Theo 116: The Holy Spirit

Question 1

What is his name?

Answer 1

Hebrew—ruach or neshamah,

Greek—pneuma

In the Old Testament, He is called “the Holy Spirit”
3 times, in Psalm 51:11, and Isaiah 63:10-11.

In the New Testament, He is called “the Holy Spirit”
90 times.

Question 2

Is the Holy Spirit a person seperate from the father and the son?

Answer 2

He has His own mind:

Romans 8:27 -“and He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind
of the Spirit is”

He has emotions of His own

Ephesians 4:30 - “And do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God”

He has a will of His own

1 Corinthians 12:11 - “But one and the same
Spirit works all these things, distributing
to each one individually just as He wills.”

Question 3

Is the Holy Spirit also God?

Answer 3

He is called God. (Acts 5:3-4).

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Question 4

The Holy Spirit is eternal

Answer 4

Hebrews 9:14 -“How much more will the blood
of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve
the living God?”

Question 5

He is omnipresent.

Answer 5

Psalm 139:7 - “Where can I go
from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee
from Your presence?”

Question 6

He is omniscient

Answer 6

1 Corinthians 2:10 - “For to us God revealed
them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches
all things, even the depths of God.”

Question 7

He was active in creation

Answer 7

(Genesis 1:1-2).

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Question 8

He inspired scripture

Answer 8

1 Corinthians 2:12-13

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”

2 Peter 1:20-21

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Question 9

He empowered the conception of Jesus.

Answer 9

Luke 1:35 -

“The angel answered and said to her,
The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power
of the Most High will overshadow you;
and for that reason the holy Child shall be called
the Son of God.”

Question 10

He empowered the ministry of Jesus.

Answer 10

Luke 4:14 - “And Jesus returned to Galilee
in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him
spread through all the surrounding district.”

Question 11

He empowered the resurrection of Jesus.

Answer 11

Romans 8:11 - “But if the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised
Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your
mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

Question 12

He brings conviction.

Answer 12

John 16:8 - “And He, when He comes, will
convict the world concerning sin
and righteousness and judgment”

Question 13

He regenerates a person’s spirit

Answer 13

(John 3:5-6).

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[a] gives birth to spirit.

Question 14

He indwells every true believer

Answer 14

Romans 8:9 - “However, you are not in the flesh but
in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he
does not belong to Him.”

Question 15

He seals believers for ultimate redemption

Answer 15

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 -

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.”

Question 16

When acccording to Paul, do we receive the Holy Spirit

Answer 16

EPHESIANS 1:13-14

“In Him, you also, after listening to the message
of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also
believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy
Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge
of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption
of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Question 17

He baptizes believers into the body of Christ.

Answer 17

Acts 1:5 - “for John baptized with water,
but you will be baptized by with the Holy Spirit
not many days from now.”

Question 18

How does one become filled with the spirit

Answer 18

Being filled with the Holy Spirit—submitting to the Spirit’s control—is an ongoing experience in the Christian life. “Being led by the Spirit,” “walking by the Spirit,” and “keeping step with the Spirit,” spiritual parallels to “being filled with the Spirit,” are all biblical descriptions of the goal of Christian discipleship (Galatians 5:16–26). Every believer should seek to be filled with the Spirit as part of his or her continuing relationship with God: “Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:18–20, NLT).

This is in contrast to the filling of the Spirit referred to in Ephesians 5:18. We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully and, in that sense, fill us. Romans 8:9 and Ephesians 1:13-14 states that He dwells within every believer, but He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and His activity within us can be quenched (1 Thessalonians 5:19). When we allow this to happen, we do not experience the fullness of the Spirit’s working and His power in and through us. To be filled with the Spirit implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. Then His power can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God. The filling of the Spirit does not apply to outward acts alone; it also applies to the innermost thoughts and motives of our actions. Psalm 19:14 says, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Sin is what hinders the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Spirit; however, it is not praying for the filling of the Holy Spirit that accomplishes the filling. Only our obedience to God’s commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. Because we are still infected with sin, it is impossible to be filled with the Spirit all of the time. When we sin, we should immediately confess it to God and renew our commitment to being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led.

Question 19

1 CORINTHIANS 12:13

Answer 19

“For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body, whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free,
and we were all made
to drink of one Spirit.”

Question 20

He gives assurance of salvation to believers.

Answer 20

Romans 8:16 - “The Spirit Himself testifies
with our spirit that we are children of God.”

Question 21

He teaches believers.

Answer 21

John 14:26 - “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the
Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”

Question 22

He comforts believers.

Answer 22

John 14:16-17

“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper [or Comforter], that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth”

Question 23

14. He helps believers pray.

Answer 23

Romans 8:26 -

“In the same way the Spirit also
helps our weakness; for we do not know
how to pray a we should”

Question 24

Ephesians 6:18

Answer 24

“With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit”

Question 25

He calls believers to service

Answer 25

Acts 13:2

“While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”

Question 26

He gifts believers for service.

Answer 26

1 Corinthians 12:4, 7 - “Now there are varieties of gifts,
but the same Spirit. . . . But to each one is given
the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Question 27

He empowers believers for service.

Answer 27

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power”

Question 28

18. He empowers believers for witnessing.

Answer 28

Acts 1:8 -

“but you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be
My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and even to the remotest
part of the earth.”

Question 29

19. He empowers believers
    for overcoming sin

Answer 29

Galatians 5:16-18.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

Question 30

He empowers believers for bearing spiritual fruit

Answer 30

(Galatians 5:22-23).

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Question 31

How to experience the Power of the Holy Spirit?

Answer 31

1. Sincerely Desire to be Filled

Matthew 5:6 - “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied [or filled].

2. Confess any sin which the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

3. Surrender the control of your life to Christ.

Romans 12:1—“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies. a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

4. By faith trust the Holy Spirit to fill you according to:

4.1 God’s command. Ephesians 5:18 - “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.”

4.2 God’s promise. 1 John 5:14-15 -“And this is the confidence which we have before Him that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

5.Do not depend on feelings.

2 Corinthians 5:7 - “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”

Question 32

Role of the Holy Spirit

Answer 32

1. Active in Creation
2. Inspired Scripture
3. Empowered the Conception of Jesus
4. Empowered the ministry of Jesus
5. Empowered the resurrection of Jesus

In the life of the believer

6. Baptizes us into the body of Christ
7. Seals us
8. Gives us assurance of Salvation
9. Indwells us,
10. Regenerates us
11. Convicts us.
12. Teaches us
13. Comforts Us
14. Helps us pray
15. Calls us to service
16. empowers, gifts, and equips us for service
17. empowers believers for witnessing
18. empowers believers for overcoming Sin
19. empowers believers for bearing fruit