Bible Study Notes 11/12/2024

Word Alive! Bible Study ©2024

Fall Series: Experiencing The Holy Spirit In & With Us © 2024

Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton

Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor

Tue., 12 Nov. 2024 Lesson 11, Part 1, pp. 158-170

Quiet Time: H&M Blackaby, Experiencing the Holy Spirit

Continuously Filled – The presence and work of the Holy Spirit in us is both settled and continuously evolving.  While the Holy Spirit enters our lives because of receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the effect of the Spirit’s presence in us is revealed by our behavior and actions.  Jesus said when a person receives salvation (welcome into the family of God), it is the Spirit whose presence enters and “gives eternal life.” The word “gives” is from a Greek term which means “to spurn or create life.” The Spirit is not dormant, but alive in us! (Read, John 6:63; and, Jn. 7:37-39, NLT). Our lives become blessed with the eternal presence of Christ our Savior, who gives us a life of fulfillment, purpose, and completion. Jesus said our human lives alone, as important as they are, cannot fulfill the ultimate purpose for which we have been created. Jesus said the Holy Spirit given to us, can satisfy the deepest yearning of the spirit, and hunger of our hearts. (Read, John 4:13-14, NLT).   Some of the Jewish religious leaders believed the Commandments as interpreted by the ancient rabbis, could suffice them spiritually. Jesus reminded these leaders that even the mana God sent their ancestors in the wilderness, and the water they drank, which was drawn from the tap of a rock by Moses; could only satisfy them for a while. The Spirit’s refreshment is continuous and brings eternal life.  We’re tempted to seek solutions  through human effort alone.  The Holy Spirit directs us in paths that will bring resolve to our worries. The environment we Christians operate in is the Kingdom of God. In this realm, it is what our  lives produce through the Spirit that brings real change. (Read, Romans 14:17, NLT). The  life we live in the Spirit shapes our character in a spiritual, effective, and purposeful way. It is possible to live such a life in this world. This is why the Apostle Paul warned early Christians: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you. Which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (See, Romans 12:2, NLT). Paul’s admonition also is written to us. People often say, “I can’t change. This is just the way I am.” But the Scripture says, “Let God…change the way you think.”  It’s one thing to acknowledge what we can’t do: but it’s better to ask God to change the part of us, we’ve given up on. As we accept the necessary changes, we will experience the qualities  the Spirit can produce in our lives. (Read, Galatians 5:22-26, NLT). There are no human laws that can repeal the work of the Holy Spirit in us. In their book, Experiencing the Holy Spirit, Henry and Melvin Blackaby comments: “You can easily spot a person who has come near the Kingdom of God and is under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. That person’s mouth is stopped – no more excuses, no more explaining away sinful behavior. He or she humbly kneels at the cross and says, “God, forgive me a sinner.” This person is growing daily toward Christlikeness.”  As we desire, so does the Holy Spirit deposit in our hearts what we need to mature in faith. We will become more like the Christ who gave His life for us. The Spirit reminds us we are no longer bound by exacting laws, but a new covenant binds us to the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. (Read, 2 Cor. 3:6b, NLT).

Key Idea:

What We Believe!

1. "The Holy Spirit is in you and accompanies you!"

Key Verses:

John 6:63, NLT

“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

John 4:13-14, NLT

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will  never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling stream within them, giving them eternal life.”

Romans 14:17, NLT

“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living  a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Galatians 5:22-26, NLT

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of faith in ourselves: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.  Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.”

John 7:37-39, NLT

“On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowd, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink. For the Scriptures declare, “Rivers of living water will flow  from his heart.” (When He said, “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered His glory.).”

2 Corinthians 3:6b, NLT

“… under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life.”