Is it merely energy, like lightning, that Jehovah's Witnesses would have us believe? Or is it much more than that - God with us now, just as God was with us in human form when Jesus came to earth? What is your experience of the power of the Holy Spirit? How did it convict you of sin then point you to Christ? And was it merely a shock, like electricity, or does the Holy Spirit still work in your life today?
2007-09-23 07:03:19 · 25 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Great response everyone and, as you may already know, I never give out thumbs down. So commisserations to neils (nothing wrong with thinking someone else is delusional), Thomas Paine (whose answer I thought was quite sweet) and El Diablo King who is perfectly entitled to share his views with us all.
Thank you to slayer for actually sharing with us your EXPERIENCE of the Holy Spirit, and to hildegard for reminding us of how the Holy Spirit can help us.
I notice that our JW friends have not given any examples of the power of the Holy Spirit working in their lives - why is that? Could that be because you've been told you can only have a measure of the Holy Spirit? That only 144,00 can be fully anointed by the Holy Spirit? Want to give an explanation to that?
2007-09-24 06:39:12 · update #1
Yes, read Romans chapter 8 - what an inspirational chapter.
Although the Greek noun for 'spirit' is neuter, the Greek NT always calls the Holy Spirit 'he', never 'it' (John 16:13). The term 'paraclete' is essentially personal, referring to a personal agent. In John 14:15 Jesus speaks of the Spirit as 'another paraclete'; similarly Paul speaks of 'grieving' the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). One can resist a power, but grieve only a person.
The Holy Spirit shares the same divine nature as the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:18, 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6). Jesus speaks of the sin against the Holy Spirit as greater than that against the Son of Man (Matthew 12:28-32). Since the Son of Man, Jesus, is divine, then the Holy Spirit is also divine. Also, since only through God himself can God be known, the Spirit must be divine for he is the one through whom God is revealed to us (1 Cor. 2:10; 1 John 5:7-9).
2007-09-25 05:44:15 · update #2
the power of the Highest - Luke 1:35
The Holy Ghost is God.
Christ in you.
Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
He is the Comforter.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
read John chapter 14 esp. verse 16-26. Pay attention to verse 18.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=50&chapter=14&version=9&context=chapter
The Holy Ghost is given by God. He is the spirit of God. He is God. He is the spirit of Jesus Christ.
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Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
John 6:69
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
Mary concieved by the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 1:18
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Matthew 1:20
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
Luke 1:35
And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
This explains that the Holy Ghost is God because this is how Marry concieved. Marry became pregnant by the Holy Ghost, the power of the highest. If the Holy Ghost was not God Jesus would not be the Son of God.
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He is Christ in you.
John 14:16-26
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
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1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
justified in the Spirit
2007-09-23 08:17:11 · answer #1 · answered by Old Hickory 6 · 3⤊ 2⤋
When a Christian does sin, (yes when, not if) the Holy Spirit which is in the believer does indeed convict of sin. Many think it is mere conscience, as with even the non-believers. He reminds of righteousness, which is part of conviction. When man tries to convict of sin, it is only a guilt trip. Therefore, all true conviction must be from the Holy Spirit.
2016-05-17 04:55:11 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God lives in heaven, yet by means of his dynamic active force he is able to extend his control over the vast reaches of the universe as well as our tiny earth. Because the holy spirit comes from God and causes his Will to be done; it being imbued with God's own character; always at his service, even speaking for him; it is entirely appropriate that God's active force be personified at times.
There are other instances, though, where God's spirit is referred to as an "it." For example, 1st Corinthians 12:11 says: "But all these operations the one and the same spirit performs, making a distribution to each one respectively just as it wills." If the holy spirit were a person it would be inappropriate to refer to him as an "it."
Jehovah and Jesus are never referred to that way, and yet the spirit is. By far most references in the Bible to the holy spirit are impersonal.
2007-09-24 05:27:36 · answer #3 · answered by keiichi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper” (Greek, pa·ra′kle·tos), and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:13) It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Rom. 5:14, 21) While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25; Matt. 10:19, 20; compare Acts 20:23 with 21:10, 11.) At 1 John 5:6-8, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person.
The correct identification of the holy spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer to that spirit. With this viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will. Ps. 104:30
Like the so-called Old Testament, the part of the Bible called the Christian Greek Scriptures, or “New Testament,” says that the holy spirit can ‘fill’ a person or be “upon” him. (Acts 2:4; Luke 2:25-27) Holy spirit was ‘given,’ ‘poured out upon,’ and ‘distributed.’ (Luke 11:13; Acts 10:45; Hebrews 2:4) At Pentecost 33 C.E., the disciples received “some of” God’s spirit. (Acts 2:17) The Scriptures also speak of baptism with holy spirit and of anointing with it.—Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5; 10:38.
Such Biblical statements prove that the holy spirit is not a person. This conclusion is confirmed when we see that the holy spirit is listed with other impersonal things. For instance, the Bible states that Stephen was “full of faith and holy spirit.” (Acts 6:5) And the apostle Paul recommended himself as God’s minister “by purity, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by holy spirit, by love free from hypocrisy.” 2 Corinthians 6:4-6.
VARIOUS sources acknowledge that the Bible does not support the idea that the holy spirit is the third person of a Trinity. For example:
The Catholic Encyclopedia: “Nowhere in the Old Testament do we find any clear indication of a Third Person.”
Catholic theologian Fortman: “The Jews never regarded the spirit as a person; nor is there any solid evidence that any Old Testament writer held this view. . . . The Holy Spirit is usually presented in the Synoptics [Gospels] and in Acts as a divine force or power.”
The New Catholic Encyclopedia: “The O[ld] T[estament] clearly does not envisage God’s spirit as a person . . . God’s spirit is simply God’s power. If it is sometimes represented as being distinct from God, it is because the breath of Yahweh acts exteriorly.” It also says: “The majority of N[ew] T[estament] texts reveal God’s spirit as something, not someone; this is especially seen in the parallelism between the spirit and the power of God.”—Italics ours.
A Catholic Dictionary: “On the whole, the New Testament, like the Old, speaks of the spirit as a divine energy or power.”
Hence, neither the Jews nor the early Christians viewed the holy spirit as part of a Trinity. That teaching came centuries later. As A Catholic Dictionary notes: “The third Person was asserted at a Council of Alexandria in 362 . . . and finally by the Council of Constantinople of 381”—some three and a half centuries after holy spirit filled the disciples at Pentecost!
No, the holy spirit is not a person and it is not part of a Trinity. The holy spirit is God’s active force that he uses to accomplish his will. It is not equal to God but is always at his disposition and subordinate to him.
2007-09-23 07:08:21 · answer #4 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 4⤊ 2⤋
God is the Father and "convicts" of sin, as you put it. His son Jesus came down here to help us to understand more, if we are all willing. There are over 500 places in the New Testament that say Jesus is not God; like "Why do you call me good? I am not good. Only God is good." "God is spirit only." But because so many people want to have an "image" of God, as God requires us not to do; most feel they can call Jesus "God". There are a few metaphors in the Bible that say things like "God and Jesus are one"; but is also says "a married man and woman are one". That dose not mean they become permitley attached. Just metaphoric.
The Holy Ghost is what God descended upon Christian's that do believe and correctly. With the will to so as we are commanded. Not that we will sin with intention; but avoid sinning the best we can.
2007-09-23 07:22:14 · answer #5 · answered by geessewereabove 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Explaining the nature of God, the Bible clearly states: “God is a Spirit.” (John 4:24) A spirit has a form of life that differs greatly from ours, and it is invisible to human eyes. There are invisible spirit creatures as well. They are angels “the sons of the true God
The word “spirit” is also used in the Bible in another sense. Addressing God in prayer, the psalmist said: “If you send forth your spirit, they are created.” (Psalm 104:30) This spirit is not God himself but a force that God sends forth, or uses, to accomplish whatever he wishes. By means of it, God created the physical heavens, the earth, and all living things. His spirit is called holy spirit. God used his holy spirit to inspire the men who wrote the Bible. (2 Peter 1:20, 21) Hence, the holy spirit is the invisible active force that God uses to fulfill his purposes.
Holy spirit pours forth from Jehovah in limitless supply. It is God’s power in action. In fact, at Genesis 1:2, the Bible refers to it as God’s “active force.” The original Hebrew and Greek words that are rendered “spirit” may, in other contexts, be translated “wind,” “breath,” and “blast.” According to lexicographers, the original-language words suggest an invisible force in action. Like wind, God’s spirit is invisible to our eyes, but its effects are real and discernible.
A comparison of Bible texts that refer to the holy spirit shows that it is spoken of as ‘filling’ people; they can be ‘baptized’ with it; and they can be “anointed” with it. None of these expressions would be appropriate if the holy spirit were a person.
Jesus also referred to the holy spirit as a “helper, and he said that this helper would “teach,” “bear witness,” “speak,” and ‘hear.’ It is not unusual in the Scriptures for something to be personified. For example, wisdom is said to have “children.” (Luke 7:35) Sin and death are spoken of as being kings. (Rom. 5:14, 21) While some texts say that the spirit “spoke,” other passages make clear that this was done through angels or humans. (Acts 4:24, 25; 28:25, not only the spirit but also “the water and the blood” are said to ‘bear witness.’ So, none of the expressions found in these texts in themselves prove that the holy spirit is a person.
The correct identification of the holy spirit must fit all the scriptures that refer to that spirit. With this viewpoint, it is logical to conclude that the holy spirit is the active force of God. It is not a person but is a powerful force that God causes to emanate from himself to accomplish his holy will.
2007-09-23 16:55:05 · answer #6 · answered by BJ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Holy Spirit is the third person on the Trinity, fully God, not just a force or power. Jesus called Him the counsellor (John 15:26, John 16:7) and the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13) and says He will guide us into all truth. I believe I was baptised in the Holy Spirit at the moment I put my hand up to be blessed by Jesus, in effect the moment I became a Christian, and that felt like being filled with love, peace, joy, knowledge of God and His presence. The Spirit is great, when I pray for wisdom He guides me to the right books or films and I know that my knowledge of my faith, it's roots and the proof of Jesus come from His guidance. He works in my life all the time. As for convicting me of sin, I knew that certain things I had been doing were wrong almost straight away, without having to be told, but other things have been dealt with as the Spirit has shown to me. I have a way to go, but God doesn't ask us to change all of ourselves straight away (imagine the trauma of doing that! not to mention how our family and friends would react!).
I love it in John when Jesus says that ' He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.' I think the closeness of the Three persons of God is plainly shown here. They have different roles but they share knowledge.
2007-09-23 07:19:46 · answer #7 · answered by good tree 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I believe the conviction of sin and pointing us to Christ are part and parcel of the same process (an earlier answer said how awareness of Christ came before awareness of sin).
On the day of Pentecost all were 'filled with the Holy Spirit' (Acts 2:4). Referring to what happened in the house of Cornelius, Peter said 'They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have' (Acts 10:47). The Holy Spirit is not given out in measure (like a little bit of electricity) - check out John 3:34: "For the ONE whom God has sent speaks the words of God, FOR GOD GIVES THE SPIRIT WITHOUT LIMIT." When God comes into our lives, he sends us his Holy Spirit and we become TEMPLES to the Holy Spirit - 'Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, WHO is in you, WHOM you have received from God?' A temple to a thing? I don't think so!
To receive this free gift one must 'Repent and be baptised and you wil receive this gift' (Acts 2:38). Peter does not say, 'Be converted and wait for some other experience'. 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us 'We were all baptised by one Spirit into one body'. As with Acts 1:5, the Greek preposition used is EN (IN).
By faith Christ died for us, to atone for our sins. By faith we have the Spirit of God. By faith alone we have the Spirit. In Christ we have the Spirit. By the blood of the cross we are filled and sealed. We cannot then go on to say that the cross alone does not secure that. You are either filled (or drenched) with the Holy Spirit, or not. God does not dish out small quantities of himself, giving more to some than to others.
Regarding your request for experience of the power of the Holy Spirit - after I was baptised, my Christian brothers and sisters prayed for me that I would be convicted of the Holy Spirit (at my request). That night, the Holy Spirit did come, and filled me three times - it was frightening, awesome and comforting. And no, I had not been taking drink or drugs and was in full posession of my mental and physical faculties.
On a more practical level, the Holy Spirit will show its effects on Christians by changing their lives by producing the fruits of the Spirit. We must abide in Christ (John 15 re the parable of the vine and its branches), and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:25). If we are filled with the Spirit the effects will be clear (Ephesians 5:21). The main effect of the Holy Spirit is in transforming our lives so that we live in accordance with God's Word and submit our interests to God's will.
2007-09-24 19:36:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The blessed Holy Spirit does not wish to attract any attention to himself, but rejoices in pointing to Christ, and all of this is for the glory of God.
Genesis speaks first of his 'brooding' over the dark, wattery chaos of earth then erupting in creative power at God's word. He is the shekinah glory above the Ark of the Covenant. He is the miracle worker throughout history. He comes to those who trust in God, healing broken hearts and binding up our wounds. He caused the virgin Mary to conceive the Christ, to raise the crucified Christ, to empower believers on the day of Pentecost, to breath God's truth into all written scripture. He is the one who prevents the gates of hell prevailing over the Church. And every time a sinner is converted, it is the Holy Spirit's power at work in this new birth, akin to the power unleashed at creation.
I was convicted of my sin by his illumination of scripture when it spoke of the person of Christ. I began to see Christ's deity, then the Holy Spirit's deity and that they were one and the same as God the Father. Once I bowed my knee, I then began to learn the awfulness of my sin, the main one being my pride in previously having refused to acknowledge who Christ really is. And this is a lesson in progress. I do not wish to grieve the Holy Spirit, let alone commit the unpardonable sin against him. I recall Ananias and Saphira, struck dead by him for lying to him. An energy source cannot be lied to! Without the Holy Spirit leading me, I might as well curl up and die.
2007-09-24 09:06:41 · answer #9 · answered by Annsan_In_Him 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the Holy SPirit was describes by Jesus as "another councelor"
in greek another paraclete
Jesus was the first paraclete, helper and still is
in 1 John 2 we have a paraclete in heaven, Jesus Christ the righteous
Jesus is pulling for us in heaven
the Holy Spirit pulls for us on earth
kinda like having our front and back both covered
they are both referred to as persons, use the same paraclete tern, a personal term for a person who was like a family lawyer who went along side a person to help
2007-09-23 07:16:14 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 2⤋
The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Trinity. Equally God with the Father and the Son. In my case, He pointed me to Christ first and THEN convicted me of sin. The order does not matter too much...we have a gracious God.
2007-09-23 08:37:01 · answer #11 · answered by alan h 1 · 2⤊ 3⤋