May 10, 2021
HAVE YOU CHANGED LATELY?
A Middle-Eastern Mystic once wrote, "I was a revolutionary when I was young and all my prayer to God was: “Lord give me the energy to change the world. As I approached middle age and realized that my life was half gone without my changing a single soul, I changed my prayer to: “Lord give me the grace to change all those who come into contact with me, just my family and friends, and I shall be satisfied.” Now that I am an old man and my days are numbered, I have begun to see how foolish I have been. My one prayer now is: “Lord give me the grace to change myself.: If I had prayed for this right from the start, I would not have wasted my life.”
Due to the recent pandemic we have seen huge change within our society and culture. But within the context of this past year, how have you changed lately? In the last week? In the last month or year? If your response if that this past year has caused you to grow as a person…then great!! If your answer is, "in all kinds of ways." Name one. Be specific. Because, the real question is, "who you becoming?" Every follower of Jesus Christ should become the person He and you want to be. Effective living comes only through a changed person. The more you change the more you become an instrument of light, life and love in the lives of others.
Howard Hendricks in His book “Teaching to Change Lives” says “If you want to continue leading, you must continue changing.”
Once a person decides to "become," then they must learn to discern the difference between novel change and needed change. And change happens best in a believer's life when that believer is continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
There has been much neglect toward the Holy Spirit.
Volumes have been written about God, the Father and God, the Son (Jesus Christ). But the Holy Spirit has been almost forgotten by the modern church. Pastor Robert Morris in his book, The God I Never Knew: How Real Friendship with the Holy Spirit Can Change Your Life says that many people find the Holy Spirit mysterious and confounding. This attitude clearly misses the concept where Jesus said that that the Holy Spirit’s chief desire would be to have relationship with us and to offer us the encouragement and guidance of a trusted friend.
· There is a lack of knowledge about the Holy Spirit and God's people are being destroyed.
(Hosea 4:9)
· The Father and Son have a tendency to be presented extensively (almost exclusively).
· He is generally thought of as “wind" or “breath” and therefore without “substance” or
“importance.”
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
This is in spite of Jesus also saying, "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” (John 16:12-15)
Whatever is true of the Father and Son is true of the Holy Spirit.
He is a Person and Part of the Godhead.
Having His Name listed third does not denote inferiority.
He is part of the Divine Doctrine of Procession.
In the unity of the Godhead there be three Persons of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father; the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. (From the Westminster Confession)
But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. John 15:26
“No Jew of the early days or any student of this or past generations could miss the significance of the plural form of the name; Elohim. It was not the purpose of God to unfold at the beginning all that was latent in the doctrine of the Trinity. Mark 4:28 says, “First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.” (Dr. Griffith Thomas)
As His Person, He is Spirit. The Name “Holy Spirit” is used to distinguish Him from other spirits, which are creatures.
His Titles that reveal Him as God…
The Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2, Matthew 3:16)
My Spirit (Genesis 6:3)
The Spirit of the Lord (Luke 6:11, Acts 5:9, 8:39)
The Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:11)
His Spirit (Numbers 11:29)
The Spirit of the Lord God (Judges 3:10, Isaiah 61:1)
Your Spirit (Psalm 139:7)
The Spirit of your Father (Matthew 10:20)
The Spirit of the Living God (2 Corinthians 3:3)
The Spirit of Adoption or Sonship (Romans 8:15)
The Spirit of Christ (1 Peter 1:11)
The Spirit of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:19)
The Spirit of His Son (Galatians 4:6)
His Titles that indicate the divine attributes of His Person.
One Spirit…indicating unity.
Seven Spirits…indicating perfection.
The Spirit of the Lord…indicating essence.
Eternal Spirit…indicating His eternal presence.
Spirit of Glory…indicating His position of shared glory.
Spirit of Life…indicating His eternal life.
Spirit of Holiness…indicating His righteousness.
Holy Spirit…indicating His unending and unchanging character.
Holy One…indicating His divinity.
Spirit of Wisdom…indicating He is all knowing.
Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding…indicating His revelation.
Spirit of Knowledge…indicating information with illumination.
Spirit of Truth…indicating His inability to lie or change.
Free Spirit…indicating His liberty.
Spirit of Grace…indicating the Nature of His working.
Spirit of Supplication…indicating the fellowship He desires.
Spirit of Adoption…indicating His revelation to us as sons of God.
Spirit of Faith…indicating the deposit of Himself into our lives.
Spirit of Counsel and Might…indicating He possess the answers and has the ability to enable us to possess them.
The Divine Works of the Holy Spirit
Creating. Genesis 1
Relating. Genesis 6:3
Inspiring. 2 Timothy 3:16
Incarnating. Luke 1:35
Convincing. John 16:7-11
Regenerating. Titus 3:5
Illuminating. John 16: 12-15
Helping. John 14:16
Witnessing. Romans 8:16
Anointing. 1 John 2:27
Baptizing. Acts 1:8
Sealing. Ephesians 1:13
Filling. Ephesians 5:18
Interceding. Romans 8:26-27
Sanctifying. Hebrews 10:14-15
Guaranteeing Ephesians 1:13-14
The Deity of the Holy Spirit
He is ETERNAL. …Christ, who through the eternal Spirit… Hebrews 9:14
He is OMNIPOTENT. … we are made alive by the Spirit… 1 Peter 3:18
He is OMNIPRESENT. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Psalm 139:7
He is OMNICIENT. The Spirit knows (searches) all things. 1 Cor. 2:10
He is LOVE. For the fruit of the Spirit is love… Galatians 5:22
He is FAITHFUL. For the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness… Galatians 5:22
He is TRUTHFUL. The Spirit of Truth. 1 John 5:6
How Does He Help Us?
In Prayer
Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ROMANS 8:26 NKJ
One weakness of humans, compared to God, is in our limited knowledge. We do not even know what is happening on the other side of a wall, let alone the other side of the country. We also do not know what people are planning to do, but the Holy Spirit knows everything. And He will help us to pray accurately and effectively. One way the Holy Spirit helps us in prayer is by giving us utterance in a language for prayer which we have never learned. Thus we can bypass our minds with their doubt and lack of understanding of what is best, and pray according to the perfect will of God.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 1:20 NKJ
He Leads and Guides Us
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you. John 16:13
He Teaches Us All Things
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things . . John 14:26 NKJ
He Reminds Us Of The Word (Words of Jesus)
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, will bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 14:26
He Tells Us of Things to Come
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, . . He will tell you things to come. John 16:13
He Abides With Us
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, John 14:16
He Brings Life to Us as He Dwells in Us
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8:11
He Encourages Us
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16
He Has Communion with Us
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
We are not facing life all alone -- as an orphan would. The Holy Spirit is with us continually -- living with us. When we need help He is in us and always with us, waiting for us to call on Him for His help.