Nature of God: Holy Spirit
Jul 3, 2022 |
THEOLOGICAL TRUTHS - Basic truths for Christians to know and believe.
The Holy Spirit is a dynamic person and his power cannot be underestimated. The Holy Spirit is fully God as we affirm Jesus is fully God, and he is a person with a purpose among the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is personal as he indwells individuals, speaks and reveals God’s truth to them, and ministers according to personal need. The Holy Spirit reveals perfect truth and does not deviate from it. Here, the nature of the Holy Spirit as personal and powerful, invisible and indwelling, and as active in the Church will be further explored.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DISCUSSION #1: The Holy Spirit as Personal and PowerfulDISCUSSION #2: The Holy Spirit as Invisible and IndwellingDISCUSSION #3: The Purposes of the Holy Spirit
DISCUSSION #1: The Holy Spirit as Personal and Powerful
The Holy Spirit is a dynamic person and his power cannot be underestimated. The Holy Spirit is fully God as we affirm Jesus is fully God, and he is a person with a purpose among the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is personal as he indwells individuals, speaks and reveals God’s truth to them, and ministers according to personal need. The Holy Spirit reveals perfect truth and does not deviate from it. Here, the nature of the Holy Spirit as personal and powerful, invisible and indwelling, and as active in the Church will be further explored.
This discussion will focus on the nature of the Holy Spirit as personal and powerful.
MY STORY | Starting Place
What has your experience with the Holy Spirit been like up to this point in your life? Share with your group. Are you unsure if you have experienced the Holy Spirit? If so, explain why.
DIGGING DEEPER | Practical Biblical Application
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
What do you think it means for the Holy Spirit to “indwell” believers? From John, it is clear the Holy Spirit is sent personally to the Church, and he has a purpose.
Is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit a sign of his personal nature? What about his role and work in individuals? Is that personal? How so?
How can the personal work of the Holy Spirit in believers also benefit the universal Church?
What do you think the purpose of the Holy Spirit is? Look up and read these verses: John 15:26-27. What purposes do these verses highlight?
Look at John 16:7 together. Why do you think Jesus says it is “better” for him to go away and for the Holy Spirit to come? What powerful things can you recall the Holy Spirit doing in the New Testament?
In light of Jesus’ words, and his view of the Holy Spirit, how does your view of the Holy Spirit compare to that of Jesus’? Would you agree the indwelling of the Spirit has been “better” for you? Why or why not?
GROWING TOGETHER | Spiritual Friendship
After hearing of each others’ various experiences with the Holy Spirit, what have you learned about its role and function?
Spend the last few moments of your time together in prayer specifically thanking God for how He has and is moving in the people around you.
MOVING OUTWARD | Faith in Action
What is a practice you can try this week to intentionally tune yourself in to the work of the Holy Spirit in and around you? Commit to trying it three times throughout the week.
DISCUSSION #2: The Holy Spirit as Invisible and Indwelling
The Holy Spirit is a dynamic person and his power cannot be underestimated. The Holy Spirit is fully God as we affirm Jesus is fully God, and he is a person with a purpose among the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is personal as he indwells individuals, speaks and reveals God’s truth to them, and ministers according to personal need. The Holy Spirit reveals perfect truth and does not deviate from it. Here, the nature of the Holy Spirit as personal and powerful, invisible and indwelling, and as active in the Church will be further explored.
The nature of the Holy Spirit as invisible (not seen) and indwelling in the spirit of believers will be the subject of this discussion.
MY STORY | Starting Place
When you think of the Holy Spirit, how would you describe him in three words or so?
DIGGING DEEPER | Practical Biblical Application
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, 1 Corinthians 6:19
How have you typically understood your body as a temple to mean? What practices have you implemented in light of what you understood the verse to mean?
Going back a bit, what was the role of the Temple in the Old Testament? Why is it significant that there isn’t a temple like that today, but rather the presence of believers making up the Temple?
The Corinthian church at the time of Paul’s letter was experiencing:
- homosexual practices
- sexual promiscuity
- error in celebrating communion
- hedonism (the central pursuit of pleasure)
- blurred lines
- unresolved conflict and lawsuits among believers within the church
- disagreements and debates over orthodox beliefs
…and many other things, but these are some of the major issues
Thinking about this, and then the verse above, what do you think Paul could mean when he wrote, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit… you are not your own…”?
To what conduct do you think Paul is calling the Corinthian church? What is universal and should be heeded today?
In light of the context, is minding our physical bodies about fitness level, or is it much deeper? Explain.
... God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. John 4:24
Take a few moments to read the surrounding passage from verse 16 forward.
How do Jesus’ words inform our understanding of the Holy Spirit’s invisibility?
If Jesus is speaking in reference to the Temple, and then Paul tells us our bodies are a temple for the Holy Spirit, who do we then know the Holy Spirit to be? And is it a physical presence, or a spiritual presence–or a little of both?
Have you historically thought of the Holy Spirit as a person in your life? How can you live differently to live with more awareness of Him?
Can you pray to the Holy Spirit? Should you?
GROWING TOGETHER | Spiritual Friendship
If the Holy Spirit resides in each individual surrounding you in your small group, how does that impact your view of them? How would you treat and speak to each other in light of the reality that the presence of God dwells within each of you?
MOVING OUTWARD | Faith in Action
Slow down this week and take time to connect with the Holy Spirit and what he is prompting you to do for others throughout your days.
DISCUSSION #3: The Purposes of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a dynamic person and his power cannot be underestimated. The Holy Spirit is fully God as we affirm Jesus is fully God, and he is a person with a purpose among the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is personal as he indwells individuals, speaks and reveals God’s truth to them, and ministers according to personal need. The Holy Spirit reveals perfect truth and does not deviate from it. Here, the nature of the Holy Spirit as personal and powerful, invisible and indwelling, and as active in the Church will be further explored.
This discussion will focus on some (this is not an exhaustive list) of the purposes of the Holy Spirit in the Church and individuals.
MY STORY | Starting Place
Based on what you know of the Holy Spirit at this point in time, what would you say his purpose(s) is in your life?
DIGGING DEEPER | Practical Biblical Application
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7
What is the difference, if any, between natural abilities and spiritual gifts?
What can be said about the Holy Spirit when it comes to spiritual gifts? What does he do in relation to the gifts?
What do you think the purpose of spiritual gifts are? Who and what do they serve?
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. John 16:13
Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12
After reading these verses, what other role does the Holy Spirit fill? What does this look like as believers read Scripture, participate in a local church body, and receive sermons?
Take a few moments to read Galatians 5:16-26 together.
Paul clearly distinguishes the difference between the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit. Here is yet another role the Holy Spirit plays. How would you describe and categorize this role?
GROWING TOGETHER | Spiritual Friendship
After examining the Holy Spirit and his various roles, what do you see him doing in your community? What is he guiding you all into and cultivating in you?
If you struggle to see or name the things that the Holy Spirit is doing, spend some time in prayer specifically asking him for growth, guidance, and fruit to be produced among you all.
MOVING OUTWARD | Faith in Action
Take 30 minutes this week to sit down and write out the various fruit of the Spirit you’ve observed in your life over the last 6 months to a year. Celebrate this by sharing with a friend or your spouse what you’ve seen and experienced.