This sermon will hardly be all-inclusive or exhaustive on speaking of the Holy Spirit. Nor do I claim to perfectly understand Him and His work. But the Holy Spirit is a subject worth studying, so let us consult the scriptures!
The Holy Spirit is a Person of God
The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force that emanates from God. The Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons of Deity.
Acts 5:1-11 -Holy Spirit and God are used interchangeably
Matthew 3:13-17 -The Son, the Father, and the Holy Spirit
Matthew 28:18-20 -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit and the Bible
The scriptures are give to us by the Holy Spirit, working through men. The Bible is not a book of stories that men came up with, but given by God.
John 14:25-26 -The comforter, the Holy Spirit, will teach the apostles
I Peter 1:10-12 -The Gospel was taught by those who preached by the Holy Spirit
II Peter 1:19-21 -All prophecy came from the Holy Spirit
II Timothy 3:16-17 -All scripture is God-breathed
The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
Much confusion exists when speaking on the subject of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That the Holy Spirit dwells in the Christian is simple Biblical truth. The means by which He does so is sometimes more difficult to understand. To this purpose, it becomes useful to see consider the indwelling of the Father and the Son.
Ephesians 3:14-19 -Christ dwells in the Christian’s heart by faith
John 14:19-24 -The indwelling of the Son and Father through faithful obedience
Galatians 3:1-14 -The Spirit dwells in us by faith
Romans 10:17 -Faith comes by hearing the word of God
Acts 5:26-32 -The Holy Spirit given to those who obey
Galatians 3:26-4:7 -The Spirit dwells in those who are sons (those who have been baptized)
What we see then is that the Holy Spirit dwells in us by faith, through the word of God. It is not a personal literal indwelling anymore than the indwelling of the Father and of the Son. It is also worth noting that everything that the Holy Spirit does for us is also stated as the word of God doing for us, showing the means by which the Holy Spirit has chosen to operate.
(The Power Point chart showing the verses correlating the Holy Spirit to the Bible are available upon request)
The Holy Spirit and Salvation
The Holy Spirit is involved in our salvation. Not by a miraculous event, but in our faithful obedience to the will of Christ, we are washed by the Spirit of God.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 -Washed, sanctified, and justified by the name of Christ and by the Spirit of God
Titus 3:1-8 -Salvation by Christ and the Holy Spirit
Matthew 28:18-20 -Be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
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