The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit of God will change us in
every "season" of our life

in a way that truly honors the Lord!

 

BIBLE STUDY – WEEK 1 – JANUARY 11, 2016
His Saving Ministry

The Holy Spirit Invites

When a person becomes a Christian, it has nothing to do with any "works" or religious deeds that they do.  It has to do with the gift that God has given us through the death and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ - for our sins.  It is God's Holy Spirit who invites our thirsty souls to place our faith in Jesus Christ, and it is at that point that the Holy Spirit enters into each person who accepts Christ as their Savior. 

Romans 6:23 states, " For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
 

The Holy Spirit Regenerates and Renews

Not only does the Spirit of God invite us to be saved and convict us of our need for a Savior, but at the moment we accept Christ, He regenerates us. He brings us to life spiritually. The word regenerate means to re-gene. It means that God gives you a complete and total spiritual renovation.

God desires to give every person a new birth, a new life, a new heart and a new purpose.  It all happens when His Holy Spirit is allowed to perform the marvelous miracle of regeneration.  It happened in the simple moment of decision when we prayed that prayer to ask the Lord into our hearts.  Romans 10:13 says "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
 This is NOT about turning over a new leaf or getting a fresh start. It’s NOT about surface or temporary change. It’s about starting a complete spiritual renovation that will make you the person only God can help you to be. Titus 3:5 speaks of this renewing work, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

II Corinthians 4:16 also mentions it, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

1 Corinthians 6:19 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.”

An awesome thing to realize is that our salvation is just the beginning. It’s the start of a life-changing relationship with the Lord. The Holy Spirit in you puts the power and wisdom of God at work in your heart on a daily basis. He brings all the strength and enabling of God to transform you from within—from who you are into who you can be with His help.

Through (1) praying consistently and (2) reading and studying the Bible, the Holy Spirit helps us grow in understanding God and His plan for our life.  The Holy Spirit helps us to transform or change our minds.

Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will."

The Holy Spirit Indwells
  
He lives within us which allows us to live beyond our capacity.  At the moment when we do invite Christ into our heart, the very presence of God’s Spirit takes up permanent residence in our life!

I Corinthians 3:16 states that, "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?

Romans 8:9 states that "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him."  It's not like we receive Christ at one point in our life and then the Holy Spirit at another time - The Holy Spirit is with us from the very beginning of our salvation!

At the moment we invite Christ into our heart, the very presence of God’s Spirit takes up permanent residence in our life. From that moment on, we are the temple or dwelling place of His Spirit.
 
Some of these notes are from the book, "Living Beyond Your Capacity" by Paul Chappell for the Bible Study led by Tony Baatz on Monday, January 11, 2016.