Lesson Goal: Our goal in this lesson is to better understand who the Holy Spirit is, what his characteristics are, and what he desires to do in our lives.

1. When and how the Holy Spirit came.

a. Read John 7:39--By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Isa had not yet been glorified. 

1) Why had the Holy Spirit not been given earlier?

2) What do you think the phrase "Isa had not yet been glorified" means? 

b. Read Acts 1:4-8-- On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For Yahya baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

1) In this passage, where does Isa command his followers to stay?

2) How long are they told to wait for the coming of the promised Holy Spirit?

c. Read Acts 2:1-4-- When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

1) The incident here takes place at which Jewish festival?

2) What happened to Isa's followers at that time?

d. Isa's promise in Acts 1:4,5 was given just before he ascended into heaven--(On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For Yahya baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.") The events in Acts 2 occur about 10 days after Isa's ascension. Thus, would you say the promise in Acts 1:5 was fulfilled?

2. The Holy Spirit's characteristics and work.

a. Read John 14:16,17--And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

1) Who requests that the Counselor is sent?

2) Who actually sends the Counselor?

3) The Counselor is sent to whom?

4) Who is this Counselor?

5) How long will the Holy Spirit be with the disciples?

6) Where will the Holy Spirit dwell?

7) Does the Holy Spirit possess a body of flesh and blood?

b. Read John 16:8-13-- When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will convict the world of what three things? 

1.

2.

3.

2) What work will the Holy Spirit do in the lives of believers? (See vs. 13)
 

c. According to Philippians 3:3 (For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of Allah, who glory in al-Masih Isa, and who put no confidence in the flesh), by whose help are we able to worship Allah? (Compare this verse to John 4:23,24--Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 Allah is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.")

d. Read 2 Corinthians 3:17,18-- Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

1) Where the Spirit of the Lord is what do we find?

2) When we are transformed, who do we become like (See also Romans 8:29--For those Allah foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.)?

3) This transformation occurs through whose power?

e. Read Ephesians 3:16-- I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

1) Allah the Father will strengthen his children through the use of what agent?

2) Where will that strengthening occur?

3) Paul prayed for his friends that they would experience such strengthening. What does this say to you about how you could pray for your own friends?

f. Read Galatians 5:16-26-- So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of Allah. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to al-Masih Isa have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

1) If we live by the power of the Holy Spirit, then we will not gratify what desires?

2) What are the acts of the sinful nature?

3) What are the fruits of the Spirit?

4) Consider the fruits of the Spirit in '3' above. Which fruit would you say is especially lacking in your life?

5) What could you do to grow in that fruit?

6) What do you think the phrase in vs. 25, "Let us keep in step with the Spirit" means?

3. What answer would you give to those who claim that the Counselor of John 14 is actually Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)?

4.Our relationship to the Holy Spirit.

a. Read Ephesians 4:30--And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of Allah, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 

1) In this passage, what are we told not to do to the Holy Spirit?

2) How do you think the Holy Spirit might be grieved? (Remember what you read in Galatians 5:16-26)

b. Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-- Do not put out the Spirit's fire.

1) In this passage what other action is forbidden?

2) How might you quench or put out the Holy Spirit's fire?

NOTE: As an aid in understanding the two phrases 'grieving the Holy Spirit' and 'quenching the Holy Spirit,' consider the following example.

Imagine that you have gone to a close friend to ask advice about a very important decision you face. That friend gives you expert and helpful advice. However, instead of following his advice, you do the exact opposite. How do you think your friend will feel? Yes, probably hurt that you did not follow his good advice. Yet, your relationship with him is not completely broken, just damaged.

Now, imagine that the same thing happens again and again. You never follow your friends advice or heed his instructions. What do you think will be the final state of the relationship between you and that person? I would guess that the relationship would be broken, cut off or 'quenched.'

In the same way if we on some occasion or other do not heed the Holy Spirit's instruction and disobey, we give him pain and the relationship is hurt, but not broken. However, if we continually disobey his instructions and go our own way, we eventually cut ourselves off from the Spirit and break our relationship.

c. Read Ephesians 5:18--Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. What are we told to do in this verse?
 

d. In the two columns below match the correct number from the right column with the phrase in the left column.