HOLY SPIRIT

AliveinJesus · Site Admin Joined: 03 May 2007 Posts: 64

HOLY SPIRIT

In today’s times in the Watchtower the current teaching is the Holy Spirit is God's active force. It is not a person, and has no voice or personality of its own, and is not part of any Trinity. Also in the NWT they don’t write "Holy Spirit" in capital letters even when translating scripture? Other translators consider Him God, and capitalize. This has become proper English usage, as a glance at a dictionary will show. In this page on the Holy Spirit, firstly the Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force or energy. In the Bible in the Book of John chapters 14, 15, and 16, for example, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit as "He" meaning a person. He is as truly personal and divine as the Father and the Son. We read in the Bible doing the kinds of things, which only God is able to do. He was involved in the creation of the universe, came upon people, anointing them for a specific task or purpose Exodus 31:1-5; Numbers 24:2. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers 1 Corinthians 6:19, assures them that they are children of God Romans 8:16, enables them to live the Christian life Romans 8:9, 12-15, and gifts them for Christian service 1 Corinthians, chapter 12. Being Born Again we have a miracle of the new birth, and the Holy Spirit indwells in us forever. I’m going to show you in the NWT Bible about the Holy Spirit on how real he is.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

How do these verses show that the Spirit is personal?

Acts 13: 2 As they were publicly ministering to Jehovah and fasting, the holy spirit said: “Of all persons set Bar´na·bas and Saul apart for me for the work to which I have called them.”

Ephesians 4:30 Also, do not be grieving God’s holy spirit, with which YOU have been sealed for a day of releasing by ransom.

1 Corinthians 12:11 But all these operations the one and the same spirit performs, making a distribution to each one respectively just as it wills.

How do these verses show that he is divine.?

Job 33: 4 God’s own spirit made me,And the Almighty’s own breath proceeded to bring me to life.

Acts 5: 3-4 But Peter said: “An·a·ni´as, why has Satan emboldened you to play false to the holy spirit and to hold back secretly some of the price of the field?

1 Corinthians 3: 16 Do YOU not know that YOU people are God’s temple, and that the spirit of God dwells in YOU?

Hebrews 9: 14 how much more will the blood of the Christ, who through an everlasting spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works that we may render sacred service to [the] living God?

What did Jesus tell his disciples about the Spirit's ministry?

John 14: 16-17, 26 and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, 17 the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU.26 But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU.

John 15:26 When the helper arrives that I will send YOU from the Father, the spirit of the truth, which proceeds from the Father, that one will bear witness about me;

John 16: 14 That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to YOU.

What is the Spirit moulding Christians to be?

Galatians 5:16-26 But I say, Keep walking by spirit and YOU will carry out no fleshly desire at all. 17 For the flesh is against the spirit in its desire, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that the very things that YOU would like to do YOU do not do. 18 Furthermore, if YOU are being led by spirit, YOU are not under law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, and they are fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, 20 idolatry, practice of spiritism, enmities, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, contentions, divisions, sects, 21 envies, drunken bouts, revelries, and things like these. As to these things I am forewarning YOU, the same way as I did forewarn YOU, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s kingdom. 22 On the other hand, the fruitage of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, 23 mildness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus impaled the flesh together with its passions and desires. 25 If we are living by spirit, let us go on walking orderly also by spirit. 26 Let us not become egotistical, stirring up competition with one another, envying one another.

How can we know that we are Christians?

Romans 8: 14-16 For all who are led by God’s spirit, these are God’s sons. 15 For YOU did not receive a spirit of slavery causing fear again, but YOU received a spirit of adoption as sons, by which spirit we cry out: “Abba, Father!” 16 The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children.

1 John 1: 8-10 If we make the statement: “We have no sin,” we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we make the statement: “We have not sinned,” we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 John 3:13-15 Do not marvel, brothers, that the world hates YOU. 14 We know we have passed over from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a manslayer, and YOU know that no manslayer has everlasting life remaining in him.

1 John 5: 1-5 Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God, and everyone who loves the one that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that one. 2 By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving the children of God, when we are loving God and doing his commandments. 3 For this is what the love of God means, that we observe his commandments; and yet his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because everything that has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith. 5 Who is the one that conquers the world but he who has faith that Jesus is the Son of God?

In what ways are different Christians gifted for service?

Romans 12: 3-8 For through the undeserved kindness given to me I tell everyone there among YOU not to think more of himself than it is necessary to think; but to think so as to have a sound mind, each one as God has distributed to him a measure of faith. 4 For just as we have in one body many members, but the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, although many, are one body in union with Christ, but members belonging individually to one another. 6 Since, then, we have gifts differing according to the undeserved kindness given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the faith proportioned [to us]; 7 or a ministry, [let us be] at this ministry; or he that teaches, [let him be] at his teaching; 8 or he that exhorts, [let him be] at his exhortation; he that distributes, [let him do it] with liberality; he that presides, [let him do it] in real earnest; he that shows mercy, [let him do it] with cheerfulness.

1 Peter 4: 10-11 In proportion as each one has received a gift, use it in ministering to one another as fine stewards of God’s undeserved kindness expressed in various ways. 11 If anyone speaks, [let him speak] as it were [the] sacred pronouncements of God; if anyone ministers, [let him minister] as dependent on the strength that God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. The glory and the might are his forever and ever. Amen.

Why is the Spirit indispensable for witness and mission?

Acts 1:8 but YOU will receive power when the holy spirit arrives upon YOU, and YOU will be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem and in all Ju·de´a and Sa·mar´i·a and to the most distant part of the earth.”

John 16: 8 And when that one arrives he will give the world convincing evidence concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment:

1 Corinthians 2: 14 But a physical man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot get to know [them], because they are examined spiritually.