Christian Life Study Outlines
From The Open Bible
Outline Number Four
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is God, and is equal to the Father and the Son. He is God the Holy Spirit, and is distinct from the Father and the Son. In the Genesis account of creation, He is seen actively engaged in the work of creation, along with the Father and the Son. In the Old Testament, He empowered men for service; but, when they were disobedient, He departed from them.
When David sinned, he prayed, “and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me”(Psalm 51:11).
In the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit indwelling the believer, never leaving, filling and empowering him. A scriptural understanding of God the Holy Spirit will make you a better Christian and servant of God.
1 The Deity of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4): 3) But Peter said, “Ananias, why has the Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4) “While it remained was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
Notes: In dealing with Ananias, Peter revealed the Holy Spirit’s Deity (Acts 5:3a). In this Scripture it is very clear that the Holy Spirit is God, and He is co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent with the Father and Son.
1) His deity is also set forth in that He possesses divine attributes:
a) He is everywhere present in the universe (Psalm 139:7-10)
7 How can I get away from your Spirit? Where can I go to escape from you? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there. If I lie down in the deepest parts of the earth, you are also there. 9 Suppose I were to rise with the sun in the east and then cross over to the west where it sinks into the ocean. 10 Your hand would always be there to guide me. Your right hand would still be holding me close.
b) He has all power (Luke 1:35)
34 “How can this happen?” Mary asked the angel. “I am a virgin.”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God.
c) He has all knowledge (I Corinthians 2:10-11)
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has known what God has prepared for those who love him.” —(Isaiah 64:4) 10 But God has shown it to us through his Spirit.
The Spirit understands all things. He understands even the deep things of God. 11 Who can know the thoughts of another person? Only a person’s own spirit can know them. In the same way, only the Spirit of God knows God’s thoughts.
d) He is eternal (Hebrews 9:14)
14 But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much more will his blood wash from our minds our feelings of guilt for committing sin! Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God.
2) His deity is revealed, His name is coupled in equality with the name of the Father and the Son.
a) In the baptism of the believer (Matthew 28:19)
19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20
b) In the apostolic benediction (II Corinthians 13:14)
14 May the grace shown by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love that God has given us, and the sharing of life brought about by the Holy Spirit be with you all.
3) His deity is seen in relation to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
a) Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come to you. The power of the Most High God will cover you. So the holy one that is born will be called the Son of God.
b) He was anointed by the Holy Spirit for service – Acts 10:38.
38 You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.
c) He was led by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 4:1)
1 The Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert. There the devil tempted him.
d) He was crucified in the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14)
14 But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much more will his blood wash from our minds our feelings of guilt for committing sin! Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God.
e) He was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11)
11 The Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies, which are going to die. He will do this by the power of his Spirit, who lives in you.
f) Jesus gave commandments to the apostles and the church through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2)
2 until the day he was taken up to heaven. Before Jesus left, he gave orders to the apostles he had chosen. He did this through the Holy Spirit. 3
If Jesus needed to depend solely upon the Holy Spirit here on the earth, can we afford to do less?
2 The Emblems of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16): 16) John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you wit water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Notes: It is difficult to impart truth by words. Frequently they reveal only a half-truth. The Bible used certain emblems when telling of the Holy Spirit, because they show more about Him. They are:
1) Fire as an emblem (Luke 3:16). Fire speaks of His consuming, purifying power (Acts 2:3, Isaiah 6:1-7)
16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I am will come. I’m not good enough to untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
2) Wind as an emblem. (John 3:8). Wind speaks of His depth in His mighty regenerating power.
8 “The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born through the Spirit.”
3) Water as an emblem. (John 7:37-39).
37 It was the last and most important day of the Feast. Jesus stood up and spoke in a loud voice. He said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Does anyone believe in me? Then, just as Scripture says, streams of living water will flow from inside him.”
39 When he said this, he meant the Holy Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit later. Up to that time, the Spirit had not been given. This was because Jesus had not yet received glory.
4) Seal as an emblem (Ephesians 1:13) Seal speaks of His ownership; it is a finished, eternal transaction.
13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he marked you with a seal. The seal is the Holy Spirit that he promised.
5) Oil as an emblem (Acts 10:38 Oil speaks of His power to anoint for service.
38 You know how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good. He healed all who were under the devil’s power. God was with him.
6) Dove as an emblem (Mark 1:10). The dove speaks of His gentle, tender, peaceful nature. We may know “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) only when fully surrendered to God.
10 Jesus was coming up out of the water. Just then he saw heaven being torn open. He saw the Holy Spirit coming down on him like a dove.
3 Sins against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32): 31) “therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Notes: This is a solemn study, because the Holy Spirit is God and can be sinned against by both the believer and the unbeliever. May He help you search your heart as you consider:
1) The sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This sin is committed by unbelievers. It is often called the “unpardonable sin.” It has no forgiveness. It was committed by the enemies of Jesus when they accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Matthew 12:24) when Jesus cast them out by the “Spirit of God” (Matthew 12:28
28 But suppose I drive out demons by the Spirit of God. Then God’s kingdom has come to you.
2) The sin of resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). This sin is committed by the unbeliever when rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
51 “You people! You won’t obey! You are stubborn! You won’t listen! You are just like your people of long ago! You always oppose the Holy Spirit!
3) The sin of grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30-32). This sin is committed by believers. He is grieved by us unless He controls our lives to the glory of Jesus Christ.
30 Do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad. He marked you with a seal for the day when God will set you completely free.
31 Get rid of all hard feelings, anger and rage. Stop all fighting and lying. Put away every form of hatred. 32 Be kind and tender to one another. Forgive each other, just as God forgave you because of what Christ has done.
4) The sin of quenching the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) This sin is committed by Christians when known sin is allowed to go unconfessed (1 John 1:9; Isaiah 59:1-2)
19 Don’t put out the Holy Spirit’s fire.
5) The sin of lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was deception. They tried to mock God (Galatians 6:7) The Holy Spirit can be sinned against, He is God.
A man named Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, also sold some land. 2 He kept part of the money for himself. Sapphira knew he had kept it. He brought the rest of it and put it down at the apostles’ feet.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? He made you lie to the Holy Spirit. You have kept some of the money you received for the land. 4 Didn’t the land belong to you before it was sold? After it was sold, you could have used the money as you wished. What made you think of doing such a thing? You haven’t lied to just anyone. You’ve lied to God.”
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. All who heard what had happened were filled with fear. 6 Some young men came and wrapped up his body. They carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in. She didn’t know what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me. Is this the price you and Ananias sold the land for?”
“Yes,” she said. “That’s the price.”
9 Peter asked her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! You can hear the steps of the men who buried your husband. They are at the door. They will carry you out also.”
10 At that very moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in. They saw that Sapphira was dead. So they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 The whole church and all who heard about these things were filled with fear.
4 The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-14): 7) “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 ) “And when He has come, He will convict toe world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment; 9) “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10) “of rightness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11) “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12) “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13) “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what ever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14) “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you….”
Notes: In instructing His disciples, regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, “. . . for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will . . .”
1) Convict men of the sin of unbelief (John 16:9)
9 “The world is guilty as far as sin is concerned. That is because people do not believe in me.
2) Convict men that Jesus is the righteousness of God (John 16:10; Romans 10:3-4)
10 The world is guilty as far as godliness is concerned. That is because I am going to the Father, where you can’t see me anymore.
3 They didn’t know how God makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.
4 Christ has completed the law. So now everyone who believes can be right with God.
3) Convict men that the power of Satan has been broken (John 16:11)
11 The world is guilty as far as judgment is concerned. That is because the devil, the prince of this world, has already been judged.
4) Regenerate the believer (John 3:5; Titus 3:5)
5 Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. 6 People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’
5) Indwell the believer (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
19 Don’t you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves. 20 Christ has paid the price for you. So use your bodies in a way that honors God.
6) Seal the believer (Ephesians 1:13-14)
13 You also became believers in Christ. That happened when you heard the message of truth. It was the good news about how you could be saved. When you believed, he marked you with a seal. The seal is the Holy Spirit that he promised.
14 The Spirit marks us as God’s own. We can now be sure that someday we will receive all that God has promised. That will happen after God sets all of his people completely free. All of those things will bring praise to his glory.
7) Baptize the believer (Acts 1:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
5 John baptized with water. But in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Greeks, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink.
8 ) Infill the believer (Ephesians 5:18 )
18 Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.
9) Empower the believer (Acts 1:8 )
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other.”
10) Lead the believer (Galatians 5:16-18 )
16 So I say, live by the Holy Spirit’s power. Then you will not do what your sinful nature wants you to do.
17 The sinful nature does not want what the Spirit delights in. And the Spirit does not want what the sinful nature delights in. The two are at war with each other. That’s what makes you do what you don’t want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the authority of the law.
11) Administer spiritual gifts to the believer (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know about the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
2 You know that at one time you were unbelievers. You were somehow drawn away to worship statues of gods that couldn’t even speak. 3 So I tell you that no one who is speaking with the help of God’s Spirit says, “May Jesus be cursed.” And without the help of the Holy Spirit no one can say, “Jesus is Lord.”
4 There are different kinds of gifts. But they are all given by the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve. But they all come from the same Lord. 6 There are different ways to work. But the same God makes it possible for all of us to have all those different things.
7 The Holy Spirit is given to each of us in a special way. That is for the good of all. 8 To some people the Spirit gives the message of wisdom. To others the same Spirit gives the message of knowledge. 9 To others the same Spirit gives faith. To others that one Spirit gives gifts of healing. 10 To others he gives the power to do miracles. To others he gives the ability to prophesy. To others he gives the ability to tell the spirits apart. To others he gives the ability to speak in different kinds of languages they had not known before. And to still others he gives the ability to explain what was said in those languages.
11 All of the gifts are produced by one and the same Spirit. He gives them to each person, just as he decides.
The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, to remain with the church until it is complete and presented to the Lord Jesus at His coming. Just as Jesus Christ finished the work He came to do in the flesh, so the Holy Spirit will finish the work He came to do in the church.
5 The Fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 22) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Notes: “The Fruit of the Spirit is love.” Only as we live in love can we fulfill the will of God in our lives. The believer must become love-inspired, love-mastered, and love-driven (2 Corinthians 5:14). Without the fruit of the Spirit (love), we are just a religious noise (1 Corinthians 13:1).
“The Fruit of the Spirit is love,” and it is manifested in joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control:
1) Joy is love’s strength.
2) Peace is love’s security.
3) Longsuffering is love’s patience.
4) Kindness is love’s conduct.
5) Goodness is love’s character.
6) Faithfulness is love’s confidence.
7) Gentleness is love’s humility.
8 ) Self–control is love’s victory.
“Against such there is no law.” A Holy Spirit-controlled man needs no law to cause him to live a righteous life. The secret of a Spirit-controlled live is found in dedication to God (Romans 12:1-2)
Put your all on the altar, and the Holy Spirit will fill your heart with the love of God (Romans 5:5)