The Blessing Of The Holy Spirit

So far in our study of the spiritual blessings listed in Ephesians 1 we have focused on the blessings from the Father (Part 1, 2, 3), and the Son (Part 4, 5, 6), and we have seen that these blessings are applied to us through the preached gospel message (Part 7). Now let's look at the One who applies these blessings to us through the gospel: the Holy Spirit.

Paul praises God for the great spiritual blessings associated with the Holy Spirit’s work in the ones God chose (Eph 1:4) and Christ redeemed (1:7):

Sealed. “were sealed…” (Eph 1:13c).
In Paul’s time and context this word (sealed) conveyed several meanings, including protection and preservation (ESV notes, O’Brien), certifying our authenticity (ESV – ‘royal seal’), or a mark of ownership (Stott, O’Brien). The Holy Spirit indwells believers in Christ (Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 3:16) and is the proof that we are genuine believers; that we belong to God. He also is the seal of protection (Rev 7:3; 9:4). God has set his seal on his chosen people, who believe on Christ at the preaching of the gospel!

The Promised Spirit. “with the promised Holy Spirit…” (Eph 1:13d).
Now Paul refers to the Holy Spirit as the one who was ‘promised.’ Though saints in the Old Testament were brought to life by God’s Spirit, and God’s Spirit was active in their lives as the people of God, only prophets, priests, and kings experienced the Spirit in great measure. But the promise was given by God that in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit would be given in a greater way to all God’s people!

And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.            Joel 2:28-29, ESV (see also Ezekiel 36:27)

Jesus also gave this promise:

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39, ESV (see also John 14-16; Acts 1:4-5)

True to his promise, the Lord poured out his Spirit on his people on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

The New Testament makes a HUGE deal about the Holy Spirit as the blessing of the New Covenant. This can be illustrated in the account of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10. Peter entered the home of Cornelius (a Gentile!), and as he preached Christ, God poured out the Spirit on the Gentiles who were present! Peter had them baptized, for they had received the promised Spirit (Acts 10:44-48). When Peter returned to Jerusalem the Jewish believers were upset with him for going into the house of a Gentile. So Peter told them the whole story. What convinced these Jewish Christians that the Gentiles had been included in the New Covenant? It was when they heard that God gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit. It was then that they stopped protesting and “glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life’ (Acts 11:18).

We also see the Holy Spirit's importance as the blessing of the New Covenant in Paul's conversation with the disciples he found in Ephesus. The first things Paul asked them was if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 19:1-7).

The promised Spirit has been given by God to Jews and Gentiles through faith in Christ:

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— [14] so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14, ESV

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The Believer's Life

Here is a quick list of what the Holy Spirit does in the life of a Christian:

Work of the Holy Spirit.

• Convicts world of sin. Jn 16:8-11. Acts 7:51
• Part in salvation (incarnation Mt1:18, 20) (cross of Christ Heb 9:14)
• Writes scripture. 2 Pet 1:21; Mt 22:43; Acts 1:16; 4:25; 28:25; 1 Pet 1:11; Heb 3:7-8
• Gives spiritual life-regeneration. Jn 6:63; Jn 3-born of Spirit/God. Rom 8:2, 6, 11; 2 Cor 3:6; Acts 10:44-47; Titus 3:5
• Unites believers with Christ. 1 Cor 12:13
• Seals believers. Eph 1:13; 2 Cor 1:22
• Indwells believers. 2 Tim 1:14; Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, 11; 1 Cor 3:16; 2 Cor 1:22
• Bears witness with believers concerning their adoption. Rom 8:16; Gal 4:16
• Is the guarantee of future salvation. Eph 1:13-14. 2 Cor 1:22, 5:5
• Comforts believers. Jn 14:26
• Gives assurance to believers. Rom 8:16; 1 Jn 3:24; 4:13.
• Teaches/illumines believers. Jn 14:26, 16:13; Lk 12:12; Acts 11:28; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Cor 2:12; Eph 1:17-19
• Sanctifies/purifies believers. 1 Cor 6:11; 2 Cor 3:18; 2 thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2; Rom 8:13
• Gives fruit to believers. Gal 5:22-23
• Guides/directs believers. Rom 8:14; Gal 5:16-26
• Makes overseers in the church. Acts 20:28
• Aids with prayer. Rom 8:26; Eph 2:18
• Aids in spiritual warfare. Mt 12:28; Acts 13:9-11; 1 Cor 12:10; Eph 6:17
• Gifts believers for building up the church. 1 Cor 12:7, 11, etc
• Empowers believers for service. Acts 1:8; 6:5
• Unifies the church. Eph 4:3
• Becomes grieved/outraged with sin/leaving the faith. Eph 4:30; 1 Thess 5:19; Heb 10:27, 29
• Fills believers increasingly. Eph 5:18; Jn 7:37-39 (Peter shown to be filled with the Spirit 3 different times: Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:23). A continual, deepening work, not a one-time experience.
  

How should we respond to this?

• Thank God for the work of the Spirit in our lives!
• Yield to the Spirit.
• Walk in the Spirit – Gal 5
• Long for more – ASK (Luke 11:13)
• Earnestly desire the gifts of the Spirit (1 Cor 12:31a; 14:1, 39)
• Fellowship with the Spirit (2 Cor 13:14)

(information compiled from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, J.L. Dagg’s Manual of Theology, and personal bible study)

The Holy Spirit 'Outraged?!'

How do you view the Holy Spirit? What comes to mind when you hear those words? Some may have scary images of 'weird' people running laps around an auditorium or barking like a dog. Others may be filled with delight, thinking of things like a hunger for the presence of God.

Always remember, we aren't given the option of inventing our own view of God. Our view of God must be shaped by God's revelation of himself in Scripture. The Bible describes the Spirit of God as a Person - a 'he' rather than an 'it' (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14). He is spoken of in Scripture as teaching (John 14:26), bearing witness (John 15:26; Romans 8:16), interceding or praying on behalf of others (Romans 8:26-27), forbidding or not allowing certain activities (Acts 16:6-7), speaking (Acts 8:29; 13:2), and being grieved by sin in the lives of Christians (Ephesians 4:30), among other personal activities (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p232-3).

There is another very interesting description of the Holy Spirit given in the book of Hebrews:

How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.' And again, 'The Lord will judge his people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:29-30, ESV

This passage is a warning against apostasy, or leaving the faith ("shrinking back" - vs 38-39). It is an encouragement for believers to endure in faith to the end. In this warning the author reminds us of the death penalty brought by disobedience to the old covenant law of Moses. And if the old covenant law brought death - 'how much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has' turned away from Christ? This turning away is described three ways: as spurning the Son of God (scornfully rejecting Christ), profaning the blood of the covenant (treating Jesus' blood as unholy), and finally, outraging the Spirit of grace.

That phrase is terrifying! The same Spirit of God who was hovering over the waters at creation, empowering prophets, priests and kings in the Old Testament, and anointing the Son of God for his redemptive work - THIS Holy Spirit personally OUTRAGED toward someone? Amazing.  The Spirit who so mercifully moves through the preaching of the gospel (God's pardon to repentant sinners who believe on Christ) is not unmoved when his gospel is tossed aside like something trivial, unnecessary, or even offensive. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

And what an interesting juxtaposition of terms! He is called here the Spirit of "grace" as he is described to be "outraged." God is filled with both grace and wrath. He is to be worshiped and glorified for both.

Perhaps our view of the Holy Spirit is too...weak? Perhaps we have thought of the Spirit as too sweet and precious to ever be righteously angry. Yes, we are to desire to be continuously filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18), to walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16), and to earnestly desire his empowering for spiritual gifts (14:1). Jesus spoke tenderly of the Father giving the Holy Spirit to those who ask him, as an amazing example of Fatherly love (Luke 11:13). We should have a growing relationship with the Person of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ ("...the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all" 2 Cor 13:14). But Jesus also said that every sin and blasphemy would be forgiven...except for the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (which he called an eternal sin, Mark 3:29).

Let us desire the Holy Spirit!
But let us not forget that the "Spirit of grace," like the Father and the Son, will not laugh at sin.
The Holy Spirit is "holy."

Valuing The Holy Spirit

In Acts 19 Paul arrives in Ephesus to plant a church. He meets about 12 disciples. But, apparently after spending some time with them, he notices that there is something a little 'off' about these guys. They are seemingly followers of Jesus on some level, but Paul notices that something is missing. So much so that he asks them the question, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"

Couldn't that be a little insulting? "You guys are disciples but you aren't the real deal. Did you even receive the Holy Spirit?"

If we are "the real deal" there will be fruit, or evidence, to prove it. If God lives in us by his Spirit and has made us a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) it should be obvious. It was obvious to Paul that these disciples were missing the Spirit.

They admitted that they had not received the Spirit, and had not even heard that through Christ the promised Spirit is now available to believers. They didn't know that Pentecost had come - that the promises of the Old Testament and what John the Baptist had pointed forward to - had come to pass! They were missing a HUGE piece of the puzzle.

Notice that Paul did NOT say to these guys, "Hey, it's ok brothers. After all, you are Jews - the people of God; you were following John the Baptist and looking forward to the Messiah; you were even baptized by John in repentance of your sins. You're good. God will understand." Some today may have responded in this way, but Paul did not. He told them that John the Baptist was pointing to Jesus. Then the disciples believed Christ and received Christian baptism rather than John's baptism. (These guys were close...but Christ's apostle knew that close is not good enough!) Think about it. These were not Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims or Atheists. These were guys who believed on Jesus in some way; were repentant of their sins before God and had received baptism from God's prophet John...but that was not good enough! If these guys weren't ok, no one is ok! They lacked the Holy Spirit, who is given through faith in Jesus Christ. And if you don't have the Spirit of Christ, you don't belong to Christ (Romans 8:9)!!!

This passage in Acts is showing us the importance of the Holy Spirit. In a day when many are saying that everyone is ok - that ultimately all will be included - the message of the apostles, who were sent by Christ with his message still ringing in their ears, is clear. There is one way. We must come to God (consciously, in this life) through faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, who took upon himself the sins of 'many' (Mark 10:45), laid down his life for his church (Eph 5:25), was made a curse for us (Gal 3:13) and became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21); who died and rose again. Jesus gives the Spirit. Why is this so important?

The Holy Spirit is the evidence that we have been accepted by God and can expect life forever with him. The Spirit is the 'down payment,' or guarantee that we have eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; 5:5). Ephesians 1:13-14 says it this way: when we believed the gospel we were sealed with the Holy Spirit, "who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we aquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." In other words, only believers in Jesus, who receive the gospel of Christ in faith, become recipients of the Holy Spirit. And having the Spirit is the guarantee that the rest of what God has promised his children is indeed coming.

Do you see the importance of the Holy Spirit, as Paul saw it?
Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
Is their evidence in your life that you have God's Spirit (you are a new person, producing the fruit of the Spirit; the power of the Spirit; you love the truth; etc).
Better yet (since we can fool ourselves), are you part of a local church, where believers can see evidence in your life that you have the Holy Spirit?

Scripture tells us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; to test ourselves. "Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Cor 13:5, ESV).

Let us not forget or neglect the Holy Spirit. May we value him, and realize how blessed we are as believers, that the promises have been fulfilled and we can now receive God's Spirit through faith in Jesus!! Come to Jesus and drink if  you are thirsty (John 7:37-39). He is the giver of the Spirit and eternal life!

ANOTHER Helper!

At the last supper, hours before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was thinking of others.

He was speaking words of comfort to his disciples to prepare them for what they were about to face: Their friend Judas (who they thought was going out to give money to the poor, Jn 13:29) was at this moment betraying Christ; Their leader - Peter the outspoken - would deny he even knew the Lord; all disciples would fall away that night (Mark 14:27); and their Lord, whom they have spent 3 1/2 years with, will be crucified and then leave them, returning to the Father. How they needed these words of comfort!

After commanding them to love one another and believe in him (Jn 13:34, 14:1), Jesus gives the ultimate comforting promise:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...the Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things..." (Jn 14:16-17a, 26, ESV)

Jesus has promised that after he returns to the Father, the disciples will be given another Helper! Note the word "another." They have had Jesus helping them all along. And now, even though he is leaving them to return to the Father, he will continue to help his people by serving them as their High Priest in heaven forever! If that was not enough to provide comfort, he promised to send ANOTHER Helper, the Holy Spirit! So the disciples (and all believers in Christ) will have Jesus helping in heaven and the Holy Spirit helping on earth; that's a lot of help!

Are you a believer who needs some comfort? Look to the promises of Christ and be comforted:

Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest (Heb 4:14-16), representing us to God in heaven and answering every accusation against us that the Devil brings. He is described as our Advocate in 1 John 2:1. The word translated Advocate in that verse is the same word translated Helper in John 14:16! Jesus is helping us in heaven!

The Holy Spirit is God in us. Helper means 'one who comes alongside.' He is indwelling the believer, filling us as we yield to him (Eph 5:18) and empowering us, coming 'upon' us (Acts 1:8), to be witnesses for Christ and walk in holiness. He is producing in the believer every quality (or 'fruit') that is pleasing to God (Gal 5:22). And he has gifted every believer with a special ability to edify the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit is another Helper, helping us right now on earth!

Become AWARE of your help in God. This is not wishful thinking or the power of positive thinking. These are the promises of God in Scripture! Jesus has removed the wrath of God from us by the sacrifice of himself at the cross, and is ministering in heaven as our High Priest before God; his blood atones for us! And the Holy Spirit has been sent to help the church fulfill our Christ-given mission on earth. Receive these truths and walk in them. And let us thank God for the HELP!!!