The Activity of the Spirit in the Lives of Church Age Believers, Part 13

The Activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Church Age believers, part 13.

We are going to proceed book by book in the New Testament and spend time on books that feature our subject: the activity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Church.

The very first direct mention of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John is here in chapter 1 verse 32.

The Holy Spirit from heaven made this demonstration in order that John might recognize who Jesus is.

The Holy Spirit identifies Jesus
and provides witness to Jesus.

John the Baptist is the bridge between the Old Testament and the New. In fact He is the last great prophet to Israel before the public ministry of our Lord, before the church age begins.

John the Baptist was filled with the Spirit from his mother’s womb, LUK 1:15.

LUK 1:15
"For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb.

John was completely devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ and His interests, in the same way that a good best man is totally devoted to the interests and needs of the bridegroom on the day of his wedding.

He was totally committed to testifying about the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

He was filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb because his entire life was to be a witness, a forerunner for the Lord Jesus Christ.

All of the activity of the Holy Spirit is for one purpose: to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit is completely devoted to our Lord Jesus Christ. This was true in the Old Testament, during His First Advent, and it is true throughout the Church Age as well.

In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come upon men to enable them to perform a special task.

The special tasks illuminated things about the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Constructing the tabernacle is a good example of this. Every aspect of the Tabernacle pointed to some feature of our Lord or His death on the cross.

The preaching of the prophets is another manifestation of the Spirit at work among the Old Testament saints. This is emphasized when it comes to Isaiah and Ezekiel.

The Holy Spirit was instrumental in the conception, development, birth, growing up, and in the training of the Lord Jesus.

The Holy Spirit continued this ministry during the forty days that the Lord was tested in the wilderness, LUK 4:1-2.

The Holy Spirit also sustained Christ in His sacrifice and sufferings on the cross, HEB 9:13-14.

And the Holy Spirit was involved in His resurrection, ROM 1:4.