Welcome to this session of Christian basics. As we explore further in lesson six, on the Holy  Spirit. The material is written by Dr. Ed Roels. And I'm David Feddes and presenting that  material and offering some further comments of my own question, one who is the Holy Spirit,  the Holy Spirit is God, just as the Father is God, and the son is God, the Holy Spirit is referred to as the third person of the Holy Trinity. When we speak of three persons, the word persons  does not refer to three independent beings who exist totally independent from each other.  There's only one true God, neither the father nor the son nor the Holy Spirit existed before the others, and none has more power or honor than another. However, within the Divine Trinity,  different activities are often associated with one or another of the three persons, for example,  the Father sent the Son into the world, the son came to Earth and took on human form. The  Holy Spirit gave life to the baby Jesus in the womb of Mary, and also gives new spiritual birth  to people and sanctifies them. It's impossible for us to fully understand the One Eternal God,  but we humbly accept what the Bible teaches us about him. So again, the Trinity is one God,  but three persons, but not totally independent persons, as we understand personhood, and as we think of persons, we always think of persons as separate, completely separate individuals. But in the being of God, three persons are united in ways that we don't fully understand that  personality can be united, because we don't see persons united in that way, during our  experience of various human persons here on Earth, but God is a union of three persons.  Question two, since the Bible never uses the word trinity, why do Christians use that word  when referring to God? The word trinity essentially means three tri, in one unity you put tri and unity together and you get the word trinity, the Bible clearly and repeatedly teaches that there  is only one true God. However, it also clearly teaches that the Father is God, the Son is God,  and the Holy Spirit is God. The word trinity in this context, therefore refers to the unity of the  three persons referred to in the Bible as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. People have tried to find some analogies or parallels or word pictures for this profound concept of three in one in the  world of nature. But all analogies are insufficient to describe the unique oneness of God.  Some of these analogies, for example, try to picture God in three different parts. But yet one,  for example, I've heard an egg, you've got the yolk, and the white, and the shell, and yet, yolk, white and shell are not three separate things, but are one or another one famous, maybe from St. Patrick and three leaf clover is one clover. And yeah, it has three leaves. And the favorite  one of the Church Fathers was the Nile River, where it has its source, where very, where the  source of the water comes from, and then its channel, and then the delta, where it flows into  the sea. And that's in some ways, a beautiful picture, because the Bible does picture God the  Father as the source of all things, and Jesus as the channel through whom those blessings  come to us, and the Holy Spirit as the one who actually applies those blessings to our hearts  when they come to us. But every analogy for the freeness, and oneness of God falls short,  because God is totally unlike any river he's ever made, or any Clover he's ever made, or any  egg he's ever made. And the problem with those kinds of analogies is that none of them are  personal. And God is above all, personal. He's not less than personal. He's more than  personal. So different attempts to picture and to make this more understandable, and some of them do give a little bit of a helpful hint, but they also have severe shortcomings. Although  many books have been written about God, and when he sermons have been preached about  Him, we will always have to acknowledge that as human beings, it is impossible for us to fully  understand everything God has revealed to us about himself in the Bible, we can't really  understand all that he's revealed. And then of course, there's much about God that he hasn't  even revealed to us because he's just too much. At the same time, though, we may  confidently say and believe that there is only one true God who exists eternally as Father,  Son, and Holy Spirit. So we don't know everything about God. But what God has revealed is  something we can be confident, and sure of that we worship him as Father, Son, and Holy 

Spirit, that we baptize in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that people are blessed in  the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are three  persons united as one, God. Question three, what difference would it make if we believe that  the Holy Spirit was simply some kind of divine influence, rather than a person? We've seen  the many Bible passages in this lesson that show the spirit could be personal, but what  difference would it make if he weren't personal? Well, first of all, we would be denying many  of the things that the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit. If the Spirit of God was not truly  personal, we would not be able to have fellowship with Him. Pray to him, or ask Him for  guidance, comfort, courage, wisdom and strength. Also, the Holy Spirit could not pray for us.  We cannot pray to an influence and an influence cannot pray for us. Further, if the Holy Spirit  is only an influence of some kind, it would be rather meaningless for us to baptize believers in the name of the Father and the Son and an influence the Father and the Son are definitely  personal. And the Holy Spirit is personal, the third person of the Trinity also Paul's final  greeting. And II Corinthians 13:14, would seem very strange, since it refers to the grace of  Jesus, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is definitely a very strong influence in our lives, but he's able to influence our lives in so many positive ways,  precisely because he is both divine and personal. He is so influential, because he is so  personal, a real person acting in our hearts and lives. Question four according to the Bible,  what are some of the things that the Holy Spirit does have a list is very long, the Bible states  that the Holy Spirit speaks, teachs, loves comforts, enlightens, understands, communicates,  leads, guides, unites believers, gives spiritual gifts to believers, and is grieved when we sin.  The holy spirit was an agent of creation in the beginning and continues to create new spiritual  life in the hearts of believers. He prays for us, cares about us, knows our needs, responds for  our prayers, gives us spiritual gifts, comforts us and works in our hearts and lives to make us  more like Christ. The Holy Spirit also empower Jesus for His ministry on earth. In fact, the  spirits main activity is to reveal Jesus and to glorify Him. There are very many passages in the Bible that tell us about the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. In both Old Testament and  New Testament times. In the Old Testament times will read sometimes the Spirit of God came  upon somebody, one of the judges, for instance, and it became very powerful and very mighty and did things that otherwise would have seemed impossible. In the New Testament, the spirit again comes in power, but not not very often just with that power to conquer and slaughter so  much as that power to be transformed, and to have Christ living within us and power for  mission and leading people to Christ and not just power coming upon us. But now the very  person of the Holy Spirit living within us. Question five, how can we receive the fullness of the  spirits blessings in our lives? We receive the Holy Spirit as a gift of grace, and not because of  our personal goodness, or spiritual activities. So when we say how can we receive at one  level, we can't do stuff to make the Spirit. Bless us. It's a gift from God, that the Spirit comes  and lives in us. However, we may and should pray for the Holy Spirit to continue to work in  our lives, to keep us from sin. Help us resist and overcome temptation, lead us to repentance, strengthen our faith, increase our understanding, and enable us to be more like Christ. If we  choose to resist the work of the Spirit in our lives through deliberate disobedience, or  indifference, or selfish living, we will not enjoy the special gifts of the Spirit or experience his  life changing power. God often responds to our earnest prayers by giving us special spiritual  blessings. So we should continue to pray that we will be filled with the power and the  presence of the Holy Spirit, so that we may continually live in a way that honors and glorifies  Him. So, the fact that God gives His Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus means that we  ought to seek that the spirit more and more dominate and fill our entire life. And you don't get  there by ignoring him. Just as in marriage, if you married somebody, and we're living right in  the same home, and even the same room, but ignored your spouse, your life would not be 

blessed and filled with the presence and goodness of your spouse. It's by paying attention,  and by communicating and by connecting. And so we need to pay attention to the Holy Spirit  and be alert to His work in us and just keep in step with him. Question six, what are some of  the special gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to believers? Well, I Corinthians 12 gives us a list of  many of the special gifts of the Spirit, Romans 8 and some other passages, give lists of gifts  to and those are very valuable, and important. But the list in I Corinthians 12, involves a  number of gifts that are more supernaturally obvious than some of the gifts that are listed in  some other passages. Some people are given special wisdom to know and understand the  scriptures and to discern the will of God. And they also have wisdom to know how to respond  to a specific need, or a difficult or challenging situation. Some are given a special knowledge  of another person's needs, concerns and problems and even their thoughts. Sometimes the  Holy Spirit will give a very particular insight into what's going on in somebody else. Now,  there's a great danger with this gift. If people don't have it, and they act like they do, they can  manipulate others. But we must still be aware that the Holy Spirit does sometimes give this  gift of insight and discernment. They may also have the knowledge of a situation far removed  from where they are at the moment, and know how best to respond to that situation. Others  are given the gift of exceptional faith to deal with a special need or concern. They just know  that God's going to do the spirit and presses it on them. They have faith that he's going to act  in that way. And then they see it brought about others are given the ability to perform healing  miracles, and in some cases, even to raise the dead. God still does some very amazing  things, especially on the frontiers of where the gospel is advancing in new situations against  the powers of darkness. Others are able to work miracles of one kind or another, foretell the  future, or discern the truth or falsehood of what others are saying or teaching a gift of  discernment. Some are able to speak at least temporarily in languages which they have not  studied or learned. Others are able to interpret things which others are saying in a language  they have not learned. Some also seem to be given the gifts of compassion and love and  patience and generosity. Oh, these aren't specifically mentioned in I Corinthians 12. Believers  who place a strong emphasis on these special gifts are sometimes referred to as  Pentecostals. Since the Holy Spirit came upon the church on the day of Pentecost, in power  and with special gifts of various kinds. One does not have to be a member of a Pentecostal  church. However, in order to receive these gifts are to believe that the Holy Spirit still gives  very special gifts and powers to believers today. Now, some Pentecostals say that the gift of  tongues is especially the sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. And I think they're mistaken in that  that Pentecostal believers have done the church a great service by emphasizing that God is  alive and active today, that the Holy Spirit is still very active today. And the gifts that are  written up in the scriptures are still gifts that we can be seeking today. And the Spirit can give  different people different gifts, he can give a different gift in one situation or cultural context  than another. But we should not write off a whole range of gifts that are spoken of in the Bible, just because I might not have personally experienced it. Or in one particular area of the  church, it hasn't happened. We should look at the full range of gifts described in the Bible and  be open to the Holy Spirit's work, as he does his work and as he dwells within his church. And again, it doesn't matter what the label is, you might not go to a Pentecostal church, but the  church was created and launched and empowered on Pentecost, and all who believe in Jesus Christ, have the Holy Spirit, and we ought to be seeking the full power and gifting of the Holy  Spirit. Question seven, do all Christians have the same spiritual gifts? Will the Holy Spirit give  us whatever special gifts we asked for? The answer to both questions is no. The Holy Spirit  does not give the same gifts to everyone. In I Corinthians 12:11, Paul writes that the Spirit  gives gifts to each one as he determines and not as we request. Paul reemphasizes this  again in verses 27 and 30 of this chapter, where he indicates that not all Are teachers not all 

work miracles, not all have gifts of healing, and not all speak in tongues or interpret them. At  the same time, he urges his readers to eagerly desire, the greater gifts. It's interesting,  however, that Paul does not indicate which of these gifts might be greater. earlier in the  chapter, He emphasizes that the church needs all the gifts and that we should not disparage  any of the gifts even though they might seem to be less important. You can see his discussion of this in I Corinthians 12:12-26. It's a tremendous chapter on the gifts, Paul says, if, if you're  an I don't say to the ear, I don't need you. And on the other hand, if you're a part of the body  that feels like you're unnecessary, if you're an ear don't say, Oh, nobody needs me. The body  needs all of its parts. So believers should be careful not to esteem certain gifts above others,  in such a way that people exalt some believers over others because of the specific gifts  they've received. There may even be some parts of the body that are slightly more important,  or maybe even quite a bit more important than others. But even the smallest part of the body  says Paul, if it's in pain, it hurts the whole body. If you've ever had an ingrown toenail, as I  have, your toenail just grows a little bit wrong, and it grows into your skin, it can make your  whole body miserable. I never thought about toenails until I had those rotten ingrown toenails. And a toenail is obviously not as important in some ways as the heart or the brain or the liver.  You can live without a toenail. But the fact is even the most minor part of the body matters.  And Paul says so it is with the body of Christ, every member matters. And when one part  suffers, we all suffer. And when one part flourishes, it blesses the whole body. Question A  Galatians 5:22-23 refer to the fruit of the Spirit. Now what fruit is referred to in this passage  and do all faithful believers bear the same fruit.While the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,  patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, Paul mentions these  specific things as important examples of the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit in the lives of  Jesus followers. However, this shouldn't be considered a complete or exhaustive list. For  example, one could also mention such other fruit produced by the Spirit as holiness,  generosity, thoughtfulness, and perseverance in all of this, the stuff that's listed as well as  other aspects that aren't listed there, but are to the fruit of the Spirit. It's really the character of Jesus, the life of Jesus taking shape in us and that wonderful description in Galatians, 5:22- 23 lists some of the most important and central fruit. Now regrettably, not all believers exhibit  all the fruit mentioned in Galatians 5:23. Some, for example, may demonstrate much love and kindness in their lives, though they may not always be patient or joyful. We know people who  who are stronger in one area or another, they'll do anything for you, but they always seem to  be a little down in the dumps. So they're very tender hearted, eager to help others, but they  don't have the fullness of the joy and the peace of the Lord. Others may be patient and joyful,  but still have some significant moral weaknesses in their lives. The reason for this lack of fruit  in our lives is because of our sinful nature and our willful pursuit of certain things which do not please God. Regrettably, no one is perfect, and no one is totally free from sin in this life.  However, if there is little or no spiritual fruit in a person's life, there is good reason to question  whether Christ truly lives in that person's heart. So none of us is perfect. But if, if there's just  no difference, if there's nothing going on in you, that seems to be coming from the Spirit of  God, then you've got to ask whether you really do have the Spirit of God. And so don't expect  perfection, but do expect difference making transformation and growth into becoming more  and more like our Lord Jesus. Question Nine Ephesians 4:3, 12-13. Refer to the unity of the  Spirit. Is the Church of Christ United today? If it is, how does that unity show itself? If it is not? How should we pursue the unity that these passages refer to? All born again believers, no  matter whether they're Jews or Gentiles, men or women, young or old, educated or  uneducated, are united together as one in Christ Jesus Christ is the sole head of this church,  and all believers are equally members of it. They have the same spiritual life, enjoy the same  blessings of salvation and receive the same promises from God. In that sense, the church of 

Christ is Definitely united, we're all brought together in Christ and joined to one hat and  Christians manifests this unity in Christ in various ways. One very significant way is by  confessing the same basic truths, such as those in the Apostles Creed and other historic  Christian Creed's sincere Christians all recognize and acknowledge that they've been saved  through their faith in Jesus, who gave his life for them. They also share a heartfelt conviction  that they will spend eternity with each other in joy and glory in the presence of their Lord and  Savior. Further, Christians have different congregations, different denominations worship  together on special occasions, and also join with other believers in working together to  minister to the poor and needy in the name of Christ. They also share in such activities as  scripture translation, distribution, the scriptures, and in promoting the Bible's teachings  regarding moral or social issues. Examples of this are found in the efforts to promote pro life  activities, or to promote biblical teachings on marriage, drug use, sexuality and other moral  issues. Christians of different congregations and denominations may also love one another in  personal friendships, and in fellowship groups and Bible studies where they belong to  different denominations or congregations. They still have these occasions for fellowship and  study together. However, the church is regrettably and obviously very divided into a great  number of denominations throughout the world. Starting a new denomination is often very  easy. Many times a person with special gifts of speaking, fundraising or persuasion, will begin his own church and gain a number of followers who appreciate this person's gifts or abilities.  As a result, the number of denominations in the world is distressingly large. In many  instances, members of different denominations agree on many basic issues, but they  disagree on certain practices or beliefs or organizational matters. When that happens, it  makes it more difficult to convince non believers that the church is truly united as one in  Christ. divisions among Christians can be a lesson if without giving up their own  understanding of the Scriptures, Christians seek to understand the views of others so that it  can deal with them patiently, lovingly, and fairly. You don't have to give up everything you  believe that the Bible teaches in order to really try to understand a fellow believer who has  somewhat different convictions. To promote the kind of unity Ephesians refers to Christians  should pray for one another, encourage each other work together in sharing the gospel in  various meaningful ways. Support nondenominational organizations that promote Bible  translation and Bible distribution, it should join together and helping to meet the needs of the  poor, and others in the name of Christ and unite with others in promoting biblical teachings on social and moral issues, where they are in agreement. Just a few examples, I know of towns  and cities where churches band together to form a food pantry and ministry to the poor, where all the churches are working together to make resources available. I know where churches of  various denominations work together to help out in pregnancy problems centers to help young women who have difficult pregnancies or pregnancies they weren't hoping for, or planning to  support them. So they don't choose abortion, don't kill their child, but instead can either have  the resources to bring that child up, or to give the child up for adoption into a loving family.  And there are a host of other ways in which Christians can band together despite differences  on certain matters, to be united in their service to others, and in their witness to the world. And we are united by our faith in one savior, by the love of our one God. And so it's very important, because the Spirit cares so much about unity, because we are all under one head, Jesus  Christ, because we have one father, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because  we're guided by one book, The Holy Scriptures, these things have to be kept Central. If we  want to have true unity, we can't let every little difference divide us. And where there have  been divisions because of historical circumstances. Let's keep those divisions in perspective.  We may do some things differently and think differently, but what we have in common is huge, and important and eternal. And so let us even in the midst of certain divisions, the one in our 

Lord Jesus Christ, in keeping with the bond of the spirit, the bond of peace. Question 10 What are some practical implications of the fact that the Holy Spirit lives within us? The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives should provide us with courage, comfort, wisdom, confidence,  spiritual boldness. and a strong desire to witness to others about Jesus. If you read the book  of Acts, you read again and again that they prayed for boldness and they got boldness of it  even says that on one occasion, when they were talking to some of the very people who had  arranged for the murder of Jesus, they got right in their face and said, you kill the Lord of life,  and you need to repent. And it says Those men were astonished. And they took note that  these men had been with Jesus. And it's true that these men had been with Jesus. What  those guys didn't realize was that within the disciples, Jesus was actually living by His Holy  Spirit, and the Holy Spirit was giving that same supernatural boldness that Jesus had  displayed. The indwelling Holy Spirit will also help us to remember that we should always use  our bodies, our minds and our personal resources in ways which please, and honor our Lord.  We're not just on our own. God lives in us. And so it controls how we think when we realize  that God lives in us. He shapes our minds, and everything we possess is not just ours  anymore. It is through the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, we will also be able to  grow in grace, resist and overcome temptation. Be sensitive to the needs of others and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. We do not have to face life's trials, problems, challenges or  difficulties in our own strength. But we can depend on the one who dwells within us, who is all knowing, and all powerful. What a tremendous blessing it is to be filled with the Spirit, as we  presently live our lives on this earth. And as we prepare for our eternal life with Christ, in glory, in fact, one of the most common ways the spirit is described by the Apostle Paul is as the  earnest or as the down payment on what's to come. The measure of the spirit and the amount that we know of that blessed person living in us now is the downpayment, on much greater  reality and much greater experience of his personality in the life to come. He's the  downpayment on heaven. You've got heaven, here on Earth. If you have the Holy Spirit, living in your heart, and when heaven comes down to earth and its fullness, then we will truly be  totally filled and flooded with the joy of the Holy Spirit.



Modifié le: lundi 10 octobre 2022, 08:15