| Gospels
After Jesus began His ministry in Israel, God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. See Acts 10:38. Consequently, Jesus had an association with the Holy Spirit “without limit” while on earth. John 3:34. After Jesus had finished praying one day, a disciple asked Jesus to teach them to pray. We can see Jesus’ answer in Luke 11:1-4. Then Jesus taught a parable about a person who came to his friend at midnight to ask for help. See Luke 11:5-8 In this parable and His concluding remarks Jesus taught us how God expects faithful Christian to be persistent and bold in our “asking” prayers. Then Jesus said, “ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Luke 11:13. See I John 5:13-15. “On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” John 7:38. “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.” John 7:39. |
Acts
Just before Jesus returned to heaven He told the apostles they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:5. This would give them certain powers to witness for Jesus.1:8. They were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1-4. Many other people were filled with the Holy Spirit, such as “the Seven.” 6:3-6. It appears the apostles had at least, one power the seven and others did not have. That was the power to give the power the seven had received to others. See 8:14-17. All repentant baptized believers could ask for the fellowship and assistance of the Holy Spirit in their lives and He would come to them without charge. See Acts 2:38 and 5:32. Our interest will be in how this translates into our own sanctification. See II Thess. 2:13; I Pet. 1:2.
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Letters
Galatians 3:3. “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human efforts? Our goal is the new creation of our selves – our spirits. 6:15. We have been redeemed to have full rights as sons of God; therefore, “God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Gal. 4:6. See Rom. 8:16; II Cor. 1:22. Our greatest struggle to continually re-invent ourselves is to: Restrain our sensual indulgences. Col. 2:23. To put to death the misdeeds of our body. Rom. 8:13. To live in peace with all men and be Holy. Heb. 12:14. “So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Gal. 5:16. Our new created “self” has its identity in the fruit of the Spirit. Gal. 5:22, 23. Romans 8:6. “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” One tool of the Holy Spirit to control our minds is the Word of God. II Tim. 3:16. We hear the words of the Spirit in our Bible and this opens the “door of faith” for us if we are willing. Acts 14:27; Rom. 10:17. Our mind and heart becomes obedient to our faith. Rom. 1:5; 16:26. Another tool of the Spirit is the assurance of a new body for our “self” when our spirit (self) leaves our present body. Rom. 8:10, 11; Jas. 2:26; II Cor. 5:1. He helps Christians to maintain clear communications with God by our prayers. Rom. 8:26, 27. The Holy Spirit’s presence is the guarantee of our inheritance. Eph. 1:13, 14. Christians’ fellowship with the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 13:14). Since this is a new doctrine enjoyed only by God’s people in Christ, we will want to do a full study of this theology. The following Biblical interpretation principle has been set forth in the foregoing chart. The principle is while reading Acts we need to keep in mind what Jesus taught in the Gospels about the subject we are studying in Acts. See column one of this chart. Next we see how our subject was introduced and activated in Acts (column two). Finally, to attain a deeper spiritual understanding of what Jesus taught in the Gospels and put in action in Acts, we will need to study the letters. See column three on page one. The foregoing principle applies to all topical subjects in Acts. Column one: The Gospels. Please review item one, to see how the Holy Spirit worked with God and Jesus. Even though Jesus told the people to ask for the Holy Spirit and their requests would be granted, it could not happen until they obeyed what Peter stated in Acts 2:38. To read Acts in an understanding way we need to be fully aware of the different roles the Holy Spirit in the Gospels and in Acts. See column two. However, to have the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives in a practical helpful way we must study the letters. See column three. See Part II, Lesson Four, pages 3, 4 for all scriptures about the activities of the Holy Spirit in Acts. The following are a list of scriptures in the letters that will help us to appreciate how God is with Christians in our daily lives. Gal. 3:14. Jesus redeemed us so that the blessings given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. Acts 14:27. “Door of faith” opened for the Gentiles. I Thess. 4:8. God gives His Spirit. Rom. 7:6. We serve in the new way of the Spirit – the fruit producing way. II Cor. 13:14. Christians have communion (fellowship) with the Holy Spirit. Acts 7:56. God and Christ Jesus are in heaven (Transcendent). Acts 17:27. God is also here for each Christian. (Immanent). How? See I John 3:23, 24. Eph. 2:22. Christians are being built “in Christ” as a dwelling where God lives by the Spirit. I Cor. 6:19. A Christian’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Rom. 15:16. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit. II Thess. 2:13; I Pet 1:3. Rom. 14:17. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. I Cor. 12:13. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body. Rom. 5:5. Discipline by tribulation develops patience and hope. Hope does not disappoint because in this sanctification exercise the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. I Pet. 4:14. The Spirit of glory and of God rests on Christians when we are slandered for the name of Christ; that is, if we keep a clear conscience about the way we respond. I Pet. 3:16. II Cor. 3:3-6. How do Christians become “a letter from Christ?” We are a letter written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God. This program is offered in the new covenant through the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. In this way the Spirit gives life. II Cor. 3:17, 18. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom for Christians to be transformed into the image of Jesus, “from glory to glory.” Glory comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Eph. 3:16, 17. Paul’s prayer: “I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.” Eph. 4:1. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Eph. 4:30. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit. See Acts 5:1-11. Do not blaspheme. Mark 3:29. Rev. 22:17. The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears come. |
