Lessons Learned – Holy Spirit

Heritage Free Will Baptist Church – 06/22/2025

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 3:15-18

¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Why the Holy Spirit

• Holy spirit becomes personal to the believer.  
• Holy Spirit’s work we feel the presence of God within us and the Christian life becomes tangible.  

Holy Spirit is God

• Various References to the Holy Spirit that are interchangeable with references to God
1. Acts 5:1-11: Ananias and Sapphira
2. 5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, ² and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. ³ But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” ⁵ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. ⁶ The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.
3. ⁷ After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸ And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you^[a] sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” ⁹ But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” ¹⁰ Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹ And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
4. 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul Discussion of the Body 
5. ¹⁶ Do you not know that you^[c] are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.
• Holy Spirit possesses the attributes/qualities of God
1. Omniscience – 1 Corinthians 2:10-12
2. these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
3. John 16:13 - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 
• Holy Spirit is eternal 
1. Hebrews 9:13-14 -  For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify^[f] for the purification of the flesh, ¹⁴ how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our^[g] conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
• Equality given in scripture
1. Matthew 28:19 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[b] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

• Same kind as Jesus 
1. John 14:16 -17 - ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,^[f] to be with you forever, ¹⁷ even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be^[g] in you.
2. Jesus views his leaving and the Spirit coming as his replacement and will carry on a similar role of leading and guiding believers.  The Holy Spirit, like Jesus, must be a person. 
• Holy Spirit is linked with the Father and Son in various events 
1. Baptism of Jesus
• Matthew 3:16-17,  And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him,^[c] and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son,^[d] with whom I am well pleased.”
2. Casting out Demons
• Mattew 12:28, But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Holy Spirit is God

• Holy Spirit and God used interchangeably 
• Holy Spirit has the attributes/qualities of God
• Holy Spirit is eternal 
• Holy Spirit linked as part of the Trinity

Holy Spirit is where Christianity gets real. 

First, the Holy Spirit COMFORTS – “It’s okay”

John 16:7 – KJV - ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

John 16:7 - ESV - ⁷ Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

The comforter or helper will come.  The Holy Spirit helps us and comforts us in our lives. 

Psalm 23:4, Even through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  

The Holy Spirit STRENGTHENS – “You can do it”

Ephesians 3:14 – 21, ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[c] in heaven and on earth is named, ¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Romans 8:14-17 - ¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons^[f] of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

I can only hope and pray that you have felt the Spirit that closely in your life, walking with you.  Is your walk by chance lonely right now?  Are you going through a tough spot right now?  Do you feel weak right now.  The Holy Spirit can and will strengthen you.  

“Eternal Friendship.”    

Blessed Assurance.  

If it was good it was God. 

The Holy Spirit provides UNDERSTANDING - “Here’s why”

Washing of the feet, John 13:7, ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.

Triumphal Entry, John 12:16, ¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 

Foretelling of his Death, Luke 9:45, ⁴⁵ But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

Luke 24:45, ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 

John 14:26 - But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

What has the Holy Spirit taught you?  

Freedom

2 Corinthians 3:17 - ¹⁷ Now the Lord^[d] is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Galatians 5:1, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:16 – 24, ¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do^[e] such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

“Christian freedom is the free acceptance of the ties of affection instead of the enforced acceptance of bonds of fear.”  

The Holy Spirit inside each one of us, drives us to become more Christlike.  

When we obey the leading of the Holy Spirit it is the most rewarding and freeing thing we can do.  There are no regrets when we obey the Holy Spirit. 

How connected are you with the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit comforts.

The Holy Spirit provides strength.

The Holy Spirit gives understanding.