Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Understanding The Spirit 1.  The Holy Spirit sovereignly gives gifts to each believer for the common good.  1 Corinthians 12:7-11. 2.  A spiritual gift is “a God-given ability for service” (Dr. Charles Ryrie). 3.  Each believer has at least one gift.  1 Peter 4:10 4.  Lists of gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4 and include those gifts which were temporary (foundational or authenticating) and those which are permanent. 5.  Spiritual gifts are given not for personal edification but for building up the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:1-4,26; Ephesians 4:12ff 6.  The NT does not give a procedure for discovering our spiritual gift(s) but rather assumes that as we grow in Christ and serve Him our spiritual gift(s) will come to the fore.  To discover our spiritual gift, we should: be informed about what the Bible says about spiritual gifts; be willing to serve the Lord in whatever way He opens up; and be active in serving the Lord.

Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Understanding The Spirit 1.  The Holy Spirit is a seal upon the lives of believers showing God’s ownership of us, our security in Him, His authority over us, and His protection of us.  We are sealed unto the day of redemption, thus nothing can keep us from receiving all God has promised us. 2.  Believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit (to be under the influence and control of the Holy Spirit).  Ephesians 5:18 3.  Prerequisites to being filled with the Spirit are: -we must deal with sin in our lives (Ephesians 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 John 1:9) -we must acknowledge God’s right to our lives (Romans 12:1; 6:13; Galatians 2:20) -we must live a life of dependence on the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16) 4.  Some of the results of the filling ministry of the Spirit (Christlike character, Galatians 5:22,23;  acceptable worship and praise, Ephesians 5:19,20; right relationships in marriage, the home, on the job and in church, Ephesians 5:21ff.

Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Understanding The Spirit The work of the Holy Spirit which unites us with Christ and with each other in the body of Christ (the Church) is called the baptizing work of the Spirit.  1 Corinthians 12:13 -it was yet future in the gospels and in Acts 1:5 -it first occurred on the Day of Pentecost.  Acts 11:15-17; 2:1-4 -it occurs at the moment of salvation -all believers are baptized by the Spirit regardless of if they are spiritual or carnal/worldly, it is not related to spiritual condition.  All of the Corinthians were baptized (1 Cor. 12:13) yet they are called worldly, unspiritual in chapters 1-3 and the church is rife with immorality, wrong practices, and wrong theology. -nowhere in Scripture is anyone told to seek the baptism of the Spirit -it is basic for separation from sin and walking in newness of life. Romans 6:1-14 -it is basic to right relationships in the Body of Christ

Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Understanding The Spirit 1.  The Regenerating work of the Holy Spirit is “the work of God which gives new life to the one who believes.” (Ryrie) Titus 3:5; John 3:3-7 -it is necessary because man is spiritual dead, Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 5:12-21 -it is a supernatural work of God, John 1:12,13 -faith in the gospel is the human responsibility, 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18 -results in a new nature, new life, eternal life, 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Peter 1:4 2.  The Indwelling work of the Holy Spirit is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in taking up residence within the life of the believer the moment he comes to faith in Christ. -believers are never commanded to be indwelt, it is assumed -the presence of the Spirit is an indication of salvation, Romans 8:9 -all believers are indwelt regardless of their spiritual condition, 1 Corinthians 6:19 -the indwelling is permanent, Ephesians 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22 -the indwelling results in power to conform to the image of Jesus; helps our prayer life; makes the control (filling) of the Spirit possible; makes supernatural living possible

Preacher: Pastor Joe Ricchuiti | Series: Understanding The Spirit 1.  The Holy Spirit restrains sin through: human government, Romans 13:1; a sense of judgment to come, Hebrews 9:27; conscience, Romans 2:15; the believer’s life; the church; the Word. 2.  The “convicting” work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-11) -making the message of salvation clear -“Convict means to convince someone of something, to point something out to someone” (Moody Handbook of Theology) -the H.S. convicts of sin (the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ), of righteousness (Jesus’ has and offers the righteousness that God requires), and judgment (judgment awaits those who reject Christ). -the H.S. uses the written Word, spoken witness or the preaching of the Word (John 15:26,27; Romans 10:14) directly in the conscience of the unsaved in the work of conviction.