Are Christians missing any of the promises of the Holy Spirit? Is salvation at stake? Many Christians wonder about the work of the Spirit not wanting to quench the Spirit or add to the Word. This study includes every passage of Scripture that mentions the Holy Spirit that this minister could find. The objective was to acquire a complete picture of the Holy Spirit and His work in the Bible; although, this study comes with some difficulty refining to cover so much and not become tedious. However, this study observes the spirit’s guidance of Israel, prophecies of the Spirit coming in the time of Christ, and the Spirit revealing all truth in the New Testament. My prayer is that this study will encourage and edify you as it has me. To perceive the range of this study, please look over the topics below:
~Scott Shifferd
Lesson 1: Identifying the Holy Spirit
Christians want to know more about the Holy Spirit and to find security so that they are not missing on any blessings. This lesson establishes how the Holy Spirit reveals more about Himself in Scripture in order that Christians can identify the Spirit, His work, and His promises.
Lesson 2: God's Spirit and Israel
Much of the study of the Holy Spirit overlooks the Spirit’s guidance of Israel. The Spirit rested upon Moses giving him the ability to do miraculous works and prophecy. This study gives a picture of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Old Testament for clearer understanding the Spirit in the New Testament.
Lesson 3: The Holy Spirit, the Prophets, & The Christ
Prophecy refers to the speaking forth of revelation rather than simply predicting the future. The Spirit speaking through a prophet did not make the prophet righteous. The Old Testament scriptures contain detailed prophecies of the work of the Spirit and the coming Messiah.
Lesson 4: The Spirit Preparing the Way
John the Baptist possessed the Spirit from the womb. In the coming of Christ, the Spirit moved a few people in preparing the way for Christ. Jesus’s mother, Mary, experienced the Spirit in a way that no other person ever would.
Lesson 5: The Mission of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus promised to send the Spirit to guide His apostles to all truth. The mission of the Spirit is to reveal the truth of God’s Word. Christians can boldly claim to possess all truth today.
Lesson 6: Prophecy of the Pouring Out of the Spirit
In the Old Testament, there are a number of prophetic promises of the Spirit. God predicted that He would pour out the Spirit upon His people at a specific time. This study examines these scriptures and finds the meaning and details about the pouring out of the Spirit.
Lesson 7: The Gift of the Holy Spirit
There is a difference even in vocabulary between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist proclaimed that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit. Was that baptism the giving of the Holy Spirit? This study presents the gift of the Holy Spirit and the miraculous gifts of the Spirit.
Lesson 8: Miraculous Gifts and the Spirit
Must someone possess miraculous gifts to be saved? What happened to miracles? Miraculous gifts had a specific purpose accomplished in the first century, and Christians can see the effects of miracles today.
Lesson 9: The Spirit and God's Revelation
Paul instructed that Christ not quench the Spirit by not despising prophecy. The Scriptures consist of Revelation to Spirit-filled men. This is prophecy. Disregarding the revelations of prophets is to disregard God and not man (1 Thess 4:8). Man moved by the Holy Spirit produced the Scriptures. The Scriptures are both fully human and fully divine.
Lesson 10: Sealed by the Spirit
Christians received the promised Spirit through faith (Gal 3:13–14). God has given the Holy Spirit as a seal and guarantee of salvation (2 Cor 1:21–22). The law of the Spirit of life has set Christians free from condemnation. Now, Christians need to see again that the Spirit dwells within the person’s mind who sets the mind on the Spirit.
Lesson 11: The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
According to the Bible, people can fill themselves with good or evil. God commands Christian to fill oneself with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). What do that mean? How does that happen? A part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to change the hearts. God dwells in the hearts of believers by love (1 John 4:12, 16).
Lesson 12: The Unity of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit has poured love into the hearts of believers. Righteousness, peace, and joy come from the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:16–17). From these great blessings, Christians have a unity in the Spirit. Paul listed the seven ones as essential points of unity in the Spirit (Eph 4:1–6). How are Christians to remain united? There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God the Father.
