Foundations of the Faith

Week 6- The Work of the Holy Spirit

Day One - The Promise

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

~John 7:38-39

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Holy Spirit) will not come to you; but if I depart,

I will send Him to you.

~ John 16:7

The Holy Spirit is one of the greatest studies found in the Word of God. All that Jesus accomplished was to prepare man to become One with God through His Spirit. Could it be that the Word of God is our tutor that prepares us to live through the Holy Spirit as sons and daughters of God? The supreme promise of God is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. That is, God desires to live in us through His Spirit on the basis of our relationship with His Son. We miss the real emphasis of the ministry of Jesus if we stop at His resurrection from the grave. Before Jesus returned to heaven He told His followers that that generation would see the coming of the Lord. What generation? It was the one that saw the redemptive purpose of God demonstrated when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to believers. The message is that we can ALL be made the residing place of God in the earth until Jesus comes again. God predetermined that He would fashion us after the image of Christ and He is doing it through His Spirit (Romans 8:29-30).

Jesus’ purpose was twofold: First, destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8) to reconcile man back to God, and second to demonstrate to man how to live in direct relationship with the Holy Spirit in this world and be Kingdom enforcers. The reconciliation process is the Holy Spirit coming and dwelling in man. When Jesus spoke to Nicodemus about being born again He said, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God…Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:3,5). When we study the Word of God through the lens of the Holy Spirit we will find that much of Word is teaching us how to live and walk by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, how to live reconciled to God. Holiness, purity, peace, love, joy, power, healing, miracles, signs and wonders are all contingent upon the Holy Spirit and your relationship with Him. I believe that everything a Christian is searching for and desires within their life (i.e. peace, healing, joy, strength, more faith, power etc.) are all found through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the manifestation of God in our lives. We cry out for more glory – it’s the Holy Spirit; we pray for more revival – it’s the presence of God – the Holy Spirit; we desire holiness or power to transform our cities – it’s the Holy Spirit; we rest in the grace of God – it’s His Holy Spirit. Everything we desire is found in the Holy Spirit!

God’s desire has always been the Holy Spirit living and dwelling in man. Genesis 2:7 records the creation of man and the breath of life given to him. That breath of life was and is the Holy Spirit. From the beginning, man was created to carry the presence of God through the Holy Spirit. Man interacted with God as one and co-labored with Him in the Garden through the Holy Spirit. When man rebelled against God, the Holy Spirit was lifted from Him and spiritual death came to him. The sacrifice of Jesus was the price paid to restore the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. All that was lost in the Garden was restored when Jesus paid the full price with His sacrifice. This is the PROMISE – the restoration of man back to His glorified state through the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 3:13-14 states it this way, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Peter stated it like this, “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…”(2 Peter 1:2-4). The Holy Spirit is the executor of the full inheritance of the riches of the Father and the Son. Without Him, we can be heirs of the King and live like beggars (Galatians 4:1-7). When you are in total harmony with the Holy Spirit who resides within you, you have access to all of the riches of His Kingdom – this is His promise.

The Holy Spirit is the promise that Jesus spoke of in Luke 24:49, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” Since the beginning of time Abba has been waiting to allow His Spirit to dwell in man once again, that His Kingdom would once again be established upon this earth! The Holy Spirit could not come and dwell in man until Jesus left! What a glorious plan! Jesus, the Lamb of God, restores man to his original state by justifying and then glorifying him through His Spirit. As Christians today, we are invited into one of the greatest adventures of all time as we are asked to co-labor and co-habitat with the very presence of God through His Spirit. The world is waiting for us to live according to the Spirit within us. As we, the Church, become His love, through His Spirit, we will see the greatest outpouring of His presence – His Spirit – upon this earth! It’s time to live your life through Him.

Written by Dave Carlson

Discussion Questions