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Men would consider Would conspire to put out this thought of the Trinity of three distinct persons and all being of the same essence and all being co-equal and co-eternal and and those things. And you know, just think it's outside the scope of man because we really think of ourselves as what as unique as one as.
Made.
Up of different parts, but nevertheless. So anyway as we talk about the Holy Spirit this morning, I want to make I want to say it this way the Holy Spirit the person of the Holy Spirit the deity of the Holy Spirit.
The.
Fact that he's part of the Trinity has not been subjected to the same If you will critique Erroneous doctrines concerning the personal work of Christ. In other words, what I'm saying is the deity of the Holy Spirit has pretty much been accepted From even the very beginning and if you think about it, that wasn't so with Christy, you know what they had all those opening councils where they were arguing over whether Jesus was God day whether Jesus was part of the Trinity.
There was even arguments about whether he actually came in the flesh and all those things but the Holy Spirit kind of has always been accepted as Part of the trying the Trinity. Although I would still say that there are and have been many that have thought the Spirit of God is Nothing more than a force an emanation a power.
And what I really want to look at and we're going to spend some time just looking at scriptures this morning but I really want us to Think about as we go through it this morning. Is that almost exclusively?
Whenever there is Something said of the Spirit Always said with the thought of he And he denotes what I mean you Wouldn't just say a force is a he or a she but when when you say something use a Pronoun like this it it kind of Brings out what?
Masculinity certainly. Yeah person. So in other words what what descriptions lay out is that the Holy Spirit is a distinct person. And again that whole thought of him being a distinct person and The father being a distinct person and the Lord Jesus Christ being a distinct person.
Thus we have Three distinct persons it within the Trinity and again all of the same of the same essence and co-eternal and co-equal so.
If.
You think about it the Spirit has been involved and the Spirit can be found in the whole Bible and certainly from Genesis could we find a spirit in Genesis? What does it say in the very beginning? Spirit of God moved over the over the the firmament.
Yeah, so certainly you could find it right there and then. As you go through the scriptures that the accounts and the different prophets and Subjects that are brought up you can find Spirit of God where in Revelation.
You remember what it says in Revelation at the end in chapter 22. It says and the spirit and the bride say Come so what I guess what I'm trying to say is that The doctrine of the Holy Spirit the reality of him being distinct and a person you could find it from Genesis to Revelation and everywhere in between and I think that's something that we need to Keep in mind.
So.
Personal right? It's not it. It's not a force. You know in you ages will say the spirit or whatever and they'll talk about it being a force. Yeah.
I mean, it's that whole Star Wars thing, right? The force be with you and almost as if there's a good force and an evil force.
Well.
If you really wanted to think about it, I could say well, there's the Holy Spirit then there's evil spirits. So you could draw that distinction, but yeah, and that's still around today, but just not as much.
But anyway, what I want to do is just start going through the scriptures and and have some discussion about it so let's start in Acts chapter 5 because to me, this is one of the places where Particularly in the New Testament it is absolutely clear that this the Holy Spirit Is in fact a distinct person and yet he is God so We know the story right and it's an Ananias and Sapphira and they buy prop they sell something and they keep back part of the prophets and the whole thing and and Peter in chapter 5 Says to Ananias why if Satan filled your heart in verse 3 why Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and Kept back part of the price of the land for yourself while it remained was it not your own and after it was sold was it not under your own control and why have you Conceived this in your heart and now it says you have not lied to men but to who?
To God so again to me. This is an absolute clear passage that says in verse 3 that he lied to the Holy Spirit and then in verse 4 it says you lied to God. So if someone denies the deity of the Holy Spirit.
Then I would certainly be able to take him to this and and establish it not Exclusively from this but I think this is one of the clearest of them all that we could see that The Holy Spirit is spoken of as a as a Distinct person and also as God.
All right, so we're in acts. Just go back to the first chapter for a minute in Acts chapter 1. And again, I only pulled out a couple of scriptures out of the abundance of them.
Remember they're in the upper room and they're waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit and.
In.
Verse 12 of chapter of Acts 1. And then the disciples they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet Which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day journey. And when they had entered they went up into the upper room and they were staying.
Peter. And goes on he names them all. And these all continued in verse 14 were one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary Mother of Jesus and with his brothers. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of disciples and all together.
When names were about a hundred and twenty. And then he says this in verse 16. Men and brethren the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of the Mouth of David concerning Judas who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
So What do we have here? But that the Holy Spirit is what he's the author of the Bible and. That's one that I think at times we lose sight of in other words. And we're gonna see this again. Actually maybe it would be good to.
Go now.
Go to 2nd Peter for a minute. I'll show you something and this is what I'm trying to establish is not only is he a distinct person in the Trinity and not only is he a personal being which we're going to look at but I want you to this I want to follow up with this thought about who wrote the scriptures and in 2nd Peter and again, this is one of those scriptures that we go to for a number of different reasons certainly to prove the the validity of God's Word and in different things but in 2nd Peter chapter 1 and He's been talking about the prophetic word in verse 19.
We also have them the prophetic word Made more sure what you do well to heed as a light that shines in the darkness until the day dawns in the morning star Rises in your hearts. Then he says this knowing this first that no prophecy of scriptures of any private Interpretation and we can spend a lot of times talking about that for prophecy never came by the will of man but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by who?
Holy Spirit, so who is the author of the scriptures. Holy Spirit did? Could we find in the Old Testament where it says thus sayeth the Lord?
Absolutely.
Could we find in the New Testament certainly Jesus saying that he has the words of life? Absolutely, but yet it's also applied to the Holy Spirit, which I think is is something that sometimes People kind of don't bring it to the place that it ought to be.
All right. I want to show you something else. I want you to go if you will go to Psalm 139. Because again now we're starting to get into the not only the person of the Holy Spirit but of the character and the being of the Holy Spirit and again Some people make too little of it and some people make Too much of it and and give it a undue Consideration, but I want you to see this in Psalm 139.
So this is the one where we're talking about how God knows everything. He says O Lord in Psalm 139 you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up you understand my thoughts are far off.
You comprehend my path in my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. There's not a word on my tongue, but behold the Lord. You know it all together. You have hedged me behind and before and laid your hand on me and such knowledge is too Wonderful to me.
It's high I cannot attain it and certainly we we consider the omnipresence of God that God is not only always present in absoluteness.
But.
God knows everything and so we Consider it from the fact that God is omniscient and he knows Even as it says in in other places that God knows the thoughts that come into our mind every one of them.
So that should give us a great kind of a fear of God you think. You can't hide. You know, you can hide your thoughts from people and men and all that. Oh, yeah, but you cannot hide your thoughts wrong thinking from.
No, and we really I think we're pretty good at hiding thoughts, you know how. Sometimes someone will say something to you. Look one way in your mind. Your mind is racing a hundred miles in another direction like.
So yeah, and but now look what it says in verse 7 Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? So he just talked about the Lord's Omnipresence and the Lord's omniscience and then he says this where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence? If if I ascend to heaven you're there. Like my make my bed in hell behold you are there. I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the outermost parts of the sea.
Even there your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say surely the darkness shall fall on me. Even the night Shall be light around me indeed. And I always love this verse indeed the darkness shall not hide from you.
But the night shines as the day the darkness and the light of both alike to you. Which again is pretty Expansive and explosive if you think about what's really being said that there is no place to hide.
Maybe Jonah never read this song before. He decided to try to go to Tarsus, but.
Again.
Under the topic that we're talking about It's describing the Holy Spirit not only as a person distinct from the father distinct from the son but that he has the same attributes and the same character in the same being in the same a He's co-equal in Every way with the father and the son and I think it is interesting that This argument concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and whether he was God or whether he was man.
And maybe it's because he came as a man and that throws things in people's minds sideways, but the Holy Spirit has pretty much always been accepted as.
God.
Co-equal and co-eternal and of the same Character if you will. As the father you don't have to turn to this one, but in in Job Chapter 33 it says. The spirit of the Almighty has made me. So who gives life.
And yet? We would have we would. We would certainly be right to say God has given us life and in sense It's same thing of Christ because in him all things consist whether they be Thrones or principalities or powers.
And so when you think about it when we're talking about the Holy Spirit there really is no true argument to be held against the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit and yet we cannot lose sight of the fact that we are to keep them as one and yet distinct.
Would you agree that some people make too much of the spirit and some people make too little spirit?
So I wanted to say something about that because when we were being brought up in When we first got saved we got we went to Assemblies of God Church right for eight years and we've gotten and That's what all that was.
The main focus of that right was being slung in the spirit being laughing in the spirit being whatever kind. It is all kind of stuff in the spirit right. And that's what they focused on.
Yeah, and even how this certain Teachings promote a second work if you will of the Holy Spirit as if. As if you get not only additional fillings, but you get an additional Endowment if you will. And and when you begin to think about that what it really does to me in my mind.
It doesn't justice the fact of the triune God in that we are. We can say honestly that God the Father made us God the Son made us God the Holy Spirit made us remember even in the beginning. And some people will use it some people will discount it, but remember what it said in the in Genesis let us make man in our own image and after our own likeness.
Right. And. Certainly and we're gonna see it in in I'm just gonna hold off a little bit but in In reality the Spirit of God is the one who is.
Active.
And again, I Struggle with that thought I would Think that many people struggle with it. But it still remains that he is not only a distinct person and it is in the Trinity. But that he has a personality and a being attached to it.
Let's just think about this look at me in Ephesians chapter 4 and maybe not one that you might run to right away, but just to Highlight the fact that he is Not only God, but he has a distinct being and personality because in Ephesians chapter 4 We're told not to do something in chapter 4 and I believe it's verse 30 should be.
Yeah in verse 29 says let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for and necessary for? Edification that it may impart grace to the hearers and do not grieve The Holy Spirit of God.
Now, how could you grieve a false? And even there's other places where it says don't quench the spirit. So, how could you grieve someone who's not was something? That is not a person. If you think about it from that standpoint when we when we grieve we're offending.
We're hurting we're we're causing discomfort to someone else. Not just something else like I said. Right, right and so We can't grieve the clouds in the sky. We can't grieve a force but we certainly and we do we're pretty good at it, right we could grieve a Person or people or or that but there's a personality attached to it.
There's a there's a being there's a There are characteristics that follow it. So again, these scriptures to me are proof texts if you will. That the Spirit of God is a distinct person and yet part of the If you will what we have termed the Trinity.
And it's of course, it's interesting right because you can't find the word Trinity in the Bible. It is it revealed absolutely and that's another thing if you think about it from a progressive revelation standpoint.
And we've drawn this that line, you know from. When God began in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and God has unfolded one of the things that he has unfolded straight through is The fact of I Would say the fact of the Trinity again from Genesis.
Let us make man in our image if you wanted to read something concerning that you could go into Isaiah.
And.
Where God says Who's equal to me basically and and and. Then he almost tempts the false Teaching and he says let let them come together and confound us. There's a section in Isaiah where it talks about us and we and again in the realm of personality and and being.
Okay.
Now I want to look at some of the if you will the clear important probably familiar proof texts. That we'll talk about the Trinity and the personality of the Holy Spirit. Let's let's go here for a minute go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 13.
Second is chapter 13 and this one more than anything else demonstrates the fact that one when we worship we worship a triune God and not just Emanations and that that's what the modalist will say, right?
Modals will say that all we see really is different Manifestations of God different out workings of one God, but when you look at something like this, it's talking about three specific Distinct persons all of the same essence and being so 2nd Corinthians chapter 13 verse 11.
This is and Paul's closing out his letter to the church. He says finally brethren and farewell. Become complete be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss and all the Saints greet you and then he says this the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. Is that not a proof text for the Trinity?
I've submitted to you it is. Not only is it a proof text for the fact that there is a Trinity. But it's a proof text that there is within the Trinity the father who's a distinct Person the son who's a distinct person and the Holy Spirit who's a distinct person how you understand that because One of the things that people might say God is spirit in that Jesus said that God is spirit and knows that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.
Okay, so What's the difference between God being a spirit and the Holy Spirit? The spirit is a distinct person. But yet God is a spirit. Do you want me to try to explain it? Come back in about 10 ,000 years and maybe I could try to explain it because I don't understand it.
I mean I again that's why I say this whole thought of the Trinity is mind-boggling that. Maybe perhaps it's easier to understand it from the Sun from this from the fact of the the Son of God because there was a manifestation and God was manifested in the flesh and And we beheld his glory but this whole thing about God as a spirit and the distinct person of the Holy Spirit that gets.
Again and people have tried to make analogies and they all fall short by the way, and you know people have tried to describe the Trinity as steam and ice and vapor and all those other things and man that just comes up short because I just think this is Way beyond us doesn't mean we can't understand it to a certain extent.
But it's really above us and that's why God is the great other because he is like none other and there's none other that could be compared to him and That's even like I said in the section in Isaiah where God says who you gonna compare me to.
Let's try this 1st Corinthians chapter 12. Because here now we're starting to get into the particulars of not only the person of the Holy Spirit But of his activity so in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 and this one is a little longer, but I think it's worth our time.
I'm gonna read from verse 1 to verse 11. 1st Corinthians chapter 12 now Concerning spiritual gifts brethren. I don't want you to be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols.
However, you were led therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God called Jesus a curse and No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit now There are diversities of gifts.
But the same spirit there are differences of ministries, but the same Lord and There are diversities of activities, but it's the same God who works all in on there again is another Indication of the Trinity right because it actually Distinctly lays out the work of the same Spirit the same Lord and the same God.
So okay, but let's go on but the manifestation of the Spirit is Given to each one for the profit of all and you'll notice in your Bibles Depending what Bible you have and what translation you have that when they?
Put the Spirit in capital letters it denotes the Holy Spirit versus the Spirit in Lowercase letters, so that's a that's something that the translators have done and I Think it's helpful, but it could also be Misunderstood so verse 7 the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit. To another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit to another faith by the same Spirit to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit and and just got to make this.
You notice it does not say the gift of healing it says gifts of healings. So it's not something where someone can say that they are a Healer because it was never given out that way it was always given in the sense of a plurality there were gifts of healings not just the gift of being a faith healer.
Although many people have tried to Confiscate that as if it's a gift.
To.
Another verse 10 the working of miracles to another prophecy to another Discerning of spirits and they you can see it the Spirit is in lowercase letters. To another different kinds of tongues to another interpretations tongues.
The verse is really verse 11.
One in the same Spirit works all these things distributing to each one individually as He wills. Not as it wills. Not as the force blows. It's as he in his person in his character in his being. Grants these gifts.
And if you think about it, you remember what Paul talked about in Romans chapter 12. Paul talked about how God gave everyone a measure of faith. And then that's another section that deals with gifts and it says to one God has given the gift of prophecy another the gift of mercy and all those things and exhortation.
So there is. It's attributed to God in Romans chapter 12. It's attributed to the Spirit in 1st Corinthians chapter 12.
I can show you in Ephesians where it says that it's attributed to Christ because he led captivity captive and you know what it says right after that it says. And gave gifts to men. So again when you. You need to really look at the scriptures in their totality and as they unfold.
To be able to understand to a certain extent not only the fact that there is a Trinity but that there is within the Trinity a Distinction. And I've always said this and maybe you would Agree with me as you look at the Old Testament.
The main speaker if you will and I'm not saying exclusively, but the main speaker seems to be Jehovah. Then you come to the Gospels and who's the main speaker? It's Jesus. He's the one and then you go into the epistles and all of a sudden.
Pre-eminence of the Spirit if you will is demonstrated In 1st Timothy chapter 4, I think it says it says the Spirit himself says Says expressly in the latter days men shall depart from the faith, right?
So he becomes if you will the speaker in a great way. So there is that distinction that could be drawn and again all these things when you put them all together, it's irresistible. And there's so much good writing out there concerning the Trinity and the person the work of the Holy Spirit and my goodness.
There are volumes after volumes after volumes that have been written About the person of the Holy Spirit. And there's also a lot of false teaching too. So I want you to look at in Romans chapter 8.
Verse 9 it says but you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit and again if you notice in. It's in capital letters. It's an uppercase spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ He's none of his.
So there we have the Spirit of God. And now we have the Spirit of Christ and if Christ be in you the body is dead. But the Spirit is life. Well, Jesus also said that he gives life. But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus Who would be who the father?
Right if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you he who Raised Christ from the dead will also give life to you among mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells these these things are.
They're beyond controversy, I'm not saying people won't make a controversy about it just so we have enough time I want you to go to this John chapter 16 because this is probably One of the most essential important Considerations we can have concerning the work of the Holy Spirit personality of the Holy Spirit and the activity of them as we See it unfold remember that was that was what Jesus said, right?
If he says that your advantage that I go away because if I go away who will come. Another helper another comforter not that Jesus wasn't a comforter another one would come and so in John chapter 16 and verse 5 He says this.
Now I go away to him who sent me and none of you asked me. Where are you going? But because I said these things to you sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It's to your advantage that I go away for I don't go away the helper Who will not come to you?
But if I if I depart I will send who him not it him To you and when he has come he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and a judgment of sin. Because they believe not in me of Righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the rule of this world is judged I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them however, when he.
Person distinct when he the spirit of truth has come he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak of his own authority, but whatever he hears He will speak and he will tell you things to come.
Then Jesus says this he will glorify me. For he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. That's also the same thing that Jesus said when he said to the father in John 17 that he has fulfilled God's will and he has glorified God on the earth and yet now we're told in Verse 14 the Spirit of God.
He will glorify me Jesus but he will take what is mine and declare it to you and He got it from the father. And again, that's all of the outworking of the economy of salvation. Right and the economy of what the eternal counsel of God has set forth, but nevertheless the truth is still there.
And then verse 15 all things that the father has of mine and Therefore I said to you he will take What he will take of mine and declare it to you a little while you not see me and a little while and You will see me because I go to the father.
Again, you cannot unless you really want to twist and Manipulate and Destroy the integrity of the scriptures. You can't get around this. You cannot you cannot escape what's being said here and in just what we hear in John 14.
Verse 26 in verse 23 Jesus answered and said to him if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him and.
We.
Will come to him and make our home with him. Well, who's that talking about? Spare to God right. Talking about the one who is to come in the son's place as the son sends him.
Fulfill the desire of The son and the father and it's all to be found in the person of Mark and Holy Spirit. I Think that's pretty clear. Don't you I think it's it would be difficult for us to twist us.
And yet people found ways to do it people have found ways to either Again what you were talking about before a second work of grace and you know Even in the area of gifts people have kind of said though.
There's a there's a first Filling and then there's additional fill and I agree there's additional fillings. But how will we brought into the kingdom of God but by being born again and Who gives us that life who quickens that dead heart?
What was the promise of the new covenant? I will take out the heart of flesh and I will put a New heart in you and it's by the work of the Spirit of God. You can read that in Jeremiah 31 in Ezekiel 36 It's the spirit matter of fact, if you remember what it's talked when it talks about in Ezekiel 37 it talks about the dry bones and Who blows upon those dry bones?
The breath of God. The same way the Spirit of God moved over the face of the firmament in the beginning. It's all by the Spirit of God. In John and Keith just brother Keith just brought this up in John chapter 6 remember in verse 63 it says It's the Spirit who gives life to flesh prophets nothing so all these scriptures in and like I said, I Could have really spent but volumes and volumes have been written about it and we could have spent Days upon days just looking at the movement of the Spirit of God from the very beginning all the way through to like I said till the end and that I Just think one of the harder things to Distinguish is that God is a spirit and then there is the Holy Spirit.
And I can't really get my mind wrapped around that. Can you? George can you do that? Can you explain that? It's just an amazing thing and all these scriptures and we could look at more but all these scriptures are just so revealing and So encouraging to me, okay.
So now we'll start to take some different out workings of the Spirit of God in particulars as we go forward and then ultimately it the next section will be the man and himself and then after that and I think it's rather logical is the church and and different subjects and then it breaks off into a bunch of different subjects about governments and I Don't know about you, but that's that's an interesting topic to any final words.