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The Work of the Holy Spirit · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking, the show where we dive into
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significant topics, pulling out the most valuable insights from
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the material you share with us. We're here to help you gain
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understanding and make those valuable connections.
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And today we're undertaking, well, a really deep dive into a
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central aspect of Christian theology and daily life, the
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dynamic work of the Holy Spirit. It really is central, isn't it?
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Absolutely. It's a vast subject, at times
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sparking thoughtful discussion, you know, but always presenting
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truth for the believer. We've gathered information from
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various theological writings and biblical excerpts, providing
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hopefully a comprehensive view of the Spirit's activity.
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That's right. Our goal is to uncover the
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Spirit's pervasive presence and active engagement from the,
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well, the earliest moments of creation right through to the
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daily experiences of believers today.
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We'll examine his roles across different biblical eras,
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consider his function in the life of Jesus, and then look
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closely at his essential role in the life of the Christian,
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including those discussions around spiritual endowments.
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So let's unpack this, the Spirit's activity in the Old
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Testament. OK, so to begin, let's consider
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the earliest stages of God's revelation.
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Well, a specific phrase, Holy Spirit, isn't seen that
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frequently in the Old Testament. Right, not as often as in the
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new. The term Spirit of God
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consistently refers to the third person of the Trinity.
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And this isn't just us reading back into it, is it?
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The New Testament clarifies this.
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It does Peter's discourse at Pentecost, for instance.
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In Acts 2.1621, he explicitly links what was happening right
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then, this amazing outpouring, to Joel's ancient prophecy.
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He says this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel.
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Exactly. So he draws Direct Line.
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The Spirit of God in the Old Testament is understood to be
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the Holy Spirit we see fully revealed later.
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OK, that makes sense. So where we first see the Spirit
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of God acted? Well, right at the very
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beginning, creation itself, Genesis 1.2 tells us the Spirit
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of God was hovering over the water.
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Hovering. Yeah.
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Like brooding. Almost.
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Yeah, that's a good way to put it.
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It conveys not just his presence, but an active life,
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giving involvement in shaping the physical world.
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It's not passive observation. So involved from the get go.
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Definitely. And further Old Testament texts
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like Job 26.13 and Isaiah 32.15. They also attribute God's
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ongoing work with creation to the Spirit.
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They link his presence to productivity, flourishing,
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turning deserts into fertile fields.
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That kind of. Thing so shaping the physical
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world and then also shaping God's words, that's inspiring
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prophecy in Scripture. Precisely.
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This is huge. Prophets frequently spoke and
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wrote because the Spirit had come upon them.
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It wasn't just their own good ideas.
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And external enablement almost. Yes, Ezekiel for example, he
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shares multiple times how the Spirit entered him, lifted him
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up, allowed him to hear God's communication.
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You see that in Ezekiel 2.28, point 311.124.
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It's quite explicit in Ezekiel. Very and even unlikely
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individuals like Balaam were moved to prophecy by the Spirit
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according to Numbers 24.2, which shows the Spirit's sovereign
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choice. And Peter?
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He confirms this later. He does.
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In second Peter 1.21. He says prophets spoke from God
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as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
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That image carried along it implies divine guidance.
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Making Scripture, God breathed. As Second Timothy 3.16 says, you
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have nustos. Exactly.
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That's how foundational the Spirit's work is to our having
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God's written message at all. It guarantees its divine origin.
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OK, so creation inspiration. What about practical skills?
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Yes, the Spirit also endowed individuals with necessary
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skills for various tasks. Think of bebasol the.
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Craftsman for the Tabernacle. Right, Exodus 31.3 to 5 says he
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was filled with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with
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understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of skills.
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So artistry, metalwork, all of it.
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All kinds of skills needed for that specific holy construction
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project. It was a divine enablement for a
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particular purpose. And Zerubbabel too, rebuilding
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the temple. Similar idea.
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He received a comparable endowment.
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Remember Zechariah 4.6 not my might, nor by power, but by my
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spirit, says the Lord Almighty. It underscores that these huge
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tasks depend on God's Spirit, not just human effort.
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That's encouraging, and this enablement extends to
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administration and leadership too, doesn't.
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It it does look at Joseph, even Pharaoh, an unbeliever, discern
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the Spirit's presence in him, recognizing his exceptional
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administrative ability in Genesis 41.38.
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Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the Spirit
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of God? Pharaoh says that.
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He does, and then when Moses felt overwhelmed, needing help,
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part of the Spirit's endowment on him was given or maybe
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distributed to 70 elders. Enabling them to prophecy and
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help lead as Numbers 11 describes.
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And Joshua, Moses successor, was also filled with the spirit of
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wisdom for his leadership role. According to Deuteronomy 34.9,
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the Spirit equipped the leaders God appointed.
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We see this pattern in the judges period too, right?
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Absolutely. The spirit came upon figures
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like off Neil in Judges 3.10 giving him skill in war, fair
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and leadership. Gideon 2IN Judges 6.34 the
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spirit clothes him, enabling him to rally troops and win battles.
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And Samson, his incredible strength.
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Also a result of the Spirit powerfully coming upon him like
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in Judges 14.19. It wasn't innate, it was a
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specific episodic empowerment from the Spirit for God's
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purposes then. This pattern continued with the
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Kings. Yes, early kings like Saul
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remember first Samuel 10.10. He prophesized when the Spirit
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comes on him and David. Of course, for Samuel 16, point
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says the Spirit came powerfully upon him from the day he was
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anointed, given special capabilities for their ruling
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responsibilities. So beyond these maybe more
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dramatic instances was the Spirit working in the everyday
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moral life of Israel. Yes, definitely fostering moral
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and spiritual qualities. He's called a good spirit in
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Nehemiah 9.20 and Psalm 143 Point saying, someone who
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instructs and leads. And a Holy Spirit in Psalm 51
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and Isaiah 63, linking him directly to God's character.
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Exactly. His presence was meant to result
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in quality, like the the fear of the Lord, righteousness,
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justice, peace. Isaiah 11 and 32 talk about
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this. And Ezekiel 36, the famous
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passage about the new heart and new Spirit.
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Right, verses 26 to 28. It explicitly connects the
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giving of God's Spirit with getting a new heart, a heart
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that wants to obey God's laws. This points to a deep internal
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shaping of character, not just external acts.
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A foreshadowing of the New Covenant.
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Precisely which leads to the next point.
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The Old Testament looked forward to a future, more complete
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ministry of the Spirit. It wasn't the final stage.
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Not at all. Isaiah prophesied that the
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Spirit will rest on the coming Messiah in a unique, permanent
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way. Isaiah 114261.
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They all describe this. And Jesus himself claims this
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fulfillment in Luke 4, reading from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue.
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He does today the Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.
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But it wasn't just for the Messiah.
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There was also that broad promise from Joel to the.
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Outpouring on all people. Yes, verses 28 to 29 sons, old
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men, young men, even servants. A universal outpouring
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anticipated. Which Peter, as we said,
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declares fulfilled at Pentecost. Exactly.
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So you see this clear progression, this divine plan
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for the spirits, increasing and more intimate activity among
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God's people, the spirits activity in the life of Jesus.
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OK, so shifting focus now, let's consider the Holy Spirit's
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activity in the life and ministry of Jesus himself.
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This seems unique, doesn't it? It really does.
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His presence was pervasive, incredibly impactful right from
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the very beginning. Beginning with his conception
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and incarnation. Absolutely, the Angel Gabriel
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tells Mary. The Holy Spirit will come on
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you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow you.
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That's Luke 1.35. And Joseph has told something
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similar in Matthew 1.20. Yes, what is conceived in her is
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from the Holy Spirit. This highlights the Spirit's
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direct, unique role in initiating Jesus's human
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existence, ensuring his divinity and sinlessness.
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And John a Baptist who announced Jesus, he was also filled with
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the Spirit, right? From birth, Luke 1.15 says, and
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he played a key role in announcing Jesus's ministry and
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this new dimension of the Spirit's work.
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He contrasts his baptism with Jesus's.
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He does. He says I baptize with water,
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but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
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Mark 1.8. Matthew 3.11.
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It indicates Jesus's distinct supernatural role in bringing
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this fuller experience of the Spirit.
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Then at Jesus's own baptism. A pivotal moment at the very
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beginning of Jesus public ministry, the Holy Spirit
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perceivably descended upon him like a dove.
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All four Gospels mentioned this Matthew 3, Mark one, Luke 3,
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John 1. Yes, it was a visible sign, a
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public anointing for his mission, and immediately after
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Luke 4.1 says Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit.
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Full of the Spirit and then LED into temptation?
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That seems counterintuitive. Maybe.
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It is compelling, isn't it? Matthew 4.1, Luke 4.1 to 2, Mark
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1.12. They all say the Holy Spirit LED
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or even sent Jesus into the wilderness for this period of
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major temptation. So the Spirit's fullness didn't
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mean avoiding difficulty, but equipping for it.
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Exactly, it brought him into immediate confrontation with
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evil, showing the Spirit and powers for spiritual warfare.
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And Jesus is perfect reliance on the Father through the Spirit.
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And throughout his ministry, his teaching and miracles were done.
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How? Through the Spirit's enablement,
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Luke 4 .14 says he returned to Galilee in the power of the
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Spirit and began teaching. And he himself claimed this,
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quoting Isaiah 61 and Luke 4. Yes, the Spirit of the Lord is
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on me because He has anointed me.
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He explicitly attributed His ministry to the Spirit's work in
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Him. Even casting out demons.
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He said he did it by the Spirit of God.
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Matthew 12.28 That's why his warning against blaspheming the
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Holy Spirit in that context is so serious, attributing the
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Spirit's work to Satan. A very grave warning.
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Indeed, it shows how central the Spirit was to everything he did.
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So pervasive that even his emotions were influenced like
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his joy. Yes, Luke 10.21 mentions Jesus
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was full of joy through the Holy Spirit when his disciples
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returned from their mission. It paints a picture of a life
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completely guided and permeated by the Spirit.
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Now an interesting observation from the sources, the absence of
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certain phenomena in Jesus life. Right.
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There's no record of him speaking in tongues or engaging
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in some of the other more spectacular displays of gifts
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like we see in Acts or that Paul discusses later.
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No ecstatic experiences described for Jesus himself.
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Correct. His life, while fully spirit
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enabled and marked by undeniable miracles like healing and
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exorcism, didn't exhibit those specific manifestations.
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Which is something to keep in mind as we move forward the
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Spirit's activity in the life of the Christian.
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OK, now let's turn to the Spirit's work in us in the life
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of the Christian. This is where it becomes
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incredibly personal for every believer.
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Absolutely essential. His work is crucial from the
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very beginning and continues throughout our entire life.
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So starting at the beginning initiation of the Christian
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life, this involves conversion and regeneration.
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Yes, let's take conversion first.
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From the human perspective, it involves repentance turning from
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sin and faith turning to Christ. And the Spirit's role here.
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He convicts, Jesus said in John 16.811.
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The Spirit convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin and
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righteousness and judgement without that convention, that
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awareness of need. Repentance wouldn't happen.
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Exactly. Conversion simply cannot occur
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without the Spirit first opening our eyes to our lostness and
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God's holiness. OK, that's conversion.
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What about regeneration? This is God's side of it.
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The new birth Jesus is very clear with Nicodemus in John 3.
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No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they're born of water
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and the Spirit. Born again.
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Yes, it's a supernatural happening, a miraculous change,
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an implantation of spiritual life done solely by the Holy
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Spirit. Human effort.
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The flesh can't achieve this. Jesus compares it to the wind in
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John 3.8. Right.
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Unpredictable sovereign. Precisely highlighting its
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divine origin and our inability to control or manufacture it.
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So once that happens, the Spirit's work isn't done.
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Oh, not at all. It's really just getting
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started. He has many functions in the
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continuation of the Christian life.
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A primary one is enabling believers for service.
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Like Jesus promised greater works in John 14.12.
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Yes, tied to his departure in the spirits coming.
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Think of Pentecost, Peter preaches empowered by the Spirit
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and 3000 people are converted. That's spirit enablement for
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witness. Being witnesses to the ends of
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the Earth. Acts 1.8.
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Right. He provides the power, the
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boldness, the effectiveness for that mission.
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And he also provides indwelling and illumination.
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He lives in US. Yes, he resides within believers
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forever, Jesus says in John 14.16 to 17.
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He's the Spirit of truth guiding us into all truth.
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John 16 point 13th and 14. He teaches us, yeah, reminds us
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of Jesus words. He does, John 14.26.
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Says he teaches and brings things to remembrance, and he
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testifies about Jesus. John 15.26.
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This illumination helps us understand Scripture today,
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grasping its spiritual meaning. Like a divine guide within.
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Exactly, and another comforting role is his intercession for
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believers. Romans 8 talks about this.
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When we don't know how to pray. Yes, versus 2627.
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When we're weak, the Spirit helps us, interceding through
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wordless groans, ensuring our prayers align in accordance with
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the will of God. That offers great assurance,
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doesn't it? It really does, knowing our
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prayers are being perfected in a sense.
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And the Spirit is also central to sanctification, that ongoing
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growth. Absolutely.
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He liberates us from the law's condemnation, allowing us to
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live according to the Spirit rather than our old nature, the
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flesh. Romans 8.24 to 5. 9 He leads us,
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helps us put sin to death. Yes, he guides and leads us,
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enabling us to set aside the deeds of the flesh.
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Romans 8.13 And he gives that inner witness, that assurance
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that we are children of God. Romans 8.14 to 17.
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And a visible result of this is the fruit of the Spirit.
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Right Paul contrasts the Spirit controlled life with the life
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controlled by the flesh in Galatians 5.
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When we live by the Spirit, qualities like Lovejoy, peace,
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forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
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self-control start to grow. Galatians 5.2 to 23.
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These aren't things we can just produce ourselves.
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No, they're supernatural qualities, evidence of the
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Spirit's active presence and transforming work in us, the
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true mark of spiritual maturity. Finally, the spirit also gives
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special endowments or charismata spiritual gift.
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Yes, He sovereignly bestows these on believers within the
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body of Christ, and critically, they are intended for the
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building up of the entire church, not just for the
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individual. 1st Corinthians 12.7 says for the common good, and
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chapter 14 emphasizes edification.
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Exactly. The biblical texts give various
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lists. They seem illustrative, not
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exhaustive. Things like offices, apostles,
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teachers, basic functions, service teaching and special
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capabilities, wisdom, healing, tongues, et cetera.
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Romans 12, First Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, First Peter 4.
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We all list some. And it's crucial to note, no
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single person gets every gift, and no single gift is given to
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everyone. This fosters interdependence.
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We need each other like parts of a body, as Paul says in First
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Corinthians. 12 Precisely verses 14 to 2128 thirty really
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emphasize that. And all gifts, conspicuous or
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not, are valuable. First Korea, 12.2226 the Spirit
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apportions them sovereignly to each one, just as he determines
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First Korea, 12 points. 11 The debate on miraculous gifts
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today. OK, so this brings us to an area
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that, yeah, well, it's prompted a lot of discussion, hasn't it?
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The continuation of certain spectacular gifts, often called
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miraculous gifts. Yes, things like faith healing,
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casting out demons, and especially glossolalia or
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speaking in tongues. The core question is, does the
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Spirit still grant these specific endowments today, and
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if so, are they normative? There are strong views on both
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sides held by sincere believers. There are.
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Let's look at the arguments for their continuation.
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First, advocates often point to the narrative in Acts.
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Right Pentecost, Cornelius's household, the Ephesians
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speaking in tongues, often accompanied the spirits coming
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in power. They observed that this special
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filling or baptism often followed conversion and it's
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usual sign was tongues. And crucially, they note the
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Bible contains no explicit statement saying these gifts
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would cease. If it doesn't say they stopped,
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why assume they did? That's the argument.
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Pretty much. Proponents also suggest
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historical claims. They point to accounts
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throughout church history, maybe in smaller groups sometimes,
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where these gifts seem to persist.
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Suggesting it wasn't just a 1st century thing.
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Right. And then there's the
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experiential argument. People testify to their own
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experience of glossolalia. It's benefits in prayer, a sense
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of divine connection, a subjective certainty for them.
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And scripturally, they point out that Paul didn't forbid tongues
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in Corinth. Correct.
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He regulated its misuse in public worship but didn't ban
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it. First 14.39 He even said he
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spoke in tongues himself more than all of them.
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First Coriani. 14.1 teen. And encouraged them to eagerly
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desire gifts of the Spirit first.
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Cori 14.1. Which proponents take as
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applying to all gifts, including these.
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OK, so conversely, what are the arguments against the
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contemporary presence of these specific gifts?
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The cessationist view. Opponents often highlight what
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they see as historical cessation.
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They argue that these miraculous endowments largely diminished
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after the Apostolic age and weren't common through most of
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church history. And they might suggest later
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appearances were sometimes linked to groups with other
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unorthodox. Views.
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That argument is sometimes made, yes, questioning the source or
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context of later claims. What about scriptural arguments
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like First Corinthians 13.8? Some interpret that verse
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tongues will be stilled to mean tongues ceased earlier than
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prophecy and knowledge, perhaps when the foundational Apostolic
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witness was complete or the Canon closed.
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The Greek verbs used are slightly different.
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Linking to the purpose fulfilled argument.
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Exactly. Drawing from texts like Hebrews
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2.3 to 4, the idea is that these miraculous signs primarily serve
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to authenticate the Gospel message and the apostles in the
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foundational era. Once the New Testament was
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written and established, that specific authenticating purpose
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was fulfilled. Like scaffolding coming down
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once the building is up. That's a common analogy, yes.
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Another argument points to non spirit parallels.
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Phenomena similar to glossolalia exists in other religions or can
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sometimes be explained psychologically.
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Raising questions about whether all instances are necessarily
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from the Holy Spirit. Right.
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It calls for careful discernment, acknowledging other
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potential causes. And finally, the linguistic
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argument. Some linguists argue that modern
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day tongues often don't seem to resemble known human languages,
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unlike the Pentecost event where people heard the gospel in their
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own native languages. They suggest it's often more
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like ecstatic utterance rather than actual xenoglossia.
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Speaking unlearned languages, proper perspective and
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responsible approach. OK, so given these different
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viewpoints, how did the sources guide believers to approach this
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whole topic with wisdom and balance?
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That's key first regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
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while Acts shows instances where it was subsequent to conversion.
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Like the Samaritans or the Ephesian disciples of John?
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Right. The sources generally interpret
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that period and acts as transitional.
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The normative pattern since then is for conversion, regeneration
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and the baptism of the Holy Spirit to happen at the same
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time. Based on passages like First
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Corinthians 12.13, we were all baptized by 1 spirit into one
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body. Exactly.
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That suggests it happens when we become part of Christ's body at
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conversion. The Acts instances are often
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seen as unique situations involving Old Covenant believers
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or those with incomplete understanding of the Gospel.
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OK, so when evaluating contemporary charismatic
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phenomena, what's the approach? The sources acknowledge it's not
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possible to determine with absolute certainty in every case
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whether these are genuine endowments of the Spirit today.
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The Bible isn't explicit on an end date, and history is
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interpreted differently. So caution is needed on both
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sides. Definitely 1 cannot assume every
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claim is genuine. We know there can be
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psychological or even deceptive spiritual parallels.
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We need discernment. Test the spirits.
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But equally, no conclusive assertion can be made that such
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endowments are not for today. It could be risky to
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automatically attribute things to demonic activity, remembering
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Jesus's warning. So consider each case carefully,
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without judging others experiences unduly.
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And practically speaking, for the average believer, how
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important is this question? The sources suggest that whether
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the Spirit dispenses these specific endowments today is not
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an issue of great practical consequence.
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Why? Because we aren't told to seek
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specific gifts. The Spirit gives them
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sovereignly as He wills for square 12.1.
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Right, Our focus shouldn't be on chasing gifts.
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So what should our focus be? The crucial instruction is
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Ephesians 5.18 be filled with the Holy Spirit.
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This isn't about getting more of the Spirit.
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We have Him fully at conversion. It's about letting the Spirit
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have more of. US yielding control.
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Yes, an ongoing, continuous yielding.
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When a believer's life is fully controlled by the Spirit, it
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will demonstrate whatever endowments God intends and,
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critically, his moral attributes.
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Which leads to the priority of the food of the Spirit.
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Exactly Lovejoy, peace, patience, etcetera.
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Galatians 5.2223. These are presented as the real
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evidence of the Spirit's work. Paul elevates love above all
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gifts in First Corinthians 13. That's the greater aim.
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So character over charisma essentially.
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That seems to be Paul's emphasis now if something claimed to be
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glossolia does occur publicly. Paul gives guidelines in First
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Corinthians 14. Yes, and they should be
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followed. An interpreter must be present
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for edification only. Two or three should speak one at
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a time. If no interpreter, the speaker
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should remain silent. In the Church, order and
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understanding are paramount. It's not forbidden, but it's
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carefully regulated for the Church's benefit.
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And believers aren't commanded to seek that specific gift.
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Ultimately, the focus isn't on the gifts or the gifted person.
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No, the focus in scripture is on God the giver.
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First Career 1012.11. The purpose is always the
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building up of the church and the glory of God.
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Implications of the spirits work for believers today.
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So pulling this all together, understanding the Holy Spirit's
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broad activity has several really significant implications
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for us today. How does it shape our daily walk
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in service? First, recognizing that any
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abilities or gifts we have are divine bestows from the Spirit.
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They aren't our achievements. What should foster humility?
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Right. Absolutely.
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They're grace gifts for God's plan.
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Second, the Holy Spirit enables believers in their Christian
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life in service. So feelings of inadequacy
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shouldn't stop us. No, because we rely on His
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enablement, not our own strength.
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He equips us for what He calls us to do. 3rd The Spirit
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distributes his endowments wisely and sovereignly.
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Which helps us avoid pride if we have a visible gift, and avoids
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regret or envy if we don't. It's his choice for the body's
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good. 4th Because nobody has all the gifts.
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Fellowship is essential. We need each other.
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The diverse contributions of all spirit gifted believers are
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necessary for the health and growth of the whole potty
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interdependence. 5th We can depend on the Spirit for
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understanding God's Word and for guidance.
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Yes, we can approach Scripture and life's decisions with
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confidence, relying on His illumination and leading.
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And lastly. It's appropriate to direct
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prayer to the Holy Spirit as part of the Triune God.
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We can thank Him for his specific work in US and ask Him
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to continue it. Outro.
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Wow, we've really covered a lot of ground today from the Spirit
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and creation, through Jesus's life, His work in US, and even
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navigating those, those tricky debates about gifts.
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It's so clear, isn't it? The Holy Spirit isn't just some
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theological idea. Not at all.
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He's an active, relational person of God, intimately
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engaged with His people always. Essential for our new birth, our
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growth, our service. Absolutely, and hopefully the
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clarity we found, especially on his sovereign distribution of
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gifts and the priority of the fruit, gives us a solid path
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forward. So as you go about your week,
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maybe consider this. How might giving the Holy Spirit
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even fuller control, fuller access to your life, manifest
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His love, His joy, His peace, in new ways, both in you and
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through you? That's a great question to
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ponder. Maybe you recall those words
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from Simon Brown's hymn. Come, gracious spirit, heavenly
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dove, with light and comfort from above.
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Be thou our guardian, thou our guide, or every thought and step
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preside. A fitting prayer.
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Thank you for joining us for this deep dive.
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May you reflect on these truths and grow in your understanding
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and experience of God's active presence through His Spirit.
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Until next time, keep seeking truth and applying it with
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intention. This has been reformed thinking.