Part I The Pouring Out of the Holy Spirit

The Spirit of God is often perceived as energy and activity, the power through which God accomplishes his purposes, which can be either creative or destructive. The Holy Spirit, through its activities, extends God’s presence into creation, and reveals God’s purpose and plans to mankind. Until the time of Jesus, God’s spirit would descend on selected people for a limited time, and for various reasons and purposes. Jesus, too, was filled with the Holy Spirit, through which he preached powerfully and performed miracles. And he gave us this good news: after he returns to heaven, the Holy Spirit will be sent to earth and dwell among people, making itself forever available to everyone, not just to a few individuals and for a selected time. 

A complete Bible study on the pouring out of the holy spirit is available upon request.

Part II The Work of the Holy Spirit

1. To continue in Jesus’s work and presence on earth

Read John 14:16-17, 14:26, 15:26 and 16:13, and Matthew 28:20

• As the Spirit of Truth – to teach the truth, to testify about Jesus, and to guide people to the truth.

• To be with us forever.  Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he gave the disciples the mission to evangelize the world, and he promised to be with us always, to the very end of the age. How can this be if he is about to leave the earth for good? The answer is the Holy Spirit, the manifestation of God who will be with us on earth forever.

2. To further Jesus’ Work in believers

Read John 3: 5-6 and Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Galatians 5: 22-23, 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18,  and Romans 8: 26

• To give (spiritual) birth at baptism.  At baptism, believers are reborn with the Holy Spirit.

• To live in and among the believers

• To produce fruits in the lives of the believers

• To transform the believers to become more like Jesus

• To reveal God’s thoughts to the believers

• To help believers in our weakness

3. To lead and guide church planting

The book of Acts is also referred to as the Acts of the Holy Spirit, as the Holy Spirit led the effort to spread the message of the cross and to start churches all over the world, and it continues to do so today. The Holy Spirit enables the apostles and the believers to perform signs and wonders and to deliver God’s message of reconciliation with powerful persuasions (1 Corinthians 2:4), In addition:

Read Acts 16:6, Acts 9:31, Acts 15:28, Acts 20:23, and Acts 5:1-11

• The Holy Spirit guides the apostles on where to focus their missionary activities

• The Holy Spirit increased the number of believers

• The Holy Spirit guides the church leaders in deciding which Jewish traditions to impose on non-Jewish converts.

• The Holy Spirit warns Paul of the hardship ahead of him.

• The Holy Spirit reveals the deception of church members and personally punishes them.

4. To grow and mature the church

Read Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 12:4-10

• The Holy Spirit appoints leaders in each local church

• The Holy Spirit gives gifts to believers in the church, so that the church may grow into maturity

5. To be the witness of the covenant between God and his people

Read Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22, Romans 8: 15 – 16, and Galatians 3:26.

• As a deposit for the promised inheritance, God promises a rich inheritance to those who belong to him. To guarantee this promise, God gives the Holy Spirit as a deposit. To give a deposit is like paying the first installment – God is not only guaranteeing us that we will receive the inheritance he is also giving us a ‘sneak preview’ of the glorious inheritance his people will receive. 

• To testify for those who have been baptized as God’s children: 

Reflection

Do you see the work of the Holy Spirit all around you, or do you see them as merely human efforts? The Holy Spirit is living and active, it is working constantly to lead, act, intercede, create, call, and even punish and destroy those who challenge its divine nature and authority.  Is Holy Spirit an active part of my spiritual growth?  If not, how can I form a stronger partnership with the Holy Spirit in different aspects of my life?    

1. Qualities in a Spirit-filled life

Read Acts 6:5., Acts 4: 31, Acts 9: 24, Acts 13: 52

When individuals whose lives are filled with the Spirit, these qualities are also evident in their lives:

• They are full of faith

• They are bold in speaking God’s word

• They lead others to Christ

• They are full of joy

2. More qualities in a Spirit-filled life

Read 2 Timothy 1:7 and Romans 15:13.

Furthermore, we see that a life filled with the Holy Spirit is a life that has power, love, discipline, joy, peace, and hope.

3. Practical Steps

How can we today live a life that is filled with the Spirit like Stephan, Barnabas, and other ordinary disciples whose stories we read in the Bible?

1. Desire to do God’s will - God’s spirit in us desires to do God’s will, so when we also have the same desire, the Spirit of God would feel at home in us.

2. Empty ourselves – when our mind, heart, and soul are filled with ourselves: our selfishness, self-righteousness, worries, and fears, we have no room for the Spirit to come in. So first empty out our self-interest and our need to control, to prove, or to be somebody. When we become empty, we make room for the Holy Spirit to fill us.

3. Invite the Holy Spirit. We simply invite the Spirit to fill us and he does it! Then we have a partnership where our lives are filled with the Holy Spirit to do what pleases God and to let God mold us to become like Jesus.

Reflection

What does living a spirit-filled life mean to me and in which area of my life would I like to become Spirit-filled?

Part III Living a Spirit-filled Life

Part IV Living a Spirit-led life

At our baptism, we receive forgiveness of our sins and we enter a new covenant with God where we no longer live for ourselves and where Jesus is truly the Lord and Savior of our lives. Hence we surrender the control of our lives to God and invite the Holy Spirit to lead us in our lives.

1. Strategically we set our minds to desiring spiritual things

Read Romans 8:5

The orientation of our mind determines the direction of our lives. If for example our minds are oriented towards self-promotion and lust after fame and worldly pleasure, then we are given ourselves to be led by the desire of the flesh in our choices. If, however, we set our mind on living a humble, grace-covered, and God-dependent life, we surrender ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit to do what is pleasing to God.

2. Tactically, we take steps together with the Holy Spirit

Read Galatians 5:16-18

Our flesh and our spirit are in constant conflict. Though our spirit may desire to do what is right and good for us, our flesh tempts us to do what feels good at the moment. Life under the law is a destructive cycle of giving in to the temptation of the flesh, sin, guilt, and punishment. It leads to more shame, fear, pain, and harsh judgments. Only a life led by the spirit can free us from this bondage of the law. To be led by the Spirit is to talk in step with the spirit: in humility before God, with the courage to say no to ungodliness and worldly passion, a dependence on God’s grace for forgiveness when we sin, and complete trust in God to provide, deliver and reward our faith. 

When we actively submit our will to walk in steps with the Spirit, the Spirit can then produces fruits of righteousness in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Note that it is not by our effort to become more joyful or more patient. Rather it is the Spirit who gives us more joy and patience as we walk with the Spirit.)

3. Practical Steps in walking with the Spirit

• Get to know him through reading the Bible . how can you recognize someone's voice if you don't know them? You must first learn about God and everything about him: his character, nature, desires, patterns, and the ways he communicates with his children.  God reveals himself clearly and openly in the Bible, we simply need to invest the time to read and to learn.   See John 10: 14-16

• Ask and Listen.  Simply ask God what you want to know and the answer will come. Purfiy your mind and your heart so that your own agenda and self interest do not interfere with God's voice.  Meditation is a way to quiet down our mind so that we can better hear things from the spiritual realm.  

• Pay attention.  God speaks to mankind in different ways, in dreams, through a voice, through people, through events, and through angels. Be prepared to listen and be open to hear. See Acts 10-16, Acts 9:4, Acts 9:17, Acts 16:6-7, Acts 8:26.  

• Obey.  When you know an instruction is from God, obey immediately.  

Reflection

Do I set my mind on higher order of things, and align my desire with God's? Or does the agenda of the world and its enticement dictate my daily priorities? Will I choose to live a life led by the Spirit? If so, how can I be more intentional in living a Spirit-led life?

Next Study

Back to the reFoundation series overview

Study #10 Eternal Life

• Eternal life and heaven

• As we look forward