The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Rev. Blake Altman, Lead Pastor

God intends to change you by His Word. How is He at work in you to do that?  Read the following passage and consider these questions. 

READ

John 14:15-21, 16:7-15 (ESV)

14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

16:7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

QUESTIONS (40 minutes)

1. Discuss the difference between common translations of the Greek word parakleto (v. 14:16, "Helper"): Comforter, Counselor, Helper, and Advocate. What does each communicate? Which seems best for modern English?  Why?

2. What does it matter that the Holy Spirit is a person of the Trinity and not merely an "it"?

3. If John 16:13 is true, why do some Christians walk in error? 

4. Explain how the Spirit convicts the world "concerning sin and righteousness and judgment" (16:8ff). What do each of these mean? What is the difference between these three things?

PRAYER (15 minutes) 

Take prayer requests. Pray together that we would see more of the Spirit's power in our lives.