The Person and Work of Satan
Join Dr. Easley as he completes Part II of Satanology and wraps up our series, Why We Believe What We Believe.
Unless we stop, rest, and spend time studying the work and role of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word, it will remain a mystery to us.
But I have confidence in His word and in His Spirit that as we spend time there, we will understand more and more His role in our lives.
Learn more about the work of God’s Spirit in Episode 12 of our Why We Believe What We Believe Series.
When Jesus Christ was about to die, John 14 records what’s called the “upper room discourse.”
A very intimate account of Christ talking to His closest friends.
After He’s washed their feet and served the “Last Supper,” and sent Judas to go do what he had to do, He’s alone with his 11 closest friends.
Listen to what He says in John 16:5-13
The person of the Holy Spirit is here called “The Helper” (Gk. παράκλητος, Paraclete.: the one who walks alongside, called to one’s aid).
He guides us and helps us in this spiritual life. He’s a person who is going to come and indwell the disciples after Christ goes.
Later, Christ says “If I don’t go to the Father, I can’t send Him to you.”
It’s required that Jesus dies, is buried, resurrects, and ascends for the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit who will indwell them permanently.
This is the last thing Jesus tells His disciples before He goes to die – about the importance of the Holy Spirit.
Identity: When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we don’t speak of the Spirit as “it.” John 14:16, Jesus compares the other “helper” to Himself. The Spirit is a person, not an “it.” 1 Corinthians 12:11, the Holy Spirit is a person and He distributes those gifts–
In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God would indwell selectively and temporarily. David, Saul, Gideon, Samson, etc.
Romans 8:9
We use a lot of terms to describe the role of the Holy Spirit: Assurance, guidance, inclining, directing, leading, the Spirit calling — all these inventive terms we use, sometimes out of context, to explain what the Spirit’s doing in our lives.
“Since the Spirit of God dwells in you.”
The confirmation of eternal security, in large measure, is because when we trust Christ, the Holy Spirit of God indwells us.
My experience means nothing in comparison to the knowledge that the Spirit indwells me.
Experience is a hard way to live theologically. No matter our experience, according to Romans 8:9, the Holy Spirit of God indwells us.
A lot of times people will talk about inviting Jesus into our hearts, but you wont find that terminology in the Bible.
If you tell a concrete child “ask Jesus to come and live in your heart” they will envision Jesus shrinking down, going in a tiny door in their hearts, and sitting down on a stool.
Jesus Christ called children to Himself and never used that kind of language. Why do we have to make the gospel something it’s not?
Was Jesus not clear enough when He said “believe in Me”?
The Holy Spirit has become our permanent roommate. He indwells us.
“But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him”
If the Holy Spirit doesn’t indwell us, we aren’t saved. Inversely, the way we know we’re saved may or may not have anything to do with experience – but it does have to do with trusting Christ at His word that the Holy Spirit indwells us.
Ephesians 1:13
“After listening to the message of truth” – the means by which the gospel is communicated is outlined. When we share Christ or open the Bible and teach, we are telling people the message of truth.
“having also believed” this is great evangelism theology:
The message was delivered, and you believed it. You embraced it.
Then, you were sealed.
Greek: παράκλητος, Sphragizo. (sfrag-id’-zo)
The seal authenticates a document. When you and I trusted Christ, we were sealed by His Spirit.
The reason that’s important is because our goal in reaching heaven is not contingent on what we do or don’t do.
The only way you and I will find entry into heaven is that you and I have been sealed by God’s Spirit to authenticate that we’ve but our trust and faith in Christ and Christ alone.
We embrace, trust, accept, believe, put our faith in the Gospel – but He does all the work.
Ephesians 4:30
There’s a lot of confusion about what it means to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2, the miracle at Pentecost authenticates the fulfillment of Joel 2.
There’s also confusion about the role of water baptism: when the Holy Spirit comes, when the baptizing sequences occur, how many times one must be baptized, some talk about a fire baptism and other manifestations that have to accompany this.
And, There’s confusion about the filling of the Holy Spirit.
This set the tone for baptism. Set aside for a moment all other aspects of baptism – what’s really important is when God the Father says:
“this is my Son,” and the Spirit is the identifying feature of that.
The point is not the mode, the point is you are identifying yourself as a follower of Christ when you are baptized to demonstrate your obedience to His commands.
This is an identification and incorporation with the body of Christ.
15 times in the new testament we have the filling of the Holy Spirit.
Every time I read the word “filled” in the English Bible, I substitute with the word “controlled” in my mind. I believe the word filled came closer to meaning controlled the way we use the term.
Ephesians 5:18
If you were to take enough alcohol, an external substance that you control, before long, that alcohol will control you.
The Holy Spirit is an external person, and when we believe in Him, He indwells us.
The question is, do we allow Him to control our lives, or do we control our lives?
That’s where the whole issue of the spiritual life begins. When you trusted Jesus Christ, you were indwelt by His Spirit whether you knew it or not.
He does many other things I haven’t begun to talk about, but the most applicable part of this is: are we submitted, yielded, in step with the One who has come alongside to help us?
Sally was almost penniless. Her husband Jeb had died years before. His life insurance paid off the mortgage, but that was about it. The house was deteriorating around her; the car had been junked long ago because she couldn’t keep up with the repairs and insurance. She got by on a few dollars each week for groceries; her electricity was taken away; she decided to live by a coleman stove and candlelight. Sally rarely left home. How could she when everything cost money; coffee was eighty-five cents even with her senior citizens discount, a movie was three dollars; the walk to the park required shoes, and her remaining pair were threadbare. Day after day Sally was at home crushed. She sat in her rocking chair. “Life was supposed to be better than this,” she thought. It started out so great, so full of promise but that’s all past by now. This is the way she lived for years; lonely, defeated, until one day an old acquaintance called her. Miriam was heartbroken when she saw Sally’s condition. She decided to stay a few days and help Sally by straightening up the house. In the course of helping her old friend, Miriam made a discovery. Tucked away in a file drawer of Jeb’s rolltop desk was a folder that said, “For Sally.” Inside Miriam found an old bank savings book. The least entry had been made twenty two years earlier, just before Jeb had died. The bank book had a balance of 87,000$ but that wasn’t all. The folder also contained a yellow envelope sealed and inscribed with Jeb’s handwriting, “To Sally with love, forever.” “Do you know what this is, Miriam asked. Sally searched her mind. She remembered when her husband was dying the tender words that passed between them. Then the memory hit her. The grief and the heartache of those days, he said, “When I’m gone there’s something important in my desk.” Now Miriam watched Sally open the envelope carefully inside, there was single folded page and a key. It read, “My dearest love, my time with you draws short, but I want you to know I’ve provided everything you will need once I’m gone. Check the bankbook in the file, then take the key to the bank with you. In loving remembrance enjoy life to the full. With love forever, Jeb.” Sally and Miriam discovered the key was to a safety deposit box at the bank. They lifted the metal lid of the box, their eyes widened; several bundles of cash, 32,000$ in all; also a pile of stock certificates and three holders of rare coins. That afternoon the broker informed them the stock was were worth 550,000$ on the current market; a coin dealer appraised the coins at 47,000$; the bank calculated twenty two years of interest on the savings account. All told, Sally was worth 883,000$ and she had been living in misery and despair.
An over-the-top illustration–but is it really?
When you placed your trust in Christ and Christ alone for your salvation, the very person of the Holy Spirit indwelt you.
And we live the christian life so pathetically, myself included, many times. And we have all the resources of the Godhead in our lives.
Rest. Stop. Don’t stress so much. Don’t work so hard.
Find the place where you work and rest, use the resources of the very Spirit of God who indwelt everyone who believes in him.
If you’ve trusted Christ and Christ alone, the Holy Spirit of God dwells in you.
Unless you rest, unless you stop, unless you spend some time in God’s word studying the work and role of God’s Spirit, it will always remain a mystery.
But I have confidence in His word and in His Spirit that as you spend time there, you will understand more and more His role in your life.
Have a Biblical or Theological question? Ask Dr. E! Call us at 615-281-9694 and leave a voicemail with your question or email us at question@michaelincontext.com. Michael will answer it on an upcoming Ask Dr. E episode!
Join Dr. Easley as he completes Part II of Satanology and wraps up our series, Why We Believe What We Believe.
Our culture has become increasingly opposed to black-and-white ideas, particularly in the area of theology. To hold firm convictions as a Christian is often difficult.
Learn more about the controversial Doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the ways some academic approaches challenge our beliefs in Episode 11 of Why We Believe What We Believe.
Justification is not “just as if I’d” never sinned. It’s much more than that. Justification is the work of Jesus Christ to declare you righteous. Let’s learn together in episode 10 of Why We Believe What We Believe.