The Promises of God - Lesson 21 Indwelling of the Holy Spirit - 2
Introduction:
1. According to 2 Peter 1:4, God's promises are "exceeding great and precious." 2. Because God's promises are so special, they deserve our careful attention. 3. In Joel 2:28-32, God promised to send the Holy Spirit, and Peter showed how God kept His promise (Acts 2:16-21). 4. The Scriptures teach that God has given people various measures of the Spirit, including: a. the baptism of the Holy Spirit b. the miraculous indwelling of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by spiritual gifts c. the non-miraculous indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 5. In this lesson we are studying verses that relate to "the non-miraculous indwelling of the Holy Spirit." 6. Let us begin by showing that . . .
Discussion:
I. THE SAVED RECEIVE "THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT" (Acts 2:37-39)
A. To receive "the remission of sins," a person must "repent and be baptized." B. Those who comply with these instructions receive "the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 5:32). C. By becoming Christians we gain access to the Holy Spirit and the blessings He provides. 1. He "leads" Christians (Romans 8:14). 2. He "makes intercession" for Christians (Romans 8:26-27). 3. He "strengthens" Christians (Ephesians 3:16). D. With this information before us, let us turn our attention to . . .
II. THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit dwells in Christians (Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 4:6). B. Unfortunately, many people are confused about where and how the Spirit dwells in Christians. 1. Concerning where the Spirit dwells, Galatians 4:6 shows that He dwells in the hearts of God's children. 2. To determine how the Spirit dwells in the hearts of Christians, let us consider how the other members of the Godhead dwell in Christians (John 14:23; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 3:16a). a. According to these verses, the Father and the Son dwell in the hearts of Christians "through faith" as we submit to their instructions given in the Word. b. The Holy Spirit dwells in the hearts of Christians in the same manner. C. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is conditional. 1. Note the repeated use of "if" in Romans 8:9-11. 2. Conditions that relate to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit include: a. mortifying the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:12-14) b. glorifying God in the body and spirit (1 Corinthians 6:20) c. walking in the Spirit and abstaining from fleshly works (Galatians 5:16-17, 25). D. Let us also consider several . . .
III. ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS THAT RELATE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. Negatively, Christians must avoid: 1. resisting the Spirit (Acts 7:51) 2. grieving the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) 3. quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) 4. doing despite to the Spirit (Hebrews 10:29). B. Positively, Christians must: 1. hear what the Spirit says (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) 2. bear "the fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23) 3. "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
