Well, you look good to me. Good evening, everyone. It is good to be back at Spanish Wells. I must say that I feel greatly complimented in being invited to yet another conference, my third one over the years. We're getting to be friends, aren't we? Thank you so very much for inviting us, having us here, and I'm not just using words loosely here. I do count it a privilege to share the ministry with my esteemed brothers Tom Roberts and Dennis McKenna, great men of God, and I do feel complimented in being in the program along with them. Let's turn in our Bibles, please, to the Gospel of John, chapter seven. John's Gospel, chapter seven, verse thirty seven. John chapter seven verse thirty seven. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly, out of his innermost being, shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified. Turn over to chapter fourteen of the same book, the Gospel of John, chapter fourteen and verse sixteen. The Lord Jesus said, I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you. Verse twenty six: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Fifty days after the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the day of Pentecost came, as we read in Acts chapter two. and there we read when the day of Pentecost was fully come. It was on that day that the Holy Spirit of God came down to carry on a ministry that was in many ways different from his previous workings in the Old Testament economy. It was the inauguration of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Holy Spirit of God came down not only to be with believers, but to indwell them. It is interesting to notice that mention is made of the Holy Spirit of God at the commencement and conclusion of the Bible. Genesis 1, verse 2, Revelation 22, verse 17. And we read of the Holy Spirit and his workings throughout the Word of God. But who is the Holy Spirit? It is somewhat surprising, the fuzzy thinking that many professing believers have concerning this member of the Holy Trinity. Who is the Holy Spirit? A man in one o- on one occasion went into a bank to cash a check, and the teller looked at him and said, sir, you must identify yourself. He went over and looked in the mirror, and he said, yes, it's me. Who is the Holy Spirit of God? And as we go through scripture, we find that he, the writer of scripture, identifies himself in more ways than one. Is the Holy Spirit a person or just an influence? And does it make any difference whether we believe the one or the other? Several centuries after the death of Christ, there lived a man who became known for his heretical views. His name was Arius. He said that the Holy Spirit was only the exerted energy of God. Since God the Father is a person, his personality may be, uh, may manifest itself, and that manifestation of the personality of the Father is the exercised energy that goes forth from the Father, said Arius. He therefore denied the true personality of this member of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Now, while that interpretation was condemned at the Council of Nicaea in AD three twenty as a heretical interpretation and an heretical doctrine, it did not cease. Following the Reformation, Sakinas, I trust I'm pronouncing his name correctly, took up the condemned heresy of Arius. He denied the personality of the Holy Spirit and took one further step by saying that the Spirit is the eternal proceeding energy of God. Since God is eternal, and God as a person was always manifesting power, that eternal manifestation of the power of God was the Spirit of God. Now, this doctrine has come to be the foundation of Unitarianism and those kindred movements which deny the teaching of the Holy Trinity. And it is an interpretation which the Word of God condemns. I believe in the Holy Trinity, and I believe you do too. Oh, some will say that term is not in the Bible. No, but the teaching is there throughout the Word of God. We have said on several different occasions in other messages that the Hebrew differs from the English in this regard. As you know, in English, one is singular. To make it plural, you must have two or more. That is not the case in the Hebrew. In the Hebrew language, one is singular, two is dual. To make it plural, you must have three or more. And out of the approximately two thousand seven hundred and eighty times that the name for God is used in the Old Testament, about two thousand five hundred of those times, it is a plural noun. Elohim. You must have three or more. If you were to ask a Jew or others, uh, why is that name that occurs so many times, that name for God as a plural noun in scripture? It's possible that the answer would be, well, God's ways are past finding out, and we say amen to that. Uh, it speaks of his overflowingness. God cannot be contained, and, and, and so a plural noun is necessary. Listen, we know better, don't we? It is a teaching of the Holy Trinity. Ecclesiastes twelve and one: Remember now thy Creator. Creator, plural. Plural. You must have three. Remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. I believe in the Holy Trinity. I can remember when I received Jesus Christ as Savior, the latter part of nineteen fifty four in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. And everything was completely new to me. My background is Jewish, but I wasn't reared in Judaism. Everything was completely new to me. But I began hearing now and then some illustrations concerning the Holy Trinity. And even as a new believer, it didn't sound right to me, but after all, I didn't know. And as the years went by, I heard the illustration, uh, uh, time and time again, and it still didn't sound right. And it was this one. Take H two O, take water. Sometimes it's in the form of steam. Sometimes it is in the form of ice. Then again, it's in the form of water. 3. And yet it's H two O. Well, as I said, I, I didn't like the illustration when I heard it. And now I know why. Some would say, in referring to the Shema, Deuteronomy six four, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, or as it is in the original text, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Ah, some people say, yes, he's one. How do you get three out of one? My answer is the same way I get one out of two when I marry a couple and say you're no more tween or two, but you're one flesh. It's a compound unity, and that is exactly what you have in Deuteronomy six and four. Itad. It's a compound unity. I can speak to one individual, or I can speak to one audience, as I'm doing now. But this one audience is made up maybe of three hundred people here. It's a compound unity. And some would say, well, since God is one, sometimes, and they call it modalism, sometimes he takes the form of the Father. Sometimes he takes the form of the Son. Sometimes he takes the form of the Holy Spirit or the mode of the Holy Spirit. No, we reject that. There are three persons that make up the Holy Trinity. No, I think the best illustration that I have come across is that of an equilateral triangle. An equilateral triangle is a single entity made up of three straight lines of equal length. If they were not united, it would not be a single entity. It would be three straight lines of equal length, but they are so united as to make a single entity, and that is what we have in the Godhead. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And we are inclined to always put them in that order. We speak of the Son oftentimes as a second member of the Trinity. We must be careful not to give anyone the impression that by using that term, the second member, that he is somehow inferior to the first member. Or to refer to the Holy Spirit of God as the third member of the Trinity, to give any impression that we mean to convey that he is somehow inferior to the second and the first members of the Trinity. They are co-equal and co-eternal. And if I were to give you a piece of paper and a pen and have you to write down the numbers one, two, and three, and then tell you to rearrange those numbers in as many ways as possible. Rearrange those three numbers in as many combinations as you can possibly come up with. How many combinations would you have? Did I hear six? That's right. And I won't take time to give you the scripture references. I have them in the flyleaf of my Bible, all six references where you will find the Holy Trinity listed in all of those combinations. Sometimes the Son is listed first. Sometimes the Holy Spirit is listed first. I believe in the Holy Trinity. And in the four messages that will be my privilege to share with you in this conference, I want to share some thoughts with you concerning the Holy Spirit of God, his person, the Holy Spirit of God, God's pledge, the Holy Spirit of God, his purpose, and lastly, the Holy Spirit of God, our power. I trust you could make it out to all the service. Let's consider tonight briefly the Holy Spirit, his person. We always think of God the Father in personal terms. It is through the Holy Spirit that we believers are able to cry, Abba Father. We rest in the assurance that the Father watches over us, that we are in his, his care and keeping. We know that the Father loves us, and we would never dream of calling the Father it, would we? No, we say he's a person. And it's easier to think of the Son in a personal way. We've never seen him, but we love him. But we think of him as the babe in the manger, as the carpenter, as the teacher, as our savior. But when it comes to the Holy Spirit, well, it just seems to be different. We're not inclined to think of the Holy Spirit as a person. And it might be because of the word itself. I want you to listen carefully, and of course these messages are being taken. The New Testament word for spirit is pneuma, P-N-E-U-M-A, pneuma. And right away, you know it has to do with wind, like pneumonia, or pneumatic tools, or pneumatic tires. Pneuma. That is the Greek word for spirit. Pneuma. It is neuter in gender. It's neither masculine nor feminine. And so I presume this is the reason why the translators sometimes use the word it. They were correct in doing so. We don't like it. But they were translators, not interpreters. But the Lord Jesus Christ used the masculine pronoun when speaking of him. When he is come, he will not only be with you, he shall be in you. But I, I guess maybe it's because of that word spirit that we are not inclined to think of this particular member of the Holy Trinity in a personal way as Father and Son. And it is possible that the terms filling of the spirit, or the pouring out of the Spirit, cause some to think of him as a substance that is poured in and used up. Listen, when we were saved, we received a person. Some think they received the Holy Spirit of God in installments. When I received Louise as my wife almost fifty years ago, I did not receive an arm one week, and an arm another week, and so on. When I received her, I received a person. And when we were saved, we received a person. We were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. And if we think of the Holy Spirit of God as some substance that is poured in and used up, then our thinking will be, how can I get hold of and use the Spirit? But if we think of him in the biblical way as a divine person, no, let's go beyond that. A person of deity, infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely tender, then our thought will be, how can the Holy Spirit of God have full control of me? My brother, my sister in Christ, it is of the highest importance from an experiential standpoint that we know the Holy Spirit of God as a person. Now, some religious circles today deny the personality of the Holy Spirit because, they say, he doesn't possess a body. Well, he does because he indwells us. But when we think of a person, we do think of the body, do we not? But my body is not my personality. My body expresses my personality. Now, what are the attributes of personality? That's a big word. What is an attribute? I suppose one would say it is that quality or characteristic that makes a thing what it is and not something else. If I were to ask you, what is the attribute of a ball, a sphere? What is the attribute of a ball? You would say it's roundness. That's its attribute. That is its, uh, peculiar characteristic, its roundness. If you were to take that away, it would not be a ball. It would be a cube, it would be a triangle, it would be something else, but it wouldn't be a, it wouldn't be a ball. All right, what are the characteristics, what are the attributes of personality? Now, maybe you have one of the outlines, if not, there should be some left in the foyer when you leave. What are the distinctive marks of personality? A person is a living entity endowed with understanding and will, being an intelligent and willing agent. God made man in his image after his likeness, which includes intellect, emotion, and volition. We are tripartite beings, and when God appeals to us, he appeals to our intellect with truth, he appeals to our emotions with love, and he appeals to us to decide, to make that decision, and even as Christians to act, to work, to serve him. But intellect, emotion, and volition. Intellect, we know, we think, we reason. Emotion, we feel, we love, we hate. And volition, we decide, we act, we do. Is the Holy Spirit of God described as an intelligent being? All the elements which constitute personality are ascribed to and found in him. Personal properties are predicated of the Spirit. He is endowed with understanding or wisdom, which is the first inseparable property of an intelligent agent. Is he an intelligent being? Romans chapter eight verses twenty six and twenty seven. likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself, and here, now here is that word itself, the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. In First Corinthians chapter two verse nine, Paul said, But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I'm continuing, but God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit, for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. Now to search is an act of understanding, and the Spirit is said to search because he knoweth. The Holy Spirit of God is a person, an intelligent person, because he's God. Does he possess emotions? Romans five and five: and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is or who is given unto us. Romans fifteen thirty: now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. Not only does the Holy Spirit of God love, but he can be grieved. Ephesians four and thirty, and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption. First Thessalonians chapter five and verse nineteen, Paul said, quench not the Spirit. When we Christians are insensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit of God, when we are not in communion with him as we should be, when we commit some sin, when we are out of touch, we quench his working, and we grieve his person. You ever heard of anyone grieving an influence? Of course not. He possesses emotion. Does the Holy Spirit have volition? Does he decide? Does he act? Personal actions are attributed to this member of the Trinity. He speaks. The Spirit speaketh expressly, said Paul in First Timothy four and one. Revelation two and seven, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. Not only does the Holy Spirit of God speak, but he teaches. The Holy Spirit shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say. Luke twelve and twelve. And the Lord Jesus said, as we have read, he shall teach you all things. He's going to bring to your remembrance the gospels. He's going to lead and guide you into all truth, the epistles. He's going to show you things to come, the revelation. He teaches. He wrote the book. And he commands or exercises authority. Paul says concerning the gifts of the Spirit which come down from the risen head, the risen glorified head, the Lord Jesus, the selfsame Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will. 1 Corinthians 12 and 11. Another striking proof of his will and authority is found in Acts chapter thirteen and verse two. The Holy Spirit said, separate unto me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. He speaks, he teaches, he exercises authority, he intercedes. Romans eight twenty six: The Spirit itself, there's that word again, the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us. Borrowing the language of J. Owen, we may surely say, and I quote, by all these testimonies, we have fully confirmed what was designed to be proved by them, namely that the Holy Spirit is not a quality, as some speak, residing in the divine nature, not a mere emanation of virtue and power from God, not the acting of the power of God in and unto our sanctification, but a holy, intelligent, subsistent, or person. And both the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures refer to the Holy Spirit of God as a person. All right, he possesses the distinctive marks or attributes of personality. Does he possess, listen carefully, does he possess the attributes of deity? Now, on your chart, I have listed at least ten. Quite possibly there are others that could be listed here, but I have listed at least ten. The eternality of the Holy Spirit of God. He is eternal. He's limitless. His omniscience. He's all-knowing, all-wise, omnipresent. He's everywhere at one time. Omnipotence, all-powerful. Transcendence, being apart from the universe, that is everything else that exists, and infinitely superior to it. Self-existence, that is immortality, unchangeability or immutability. Wisdom and love. So let me just very briefly, you have the chart, let me just touch upon a few of these, and then we'll close. Is the Holy Spirit of God, this person, eternal? Hebrews nine fourteen: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. The eternal Spirit. Is he omniscient? That is, does he know all things? Isaiah uh eleven verses one and two. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might. And keep in mind, he knows all the deep things of God. Is he omnipresent? The psalmist in Psalm one thirty nine verse seven said, Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence? How is it that the Holy Spirit of God can be in a believer here on Spanish Wells, be in a believer in Eleuthera, be in a believer in Nassau, be in a believer in the United States and all over the world with other believers, because he's God. Is he omnipotent? Is he all powerful? Well, just consider from that outline, read the scriptures, consider some of his workings in creation, revelation, salvation, glorification, inspiration, illumination, sanctification, and resurrection. That's a mouthful, isn't it? Is the Holy Spirit actually referred to as God. I want you to turn to this scripture with me, Acts chapter five. Acts chapter five, You know it. And come down to verses three and four. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? Have you ever heard of anyone lying to an influence? Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land? Look at the latter part of verse four. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. The Holy Spirit is God. The Lord Jesus said, and uh, it was a combined gift from the Father as well as the Son. The Father is going to send the Holy Spirit to you, he said. I'm going to send him. I'm not going to leave you comfortless. Paraklotos. We know the word is paraclete. We might be more familiar with a paralegal. Oh, you say that's someone called in to be alongside of the lawyer to help the lawyer, a paralegal. All right, a paraclete is the Holy Spirit of God. And the Lord Jesus said he's not gonna only be called alongside of you to be your helper, he's gonna be in you. But the Lord Jesus said, I'm going to give you another, another comforter. Now, there can only be one of two meanings of that word. Either it means another of a different kind or another of the same kind, right? When the Lord Jesus said, Nicodemus, you must be born again. He thought, Nicodemus thought, well, of the same kind. How can I enter into my mother's womb and be born? No, Nicodemus, it's, it's not of the same kind. You need to be born again, but differently, from above. But when the Lord Jesus said, I'm going to give you another comforter. It is allos and not heteros. It's another of the same kind, just like himself. Doctor G. Campbell Morgan says that word another here is of a, uh, particular nature and character. It is allos and not heteros. Consequently, the word another does not indicate a different quality, but a similarity of quality. Under these circumstances, he, Jesus, said, I will send you another paraclete, another to stand by your side, yes, and to be in you, another to take exactly the same place that I have filled you, filled in your lives during these past three years. I'm going to give you another comforter. I'm not going to leave you as orphans. Another just like myself. That is to say, one who possesses the same nature, one who is deity. I'm going to give you another comforter. Oh, where is the first comforter going to be? At God's right hand. I want you to think about that as I close right now. There is one comforter in glory, right? Are you with me? One comforter in glory. Another here, living in every believer. The Lord Jesus, or rather the Apostle John said in First John chapter two, my little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not, and if any man sin, we have an advocate, parakletos or paraclete. We have an advocate with the Father. One is up there, one's down here. One is down here looking after God's interests below. The other is up there looking after our interests above until we get home. You talk about security. That's good. Is it any wonder Peter said we're kept by the power of God. We're going to have a congregational number, I would think. Or I can just give thanks for the food after we sing a cappella with the amen, the doxology. Shall we stand? Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him, all creatures here below.