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Well, the Holy Spirit, we started talking about Him last week, can be an amazingly controversial topic and I thought I'd look for some guidance on the internet. And I picked up, I'm just going to give you a little bit of a scoop here this morning from Benny Hinn wrote a book several years ago.
What? You know, can I just tell you something, one of my seminary profs, Trevor Cragen, a dear man of God from South Africa, and I have a unique kinship with him because he used to be a police officer in South Africa.
So we would share cop stories and he would teach theology. But he went to a conference, a missions conference in France and they found out he taught in America and that he was a theology professor and they said they couldn't wait to ask him if he knew the most famous theologian from America.
And he said, who's that? And they said, Benny Hinn. So that's when he started, you know, tap dancing a little bit. Well, we have here this morning a few special revelations from Benny Hinn from his book, Good Morning Holy Spirit, published in 1991.
Let's see. This is Benny Hinn from his book. He says, and then like a child with my hands raised, I asked, can I meet you? Can I really meet you? Sometime later he says, after I spoke to the Holy Spirit, nothing seemed to happen.
Then like a jolt of electricity, my body began to vibrate all over. I felt as if I'd been translated to heaven. That's pages 12 and 13, or from pages 12 and 13 of his book. Now my question is, what would make him think that that was like being translated to heaven?
As if you're jolted by electricity. Why is that? What does that sound like? What's heavenly about that? How about this one? Once my mother was cleaning the hallway while I was in my room talking with the Holy Spirit.
I don't know why that is. When I came out, she was thrown right back. Something had knocked her against the wall. Remember how we talked last time about people, one of the mistakes that people make about the Holy Spirit is to describe him as a force.
Listen to that again. Something had knocked her against the wall. He said he'd been talking to the Holy Spirit. I said, what's wrong with you, Mama? She answered, I don't know. Well, the presence of the Lord almost knocked her down.
Allegedly talking to the Holy Spirit, he comes out of the hallway, she gets on the wall. He says, what's wrong with your microphone? He says, what's wrong with you? She says, I don't know. And then he answers the question, well, why did he ask it in the first place?
Strange. Now this is just bad. How many of you have ever gone to Phil Johnson's blog, Pyromaniacs? Now how many of you have been to his bookmarks? Phil Johnson's bookmarks, because he has things on the internet, and they're separated into helpful resources, all these different categories.
And then you have bad theology, and then you have really bad theology, and then you have really, really bad theology. And this, I would suggest, is probably under really, really bad theology. Talking about seeing God the Father, he says, what was the appearance of God the Father?
Like that of a man? God has the likeness of fingers and hands and a face. As with the Holy Spirit, he looks like Jesus looked on earth. More bad, very, very bad, really, really bad theology. Had he, Jesus, not offered himself through the Holy Ghost, he would not be accepted in the eyes of God the Father, nor would he have endured the sufferings of the cross.
Had he not presented himself through the Holy Ghost, his blood would not have remained pure and spotless. And let me add this. Had the Holy Spirit not been with Jesus, he would have sinned. God in the flesh would have sinned.
Anyway, a bunch of more nonsense, but bad theology about the Holy Spirit. You know, so many, and we'll, of course I'm going to be teaching a whole class about charismatic theology, and so much of it is based on a wrong view of the Holy Spirit, a wrong view of revelation, a wrong view of the work of God, but in particular, it's based on one thing, and that's that scripture is not enough.
Scripture cannot give us all that we need for living in godliness, so we must turn to other things, and they look to the Holy Spirit, the works, allegedly, of the Holy Spirit. Anyway, last time we talked about the Holy Spirit not being merely a force, but a person, that the Holy Spirit teaches, comforts, guides, and encourages us believers.
The Holy Spirit is holy God, and number four, the Holy Spirit works the works of God. The Holy Spirit works the works of God. And then we've talked about A, B, and C, that he was active in creation, he causes regeneration, and again, what is regeneration?
It's not that there was an old generation, and now we have a regeneration. What is regeneration? Well, that's so old generation. Dr. Bruce, to be made alive, okay? And why would we need to be made alive?
Because we were, you know, there's the concept, we were born dead, dead in our trespasses and sins, spiritually dead, we must be made spiritually alive. He causes spiritual renewal, Titus 3 .5 tells us.
And we're at point D. The Holy Spirit, he intercedes in the prayer lives of believers, intercedes in the prayer lives of believers. Let's look at Romans 8, I think somehow, Romans 8 verses 26 and 27, you know, I think Pastor Mike a few weeks ago talked about how Romans 8, was that on a communion?
Was that communion last time we did it, or when was that? Romans 8, anyway, he was talking about it, and what a comforting verse it is, or passage it is, concerning how we cannot be separated from the love of God and Christ.
But here we have some comfort as well, in verses 26 and 27, who has that? We all still getting awakened, Eric, what do you think the concept there is? That he intercedes on our behalf, we do not know how to pray, or we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit intercedes for us.
What does that mean? A defense of tongues. Well, and how would you get there? How would you get to that place? Okay? Yeah, and I think that's a better understanding of it, that, you know, he kind of corrects or adds things that we sometimes forget to pray, we're not thinking about properly, that we're not, that we can't somehow formulate correctly, you know, do you ever wonder, am I saying this the right way, have I forgotten anything, you know, now does this mean that you should just not labor in prayer, no, but it is a comfort to know that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.
And look at that, when we do not know how to pray as we should, excellent, excellent. And you know, we could, I mean, and we will, at some point, when we talk about spiritual gifts, we'll talk about the idea of tongues, and, you know, maybe I should add whether tongues and groanings are exactly the same thing, and we'll find out that they are not.
Let's look also at Jude 20, mostly because we don't often look at the book of Jude, that's not Jude chapter 20, by the way, that's just verse 20, anybody have Jude chapter 20, okay, or verse 20, Stephen, okay, and this is how we pray, I mean, this is how we should have our prayers aligned as it were, how we should be focused on, you know, if you're praying in the Spirit, what does that mean?
What does it mean to pray in the Spirit, Steve? And I think that's exactly right. You're walking in the Lord, when we do anything in the Spirit, it indicates that we're not doing it according to the flesh, we're not doing it according to our desires, we're not doing it with a life that is marked by ungodliness, and whether we are living a godly life, we are living in the Spirit, we are praying in the Spirit, we are thinking in the Spirit, we are spiritually minded as it were, and when our will is lined up with God's will, then I would say that we are praying in the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit inspired Scripture, inspired Scripture, let's look at Acts 4 .25, sometimes I'll go to the lesser passages here, the more well-known one is 2 Peter 1, verse 7, and verses 20 and 21, or we could look at 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, All Spirit is, but that just talks about it's breathed out by God.
Who has Acts 4 .25? Okay, and I indicated there that is from Psalm 2, and it's just interesting to note there the wording, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our Father David your servant, so we have both there, we have what?
How do we get Scripture according to that verse? Through the Holy Spirit and man, so it's, you know, who wrote the Scripture? Holy Spirit and man, so he inspired Scripture, he sanctifies believers, and what does it mean to make someone more holy?
To sanctify them, good, answer your own question, let's look at 1 Peter chapter 1, I'll just, you know, I anticipate my own questions and answer them ahead of time, so that there's no confusion, 1 Peter chapter 1, verses 1 and 2, John Christopher, I see that hand, yes, what a great passage, especially when we look at verse 2, chosen, starting in verse 1, but chosen according to the foreknowledge, all saints are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, they're chosen in time, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, he is working to perfect those who have been called to salvation, he is working to make them more Christ-like, he is sanctifying them, is the word.
G, he produces fruit in the lives of believers, verse, he, the Holy Spirit, produces fruit in the lives of believers, let's look at Galatians 5, very popular passage, one that we love, until we examine our lives and find out we don't have as much fruit as we think we should have, then we don't love it so much, it's very challenging, verse 22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, against such things there is no law.
Now I have a question for you, what does somebody mean when they say, what are you, a fruit inspector? What does that mean? Carmen. Okay, but if people like accuse you of being a fruit inspector, they really are saying, what are you, judging me, you know?
Yeah, that's right, so it's really a question between, or a difference between, you know, wrong understanding, sort of of Matthew 7, you know, judge not lest you be not judged, versus what the real meaning of the passage is.
I saw a hand back here, Charlie. The names will be changed to protect the guilty. Yeah, I mean, typically we don't, I'll say we, you know, people don't like to hear that when they're concerned, when they're feeling a little bit guilty, they're a little out of sorts or whatever, you know, what are you, a fruit inspector?
You know, is there any call for inspecting someone's life? I think so, but, you know, what did Jesus say? You know, yeah, look at your own life, remove the beam from your own eye before you worry about the splinter in someone else's eye.
But when we look at our own lives and we don't see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control against these things, there is no such law. And by the way, if you look at your life and you say, you know what?
I am very peaceful, patient, kindness, or kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. Well, then, yeah, then add humble to that list and see how you do, because the answer is probably going to be you're not doing so well, you know.
There are always issues for us to work on until we are in the presence of our God. So he produces fruit in the lives, I mean, it is the fruit of the Spirit. Holy Spirit works in our lives, there will be fruit, and if there is no fruit, then we have to question whether the Spirit is present in that life, and that's the big cause for concern.
H, he appoints and commissions ministers, messengers, pastors, teachers. Let's look at Acts 13, and again, we would, I mean, we could go through a lot of Scripture and we would see that the hand of God is present in doing all these things, but it is particularly of interest when we are talking about the Holy Spirit, what is the Holy Spirit, what does he do?
What does he do? Acts 13, verse 2, who has that? Barbara. Okay, so the Holy Spirit says, let me have Barnabas and Saul for the work that I have called them to. Now, you know, Benny Hinn said here that the Holy Spirit spoke to him, well, he spoke in Acts 13, so why couldn't the Holy Spirit speak to Benny Hinn or someone else?
That is an excellent answer, Peggy. He doesn't speak like that anymore. Why? Scripture is completed. Michael. All the divine revelation we have is right here. What is the issue with Benny Hinn receiving a revelation from the Holy Spirit or anyone receiving revelation from God today?
Stephen. We should all know, but I mean, if the Holy Spirit finds it prudent, necessary, compelling to speak to Benny Hinn or anyone else in such a way that he is presenting something that is not in the Bible, and by the way, I could have gone on, I was reading, let's see, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Benny Hinn also said that there are actually nine persons in the Trinity, that each of the persons is in fact three persons, three times three is nine.
He's also, I mean, there are all kinds of bizarre revelations that you have. You have Joseph Smith getting supposed new revelation and at least he wrote it down. You know, we could go on and on and on, but if something is so compelling that would cause the Holy Spirit to, in effect, add to the record of revelation, then why should we not all know about it?
Why isn't there a book of second revelation or a book of Benny Hinn or a book of, you know, added to Scripture? Charlie. And where could we find that in the Bible? You know, it's another book that at least one person at our church believes was written by the Apostle Paul.
Very good. Let's see, in Chapter 2 of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews writes, for this reason we pay, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?
After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard. God also testifying with them, talking about the Apostles, by both signs and wonders and by various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit according to his own will.
So that's getting right to what you were talking about. And then Revelation, I'm sorry, Hebrews Chapter 1 also talks about how this is how he used to speak to mankind and he no longer does so because he's given us his final word.
Daniel? Yeah. Right, yeah, it often contradicts what the Bible says and so, you know, what do you do with new revelation that contradicts the old revelation? What do you do with new revelation period, Pam?
Right. Right, and, you know, Pam's saying, talking about Revelation 22 and it's also in the Old Testament which is part of the argument against it, but in the Revelation 22, verse 18, John writes, I testify to everyone who hears the words of this, words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book.
And so, you know, don't add to scripture, but then there are a few verses after that. So what are we to make of that? And so, you know, one example Pam gave was the Mormons will say, well, you know, listen, for all we know, first John was written after Revelation.
I don't subscribe to that theory, but that's not really the point. The principle is you cannot add to what God has produced. You can't do that. God has said this is final, this is my revelation, and we have no reason to believe that there's going to be anything more.
In fact, Hebrews 1 says his final word to us was Jesus Christ. We have everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. I mean, what could God add that we would need? Just as an example, I think I probably used this before, you know, the entire book of, the Book of Mormon has amazingly, I call it the Book of Mormon, has calls itself another testament of Jesus Christ.
That's what the Mormon church calls it. It really has one doctrine in it that is new, and that's that Jesus Christ came to America. That's it. A bunch of plagiarism from, you know, it's amazing that in, who knew that in ancient America they spoke King James, but apparently thou speakest rightly.
Anyway, moving right along. He appoints and commissions ministers. He directs ministers. We were just talking about that, that the Holy Spirit does that. He also, I, directs ministers where to preach.
Acts 10, you know, and you might say, well, you're taking your theology out of a narrative. No, I'm just showing examples of what the Holy Spirit does, what he has done, and how those are the very works of God, things that only God can do.
Acts 10 verses 19 and 20, who has that? Bruce. Okay. He sent them. Directs ministers where to preach, where not to preach. Let's look at Acts 16 verses 6 and 7. You know, again, you know, if you were going to sub-categorize this, you could just put it under the Holy Spirit is sovereign.
He's directing ministers of the gospel where to preach, where not to preach. Acts 16 verses 6 and 7, who has that? It's just a few pages to turn. Charlie. Okay, what is the spirit of Jesus? Who is the spirit of Jesus?
Holy Spirit. So again, the same thing, did not permit it or did not want them to do that, forbade them. Yes. Well, first, I'm sorry, I have to interrupt you, but you have to explain what modalism is. Right.
The idea that God is not a trinity. He is one person with three manifestations. That's a good question. How would you answer that? Okay. Well, let's look at Acts 9 since you asked. Yes, that's right. And this is exactly some of the things that we have talked about and we will talk about that.
He, right now we're talking about, he works the works of God and then we'll talk about how he possesses the attributes of God. And right now we're just going to answer this question about Saul starting in verse 1 of Acts chapter 9.
Now Saul still breathing threats and murder, what did he just seen? The stoning of Stephen, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found anyone belonging to the way, and what's the way?
The church of Christ, both men and women, he must bring them bound to Jerusalem. So he was a faithful Jew or faithless, I mean he was obedient, let's just put it that way, to the form of teaching he'd been given at that time.
He'd just seen the murder of Stephen, the first martyr of the church, second of the Christian age I guess you could say. And he went and sought the right and received the right to go hunt down Christians and drag them off to jail, bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Verse 3, as he was traveling it happened that he was approaching Damascus and suddenly a light fell from heaven and flashed around him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?
And he said, who are you Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city and it will be told to you, or will be told to you what you must do. So there we have in that particular writing of it in Acts 9, an appearance from Christ.
I mean we often see, if you've seen like a film of it, you know it will be Jesus glowing and confronting Saul on the road to Damascus. So at least from that one it would be unclear to me that that's the Holy Spirit.
I mean it could potentially talk about it in other places. So do you have any other place in mind? Yeah, no, I think the Spirit of Jesus, Spirit of God, Holy Spirit would all be interchangeable concepts, different descriptions of the Holy Spirit depending on the author's purpose in saying it that way.
Holy Spirit also instructs ministers what to preach, what to preach. Not like, I remember, this just reminds me, Charlie, the first time I came out here, let me see how long ago, how long ago was that?
When we came out on 19, 1997? Okay. Mike had just been brought out here and we came out to visit and they held an outreach at the West Boylston Park and Charlie and company were out there playing and the lady from the, I think it was the First Congregational Church, one of the churches in town, kind of towards the end of the concert and some other things that were going on there, came over to us and Mike was standing there and she said, well I'm the pastor of whatever church it was.
And she said, you know this has been very inspirational to me, I think I now know what I'm going to preach tomorrow. She was waiting on a word. So it's not like that, shouldn't be like that. 1 Corinthians 2, chapter 2, or I'm sorry, yeah, yeah, yeah, 1 Corinthians 2, chapter 2, verses 12 and 13, anybody have that?
Tell the truth and shame the devil. 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.
Paul did not make things up, we see that over and over again, he taught what he was preached. This is a consistent theme of the New Testament by the way, what do all the, whenever they're talking about it, the writers of scripture or the speakers of scripture in the New Testament, what do they say?
Jesus said, I do not speak on my own authority, but on the Father I do not say what I want to say, I do not do what I want to do, I do what the Father's will, over and over again. So they teach what the Holy Spirit would have them teach.
He is the source of liberty, he is the source of liberty, let's look at 2 Corinthians 3, 17 and 18, anyone have that? If not, turn faster. Brian, would you read that please? Yes. Now I have a question for you, how can we be transformed from glory to glory if we have liberty?
What does that mean? Now the Lord is the spirit and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. How can we have liberty and yet be transformed from glory to glory? Charlie? I like that answer. Liberty isn't the freedom to do whatever you want, it's the freedom to do what is right.
And what is the result of that, we are being transformed, Dr. Bruce? Well we're certainly free from the constraints of the law, but aren't we free also from sin? Let me just read the authorized notes here.
Freedom from sin and the futile attempt to keep the demands of the law, so they're both there, as a means of earning righteousness, and he cites several things here, the believer is no longer in bondage to the law's condemnation and Satan's dominion.
And it is that freedom, both from the law and from the power of sin, through which we are transformed from glory to glory. And sometimes we might wonder about that, you know, what level of glory am I at?
Don't worry about that, just keep, you know, working on your own, working on your own sanctification with fear and trembling. Alright, Jeva? Okay. Good point, Bruce. Theological tennis match, okay. Alright, good.
Source of liberty, he is the source of power, Ephesians 3 .16. By the way, I watched a little bit of college football yesterday, and one of the players who's a well-known college football player, won the Heisman Trophy last year, you know, has eye black under his eyes instead of his area code, like some players have, he has Galatians 4 .13, you know, or I'm sorry, Philippians 4 .13, which is, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, which, you know, means breaking tackles and I don't know, I just, all that stuff.
So he is the source of power, Ephesians 3 .16. Who has that? Becky. Through his spirit, certainly, now it's interesting, backing up to verse 14, for this reason I bow my knees before the Father, and so when it says his spirit, spirit of the Father, but again, these all refer to one person and that is the Holy Spirit.
Source of power, he's the source of unity, Ephesians 4, Ephesians chapter 4, verses 3 and 4, Caitlin. So there is unity of the spirit, unity of, in the Holy Spirit, there's one body and one spirit. Number five, the Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes of God, so talking about how he works the works of God, and you know what, this is probably not an exhaustive list, we can come up with more, but the point is he works the works of God and he possesses all the attributes of God.
You can't be God without being fully God. He is omnipotent, Romans 15, verse 19. Who has that? In the power of the spirit, signs and wonders, power of the spirit from Jerusalem around about as far as Illyricum.
How far is that? It's pretty far, and his point wasn't how far that is, his point was, listen I did this in the power of the spirit, with the idea of the power being powerful, I mean you wouldn't talk about the power of the Holy Spirit if there was no power there.
He is also omniscient, he knows everything, and Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2 about the mind of God, who knows the thoughts of God, but the spirit. Let's look at Isaiah 40, Isaiah chapter 40, verses 13 and 14.
Who has that? Barbara. Okay, what's the answer to all those questions? No one. What kind of question is that? It's a rhetorical question, one for which there is no answer, you know, or there is only one answer.
In other words, it's just assumed. Who has directed the spirit of the Lord? No one. Why? Because he has all authority, or who has, as his counselor, has informed him. Who taught the Holy Spirit anything?
No one. Why? Because he is omniscient. C. He is holy. He is holy. He is certainly holy. He is omnipresent. There's not even an H there, I don't know where that came from. He is omnipresent. And just briefly, you don't have to turn there, Psalm 139, what does the psalmist write?
Where can I flee from thy presence? From thy spirit? And where can you go from the spirit of God? The answer is nowhere. He is worthy, or worth, I don't know, I don't know who typed this up. He's fired.
He is worthy of all honor. He is worthy of all honor. A little typo there. And to just kind of display that, we are baptized in his name. Matthew 28, 19 says what? Shall baptize them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Why? Why would we baptize somebody in the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit? Because we're going to baptize them in the Trinity. We're going to baptize them in all the persons of God. We want them to be recognized as someone who believes in the Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
He is worthy of all honor. He cannot lie, and thus is an expert witness to the truth. Let's look at Romans 9, verse 1. I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying. My conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit.
That's Paul writing. Now what if he just said, what if he just ended with my conscience testifies that I'm telling the truth. Would that be persuasive? Why not? Somebody said no, why wouldn't it be persuasive?
Because even his conscience couldn't be trusted, it's the Holy Spirit alone that can be trusted. He could say, you know what, I have a completely clear conscience. Anybody could say that to me. Well, I've decided to divorce my wife, and I have a completely clear conscience on that.
Why is that? Well, it's the right thing to do, and I just don't love her anymore, etc., etc., etc. Well, if you say, my conscience is clear, that doesn't mean anything to me. Why? Because Jeremiah 17, verse 9 says, the conscience, the heart, my mission control center is deceitful, wicked.
I can deceive myself, but when Paul writes under the power of the Holy Spirit, listen, my conscience is clear, and the Holy Spirit, who is telling me what to write, as I'm writing this, is saying, yep, you're blameless in this matter.
Your conscience should be clear. The Holy Spirit cannot lie, and so when someone says, I'm clear with the Holy Spirit, they're really clear. The Holy Spirit also is worthy of all honor, because He is clearly on par with the Father and the Son.
Let's look at 2 Corinthians 13, and we will close on this, since the next one opens up a can of worms. 2 Corinthians 3, I'm sorry, 2 Corinthians 13, verse 14. Paul writes, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
What a great, I mean, I would love, maybe we should just like do this at the end of every meeting that we have, you know, close with that prayer, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Why does Paul end his letter that way? I think there are many reasons. He wants us to have, you know, be reminded of the grace, love, fellowship that we all share, but he also wants to emphasize the fact that we have a triune God, that they're all important, and that we need to be mindful of all three.
And so he is giving that sense of honor and worthiness to the Holy Spirit there. All right, well, let's go ahead and close in prayer. Father, we again praise you for giving us your word, for making us so clear, the Holy Spirit, he is indeed God as well, that you have, from time immemorial, from before time began, you have existed in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We rejoice in that. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. In Christ's name, amen.