The Spirit of Jesus [Part 1]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. Sometimes when we say, do you have the Holy Spirit? The way we end up saying that and talking, it's almost like, have you got this thing? Have you got this power?

Have you got this quantity? How much of the Holy Spirit do you have? And so we start thinking almost spatially, almost like he's some force, some power, some liquid, some something. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in this series, filled as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource today. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries. So as you listen to today's message, go deeper. As we send you today's special offer, contact us at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org. Or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.

Here is Alan Wright. Let me turn you to John chapter 14 as we continue to learn about the Holy Spirit. Last week as we began this series that I'm calling Filled because of the New Testament promise of the infilling of the Holy Spirit for every believer. And last week we learned that for a Christian, the first and best gift that the Holy Spirit gives bears witness to our spirit that we are children of God. And if we're children of God, then we are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. And by the Holy Spirit, we cry out Abba Father. And the best thing that you could ever receive from the Holy Spirit is the assurance that you're God's child, that you're not an orphan, and that not only will you be with God forever, but that you have been given an inheritance in the saints. And so this dominates the essence of the New Covenant. The Holy Spirit comes to seal all of that upon our hearts and we began looking at that.

Now, today I want to actually lay out just a little bit of theology about who is the Holy Spirit, but not just for the theory of theology, but to lead us to several incredible possibilities based on some basics of the theology of who the Holy Spirit actually is. And I want us to look in John chapter 14 because this is a place where Jesus is comforting His disciples because He's going to leave, He's going to be crucified, they're not going to see Him, He's going to be resurrected, but then He's going to ascend and they won't see Him. And He has a word for His disciples that is of incredible promise and comfort that they could only partially understand, but would later fully understand. John chapter 14 verse 16, And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another counselor, to be with you forever, the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you.

Before long the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me because I live, you also will live. And on that day you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. I want to show you one other text, Philippians chapter 1, one little marvelous verse in this epistle where Paul has an incredible supernatural joy emanating in his words even though he has been persecuted and imprisoned even as he writes this. And he comes to the end of verse 18 of Philippians chapter 1 and he says, I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. And I draw attention to this because of Paul's way of referring to the Holy Spirit as he calls Him the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

I will ask the Father and He will give you another counselor. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. Paul says He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Here is the first important theological foundation of understanding who the Holy Spirit is. He is the third person of the triune God. He is a person.

He has all the qualities of personality. He is someone that you know, you can know, Jesus says. You can know the Holy Spirit. He is a teacher. He teaches and leads us into truth.

Only a personality, a person does that. He leads and He guides. He knows things. He searches our hearts, 1 Corinthians 2 says. He can distribute gifts as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12 says as the Spirit wills. So the Holy Spirit has a will. And He can be in a tender way in Ephesians 4. He can be grieved. The Holy Spirit can be grieved, be saddened. Romans 8 says that the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray with groanings too deep for words. The Holy Spirit is therefore an intercessor within us. These are all things that a person does. He is not a force field or a power that you somehow get a hold of.

Why is this so important? Listen to the words of R.A. Torrey and his famous book on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. It is at this point that many earnest seekers after power and efficiency in service go astray. They're reaching out after and struggling to get possession of some mysterious and mighty power that they can make use of in their work according to their own desires. They'll never get possession of the power they seek until they come to realize that there's not some divine power for them to get hold of and use in their blindness and ignorance. But there is a person infinitely wise as well as infinitely mighty who is willing to take possession of them and use them according to his own perfect will.

This is essential. The Holy Spirit has been confused by Christians as if he were some quantity. And this is partly because of the language in the New Testament that speaks so frequently of being filled with the Spirit.

But this is metaphorical language. To be filled with the Spirit draws the image of like pouring something into a container. And we even speak of living water that comes forth out of the life of the believer filled with the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not like a liquid that is poured into a bucket.

We're not this bucket that we're a container for the Holy Spirit and some people can get half full and some can eat nearly full and some are a third full and most everybody leaks out before next Sunday. But that's kind of the way we think about the Holy Spirit. And we talk about do you have the Holy Spirit? And sometimes when we say do you have the Holy Spirit the way we end up saying that and talking is almost like have you got this thing? Have you got this power?

Have you got this quantity? How much of the Holy Spirit do you have? And so we start thinking almost spatially almost like he's some force, some power, some liquid, some something. But he's not a thing. He's not a substance. He's not a power.

He's not a force field. He's a person. As much as Jesus is a person. As much as the Father is a person. The Holy Spirit is a person. Whatever we do let's not call the third person of the Trinity it. He is a person who's in love with us. The same way that the Father loves us. He's a person who is with us in the same way that Jesus was with the disciples. And it is essential that we understand this piece of theology or else we will be forever in a quest of trying to manipulate or do something to obtain more of this power.

That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Unlock the power of blessing your life. Discover God's grace-filled vision for your life by signing up for Alan Wright's free daily blessing. If you want to fill your heart with grace and encouragement, get Alan Wright's daily blessing.

It's free and just a click away at PastorAlan.org. Someone once said, Can anyone love his enemy just by deciding to be nice? Can anyone produce peace that passes understanding by mental discipline?

Can anyone heal depression by just trying harder to be happy? Of course not. In fact, almost everything about New Testament Christianity is impossible by human power alone. Thankfully, God has never expected you to live the Christian life by your own strength. He has sent a helper and every single Christian is invited to live a supernaturally empowered life through the continual infilling of the Holy Spirit. In a special bundle alongside the audio teaching, Pastor Alan has also written a booklet. Both the audio and the booklet not only explain the infilling of the Holy Spirit, but will nourish, inspire, and draw you nearer to the God who longs to immerse you in His love and power.

Discover how to be filled with the Spirit and get ready for your life to be filled with fresh love, joy, and power. The Gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Today's teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. When we speak of the anointing and the Holy Spirit coming upon us, we are not speaking of us going out and somehow grabbing hold or tapping into this magical force field. What we're really saying when we talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit is not really you getting more of the quantity of the Holy Spirit as you envision this thing. What we're really saying to be filled with the Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity, who has increasingly more of us. So the question, the real question is not do you have the Holy Spirit. The real question is does the Holy Spirit have you? And I think this is just absolutely imperative or else we'll be missing right from the beginning who He is and therefore what He does in our lives. And what we're cultivating therefore is not a magical technique by which we get more anointing on us. What we're cultivating instead is a sweet relationship with the Holy Spirit, Himself a person. So you can relate to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus says you can, you know Him. You know Him. He lives with you and will be in you. The language that He uses here is not the neuter, genderless Greek but it is a personal pronoun.

You know Him. Let's shift our prayers in the first place instead of just asking God for just more of the power of the Holy Spirit. What I want is to know the person of the Holy Spirit intimately. That's the first piece of theology of all the things that we could say. I have a few theological foundational assertions today but the second is delightful to my soul. And that is that as Paul said in Philippians chapter 119 the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Now to me this is an absolutely delightful thought. The Holy Spirit is referred to in the scripture in many different ways as the Spirit of Holiness, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Living God, the Spirit of Truth. He is in one delightful verse in Acts 16 7 where the disciples are seeking which direction to go with their ministry.

They came to the border of Messia, they tried to enter Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. That might be my favorite term for the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus. It is a remarkable thought but it is to say that who the Holy Spirit is, is Jesus in the Spirit. This is why Jesus is explaining to the disciples that though I am going away I am going to come again to you.

Some people might interpret the verse in John 14 18 I will come to you as referring to a post resurrection appearance or some might refer to it as an eschatological end times appearance of the final coming of Jesus. But I interpret it to mean this because Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. I think what he is saying is that I am going to leave and then I am going to come back at Pentecost. You have been with me, you know the Holy Spirit because he lives with you.

What is he referring to? He is referring to himself, you know the Holy Spirit because he is my Spirit and you have been with us. But he is going to come again to you and when he comes you will be made aware of oh this is what Jesus taught us, this is what Jesus had commanded us and all of this begins to make sense. It is an incredible thought that is astounding to me but it is to say that because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus Christ that the one whom you know in being filled with the Spirit is that you are knowing Jesus intimately by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

That is foundational to this. And then the third foundational theological truth that I think is essential for ever having a deepening relationship with the Holy Spirit is that he is another counselor. I will ask the Father and he will give you another counselor, the word is the paraclete. It can be translated an advocate, a comforter, an encourager, or a helper.

We don't have a good English word that can incorporate all the meanings of the paraclete. He is the one who is called alongside para like parallel lines like something alongside of para and the verb in Greek is to call so literally the name that is given to the Holy Spirit is the paraclete. He is the one who is called alongside of us. And what Jesus says is I will give you another paraclete. Why does he say another? Because Jesus is the first paraclete who has been called alongside of these disciples.

And what he says is I'm going to give you another. So Jesus is the first advocate and the Holy Spirit is the second advocate for us. Here is the astounding promise of the gospel and the assurance that we have. You have an advocate in heaven who intercedes for you, Jesus Christ. And you have an advocate who comes and takes residence within you as another helper to you. And Jesus is saying I'm going to send this helper to you and he starts making all these incredible promises about what this helper is going to do for us. I will not leave you as orphans. I will be with you. This is going to be the presence of Jesus to you.

Helping you in the way that I've been helping you but even more so. And he says at verse 25 of chapter 14, all this I've spoken while still with you but the counselor, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I've said to you. Peace I leave with you, peace I give to you.

He's encouraging them. He's saying don't let your hearts get troubled now because I'm leaving, because I'm coming back to you in the person of the Holy Spirit. And because this is my own spirit, you will have me with you. There is coming another advocate, another helper. I have been your helper for three years and you've walked with me and you've watched me and you've learned of me and you've been touched by me and taught by me and I don't want you to think that this is coming to an end. The discipleship is going to continue. The grace and the glory of the gospel is going to continue in even greater ways because another advocate is coming. An advocate is like a champion who goes with you and before you in order to intercede and step in that gap.

And often times the gap is between my discouragement, my lack of courage of what the possibility is and I need an advocate who steps in and who champions the cause. It came to mind thinking about the incredible day in 1954 in which Roger Bannister broke the four minute mile. It had been virtually claimed that the human body could never run a four minute mile.

Some silly things evidently said over the years as has been the case in so many areas of invention or other great ventures. But some had said the human body would not be able to tolerate the speed, the heart, the lungs would explode, you know whatever. But some people began to get close to breaking the four minute mile. Roger Bannister was one who had his eyes set on that goal. And the historic event took place on the 6th of May 1954. No one had ever broken the four minute mile.

No one in humanity on record. It was this ultimate goal but people began to think it could not be done until the 6th of May 1954 during a meet between British AAA and Oxford University at Iffley Road track in Oxford. And it was watched by about 3,000 spectators. Roger Bannister had his eyes set on that prize that day but the wins before the race were gusting up to 25 miles per hour. And he had twice said he favored not running but to conserve his energy and efforts to break the four minute barrier he would try it at another meet. However right before the race the wins died down. And he decided that he would run. Two other runners, Brasher and Chattaway were running and they provided a pace for the race. Both went on to establish their own track careers. And the race was broadcast live by BBC Radio and was commented on by Harold Abrams who you may remember from the well known movie Chariots of Fire.

Alan Wright. And today's teaching on Filled with the Holy Spirit. And Alan is back here in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and our final word today.

Thankfully God has never expected you to live the Christian life by your own strength. He has sent a helper and every single Christian is invited to live a supernaturally empowered life through the continual infilling of the Holy Spirit. In a special bundle alongside the audio teaching, Pastor Alan has also written a booklet. Both the audio and the booklet not only explain the infilling of the Holy Spirit but will nourish, inspire and draw you nearer to the God who longs to immerse you in His love and power. Discover how to be filled with the Spirit and get ready for your life to be filled with fresh love, joy and power. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries.

Call us at 877-544-4860 or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Alan, one of the most simple statements that one could say about the Holy Spirit is that the Holy Spirit is a he, not an it. And so how does that mindset, that understanding change the way we look at Him? Well, I think it's so important to understand the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

He is God. And as such, the scripture in every place where the Spirit is mentioned, He is pictured as personal. We can grieve the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comforts us. The Holy Spirit teaches us.

This is not something that a force field does or an it does. And so in that sense, we relate to God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So we're in relationship with the Triune God. In a very real sense, we talk about I have Jesus in my heart. But what we really mean is I have the Spirit of Jesus who is the Holy Spirit. And so in any theology of the Holy Spirit, we begin with this, that He is a person who is personal with us. Unfortunately, sometimes the conversation about the Holy Spirit, Daniel, has caused controversy. And in the end, I think that we can lay some of that aside and just say to every listener, receive and be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is not a one time invitation. This is about the growing presence and awareness of the presence of the person of the Holy Spirit in your life. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.