Introduction
Last week we saw how the Holy Spirit ministers to the non-believer in convicting them of their wrongs and drawing them to Jesus Christ the only hope of salvation, but what happens then? Does the Holy Spirit stop or does He go further? Emphatically yes! He stays with us and goes much further with us.
When we are Saved
The ministry of the Holy Spirit is numerous and varied so we will be only going over several of the major points. I encourage you to continue to study further yourself but hopefully this will whet your appetite.
The Holy Spirit Seals Us.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14)
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:29-32)
Sealed: sphragizo (sfrag-id’-zo); from NT:4973; to stamp (with a signet or private mark) for security or preservation (literally or figuratively); by implication, to keep secret, to attest: KJV - (set a, set to) seal up, stop.[i]
So stop to think about this, when you are saved the Holy Spirit of God is your seal, the private mark that God puts on you to identify you as His own. A private mark for security and preservation, and how long does this seal last? Is it a temporary thing? It says it is the earnest (that is like the earnest money put down on a house) until the redemption of the purchased possession.
Eph. 1:14
Earnest - the first instalment paid as a pledge that the rest of the purchased inheritance will follow [arraboon]: a portion of the purchase-money paid as earnest.
Until - rather, ’unto [eis] the redemption,’ etc.: joined thus, "ye were sealed" (Eph 1:13) unto; i.e., for the purpose of and against, "the redemption;" namely, not redemption in its first stage, made by the blood of Christ securing our title, but in its final completion, when the possession shall be ours, the "redemption of the body," as well as of the soul, from every infirmity (Eph 4:30). The deliverance of the creature (the whole visible creation) from the bondage of corruption, and from the usurping prince of this world, into the glorious liberty of the children of God. [ii]
So what we have here is God the Father sowing His only Begotten Son in love so he can produce a harvest of Christians to worship Him forever. We have the Son, despising the shame of the cross but looking forward to the joy that has been set before Him (and guess what, that is those who would believe on Him. And then we have the Holy Spirit, sent by the Son and sealing the believer, but that is not all.
The Holy Spirit Adopts Us.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:14-17)
Sons of God are defined as those who are led by the Spirit of God. The Spirit does the leading. The verb is in the present tense and in the passive - as many as allow themselves to be led (cf. Arndt, ago, 3, p. 14}). 15. The phrases spirit of bondage and Spirit of adoption are parallel. The outcome of the former is fear; the outcome of the latter the ability to pray and to address God as Father. The word Abba is an Aramaic word put into Greek letters and then transliterated into English. It means "Father." The bringing together of both Jew and Greek (Gentiles) in Christ is seen in these opening words of address in prayer.[iii]
The Holy Spirit Indwells Us
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. (John 14:17)
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
The wonderful thought here is that since the Holy Spirit indwells us He knows us and can minister to us. The scary thing is that since the Holy Spirit indwells us He goes where we go, if we defile our bodies with our actions, He is there, when we sin, He gets to participate. God forbid we drag the Holy Spirit to some of the places we go, doing the things we do, saying what we say, thinking what we think! How this must grieve the heart of God!
The Holy Spirit Ministers to Us
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
In Healing
The Spirit helpeth our infirmities.
Infirmities: NT:769 astheneia (as-then’-i-ah); from NT:772; feebleness (of mind or body); by implication, malady; morally, frailty: KJV - disease, infirmity, sickness, weakness.[iv]
So more than just physical sickness but emotional sickness and moral frailty, in all our weakness the Spirit helps us. Actually the word means He opposes the illness in our bodies. He sets Himself against our sickness, our mental illness, and one way He does this is:
In Prayer
He is our intercessor, Jesus our great high priest. I once heard a preacher said a prayer that starts with God and ends with God has a sure chance of being answered. I don’t know if you have ever been there, but I have. Being at the end of my rope, in such a state that I cannot even speak or think clearly through the pain, sorrow, grief and at that time all I can do is weep before the Lord God. At this time the Holy Spirit will intercede for us.
Now do not misunderstand me here. I am not advocating praying to the Holy Spirit. While He is God Jesus gave us clear instructions on how to pray:
And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:23-24)
He says this in more than one place. We are to ask the Father in the name of Jesus. that is how we are to pray. It does not mean the Holy Spirit is not God, just that we are being obedient to the Word of God and therefore to God Himself.
But it does mean we can wait. If we are not sure how to pray just wait and think and when the Spirit is groaning, He may lead you to pray in a certain way, but always in concert with the Written Word of God. Any true revelation from the Spirit will always agree with the Bible. If it does not, it is not the Holy Spirit, watch out! No “revelation” of any kind will lead you contrary to the Bible. “But the Bible does not forbid it!” THE BIBLE DOES NOT FORBID A LOT OF THINGS BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD IGNORE ITS COMMANDS!
In Teaching
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)
In my name - For my sake, in my room, and as my agent. He will teach you all things - Necessary for you to know. Here is a clear promise to the apostles, and their successors in the faith, that the Holy Ghost will teach them all that truth which is needful for their salvation. And not just our salvation but so much more. To live our lives sanctified to Jesus, set apart. To live our lives to glorify God in action and word. To do the work God has called us to do, to lead us and teach us to that end.
Keeping Balance
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; (Colossians 1:18-19)
I realize we have been speaking a lot about the Holy Spirit over the last couple of weeks and we will be going on at least a few more and I do not want us to lose our balance during this time. I am teaching about the Holy Spirit by the leading of the Holy Spirit so you can understand His ministry, but He is not the centerpiece of scripture, Jesus Christ is the centerpiece.
The Holy Spirit teaches us of Jesus and what He said, it satisfied the Father that Jesus should have the preeminence (or center position) and that is Jesus that all fullness should dwell. This does not diminish in any way who the Father or the Holy Spirit is, but it is Jesus that brings us salvation through His death, burial, and resurrection.
Wrap Up
Not losing sight of Jesus through this preaching. That Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Are you saved today? If not, why not. See some of the wonderful things the Spirit wants to do for you and give to you?
If we are saved, we have the ministry of the Holy Spirit at our disposal, we will need to pray for it, be obedient to the Word to have it manifested, but we can have it. But there is more, so much more to receive from the Spirit in the Christian live but if this is as far as you have come, you are not ready for it yet, you need the next step. Make sure you are here next week to find out what it is!
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[i] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.
[ii] Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.
[iii] The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press.
[iv] Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.
