Introduction
“And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” – John 16:8
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are yet to come” – John 16:13
The Holy Spirit and His Work
1. What promise did Christ make to His disciples at His ascension?
Matthew 28:20 – “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen“
Commentary: Just before Jesus returned to heaven, He made a promise to His disciples. He stated that He would be with them always, until the end of the age. But how would Christ be with His disciples if He was returning to heaven?
2. What would Christ pray to the Father to be given to His disciples?
John 14:16 – “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever“
Commentary: Jesus told His disciples that He would ask the Father to give Him another Comforter to be with them forever. Jesus is our Comforter, but since He was going to return to heaven, He had to leave something that represented Him here on earth.
3. Who is the Comforter and what would He do?
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“
Commentary: The Comforter promised by Christ is the Holy Spirit sent by the Father at His request. The Spirit would continue Christ’s work here on earth. He would teach the disciples new things and remind them of the other things already taught by Christ.
4. Why was it necessary for Christ to leave?
John 16:7 – “But I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you“
Commentary: The Holy Spirit has always been present with God’s people throughout their history. The coming of the Comforter mentioned by Christ was to be different from those that had occurred before. This time, the Spirit would be sent with the merits of Christ obtained on the cross of Calvary. His work would be more extensive and with greater power than those that had been accomplished. It is for this reason that the coming of the Comforter was delayed until Christ returned to heaven.
5. What would the Comforter do when he came?
John 16:8 – “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment“
Commentary: The primary work of the Holy Spirit when sent by Jesus would be to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Sin is defined in Scripture as the transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4; Romans 3:3; Romans 7:7). It is because of our transgressions of His Law that Christ had to give His life to save us. The Spirit was to convince people of Jesus’ sacrifice for us and the reason why Christ had to make that sacrifice. In His work, He was also to convince people of God’s righteousness, which is represented through His commandments. God’s righteousness was vindicated through the life of Christ, who demonstrated to the entire universe that it is possible to live completely by God’s Law. For this reason, the great accuser was unmasked, and judgment was to come upon Satan and all those who participate in his rebellion against God.
6. By what other title is the Comforter identified?
John 15:26 – “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me“
Comment: Another title given to the Comforter is “Spirit of truth“. Other Bible translations say: “Spirit of Truth“. Since the Father and the Son are identified as being the Truth, the Spirit who proceeds from both must also share this title. The Spirit is also the truth, and what proceeds from Him must be the Truth, for it is the Father and the Son who speak through the Spirit.
7. What would be the work of the Spirit of truth?
John 16:13 – “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are yet to come“
Commentary: The Spirit of God guides every person who desires to know the truth. This learning is not always easy or quick. Sometimes, learning His teachings can take time. In other cases, we must learn by living certain situations. His teachings are spoken directly to our minds and hearts. We must always be in communion with God to distinguish the voice of His Spirit in our minds and from our own thoughts.
8. Whom should the Spirit glorify?
John 16:14 – “He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you“
Comment: As Jesus Himself mentioned, the Holy Spirit should glorify Jesus. His work is to show us the greatness of the plan of salvation and all that Christ did and went through for us. He leads us to glorify God for the sacrifice He made on the cross when He sent His beloved Son. On the other hand, many people today have followed a path that is different from the mission of the Holy Spirit. In addition to glorifying Jesus, these people are changing their focus and continually glorifying the Holy Spirit. Praise is being given to the Spirit and not to Christ Himself. Could it be that the Spirit of God is leading this path, when Christ Himself declared that the Spirit would come to glorify Him and not speak of Himself?
9. How does God reveal to us the hidden things of His kingdom?
1 Corinthians 2:10 – “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God“
Commentary: On several occasions, God revealed His will directly to the prophets. He spoke to His servants, the prophets, through dreams or visions. But there is also another way in which He speaks to His children, and that is through His Spirit. He does not communicate with us personally, that is, visibly, because if He appeared before us, our mortal bodies would not be able to bear His glory and we would die. It is through His Spirit that He speaks to our minds and reveals His will, when it is not done directly to one of His servants.
10. Who inspires the prophets to proclaim their messages?
2 Peter 1:21 – “For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit“
Commentary: All the prophets in Scripture were guided by the Spirit of God to write and proclaim His message. The words spoken and written were the prophets’ own, but the content of what they spoke and wrote was directed by God through His Spirit.
11. How are the children of God sealed?
Ephesians 1:13 – “In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit“
Commentary: The moment we believe and accept the gospel message, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God. At that moment, the Spirit begins to dwell in our hearts, bringing about a change in our lives as presented by the gospel message.
12. What warning are we given about the Holy Spirit?
Ephesians 4:30 – “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption“
Commentary: Although God’s Holy Spirit works in our hearts, it is possible for us to grieve God when we no longer hear the voice of His Spirit and cease to be guided by His will.
13. Will the Spirit always work in the human heart?
Genesis 6:3 – “Then the Lord said, ‘My Spirit shall not always strive with man, …“
Hebrews 3:7-8 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…“
Commentary: The Scriptures declare that the Holy Spirit does not work continually in the lives of rebellious human beings. There comes a time when God Himself stops speaking in our hearts, and that time is when we begin to harden our hearts, ceasing to listen to and do His will. God does not want to force anyone to follow His ways. He is a kind and gentle God who is always willing to help us. However, when we resist the voice of His Spirit speaking in our hearts, He allows us to follow our own ways, which unfortunately are wrong ways that lead us away from eternal life.
14. What example do we find in David’s prayer?
Psalms 51:11 – “Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me“
Commentary: We must follow the example of David, who prayed that God would not withdraw His Holy Spirit from his heart. We need to continually be in communion with God and ask for the help of His Spirit in our lives so that we do not stray from the path we should follow.
15. How willing is God to give us His Holy Spirit?
Luke 11:13 – “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?“
Comment: God will always be willing to grant His Spirit to all who ask in faith and with a firm purpose to do His will.
The Fruit of the Spirit
16. Where would the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus be?
John 14:18 – “The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you“
Comment: When we receive the Holy Spirit from God, He begins to live within us. We do not know how this happens, because God is a spiritual being. His Spirit begins to live in our hearts, always speaking to our minds what His will is.
17. What do we become when the Spirit of God dwells in us?
1 Corinthians 3:16 – “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?“
1 Corinthians 6:19 – “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?“
Comment: With the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, we are considered to be the temple of the living God. Just as the Sanctuary received the presence of God in ancient Israel and made it a holy place, we must now consider our body as a place holy to God. This is not about worshiping ourselves, but about taking good care of our body to glorify our God. By following dietary advice, practicing physical activity, and taking other necessary care of our body continually, we will be glorifying God.
18. What is the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law“
Commentary: The presence of the Spirit of God in us brings about a change in our thoughts and actions. When the Spirit is in us, we begin to exercise works of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, true faith, gentleness, and temperance. Here, the fruit of the Spirit is presented in the singular. It is just one fruit, not several. Therefore, it is not enough to have just one or another characteristic listed above. We must have them all!
19. What are the works of the flesh?
Galatians 5:19-21 – “For the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, jealousy, outbursts of wrath, strife, dissensions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and things like these: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God“
Matthew 15:18-19 – “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, blasphemies“
Romans 1:28-29 – “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity“
Commentary: Although the Spirit dwells within us, we must remember that we live in a carnal body that is corrupted by sin. The nature that dwells within us will always seek to fulfill desires that are not approved by God. This nature will only cease to exist when the process of glorification that will be carried out by Christ at His coming occurs. Until then, we will depend on divine help to control these desires.
20. How can the works of the flesh be avoided?
Galatians 5:16 – “But I say, Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh“
Commentary: We can never be good people on our own. The natural desire of our hearts is to do what is contrary to God’s will. We need the help of the Spirit to keep us from fulfilling the unbridled desires of our carnal nature. In the verse above, we find Paul’s advice, which tells us to always walk in the Spirit and not to fulfill our own carnal desires.
21. Through what is God’s love poured into our hearts?
Romans 5:5 – “And hope does not disappoint, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us“
Commentary: The main characteristic of God is granted to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Love should be reflected in our lives when we are in communion with God.
22. How is love defined in the Bible?
Colossians 3:14 – “And above all these things put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony“
Commentary: Without love, it is impossible to achieve perfection of character, for love is the bond of perfection.
23. How does love manifest itself?
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 – “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not boast, love is not arrogant. It does not behave rudely, it does not seek its own, it is not easily provoked, it keeps no record of wrongs“
24. What does God’s gentleness do for us?
Psalms 18:35 – “You have also given me the shield of your salvation; your right hand has held me up, and your gentleness has made me great“
Commentary: When we become meek and quiet people, we are magnified in the sight of God, for we increasingly reflect the divine character itself.
25. What spirit should we show towards others?
2 Timothy 2:24 – “And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel but be gentle to everyone, able to teach, patient“
Comment: Gentleness should not only be shown to those we love. It should be something we have towards all people, including those who mistreat us.
26. How should we treat those who offend us?
Romans 12:19-20 – “Do not avenge yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for in doing so you will heap coals of fire on his head“
27. How does God regard a meek and quiet spirit?
1 Peter 3:3-4 – “Their adorning should not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing gold jewelry, and of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God“
28. How is he praised who rules his own spirit?
Proverbs 16:32 – “Better is he that is slow to anger than the mighty, and he that controls his temper than he that takes a city“
29. To what unity are Christians exhorted?
Ephesians 4:3 – “Seeking to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace“
Commentary: When the Holy Spirit is dwelling in us, we will not have quarrels with our neighbors. We will always be living in peace with everyone. This does not mean that other people will be at peace with us, even if we are at peace with them, because it is possible that such people do not have the Spirit of God in their hearts.
The Gifts of the Spirit
30. What should we be informed about?
1 Corinthians 12:1 – “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant“
Commentary: There are spiritual gifts that are given to members of Christ’s church.
31. What was given by Christ when He ascended into heaven?
Ephesians 4:8 – “Therefore he says: When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men“
Commentary: The above verse shows us that it is Christ who gives gifts to His church.
32. What were these gifts that Christ gave to men?
Ephesians 4:11 – “And he himself gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers“
Commentary: Some gifts are presented in the verse above. Christ always enables us when necessary to fulfill His work. There are other gifts that will be presented in later verses.
33. How are the gifts of the Spirit applied?
1 Corinthians 12:28 – “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues“
34. For what purpose were these gifts given to the church?
Ephesians 4:12-14 – “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive“
1 Corinthians 12:7-10 – “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another the discerning of spirits; to another various kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues“
Commentary: This is a very important point regarding spiritual gifts. As we can see from the above verses, gifts are given to each person for the following purposes: (1) to perfect the saints, until all come to the knowledge of Christ, becoming like our great model; (2) for the work of the ministry, keeping in mind that gifts are given to be useful in the cause of Christ; (3) to edify the body of Christ, that is, the members of the church.
Realize that the reason gifts are given by the Spirit is so that we may become the full stature of Christ. They are given to be useful in ministry. Although these are the reasons they are given to the church, many have used the “gifts” to show off in front of other people. Furthermore, such people who claim to have some gifts of the Spirit do not possess the fruit that belongs to Him, demonstrating no change in their thoughts or actions in the way they live. Could it be that such “gifts” may have been granted by the Spirit of God Himself?
35. Is it God’s purpose that everyone receive the same gifts?
1 Corinthians 12:29-30 – “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?“
Commentary: Within God’s plans, it is not His will that all His children have the same gifts and talents. Each person can receive a different gift, according to the needs of the community. God empowers everyone differently. What is up to each of us is simply to exercise the gift we have received. Some people mistakenly understand that certain gifts must be present in the life of a Christian as proof of the presence of the Spirit of God in his or her life. This cannot be true, because what proves that the Spirit is acting in a person’s life is the fact that he or she is being transformed over time into a new creature. The presence or absence of certain gifts is God’s prerogative. It is He who decides when and which gift to grant to His children.
