Oaks of Righteousness: December 2018

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Holy Spirit -- Role in Miracles, Gifts, and Tongues

The Holy Spirit – Role in Miracles, Gifts, and Tongues– Romans 1:1-32

Previously, we used the Scriptures to see how the Holy Spirit works in salvation. Now we turn to look at the miraculous gifts from the Spirit and their purpose. We will see how they were for confirmation of the Spirit-revealed word, therefore temporary and for the early leaders to spread the gospel message.

Before discussing the various individual passages dealing with miracles, gifts, and tongues, let us remind ourselves that there is a clear and definite distinction to be made between the Holy Spirit as a gift and the gifts from the Holy Spirit. Christ is the sender and giver of the Spirit — to the apostles and to all who obey (John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; Acts 2:38-39; 5:32; Galatians 3:14; 4:6). The Spirit gave miraculous power as He willed (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

A working definition of a miracle would help too, so “that which occurs which is beyond the scope of natural laws and processes.” Providence may be described as God working within the framework of natural law to provide for and guide His children. Miracles involve God at work beyond the limits of natural law.

Opening Question — Get Us Thinking:

When we read 1 Corinthians 12-14, what do we learn about God? What do we learn about ourselves?

What are some of the words we need to understand? In scripture, three words occur frequently to illustrate God at work beyond the “natural.”

Dunamis in the NT its basic meaning is “power” or inherent ability. It refers to supernatural things which could not have been produced by natural agents or means.
Semeion in the NT means “sign,” mark, or token of Devine authority. A miracle that could be seen with the physical eye.
Teras in the NT suggests “wonder” or something strange or unusual which would cause the beholder to marvel. It always occurs in the plural in the NT

In the Old Testament miracles are most frequently translated “wonder” while in the New Testament the word “sign” is mostly used. The combined meaning of the 3 words above is this: power that can be seen which is beyond natural law and processes and which causes individuals to marvel.

Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Word & Will.

What are some of the miraculous gifts from the Spirit? The early church was supplied with miraculous gifts from the Spirit is evident from such passages as Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Acts 8:14-18; Ephesians 4:11-13 and others. In the first two of these references some gifts are mentioned which are not at all miraculous; for example, in Romans 12:8 we read of the gift of “giving.” This is a very needed gift today, but our primary focus in this study is going to be on the miraculous gifts and their purpose.

Why were miraculous gifts given? The 3 “primary” purposes of miracles were to confirm Jesus as the Messiah (John 20:30-31) to confirm the apostles and prophets as His spokesmen (Hebrews 2:1-4), and to confirm the revealed word from God (Mark 16:20). The “secondary” purposes were to incite belief in Jesus as the Messiah, to increase belief in those who had previously become believers (John 11:42), and to show compassion toward the needy (Luke 9:13-17).

The above scriptures give us some of the more common gifts in a list. We will look at a few.

Prophets — What is the role of God’s prophet? God chose prophets during both the OT and NT periods to be His primary communicators. The best idea is a “forth-teller” or proclaimer. They were selected by God to speak His message. Abraham was the first prophet, but there were many in the OT. NT prophets are not as well known because God’s mission led to calling for apostles who were selected by Jesus. Today we have communication from the Holy Spirit in the Bible; therefore, there is no need for any modern or latter-day prophecy (Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 3). We have teachers who proclaim God’s word — the Bible. What were the qualities of the New Testament prophet?
(1) He received God's message by some form of special revelation (Ephesians 3:5).
(2) He was given divine guidance in declaring this message, corresponding to the inspiration of the written word.
(3) He had to bear the stamp of divine approval and authority. The prophet, if a true prophet, must deliver a message free from error, a product not of his own mind, but a revelation of God's mind. The importance of the prophetic gift is declared in 1 Corinthians 14, where it is set forth as the greatest of gifts. This was because it dealt with edifying, exhorting and comforting the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). Probably related to the prophetic gift is the "word of wisdom" and the "word of knowledge" given to some by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:28).
Apostles — What is the purpose of apostles? They are those uniquely selected and “sent forth” by Jesus to assist Him during the earthly ministry (Matthew 10:1-2). They were also asked to carry out the mission of Jesus as He returned to the Father’s side. The qualifications of the apostles of Christ Jesus are as follows:
(1) They were chosen by the Lord Himself (Matthew 10:1-2; Mark 3:13-14; Luke 6:13; Acts 9:6, 15; Galatians 1:1).
(2) They were supplied with miraculous powers which were to serve as credentials for their office (2 Corinthians 12:12; Acts 1:6; 2:43; 5:12; 16:16-18; 28:3, 9).
(3) The indispensable qualification was that they should be eyewitnesses of the resurrected Lord (Acts 1:22; 2 Corinthians 9:1).
(4) Their function was to lay the foundation of Jesus (1 Corinthians 3:11) and be the judges of the church (Matthew 19:28). Apostles are distinguished from prophets, teachers, and workers of miracles, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:28). The apostles had also the prophetic gift and worked miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12), but not all who had these two gifts were apostles. The apostolic office died with the first generation of Christians, there being no provision for successors. The fact that apostles were chosen from those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus' glory eliminates the possibility of later generations participating in the call of apostleship.
Miracles — What greater sign could the Holy Spirit do to show someone was from the creator? This is the first in the list of lesser gifts. The use of "then" in 1 Corinthians 12:28 makes it clear that the order is deliberate. First things are being put first. In 2 Corinthians 12:12 it is grouped with signs, wonders and mighty works as the proof of an apostle. Miracles were, therefore, a display of divine power with a view of authenticating the apostolic or prophetic gift. Therefore, when the apostles no longer existed, the power to perform these miracles ceased.
Healing — How does this differ from miracles? This is a specific aspect of the gift of miracles. Miracles might pertain to matters of judgment (Acts 13:11), but healing always pertained to the restoring of health to the body, or mind, or both. While the gift of healing is no longer bestowed, God is able to, and does, heal in answer to prayer and faith. No one today, however filled with faith and powerful in prayer, is able to heal in virtue of an abiding gift.
Tongues — What does “tongues” mean in the New Testament? There is more controversy today over this one gift than over the rest of them combined. A complete and thorough refutation of the modern heresies surrounding tongue-speaking would take a long time. Many have written books on this topic. Tongues is a word to describe the miraculous speaking in another language that one has not studied. We have no record of Jesus speaking in tongues during His ministry, yet the Holy Spirit gave some this ability to take the gospel into all the world.
The place to start is Acts chapter two. Here is the first instance in all the history of the world of men receiving from the Spirit of God the power to speak in other languages. This phenomenon amazed unbelievers who came to the scene. They readily admitted that they all heard in their own language (Acts 2:8-11) the wonderful works of God being extolled. In Acts 10:46, in connection with the conversion of Cornelius and his household, a second instance of speaking in tongues is seen. The formal extending of salvation to the Gentiles was attended by this miracle, linking it to Pentecost. Peter refers to this in Acts 11:15-17. A third occasion of tongue-speaking is Acts 19:1-6. Paul had discovered some disciples of John the Baptist who had never heard the gospel of grace and, accordingly, had not turned in faith to Christ. Following their baptism, Paul laid his hands upon them and the Spirit empowered them to speak in tongues and prophesy. In these passages from Acts there is no explanation at all concerning the purpose of this gift. This will be discussed in the only other passage in the New Testament that mentions "tongues" (1 Corinthians 12-14).
In 1 Corinthians 12:28, in a list clearly arranged in order of importance, speaking in tongues is mentioned last. Then in 1 Corinthians 13 it is stated to be useless unless accompanied by love (v. 1) and temporary (v. 8). The entire fourteenth chapter deals more or less with the problem of tongues and prophecy in the church at Corinth.
Interpreting of Tongues — Why would there be a need for interpreting tongues? The gift of interpreting tongues (1 Corinthians 13:10; 14:26-28) was simply the divine ability to translate the speech of those speaking in other human languages. Since speaking in tongues is no longer existent in the church today, it is clear that the gift of interpreting tongues has likewise passed from the present purpose of God.
Discerning Spirits — Satan tries to mislead, so how would you expect God to help the early church? Wherever there is the true, you will find the counterfeit. The devil would incite humanity to imitate what the Spirit was inspiring His people to do in the gifts we have already studied. There was the need to distinguish between what was Spirit-inspired and what was devil-incited. The gift of discerning spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10) was the ability given by the Holy Spirit to discern the true from the false sources of supernatural revelation given in oral form.

What is God doing for humanity today? God is still actively working in His church and our world, that is called providence. Miracles according to our working definition from the beginning are not continuous. With the completion of the New Testament, and its almost universal acceptance by those true to God, the need for further display of miraculous works ceased. Today there is no need for preachers to back up what they say by an appeal to the miraculous. John 20:30-31 teaches that the recorded miracles are sufficient to accomplish what the actual performance of miracles did. It is evident that those today who are claiming these temporary gifts have shown a gross indifference to the Bible. Some have stated in public, "I don't care what the Bible says; God speaks to my heart." The history of these sects is most convincing testimony that the undue seeking of miraculous powers often results only in excesses of the most unholy kind.

Non Miraculous Gifts — Now let us look to the temporary, provincial, miraculous graces distributed by the Spirit in apostolic times, using 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 as our guide.
Teaching, ministering, or helping
Administering, leading, pastoring, etc.

Conclusion — It was by the power of the Spirit that miracles, signs, and wonders were done. They served a definite purpose in God’s order. Prophets and apostles had specific responsibilities in making disciples. The nine miraculous gifts which Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 served a purpose. Evidence is strong that God never intended for them to be permanent. God is active today. The difference is how He goes about the task of fulfilling His eternal purpose. He does it through providence.

Reflective Questions for a Response — Live it today.

The Holy Spirit has a goal for the Christians today. He continues to ask us to go and make disciples? Practically what does that mean for you?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this study? How will you apply it to your life this week?
How does this equip us to be better disciples and help empower us to “make disciples”?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Past notes are on my blog at https://oaks-righteousness.blogspot.com/search/label/Holy%20Spirit

I plan to go live on Facebook at 5:00 pm.

Checkout the video recordings from Sunday’s sermons at

https://www.youtube.com/c/edmondchurchofchrist

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Holy Spirit – And His Role in Salvation

The Holy Spirit – And His Role in Salvation – Romans 1:1-32

In our last study, we looked at the sins against the Holy Spirit. From another perspective, the Spirit works in our conversion. In this study we will look at His role in our conversion. You have probably observed the different religious perspectives which can cause confusion with what God’s word teaches. Here are some general examples; some would say there is no true conversion without physical evidence, such as speaking in tongues. Others may say the Spirit doesn't function directly in conversion, only in the Word, which moves people to obey the Gospel.

Opening Question — Get Us Thinking:

When we read the Scriptures and want to carry out God’s mission, does God need our participation? Who did God use so you would come to Him? What do we learn about God? What do we learn about ourselves?

The Scriptures teach that Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come and convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). From this statement, it should be evident that the Holy Spirit is involved in the conversion process of people turning to God. Thus, the real issue here is not whether He is involved, but in what way or how does He accomplish His part? Some advocate that the Holy Spirit comes down “direct operation” on the human heart and gives him an "experience of grace"—which means he has been saved! This resulted in the “mourner’s bench” kind of response to preaching. The greatest problem with this, it is not taught in the Scriptures and there is much more confusion about the Holy Spirit. Such beliefs are mere conjecture or subjective thinking. In fact, it is in plain contradiction to the teachings of Scripture. Also, frequently the core of the gospel mission as Jesus gave it will be rejected. The real question that needs to be answered is—Does the Holy Spirit convert the sinner directly or does He accomplish His Work through the preached Word of God and the sinner's obedience to the Gospel? Why preach?

Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Word & Will.

Did the Holy Spirit come upon the apostles to save them? There are no Scriptures that I am aware of that states such! The Holy Spirit came upon them to empower them for the work of teaching, confirming God's message, and to pass on these Gifts to Christians to help build up the church. When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, He stated that when He comes He will:

Teach them all things (John 14:26)
Bear witness of Jesus (John 15:26)
Guide them into all truth (John 16:13)
Glorify Jesus (John 16:14)
Equip them to be witnesses into all the world (Acts 1:8).
Confirm their message as being from God (Hebrews 2:3-4).

Out of the passages that talk about the activities of the Holy Spirit, none state that He would directly come upon anyone to save them.

The Spirit works in regeneration. How? One way the Spirit is directly involved in the conversion process. Jesus told the elderly religious leader, Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God…Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God’ (Jn 3:3,5).

Notice here that two elements are involved in the New Birth—water (of baptism) and the Spirit. Man’s part of the physical element of water is joined to the spiritual element of the Spirit’s empowerment. The water itself or alone does not save. It is symbolic of our death to our old life, our burial, and our resurrection to a new life, through the blood of Christ. Going through a ritual by itself means nothing. That is one reason why infant baptism is invalid. There must also be a conviction of sin and need for salvation, followed by faith and true repentance, if the “miracle” of baptism is valid. This was the thought of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:13, that by one Spirit we are baptized into one body.

But, again, it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is involved in bringing about the salvation of mankind.

We are born of the Spirit (John 3:3-8).
The Spirit gives life (John 6:63; Romans 8:2, 10; 2 Corinthians 3:6).
We are washed, sanctified, and justified by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:11).
It is by one Spirit that we are all baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13).
We are renewed by the Spirit (Titus 3:5).

But the question again is—Does He do these things directly and reject the written word? How does the Spirit work through God’s instrument to teach that leads to man's salvation? (He uses the church, Christian example, the Bible, etc.)

In earlier studies we have looked at the Holy Spirit’s connection to the Bible. What is the connection? We pointed out what the Spirit is said to do, and the Word of God is also said to do—not in the absolute, but in most instances. When we look to see what the Word of God does in conversion, it coincides perfectly with what is said of the Spirit.

The Word convicts the heart of the sinner (Titus 1:9).
The Word pricks the heart (Acts 2:37)
The Word begets us unto God (1 Corinthians 4:15; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23).
The Word saves us (James 1:21; Romans 1:16).
The Word purifies us (1 Peter 1:22).
The Word sanctifies (John 17:17).
The Word cleanses us (John 15:3; Ephesians 5:26)

If both do the same thing, it is logical that the Word of God is the means that is used by the Holy Spirit to bring about our salvation (Ephesians 6:17). Romans 10:11-18 makes it very clear that our salvation depends upon our hearing, believing and obeying the Word preached to us.

Jesus used parables to teach and one of His key parables is the parable of the soils (Luke 8:4-15). It demonstrates the different kinds of hearers of the Word. The field is mankind. The seed is the Word. It is a natural process like the plant world.

In the same way, the New Birth is a miracle, yet follows an understandable path. Since the Holy Spirit inspired the Word, the two cannot be separated. The Spirit works through the Word in bringing to life a new creature. This is the beginning point of the process: “...for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding Word of God” (1 Peter 1:23).

What are some examples of conversion and the Holy Spirit’s work before we had the New Testament completed? Here is an overview of Acts:

3000—"When they Heard this." (2:37-38).
5000—"Many heard the word and believed." (4:4)
Samaritans—"They believed Philip preaching." (8:12)
Simon—"He believed also." (8:13)
The Eunuch—"Philip preached to him Jesus." (8:35-38)
Cornelius—"Words to you which you will be saved." (11:14)
Lydia—"Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message." (16:14)
Jailor—"Spoke the word of the Lord to him." (16:32)
Corinthians—"hearing, believed, and were baptized." (18:8)
Bereans—"Received the word." (17:2)
12 Men at Ephesus—"When they heard this were baptized." (19:5)
Saul—"Will be told everything you are to do." (22:10)

What do we learn when we look more closely at the Conversion of the Gentiles? (Acts 10:1-48; 11:1-18):

Cornelius saw a vision that told him to send for Peter.
Meanwhile, Peter was given a vision and then told to go with the men from Cornelius.
Peter came for the purpose to speaking words to them that they could be saved.
Peter preached to them.
The Holy Spirit fell upon them like it did on the Apostles at the beginning, and they spoke in tongues.
Peter was convinced, seeing this outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that God wanted the Gentiles to be saved as well as the Jews by an obedient faith.
So, Peter commanded them to be baptized.

It is obvious that the Holy Spirit was involved in this conversion. It took three miracles to help Peter and the Jewish Christians with him that God wanted the Gentiles to be saved also. The Gentiles were told to do the same thing to be saved as the Jews were (Acts 2:38; Acts 10:43, 47-48). The Holy Spirit gave them power to speak in tongues, but He did not save them by such.

They were told words (gospel) to believe and obey like everyone else had been told (Acts 11:14).

Conclusion — Without the Holy Spirit’s work in conversion, there is no salvation from sins or new birth. He gives life to the Word, generating in our heart a conviction of sin and need for salvation. He convicts us of sin. He is directly involved, along with the water of baptism, in the new birth. Without the Spirit’s involvement, baptism is a meaningless ritual.

For those that would advocate that the Holy Spirit saves a man directly apart from the Word of God, the following things should be honestly dealt with:

Such a belief contradicts passages that say that the Word of God tells us how to be saved.
The Holy Spirit becomes “a respecter of persons” if He does not convert everyone.
Preaching to sinners is without purpose.
Such a belief relieves every Christian and the lost individual of personal responsibility and accountability.
It violates man's freedom of choice.
It contradicts passages that indicate that the Holy Spirit is given to the Sons of God—not sinners (Acts 5:32).

Yet, apart from the Word, the Spirit may use situations so that the influence or example of Christians may open the heart to hearing the Word and responding. Tragedies or setbacks of many kinds may cause a person to take stock of their life and search for answers or change. Providential circumstances may play a part in bringing a person to seek Christ.

God's Spirit has given us His Word. There is no conversion to God without the preaching of the Word of God (1 Corinthians 1:21). There are no Christians where the Word has not gone! In order for people to know God, we must take serious the spreading of the Word of God.

Reflective Questions for a Response — Live it today.

Why has the Holy Spirit specifically called disciples to go and make disciples? Practically what does that mean for you?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this study? How will you apply it to your life this week?
How does this equip us to be better disciples and help empower us to “make disciples”?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?

The apostle Paul speaking about the lost, “… how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” Romans 10:14

Wednesday, December 05, 2018

Holy Spirit – The Sins Against Him

Greetings $$first_name$$,

The Holy Spirit – The Sins Against Him – Romans 7:7-25 Ephesians 4:17-32

After looking at what the Holy Spirit does in prayer and providence, we turn to look at how our sins affect our relationship with the Spirit.

Opening Question — Get Us Thinking:

When we read the Scriptures and know how sin affects our relationship with God, what do we learn about God? What do we learn about ourselves?

Both the Old and New Testaments speak often of the shortcomings of individuals and nations guilty of sinning against the Holy Spirit. Let’s learn from those examples.

Research Questions — “Dig Deeper” to find God’s Word & Will.

The Spirit is a living facet of the Godhead, He has feelings and a ministry to perform. There are sins against the Holy Spirit and a variety of ways in which we can ignore and/or abuse the Spirit. Previously we have looked at the defiling of the temple of the Holy Spirit, etc. We now look at more ways:

What is the first sin of which we have any record in the early church? Lying to the Holy Spirit -- Lying to the Holy Spirit means to pretend to be something you are not—to go through the motions of living the Christian life without really meaning it in your heart of hearts. In Acts 5 Ananias and Sapphira conspire with one another to deceive the apostles and cause them to think that they were giving all of their possessions to the relieving of the needy in the church. Peter, in Acts 5:3, says that Satan had filled the heart of Ananias to lie unto the Holy Spirit. “These people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me” Isaiah 29:13.

How responsible is the Christian to studying the word of God? Ignoring the Spirit’s inspired Word -- Peter tells us that those who scoff at the Word, deliberately ignoring it, will suffer the consequences, just as those in Noah’s day scoffed at it and were destroyed. (2 Peter 3:1-7). For anyone who has access in any way to the Bible in his or her own language, there is no excuse for ignorance. Before Christ, the Lord overlooked ignorance of His Word among Gentiles, but now requires repentance and obedience on the part of all (Acts 17:30).

Can I read the Bible and get different interpretations, or should I honestly seek what God’s will is? Distorting the Word -- Distorting the Spirit-inspired word means simply twisting it to fit within our own concept of how it should read. Could this be what is behind much of the religious division that exists today? Paul said in Acts 20:30 that men would arise who would distort the truth, in order to draw away disciples after them. Paul affirmed that he never distorted the Word, but set it forth plainly (2 Corinthians 4:2). And Peter said that some fellow Christians distorted the writings of Paul and other Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). All of us must receive the Word reverently and with an open heart, attempting to apply it to ourselves without distortion of any kind.

Is it acceptable to be apathetic about the Holy Spirit? Ignoring or denying the Spirit’s presence and work -- Many Christians sin when they do not understand or appreciate the Holy Spirit and His work. Some even deny that He does anything beyond inspiring the written Word. They are like the disciples in Ephesus who did not even know there was a Holy Spirit. When Paul explained the Christian way and entry into it, they were baptized. Then Paul laid his hands on them and they received special powers of the Spirit. These were separate from the gift of the Spirit (His indwelling), which is promised to all Christians upon their conversion (Acts 2:38;19:1-6). These disciples were merely ignorant of the Spirit, so when they had the matter explained, they obeyed Paul’s teaching. Had they ignored his instructions, they would have been denying the Spirit.

What if I don’t feel like doing God’s will, doesn’t he want it to come from the heart? Failing to heed the Spirit’s guidance -- What if Abram had refused to heed the Spirit’s guidance in a pilgrimage to the Promised Land? What if Moses or Joshua had failed to heed the Lord’s instructions? What if Peter had failed to heed the Spirit’s guidance, in the case of Cornelius? The church might have continued for a long period of time as only a Jewish movement. What if Paul had not heeded the vision he received in Troas about Macedonia? The church might have continued for a long period to be an Asiatic movement. Going to Bithynia or the Province of Asia would have generated good for the Kingdom, but the Lord has another agenda for Paul at that moment. He told King Agrippa that he was not disobedient to the heavenly vision he received on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:19). It is absolutely essential to be in tune with the Spirit’s guidance. The Word doesn’t necessarily give us specific guidance in our life’s decisions.

Does it grieve you when people go against you? Why don’t we consider the Holy Spirit’s desires? Grieving the Spirit -- Paul told the Ephesian church, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30-31). Grieving the Holy Spirit means to make sad or sorrowful. In context, 25-32 he explains how the Spirit can be made to grieve when we allow: Bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, sexual impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk to poison our lives or we slander others, we are grieving the Holy Spirit…On the other hand, we are to be kind, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as Christ has forgiven us. We are to imitate God, living a life of love.

Information and relationships influence us. What we respond to when there is a conflict of wills tells us who we truly worship. Are you listening to God? Quenching the Spirit -- Quenching suggests extinguishing a fire. This was the sin of the Thessalonians. In 1 Thessalonians 5:19-20, Paul warned us against quenching the Spirit. This means freezing Him out or attempting to destroy His influence on us. It means putting a damper on His influence, both through the Word and outside of it. It means failure to heed His direction through the Word and in our lives. Therefore, unbelief can certainly hinder the working and moving of God’s Holy Spirit (see Mark 6:4–5). This sin is also committed when the Holy Spirit leads you to do a certain thing (share your faith, pray more, take a step of faith) and you flatly refuse.

What man became an apostle out of the audience in Acts 7? Resisting the Spirit -- The Holy Spirit seeks to speak to the heart of the unbeliever and lead him to God. There are those who are convinced of the truth of the gospel, yet who refuse to yield their hearts to God. In Acts 7:51, Stephen accused the Jewish leaders of always resisting the Holy Spirit, just as their ancestors had done. Resisting the Spirit is actively fighting against His presence, work and Word. It is refusing to allow the Spirit to work in our lives. Does the example of Paul mean that resisting the Spirit can be overcome, and is not an unpardonable sin?

How can one please God and insult the Spirit of Grace? Insult and Disdain the Holy Spirit – This was the sin of the Hebrew Christians in turning away from Christ back to Judaism (Hebrews 6:4-6; 10:26-29). They had “shared in the Holy Spirit” Hebrews 6:4. It is the role of the Holy Spirit to present the saving work of Jesus Christ to the unsaved. A person insults the love of God by saying that he does not really need God’s gift of salvation, or by insisting that Christ’s death on the cross was unnecessary or unable to save him. To resist the Spirit’s appeal is to insult God and to cut off all hope of salvation. “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?" Hebrews 10:29.

Is there a greatest sin against the Holy Spirit? Blaspheming against the Spirit -- Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is mentioned at least once in the Old Testament and only a few times in the New Testament—Numbers 15:29-31; Matthew 12:31-32, Luke 11:53-54,12:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, Hebrews 6:4-6, 10:26-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22. This is the most serious offense against the Holy Spirit, (Why?) for there is no forgiveness for the person who commits it. The work of the Spirit is to convict us of sin and bring us to Jesus Christ. To blaspheme Him is similar to insulting, in that we resist His work altogether. This should not be the concern of any Christian, for this is not a sin he can or will commit.

“Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” Matthew 12:31–32.

Religious leaders have at times used these passages to frighten their followers, or even to consign some to Satan. But what do the above passages really teach? In the first place, blasphemy is normally considered in the Bible to be “evil speaking” against God or God’s people, such as the reviling Jews did against Paul and Barnabas in 13:45 and 18:6. It can be translated as slander (Matthew 15:9, Mark 7:22, Colossians 3:8). Second, the Bible distinguishes between willful and unwillful sin. Willful sin is that which we know is wrong and still do. It is also knowingly speaking against the Spirit and the Word. Jesus said that such behavior is unforgiven. It has eternal consequences. The context here deals with the absolute refusal of the scribes and Pharisees to listen to Jesus and their determined effort to destroy Him. They denied that His power to cast out demons was of the Spirit. It was saying that the Spirit was evil and His motives impure. The multitude baptized on Pentecost had denied Jesus, but once seeing their serious error, repented, were baptized, forgiven and granted the Spirit. Remember Saul of Tarsus ignorantly persecuted Christians, but when he saw his terrible error, he changed his ways. Blasphemy becomes a permanent sin when it is willfully continued, even in the face of the evidence to the contrary. It has been said, “If man’s will declines to bend in repentance, then God’s will declines bending in forgiveness. It is not that God refuses grace; it is that those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit have hardened their heart beyond repentance.”

Jesus said in Matthew 10:23 “that whoever denies Him, him will He deny before the Father.” In Acts 3:14, Peter accused the Jews of having denied the Holy One. Peter spoke about those who had denied the Lord who bought them, and were worse than infidels (2 Peter 2:1). John said that whoever denies the Son, denies also the Father (1 John 2:22-23. See also Jude 4.).

Conclusion -- The Holy Spirit can be sinned against in many ways, perhaps the most damaging being blasphemy against the Spirit. Claiming miracles that are not miracles is a flagrant sin against the Spirit. So also are ignoring, neglecting or quenching the Spirit. Let us redouble our efforts to understand and rely on the spirit for spiritual guidance.

Reflective Questions for a Response — Live it today.

The Holy Spirit is a person with a will, feelings, and guidance, and is our best guide. Sins against the Holy Spirit are very serious with consequences. Practically what does that mean for you?
I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this study? How will you apply it to your life this week?
How does this equip us to be better disciples and help empower us to “make disciples”?
You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this?

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes--all the time! It must be that way, for God's glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” —Henry Blackaby, Experiencing the Spirit: The Power of Pentecost Every Day