The Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

March 20, 2005

Introduction

Last Sunday morning, we studied what might be called the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit. We said at that time that the miraculous measure came in two ways: (1) Being given directly by God as was the case on the Day of Pentecost, and (2) by the laying on of the apostles hands. Our conclusion was that when the last person on whom the apostles had laid their hands died, the time of miracles ended. Having said that, I think that two important points need to be addressed: 1. God’s providential care did not end, nor the indwelling measure of the Holy Spirit.

Body

I. The age of miracles has ceased, but God still answers prayer.

A. We have been told to pray.

(James 5:14-15 NKJV) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. {15} And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

1. We are promised an answer: the Lord will raise him up.

2. I trust that most of us believe that the Lord Answers prayer because of prayers we have seen answered.

B. There are many kinds of prayers that God has promised to answer.

1. We are to pray for wisdom.

(James 1:5 NKJV) If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

2. We are to pray for our daily food.

(Mat 6:11 NKJV) Give us this day our daily bread.

3. God answers many prayers in many ways.

II. The age of miracles has ceased, but we need to understand the different measures of the Holy Spirit.

A. The Spirit was given to Jesus without measure.

John 3:34 (NKJV) “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

John 3:34 (KJV) For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

1. The miracles that Jesus did while here on earth is ample testimony to the fact that He had the Spirit without limit, or without measure

2. Jesus is only One to have received an unlimited measure, but the apostles had great powers by the Holy Spirit.

B. The measure of gifts, or the miraculous measure. .

1 Corinthians 12:4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . . 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

C. The indwelling measure.

1. It is promised to all of us who are baptized into Christ.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. Paul spoke of it as a reality in his letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

3. Paul also spoke of it as he wrote to the church in Rome.

(Rom 5:5 NKJV) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

D. The Spirit intercedes for Christians. .

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

III. The importance of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

A. We must have the Holy Spirit if we are Christians. .

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. .

B. Offences Against the Holy Spirit

1. By the Sinner

a) Resisting

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

b) Insulting

Hebrews 10:29 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?

c) Blaspheming

Matthew 12:31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.32 “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.

2. By the Believer

a) Grieving

Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. .

(Eph 4:29-32 NKJV) Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. {30} And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. {31} Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. {32} And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

b) Lying to

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?4 “While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

c) Quenching

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.

Susie Cross was at our door yesterday morning with a petition. She explained that in the night, this problem was bothering her, and she decided she had to do something. I think sometimes God’s Spirit moves us, and sometimes we resist and do nothing.

Conclusion

I. The Work of the Holy Spirit is important and we need to spend time in study to understand His work.

II. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is a promise to all who are baptized into Christ.

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