Receive, Believe, and Become

“Receive, Believe, Become
by Brian Reid
April 22, 2007

1 Thessalonians 1:2-6

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”


On Sundays, we hear lots of messages on God; the Father, and God; the Son (Jesus Christ), but not too much on the third part of the Trinity – God, the Holy Sprit.

Today, we will have a closer look at the person of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the result of having the Holy Spirit (within us); for if we receive and believe, we become.

The Trinity is confusing, at the beast of times; 3-in-1 and 1-in-3.
The Trinity is one being, existing in three persons and three persons in one being: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

If, at the end of this message, you still don’t fully comprehend or understand the Trinity, rest assured, you are in the majority of Christians. For some, it takes years to understand this theory; for others, they can only identify with a portion or certain parts of its concept. Take what you can, and leave the rest for another day.

First question:
What is the Holy Spirit? Wrong question.
Who is the Holy Spirit? Right question.



The person of the Holy Spirit:
God; God is a Spirit, a non-material being, without form - the Triune Godhead. He is omnipresent, eternal and unchangeable, in His power, holiness and truth. Father is the name and person of God, in relation to the children he fosters and adopts; we are his adopted children through our personal relationship with Christ.

God is also the Father of Jesus Christ, the Son; who is our Lord and Savior. Jesus, the Son, is God in human form.
John 10:30;“The Father and I are one.”

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Triune Godhead. He is a power, an influence, and a presence, that dwells within us that teaches us, guides us, and inspires us to do good; but the Holy Spirit is also is a person, not a force, and that person is God, just as fully (and in the same way) as are the Father and the Son.

In Luke 24:49 Jesus tells His disciples this, which introduces the Holy Spirit as a person and as a presence;

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from Heaven.”

We can define the Holy Spirit, as the “living action of God in the world”, and He is that person who can fill your life, with the Power of Heaven, as well.

Since the Holy Spirit is part and parcel of the Trinity, it might be easier to understand the how the Spirit influences us, as we Receive Him, Believe within our hearts and minds His promises, and how we Become new creatures; because of it.

We can look at Christianity in terms of what it does to us, how it changes our thoughts processes, and our actions – thereof: through Christ, we “Redefine, Redesign and Recreate” ourselves.

The Holy Spirit is described as the ‘wind’ or ‘breath’ of God, and as a supernatural being.

In Mark 1:10-11, we are exposed to the trinity in all its splendor and glory. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove on Jesus (the Son), and a voice from Heaven proclaimed the Father’s approval of Jesus as His divine Son. Here, the three members of the trinity are all present.

Also, in Matthew 28:18-20, when Jesus spoke these words to His disciples, of the Great Commission; “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The most common understanding (according to scripture) is that the Holy Spirit is a person, distinct from the Father and the Son, though united to both in the mysterious oneness of the Godhead. But, He is not just a personification or figurative expression for the divine energy or actions; He is that divine energy and those divine actions.



The Work of the Holy Spirit:
He is ever-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, He is eternal, for He is God. He is also a person, for He has a personality, like any other person.

He has a mind (Roman 8:27);
“And the father, who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit…”

He has a will (1 Corinthians 12:11);
“All these are the work of the one and the same Spirit, and He distributes them to each one, just as He (the Spirit) determines.”

He forbids (Acts 16:6);
“Paul and his companions were forbidden by the Holy Sprit to preach the word in Asia.”

He permits (Acts 16:10);
“And after Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

He speaks (Acts 8:29);
“The Holy Spirit said to Phillip, Go to that chariot and wait.”

He loves (Romans 15:30);
“I urge you, Brothers and Sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Holy Spirit, to join me in my struggles by praying to God for me.”

He grieves (Ephesians 4:30);
“And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.”

He prays (Romans 8:26);
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself, intercedes for us, through wordless groans.”

The Holy Spirit (also) created the Heavens and the Earth, He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He provided for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert, He hears our cries of mercy, He cares that we hurt and He hates those things that are an abomination unto Himself.

He answers to many names:
The Spirit of God, …of Christ, …of Truth, …of Grace, …of Glory, …of Life, …of Promise, …of Adoption, …of Holiness, …of Faith, …of Wisdom and Revelation; The Eternal Spirit, the Comforter.

These names and titles provide much insight into His true nature; the nature and the work of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has many emblems and symbols.
The Dove indicates purity, peace and modesty. Water indicates life and cleansing. Oil indicates light, healing and anointing. A Seal indicates ownership, identification, value and authority. Wind indicates unseen power. Fire indicates presence, approval, protection, purifying and judgment.
An Earnest is a guarantee of all that God has in store for us; it indicates first-fruits, down-payment, a pledge and assurance.

These symbols remind us that the Holy Spirit will purify and cleanse us, as He heals and claims us as His own, in power and protection He pledges His inheritance to us, in the name of God, the Father.

The Result of Indwelling and Outpouring:
So, how do we know that we have the Holy Spirit within us, and what is the result, what is the outward expression of that indwelling?

The easiest way is to compare those outward expressions, in relation to Galatians 5:22-23.

I love how the New Living Translation puts it:

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

When you can look at someone, or look at yourself, and see these attributes, see these characteristics, see these qualities, then you know that the Holy Spirit dwells within.

The qualities produced by the Spirit, in the life of God’s people, grow out of the work of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit might be few in number (9), but boundlessly rich in quality.

Love, joy and peace are all inner, spiritual qualities, but they are, also qualities that we share with others. The last 6 manifestations of the Fruit of the Spirit, are more concerned with the Christian’s dealings with others, and how we conduct our lives. These are all Characteristics, of those people who belong to Christ, and are influenced by the Holy Spirit.

The greatest act of indwelling and outpouring of the Holy Spirit, was in Acts 2; during Pentecost.

With the rushing of the wind, and the appearing of cloven tongues of fire, the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke in foreign languages. The spectacle drew a crowd of onlookers, to whom Peter explained that the prophecy of Joel, was being fulfilled. 3000 souls were added to the Church – that very day.

It is the Holy Spirit, who knows the mind of God, and is alone able to teach the things of God, and impart them to the mind of man.

Let me remind you of how the Holy Spirit imparts His power to the Thessalonians.

(1 Thessalonians 1:2-6)

“We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.”

The Good News came to the Thessalonians with power, and had a commanding affect on them. Where-ever and when-ever the Bible is heard and obeyed, lives are changed; thus so was the case of the Thessalonians; thus the same can happen to you.

Christianity / Salvation is the power of God, through the Holy Spirit, to all who believe. The Holy Spirit changes people, when they believe the Gospel. The Spirit opens people eyes to the truth and the need of salvation.

He, the Holy Spirit, brings to the believer hope, joy, peace, contentment, and a sense of power. Power to share the Good News with others and tell of Christ’s saving grace.

Conclusion:
The Holy Spirit can be hard to understand. Is He a power, an influence, and a presence? Is He a real, live person, with a personality? Is His role on earth to guide us? Does He have a direct connection to God the Father and God the Son?

Does He cause things to happen mysteriously? Does He sway the decisions that we make? Does He energize, encourage and motivate us in our daily lives?
Is He a spirit and ghost? Is He a divine, inspiring, supernatural being; that uses an earthly presence to show us the way?
Yes! Yes, to all those questions; for He is part and parcel of our loving, Heavenly Father.

We now know that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity – for He is God. He has a divine personality and was sent by God the Father to cleanse the world of sin, and to set in place righteousness and judgment; and to produce in the believer (all of us), the very purity of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit can be your gentle and faithful guide. Your soul can rejoice, when you hear Him call to you; “Wanderer, come!”
He is ever-present, your truest friend. He leaves no doubt or fear when the storms of life are raging. If you allow the Holy Spirit to enter your heart, and transform your life, He will guide you home – safe and sound.

Are you ready? Are you ready?
Are you ready to Receive, Believe, and Become?

Let Us Pray;
Dear Heavenly Father,
We thank you for your Son, we thank you for You, and we thank you that you send to us your Holy Spirit, to dwell in us and be poured out through us – in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

We ask that you continue to be with us, as we grow and mature as Christians; Amen.