Amazing Grace Bible Class – Introduction – Holy Spirit

This article is part 2 of 20 in the series Amazing Grace Bible Class


 I  want to use this lesson to introduce the adjoining study on the Holy Spirit. This is an important and foundational part of our class on Grace, since Grace cannot operate apart from the Spirit any more than the Spirit can operate separate from Grace.
Get your Bibles and follow along as we have to get to the TRUTH in this matter!
Many DO NOT BELIEVE in personal, life changing, indwelling of the Spirit! They believe the Spirit only dwells in a representative way through God’s Word.
Many DO BELIEVE that the  Holy Spirit has special, personal, effective relationship with all Christians by dwelling personally within them. This is a relationship which non-Christians do not have. The relationship is realized in the mind and felt in the heart and thus is internal, intimate, life changing relationship.
Question: Does the Spirit dwell IN THE CHRISTIAN? What does this have to do with GRACE?
If the Spirit DOES INDWELL – What = VISIBLE EFFECTS/RESULTS?
Let’s consider and study a few scriptures…

1. John 14:16-17 – Another Comforter Promised
    A. Acts 2:38-39 (Another Comforter given)
2. John 3 – New Birth
    A. John 3:1-8
        1.) Nicodemus/Jesus – two elements –water & Spirit
        2.) Water = Immersion (Romans 6:3-5) & Spirit = Holy Spirit (Jno. 7:37-39)
        3.) Jesus is teaching- Those born of the flesh have the nature of flesh
              (controlled by flesh). Those born of Spirit, have the nature of the Spirit.
        4. Born again = born of Spirit = Spiritual being. Spirit affects your nature,
            just like being born in flesh defines your nature as a fleshly being.
2. II Corinthians 3 –  Spirit gives life!
    A. Vs 3 Read – If Spirit = only through the Word, why Paul say WITH THE SPIRIT –
        “not with ink”?
    B. Vs 6 Read “letter (law) kills”(Romans 7), but “the Spirit gives life”.
    C. New Covenant/Relationship = results of the Spirit in/on the heart!
3. John 4 – Samaritan Woman – Helps us understand Paul
    A.  verses 5-14
    B. Jesus says living water has four characteristics:
        1.) JESUS GIVES IT
        2.) ONCE YOU RECEIVE THIS, YOU NEVER THIRST AGAIN
        3.) IT CREATES A “SPRING” WITHIN THE RECIPIENT
        4.) THIS SPRING PRODUCES ETERNAL LIFE
    C. Not discussing salvation BUT THAT WHICH PRODUCES/SECURES SALVATION
         in the Christian
    D. John 7:37-39  “… Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty
         come to me and drink. Whoever believes  in me, as Scripture has said,  rivers of
         living water  will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those
         who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been
         given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
         NOTE: Jesus is not speaking about the Word producing “springs of living water”
         but the SPIRIT, which gives eternal life. This is what Paul means in 2 Corinthians
         3 “the Spirit gives life”.
4. Romans 7 and 8
    A. Read Romans 7:4-8
        1.) Before Saved = CONTROLLED BY SINFUL NATURE
        2.) We ‘tried’ but failed.
        3.) Prohibitions of law – made sin more tempting.
        4.) We sinned all the more!
        5.) Vs. 6 “But now, by dying (Vs. 1-3) to what once bound us, we have been
             released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in
             the old way of the written code.”
     B. SOLUTION: NOT A BETTER LAW- BUT THE SPIRIT!!! NOT RULES – BUT
         RELATIONSHIP (Luke 15:11fff)!!!
     C. Romans 8
         1.) Vs.1-2 Read
              a.) Paul is drawing a contrast bet. OLD AND NEW Covenants. (OLD=SIN AND
                   DEATH)(NEW=SPIRIT OF LIFE/NO CONDEMNATION!!!)
         2.) Vs. 3-4 Read
              a.) If we live “according to the Spirit” the REQUIREMENTS OF LAW are fully
                   met in us.
              b.) How do we live this way?
         3.) Vs. 5 Read
              a.) Living by the Spirit = determined NOT so much by actions as by
                   MOTIVATIONS!
              b.) The test is… whether or not you DESIRE the things of the Spirit in your
                    heart.
              c.) Obviously we frequently FAIL… but YOU WILL SUFFER NO
                   CONDEMNATION FOR SUCH FAILURES.
         4.) Vs 6-7 Read
              a.) Spiritual mind is at peace because it is submissive to God… not because of
                   PERFECT OBEDIENCE!!!
         5.) Vs 9a Read
              a.) IF THE SPIRIT LIVES WITHIN YOU… YOU ARE CONTROLLED by the
                   Spirit. If you are not controlled by the Spirit, He does not live in you.
         6.) Vs. 9b. Read
              a.) Either the Spirit lives within you or not (no middle ground).
              b.) There are NO CHRISTIANS WHO DON’T HAVE THE SPIRIT/ NO ONE
                   WHO HAS THE SPIRIT IS LOST!!!
         7.) Vs. 10-11 Read
              a.) If the Spirit lives in you = RAISED FROM THE DEAD AS JESUS WAS!
         8.) Vs. 12-14 Read
              a.) Being controlled/lead by Spirit = “putting to death the misdeeds of the
                   body”. (What does this mean to you!)
              b.) This means continuing in the repentance that allowed you to be saved in
                    the first place!
              c.) This means growing in Christ. “Filled with the Spirit”
              d.) Does not mean LOSS OF FREE WILL/CHOICE!
              e.) Putting to death = an conscious act of the Spirit controlled mind… ie
                   refusing to do something.
              f.) The Spirit encourages/empowers… but ultimately we CHOOSE whether to
                   follow the Spirit or not.
         9.)  Vs. 15 Read
               a.) Christians need not be afraid of CONDEMNATION.
               b.) Condemnation = a possibility of course. BUT for the repenting, growing,
                    teachable Christian, there is a constant, confident relationship with God.
        10.) Vs. 16 Read
               a.) THE SPIRIT’S TESTIMONY IS NOT THROUGH MIRACULOUS SIGNS
                    AND WONDERS, BUT THROUGH THE MIND OF THE SAVED. THE
                    FACT THAT A CHRISTIAN’S MIND IS LED BY THE SPIRIT WILL BE
                    EVIDENT FROM HIS/HER THOUGHTS, MOTIVATIONS, WORDS,
                    DEEDS. SALVATION IS ASSURED AND JOY (Phil. 4) CONSTANT.
         11.) Vs. 26 Read
                 a.) The Spirit not only gives life, but it makes up any deficiencies in our
                       prayer life.
5. The Down Payment
     A. Three times Paul describes the indwelling as a – SEAL/GUARANTY/DOWN
         PAYMENT.
         1.) 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
         2.) 2 Corinthians 5:5
         3.) Ephesians 1:13
     B. “Deposite” = Commercial term – “down payment” (earnest money)
         1.) Buy a car, furniture, house, etc… MONEY DOWN!
         2.) Nonsense to sign a note for a down  payment!
         3.) Down payment = REAL / NOW
         4.) God says, HEAVEN IS OURS (God’s ‘note’). Holy Spirit = God’s REAL,
              PRESENT ‘DOWN PAYMENT’ for OUR ETERNAL HOME LATER!
                (Ie “cash in hand”)(We find His promise in His Word!)
     C. “Seal” = Commercial/legal term.
           1.) Important original documents have a SEAL (Notary etc..)
           2.) Document is totally enforceable in court. (Same as guaranty).
           3.) “Seal” in ancient times = authority/ quality approval of products/ and
                OWNERSHIP

This re-enforces – God’s Spirit is VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CHRISTIAN… & PERSONALLY dwells within. No Christian is without the Spirit. All Christians are
saved (maybe not growing as much as others). All Christians can rest secure in their salvation – and should strive to grow. Sign of Spirit’s indwelling = NOT MIRACLES but LIFE AND WORDS AND ACTIONS.

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