A Study on the Holy Ghost

̶Week 2 of 38̶

By David Wilson

© 2017 by David Wilson

All rights reserved

The Holy Ghost

Who is He?

What is He?

What does He do?

How does He affect our lives?

As I study scripture, it’s my belief that no one can be a consistent believer of the Bible without holding to the doctrine of the tri-unity of the Godhead. 1 John 5:7 states:

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Note: In this study, all scripture is quoted from the King James Version unless otherwise stated. All scriptures are italicized.

These are three separate individuals with one purpose, one goal in mind: to reach a lost mankind; to give them a chance to receive salvation and join in fellowship with God. We were created for this fellowship with God but foolishly let Satan steal it away.

In addition to the numberless references to the different persons of the Godhead found throughout the word of God, there are certain passages which refer to all three members of the Trinity. Note the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, but we use it to denote the tri-unity of God.

You might say everybody knows that, but not everyone believes in the Trinity. Some believers are “two-list.” They believe God is a person, that Jesus is a person, but the Holy Ghost is not a person; the Holy Ghost is the spirit or ghost of Jesus after He died on the cross. Jesus isn’t dead. He’s alive and well. I cannot personally believe this teaching. The Holy Ghost, as we shall see, has all the characteristics of being his own person.

Another belief is the “oneness” belief, which teaches that God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are not three, but all the same person. I don’t doubt the salvation of the “two-list” or the “oneness” believers. I do have trouble with their doctrines. If Jesus and God are the same person, then to whom did Jesus pray? Himself? I hardly think so. If Jesus, as scripture states, is seated at the right hand of God, then is Jesus seated at His own right hand? Again, I think not. A “oneness” believer once said to me there aren’t three Gods; there is only one God. I know I’m far from being smart. I, however, through the leading of the Holy Ghost, can see that the Godhead is made up of three individual persons, and all three work with one mind and in one accord; three in one and one in three.

(Next week we will read about proving the Divine Trinity.

If you enjoyed this, you can purchase the book on our website in the Bookstore.)

6/9/2018

I was reading an article about becoming a praying church by Meredith Cook, and it reminded me of a practice that my husband started with his first church. Any revival that God did not start during a church service was started with at least one week of prayer meetings. It was a blessing every time we had a revival because the church was closer to God and better equipt to help pray around the altar with the ones needing prayer.

Then a few months back my son's church was led to have at least one person committed to being at church one hour before church to pray for the service and then continue praying until the service was over. Their revival lasted seven days a week for seven weeks and God moved mightily in their revival as well as in the people's lives. I can still see the results in some of their lives now and when we visit you can feel God's spirit there.

Follow the link below and read the article and ask God if he would like you to start practicing the five steps Meredith Cook mentions in her article.

https://www.lifeway.com/pastors/2018/06/07/becoming-a-praying-church/

C.I. Wilson

(David Wilson is the author of several books available in the IGFEA website bookstore. We are presenting A Study on the Holy Ghost in a serialized format over the next 38 weeks. You can purchase the book in a high-quality paperback directly from the IGFEA bookstore or choose the Kindle version at www.amazon.com. C.I. Wilson)                                             

 A Serialized Release of

A Study on the Holy Ghost

̶ Over 38 Weeks ̶

By David Wilson

© 2017 by David Wilson

All rights reserved

 Introduction

In the church today, there’s a misunderstanding about the Holy Ghost. People need to know who and what the Holy Ghost truly is, and what He does in the lives of believers. The church sets the Holy Ghost aside as if He’s not important in our lives. It’s time we understand the rightful place of the Holy Ghost in the church. Salvation comes through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. It’s a gift from God, a way to bring us back into fellowship with God, as Jesus comes to live in our hearts and lives. As precious and wonderful as Jesus is, He’s now in heaven with His Father. However, He hasn’t left us alone. He has sent us another comforter, which is the Holy Ghost.

In putting together this Bible study, I want to impress upon people the importance of the Holy Ghost. People need to know who the Holy Ghost is and what part He plays in the plan of God. My primary source is Rev. Ralph M. Riggs’ book, The Spirit Himself. I consider Bro. Riggs’ book to be the best book on the Holy Ghost I have ever read.

I also used Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, the Dake Reference Bible, Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament, What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit and the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. The comments in this study are mine, although the format mimics The Spirit Himself. I most heartily recommend that everyone read and study The Spirit Himself. I consider it a masterpiece; truly, Rev. Riggs was greatly used of the Lord.

The purpose of this study is to open people’s minds to who the Holy Ghost is and what He can do in their lives. Most people think of the Holy Ghost as a second-class citizen in the Bible. They don’t realize the Holy Ghost is the promised comforter Jesus said He would send to us after He went away. The part the Holy Ghost plays in our lives is that of keeper and protector. He leads us into the deep things of God. His job is to comfort us, to encourage us, and to lead us in the right way till Jesus returns for His Bride.

I pray this Bible study will enlighten you to what Jesus has given us in the Holy Ghost. May the Lord open and widen your understanding of spiritual things, and I hope this study does that for you. The Bible teaches us we are to study the word of God to show that we are striving to be what the Lord wants us to be.

     Bro. David D. Wilson       

 (Next week we will read about the personality of each of the members of the Triune Godhead. If you enjoyed this, you can purchase the book on our website in the Bookstore. )

5/27/2018

Thank you Lord for giving us another day to praise you. Thank you for your mercy and your grace. Thanks for all your blessings that you have given us today and most importantly for the times of testing so that we may know deep within us that you are still in control and that you will see us through everything that the world throws at us. Amen.

Psalm 34:1-10 (KJV)
¹  I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
²  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
³  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
⁴  I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵  They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
⁶  This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
⁸  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
⁹  O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
¹⁰  The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

These verses start out with the words, "I will bless the Lord at all times", do we? If we are faithful with our blessings toward our Heavenly Father then, we will experience his blessings on us because he will hear us when we seek his face. However, we need to realize that we will be tried and these trials are a blessing from on high.

How can we grow in the Lord and show it to the world if we are not tried. Here are some verses that bring this out.

James 1:12 (KJV)
 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

1 Peter 1:6-7 (KJV)
⁶  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
⁷  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

C.I. Wilson

5/11/2018

Isaiah 17:7-8 (KJV)
⁷  At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
⁸  And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves, or the images.

This is talking about the end times. However, is it not true for today? This is the day that we should look to our Maker. If we wake-up each morning and look toward our Heavenly Father with respect, reverence and with thanksgiving. Then we can know peace and contentment however, if we do not look toward God than we have our spiritual eyes on the wrong thing.

When we take our eyes off God and put them on the things around us then we lose sight of the most important thing in our lives. I believe this is one of the reasons that God gave the commandment found in Exodus 20:4-5. (⁴  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: ⁵  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;) We need to keep our eyes, thoughts and desires focused on God and reaching our heavenly home.

C.I. Wilson