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The Doctrine of God the Holy Spirit
RV30-01© Berean Memorial Church of Irving, Texas, Inc. (1993)
Please open your Bibles to Revelation 3:1-6. We are now looking at the letter of the Lord Jesus Christ to the church in the city of Sardis.
The Sardis church represents a period in the history of organized Christianity following the Protestant Reformation. So, this church represents
a period in history from about 1500 through 1750 A.D. The city of Sardis itself was known in the ancient world for two things. It was known for
luxury and it was known for licentiousness. It was a city, because of its location on the trade routes, which became a very wealthy city. But
it was also a city which, along with that, found itself engrossed in great evils. The Christian church in Sardis, consequently, found it hard to
resist the atmosphere of the city and the evils that surrounded it as well as the good-time life that material luxury provided them with.
This is an interesting letter in contrast to the previous four, because you may have noticed that there is no commendation here. The other four
letters the Lord begins with something that says, "I like this about you, and I like this about you." This one begins right in, "Here's what I
don't like about you." There is no basic commendation to this particular church.
The Protestant Reformation
In referring this back to the history of organized Christianity, we go back to the period of the Reformation, which this church represents –
the era following the Reformation. You may remember that the great Reformation leaders: Martin Luther; Huldrych Zwingli; and, John Calvin exposed
the false doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and they returned to the Bible as the supreme authority in deciding what God thinks. This is a
common thing to us. We don't think too much about this. We talk about, "What does God think?" And we say, "Well, what does the Bible say?" But that
for centuries had not been so. People said, "What does God think?" And they looked to the Pope in Rome, and said, "What does God think?" And they
would look to their priest, and they would look to the official teaching of the church. They would never think about looking in the Scriptures for
what God thought.
These reformers simply restored that truth. That was at the heart of New Testament Christianity – a revealed Scripture which is the
basis upon which spiritual matters are decided. So, this was the great thing that came out of the Reformation – the Bible as the supreme
authority. It was held up high above all church councils; above all the opinions of the Pope; and, above all the opinions of human leaders
everywhere.
Creeds
Out of this reformation, there evolved a series of creeds. These creeds were written by the reformers to express Protestant beliefs. It was an
attempt to crystallize and say that, "We believe that this is what the Bible teaches on basic fundamental questions." So these issues were
studied; they were hammered out; and, a creedal statement was written down: "This is what we believe about God; the Godhead; the Trinity;" and,
so on.
The Bible Alone
These were based on the revelation of the Bible alone. They became then the standard for religious orthodoxy. What was orthodox was what was in
the creed. What was unorthodox was not in the creed. To the extent that they dealt with doctrines in Scripture, these creeds were, by and large,
very accurate expressions of what the Bible taught. They did not, however, deal with everything in Scripture of a major nature. They did not
deal with all the doctrines that had been destroyed by the era when the Roman Catholic Church dominated Christianity.
Prophecy
For example, the area of prophecy was practically nil in the Reformation. They did not get into that area. They just carried along with their
old amillennialism of the Roman Catholic Church, and they did not get into the whole distinction between Israel and the church and so on.
The zeal for applying biblical standards to society, as they were expressed in these creedal statements, led to the establishment of state
churches. So, where Protestantism came to power in Europe at this time, a country would establish a church, and that became the state church.
That denominational church was now supported by taxation of all the citizens within that particular country.
Subsequent generations, who followed
the religious zeal of these reformers in the establishment of church states, found themselves following religious patterns, but without the filling
of the Holy Spirit, and here is where the whole thing came apart and broke down. They had what 2 Timothy 3:5 calls, "A form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof." The state churches were there, and they told you what you should do.
For example, they told you that when your baby
was born that you should have him baptized; they told you what you should do at a certain point when your teenager came along that you should
have him confirmed; and, they told you the ritual procedures for the worship service. It was all outlined there, and it was all laid out. All
you had to do was read it; follow it; and, do it. And as the generations moved on, the personal involvement and zeal in the personal salvation
issue was no longer necessary in order to be a participant in this religious system. You could be part of the church system apart from a
personal involvement with the Word of God and even the statements of the creed.
The result was people who believed right doctrines, but who were spiritually dead in those beliefs. They had a dead orthodoxy within a
formalized religious system. Denominational loyalty and zeal had taken the place of occupation with Jesus Christ through doctrine in the soul.
The key breakdown was the filling of the Holy Spirit. When they lost the concept and the doctrine of how to be filled with the Holy Spirit, all
of the right doctrine in the world meant zero; nil; and, nothing. Now they had a form of godliness. Oh, they were orthodox. They were no longer
teaching the heresies of the Roman church, but the power of God the Holy Spirit who brought reality and life to this relationship was missing.
In time, this dead orthodoxy led to the religious liberalism that broke out in the 18th and 19th centuries, and which is with us today. Whole
denominations in time were swept into liberalism, and they were completely lost to anything resembling New Testament Christianity. The reason
for this breakdown was that human viewpoint reasoning was now substituted completely for the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
So, the creeds were reinterpreted in a different way than the original reformers had constructed them. Liberalism was man at the center of man's
problems and man's needs in the liberalism that resulted from this orthodoxy.
The problem in Sardis is indicated to us right from the beginning as being the neglect of God the Holy Spirit in the conducting of their local
church ministry. This is why Jesus Christ presents Himself here to this church as the one who has the seven Spirits of God. We've already seen
that this refers to the fullness of the power and the functioning of God the Holy Spirit. This number seven is the number of perfection. The details
of the power of the Spirit of God are given to us in the book of Isaiah that we've already looked at. But this is an expression referring to God
the Holy Spirit functioning in this local church as the basis of the church life.
This was the way it was at the beginning. We have, for example, an indication of this in Acts 15:28, where the early church ran into a functional
organizational problem relative to the dispensing of financing to those who were in need, and also to the relating of the believers to the Jewish
system. That became a big problem. So, they gathered together as a church organization, and they said, "We're going to have to see what the Word
of God says on this, and what the mind of Christ is on this so that we know what the relationship is between Christianity and Judaism. In
Acts 15:28, we have an interesting indication to us as to how they went about solving this theological problem – and not only a theological,
but a procedural problem. It was just a matter of how to handle their business in the local church.
Acts 15:28 says, "And it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these things." And then they go on to
tell what they were going to require of gentiles who had entered the Christian church (who had become Christians). The clue there as to how
they decided was that, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us." They didn't just gather together as a bunch of reasoning church members
to decide what they thought made sense to them. They made it on the basis of direct, clear-cut guidance of the Holy Spirit. And they made the
decision on the basis of the fact that they realized that the work of that local ministry was guided and directed by the Spirit of God.
So, what they did had to be acceptable to God the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit
For this reason, Jesus Christ presents Himself to this church as the one who has the fullness of the power of the Holy Spirit. That is the
character in which Christ is facing this church, because this is where their breakdown was to be found. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit, as
we saw last time, was formulated gradually over the centuries from an examination of the teachings of the Bible. The Holy Spirit is a member
of the Godhead – the Trinity. He has full equality with the Father and the Son. He has the same essence of deity. The Holy Spirit is the
administrator of the Godhead. He is the administrator of what the Trinity does. So, the believers must always serve under His authority. If you
are not rightly related to God the Holy Spirit, you cannot function as a believer. It is a serious matter in the church age to be wrong about the
doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
Salvation
Of course, here is an area that Satan has completely distorted. It is serious to be wrong on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, for example,
because if you are wrong on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, you cannot be saved. The question of salvation in this age, as always, is a
question of salvation by grace. How is a human being saved?
The Bible is very clear that salvation is by grace. I don't have to press that and prove that with this group. If you have any question about
that, you just haven't read the Bible very clearly. One passage of Scripture, Ephesians 2:8-9, makes it very clear that, "For by grace are you
saved through faith, and that not of yourself. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." There is the issue of salvation.
Salvation is something that God gives you as a gift.
In John 16:7, Jesus Christ says, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away. For if I don't go away, the
Comforter will not come unto you. But if I depart, I will send Him unto you." The comforter, of course, is God the Holy Spirit: "And when He
(God the Holy Spirit) is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment." He will bring conviction upon the
unbeliever in these three respects: "He will bring conviction of sin because they don't believe on me." He convicts them of sin and of necessity
to believe on Christ to handle that problem of sin with God. "He will bring conviction of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see
me no more." Jesus Christ portrayed the quality of absolute righteousness, and the Holy Spirit is going to bring conviction that you have to be
as good as Jesus Christ or you don't go to heaven. You must have His absolute righteousness imputed to your credit. "He will bring conviction of
judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." He will convict of judgment because the God of this world, Satan, has been defeated upon
this cross. He is no longer capable of keeping you enslaved in the slave market of sin.
Grace Means Gift
It is God the Holy Spirit who moves in upon you, who have a dead human spirit because you are lost, and He makes clear to you your need to accept
Christ as Savior. And He makes clear that this faith acceptance of Christ immediately brings you regeneration, because salvation is a gift. That's
what grace means. The word "grace" means "gift." It's something that God gives. You cannot secure salvation, therefore, by something that
you do, or something that is partly what God does and partly what you do: "Not of works, lest any man should boast."
What is a Human Work?
Really quickly, in your mind, please list some works. What are works? What is a human work? You have to identify that. It's a very dangerous
thing to miss that, because, for all you know, you may have approached God to be saved, and you've interjected a human work. I'll show you why
this is so serious. I shocked a few people the other day at a funeral because I read Romans 11:6 to them, which says, "And if by grace (talking
about salvation), then it is no more works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise, work
is no more work." How in heaven's name can you live with this verse in the Bible that says grace and works are mutually exclusive, and still
think that you can be saved by something you do this? This verse says, "God saved by grace – period. Over and out – alone." If you
stick one little piece of work in there (one little piece of human doing), you have now neutralized the ground of grace, and you cannot be saved.
You can praise God; you can pray to God; you can go to church; and, you can give your money, and you can think that you're going to heaven, but
you're going to end up in hell. Check out Matthew 7:23 and see a bunch of people who were going to find themselves just in exactly that condition.
Well, now that makes it necessary for us to say, "What is a work? What is a human work?" If I were to start asking you to list for me human
works, some of you would say, "Giving money." Some people think they're going to make it that way. That's a human work. Some of you would
say, "Attending church very faithfully." Roman Catholics believe that's very important. That's a human work. Some people would say, "Being
nice to old ladies, and helping them cross the street in busy traffic." Some of you would say, "Keeping the golden rule." That is a human
work: doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Some of you would say, "Keeping the Ten Commandments." That is a human work:
maintaining a level of morality. Some of you would say, "Treating your pastor nice, and smiling at him when you leave after the service when
you don't want to smile because he's been rooting around where he had no business in your life. What do all these things have in common? They
have one thing in common: they're all human works. That's all.
And when you come along and you say, "I'm going to be saved through faith in Christ and take the Lord's Supper; confirmation; marriage;
water baptism; or, giving to the poor – whatever the issue is, it's a human doing. I'm here to warn you on the basis of God's word
that if you do that, you are headed for hell, and you're not going to heaven. Do not kid yourself. You better go back and read Romans
11:6 once more, because it says, "If it's of grace, it's of no human doing whatsoever. Otherwise, grace is no more grace." So, to have salvation,
you must understand the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, and that it is He who brings conviction; He who leads you to faith in Christ; He who hands
you eternal life; and, you do nothing but accept it.
In Acts 15:1, the apostles were faced with an issue. We read, "And certain men who came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, 'Except
you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved." Here in the New Testament church, you had exactly the problem we're talking
about. People said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be circumcised, and you shall be saved." That's exactly what they were saying. The
church leaders (the elders and the pastor-teachers in the group) said, "Hey, wait a minute. We have to look into this. Are these people right
when they say, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be circumcised, and you shall be saved?' Or are they wrong?" And the church council decided,
"They're wrong, on the simple basis that circumcision is a human work." You understand that, don't you? That's something a human being can do.
If a human being can do it, it's a human work.
The thing that's interesting about this one is that God commanded this one, didn't He? In the Old Testament, God said to all the Jewish males
that they could not have part in the national blessing if they were not circumcised physically. That was a prerequisite. It was a human doing,
and it was required by God. But you could not get to heaven by it, even though God required it. Its requirement was to demonstrate something.
The removal of the flesh in circumcision was a symbolic gesture of the removal of the dominating control of the sin nature over that person
– the domination of the flesh, which the Bible uses as the word for the evil nature inherited from Adam. That was a symbol. It was a
ritual, just like the symbol of water baptism, and all that that reflects upon us in eternal life of dying with Christ and rising with Him
again. The symbol does not make the reality.
But here in Jerusalem, there were some boys who came along; they were standing up in their pulpits; and, they were saying, "Hey, boy, you do
the symbol, and you have the reality." The Jerusalem council said, "Wrong. The symbol of circumcision is only a symbol. But the reality is
something else by which you must relate yourself directly to God, because salvation is by grace apart from human doing." And the people who
were saying, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I follow the ritual circumcision," ended up someday in hell. They went to church; they
sang the hymns; they gave the money; they praised God; they were part of the official structure of the organization; and, maybe they were even
leaders. But once they injected a human doing, they lost all possible bases of eternal life, because God says, "I will not share my glory with
anyone else. And my glory is to take a filthy sinner and make him a trophy of My grace for all eternity. And I do it apart from his help and
from his doing. And I will not give man a part of the glory by telling him that he can do something, in part, to help get himself saved.
Acts 15:1: "And certain men who came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, 'Except you be circumcised (an act of human doing) after
the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved.'" In Romans 5:1, the apostle Paul said this: "Therefore, being justified by faith (not by circumcision
or any other human doing) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Do you want to know how to be saved? There it is – period
– over and out – no more – no human doing. It is only what God has done through faith in the sacrifice of Christ.
In Galatians 6:15, the apostle Paul makes another significant statement: "For in Christ, neither circumcision avails anything, nor circumcision,
but a new creature." The physical doing was required of God. But even in the Old Testament, a man who was physically circumcised, but who had
not received the salvation promised by faith to the Jewish people through Abraham – that man went to hell with his circumcision. That is
the point – that circumcision or uncircumcised man is not the issue. That is a symbol which God requires to perform, to give a visual aid
(to make a testimony). But the reality is not to be found in performing the symbol. "For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves. It is the gift (the grace gift) of God." And that's through the Holy Spirit: "Not of yourselves, lest any man should boast."
Rewards
It is a serious matter to be wrong on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, not only in terms of salvation, but in terms of spiritual achievements.
None were possible without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. No rewards in heaven are possible without being rightly related to the Holy
Spirit and understanding this doctrine. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to control his local churches through the person of the Holy Spirit who is
guiding the exercise of the spiritual gifts of the believers in that assembly on the basis of Bible doctrine. That is the relationship. Jesus
Christ is the head. God the Holy Spirit is the executor of that work. When God the Holy Spirit is guiding the work, then the Christians work
in harmony with every other believer to fulfill God's plans. When Christians are snarling and biting at each other, I'll guarantee you that is
not God the Holy Spirit who is leading them. It is the Holy Spirit who creates unity among the believers. Ephesians 4:2 tells us that –
that He creates the unity, and that we are to keep that unity in as much as lies within us in peace.
When Jesus Christ returned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to replace Himself on this earth to guide believers. John 14:16 tells us that.
John 14:26 tells us that. John 16:13 tells us that. So, He is the key personnel. Jesus Christ is ahead, but He's not here. His executor, the
Holy Spirit is here. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Commander-in-Chief. He is the commanding officer. But the executive officer is God the Holy
Spirit. It is the executive officer that carries out the orders of the head.
In John 14:16, we read, therefore, "Jesus said, 'And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter (or another just like
Myself), that He may abide with you forever.'" Boy, isn't that great? It's going to be forever. John 14:26: "But the Comforter who is the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have
said unto you." Do you see why we tell you that only God the Holy Spirit can teach you spiritual phenomena? Do you see why it is important for
confession of known sins to be made before every service, if you hope to be able to enter into the things that God has for you? It is because
this is the teacher, and He will not teach people who are in rebellion against the will of God. Sin puts us in that place of rebellion.
John 16:13: "Nevertheless, when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not speak from Himself, but
whatever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show you things to come." Here again is the teaching Ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
The Vicar of Christ
The head of the local church is the Lord Jesus Christ. The executive officer is God the Holy Spirit. He is the true Vicar of Christ on earth
– not the Pope, who calls himself the Vicar of Christ on this earth. It is the Holy Spirit who is the Vicar on this earth? It is the Holy
Spirit, therefore, who decides the specific areas of ministry for a church organization. Not every church should minister in the same way in the
same areas. It is the Holy Spirit who appoints members to places of service within that local organization. It is the Holy Spirit who provides
financial means to perform the ministry to which He has called that church.
The Holy Spirit Deals with Evil
It is the Holy Spirit who deals with evil when it crops up in that
local church and in its members. That is a great, great factor. It is God the Holy Spirit who deals with evil. I'll guarantee you that He will
deal with evil. You can kid around and you can fool people with your private and personal and secret evil for a while. But I guarantee you that
where the Word of God is sounded forth, and the illuminating light of God's viewpoint is held before the people of God, you are going to crack up;
you are going to break down; you are going to be torn apart; and, you are eventually going to find yourself cut down by no human agent, but by
God the Holy Spirit Himself. He deals with evil.
The Holy Spirit Teaches Bible Doctrine
He also teaches Bible doctrine to the believers, and He provides power to convict the lost and to correct the believers. That is the ministry
of God the Holy Spirit. That is what Sardis missed, and why everything was lost in this church. Oh, it had doctrine right. It had it very
accurate. It did just like the Reformation churches. It started off with a blaze of glory, and then it lost the filling of the Holy Spirit. It
lost the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It began talking about the third person of the Trinity is an "it" – a thing, instead of a
personality.
The Summary of the Doctrine of God the Holy Spirit
So, now let's bring it all together in the summary of the doctrine of God the Holy Spirit. First of all, let's look at the Holy Spirit as a
person. Here's what the Bible teaches basically about the person of God the Holy Spirit. This is one doctrine you can't afford to be sloppy
on, and to have misconceptions about.
The Holy Spirit is a Person
The Holy Spirit as a person possesses intellect, emotions and will.
The Holy Spirit has Intellect
First of all, as a person, He has intellect. In Romans 8:27, the Bible
tells us that the Holy Spirit can think. He has a mentality. All personalities have a mentality. In 1 Corinthians 2:10-11, we are told that
He knows and He researches the things of God. With His mind. He knows what God thinks. He examines what God thinks. He Himself as God possesses
those thoughts.
The Holy Spirit is our Teacher
1 Corinthians 2:13 tells us that He teaches divine viewpoint to people. God the Holy Spirit is our teacher. He teaches
us divine viewpoint. That is the most precious thing you possess – not your Krugerrands and everything else. The thing that you possess
that is the most precious is the divine viewpoint in the mentality of your soul, and you don't get it through any other source except God
the Holy Spirit. He possesses the mind, and He possesses the capacity to know and research the things of God. Because He has the ability to
teach us divine viewpoint, you and I possess that viewpoint.
The Holy Spirit has Emotions
The Bible also tells us that He possesses emotions because He is a person. Because He possesses emotions, Ephesians 4:30 says that He may
be grieved. God the Holy Spirit is grieved when you have willful sin that you refuse to confess; that you refuse to repent of; and,
that you refuse to stop. Because He has emotions, Romans 15:30 tells us that He expresses love. He has the feeling of love.
The Holy Spirit has a Will
He also has a will. That's the third factor of being a personality. You have intellect; you have emotions; and, you have a will.
The Holy Spirit Gives us Spiritual Gifts
Because He has a will, 1 Corinthians 2:11 tells us that He directs and decides the distribution of spiritual gifts. You cannot pray for a gift.
You cannot ask for a gift. That is solely up to the will of God the Holy Spirit. He and He alone decides what gifts you have when you're born
into the Christian life. Just as you come in with certain natural abilities, you come in with these spiritual gifts.
The Holy Spirit Directs us in Service
In Acts 8:29 and Acts 13:4, we find that he directs the Christians in service. He decides what Christian service He wants you to do. We are told
that you are His workmanship. You have been created as God's workmanship to perform deeds which He has ordained for you. It is not something that
you simply decide on your own.
The Holy Spirit Reproves Evil
Furthermore, because he has a will, he decides to reprove evil (John 16:7-8). It is God the Holy Spirit that reproves evil among believers.
The Holy Spirit is Masculine
So, the Holy Spirit, consequently, is not an "it." He is not an impersonal force. He is a "He." He is a personality. The Bible authors use
the masculine pronoun when they come to the neuter word "Spirit." The Greek word "pneuma" is a neuter word. So, normally you would have a
pronoun in the neuter, referring back to it. But the bible authors don't do that. They use a neuter noun, but because they're talking about
a person, they use a pronoun that is a "He." It refers back in the masculine fact to God the Holy Spirit. Incidentally, they don't use the
female (feminine pronoun). There is no "she" God. There is only a "He" God. John 16:7-8 indicate that. You have a neuter spirit with a
masculine pronoun, meaning "He," indicating personality.
The Holy Spirit is a Member of the Trinity (God)
God the Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead. He is deity. He is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He is actually part of the Godhead.
Matthew 28:19 indicates that to us. In Acts 5:3-4, He is called God. He also has the attributes of deity. If a personality has the attributes
of deity, then you know He is God. You and I do not have the attributes of deity. That's why we know we are not gods. This should be a clue to
the Mormons who think of themselves as gods, or becoming gods. Obviously, they do not have the attributes of a deity. Therefore, they cannot
even consider themselves as gods, and they never will have these attributes.
The Holy Spirit has Omniscience
The attributes of deity include, for example, omniscience. 1 Corinthians 2:11-12 says that the Holy Spirit has this.
The Holy Spirit has Omnipresence
In Psalm 139:7, the Holy Spirit has omnipresence.
The Holy Spirit has Omnipotence
In Job 33:4, the Holy Spirit is described as having omnipotence.
The Holy Spirit has Veracity
In 1 John 5:6, the Holy Spirit has veracity: absolute truth – never error. Only God can have that.
The Holy Spirit has Absolute Righteousness
In Luke 11:13, the Holy Spirit has absolute righteousness. Only God can be absolutely righteous.
The Holy Spirit is the Creator of Life
In Romans 8:2 and Romans 8:11, we are told that He is the Creator of life. Only God can create life.
The Holy Spirit is a Part of the Benediction
The Holy Spirit is related to the Father and the Son in the benediction. You have this in 2 Corinthians 13:14. When a benediction is pronounced
in the name of God, it is not only in the name of the Father and the Son, but it is also the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is Jehovah ("YHWH")
Also, the divine title Jehovah is applied to the Holy Spirit. Jehovah is the English translation for what is called the sacred Tetragrammaton
– the four-letter Hebrew word "YHWH" which is this most sacred word for God. The Jew, to this day, when he reads his Bible, and he comes
to that sacred four-letter Hebrew word, he will not pronounce it. It is too sacred to put upon his fallen and sinful lips. And he will
substitute another pronunciation ("Adoni") for that word when he hits it. He will not even say the word. In Isaiah 6:8-9, Acts 28:25,
Jeremiah 31:31-34, and Hebrews 10:5, and you will see that the title Jehovah is applied to God the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Proceeds from the Father and the Son
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The doctrine of procession deals with the being and the eternity of the Holy Spirit in
his relation to the Father and the Son. The doctrine of procession declares that the Holy Spirit is the same in substance and essence with the
Father and the Son, and is equal in power, eternity, and glory with Them. What this doctrine does declare is that the Holy Spirit proceeds from
the Father and the Son as the Son proceeds from the Father in terms of lines of authority. The Godhead does not imply inferiority. It just means
that in lines of authority, the Father is supreme authority; the Son is second in authority; and, and the Holy Spirit takes the third place in
authority. It goes down in lines of authority: completely equal; and, completely identical with one another in deity and in power, but there is
authority in the Godhead.
That is our problem in human society today. That is the reason we need a place like Berean Christian Academy to try to give Christian homes a
means of salvaging their children in this age of secular humanism in the public school system, because authority is what has been lost. That
is what is missing. It starts in the Godhead and it goes down through all the human race. God the Holy Spirit is included in that authority.
This doctrine of procession from the Father and the Son is based on scriptural and on logical inference.
In John 15:26, we are told that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, proceeds from the Father. "Proceed" in the Greek is in the present tense, so it
indicates eternal and continuous relationship. This relationship applies to Father and Son since the Father and the Son are One. So, the Holy
Spirit proceeds from Father and Son. John 17:11-22 indicate that. Psalm 104:80 also indicates procession from the Father and the Son. This is
the structure of organization in the Godhead. The procession of the Holy Spirit is indicated in reference to the Holy Spirit as being of God
and of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:11-12, Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9).
The eternal procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son made the Holy Spirit obedient to the Father and Son. The subordination in
the Godhead to the Father and Son did not detract from the divine essence of the glory of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, John 15:26, John 16:7).
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit is always accomplished in His own divine power, but on behalf of the Father and the Son (John 16:13-15).
So, the Holy Spirit does not seek to glorify Himself in the Godhead. He seeks to glorify the Father and the Son. Here is this doctrine
summarized in this way: The Father sends the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son never sends the Father, but He does send the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit sends neither Father nor Son. The Holy Spirit is subordinate to the will of the Father and Son, which is also His will.
This is a theological doctrine. It's a little intricate, but it is important about the Holy Spirit to establish the fact of lines
of authority. It is a critical doctrine which is directly affecting our society today, and every Christian's personal relationship to
the Lord.
False Religions Pervert the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
One of the marks of a false system of religion is a perversion of the biblical doctrine of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 11:4). False
doctrines promote him as a non-personal force. They substitute demon spirits who counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Names of the Holy Spirit
Here are some names of God the Holy Spirit:
The Spirit of Christ
He is called the Spirit of Christ in Romans 8:9.
The Spirit of His Son
He is called the Spirit of His Son in Galatians 4:6. You see the quality of subordination indicated there.
The Spirit of God
He is called the Spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 6:11. Again, you see the quality of subordination.
The Spirit of Jesus
He is called the Spirit of Jesus in Act 16:7.
The Spirit of Adoption
He is the Spirit of Adoption in Romans 8:15.
Another Comforter
He is called Another Comforter in John 14:16.
The Spirit of Life
He is the Spirit of Life in Romans 8:2.
One Spirit
There is, of course, only One Spirit as Ephesians 4:4 makes very clear.
The Works of the Holy Spirit
As you look upon the works of the Holy Spirit, we have these pointed to observe about Him:
Creation
The Holy Spirit participated in the creation of the universe (Genesis 1:2, Job 26:13, Psalm 104:30, Psalm 147:14-18). He is a participant in
the process of creation, but who is the Creator? It is Jesus Christ. Again, the Holy Spirit, was working under the Son in subordination,
executing under the authority of the Son.
The Holy Spirit Speaks from The Father and the Son
The Holy Spirit does not speak from Himself or of Himself, but He speaks what He receives from Father and Son (John 16:13).
The Holy Spirit Inspired the Biblical Authors
The Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the Bible, and so He produced an inerrant Scripture (2 Peter 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:16).
The Holy Spirit Produced the Physical Body of Jesus Christ
The Holy Spirit produced the physical body of Jesus Christ via the virgin birth (Luke 1:35).
The Holy Spirit Resides in the Church
The Holy Spirit took up the local residence on earth in the church at Pentecost. Before that, He was present only in omnipresence.
The Holy Spirit glorifies the Son
The Holy Spirit glorifies God the Son (John 16:14).
The Holy Spirit Convicts the Lost
The Holy Spirit brings a lost person under conviction of his doomed condition (John 16:8).
The Holy Spirit Regenerates the Sinner
The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner who believes in Christ as Savior (John 3:6). It is a grace procedure apart from human doing. The Holy
Spirit alone does this. He does this on the basis of what Christ has done, not on the basis of some human doing.
The Church Era is the Ministry of the Holy Spirit
The church dispensation is uniquely the era of the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:8). There are distinctive relationships of the
Holy Spirit that are only true of Christians:
Baptism
Only Christians are baptized by the Holy Spirit.
Indwelt
Only Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit continually.
Sealed
Only Christians have the experience of being sealed by the Holy Spirit.
These are unique ministries that were never true people of the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit Baptizes a Believer into Christ
This one is very important: When the Holy Spirit baptizes a believer into Christ during the church age (1 Corinthians 6:17-20), that is the key
to salvation. Without the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you cannot be born again. And by the way, please don't make me have to remind you that
there are seven different baptisms in the Bible. We won't go into that doctrine here, but when you use the word "baptize," do not always think of
water baptism. That is a very serious mistake to make. Always remember that the word "baptism" means association. It always means a relationship.
It always means the bringing of two things together in a relationship. It does not change the individual in any way. It only relates Him. It's a
relationship situation.
The Holy Spirit Indwells Every Christian
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer in the church dispensation (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
The Holy Spirit Seals Every Christian
The Holy Spirit seals every church-age believer into eternal life (Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30).
The Holy Spirit Fills Christians
The Holy Spirit fills church age believers (Ephesians 5:18) upon confession of known sins (1 John 1:9).
The Holy Spirit Guides Christians in Their Daily Life
The Holy Spirit Guides a Christian in his daily life (Romans 8:14).
The Holy Spirit Guides Christians in Prayer
The Holy Spirit guides the believer in prayer and makes up for his ineffectiveness. That's good to know (Romans 8:26).
The Holy Spirit Sanctifies Christians
The Holy Spirit sanctifies the Christian (2 Thessalonians 2:13) and moves him into godliness.
The Holy Spirit Guides the Christian in Giving Money
The Holy Spirit guides the Christian in giving his money to finance God's work on earth (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). We do not call upon you to tithe.
We call upon you to give as God the Holy Spirit directs you.
The Holy Spirit Illuminates Bible Doctrine for Christians
The Holy Spirit teaches a Christian Bible Doctrine by illuminating Scripture (John 16:13-15).
The Symbols of the Holy Spirit
Here are symbols of the Holy Spirit:
Clothing
He is compared to clothing in Luke 24:49, especially in the American Standard Version (translation corrected).
A Dove
He is related to the symbol of a dove in Matthew 3:16.
A Down Payment
He is a pledge (a down-payment) in 2 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 5:5, and Ephesians 1:14.
Fire
He is presented as a symbol of fire in Acts 2:3.
Oil
He is presented under the symbol of oil in Luke 4:18 and Acts 10:38.
A Seal
He is presented under the symbol of a seal in 2 Corinthians 122, Ephesians 1:13, and Ephesians 4:30.
A Servant
He is presented under the symbol of a servant in Genesis 20:4.
Water
He is presented under the symbol of water in John 4:14 and John 7:38-39.
Wind or Breath
He is presented under the symbol of wind or breath in John 3:8.
The Holy Spirit Restrains Evil
The Holy Spirit now restrains the extent and the expression of the sin nature in the world (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). Evil would be much, much
worse were it not for this restraining work of God the Holy Spirit. When He leaves in the rapture, all hell will break loose upon this earth.
With this knowledge and positive volition response to what you have heard here, you will be not only saved, but you will be a winner in the
Christian life – storing treasures in heaven.
Dr. John E. Danish, 1977
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