God And His Word - A Question And Answer Approach To Understanding The Bible

11. WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN RELATION TO JESUS CHRIST? A. Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Luke 1:35. B. Christ was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:38. C. Christ was led by the Spirit. Matthew 4:1. D. Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:1. E. Christ accomplished His ministry by the power of the Spirit. F. Christ sacrificially offered Himself through the Spirit. Hebrews 9:14. G. Christ was resurrected by the power of the Spirit. Romans 8:11. H. Christ’s post-resurrection commandments given through the Spirit. Acts 1:2. I. Christ was the bestower of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:33. NOTE: The Life of Christ is a perfect example of the Spirit-filled life. His experiences should be duplicated in every Christian’s life. 12. WHAT IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN RELATION TO BELIEVERS? We have now given a brief introduction to the Holy Spirit. The remaining lessons in Part VII of the catechism emphasize the vital growth experiences in the life of the child of God that are a product of the Holy Spirit. We might say that these basic experiences are “Steps to Maturity through the Ministry of the Holy Spirit.” From simple Salvation to Resurrection Glory, each important step is accomplished through the Holy Spirit and is a reproduction of Jesus’ growth pattern. There are other things which we could add in this section, but we feel it is best at this point to impress each student with the following ways in which he is related to the Holy Spirit. A. Beginning with Christ through a genuine conversion experience. B. Baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ through water baptism. C. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit evidenced by “speaking in tongues.” D. Sanctification of the Spirit that sets us apart for God’s service. E. The Spirit-filled life which produces spiritual fruit and manifestation. F. The Spirit-filled life which enables us to worship and pray as we ought. G. The establishment of ministry through Confirmation by the Laying

149