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------------------------------- Ten Principles of the Holy Spirit I Corinthians 12-14 Winston Mattsson-Boze Introduction. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, along with the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:19) The three are separate, and yet they function in perfect unity as one. The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophets in the Old Testaments (Hebrews 1:1), and continues to convict people of sin and point them to Jesus as the Savior (John 16:8). He also gives power to live and propagate the Christian life (Acts 1:8), and gives gifts to the church (1 Corinthians 12:7). He produces fruit in the Christian life (Galatians 5:22-23). The Holy Spirit was given to the church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4), and people have received the gift of the Holy Spirit ever since (Acts 2:39). Salvation includes the right and privilege to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2). The Holy Spirit produces evidence of His presence in the believer's life, often by a clear gift like speaking in tongues or prophecy (acts 19:6). These principles are presented to help you distinguish what is the work of the Holy Spirit, and what is not. The Principles: 1. The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus as Lord. (12:3) · Lord--the Old Testament word is Jehovah. i.e. Jesus is God, divine. The Spirit testifies to Christ’s nature as fully God and fully man. - Also, Jesus as Lord, Master of the specific individual's life.
- The Holy Spirit directs the attention to Jesus, not to Himself or His works. This is important in our day when there is so much emphasis on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the “shy” person in the Trinity, and always speaks of Jesus. John 15:26.
2. The Holy Spirit works in different ways. (12:4-6) - There are varieties of gifts. (9 gifts are listed in verses 8-10)
- There are varieties of ministries. (Ephesians 4:11. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, Teachers). There may be others, like administrative gifts.
- There are varieties of workings. We know of people being “slain in the Spirit,” having fits of laughter, having spells of crying, and other manifestations. These manifestations fall into this category.
3. The Holy Spirit works for the common good of the Christian community. (12:7, 12, 13) - He doesn't work to put an individual in a self-gratifying position
- A test of the work of the Spirit is whether the whole church is helped.
- The Spirit doesn’t exalt an individual who has a particular gift.
4. The gifts are distributed to individuals by the Holy Spirit as He chooses. (12:11) - They are not given by the church hierarchy or by seminar leaders.
· The Holy Spirit does not ask man's opinion when He gives a gift. - This implies that the church leaders must recognize when God uses even people that they don’t personally “like.”
5. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are interdependent. (12:21) · Gifts do not usually operate alone, but in conjunction with other gifts. - The gift of prophecy needs the gift of discerning of spirits to judge it. 1 Corinthians 14:29 (Prophecy does not establish doctrine; teaching does.)
- The gifts of healing may need the word of wisdom or the word of knowledge in order for a complete restoration to take place.
6. The less public gifts are important. (12: 22-23) - The gifts of healing and the discerning of spirits seldom function in public, but we need them. (Discernment often involves seeing things from a different perspective.)
- The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge often function in private counseling.
- The private working of the gift is just as spiritual as the public working. The gifts are not for show, but for edifying the church.
7. The gifts of the Spirit work in relation to the ministries of the Spirit in the church. (12:28) - The ministry gifts are put there to keep order in the church. They work in conjunction with the overall vision of the church. They also respect the specific culture of the church.
- If a person with a gift doesn't work with the leadership, he/she is out of order, and should be corrected. The leadership, not the “gifted one” is responsible for the good order of the church.
- The leadership should be aware of the gifts that operate in the various members.
8. Love is more important than all the gifts of the Spirit. (13:1) - Without love, the gifts are only power ploys. Faith, and all the gifts, work by love. Galatians 5:6
- Actions and words that create disunity and dissension are usually not based on love.
9. Prophecy is an especially desirable gift of the Holy Spirit. (14:1) - We are specifically taught to seek the gift of prophecy.
10. The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. (14:32) - The Holy Spirit works through people with self-control. Galatians 5:23
- The Holy Spirit doesn't "force" anyone do anything. Hebrews 13:9
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