movement and eager readiness to act at God's command, portraying a dynamic force that is never static or passive. It does not act independently but responds to God's spoken will, as seen when God commands light into being, and the Spirit carries out His directive. The Spirit of God sets individuals apart, endowing them with exceptional qualities. In Genesis 41:38-39, Pharaoh recognizes the Spirit of God in Joseph, attributing his unparalleled discernment and wisdom to its presence, enabling him to interpret obscure dreams and make sound judgments. Similarly, in Isaiah 11:1-2, the Spirit of the Lord rests upon the prophesied Branch from Jesse, granting Him wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, and the fear of the Lord, qualities that distinguish Him above others. In practical works, the Spirit of God enhances talents for divine purposes. Exodus 31:1-5 shows Bezaleel being filled with the Spirit of God, equipping him with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill in craftsmanship to construct the Tabernacle, elevating his natural abilities to achieve excellence in God's service. The Spirit of God also reveals truth and opens eyes to reality. In Numbers 24:2-5, the Spirit comes upon Balaam, a pagan sorcerer, enabling him to see and speak God's vision of Israel's blessings, demonstrating its power to unveil divine perspective. Likewise, in II Kings 6:17, through Elisha's prayer, the Spirit opens the eyes of his servant to see the unseen heavenly army protecting them, instilling confidence in God's greater presence. For leadership and ordination, the Spirit of God plays a crucial role. Deuteronomy 34:9 notes Joshua being full of the spirit of wisdom through Moses' laying on of hands, equipping him to lead Israel. In Acts 20:28, the Holy Spirit appoints overseers to shepherd God's church, and in Acts 8:14-17, through the laying on of hands, believers receive the Spirit, marking them as God's children, as affirmed in Romans 8:14-17, where the Spirit bears witness to their adoption as heirs with Christ. The Spirit of God provides strength and power to overcome challenges. In Judges 14:5-6, the Spirit comes mightily upon Samson, enabling him to tear apart a lion, symbolizing the spiritual strength given to believers to resist adversaries like satan, as echoed in I Peter 5:8-9. Acts 10:38 describes Jesus, anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil, while Romans 15:18-19 highlights Paul's mighty signs and wonders through the Spirit's power in preaching the gospel. Inspiration to speak fitting words is another function of the Spirit of God. In II Chronicles 20:14-18, the Spirit comes upon Jahaziel to deliver a message of encouragement and hope to Judah, assuring them of God's victory. Jesus confirms this in Matthew 10:19-20, Mark 13:11, Luke 12:11-12, and Luke 21:14-15, promising that the Spirit will provide words in times of persecution, ensuring a powerful witness. Ezekiel 11:5 illustrates this as the Spirit falls upon the prophet, compelling him to speak God's words. Finally, the Spirit of God facilitates fellowship. In II Corinthians 13:14, Paul invokes the communion of the Holy Spirit, linking believers to the Father, Christ, and each other, as clarified in I John 1:3, where fellowship is with the Father and His Son through the Spirit's unifying power. As overarching principles, the Spirit of God pours out God's love into hearts, as stated in Romans 5:5, ensuring that its inspirations are always acts of love, though not necessarily emotional or immediately perceived as good. Additionally, in II Timothy 1:6-7, the Spirit is described as one of power, love, and a sound mind, never urging actions that are foolish or harm
What Does God Really Want? (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod provides the gift before it is actually needed so that when it is needed, everything is prepared for the person to do as he has been commissioned to do.
Jesus on the Holy Spirit
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus taught about the Holy Spirit's function to carry out God's work, including inspiring one to speak the words of God and to resist the power of Satan.
The Father-Son Relationship (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe Holy Spirit is never venerated as a separate being. Our hope is the indwelling of Christ, used interchangeably with 'Spirit of God' and 'Spirit of Truth.'
Sight to the Blind
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughJesus' mission was to recover both physical and spiritual sight to the blind, liberating them from those false beliefs that had previously imprisoned them.
Sin (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThough influenced by Satan and the world, sin is still a personal choice. Christ's sacrifice and God's Spirit provide our only defense against its pulls.
The Pattern of Creation
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Mike FordGod has a pattern that we can use for planet formation, a skill He will teach us after we assume a glorified spirit body following our resurrection.
Defining Logos (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Greek word 'logos' has been negatively loaded with unbiblical meanings. Its basic meaning is 'word' or 'saying,' yet it is really more complex.
Immutable Scientific Laws
Sermon by Martin G. Collins'God' and 'science' are assumed to be mutually exclusive or contradictory. But true science substantiates the awesome complexity of God's handiwork.
Why We Do Not Vote
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughChristians have been called out of this world's politics, voting included. As ambassadors of Christ, we cannot participate in the politics of another country.