Analysis Of The Book ' Holy Spirit '

In this paper, I will review Charles Ryrie’s book The Holy Spirit. I will detail what I feel the book is about. I will emphasize various points given by the author that stood out to me. Finally, I will give my personal evaluation of the book.

The Holy Spirit: Who He is, What He Does written by Robert Gromacki is good read for any individual wanting to become more knowledgeable about the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Gromacki holds a doctorate degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He is a distinguished professor of Bible and Greek at Cedarville College in Cedarville, Ohio.

Spiritual Gifts are special divine empowerments given to us through the Holy Spirit. These Gifts however are not for our own personal benefit, instead the main purpose is to equip us to be able to serve and glorify the Lord while Jesus continues His ministry though us. When we use our Spiritual Gifts to glorify the Lord we are contributing to the overall heath and growth of the church. 1 Peter 4:10-11 shows us that we have each been given a Gift by the Holy Spirit and when we use that Gift we find the strength we need to build up the Church. The Gifts of the Spirit are messages of wisdom, knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy,

The Holy Spirit of God is the active force or power in one’s life, which most certainly includes spiritual formation (Pettit, 2008, p. 46). When Jesus was speaking with his disciples he made it clear – by using the analogy of a vine and branches – that apart from him they could do nothing (John 15:5). Only if one is connected to Christ will they have the ability to bear fruit and the way Jesus empowers those connected to him is through the Holy Spirt that that father will send in his name (John 14:26). The fact is that the triune God dwells in the Christian in and through the Holy Spirit. One sees this when they place multiple passages together to gain a full understanding of this concept. For example, Jesus made it clear that he and the father would come and make their home with the disciple (John 14:23). In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul reminds the Corinthians that their bodies are the very temple of God because the Holy Spirit dwells in them which is similar to what Jesus said would happen when he sent the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension (John 14:17, 16:7).

Tonight we are going to study the attributes of the Holy Spirit. Many individuals refer to the Holy Spirit as an “it.” This is an incorrect understanding of the Holy Spirit. Many individuals have misconstrued this doctrine out of ignorance.

The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and is equal in essence and in power in the Trinity to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit was originally sent by Jesus after his ascension into heaven, Jesus himself saying that he would send a “helper” after he departed from the earth. This spirit is worshipped just as the Father and the Son are, and also participated in the creation of the world, sustaining and giving life continually to all things, and exhibits the uniqueness and characteristics of the third person in the Trinity. This is the same Holy Spirit that divinely inspired the infallible word of God, and although the canon is now closed, the Holy Spirit still works powerfully and constantly in the life of the church and in believers. The Holy Spirit is the giver of spiritual gifts, which are given at conversion and help the believer become more like their creator. The presence of the Holy Spirit is evident in the life of all true believers, and this Spirit turns cowardly men into mighty warriors for Christ who accomplish actions way beyond their natural ability.

The holy ghost gives strength for difficult tasks to be carried out. It helps to understand God's word. It helps us to be a powerful and courageous witness for Christ. It helps us to discern false teaching and false prophets. It helps make

To start our research, we need to ask a critical question at the very beginning : Who is the Holy Spirit? The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus never referred to “it” when He was talking about the Holy Spirit. In John 14,15 and 16, for example, He spoke of the Holy Spirit as “He” because He is not a force or thing but a person. The point is especially important at a time when pantheistic tendencies are

The Holy Spirit of God is the driving divine force that assisted God with the creation of the things on the earth. Gen. 1:1-2, (KJV), records the first account of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form and void; and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. In addition, Ps. 33:6 records that the Word of the Lord made the heavens and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. After God created the earth as a habitation, He created man in His own image and likeness.

The Holy Ghost must certainly be conceived of either as in the category of the Self-existent, or as in that of the things which are contemplated in another; of which classes those who are skilled in such matters call the one Substance and the other Accident. Now if He were an Accident, He would be an Activity of God, for what else, or of whom else, could He be, for surely this is what most avoids composition? And if He is an Activity, He will be effected, but will not effect and will cease to exist as soon as He has been effected, for this is the nature of an Activity. How is it then that He acts and says such and such things, and defines, and is grieved, and is angered, and has all the qualities which belong clearly to one that moves, and not to movement? But if He is a Substance and not an attribute of Substance, He will be conceived of either as a Creature of God, or as God.”

The Holy Spirit acts as a teacher. His work is to teach the Christians in the ways of the truth. In John 14:26, the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus left as a helper to the disciples is depicted as a teacher. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit shall teach the Christians all things, and bring to your remembrance all things thus taught and all that Jesus said. Therefore, the Holy Spirit is a teacher to educate on all things. Moreover, he brings back the remembrance of the word taught when need arises (Tunner, 2013).

There are many believers, faiths and doctrinal teachings that acknowledge the power of the Holy Spirit, however, they do not ascribe his actions and the power to an individual essence but rather to mere influence. I do believe that the Holy Spirit is a person, in-fact the Third Person of the Trinity who is equal with the Father and the Son in essence. When it comes to the individual acts of the Holy Spirit as recorded in scripture, Elmer Town says it best “the Holy Spirit does a number of things only a person can do; and it is the unfolding of this precept that I believe continuously bears witness to the person of the Holy Spirit. I also believe that the Holy Spirit, the Third person of the Trinity is also God and as God, He is worthy of our worship and our praise. I believe in the ministry and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit; and despite all of the external influences and desires of the flesh, the believer by the power of the Holy Spirit is enabled to live a godly life in this present ungodly and evil world (Ezekiel 36:2, Acts 2:38). I believe that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in this world especially in the life of the believer so to purify and convict us of our sins (1 Cor 6:11, John 6:8-11 and Acts 7:51) . From the foundation and creation of the world scripture bears witness to the power of the Holy Spirit. In the book of Genesis it was the Holy Spirit that moved in the darkness upon the face of the waters to

After speaking of Jesus it is logical to discuss the Holy Spirit after, given that the Holy Spirit is sent by Jesus the Son of God. The Holy Spirit is as I just said, sent by the Son, and proceeds from the Father God. Given these two facts the Holy Spirit is not to be lessened to a mere attribute of the Father and Son. Along with being likened to being a part of

• The Holy Spirit is the spirit of love that dwells in each and every last one of us, it is not a part of the body so if the body dies, the spirit will continue to live. Because love never dies.

The Holy Spirit plays a very vital role in the lives of each and every believer; He can strengthen us with a strength that we cannot even begin to muster up in ourselves. He can bring us joy that we cannot even begin to find in the things of this world. He can bring peace to our lives more than anything that we can ever find on this earth. “The Holy Spirit which is primarily an energizing process, is also a revealing, refining, consuming, illuminating process, and one by which we are made to glow with love to God, and love to man, and love to souls.”