Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:15-18). This was one of the brightest days of Peter’s life.
A short time later, Jesus told his disciples that he would die in Jerusalem. When Peter rebuked him, Jesus responded, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me (Matthew 16:23). The word hindrance means “stumbling stone.” Jesus first called Peter a rock; now he called him a stumbling stone. This was a dark day in Peter’s life.
Peter’s story grows even darker on the night of Jesus’ arrest. After promising that he would never forsake his Master, Peter denied Jesus and ran in fear. The “rock” failed in the hour of testing.
After such a failure, a person reading the Gospels might assume that Peter would never have a role in the church. To our surprise, Peter becomes a leader in the early church. What brought such a dramatic change? The answer is Pentecost.[1]
After his resurrection, Jesus promised the disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This promise is fulfilled in Acts 2. The disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to preach. Through the power of the Spirit, 3,000 people are converted on the first Pentecost.
Peter was transformed by Pentecost. The stumbling stone became a rock who led the church in its crucial first days. Simon Peter evangelized throughout the Roman Empire, wrote two letters of the New Testament, and was eventually crucified for the faith.
What brought this change? Through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, a Galilean fisherman became a leader in the first century church. Peter learned that to be holy means to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
► Ask members of your class to testify to the transformation that the Holy Spirit has made in their life. How is the Spirit giving you power for ministry, victory over sin, and joy in the Christian life?
[1]A Prayer for Holiness:
"Breathe in me, Holy Spirit, that I may think what is holy. Move me, Holy Spirit, that I may do what is holy. Attract me, Holy Spirit, that I may love what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may guard what is holy. Guard me, Holy Spirit, that I may keep what is holy.”
- Augustine of Hippo
The Holy Spirit and Pentecost
Peter was not the only disciple changed at Pentecost. Every disciple was transformed by the Holy Spirit. Doubting Thomas became a faithful missionary. A “Son of Thunder” became the “Apostle of Love.” Jesus’ followers were transformed from fearful disciples into a mighty force for the gospel. Acts shows the impact of the Holy Spirit on these first believers. The early church was effective not because of the extraordinary gifts of the apostles, but because of the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit. The disciples learned that a holy life is lived in the fullness of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit Promised
Surely, this was one of the most surprising things the disciples ever heard Jesus say: “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away” (John 16:7). These disciples had left everything to follow Jesus. Imagine their shock when Jesus said, “If I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”
At the Last Supper, Jesus explained how the Spirit will minister to believers. The Holy Spirit will:
Be a Helper (John 14:16-17)
Be a Teacher (John 14:26)
Witness to the Son (John 15:26)
Convict the world (John 16:7-11)
Reveal all truth (John 16:13-15)
After the Resurrection, Jesus repeated his promise to send the Holy Spirit:
"And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth'" (Acts 1:4-8).
Jesus’ earthly ministry did not end at the cross, at the empty tomb, or even at the ascension. Jesus’ ministry was fulfilled at Pentecost. An identifying mark of Jesus’ ministry was that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:16). The gift of the Holy Spirit was the culmination of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
The Holy Spirit Received
In Acts, the Holy Spirit empowered the church for ministry. At Pentecost, the promise of a Helper was fulfilled. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was continually present in the church. The signs that accompanied the coming of the Spirit demonstrated his ministry to believers.
First, “there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind” (Acts 2:2). This indicates the power of the Spirit’s coming. In Acts, we see the power of the Holy Spirit working through believers. After Pentecost, the church served with new power and effectiveness. The Holy Spirit had been active in the world prior to Pentecost.[1] But after Pentecost, the Spirit’s power was present constantly in the ministry of the church.
Second, “divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them” (Acts 2:3). In scripture, fire often represents purity. A mark of the Holy Spirit was a pure heart. Peter testified to the Jerusalem Council about God’s work among the Gentiles:
"God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:8-9).
Third, those in the upper room “began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). This equipped the disciples to witness to all nations. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would fulfill Christ’s Great Commission. At Babel, God judged sin by confusing the languages of the people. At Pentecost, God allowed each listener to hear the gospel in his own language. At Pentecost, God began to reverse the divisive effects of sin. The languages at Pentecost represent God’s promise that the gospel will reach all nations and all peoples through the power of the Holy Spirit working through the church.
At Pentecost, the disciples finally understood what Jesus meant when he said, “It is to your advantage that I go away.” The Holy Spirit was not a “second best” substitute for Jesus Christ. While the incarnate Jesus could be present only in one place, the Holy Spirit could be present everywhere. The Holy Spirit empowered the disciples to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission. The Holy Spirit empowered Christians to live holy lives that would testify to all the world.
[1] Examples of the Holy Spirit’s work in the Old Testament include: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 6:3; Exodus 31:3; Numbers 11:25-29; Judges 3:10; 6:34; 13:25; 1 Samuel 10:6-10; 2 Chronicles 28:12; Nehemiah 9:20; Isaiah 63:10-14; Zechariah 4:6-9.
Holiness in the Early Church: Life in the Fullness of the Spirit
Acts shows the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of each believer. Because of the Holy Spirit, Christians had power for witness (Acts 1:8), courage in the face of opposition (Acts 4:31), victory over willful sin (Romans 8:2), and spiritual gifts for ministry (Acts 2:17-18; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). The early believers were holy because they lived in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
Acts shows the early church fulfilling Jesus’ call to make disciples of all nations, his call to “be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect,” and his promise that “greater works than these will [you] do” (John 14:12). This was done in the power of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts shows the results of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of these early believers.
Power for Ministry
Just as Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit when he faced Satan (Luke 4:1), Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he faced the Jewish authorities (Acts 4:8). Luke describes Peter’s life with the same phrase he used to describe Jesus’ life. The work of the Spirit seen in the earthly life of Jesus Christ was now the privilege of all believers.
On the day of Pentecost, more believers were added to the church than during the entire earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, the disciples ministered with power and authority. Miraculous healings demonstrated God’s power to an unbelieving world. The people were filled with wonder and amazement and were utterly astounded (Acts 3:10-11). As the apostles ministered in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, their ministry was marked by divine power. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the apostles could fulfill Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19).
Spiritual Boldness
The Apostles Were Bold in Proclaiming the Gospel
The transforming power of the Holy Spirit is clear to see throughout Acts. Disciples who only a few months earlier had fled the scene of Jesus’ arrest now preached with boldness.[2]
Shortly after Pentecost, the religious leaders arrested Peter and John. Only a few weeks earlier, Peter had denied Christ. Now, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit preached boldly. The religious leaders were astonished at the words of these uneducated, common men (Acts 4:2-13).
Through the Holy Spirit’s filling, the apostles were bold to preach with power and anointing. From a group of fearful fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary laborers, the disciples had become men who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6).
The Apostles Were Bold in the Face of Persecution
When facing opposition, the apostles prayed not for release from persecution, but for boldness to proclaim Christ despite persecution. “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness….” God answered their prayer. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:29-31).
An unmistakable mark of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church was boldness to proclaim the gospel in the face of opposition. By the end of the first century, the gospel had spread from 120 people in the upper room to cities in every corner of the Roman Empire.
Victorious Lives
In every generation, Christians face the temptation to be “Sunday Christians” – people who attend church but whose lives do not show deep and lasting change. The early church was transformed in all areas of life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, we see the struggles of people who wanted to keep the covenant, but who found they were unable to do so because their hearts were divided. The psalmist described the people of Israel: “Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant” (Psalm 78:37).
Through Ezekiel, God promised a day when his people would be transformed.
"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules" (Ezekiel 36:26-27).
Before Pentecost, the disciples followed the same pattern as the children of Israel. They wanted to follow Christ, but they failed constantly. They doubted; they competed for position; they fled in fear. At Pentecost, the promise of Ezekiel was fulfilled. The disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to live victorious lives. Rather than half-hearted obedience, they walked in joyful obedience to God’s law. Through the Holy Spirit, a victorious life became the norm for God’s people.
Guidance for Ministry
Before Pentecost, ambition and fear controlled the disciples. Their attempts to serve Jesus were limited by their personal failings. After Pentecost, the Holy Spirit guided the apostles to effective ministry.
The Holy Spirit guided the church in difficult decisions that affected relationships between Jewish and Gentile Christians (Acts 10-11; 15). The Holy Spirit led in the selection of church leaders (Acts 13:2-3). The Holy Spirit led Paul into Macedonia (Acts 16:6-10). The Holy Spirit led Paul to return to Jerusalem despite the danger of arrest (Acts 19:21; Acts 20:22-23). The ministry of the early church was led by the Holy Spirit.
Unity
Perhaps the most remarkable evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the early church is the unity among believers. In his High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed for the unity of the church. He prayed:
"…that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me" (John 17:22-23).
Jesus’ prayer was answered at Pentecost. Acts 2:42 shows this unity in the life of the church: a commitment to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and prayer. This unity was seen in the church’s care for one another. Luke testified that there was not a needy person among them because Christians cared for one another’s material needs (Acts 4:34).
Six times, Luke refers to the unity of the church in Acts.[1] This does not mean that the Christians agreed on everything. Serious issues threatened to divide the church. Jewish and Gentile believers disagreed about the laws of Moses (Acts 15:1-29). Paul and Barnabas disagreed about John Mark (Acts 15:39-40). But regardless of differences, the church was unified through the power of the Holy Spirit. As believers followed the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the church was bound together in one accord.
If you and I had seen the disciples in the days just before Jesus’ arrest, we could not have imagined that these men would ever be effective in ministry. They were fearful, jealous of each other, and full of doubt. A few months later, these men had been completely transformed. What had happened?
Before Pentecost, the disciples tried to live Christlike lives in their own power – and they failed repeatedly. After Pentecost, the disciples lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the secret of a holy life and effective ministry.
[2]“We are not filled with the Holy Spirit to do any special work, but simply to let God work through us.”
- Oswald Chambers
Holiness Today: We Are Holy Only as We Are Filled with the Spirit
Many Christians have tried to live a holy life through their own efforts – and they have failed. Through our own self-discipline, it may be possible to maintain victory over outward sin for a while. In our own strength, it may be possible to love our neighbor for a time. However, we will soon fail despite our best efforts.
Why do we struggle? Because we are attempting to live a holy life in our own power. It is exhausting to attempt the Christian life in our own power. We struggle with sinful attitudes; we struggle with a lack of perfect love; we struggle with a divided heart. By contrast, life in the Spirit is an abundant life of victory.
God never intended us to live a holy life through our own efforts. He made us to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the early church, a holy life was possible only in the power of the Holy Spirit. In the church today, a holy life is possible only in the power of the Holy Spirit. The characteristics that marked the early church will mark the church today if we live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can have a holy heart and holy hands.
Power in ministry, spiritual boldness, victory over sin, and unity between believers – all come from the presence of the Holy Spirit. As we are filled with the Spirit, we are empowered to live the abundant Christian life God intends for his people.
Paul’s epistles show that to be holy is to be Christlike. To be holy is to think, speak, and act as Christ would do. This is a beautiful ideal, but we quickly find that in our own power we are incapable of thinking, speaking, or acting like Christ.[2]
Some Christians wear a WWJD symbol on their clothing. WWJD stands for “What would Jesus do?” It reminds us that we are called to live as Jesus lived; we are imitators of Christ. However, it is much easier to wear the WWJD symbol than to live by Jesus’ example. Apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we have no ability to do consistently what Jesus would do.
Imagine that you said to someone who was not athletic, “To be a better basketball player, you must play like Michael Jordan. Before every shot, ask yourself, ‘What would Michael Jordan do?’” This advice would not help, because this person does not have Michael Jordan’s abilities.
However, imagine that the person was given the gifts that Michael Jordan possesses. Imagine that he could – through the spirit of Michael Jordan – do everything that Michael Jordan does. Now it would be possible for him to imitate that great basketball player!
WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) is not enough. In ourselves, we do not have the power to imitate Jesus. However, the Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus’ ministry is available to us. Through the fullness of the Spirit, you and I can be Christlike. This is the impact of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus for a victorious life and fruitful ministry; the fullness of the Holy Spirit was the secret of victorious lives and fruitful ministries for the apostles; the fullness of the Holy Spirit is the secret for a victorious life and fruitful ministry today.
Paul wrote, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). There are only two options: walking by the Spirit or gratifying the desires of the flesh. We cannot in our own power conquer the desires of the flesh. Yes, we may be victorious for a day or a week, but the only way to gain long-term victory over fleshly desires is to yield to the Holy Spirit.
► Read Romans 8:1-17.
In his great summary of the Spirit-filled life in Romans 8, Paul contrasted two ways of living – life according to the flesh and life by the Spirit.
"For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God" (Romans 8:13-14).
In Romans 7, Paul shows his past efforts to fulfill God’s law in his own strength. Those efforts failed. Why? Because with his flesh he served the law of sin (Romans 7:25).
In Romans 8, Paul rejoices that, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are free from condemnation not because God has decided to ignore our sin; we are free from condemnation because the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. We are free from condemnation because we are now living in the Spirit.
Paul shows that there are two ways to live. The first way to live is in the flesh. This is the carnal mind. This carnal mind is hostile to God. It is impossible for the person who lives in the flesh to please God. This fleshly way of life leads only to death: “For to set the mind on the flesh is death” (Romans 8:6).
The second way to live is with a mind that is set on the Spirit. A person who lives according to the Spirit fulfills the righteous requirement of the law. We have life and peace because the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).
In Romans 6, Paul taught that we must live above willful sin. “How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:2). In our own strength, it is impossible to live a life above willful sin. We are born leaning towards sin and away from God. How can we fulfill the demands of Romans 6? The answer is found in Romans 8. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can put to death the deeds of the body. We can live holy lives because of God’s Spirit working in us.
Robert Coleman wrote:
"Living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit is as much the privilege of Christ’s followers today as of those first disciples who tarried in the upper room…. The reality of the all-encompassing, Christ-possessing holiness of the Spirit is basic New Testament Christianity."[1]
The power of the Holy Spirit in a person who has yielded fully their will to God makes a holy life possible. Without the Holy Spirit, Christlikeness is impossible. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to live a holy life.
The prophet Zechariah saw a vision of a golden lampstand with two olive trees. A bowl provided a constant supply of oil for the seven lamps. An angel explained the meaning of the vision. Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, was assigned to rebuild the Temple. This enormous task looked like a mountain. God promised that the task would be accomplished “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit.” Through the Spirit, the mountain would become a plain (Zechariah 4:6-7).
In the same way, the Christian today must have the ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. Paul commanded the Ephesian Christians to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The command is present tense; this is to be our regular pattern of life. Our daily life must be controlled by him. We experience the joy of a holy life as we live in the fullness of the Spirit.
[1] Robert E. Coleman, The Mind of the Master (CO: Waterbrook Press, 1977), 35-36
[2]The Prayer of a Young Christian:
"Holy Spirit, please fill me till I overflow. I cannot hold very much, but I can overflow a great deal.”
- Quoted by Dr. David Bubb
Holiness in Practice: Characteristics of the Holy Life
Imagine that you were able to get rid of every sin in your life. Imagine that you were free of all sinful actions and sinful attitudes. No one could point to anything wrong. Would this fulfill God’s goal of a holy life?
No! Holiness is more than avoiding sin. Holiness is producing fruit. Holiness is not a legalistic, negative approach to life. Holiness is a joyful relationship with God. Holiness is seen when the Holy Spirit produces his fruit in our life.
The Fruit of the Spirit
► Read Galatians 5:13-26.
In Galatians 5, Paul contrasts life in the Spirit with life in the flesh. Up to this point in Galatians, Paul has been warning the Galatian believers about the danger of abandoning their Christian liberty and returning to the bondage of Judaic rituals and law. They have been freed from their efforts to earn salvation through good works and they must not return to bondage.
However, Paul recognizes another danger. When a person is set free from bondage, he may be tempted to use his new-found freedom to indulge his own appetites. So Paul warns the Galatian believers, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
Paul contrasts two ways of living. One pattern of life is to gratify the desires of the flesh; the other is to walk by the Spirit. Paul contrasts these two patterns by showing the fruit of each pattern of life.
First, Paul shows the works of the flesh. This is the product of human nature that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit. The works of the flesh include:
Sexual sins: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality
Religious sins: idolatry, sorcery
Social sins: enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy
Sins of appetite: drunkenness, orgies.
He concludes, “I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Paul then shows the fruit of the Spirit. This is the product of life lived under the control and with the power of the Holy Spirit. This fruit is one fruit, not a group of fruits. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul lists a group of gifts and says that each believer will be given one of the gifts by the Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills (1 Corinthians 12:5-11). In Galatians, however, there is only one fruit, which grows naturally in the heart of everyone who is walking in the Spirit.
This fruit of the Spirit is not a list of qualities we can develop in our own power. This is fruit that grows naturally when we are filled with the Spirit. This is what a holy life looks like. It is the natural byproduct of a holy heart.
Paul listed 15 works of the flesh. He lists nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit:
Fruit related to God: love, joy, peace
Fruit related to people: longsuffering, gentleness, goodness
Fruit related to our inner character: faith, meekness, temperance
The root of all these qualities is love. Love binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14). Love fulfills the law and provides the ground in which this fruit grows and flourishes.
Keep in Step with the Spirit
The fruit of the Spirit is the natural outgrowth of life when we are filled with the Spirit. This is Paul’s primary emphasis in Galatians where he addresses people who may try to grow this fruit by their own careful obedience to the law. Paul wants them to understand that they cannot earn this fruit; it is the result of life in the Spirit.
This truth is always balanced in Paul by a reminder that the holy life is lived with intention. Holiness is not accidental; we must press toward the goal (Philippians 3:12-14). In Colossae, it appears that many new believers thought they could continue in their old lifestyle. There, Paul emphasizes the effort involved in living the holy life. In Colossians, Paul writes about putting on the qualities of the holy life. This suggests the ongoing discipline involved in holiness:
"Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony" (Colossians 3:12-14).
In the same way, Paul does not want the Galatian Christians to simply assume that the holy life can be lived without self-discipline and effort. In their reaction to legalism, they must not become careless. In Galatians 5:16-25, Paul says,
“Walk by the Spirit” (verse 16). Walking is an action that requires effort.
Be “led by the Spirit” (verse 18). To be led, I must follow. This requires effort.
“Live by the Spirit” (verse 25). Living is a choice and action. This requires effort.
“Keep in step with the Spirit” (verse 25). This is the strongest of the four verbs. It is a military term suggesting soldiers marching in a line. Marching in line with the Spirit requires effort and discipline.
As Christians who are filled with the Spirit, we must never think we are so spiritually mature that we can never fall to the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:17). However, we must never allow Satan to convince us that we cannot be free from the control of the desires of the flesh through the power of the Spirit. As we keep in step with the Spirit, we produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.
► After studying the impact of Pentecost on the early disciples and after reviewing the fruit of the Spirit, discuss what a Spirit-filled life will look like today. How should the filling of the Spirit affect our attitudes, daily Christian walk, and ministry efforts?
They Found the Secret - Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth
Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth were Canadian Presbyterian missionaries to China from 1888-1933. Mrs. Goforth tried to follow the example of Jesus in her life, but she failed repeatedly. After 20 years of struggle, Rosalind Goforth learned that the secret to a victorious Christian life is the Holy Spirit living through us and producing the character of Christ in our life. Mrs. Goforth testified that her life after this time could be summed up in one word, “Resting.”
As they allowed the Holy Spirit to work through them, the Goforths saw God do wondrous things. Jonathan Goforth struggled for months to learn the Chinese language. When he tried to preach in Chinese, few listeners could understand him. As he was preaching one day, he suddenly began to communicate clearly, using phrases he had never mastered. He later learned that a group of students in Canada had spent that day praying for his ministry. From that day, Jonathan Goforth had fluent control of the Chinese language. What Goforth could not do, the Holy Spirit did through a surrendered servant.
God led the Goforths into areas of China that had never been touched by the gospel. Thousands were converted through the ministry of the Goforths. The key to their success was not great ability; the key was living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
At his funeral, the pastor of Knox Presbyterian Church gave the secret to Jonathan Goforth’s success. “He was a God-intoxicated man – fully surrendered and consecrated. He was baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. He was filled with the Spirit because he was emptied of self”.[1]
Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth understood the importance of walking in the Spirit day by day. They understood the prayer of the hymn-writer Edwin Hatch: “Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure.” When our heart is pure, we want what God wants.
[1] Adapted from Wesley L. Duewel, Heroes of the Holy Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 52-64.
Breathe on Me, Breath of God - Edwin Hatch
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God,
until my heart is pure,
until with thee I will one will,
to do and to endure.
Lesson 9 in Review
(1) To be holy means to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
(2) In his earthly life, Jesus ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised this same power to his followers. Because of that promise, he assured his disciples that “it is to your advantage that I go away.”
(3) When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, their lives were transformed. Three signs marked this new activity of the Holy Spirit:
The sound like a mighty rushing wind indicated the power of the Spirit’s coming.
The divided tongues of fire resting on each of them represented the purity associated with the Holy Spirit.
The ability to speak in other tongues equipped the disciples to witness to all nations.
(4) As the early church lived in the power of the Holy Spirit, they experienced:
Increased power for ministry
Boldness to proclaim the gospel
Boldness in the face of persecution
Victorious lives
Guidance for ministry
Unity between believers
(5) Just as the disciples were holy only through the Holy Spirit, we are holy only as we live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the filling of the Holy Spirit, we are incapable of following the example of Jesus Christ. It is only in the Spirit’s power that we can live Christlike lives.
(6) As we live in the Spirit, our lives will show the fruit of the Spirit as the natural product of a holy life.
Lesson Assignments
(1) Write a letter to a young Christian who says to you, “I know I am a Christian, but I continue to struggle with carnal attitudes and areas in which I am weak in the face of temptation.” Help this young Christian understand the importance of being filled with the Spirit.
(2) Begin the next class session by quoting Galatians 5:22-25.
(3) Remember to work on the final project that will be due at the end of this course.
Final Project
You will preach three sermons or teach three Bible studies on the doctrine and practice of holiness. You should record these sermons to submit to the class leader for your final project. You will prepare one sermon or Bible study on each of the following topics:
(1) A sermon or Bible study on one theological aspect of holiness. Choose one:
Holiness as Relationship
Holiness as the Image of God in His People
Holiness as a Separated Life
Holiness as an Undivided Heart
Holiness as a Righteous Life
Holiness as Perfect Love
Holiness as the Fullness of the Spirit
Holiness as Christlikeness
(2) A sermon or Bible study on a practical aspect of holiness. You may choose a topic discussed in this course, or you may select your own topic. Possible topics include:
Spending Time with God
Holiness and Personality
What Does It Mean to be Separate from the World?
Holiness and Business
Holiness and Family Life
Maintaining Victory Over Willful Sin
Holiness and the Life of the Church
(3) A sermon or Bible study on a biblical character who demonstrates holiness.
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