The Fruit of the Spirit

The Fruit of the Spirit


"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit is the practical manifestation of Christian life. Character gives a demonstration of the reality of Christ within. More damage to the witness of Christ has been done by a lack of fruit than any other single thing.

Jesus told us to be fruit observers. We are not to judge but to observe. We are not passing judgment when we see something for what it is. If I see apples on a tree, I am not passing judgment on the tree by calling it an apple tree. If I see the fruit of the flesh then I know it is the flesh. If I see the fruit of the Holy Spirit then I know it is the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 7:15-16 warns us to: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Ye shall know them by their fruits. A false prophet is to be determined by his or her fruit. The gifts can be deceiving because Satan is also supernatural and can replicate the gifts. The devil cannot duplicate true fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit are God's standard of measurement.

True Christian virtues are the fruit of the Holy Spirit, not the fruit of human effort. Fruit bearing comes by living with the indwelling fruit giver (the Holy Spirit.). The fruit of the Spirit are the character of Christ produced by the Spirit of Christ in the believer. Natural human character comes by the exercise of the will, our culture, science, philosophy, education, ethics, etc. All of these efforts are commendable but they are just like waxed fruit compared to the real fruit of the Spirit. The problem with human produced fruit is that it varies, is undependable, and is subject to the overwhelming desires of the flesh. Man cannot produce living fruit. Man can only manufacture dead things. What man produces will always be dead. Only God can produce life and living things.

When Christ is formed in the believer, fruit is a natural result. The fruit grows through faith, obedience, and prayer. The more we are filled with the Holy Spirit the more fruit we will have. The fruit of the Spirit is synonymous with the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus preached to us about godly fruit. The writers under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote of the fruit of the Spirit in I Corinthians 13 and Philippians 4:8. Peter wrote about fruit in II Peter 1:4-8: "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The fruit of the flesh is in sharp contrast to the fruit of the Spirit. A Spirit-filled person is recognized by his or her fruit. A carnal person is recognized by his or her works (see Galatians 5:19-21). The struggle is the battle between self and Christ. When self wins, we become self-centered. When Christ wins, we become Christ-centered. A Christ-centered life will have the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit. Theologian Samuel Chadwick said, "The flesh produces works, the Spirit produces fruit; one comes from the human factory, one comes from God’s garden." An old time preacher once said, "I have two natures, one I love and one I hate, but the one I feed will dominate."

The first secret of fruit bearing is revealed in John 15:4: "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me." Jesus is telling us that we cannot do this ourselves. Fruit bearing comes from an abiding relationship with Christ. This intimate relationship comes through the working of the Holy Spirit in the believer revealing Christ to the heart of the believer. Abiding is by the constant leading of the Holy Spirit.

The fruit does not automatically come with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It comes from abiding with Christ by setting your mind on the things of the Spirit. I have known many a Christian who was baptized by the Spirit but soon allowed their own flesh to take over. The believer must choose to abide and not allow the carnal nature to control his life. The Spirit is revealing Christ, so abiding in Christ means abiding with the Holy Spirit. "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit" (Romans 8:5). If we walk in the flesh instead of the Spirit we will have a fruitless life. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13).

John 15:2 tells us that, "Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Pruning is the removing from our lives, the things that are not of God. This is something that God will do when we submit to Him. Pruning allows for increased growth and increased fruit in our lives. No one should despise God’s pruning, but should live in expectation and faith of greater things to come when pruning occurs.

God has an amazing way of shaking away things in our lives that are not in His divine will. Hebrews 12:26-27 says, "Whose voice then shook the earth: but now He hath promised, saying, 'Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.' And this word, 'Yet once more,' signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." The shaking that God does can involve people, relationships, various circumstances, heart attitudes, and mindsets. Anything that is blocking or hindering His plans for us He will shake. This shaking can be a little scary at first, but we can know for sure that what is left afterwards is of God and it is best for us. The only things that cannot be shaken away are the things that are of God, because He is unmovable in His will for us.


Chapter Seven Review – The Holy Spirit - Lesson 7
Chapter Review is for Study Purposes Only - It is not Necessary to Submit Your Review Answers

1. What has cause the most damage to the witness of Christ?

1. If I see the ___________ of the flesh then I know it is the flesh. If I see the ____________________ of the Holy Spirit then I know it is the Holy Spirit.

1. Supernatural gifts are always from the Lord. True or False

1. What is the first secret of fruit bearing?

1. The fruit does not _______________ come with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It comes from ____________ with Christ by setting your mind on the things of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit's Work as a Comforter, Teacher, and Voice of God

The Holy Spirit's Work as a
Comforter, Teacher, and Voice of God


The Holy Spirit's Work as the Comforter

John 16:7 says, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you." The word comforter in context means another of the same kind. The Holy Spirit came to us as another comforter. He was and is to continue the work of Christ. Jesus departed as the Christ who suffered, He has returned in the form of the Comforter.

In John 14:18 Jesus is recorded as saying, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." The word comfortless translates orphans. We are never alone because He is within us by the way of The Holy Spirit. In John 14:16 Jesus explains, "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." It is a mistake to view Jesus as living a long distance away in heaven when He is within our hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit.

The Greek word for comforter is parakletos. The word shows us that the Holy Spirit gives comfort by giving us strength that we could not obtain through our own self will. He comforts us and also gives us strength for victory. This word also means advocate. An advocate is one who represents or pleads the cause of another person. This advocate helps us in our weaknesses: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities" (Romans 8:26). The Holy Spirit intercedes from within us on our behalf. Jesus also intercedes for us, at the Throne of Grace. This form of intercessory prayer is vital in the life of all believers.

Parakletos also means to beseech and to exhort. Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech (parakletos) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." The Holy Spirit is a convicter, persuader, and teacher. John 14:26 says, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, Whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things." The Holy Spirit, as the Comforter, beseeches and exhorts us by teaching us God’s truth.


The Holy Spirit’s Work as a Teacher

The Holy Spirit is the complete teacher. "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). He contains the revelatory knowledge of Jesus Christ and guides us into the truth of God’s word. His teaching always glorifies Jesus. Jesus is the whole truth. The Holy Spirit teaches us the whole truth of God. Half truth is worse than total ignorance. In the book of Revelation the Lord plainly tells us that He would rather us be hot or cold than lukewarm (see Revelation 3:15- 16). I Corinthians 2:14 shows us that we need the Holy Spirit to understand God because our natural self cannot fully comprehend Him: "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Until the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were very ignorant of the parables, teachings, and prophecies of Jesus. "For as yet they knew not the scripture, that He must rise again from the dead" (John 20:9). Without the Holy Spirit none of us have anything to lean on except natural understanding.

God is spirit and to understand Him takes a working of the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit opens up our ability to comprehend in ways that we could never do naturally. Understanding God is not a matter of intellect; it is a matter of being filled with the Spirit and then being led by Him. In the book of Acts, chapter four, we read that ignorant men (Peter and John) suddenly possessed great knowledge of the scriptures. This was by a work of the Holy Spirit. The Sanhedrin observed that Peter and John were ordinary men and uneducated but they were amazed by their speech (see Acts 4:13). Even worldly people can see the effects of the Holy Spirit even though they do not understand what is going on. The change in Peter is a dramatic example of the working of the Holy Spirit. He changed from a coward hiding out to a man who, when filled with the Holy Spirit, openly confronted the same people he had been afraid of, with the truth of Christ. This change is commonly known as Holy Spirit boldness.


The Holy Spirit as the Voice of God

The Holy Spirit acts as God’s mouthpiece: "…for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come" (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit follows the instructions of God as given to Him by Jesus. He reveals the future things of God to prepare us and to build our faith. The Spirit speaks to us in many ways. It is vital to learn to hear His voice. His voice can be an inner knowing, a sudden thought that is not your own, a voice that you hear like when you hear your own words just before you speak. The Holy Spirit also speaks plainly through the reading of the word of God. Many times scriptures seem just to leap off the page, touching our heart in deep ways as the Lord speaks through His written word. Some believers have testified that they have heard an audible voice. The Lord desires for believers to hear His voice and the Holy Spirit is the vehicle that He uses for communication with men.

Paul in his letter to the Galatians stated where his revelation came from: "For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:12). His understanding of the gospel was communicated to him by the Holy Spirit. Paul makes it clear that the revelation was not taught to him by man or by the church. This gave credibility to his words so that his listeners knew that he was speaking and writing from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The inspiration for the writing of all scripture came from the Holy Spirit. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God" (II Timothy 3:16). The Bible contains stories written by man, but that the words are God inspired and can be absolutely trusted. This gives the reader peace that God Himself was in control of what was written and that the message we read in the Bible is from Him.

The Holy Spirit also speaks guidance to the individual Christian’s heart. "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, 'Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert'" (Acts 8:26). He also guides by telling us where not to go as shown in Acts 16:6: "Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia." He lets us know when something about to happen is from the Lord as in the case of Peter: "While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee" (Acts 10:19).

He will show you things that are to come. "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (I Corinthians 2:9-11; see also John 16:13). What the Lord has prepared for us can only be learned or revealed to our understanding by the Holy Spirit. Paul spoke of an enlightenment that would allow us to see our calling and our own amazing inheritance from God. This is written about in Ephesians 1:18: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." To be able to know and see what the Lord is doing in your own life takes a work of the Spirit.

He also tells us what is ahead for the church and the world. Amos 3:7 tells us, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets." Prophets are messengers of God and the prophetic gift has been sent to help us in our hearing of the voice of God. Genesis 18:17 reads, "And the Lord said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do?'" God wants us to know and understand the future in order to be able to understand what is of Him and what is not. When the Spirit reveals a future event and it comes to pass it is an incredible faith builder. The Lord’s message to the church and to the world needs to be heard. The body of Christ must be prepared for what God is about to do. All believers should pray for better hearing of the Lord’s voice.


Chapter Five Review – The Holy Spirit - Lesson 5
Chapter Review is for Study Purposes Only - It is not Necessary to Submit Your Review Answers

1. Jesus departed as the Christ who suffered. He has returned in the form of the ______________________.

1. An advocate is ___________________________.

1. Give three definitions of the word parakletos: _________________, ______________________, and _______________________.

1. In Acts chapter four how did “ignorant” men suddenly possess great knowledge?

1. What the Lord has prepared for us can only be learned or revealed to our understanding by ____________________.

1. Give two reasons why the Lord prophetically reveals the future to us: __________________________, ____________________________

Dispensational Truth

Dispensational Truth


"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7)

The Holy Spirit is continually revealing what lies ahead for the body, the church, and the world. I believe that the Lord is speaking and telling us what to expect. Our part is to develop our hearing. To accurately hear the voice of the Lord takes an intimate relationship with Him. As an example, you know the voice of a family member even in a crowd of people. A person who you are close to does not even have to identify himself when he calls on the phone. He just starts talking and you know who it is. This is because you have spent time with him and his voice is very familiar to you. So should it be with the Holy Spirit who is the voice of the Lord. His voice can become so familiar that we will not mistake it. One simple way to recognize His voice is that it will always be in alignment with scripture. The Holy Spirit will not reveal or speak anything that is in conflict with the teachings of Christ. Another way to know His voice is when He tells you something you could not have known or thought of yourself. I describe this as a, "Where did that come from?" thought or idea. Some call it an, "Out of the clear blue" thought. This principle is demonstrated in Isaiah 55:8 as God speaks, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways." You can know when the Lord has spoken something prophetically, because the end result will bring glory to Him.

The Holy Spirit will reveal what lies ahead for the believer as in the example of Paul in Acts 21:10-11: "And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, 'Thus saith the Holy Ghost, "So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" This prophecy was a confirmation of what the Lord had been speaking to Paul. The Lord knows as His children know, that many times we need to be told something more than one time. Millions of parents have experienced the same thing with their own children. The Holy Spirit is happy to bring numerous confirmations of God’s direction.

We need to keep our hearts and ears open to receiving prophecy from the Holy Spirit. The disciples, for example, had a hard time receiving or recalling some of Jesus' prophecies: "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matthew 16:21). If the disciples had remembered what the Lord Jesus had spoken they would have not lived in fear immediately after the crucifixion. Jesus was foretelling the future to prepare and strengthen His disciples for the events to come. The Holy Spirit is still doing the same for us. John 16:13 explains, "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself; but what things whatsoever He shall hear, these shall He speak: and He shall declare unto you the things that are to come." Understanding what is to come can help strengthen and prepare us and the foretelling of these future events builds our faith and confidence in the Lord as we see them come true. He is also glorified in all of this.

Most of us need to be reminded of what the Lord has spoken to our hearts. We can easily lose our faith and confidence when we forget what the Spirit has told us. Thankfully, He is our reminder. In John 14:26, Jesus, in speaking of the Holy Spirit said, He will "bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Our memory has suffered since the fall of man. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit helps restore the mind of Christ to each one of us. Much suffering can be avoided if we are reminded of what the Lord has said. Jesus Himself knew that we needed to have our memory refreshed and in John 15:20a He tells us, "Remember the word that I said unto you." He will remind us of special promises. When Paul's life was threatened in Acts 23:11, ". . . the Lord stood by him, and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.'" (see also I Kings 8:56). There are many wonderful promises intended for us in scripture. It can be life changing to remember God’s promises, especially in difficult times.

He will bring to memory specific thoughts and scriptures when a person is ministering. Many a preacher will testify that while he is in the act of speaking or ministering, scriptures seem to just "pop" into his mind. The Holy Spirit loves to help anyone ministering the word of God. In my own personal experience I have quoted verses of scripture during ministry exactly as written in the Bible. These were sometimes verses I had not personally memorized, but the Holy Spirit brought them to my mind. After the ministry was over I could not quote them exactly again. Here we see the Spirit bringing to mind just what is needed during times of ministry. We can rely on Him to empower us and give us the words for His work.


The Holy Spirit is the revealer and glorifier of Jesus:

Christ is revealed to the believer by the Holy Spirit. John 16:14 says, ". . . for He shall receive of Mine, and shall shew it unto you."

Christ is revealed in the believer by the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 1:16 Paul writes that God was pleased "To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen." Christ needs to be in us in order to move through us. Much of our witness is because of the obvious nature of Christ in us. This can be seen even by unbelievers but it can never be experienced by them until their own salvation.

Christ is revealed through the believer by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not magnify Himself or the vessel, but only Jesus. Consider carefully the words of Christ in John 16:14: "He shall glorify Me." The Lord wishes to move through us to witness to the world. The Holy Spirit is constantly looking for humble believers that He can move through. Pride is an obstacle that blocks the Holy Spirit, because pride gives glory to someone else other than Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is the reprover and convicter of the world. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, John 16:8 says, "And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment": It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit is not just a convicter of believers but also a convicter of unbelievers. Without this conviction not one single person of the world could truly be saved. When witnessing to an unbeliever it is wise to pray for the Holy Spirit to touch the person's heart. Godly conviction is not manmade.


Chapter Six Review – The Holy Spirit - Lesson 6
Chapter Review is for Study Purposes Only - It is not Necessary to Submit Your Review Answers

1. To accurately hear the voice of the Lord takes an ____________________with Him.

1. The Holy Spirit will not reveal or speak anything that is in conflict with the teachings of Christ. True or False

1. What caused mankind’s memory to suffer?

1. Christ is revealed ______________ the believer, _________________ the believer and _____________ the believer by the Holy Spirit.

1. A person can be saved without the conviction of the Holy Spirit. True or False

1. Godly conviction is not manmade. True or False

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Ministry

The Holy Spirit gives power for the service of the Lord. One of the key works of the Holy Spirit is to empower believers to truly perform their ministry. Every believer needs to remember that Christ is his model and that a ministry of Christ is truly a supernatural ministry which requires supernatural power. This power which is a reflection of Christ is therefore much greater than our own. Zechariah 4:6b reads, "This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' saith the Lord of hosts."

We see Jesus passing this same message onto His followers in Jerusalem, after His resurrection. Jesus gave them a commandment to go but also a commandment to wait before they went. Mark 16:15 tells us, "And He said unto them, 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.'" And in Luke 24:49 He explained, "And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." He was telling them that before they went to do His work, they were to wait for His power (through the Holy Spirit) to do it. The Lord wanted His work done but He wanted it done right and the only way to do it His way, the right way, was in His power. This reminds me of my own parents who would often say, "Any job worth doing is worth doing right." The ministry of service for the Lord could not be accomplished in the natural ability of man and it still can’t be today. Christian ministry must be supernatural if it is to be an accurate reflection of Christ.

We are to be a witness after and only after the Holy Spirit has come upon us as written in Acts 1:8: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." This verse gives us a divine order for ministry. Step one; receive the power of the Holy Spirit. Step two; be a witness everywhere. The Holy Spirit gives power to carry on the ministry that has been committed to us.

The Holy Spirit reveals and gives understanding of the word. He reveals the truth of God’s word to the heart of the believer. The Bible truly becomes a living word touching the heart of the believer under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. The author of the book is He one who is best able to explain the contents of the book. II Timothy 3:16 shares that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." The Holy Spirit inspired scripture and then inspires the Christian with the revelation of the message that the Lord is communicating in His word.

The Holy Spirit helps the believer to pray. There are things within our hearts that are difficult to express, or even understand. Because we cannot know entirely in the flesh how to pray or even what to pray, the Holy Spirit helps us: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). This is commonly known as praying in the Spirit. Some believe that this is always speaking in tongues. I believe that we can certainly pray in tongues but sometimes our inner man just pours out to God and that this type of prayer may be a verbal or non-verbal expression. The Spirit resides within our heart and He communicates from our heart to the heart of God. The Holy Spirit within us intercedes for us according to God’s will: "And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:27).

As the Spirit lifts us up; the things of the Spirit become more real than the burdens of the world. Our natural world driven circumstances can be almost too much to bear sometimes. The Holy Spirit reality of our circumstances is a much lighter burden. As we pray in the Spirit our burdens can be lifted. This type of Spirit lead prayer is so important that God made it into a command. In Ephesians 6:18 we are told to pray "always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." As we mature spiritually we become more and more aware that God’s view point is all that we need and that.God’s truth really does set us free from the stress of this world. Praying in the Spirit builds (encourages, edifies) us in Christ. Jude 1:20 explains, "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." Everyone needs to be built up after life seems to beat us down. Why not allow the Spirit to pour out from your heart to the Lord today?

The Holy Spirit gives power for preaching and teaching the word of God. In I Corinthians 2:4 the apostle Paul tells us, "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power," while I Thessalonians 1:5 he goes on to explain, "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost." Effective preaching and teaching must be under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Nothing will convict and persuade a person about Jesus except the Holy Spirit. There are teachers that I call "head" teachers. They communicate facts of the Bible. Then there are teachers that I call "heart" teachers. They communicate from God’s heart touching and imparting revelation of Christ and His word into the hearts of their students. This can only be done by a work of the Holy Spirit.

Nothing will convict and persuade a person about Jesus except the Holy Spirit. The intellectual approach, which is often seen when trying to argue someone into the kingdom, is rarely effective, unless the Holy Spirit is anointing the spoken words as demonstrated by the Apostle Paul in his ministry. The Spirit gives a witness when spoken words are from the Lord. We see this in the Acts 5:32 account of Peter speaking to the High Priests who had arrested him: "And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him." A Spirit-filled believer knows when a message is from God because the Holy Spirit within recognizes the truth and confirms it in his spirit. You could say in an unusual way that the Spirit recognizes Himself.

The Holy Spirit gives the believer spiritual gifts in order to minister to others: "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (I Corinthians 12:7). The manifestation gifts are not to be fully explored here; however, the student needs to understand that the gifts are one of many important works of the Spirit. Some wrongfully believe that the gifts are the only work of the Holy Spirit. I hope and pray that this course dispels that belief. The gifts are not for salvation directly but they are faith builders that lead a person to the reality of God. The gifts are for the building up of the body of Christ. In order for the body to mature we will always need spiritual gifts. Gifts are for healing, direction, wisdom, hearing the voice of God, signs of the authority of the Holy Spirit and more.

The most important gift of the Spirit will always be the gift that is needed most at any given time. However, there is one particular gift that we are commanded to earnestly desire (see I Corinthians 14:1) and that is the gift of prophesy. Prophesy builds up the entire church: "He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church" (I Corinthians 14:4). The Bible is not saying here, to never speak in tongues, it simply says that prophecy helps everyone in the church while tongues only benefits the one speaking unless an interpretation is given to the church. This is just a practical teaching but some have taken this scripture out of context saying that tongues are not for today or should not be spoken in church. In verse 39 of the same chapter Paul says clearly, "do not forbid to speak in tongues." However, prophesy is more valuable to the church because it typically is a message from God that benefits everyone.

As long as the body of Christ is in a growth and maturing process we will have need of the spiritual gifts. Please do not fall for a misleading teaching that the gifts have stopped with the completion of scripture or after all of the original apostles passes away. In reading and studying the entire word one sees that there is no valid scriptural support for these teachings. The New Covenant is true and we can believe it in its entirety. It is dangerous to pick certain scriptures out of context and say that some of the New Testament is no longer applicable. No one has the authority to make that call but the Lord God Himself. We can always rely on the integrity of the word and in the word we see that the spiritual gifts are needed for the building up of the body. As long as the body is in a maturing process, we will need the Spiritual gifts (see Ephesians 4:11-13).

The gifts are also a sign to the unbeliever as well as the believer. I Corinthians 14:22 tells us, "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe." Many times the supernatural gifts can easily convict an unbeliever about the reality of God. The evidence of the Holy Spirit through the gifts has caused many a person to repent of their unbelief resulting in salvation. I personally believe that all evangelism should be confirmed with signs and wonders as a witness to the unbeliever that God is present and that He wants a relationship with him or her.


Chapter Four Review – The Holy Spirit - Lesson 4
Chapter Review is for Study Purposes Only - It is not Necessary to Submit Your Review Answers

1. The ministry of Christ is truly a _______________ ministry and to accomplish this ministry requires ______________________.

1. The natural man can effectively accomplish the ministry of Christ. True or False

1. What are the two steps to witnessing? __________________ and _______________.

1. The Spirit resides within our hearts and He ________________ from our hearts to the heart of God.

1. Why are the gifts of the Spirit still necessary?