The coming of the promised Holy Spirit was a blessed event. In John 16:7-14, we have a list of things set forth
that He would do, for the Apostles, as a part of His work. The following things are mentioned: 1) He will convict the
world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement; 2) guide the apostles into all truth; 3) bring to the remembrance of
the apostles all that Christ said; and 4) He will glorify Christ. Today no subject is the object of more speculation and
false teaching than the mission and medium of the Holy Spirit. False claims run the gamut of the fertile imagination
of man's unlearned mind. Everything is being attributed to the Spirit. Such claims not only hurt the truth, but cast a
bad and doubtful light on this third person of the Godhead. In our lesson today, we are talking about things the Holy
Spirit will not do. Things that we cannot rightfully attribute to him.
1. The Holy Spirit Was Not Given to Make People Brag or Boast of Their Power. Simon in Acts 8:9-23 is a
case in point. This man was somewhat of a magician. He dazzled people with his works and power, He was, however,
converted to Christ. As he followed the Apostles around he saw not only their miracles, but their power to lay hands
on people thus imparting to them the power to work miracles. Simon wanted that power, so much so that he offered
the Apostles money in order to receive it. He wanted to be able to lay hands on people and impart these gifts to
them. His motive was wrong. He was after the glory, honor, fame, and riches that would come as a result of such
power. He was told "Thy money perish with thee." Today we see and hear many who boast of their power to heal the
sick, raise the dead, etc. Some even write books about their "Greatest Miracles." All one needs to do is read their
literature or listen to them on the television, or radio to be made aware of their boasting. The Holy Spirit does not
make people brag or boast of their ability to work miracles. That is not why He came to earth. To so use Him is to
misuse Him. The Holy Spirit came to glorify Christ, not himself (In. 16:14).
2. The Holy Spirit was not Given to Keep People Always Well. The idea that God never allows his people to
get sick and does not want them to seek medical help when they are sick, is against bible teaching. Paul told
Timothy to drink "...a little wine for they' stomach's sake and thine often infirmities," 1 Tim. 5:23. Paul did not say
"just have faith" or "the Holy Spirit will heal you." Why? Notice also that Paul left Trophimus at Miletus sick. Why
didn't Paul heal Trophimus? The answer is simple, the power of the Holy Spirit was never for the purpose of just
making sick people well. Even Paul himself became sick, according to Gal. 5: 13. Why then does the bible speak of
people being physically healed by the power of God? The answer lies in the purpose behind miracles. Notice John
11 :15, '_And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe." The real motive was to
produce faith. Today God's word produces faith according.to Rom. 10:17, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God." We do not need miracles today to produce faith since we have the bible. But, miracles
also confirmed the truth. Hebrews 2:3-4, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them
witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own
will?" In short the scripture says that miracles certified the message by authenticating the messenger. Thus by
means of miracles Jesus was shown to be " ...a man approved of God unto you..." Acts 2:22. We are told in 2 Cor.
12: 12 that Paul's miracles were the "sign of an apostle." Those today who claim to have power to make sick people
well, using the power given them by the Holy Spirit, cannot do what they claim. Not only that, they fail to realize why
the apostles healed people in the first century. It was not just for the purpose of making them well, but served to
confirm the word of God and produce faith in people's hearts.
3. The Holy Spirit Will Not Cause You to Fall and Roll Around on the Ground or Injure Yourself. With many
excitement is the name of the game. They run, shout, jump church pews, roll on the ground, get dirty and often
injure themselves. Some even teach that rolling on the ground and get ting dirty shows submission to the Holy
Spirit. Others claim that rolling and jumping are actually a sign that the Holy Spirit has come upon them. However,
note the behavior of the Apostles when they received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2: 1-4; 10:44-46), there is no hint of this
type behavior. If we examine such behavior as it is given in scripture, we learn its true source. In Acts 19: 13-16 and
Made 5: 1-5 we find people hurting themselves and jumping on others. What caused them to act in such a way? The
bible says it was an "evil spirit," not the Holy Spirit.
4. The Holy Spirit Will Not Save You Separate and Apart from the Word of God. Some teach today that the
Holy Spirit must work on you from within before you can be saved. An experience better felt than told They claim that
it is impossible for a man to come to God unless the Holy Spirit directly calls him. This teaching has led some to
claim they have seen "bright lights," or had "visions," "heard voices in the night," etc., all of which prove that the Holy
Spirit has called them. However, in the matter of salvation, pardon comes from and takes place in the mind of God.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will
have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon," Isaiah 55:7. This being the case, any
evidence of pardon must come from God and not from within ourselves. We cannot claim God has 'pardoned us
unless we have proof from God. For me to say that "I have been saved because I saw a bright light," means nothing
since God has said nothing about such an experience being evidence of my pardon. Hence, the only way I can know
that I have been pardoned is to comply with God's laws that offer pardon. What does the Spirit of God say in
regards to divine requirements for salvation? We are told in Romans 10: 17 that we must hear the word of God. In
Hebrews 11:6 that we must believe or have faith. Again in Luke 13:3, that we must repent of sin. Paul declares in
Romans 10:9-10 that we must confess with our mouth, faith in Jesus Christ And finally according to Acts 2:38 and
Mark 16:16 that we must be baptized in order to receive the remission of sins and be saved. That is what the Spirit
of God says about salvation. If I comply with what the Spirit says, and my spirit agrees with God's Spirit, then I am a
child of God Notice what Paul says in Romans 8:16-17 "The Spirit itself beareth witness (or agrees) with our spirit,
that we are the children of God..." This is solid evidence of pardon. I have done what God commanded me to do. In
return, He promised pardon or salvation. No if's, and's or but's about it. No doubt or guessing. Thus to ask for a
direct operation of the Holy Spirit, separate and apart from the Holy Spirit's instruction in the word of God, is to ask
amiss.
5. The Holy Spirit Will Not Protect You From Temptation, or Keep You From Sinning Without Your Help.
Some people claim to be immunized from temptation by the Holy Spirit. They claim that He is guiding and leading
them and that they cannot sin. And yet many of us know people today who have in time past claimed the Holy Spirit's
leading that are living in sin, some even serving prison terms. We have bible accounts of men like Peter and
Barnabas who were tempted and sinned. These men had the Holy Spirit. Peter was an apostle and Barnabas
traveled with Paul. However, this did not protect them from sinning. They, as we, have to cooperate with God by
obeying his commands if we are to live above sin. There is no magical wand that the Holy Spirit waves over people
to protect them from Satan. (See Gal. 2: 11-14 for reference.) To so teach is to mislead people and offer them hope
that is false and unfounded.
6. The Holy Spirit Did Not Come to Make People Rich. There are some who teach "prosperity doctrines." The
idea is that God intends for none of his children to be poor. The promise of riches lures many of these men and
their false doctrines. People who can ill afford it, often send in their last dollars believing that their donation will
somehow return making them rich. They are told to "plant a seed of faith." This interprets into "send me some
money." The truth is that the only ones getting rich are the preachers of this false and misleading doctrine. They
prey upon the innocent and unsuspecting. What a tragedy. Peter spoke of false teachers like these in 2 Peter 2:3
"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you..." These false teachers were
motivated by personal gain. They used words artfully and skillfully forged for the occasion. They duped their hearers
by treating them as merchandise, that is, as objects by which to enhance their personal gain. Many are active in the
same field today. The Holy Spirit did not come to earth to make people rich, and those who so claim misrepresent
the scriptures.
May we all respect this third person of the Godhead. May we honor Him for revealing the blessed word of God, for
the fact that He inspired the apostles and guided them into all truth. To forget these things and ascribe to Him things
that were not a part of his work and mission is to do a great injustice to God, His word, and the Holy Spirit.
