THE HOLY SPIRIT

     A most pleasant good morning to each one in our listening
audience this morning. It is good to have you study together with us
the unsearchable riches of God's eternal Word. I trust that you have
your Bible, a pen and some paper, before you. Once again, if you have
a question or a comment, please send them that we may together come
to a better understanding of God's Book. Our mailing address is:
Route 1, Box 502, Anahuac, TX 77514. Your comments are welcomed.
     In our study this morning I wish to introduce a subject which
may cover the next few broadcasts. It is a very important subject,
one that needs studying. It is a subject which is much misunderstood
in the religious world about us. There are many varied ideas and
concepts about it. I wish to study with you the subject of The Holy
Spirit. I would like to look at the subject from a number of areas.
We shall discuss the question of "Who is the Holy Spirit?" Also, How
does the Holy Spirit communicate with man? What has the Holy Spirit
communicated unto man? Where is the Holy Spirit's communication? When
is one led by the Holy Spirit?  These and other questions we shall
note in the next few lessons. I trust that you will listen with open
minds. By that I mean, as far as humanly possible, Please examine
what shall be presented in the light of God's Holy Truth. May we
allow the Bible to teach us. And might I say, only the Bible. You
should not accept what I say just because I say it. Neither should
you accept what anyone else might say, simply because they say it.
But, it is mandatory, essential, that we accept what God's Word says
on any and every subject.
     To our study this morning: First, Who is the Holy Spirit? The
Holy Spirit is Deity -- He posses the divine nature. The name of this
divine nature is God. In the Hebrew, it is Elohim. In the Greek it is
Theos.  In the English, it is God. There is but ONE God, because
there is but one divine nature. Thus Deuteronomy 6:4, states, "Hear,
O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord." However, three distinct
Persons possess this divine nature -- the Father, The Son and The
Holy Spirit. There is a figure of speech called synecdoche, where a
part of something is spoken of as the whole, or the whole as a part.
With reference to the term God, each of these is called God in the
scriptures. Often the Father is referred to as God. Note John 3:16, "
For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life."
Sometimes the Son is called God. John 1:1, reads, "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Then
from verse 14 of this same chapter, we learn, "And the Word became
flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the
only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth." The Holy
Spirit is also called God. Note Acts 5:3, "But Peter said, Ananias,
why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to
keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, did it
not remain thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thy power?
How is it that thou hast conceived this thing in thy heart? thou hast
not lied unto men, but unto God."
     It is entirely correct to speak of God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit, since each Person of the Godhead possess the
same nature -- the nature of God.  Because there is but one nature;
there is but one God; yet, three distinct Persons constitute the one
God. The Holy Spirit is indeed Deity.
     The Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not simply, or solely, or
only an influence. There are many in the religious world who believe
that the Holy Spirit is only an influence. That just is not so!!! He
is as much of a person as is God the Father, and Christ the Son. He
is, indeed, a masculine personality. Listen to these words of Christ
Jesus, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide
you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what
things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak; and he shall
declare unto you the things that are to come" (John 16:13).
     Again and again, the pronoun he, in reference to the Holy
Spirit, appears, thus showing not only his personality, but his
masculine personality. Thus the Holy Spirit is a Person!!! I just
cannot overemphasize that fact too much. The Holy Spirit is a Person,
a part of the Godhead, Deity. When we are able to get people to see
that the Spirit is a Person, just as the Father is a Person, just as
the Son is a Person, there would be an end to a lot of the confusion
that has entered into the minds of so many in the religious world. So
often the idea is expressed that the Spirit operates in a mysterious
fashion by the exercise of influences apart from and independent of
the Word of Truth, the scriptures. But, when we understand that the
Holy Spirit is a Person, much of this misunderstanding will be
removed.
     So, when we ask "Who is the Holy Spirit?." the answer is: The
Holy Spirit is part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is God, The Holy
Spirit is Deity. The Holy Spirit had a part in the bringing of
salvation unto mankind.
     Our second question is: "HOW does the Holy Spirit communicate?
By communicate, I mean, how does the Holy Spirit reveal the message
unto mankind. The Holy Spirit communicates in the only way that
communication can be effected, by means of signs of ideas, by words.
There are five ways in which impressions may be conveyed to another.
These five senses: seeing, hearing, tasting, feeling, and smelling,
are the ways by which we learn things. Since it is impossible to
smell truth, to taste it, or to feel it; truth must be conveyed
either by hearing and/or seeing. Words are either heard by means of
the ears, or seen by use of the eyes. In  no other way may
intelligible communication be accomplished. I cannot stand before you
and taste truth; nor feel truth; nor smell truth. If you are to
impart anything to me you must either speak, thus I can hear; or
write it down, thus that I may see it.
     The scriptures inform us that such is the manner or mode of the
Holy Spirit's communication. 2 Samuel 23:2, reads, "The Spirit of
Jehovah spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue." Thus the Holy
Spirit communicated through David. David became the Spirit's
spokesman. This, he did by speaking. The communication was
accomplished by words. David's tongue was the instrument by which the
communication was accomplished. Listen to 1 Timothy 4:1, "But the
Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from
the faith..." The King James version of this passage is, "Now the
Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart
from the faith..." The Spirit thus informed of impending apostasy.
How did He do that? Through speaking. By what means was this
revelation accomplished? Through words. How did the Spirit
communicate to Paul the message these words contain? By speaking
"expressly," that is, plainly and clearly.
     It is essential that mankind understand this obvious biblical
truth regarding the manner or mode of the Holy Spirit's influence. If
people can understand that the only way in which the Holy Spirit ever
did influence is through intelligent communication involving the use
of words, no longer will the denominational concept that the Holy
Spirit leads, guides and directs through one's hunches, one's
intimations, one's so-called inner feelings, be acceptable.  Let me
make it as crystal clear as possible. How does the Holy Spirit
communicate unto man??? Through words. Jesus said, "He that hath an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches" (Revelation
2:11).
     The Holy Spirit has communicated to man through selected and
inspired disciples. Hear the apostle Paul on this: "But unto us God
revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For who among us knoweth the
things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so
the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God...Which things
also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth; but which
the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words"
(1 Corinthians 2:10-13).
     By looking at this passage a number of things seem to be very
clear: First, A revelation of God has been made to man. Second, this
revelation was make "through the Spirit.  Thirdly, as one man does
not know what is in the mind of another man until it is made known
through words, so we do not know what is in God's mind until He
reveals it. This emphasizes that a revelation was essential in order
for man to know the mind of God, and that this revelation was made
known through words. Fourthly, Paul, and other inspired men, were
chosen vessels of God through whom the Spirit made known this
revelation. Then, fifthly, This revelation was made in the words of
the Spirit -- not "in words which man's wisdom teacheth" -- thus
clearly indicating that the inspiration of the Bible is VERBAL. By
this I mean that the Spirit did not say, "Paul, you write about
baptism," And, then Paul would write his thoughts about baptism. Oh,
No, When Paul (or any other inspired man) wrote, the Spirit gave the
exact words which they wrote or spoke. Then, sixthly, The Holy
Spirit, through inspired men, combined "spiritual things with
spiritual words," that is, put the things (a matter of revelation)
with the "words," (the method of expressing thought) so that
communication might be made. Let us make this point very clear. The
Spirit SPOKE. The medium of communication was WORDS. And this is the
way or manner of revelation. The Spirit spoke in words. Man then in
turn told or wrote the message to others.
     Thus, revelation from God to men was accomplished. By whom was
it done? The Holy Spirit. How did the Holy Spirit do it? By means of
words. Through whom did the Holy Spirit reveal, by words, the things
of God to man? Through inspired writers. Did the Holy Spirit
originate any truth not already planned by the Father and the Son?
No!!!  Listen to Christ Jesus again, "the Spirit...shall not speak
from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he
speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come"
(John 16:13).
     These words were addressed to the apostles. Through the work of
the Holy Spirit the will of the Lord would be revealed to them. The
Spirit would declare only that which had been delivered to Him from
the Lord to pass on to the inspired writers. The Holy Spirit's work
was not to originate truth, but to reveal or transmit it, through
words. The message of salvation has never been given by hunches,
inner feelings, or imagination, but by means of words; words passed
on to us through inspired men; words, the vehicles of thought. It has
never been done in any other way, because there is simply no other
way.
     I see that our time has escaped us this morning. Thus, we must
put a peg just here and encourage you to tune in again next week to
study again this most important subject on the Holy Spirit. We have
seen in our lesson this morning (1) Who is the Holy Spirit and (2)
How does the Spirit communicate with man. If you would like a copy of
this manuscript or a copy of this cassette, please let us know. Route
1, Box 502, Anahuac, TX 77514. And until next Sunday, we bid you a
most pleasant good morning.
                        (Much taken from tract by Guy N. Woods,
                        "How the Holy Spirit Dwells in The Christian)

Return to Index
Home