LESSON 27 – HOLY SPIRIT – OTHER MINISTRIES
1 John 2:26-28
Romans 8:9-18
Psalm 119:105
Romans 8:26-28
1 Corinthians 12:7-13
1 Corinthians 3:11‑15 shows that the only things worth doing are those done under the power of the Holy Spirit which produces what is called gold, silver and precious stones.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
This happens at salvation. Most believers are unaware of the gift that the Holy Spirit has given them at the point of salvation as it needs maturity to discern it.
Many believers never know what gift the Holy Spirit has given them because they never reach maturity and use it properly under the filling of the Spirit.
The Greek word for spiritual gifts is “charisma” or grace gifts. It is a God given ability for service. A natural talent that one has as an unbeliever such as the ability to sing may be used but is not the spiritual gift which is bestowed at salvation. If you are a successful businessman it does not mean that you will be a great deacon, if you are a public speaker it does not mean that you will be a great pastor or should be a pastor at all. If you have not been given the gift of pastor or teacher at salvation, you are not a pastor or teacher.
If a person has a gift they need to be checked against the Scriptures to see if they conform to the requirements such as in the Pastorals. The Lord can use people irrespective of their natural talents. A good example is Moses who had a stutter. He was not a gifted public speaker but he became the pastor of Israel
In 1 Corinthians 12 it is clear from verses 11‑13 that no one should ask for gifts from the Holy Spirit as the Spirit gives as He wills. The Spirit decides what gifts are needed. He did it at the point of salvation so it is too late to ask. You do not ask for a gift, if you do it is no longer a gift. The Holy Spirit looking down the corridors of time knew precisely what your gift would be and how you would use it.
A true Spirit filled Church will ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit and usually the gift of tongues will manifest itself for their edification. Every believer receives at least one gift. Every gift is necessary for the church to function. The Holy Spirit decides what gifts are needed, in what mix so that a church can function. We have no need to second guess the Holy Spirit; he knows what the church needs and what our part in his plan is!
If you have ten people in your church you have all the gifts that are needed. You just need to have the people in the church filled with the Spirit to function. Those who use their spiritual gifts under the power of the Holy Spirit are satisfied.
In a number of areas all believers are told to function. For instance we are all told to witness but there is a gift of evangelism which will allow a special ability in this area. We are all told to give and pray but there are gifts to give a person a special ministry in that area.
1 Corinthians 14 says that the congregation should desire the gifts with communication benefits because it is those which allow people to know more about the Lord and grow.
The word desire is in the third person plural so that it is the whole congregation should desire this and not an individual. In this chapter Paul made it clear that he was trying to curb the use of tongues in the Corinthian church and promote the gift of preaching and teaching as having more importance. However the gift of tongues if used correctly and at the proper time can be of great benefit to individual Christians and to the Church in general.
TEACHING MINISTRY
1 John 2:26‑28 is a commentary on John 16 which refers to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is important to note that the Apostle John ends this passage with the importance of abiding in Christ. We have to use 1 John 1:9.
You do not need to be taught as you have a teacher inside you who is going to lead you into all truth. There is no lie in the Spirit's work. However there are seducers about. This is the point that John is bringing into focus. If you are not being taught by the Holy Spirit you are being taught by the other side and receiving worldliness or human viewpoint. They are fooled about what is happening and are led away from the truth.
John is not deprecating human teachers but saying that the Holy Spirit is in you and needs to be in control if you are going to understand spiritual things. John, for instance, was communicating the truth to them as he was given the truth by the Holy Spirit. Man is the means of communication, the Holy Spirit is the dynamic force involved in the teaching. When you go out to teach God's Word in your own strength you will fail because it is you rather than the Holy Spirit.
GUIDANCE
This is one of the more difficult ministries. You will have people coming to you in the ministry seeking guidance as to what God wants them to do from day to day, seeking Divine guidance.
Guidance does not come out of a vacuum; guidance comes out of a context. Guidance depends on the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ and your own spiritual growth. In Romans 8:9‑18 we are told that we are led by the Spirit of God and are the sons of God. If you do not deal with sin in your life you cannot receive guidance from the Holy Spirit. Guidance therefore depends on fellowship.
Being led by the Holy Spirit is one of the signs of being a child of God. You can be led in two ways, by the Holy Spirit being quite firm with you as per Hebrews 12, or you can be led by the hand and listen to the voice of the Lord like a good student with a mature attitude. You have to know the Lord Jesus Christ so well that you know in your spirit that he wants the best for you.
When your mind is saturated with correct scriptural understanding you are looking into the eyes of the Lord. Every decision you make is therefore made in the light of eternity. It is the closeness of your fellowship as to how well you are going to be guided. We have to ask the Lord about this matter and what is important. We need to ask ‘how does it affect me personally? Then seek the Lords guidance and make a decision on that basis.
In Psalm 119:105 we have the Hebrew word for light which is the word for little light like a torch rather than the sun. We therefore have sufficient light to see the next step but not a clear view, miles ahead. You only see what you need to see but need to be aware that He who provides the light knows the complete picture. Do not expect there to be a fantastic vision of the future. While Paul knew that the Lord wanted him to go west there is nothing to say that he knew well in advance what the Lord wanted him to do. Paul did not know what was going to happen to him in five years time, neither do we.
It did not worry Paul and it should not worry you. The Lord will show you what you need to know when you need to know it. Your life is in the Lord's plan and it is His timing that counts. If you are walking with Him you will be not stumble. You must be willing to be guided if you are to progress in the Christian life.
In Acts 11 guidance to Peter was through prayer in v 5, by thought, the Word of God and providential circumstances v 10‑11, the filling of the Spirit v 12, fellowship with others v 13‑14.
ASSURANCE
This is not something that can be separated from the other ministries of the Holy Spirit - Romans 8:16. When the Holy Spirit guides you, you will have assurance and comfort within. This confidence grows as you mature in the Christian life.
The normal worry of the young believer is whether you are saved or not. As a mature Christian however this is not a problem as you can look back on the performance of God in your life and His proven faithfulness. All the ministries of the Holy Spirit are real in the life of the believer who walks with the Lord.
When you have been a Christian for a long time and have experienced not only the effect of the Holy Spirit but the convicting ministry when you have been out of fellowship you know you are saved and saved on a permanent basis.
You can be sick, depressed or in pain but you know you are in a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ because he is real and active in your life. Assurance can also be seen in 2 Timothy 1:12 where Paul, just before his death, says that he is absolutely persuaded that God is able to keep him. This is the assurance that people should have facing death. You only have it if you are fellowshipping with the Lord and walking with him.
Dying grace is also a feature of this. The Lord provides assurance as you go through the valley of the shadow of death. One day we will all walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you need to walk through it in fellowship and you need to have walked in fellowship for as long as possible.
Walking with the Holy Spirit is not just about emotion, but rather an intimate relationship with him in every aspect of your life. When you are under pressure you cannot rely on a past ‘emotional action or reaction’ and hope that it will sustain you. You need to be in a close loving relationship with the Holy Spirit all the time in order to withstand the low times in your life.
PRAYER
We see the Holy Spirit assisting us in our prayer life in Romans 8:26‑7. This is obviously not the gift of tongues as it cannot be uttered. When you are going through things too deep for words the Spirit is praying for you. Sometimes you get to a situation where you cannot pray and you have to leave it to the Lord, the Spirit will pray for you. The Spirit never ceases to make intercession for us. We also have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous. 1 John 2:1‑2
DOCTRINES
GUIDANCE: THE WILL OF GOD
1. Three categories of will in history
a) Divine Will (sovereignty)
b) Angelic will.
c) Human will.
2. Main areas of the will of God (1 John 3:23)
a) For the unbeliever - salvation (2 Peter 3:9)
b) For the believer - spirituality (Ephesians 5:18)
3. Christ has free will (Matthew 26:42, Hebrews 10:7, 9)
a) No free will in mankind; would imply no free will in Christ.
b) The basic principles of divine guidance however is based on the fact that man possesses free will to choose for or against God.
4. Type of will of God as related to the human race (e.g. Balaam)
a) Directive (Numbers 22:12) -what God directs.
b) Permissive (Numbers 22:20) - What God allows
c) Overruling (Numbers 23) - When God overrules
5. Principles of Guidance
a) Knowledge of biblical principles in the believer (Psalm 32:8, Proverbs 3:1-6, Isaiah 58:11, Romans 12:2)
b) Surrender and filling of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:13, Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 5:17-18, 1 John 1:9)
c) Growth - to eat meat and not rely on milk (1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
6. Categories of the will of God
a) Viewpoint will of God - What does He want me to think?
b) Operational will of God - What does He want me to do?
c) Geographical will of God - Where does He want me to be?
7. An example of the will of God (Acts 11) - the Guidance of Peter
a) Guidance through prayer (vs 5)
b) Guidance through the mind (vs 6)
c) Guidance through the word (vs 7-10)
d) Guidance through providential circumstances (vs 11)
e) Guidance through the filling of the Spirit (vs 12)
f) Guidance through fellowship and comparison of data (vs 13-15)
g) Guidance through remembering Scripture (vs 16)
HOLY SPIRIT: COMFORTER
The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (paraclete = one called alongside to help)
1. He abides forever with the saints. (John 14:16)
2. He dwells in the saints and is known by them. (John 14:17)
3. He teaches the saints. (John 14:26)
4. He imparts hope. (Romans 15:13, Galatians 5:5)
5. He gives us the love of God. (Romans 5:3-5)
6. He testifies of Christ. (John 15:26)
7. He communicates joy to the saints. (Romans 14:17, Galatians 5:22, 1 Thessalonians 1:6)
8. He edifies the church. (Acts 9:31)
HOLY SPIRIT: TEACHER
GIFTS: SPIRITUAL GIFTS
1. Three general passages which list spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Corinthians 12:28-30, Romans 12:3-8).
2. The purpose of spiritual gifts is to serve and build up the church (Ephesians 4:8-13)
3. The gifts are given by the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation (1 Corinthians 12)
4. Some gifts were temporary (1 Corinthians 13:8-10) and others permanent (1 Corinthians 12:28. 1 Corinthians 13:8)
5. The operation of a spiritual gift depends entirely on the filling of the Holy Spirit to be effective (Acts 2:4)
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