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THE HOLY SPIRIT

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Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · May 24, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 21.

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THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. By what agency was Jesus of Nazareth begotten?
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.” Matt. 1:18.
Joseph’s first impulse was to put her away, thinking she was not a virtuous woman. But “the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus.” Verses 20, 21.
2. By what influence was He led during His ministry?
“Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him.” Matt. 3:16.
“And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.” John 1:32.
“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Matt. 4:1.
3. What is essential to a place in the kingdom of God?
“Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5, 6.
4. As Jesus was about to return to heaven, what did He promise to send as His representative in the earth?
“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 can not receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him; but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” John 14:16, 17.
5. What is the office of the Spirit?
“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.” John 14:26.
“And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” Chapter 16:8.
6. What promise did the Lord make by His prophet Joel?
“I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit.” Joel 2:28, 29.
7. When was this promise fulfilled?
Its fulfilment began on the day of Pentecost. See Acts 2:1-4, 14, 16-18, 32, 33.
8. What are the gifts of the Spirit?
“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues; but all these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit, dividing to every man severally as He will.” 1 Cor. 12:4-11.
9. What is the purpose of these spiritual gifts?
They are “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” See Eph. 4:7-13.
10. What is the fruit of the Spirit?
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Gal. 5:22, 23.