Posts Tagged ‘Holy Spirit’
I want to see a girl, but I think God wants me here. What should I do?
Question: I have liked, probably loved, a girl for going on seven years, and never really tried to pursue her. There is a problem, she is definitely a desire of my heart, I do desire her, not in a lustful way, I just want to be around her. The problem is she is two hours…
Read MoreIf the Holy Spirit Operated Directly on Mankind …
by Douglas Hoff Many people’s concept of Christianity includes some mysterious work of the Holy Spirit to change one’s life. The Bible does teach the Spirit operates upon man to create faith, convict of sin, and covert the soul. Does he operate directly on man or does he work through the Word of God? The…
Read MoreThe Work of the Holy Spirit in Teaching
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton The teaching in the Bible about the work of the Holy Spirit is plain, but many in today’s religious society confuse the issue. Part of the confusion is the mysticism that made to surround the Holy Spirit and his work. We are not satisfied with simple answers, we want something more.…
Read MoreBy One Spirit
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ByOneSpirit.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I Corinthians 12:1-13 I. How does one become a Christian? A. You’ll find a wide variety of answers in the world. You could even be left with the impression that there isn’t really a single way at all. B. John 14:6 – There is only one way to God the Father…
Read MoreDirect Operation of the Holy Spirit
by Bryan Sharp In Acts 16, Luke relates what happened when he, Paul, and Silas arrived at Philippi on Paul’s second preaching trip. Beginning in verse 13 he writes: “And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down…
Read MoreDoes the Holy Spirit really come inside a person at conversion or only upon a person?
Question: Does the Holy Spirit really come inside of a person at the time of conversion? Or, after true discipleship and the timing of God, does the Holy Spirit come in? However, during that time the Spirit is upon you? Answer: It appears you are creating a distinction that is not supported by the Scriptures.…
Read MoreDoes the Spirit of God come upon all men?
Question: Someone showed me a verse in the Bible saying the Spirit of God is in all men. How can this be? Answer: The passage you are referring to is: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons…
Read MoreDid Paul really receive the Holy Spirit before his baptism?
I was just reading your answer to 1/24/2008’s question about Paul receiving the spirit before he was baptized. I could be mistaken, but I have never gotten from that passage that Paul received the Spirit before baptism. Ananias told Paul that he would receive his sight and then be filled with the spirit. Then, his sight was…
Read MoreMust everything we do be in God’s name and a benefit to His kingdom?
Question: I’m really grateful to you for leading me so far. There’s just a really big problem in my life right now and I know you already answered many aspects of it. It just seems like it’s crushing me with its weight. When I work in school, it stills feels like I’m going further away…
Read MoreThe spirit cannot be God
Question: [Note: This has been severely reduced from the original because it was too long and filled with twisted usage of the Scriptures. I am only presenting a summary so you can get the gist of the arguments made.] The spirit cannot be God. If your congregation is singing praises to the holy spirit, you…
Read MoreAre Jesus, the Father, and the Spirit three manifestations of the same one Spirit?
Question: I see that you believe in the water baptism and the necessity of that being the remission of the sins that are forgiven. I note that in the Book of Acts, and God showed me this at 16 years old, that the apostles always baptized in the name of Jesus. The power of heaven…
Read MoreHow does God influence us?
Question: A while back I was looking through Scripture and discussing with a friend about the influence of the Holy Spirit, God, and Jesus. I don’t remember where the Scriptures are at. I should make a list of subjects and put down Scriptures in the list when I find one that goes along with the…
Read MoreDo you have pictures of the eight symbols of the Holy Spirit?
Question: Do you have pictures of the eight symbols of the Holy Spirit? Answer: The Bible does symbolically represent the Holy Spirit at times. For example, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus like a dove at Jesus’ baptism. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to…
Read MoreDid the disciples receive the Holy Spirit at the last supper or on Pentecost?
Question: A question about John 20:22: “And when he had said this, he breathed on [them], and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Did the Apostles receive the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost or at this time? Or was Jesus speaking in the future tense corresponding with the other Scriptures? The…
Read MoreThe Baptism of Cornelius
Text: Acts 10:34-48 I. Groups who believe in the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in their lives today will cite the conversion of Cornelius and his household as proof A. Some will go so far as to state that a person is not really saved unless they experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit. B. It…
Read MoreWhy aren’t we following the Holy Spirit?
Question: I believe that the word of God is truly inspired and is the divine authority in every aspect of our lives today. The one problem I see in this answer to this question is that you seem to assume that everyone who believes that God speaks today does not read and study the Scripture…
Read MoreWas the spirit of Christ the Holy Spirit?
Question: Was the spirit of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit? We say the Jesus is God. Jesus said that God is Spirit. This implies that the Spirit also has a sub-spirit. The spirit of Jesus was certainly not the Holy Spirit because while dying on the cross he uttered: “Father into thy hands I give…
Read MoreThe Work of the Holy Spirit
I. We have spoken at length in the past about the exactly who is the Holy Spirit A. We have shown that he is a being who is a part of the Godhead, just as the Father and the Son. B. He is made more mysterious by men because of our lack of understanding. Perhaps due to…
Read MoreWhat is the role of the Holy Spirit today?
Question: What is the role of the Holy Spirit today? What does it really mean by “indwell’ vs “live in us” vs “body is the temple of God”? Do they mean the same thing? Is there a complete list of gifts that we can get from the Holy Spirit today? Upon water baptism, what does…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit’s Work
I. We have noted that the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is often misunderstood. A. People have let the imaginations run wild in regard to who the Spirit is and especially in how He operates. B. Many of the incorrect beliefs are based on phrases found in the Bible, taken out of context of the…
Read MoreWhere Do You Live?
I. Where a person spends his time reveals a lot about their character A. Which country or region a person comes from B. The kind of home they select or the people they live with C. But we are interested in spiritual things here. Where can I find your tent, among God’s people or Satan’s followers? D. The Bible…
Read MoreWhat are the seven spirits of God in Revelation?
Question: What are the seven spirits of God in the book of Revelation? Answer: The book of Revelation is written in symbolic or figurative terms according to its author. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants–things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His…
Read MoreWhy haven’t you written about the Comforter?
Question: I noticed your article on the Azusa street revival…very interesting. However, I looked in the topical index and I see no articles on the Holy Spirit as spoken of by Jesus in the book of John (the comforter, leader, and guider into all truth), nor any reflections on the baptism of the Holy Spirit…
Read MoreWho is the Holy Spirit?
I. Many people have vague notions about the being we know as the Holy Spirit A. Part of this comes from the descriptions of God. 1. Jesus has a name, but Spirit is more generic term. 2. God, the Father, and God, the Son, give us relationships that we are familiar with, but how does the Spirit fit into…
Read MoreSoul and Spirit
Soul and Spirit – Part 1Soul and Spirit – Part 2Soul and Spirit – Part 3 Text: I Thessalonians 5:11-23 I. Man is composed of three elements: body, soul, and spirit – I Thessalonians 5:23 A. The body is easy to define. 1. It has a physical dimension to it – Job 19:25-27 2. We understand that it…
Read MoreExploring the Nature of God in the Old Testament
Text: Deuteronomy 6:1-6 I. The nature of God is admittedly both a large subject and a difficult one A. Large because the God who holds the universe in his hand would be greater than mortal man bound to a single world – Isaiah 40:12-17 B. Difficult because all we know of God is what God has chosen…
Read MoreIs the Holy Spirit Jesus?
Answer: “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory…
Read MoreWhat is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
Question: In Mark 3 it talks about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and we do not understand what that means. Maybe you can explain that so we can understand. Answer: The passage you are referring to says: “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies…
Read MoreCan you sin after receiving the Holy Spirit?
Question: Can you sin after receiving the Holy Spirit? Answer: Peter received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, along with the other disciples (Acts 2:4, 14). He, along with John, was able to pass on the gifts of the Spirit to others (Acts 8:14-15). Yet, he was rebuked for sinning by Paul. “Now when…
Read MoreMust you speak in tongues to have the Holy Spirit?
Question: Is it true, as most Pentecostals say, that if you do not speak in tongues, you do not have the Holy Spirit? Answer: “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: … There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same…
Read MoreWhere does it say the Holy Spirit is God?
Question: Where does it say that the Holy Spirit is God? Answer: “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in…
Read MoreSubtle References to the Trinity of God
Text: Isaiah 48:12-16 I. Often I find people making statements, such “the Holy Spirit is never said to be Deity, Divine in any way.” Or, statements that Jesus is the first of creation and thus is not fully God (or divine). A. The problem is that proof or denial often requires a complete knowledge of the…
Read MoreDoes the Spirit physically indwell a person?
Question: If the Holy Spirit never physically indwelled anyone in the Scripture; how is one to explain the concept of “the Spirit came upon them?” Answer: I don’t believe I ever said that the Holy Spirit never physically came upon anyone, though the Spirit is, well, spiritual and not physical. When Jesus was baptized we…
Read MoreWho Is God?
I. You run into many strange ideas in the world concerning God A. We have people stating that there is only one being called God 1. The Jehovah’s Witnesses claim that His name is Jehovah 2. There are Pentecostal sects who claim he is Jesus 3. I haven’t run across any that claim He is only the Holy Spirit, though…
Read MoreIs the Spirit only given to the obedient?
Question: In your study on Cornelius, you indicated that receiving the Holy Spirit did not necessarily indicate that a person believed or was saved. You cited the examples of Saul and Balaam as proof, but doesn’t Acts 5:32 contradicts this? Answer: The study being referred to is “Cornelius Received the Holy Spirit”. Acts 5:32 states, “And we are His…
Read MoreIndwelling
Text: Psalm 139 I. The concept of indwelling, specifically the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is interesting because there are so many misconceptions given that a simple answer is commonly rejected. II. Who is the Holy Spirit? A. The religious world holds many ideas regarding the Spirit of God 1. Some believe it is just another reference to…
Read MoreIndwelling
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton I was asked if I could explain the concept of indwelling, specifically the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is an interesting question because what is asked is not necessarily what the questioner intended to ask. Most who ask this question have numerous misconceptions that interfere with a plain answer to…
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