Skip to main content

Brief Reflections on our Statement of Faith: #4 The Holy Spirit

Article 4. – The Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, omnipresent from all eternity, took up His abode in the world in a special sense on the day of Pentecost. He dwells in every believer, and by His baptism unites all believers into the body of Christ. As the Indwelling One, He is the source of power for all acceptable service and worship (John 14:16-17; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 2:22; 1 Thessalonians 2:7).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is involved in various ministries. He restrains evil; convicts the world; regenerates, indwells, and anoints all who are saved, sealing believers unto the day of redemption. We also believe that the Holy Spirit will teach, guide, and enable those believers who are yielded to Him and walking in obedience to the Word (John 3:6; 16:7-16; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 John 2:20-27).
We believe that divine enabling gifts for service are bestowed by the Holy Spirit upon all who are saved. These gifts are given to every believer for the building up of the body of Christ (Romans 8:23; 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13:13; Ephesians 4:4-16; Hebrews 2:3-4; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

We are told several remarkable things about the Holy Spirit in the Bible, especially the pages of the New Testament. Perhaps the most striking is in John 16:7, where Jesus tells his followers that is better to have the Holy Spirit inside of them than to have Jesus walking beside them. 

Jesus goes on in that same passage to spell out a few of the Holy Spirit's ministries on earth. "He will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement." Elsewhere, in passages such as Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12, we are told that this same Holy Spirit equips God's people for service. 

There is a lot of confusion, even among Christians, over how we are to understand the work of the Holy Spirit and his role in the world today. But what seems evident from Scripture is that he is primarily working in and through those who trust in Jesus to help everyone see Jesus more clearly. And the way he does this is by enabling Christians to live and act in a way that is increasingly more Christlike. 

 So as we consider the presence and work of the Holy Spirit today, let's focus primarily on what he is focused on: magnifying Christ. This should lead us to feel gratitude that Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to enable and motivate all true worship and service. 

Popular posts from this blog

Our Refuge-Giving God, Psalm 46

Our Refuge-Giving God  Psalm 46, RBF Online, 03/22/2020 Introduction: I’m sure at least parts of this Psalm are familiar to you. God is our refuge and strength. Be still and know that I am God. These are phrases often heard in conversation, on coffee mugs, t-shirts, etc. I found it interesting, though, when I read through this Psalm with my kids and asked for their observations, my 7 year old said, “it’s very violent.” And she’s right. Not many children’s story Bibles depict God spraying fire down on chariots or snapping the bows and spears of enemy warriors. So what is happening in the midst of this confusion? How can a Psalm both be violent and comforting? In this Psalm we are going to see three truths about God which have direct implications for our lives. The first one is in verses 1-3. God is Present, so you need not fear. v1-3 - One of the most central questions in my life has been this: can I trust God? - How does the Psalmist answer? God is our refuge and strength, a ...
Read more

Sermon: Jesus and His Church, Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus and His Church Matthew 16:13-20 Remsen Bible Fellowship, 08/18/2019 The 20th century pastor and writer, John Stott, made this statement: “Christ is the center of Christianity, all else is circumference.” It seems obvious. That Christianity is, fundamentally, about Christ. It’s about Jesus. And yet, when people think of Christianity, is it not the case that they often think of something else? Of medieval crusades, or giant churches, or sex scandals, or broken promises, or Westboro Baptist-style bigotry.   And while it is true that we live in a time when the public square is increasingly hostile to Christianity, it is often unfair to point the finger for misapprehensions concerning the church at the media, secularism, the sexual revolution, or some other outside force. The problem is often the church. Too often, the church doesn’t understand itself, and the church fails to understand itself because it first fails to understand who Jesus, and what he means to do...
Read more

Love is the Root and the Fruit John 15:9-17

Love is the Root and the Fruit John 15:9-17 Remsen Bible Fellowship, 02/16/20 Introduction: Do you know how it feels to be loved? To feel like someone is totally for you, would give their all for you?  What does that sort of love do to you? How does it change you? Think in the context of a child, spouse, parent, or friend. A Context of Love: v9, 13 Remember that we are in the upper room. John 13:1 Jesus has just given the illustration of vine/branches: now he’s unpacking that. As Jesus moves toward laying a heavy emphasis on obedience, he wants us to remember the setting in which that obedience lies: his full and perfect love. V9 How long has the Father loved the Son? John 17:24 Jesus wants that same love to be in us ( 17:26 ), and for those chosen by Christ you have been loved since before the foundation of the world. Eph 1:3-6, esp v4 How does Jesus demonstrate, ultimately, that too the max love? The cross. V13 Commands of Love: v9, 10, ...
Read more