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These writings led to the ecumenical creeds, which stated the most important truths about Jesus and asserted the Spirit's place in the Trinity without comment the Apostles' Creed or with brief comment the Nicene Creed. The Athanasian Creed says nothing more about the Holy Spirit than what it says about God as Father and as Son; it says the Spirit is distinct, yet chose to say nothing much about how the Spirit is distinct. Between then and this past century, the Christian church didn't think much more about the Spirit.
There's a practical reason for this: Anyone who tries to describe the 'Holy Spirit' eventually finds themselves on the edge of heresy teaching lies about God. Even describing the presence of the Spirit is hard to do right. So, it's usually best to stick with what matters most: Christ is the Spirit's message, Christ's Kingdom is the Spirit's mission, and in any case, the Spirit's primary job is to bring us Christ and to bind Christ's believers together as Jesus' Body among the living.
Pneumatological thought thinking about the Spirit really is secondary -- at least, next to actually living in the Spirit.
That's not to call theology unimportant -- if you don't think, you'll fall for anything -- but the Spirit is here so we may live the Kingdom. Jesus is the ultimate example of being 'Spirit-filled'.
The Spirit shows up in force in every part of Jesus' mission as Messiah:. For some details on how the Spirit is sent by Christ to continue Christ's work, see John Especially see John 3: The Spirit shows us what we can't otherwise know about Christ. The followers of Christ have been described James 1: The first fruits were a waive offering in the temple talk of the Hebrew Scriptures , related to the Jewish day of Pentecost. The gift of the Holy Spirit the indwelt presence of God was first given to the church at the Christian Pentecost, but had been seen before that: A theology of the Spirit was the furthest thing from their minds.
They had their hands full coping with the Spirit's presence and activity in their lives, and having every believer experience this activity. There has been no repeat of Pentecost -- there is nothing quite like the first time -- but from that moment on the Holy Spirit would be giving people mini-Pentecosts, filling them and showing them what to do with it.
Indeed, that's what Peter promised in Acts 2: Repent, be baptized, receive the Spirit. Notice that the Spirit has a different timetable than the apostles or anyone else. That's because God rules, and can choose to be in the house and in effect at any time. It appears from what Jesus says in John 16 that the presence of the Holy Spirit is something better, at least in some ways, than having Jesus alive in our midst, even in a resurrected form. At first blush, such talk sounds like the ramblings of a venerable mystic, but then, Spirit-talk always runs that risk. Another saying that heads off in a similar direction is John My guess at this mysterious saying goes like this.
When Jesus walked the earth, it was a 'you hadda be there' experience. And as we mentioned in Lesson 5 on love, our character before Christ is primarily centered on self-interest, not genuine love -- love for God and love for others. However, the Holy Spirit works with us to chip away at the old nature and replace it with the fruit or product of the Spirit's activity, beginning with love.
Here is an aspect of the Holy Spirit that is exciting: God has so "wired" each of us that each of us has talents, abilities, passions, and special spiritual empowerments to help God's work. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. Let's look briefly at a few of the gifts that the Holy Spirit bestows, though the list below is by no means complete.
Teaching is a gift of the Spirit to communicate God's truths effectively Ephesians 4: Pastoring is a gift that enables a person to lead and care for God's people Ephesians 4: Evangelism is a gift that helps a person communicate the Gospel effectively and win people to Christ. Music and Artistic Skills are spiritual gifts to be used for God, too Exodus Service 14 is a spiritual gift. We are all called to serve, but some have the special spiritual gift of assisting another person in God's work, filling in behind the scenes Romans Mercy , that is, an extraordinary empathy for others, is a special gift used by God, often by those who have a healing ministry Romans Encouragement or exhortation is a gift that God uses to call others to their best in the Lord Romans We may look at these as "natural" gifts, but they're not just ordinary.
They are empowered spiritually. The Bible also talks about some gifts that we would classify as "supernatural": Through powerful gifts of the Holy Spirit, lives have been changed, churches have been renewed, nations have been transformed. It is hard to overestimate the power of God working through a spiritually-gifted individual who is in tune with the Spirit. The primary lists of spiritual gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 12; Romans Various people have counted the spiritual gifts mentioned in the Bible and come up with numbers like 9, 19, 27, etc.
But I think that though the categories of gifts may be limited, the expression of those gifts are as infinite and unique as there are people. A better term might be "gift mix," since God mixes our spiritual gift or gifts with the personalities and passions he gave us. One of your tasks as a new Christ-follower is to begin to discover the spiritual gifts that God has given you, and then use them for God.
It might take a while to get a good idea of how God has gifted you. Try different kinds of ministries to see which you do best. You will be most effective in the areas where you have a spiritual gift. You will find that other believers will confirm your ministry in certain areas. You are also likely to find great joy and fulfillment in the areas where you have a spiritual gift.
Sometimes taking a written "spiritual gifts inventory" will help you identify these areas. Ask your pastor about this. When you discover the areas where you have the strongest spiritual gifts, concentrate your time and efforts there for greatest effectiveness for Christ's kingdom.
We are so used to living in the natural world that is ruled by the physical laws God has set in place, that it is hard for us to lift our faith beyond them. But realize that the Holy Spirit is God living inside of you, filling you. Because this is true, nothing is impossible -- nothing! Is anything too hard for me? Nothing will be impossible for you.
When you are walking with a portable radio, sometimes you have to adjust the antenna and retune the station to get the best signal. In the same way, learn to walk with the Holy Spirit, constantly seeking to stay attuned to his voice. We believers have an immense privilege: See all 26 reviews. Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway.
The Presence and Work of the Holy Spirit.
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