The Godhead Pt.

3
The Holy Spirit Pt. 2
March 19, 2014 Last week I showed you that the Holy Spirit is a distinct Witness within the Godhead (I Jn. 5:7). He is God and Hes worthy of all the same praises as the Father and the Word. Tonight I want to go a little bit further and see that: II. The Holy Spirit has specific OPERATIONS within the Godhead What does He do? Thats the question. And how does knowing His operations help us to see Him as a distinct Witness, and how does it all reveal more about the covenant of grace? I hope that by answering these that well find ourselves with not only a better theological understanding, but also with strengthened faith and patience. My hope is that well find ourselves comforted by the Comforter. And so, to do this lets start with our main verse and see that He is a witness of the covenant: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one (I Jn. 5:7). For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together (Rom. 8:15-17). The Spirit actually gives a testimony that we belong to God and that well inherit all the blessings of the promise. Talk about assurance! Also, in the Old Testament we see that the Spirit is involved in creation and is the source of life: The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters [] God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Gen. 1:2, 26). In this account of creation we see that the Holy Spirit is involved. God is always a singular noun but note the plural words which follow. The Holy Spirit was involved in creation. We find in the New Testament that He gives spiritual life:

The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life (II Cor. 3:6). And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you (Rom. 8:10-11). We find in both Testaments that the Holy Spirit is a teacher: Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst (Neh. 9:20). Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness (Ps. 143:10). Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come (Jn. 16:13). In the New Testament we learn that Christ is our Mediator, but we also see that the Holy Spirit prays for us and leads us in prayer when were unable to pray: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26). He makes us walk in holiness: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God (Ez. 36:26-28). Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart (II Cor. 3:3). For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live (Rom. 8:13).

He fights against the wicked: But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them (Is. 63:10). These are the people who were Jewish on the outside but not on the inside. They were no different than the Gentiles and they were Gods enemies, and He struck them down because of their wickedness and unbelief. He does something similar in the New Testament: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged (Jn. 16:7-11). We might wonder how this is helpful to the heirs of the covenant, but keep in mind that we are in the world but not of it. Were here for a period and its our desire that the Lord should return quickly to deliver us from evil. Were pilgrims and strangers in this land and hated by those who hate Him. When He fights against the wicked it is for our deliverance! He also works through men for ministry: And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, 5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship (Ex. 31:3-5). The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue (II Sam. 23:2). But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).

When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God (Acts 7:54-55). He comforts us until the return of Christ Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and work: for I am with you, saith the LORD of hosts: 5 According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not (Hag. 2:4-5). But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you (Jn. 14:26). The Greek word for Comforter is (parakletos). It means a helper. In a court of justice it means a legal assistant or an advocate! 1 Put those tow verses together: Hes the One who stands for us and keeps us from being afraid. And so its not hard to see how this all works in relation to the covenant of grace: He bears witness to our inheritance, He gives us life, He teaches us the truth, He prays for us, He guides in holiness and conforms us to the image of Christ, He fights against the wicked, He enables us for ministry, He comforts until the Lords return! What a blessing! Next week well see the evidences of His presence in His people and answer some miscellaneous questions about Him. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=paraklhtos&la=greek#lexicon