"Gift," as used in the name of the website, is an acronym for the Gospel Is For Transformation. In a very real sense the Holy Spirit's gospel is for transformation.
The purpose of the gospel of Christ as revealed by the Holy Spirit is for the transformation of man from sinner to saint by the renewing of one's mind, thus proving or testing God's desired intention for all of mankind. (Rom. 12:1-2)
Inspired of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter wrote, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Pet. 3:9 NKJV)
Understand, though it is God's will that none perish, man being created in the likeness of God and having a free will of his own, will determine whether he perishes or not.
With this concept in mind, a concentrated study entitled The Gift, is given to the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the salvation, conversion and sanctification processes of one who obeys the gospel of Christ.
Before beginning, I have provided my personal belief specific to the work of the Holy Spirit:
As a Christian, I believe the Spirit dwells in me the same way God the Father dwells in me (1 Jn. 4:12); the same way the Christ dwells in me (Col. 1:27; 2 Cor. 13:5). This “dwelling” or “abiding” is by faith through the word of God (Rom. 10:17). The word is the “seed” or medium or means through which God speaks to man today. (Lk. 8:11; 2 Tim. 3:17; Heb. 4:12; Jude 3; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; 3:15-18; 1 Jn. 2:14)
I affirm the following proposition:
The Scriptures teach that the influence of the Holy Spirit over the mind of a person is through a medium with the exception of several New Testament miracles involving the direct operation of the Holy Spirit.
Medium is defined as a means of effecting or conveying something. In relation to this study, the Holy Spirit conveys God’s will to man today and effects one's beliefs only though a medium.
For example: If I say, “I will carry (or take) you to the store,” I will do so most likely by the means of a car and not by a direct means of physically picking you up and literally carrying you to the store. I perform this task indirectly by the means of a medium – a car. Thus, the Holy Spirit today indirectly influences the minds of men, both Christian and non-Christian, and accomplishes His work by means of a medium - the Holy Bible.
At this point of the study, you may either be in full agreement or full disagreement. One major difference between Christianity as taught in the New Testament and that which is taught largely today is the way in which the Holy Spirit influences or operates - whether by a direct means upon the minds of men (both sinner/saint), separate and apart from the word of God, or by an indirect means through hearing or reading the word of God.
Let us start with a question - Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is Deity. He possesses the same qualities of divinity or divine nature as God the Father, and God the Son. The English name of this divine nature is God. In Hebrew, it is Elohim. Gen. 1:1, "In the beginning God..." (Elohim). The ending "im" indicates the word Elohim is plural. In the Greek, the word is Theos. There is but one true Elohim, Theos, God or divine nature, yet this divine nature consists of three separate personalities. (Deut. 6:4)
The Holy Spirit is:
1. Eternal (Heb. 9:14)
2. Omniscient (1 Cor. 2:9-11)
3. Omnipotent (Mic. 3:8)
4. Omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-10)
The Holy Spirit is a member of the Godhead
1. The Holy Spirit begat Jesus, the Son of God. (Matt. 1:18-23; Lk. 1:30-35)
2. Lying to the Holy Spirit was the same as lying to God. (Acts 5:1-4)
3. A person is to be baptized by the authority of God the Father, God the Son and of God, the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19)
4. There is one Spirit, one Lord and one God and Father of all. (Eph. 4:3-6)
5. All three of the Godhead are spoken of in regards to Christians being children of God. (Rom. 8:12-17)
6. Paul asks a blessing for those at Corinth in the name of each of the Godhead. (2 Cor. 13:14)
7. Salvation is spoken of by Peter as being provided by all three of the Godhead. (1 Pet. 1:2)
(For a more extensive study of the Holy Spirit, please refer to the study of God under the topic heading, Studies)
The Work of the Holy Spirit regarding One's Conversion and Sanctification
Romans 8:16, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." Paul, writing to Christians at Rome, declares the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we (a reference to Christians) are children of God. Notice also, the text does not say the Holy Spirit bears witness "to our spirit" but "with our spirit" that we are children of God.
A witness is a person, or something that gives testimony; someone or something providing evidence or proof. In order to bear witness, testimony is required. Testimony itself requires firsthand knowledge or experience.
There is a difference between "bearing witness to" someone or something, and "bearing witness with" someone or something. This is also true of talking to a person versus talking with a person.
In talking to a person, only one person speaks. In talking with a person, both individuals testify one with the other. There is a sense of agreement and fellowship.
Regarding the Holy Spirit, the testimony of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of one’s own spirit ought to agree with each other. The testimony of either ought not to contradict the other as witnesses.
There are two questions in regards to this verse (Rom. 8:16):
1. In one's conversion and sanctification, how does the Spirit of God convey His thoughts and ideas to the spirit of man?
2. How does the testimony of the Holy Spirit bear witness with the testimony of one's own spirit in proving that the person is in fact a child of God?
All who believe in the Scriptures of the Bible (i.e. Rom. 8:16) will agree that the Holy Spirit does in fact bear witness in proving a person is a child of God.
The difference is in the understanding as to how the Holy Spirit imparts His testimony; whether the Holy Spirit imparts His ideas (or stated more correctly, God the Father’s ideas) into a person’s mind directly by moral force (supernaturally or miraculously), or indirectly through mental influence (naturally or non-miraculously).
I believe God uses a well-defined, divinely appointed medium through which He convicts and influences a person’s mind. Remove or reject this medium and where it has been removed or rejected, one is left without the influence of the Spirit.
Consider the following arguments for the word of God as the means of influencing and communicating God’s thoughts, wisdom and laws to the mind of man.
A. The mind of man. The mind is said to have ten identifiable attributes, or senses. Five are external (smell, taste, feel, hear, see); five are internal (perception, reflection, memory, reason, judgment). The internal senses are dependent on the external in order to operate.
1. There can be no perception, reflection, memory, reason or judgment unless there is first activity from one or more of the five external senses.
2. There can be no judgment without exercise of reason, no reason without memory, no memory without reflection, no reflection without perception and no perception without the previous exercise of one or more of the external senses.
3. One cannot judge what is not first reasoned; one cannot reason through that which he has no memory of; or recall that which he has never reflected upon; or reflect upon that which one has never perceived.
4. Each of the external senses have their own realm in which they operate (i.e. the nose cannot hear; eyes cannot smell). Of those five external senses, only two provide the means by which testimony can be learned.
5. Of the five external senses, only ears and eyes provide the means by which testimony can be learned. Consider the following three thoughts: There is one living and true God; The spirit of man may never cease to be; Sinners can become children of God. Where did these thoughts originate from?
6. Man, by way of scientific observation cannot learn that there is one true God, that the spirit of man may not cease, or that a sinner can become a child of God.
B. The mind of God. In Acts 16:10, Paul having experienced a vision “concluded that the Lord had called us (Paul, Silas and Luke - MLW) to preach the gospel to them" (to those in Macedonia - MLW).
1. The Lord no longer uses visions to convey His will (mind), but uses His word to call Christians to preach and teach the gospel to others. (Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2; 4:2)
2. The Holy Spirit continues to influence men today, but only through the following ways:
a. Intercession of the Spirit (Rom. 8:26) . This is not something the Spirit does directly to Christians (those in a covenant relationship), but does indirectly for us. It is also through the means of prayer that God’s providential care is provided. (Rom. 8:28)
b. Indirectly through the word of God. The Holy Spirit has supplied mankind with a permanent means by which to learn, obey, preach and teach. (Rom. 1:16; Jn. 16:13; 17:20; 2 Thess. 2:13-15; Heb. 4:12; 1 Tim. 4:6)
It is through the gospel of Christ that a person learns the perfect (complete) will of God for man, and once learned, a person then has the knowledge to obey that which is required to become a child of God and enter into a covenant relationship with Him.
The gospel further equips the child of God to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). Thus, the gospel is for transformation.
THE HOLY SPIRIT'S GIFT
One might ask, "Why is it the Holy Spirit's gift?," or "Why is it the Holy Spirit's gospel?" Why is it His good news?
First, Scripture teaches that "no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Pet. 1:20-21 NKJV). They were moved by the Holy Spirit. This applies to the prophets and preachers of both the Old and New Testament.
Second, Jesus told His disciples that "the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said" (Jn. 14:26 NKJV). Again, Jesus spoke to His disciples saying, "When He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but what whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." (Jn. 16:13 NKJV)
Third, the apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth regarding the words of the apostles, "For what man knows the things of man except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." (1 Cor. 2:11-13).
You see then that the gospel was taught by holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit having guided them into all truth. Their inspired words are recorded for our learning. (2 Pet. 3:14-18; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Rom. 15:4)
Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome, "I beseech you therefore, brethren,...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom.12:1-2 NKJV).
Thus, it is through the gospel, revealed and delivered by the Holy Spirit to inspired or holy men of God who in turn wrote that which was revealed to them, that one learns the will of God for man. To deliver the Scriptures to the world was fundamental to the work of the Holy Spirit.
When the Scriptures were completed, delivered by inspiration, they contained all that man needed to know in order to become a Christian, to live in a manner pleasing before God and to receive a home in heaven when life upon this earth is over.
Paul wrote to Timothy stating, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NKJV). The point made here is that it is the Scriptures that thoroughly equip the man of God. the Christian, unto all that is necessary to complete him in the ministry (or service) of God.
Therefore, nothing else is needed, nor will be revealed. There is nothing that pertains to faith and godliness that has not been previously revealed, confirmed and delivered by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. (2 Pet. 1:1-4; Jude 3)
