Pastor Jon Cobler April 30/May 1, 2011

Church of Living Water Saturday/Sunday

Olympia Foursquare Church

GHOST
Part 1
The Person of the Holy Spirit

I. WHO IS THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?

A. He is: The Holy Spirit; The Spirit of God; The Spirit; The Spirit of Jehovah;
The Spirit of the Living God; The Spirit of Christ; The Spirit of His Son; The
Spirit of Jesus Christ; The Spirit of Holiness; The Spirit of Burning; The Spirit
of Truth; The Spirit of Life; The Spirit of Glory; The Spirit of Grace; The
Eternal Spirit; The Holy Spirit of Promise; The Comforter.
(*See reference)

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17 ESV)

B. He is the “doer” of the Trinity:

1. The Father Designs

2. The Son Declares

3. The Holy Spirit DOES (He is creative, active, and expressive)

C. The Holy Spirit was poured out as a fulfillment of prophecy.

The Lord will pour out His Spirit “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)

1. This prophecy was referenced by Peter in the sermon given at the

inception of the Church. (Acts 2:16-21)

2. A new age called “the Church” began when the Holy Spirit came. It was
distinct because of the work of Christ on the cross and the work of the
Holy Spirit in the Church.

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 II. UNDERSATNDING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS CENTRAL TO UNDERSTANDING
HOW GOD WORKS THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER

A. The primary way the Holy Spirit interacted with people in the Old Testament
was a selective “coming and going”. There was not an “abiding” sense of the
Holy Spirit in or on people’s lives.

1. Saul:

When he turned his back to leave Samuel, God gave him another heart.
And all these signs came to pass that day. When they came to Gibeah,
behold, a group of prophets met him, and the Spirit of God rushed upon
him, and he prophesied among them. (1 Samuel 10:9–10 ESV)

2. Bezalel:

“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe
of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and
intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship…
(Exodus 31:2–3 ESV)

B. Finally, the Old Testament prophesied of the time that the Holy Spirit would
rest upon the Messiah in fullness and power.
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And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and
understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and
the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2 ESV)

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who
are bound… (Isaiah 61:1 ESV)
←
1. This was fulfilled at His baptism:
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Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been
baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit
descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from
heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
(Luke 3:21–22 ESV)

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 2. It was declared, by Jesus Himself, in the synagogue:

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the
scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the
poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back
to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were
fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has
been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17–21 ESV)

← 3. The Holy Spirit has often been a dividing force because He

will not be silent or remain still.

C. Jesus spoke of a time when the Holy Spirit would come and be in every born-
again believer.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you
forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it
neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and
will be in you. (John 14:16–17 ESV)
←
1. In fact, the coming of the Holy Spirit was so significant that Jesus made
two huge observations:

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away,

for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will
send him to you. (John 16:7 ESV)

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this
time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to
know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:6–8 ESV)

← III. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR US TODAY?

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A. He gives life and strength.

1. Born of the Spirit:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
(John 3:6–7 ESV)

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 ←
2. The Spirit caused Mary to conceive:

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born
will be called holy—the Son of God. (Luke 1:35 ESV)

3. In the Spirit is life but in the flesh is nothing:

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I
have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63 ESV)

4. Jesus returned in power:

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report
about him went out through all the surrounding country. (Luke 4:14 ESV)

← B. He purifies.

1. We are changed into His likeness:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being
transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For
this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV)

2. The Spirit puts to death the deeds of the flesh:

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put
to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13 ESV)

C. He reveals.

1. Old testament scripture breathed by the Spirit:

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke
from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 ESV)

2. Glorifies Jesus:

He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
(John 16:14 ESV)

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3. Will testify of God’s presence through signs:

And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a
dove, and it remained on him. (John 1:32 ESV)

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.
And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing
wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
(Acts 2:1–2 ESV)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:4 ESV)

4. Gives security to us as God’s children:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God… (Romans 8:16 ESV)

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our
hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6 ESV)

5. Our guarantee of a future inheritance:

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,
to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV)

6. Direction:

And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried
Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way
rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he
preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
(Acts 8:39–40 ESV)

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
(Romans 8:14 ESV)

7. Teaches:

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 have said
to you. (John 14:26 ESV)

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 8. Helps in understanding the gifts:

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from
God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
(1 Corinthians 2:12 ESV)

D. He unifies.

1. Fellowship:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV)

2. One new house:

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by
the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:22 ESV)

3. Gives gifts:

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
(1 Corinthians 12:7 ESV)

IV. THE BAD NEWS

A. Why don’t more people enjoy the peace, power, fellowship and joy of the Holy
Spirit?
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1. We can grieve the Holy Spirit.

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the
day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 ESV)
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2. We can quench the Holy Spirit.

Do not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV)

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* Names of the Spirit in scripture:

a) The Holy Spirit: “… How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask Him?” (Lk. 11:13). The Holy Spirit is the most precious gift that our
Father in Heaven can give us; which He is abundantly willing to impart.

b) The Spirit of God: “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of
God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16). In 1 Corinthians 6:19, the temple of the Spirit is the
individual believer, but here it is the Church of Christ (observe the pronoun “ye,” as in
2 Cor. 6:16).

c) The Spirit: “… That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (Jn. 3:6b). The Spirit produces
the born-again experience in the believer; it is He who imparts new life (zoe in addition
to bios). (See Ps. 104:30; 1 Cor. 2:10; Jn. 3:6–8).

d) The Spirit of Jehovah: “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse,
and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: and the Spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and the fear of the Lord.…” (Is. 11:1, 2). This is clearly a messianic
prophecy. The Spirit of Jehovah will rest upon the Christ, both in His earthly ministry as
Redeemer (Is. 42:1; Mt. 3:16; Jn. 3:33, 34) and in His Millennial Reign. (See also
Is. 61:1 where the Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Jehovah, and where the
prophetic particulars point to both of Christ’s comings).

e) The Spirit of the Living God: “… Ye are … the epistle of Christ … written not with
ink, but with the Spirit of the Living God.…” (2 Cor. 3:3). The Church is an epistle, a
testimony to Christ before all men, a testimony not of human works, but an epistle
written by the Spirit of the Living God (the giver of Divine life) upon the tables of the
heart. In other words, the Spirit will engrave the Character of Jesus on our hearts as we
function in the Body of Christ.

f) The Spirit of Christ: “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His”
(Rom. 8:9b). Possessing the Spirit of Christ identifies us as one of His.

g) The Spirit of His Son: “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of
His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Gal. 4:6). The Son of God became the
Son of man that the sons of men may become the sons of God with the privilege of
calling God, “Abba, Father.”

h) The Spirit of Jesus Christ: “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through
your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.…” (Phil. 1:19). As we pray for
those who minister, God will supply the same Spirit who sustained Christ Jesus in His
mission. The use of one definite article with both the “prayer” and the “supply” shows
that the two are related.

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i) The Spirit of Holiness: “And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to
the Spirit of Holiness.…” (Rom. 1:4). Jesus came as the promised seed of David who
was also the Divine Son of God, His Deity being declared by His Resurrection from the
dead by the agency of the Spirit of Holiness. Only God is absolutely Holy; His Spirit is
the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of Holiness.

j) The Spirit of Burning: Isaiah calls the Spirit, the Spirit of burning, and of judgment.
(Is. 4:4). The Spirit of Holiness purges sin and iniquity from Zion by burning and
judgment, resulting in salvation. The Holy Spirit’s “fan is in His hand, and He will
thoroughly purge His floor.…” (Matt. 3:11, 12).

k) The Spirit of Truth: John calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth because He is the
Agent of Divine revelation who will enable the Apostles to record the teachings of Jesus
and to accurately interpret the redeeming events of sacred history. (See Jn. 14:17;
15:26; 16:13).

l) The Spirit of Life: The principle of the Spirit of Life in Christ has replaced the
principle of the flesh (selfish ego), so that now, this new dynamic can bring forth the
righteousness of Christ in us and through us. (Rom. 8:2).

m) The Spirit of Glory: “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for
the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.…” (1 Pt. 4:14). When Jesus approached
the Cross, during His last week, He cried, “The hour is come, that the Son of man
should be glorified” (Jn. 12:23–33). Jesus considered his ordeal of crucifixion as His
hour of glory. Peter, speaking to persecuted Christians, and remembering the words of
Jesus about His hour of glory, assured them that their sufferings for Christ were their
glory and that the Spirit of glory was resting upon them; they were participating in the
sufferings of Christ, and they would also participate in His glory. (See 1 Pt. 2:19, 3:14).

n) The Spirit of Grace: “Of how much sorer punishment suppose ye, shall he be
thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done
despite unto the Spirit of grace?” (Heb. 10:29). Here is clearly a case of apostasy on the
part of one who was formerly sanctified by the blood. We are saved by grace, and not of
works; but it is possible to so do despite to the Spirit of Grace that we forfeit God’s
gracious gift and fall into judgment.

o) The Eternal Spirit: “… Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without
spot to God …” (Heb. 9:14). The eternity of the Spirit demonstrates His Deity. The Spirit,
who overshadowed Jesus at His conception, His baptism, and His temptation was with
Jesus at the Cross and with Him up from the grave.

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p) The Holy Spirit of Promise: “… After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13). In Luke 24:49, Jesus had promised to pour out the Spirit
upon the tarrying disciples. This promise is repeated in Acts 1:4, 5. Jesus referred to the
Spirit as the promise of the Father, taking the promise probably from Joel 2:28, and
Ezekiel 36:27, 28. The Holy Spirit’s empowerment of believers was well anticipated by
Jesus, and by the Father, through the mouths of Ezekiel and Joel.

q) The Comforter: “… If I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you” (Jn. 16:7). (Also Jn. 14:26; 15:26). Comforter is
perhaps, not the best translation for our day because we think of comfort as
consolation. In old English, the word meant “strengthener.” The Latin source word
comfortare meant “to strengthen much.” The biblical Greek word is parakletos, meaning
“one called alongside to help.” Some have preferred the word “Advocate.” The New
American Standard Bible (NASB) renders the word, “Helper.” The New International
Version (NIV) employs the word, “Counsellor.” It seems that HELPER is the best
general term which does justice to the Greek word parakletos.1

Duffield, G. P., & Van Cleave, N. M. (1983). Foundations of Pentecostal theology (111–
114). Los Angeles, Calif.: L.I.F.E. Bible College.