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Ephesians chapter 1. Our focus 
tonight is verses 13 and 14, but I do want to read the chapter 
beginning in verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ 
by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus and faithful 
in Christ Jesus, grace to you and peace from God our Father 
and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as he chose us 
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should 
be holy and without blame before him. in love, having predestined 
us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according 
to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of 
His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him 
we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, 
according to the riches of His grace, which He made to abound 
toward us in all wisdom and prudence. having made known to us the mystery 
of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he purposed 
in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times 
he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which 
are in heaven and which are on earth in him. In Him also we 
have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to 
the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel 
of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to 
the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted after 
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, 
in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy 
Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance 
until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His 
glory. Therefore, I also, after I heard 
of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 
do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in 
my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father 
of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation 
in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding being 
enlightened. That you may know what is the hope of his calling, 
what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 
and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe. According to the working of his 
mighty power, which he worked in Christ, when he raised him 
from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly 
places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, 
and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also 
in that which is to come. And He put all things under His 
feet, and gave Him to behead over all things to the church, 
which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." 
Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for the written Word of the living and true God. 
We thank You for this passage in Ephesians 1. and the celebration 
concerning the redemption that our sovereign and triune God 
has wrought. We praise you, Father, Son, and 
Spirit, for so great a salvation. And as we consider these passages, 
as we consider the works of the triune God, may it encourage 
and strengthen our hearts, and may you continually help us to 
press onward by your grace and for your glory as those who were 
chosen before the foundation of the world, redeemed by our 
blessed Savior through his blood and sealed by the Holy Spirit 
of promise. And we ask in the name of the 
Lord Jesus Christ, amen. Well, as we've seen over the 
last several weeks, Ephesians 1, 3-14 is one long sentence, 
and the sentence functions in a manner to praise and bless 
God Almighty. So there's a general statement 
in verse 3, blessed be, and when we bless God, it means to ascribe 
praise to Him, to glorify Him, to speak well of Him. So blessed 
be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed 
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. 
And then he gets particular and he gets detailed. He praises 
the father for the work of the father in election and predestination. He praises the father for the 
work of the son in redemption through his blood. And then he 
praises the father for the work of the spirit who seals us and 
who is the guarantee of our inheritance according to verses 13 and 14. 
So the one theme throughout is to the praise of the glory of 
God's grace. You see that repeated in verses 
6, 12, and 14. This is the refrain, God be glorified 
in the salvation of sinners. So tonight we come to the ministry 
of the Holy Spirit. in verses 13 and 14. We've seen 
the work of the Father, the work of the Son, now the work of the 
Spirit. But before we consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit, 
I'd like to look at the person of the Holy Spirit, so that we 
are clear on that third person of our triune God. Now, Scripture 
teaches us that there is one living and true God, Deuteronomy 
6 and verse 4. There is a hero Israel, the Lord 
our God, the Lord is one. You shall respond to that Lord 
God with love and affection and everything that you have in your 
being. And then in 1 Corinthians chapter 8, the apostle underscores 
the same thing. There is but one only, the living 
and true God. But when we consider Scripture, 
we see that that one true and living God is triune. So He's 
one in one sense, essence or substance, and He's three in 
another sense, person or subsistence. And again, we often consider 
the Father and the Son. We don't think a lot about the 
Holy Spirit, so that's what we're going to look at tonight. In 
terms of our confession of faith, and I read this because it accurately 
describes what the Bible teaches. It isn't some standard outside 
of the Bible that we try to fit the Bible into, but rather it 
is a biblical statement concerning Trinitarianism. So in 2nd London 
Confession at chapter 2 and paragraph 3, it tells us, in this divine 
and infinite being, Again, one God, a simple God. Simple, when 
it refers to God, means that He's without parts. There aren't 
things that make up God. God is all that He is. All that 
is in God is God. God is His perfections. So in 
this divine and infinite being, there are three subsistences. Now that's technical theological 
language for the word person. Subsistence does a little bit 
more duty in terms of theology, so that's why I think the London 
divines incorporated that word. But when you compare the paragraph 
with the Westminster Confession, they use person, and person is 
a perfectly legitimate translation or concept. So in this divine 
and infinite being, there are three persons, the Father, the 
Word, or Son, and the Holy Spirit. And then it says, of one substance, 
power and eternity, each having the whole divine essence, yet 
the essence undivided. And then it shows us how the 
persons of the Godhead are distinguished. It says, the Father is of none, 
neither begotten nor proceeding. The Son is eternally begotten 
of the Father, the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and 
the Son. all infinite, without beginning, therefore but one 
God, who is not to be divided in nature and being, but distinguished 
by several peculiar relative properties and personal relations." 
It's important that we make those distinctions. There's a heresy 
that has affected the church throughout her ages called Sabellianism 
or Modalism. And Sabellianism or Modalism 
collapses the triunity of God. God was the Father, He became 
the Son, and now He's the Spirit. That's the most basic and sort 
of brazen way to describe Sabellianism or modalism. But on the other 
hand, we need to affirm the consubstantiality of the Son and Spirit with the 
Father. In other words, they're not lesser 
gods, because then we would fall prey to what the Church has encountered 
in terms of Arianism. The modern-day Arians are Jehovah's 
Witnesses. Of course, they deny that Jesus 
is of the same substance with the Father. They deny consubstantiality 
and therefore Jesus in their theology is a lesser God. He is a little g God. So they 
in essence are confessing at least by theism to God is up. So it's important that we maintain 
the reality that God is one in one sense and three in another 
sense. Now, as we consider the Holy 
Spirit, it says in the confession, the Holy Spirit proceeding from 
the father and the son. So I have several things I want 
to look at tonight. We're going to go through our Bibles again 
so that we can appreciate the person of the Holy Spirit. In 
the first place, based on this confessional definition, we conclude 
that the Spirit is a personal subsistence of the one simple 
essence. So again, this one simple essence 
of God, not composed of parts. It's not that the Spirit is 33 
and a third, the Son is 33 and a third, or the Father is 33 
and a third. It tells us in the confession, 
each having the whole divine essence, yet the essence undivided. So the Spirit is a personal subsistence 
of the one simple essence. Secondly, the Spirit is distinguished 
from the Father with the language that is employed in the confession. 
He is distinguished from the Father and the Son by the fact 
that He eternally proceeds from the Father and the Son. We call 
this spiration. So it's true of the Father that 
He's unbegotten. It's true of the Son that He's 
begotten. It's true of the Spirit that 
He proceeds from the Father and the Son. So that maintains distinction 
among the three persons of the triune God. That is crucial. That is absolutely imperative. 
That is absolutely necessary to maintain the threeness at 
the level of person or subsistence, and always to maintain oneness 
at the level of essence or substance. Now, with reference to the Spirit, 
let's go back to the book of Genesis, Genesis chapter one. I'm going to tease out several 
implications now or several propositions concerning the person of the 
Holy Spirit. In the first place, the Spirit 
is present at creation and distinct from the Father and the Son, 
and He is God. So the Spirit is present at creation, 
and He is distinct from the Father and the Son, and He is God. Notice in Genesis chapter 1 at 
verse 1. In the beginning God created 
the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and 
void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit 
of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God 
said, let there be light and there was light. You have all 
three persons of our blessed God in this passage. Notice in 
the beginning, God, most likely a reference to the father, created 
the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and 
void. Darkness was on the face of the deep and the spirit of 
God was hovering over the face of the waters. So the father 
and the spirit are present. But what is the means by which 
the Father brings creation into being? It is by His Word. Jesus is the Word. We see in 
John 1, 3, by Him all things were made. Now turn over to the 
book of Psalms, where there is divine commentary on this particular 
section of Holy Scripture. Psalm 33 unfolds for us what 
is happening there in Genesis 1. Psalm 33 at verse 6, by the 
word of the Lord the heavens were made and all the host of 
them, notice, by the breath of his mouth. Now the Old Testament 
or Hebrew word ruach for spirit is also spirit, wind, breath. The New Testament word, pneuma, 
is the same, spirit, wind, or breath. So in verse six, by the 
word of the Lord, the heavens were made and all the host of 
them by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the 
sea together as a heap. He lays up the deep and store 
houses. And then in Job, Job says in 
Job 33, four, the spirit of God has made me and the breath of 
the Almighty gives me life. So turning back to Genesis 2, 
we see that God breathed life into man. 2-7, the Lord God formed 
man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils 
the breath of life and man became a living being. most likely a 
reference to the Spirit at creation. And then, of course, in Genesis 
chapter 1, in two places, you have the use of the divine plural. 
Notice in 126, and I realize there are counter explanations. 
I realize not everybody takes this particular position, But 
I do, and I think it's rooted in scripture, it's rooted in 
theology, and it's certainly one of the contributions that 
we have found in biblical commentary throughout the ages. Notice in 
verse 26, then God said, let us make man in our image according 
to our likeness. Let them have dominion over the 
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, 
over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps 
in the earth. are on the earth. And then notice down in verse, 
uh, Genesis chapter one, I'm sorry, Genesis chapter three 
at verse 22 divine plural there. Then the Lord God said, behold, 
the man has become like one of us to know good and evil. And 
now lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of 
life and eat and live forever. So already, with reference to 
God, with reference to Yahweh, there is this plurality used 
by Him in Genesis 1.26 and Genesis 3.22, which jives well with the 
contention of what Scripture shows us, one true and living 
God who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Now secondly, 
the Spirit is present in the Old Testament. He's distinguished 
from the Father and the Son, and He is God. Sometimes persons 
ask, especially in light of the events in Acts chapter 2 on the 
day of Pentecost, when the Spirit comes in great power and the 
people of God are speaking in other tongues, they would conclude 
then that that was the first time that the Spirit had been 
given. Now the Spirit is in the Old Testament. David had the 
Holy Spirit. When David is confessing his 
sin, a la Psalm 51, he asks God not to take the Spirit from him. So the Spirit is present in the 
Old Testament. He's distinct from the Father, 
he's distinct from the Son, and yet he is God. And there are 
several passages that illustrate that. Turn to the prophet Isaiah, 
Isaiah chapter 11. More of a Bible study tonight 
so that we can get our minds wrapped around the person of 
the Holy Spirit before we delve into the ministry of the Holy 
Spirit in Ephesians 1, 13, and 14. Notice in Isaiah 11 at verses 
1 to 3, there shall come forth a rod from the stem of Jesse, 
and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the 
Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, 
the spirit of counsel and might. the spirit of knowledge and of 
the fear of the Lord. Turn over to 42. Isaiah 42, same 
sort of an emphasis. 42.1. Behold my servant whom 
I uphold. Now this is the father speaking 
of the son and he speaks concerning the spirit. Behold, my servant 
whom I uphold, my elect one in whom my soul delights, I have 
put my Spirit upon him. He will bring forth justice to 
the Gentiles." Turn over to Isaiah 63. Isaiah 63, a strictly parallel 
passage to the grieving, not the Holy Spirit that we see in 
Ephesians 4.30. But notice in Isaiah 63, specifically 
at verse 9. In all their affliction He was 
afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love 
and in His pity He redeemed them, and He bore them and carried 
them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved 
His Holy Spirit, so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, 
and He fought against them. Turn over to the psalm, Psalm 
78. In light of that particular passage, 
notice how the psalmist reports it. Psalm 78, specifically at 
verses 17 and 18. It recounts or rehearses the 
same event, but notice specifically what the psalmist says concerning 
the identity of the Holy Spirit. So verse 17, they sinned even 
more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the 
wilderness, and they tested God in their heart by asking for 
the food of their fancy. It's identified as the Spirit 
in 63, 9, and 10. He's identified as the Most High, 
or as God, in Psalm 78. So thirdly, the Spirit is present 
in the New Testament. He is distinguished from the 
Father and the Son, and yet He is God. You can turn to Matthew's 
Gospel and Matthew chapter 3. Matthew chapter 3. Specifically the baptism of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, all three persons are presented to our 
consideration. Matthew 3 at 13, then Jesus came 
from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John 
tried to prevent him saying, I need to be baptized by you 
and are you coming to me? But Jesus answered and said to 
him, Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us 
to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed him. When he 
had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water. 
And behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the 
Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon him. 
Notice he's like a dove. He's not a dove. This was not 
incarnational, that the Spirit takes on dove likeness. It's simply a likeness of a dove, 
not actually an incarnational sort of a move. So you've got 
Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Verse 17, suddenly a voice came 
from heaven saying, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well 
pleased. Turn to Matthew chapter 28. Again, 
showing the person of the Holy Spirit. He is, in fact, a person, 
contra Jehovah's Witness theology, which reduces him to active force, 
but he's also divine. He is consubstantial with the 
Father and the Son. Matthew 28, 18, all authority 
has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and 
make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name singular 
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He's 
one in one sense. He's three in another sense. 
That should not cause us any problem. It might be a bit of 
a mystery. It might be a bit difficult to 
wrap our finite minds around, but there's no contradiction. 
There's nothing paradoxical. Rather, it is revelatory of who 
our God is in terms of His triunity. And then turn to Acts 5. Acts 
5, you see both the person of the Spirit and his identification 
as God. Again, he's distinct from the 
Father and the Son. Notice in Acts 5 at verse 1, 
a certain man named Ananias with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession. 
He kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of 
it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' 
feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart 
to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of 
the land for yourself? See, that's how we maintain personhood. 
The spirit can be grieved. The spirit can be lied to. The 
spirit can speak. The spirit does what persons 
do. But notice he doesn't stop here 
by underscoring the personhood of the spirit. He wants to show 
that the spirit is divine. Notice in verse 4, while it remained, 
was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it 
not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing 
in your heart? You have not lied to men, but 
to God. So a lie to the Holy Spirit is 
interpreted by the Apostle Peter as a lie to God. So the Spirit 
is distinct from the Father and the Son, and yet He is God. There 
are several triadic references in the New Testament, and we're 
going to turn to each and every one of them, because I think 
at times we think that only Matthew 28 is the only passage that sort 
of shows us the three persons of the triune God, Father, Son, 
and Spirit. Oh, 2 Corinthians 13, 14, and 
the benediction that the church uses, but let's just get a sample 
here. Notice in Romans 15. Again, the way that Paul does 
this, it's in a manner that it's just second nature. He's just 
rehearsing the God that he understands, this one true and living God 
who exists eternally as Father, Son, and Spirit. So he's able 
to invoke, he's able to speak of the three persons of the Godhead 
without any difficulty. He doesn't feel the need to launch 
into a defense of the Trinity every time he invokes the three 
persons of the Trinity. Notice in Romans 15 30. Now I 
beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ and through 
the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in 
prayers to God for me. So you're coming to the Father 
through the Lord Jesus Christ, and you're doing it through the 
love of the Spirit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Notice over 
in 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12. And again, 
all these passages aren't theology proper passages. These aren't 
doctrine of God passages. These are passages that find 
their place in the routine dealings of the apostle with the church 
in matters for instruction, their prayer. Here in 1 Corinthians 
chapter 12, the emphasis is upon spiritual gifts. But notice who 
always lays behind these emphases. It's the triune God. 1 Corinthians 
chapter 12 at verse 4. There are diversities of gifts, 
but the same spirit. There are differences of ministries, 
but the same Lord. Probably a reference to Jesus. 
And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same 
God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the 
Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all. For to one 
is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit. To another, the word 
of knowledge through the same Spirit. To another, faith by 
the same Spirit. To another, gifts of healings 
by the same Spirit. To another, the working of miracles. 
To another, prophecy. To another, discerning of spirits. 
To another, different kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation 
of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works 
all these things, distributing to each one individually, notice, 
as he wills. You may wanna speak in tongues, 
but if the Spirit is not willing, you're not gonna speak in tongues. 
The Spirit is sovereign in that manner, a matter with reference 
to the distribution of gifts in the context of the church. 
But germane to our understanding here, we've got Spirit, we've 
got Lord, we've got God. Again, a reference to the Father. 
Look over at 2 Corinthians 1. 2 Corinthians 1. Verses 20 to 23, for all the 
promises of God in him, that's Christ, are yes, and in him, 
amen, to the glory of God through us. Now he who establishes us 
with you in Christ and has anointed us as God, who also has sealed 
to us or sealed us and given us the spirit in our hearts as 
a guarantee. Now that's directly parallel 
to our passage in Ephesians 1. But again, the same emphasis, 
father, son, and spirit. It's not just Matthew 28. It's 
not just the benediction. It is those, to be sure, 2 Corinthians 
13, 14. We read it this morning at the 
close of worship. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you 
all. Amen. Turn over to Galatians chapter 
4. Galatians chapter four, again, an emphasis with reference to 
each of the persons of our triune God. Verse four, when the fullness 
of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, 
born under the law to redeem those who are under the law, 
that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are 
sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, 
crying out, Abba, father. Therefore, you are no longer 
a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 
And this indicates what we find in theology when we refer to 
the missions. Missions is the sending of the 
Son by the Father for the work of salvation. The mission of 
the Spirit is to proceed from the Father and the Son in terms 
of His being, but the particular mission is to come to sanctify, 
to bless, to apply redemptive benefits, to minister the gifts 
within the context of the Church. And then notice as well from 
Galatians, we have Ephesians, not the passage we're in, that's 
certainly obvious there, but 2.18, look at Ephesians 2.18. Verse 17, he came and preached 
peace to you who are far off and to those who are near. For 
through him, we both have access by one spirit to the father. 
So through Christ, we both Jew Gentile have access by one spirit 
to the father. Notice in verse 19, now therefore 
you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens 
with the saints and members of the household of God. Having 
been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the 
whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple 
in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for 
a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Again, this emphasis 
in several places on the three persons of the Godhead. Look 
at Ephesians 4. Ephesians 4, when he argues or 
when he calls the church to maintain unity, he argues in a theological 
way. Notice, verse 4, he says, there 
is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope 
of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 
one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all 
and in you all. So you see the reference there. 
We've got one spirit, we've got one Lord, we've got one God and 
Father. And then notice in 2 Thessalonians 
2. 2 Thessalonians 2, verses 13 and 14. Again, the emphasis on the distinction 
of the persons, the fact that there are three persons, the 
fact that they are distinguished from one another by their eternal 
relations of origin, the father is unbegotten, the son is begotten, 
the spirit proceeds from the father and the son. but as well 
that each of these persons has the whole divine essence. Notice 
in 2.13, But we are bound to give thanks to God always for 
you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning 
chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit 
and belief in the truth, to which he called you by our gospel for 
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, 
brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were 
taught, whether by word or our epistle. Turn over to Titus, 
Titus chapter 3. Steve read this, or I read it 
last Sunday morning. Was it Steve or me? I think it 
was me. Yeah, Steve. Notice in Titus chapter 3, specifically 
at verses 4 to 7. But when the kindness and the 
love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of 
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he 
saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing 
of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through 
Jesus Christ our Lord, that having been justified by his grace, 
we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. 
You see, brethren, the language of the Christian Church in the 
first century was conspicuously Trinitarian. The Apostle Paul 
writes in such a way as to maintain the reality there is but one 
only, the living and the true God. But in that one God, there 
are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 
They have the same substance, they have the same power, they 
have the same eternity, they have the same will. And the apostle 
does this so that the people of God think this way concerning 
their true and living God. Notice in 1 Peter, 1 Peter 1, 
specifically at verse 2. It says, elect according to the 
foreknowledge of God the Father in sanctification of the Spirit 
for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. 
Grace to you and peace be multiplied. You get more Trinitarian theology 
in a greeting from one of the apostles than you do in a whole 
host of churches today. If our God is the God as revealed 
in Holy Scripture, it is imperative that we understand this God, 
that we know this God. Jesus says, this is eternal life, 
that they may know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ 
whom thou hast sent. If we don't know that God, we 
have an idol. If we don't confess that triune 
God, then we're worshiping something that is not God. There is but 
one only, the living and the true God. Notice in Jude, the 
final verses in Jude. Jude specifically. Well, I'm 
sorry, not the final verses, but in Jude 20 and 21. It says, 
you beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying 
in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for 
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life." Again, all 
three persons. And then Revelation chapter one, 
the greeting to the seven churches, which are in Asia minor, verse 
four, grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and 
who is to come. Probably a reference to the father, 
And from the seven spirits who are before his throne, a reference 
to the Holy Spirit. Seven is the number of completion. 
It's not saying there's actually seven Holy Spirits, but he's 
the complete spirit. He's that one from Isaiah chapter 
11. And then notice, and from Jesus 
Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, 
and the ruler over the kings of the earth. So going back to 
Ephesians, in our consideration of the Holy Spirit, all of these 
things converge to underscore that the Spirit is God. The Spirit is the third person 
of the triune God. As well, the Spirit is the agent 
of the new birth. When we call Him that, we're 
using what's called appropriations. Every work outside of God is 
the work of God, Father, Son, and Spirit. But sometimes those 
works are appropriated by persons of the Godhead so that we learn 
something about them. They're distinguishing characteristics 
or nature or relative properties, those things that reveal something 
as to who God is in himself. So the Spirit is the agent of 
the new birth in accordance with the prophets. You could turn 
to John. We saw this in John chapter three. Again, the language 
that Jesus uses here with reference to the Spirit. Remember the way 
that you can translate the word Spirit, Breath, Wind. So he's 
speaking about the Holy Spirit as the agent of the new birth 
and he says in verse 7, Do not marvel that I said to you, you 
must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes. 
Kind of an interesting analogy. He's talking about the Spirit 
and then he gives the analogy of wind blowing. Same sort of 
semantic range that the word pneuma or pneuma has So the wind 
blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot 
tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone 
who is born of the Spirit. So it is attributed to him or 
appropriated to him as being the agent of the new birth. In 
accordance with the prophets, Ezekiel spoke about the days 
when God would put His Spirit upon the New Covenant community. 
Fifth, the Spirit is another helper that Jesus prays to His 
Father to send. Turn over to John's gospel, or 
in John's gospel, turn over to the upper room in John 14. John 
14. Again, establishing the spirit 
is distinct from the father and the son and that he is God. The 
spirit is another helper that Jesus prays to his father to 
send in John 14. Look at verse 16, and I will 
pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may 
abide with you forever. The spirit of truth whom the 
world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows 
him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in 
you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. He comes 
in the person of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't leave his church as 
orphans. We have the word of God, which 
is the revelation of God's truth, but we have the Holy Spirit, 
this other comforter, this paraclete, this one who indwells the people 
of God most high. As well, the Spirit proceeds 
from the Father and the Son. If you know anything about church 
history, this was a distinguishing mark between the Western Church 
and the Eastern Church. The Eastern Church confessed 
that the Spirit proceeded from the Father. The Western Church 
added that the Spirit proceeded from the Father and the Son. 
It was called the Filioque. And essentially it means Spirit 
proceeding from the Father and the Son. So the Western Church 
added this to the Nicene Creed at the Council of Toledo. not 
Ohio, in A.D. 589. And so this was a distinguishing 
mark. And they didn't do this willy-nilly, 
they didn't do this arbitrarily, but it does reflect the teaching 
of Scripture. Notice in John 15, specifically 
at verse 26, But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you 
from the Father, That's a reference likely to Pentecost, because 
on the day of Pentecost, according to Acts 2.33, it's Christ exalted 
at the right hand of the Father that is responsible for giving 
the promise of the Spirit, or fulfilling the promise of the 
Spirit. But then notice what he goes 
on to say, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father. He proceeds from the Father and 
the Son. And again, this is clear in John 
20. Look at John 20. Now, we're not supposed to understand 
this in a wooden, literal way. It is metaphorical, it is imagery, 
it is emblematic, but it does highlight the essence or rather 
the nature of the Spirit's procession, not only from the Father, but 
also from the Son. Notice in John 20 at verse 21. So Jesus said to them, again, 
peace to you. As the Father has sent me, I 
also send you. And when He had said this, He 
breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, 
they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, 
they are retained. Again, not strictly wooden literal, 
Jesus breathed his breath and they were given the whammy of 
the spirit. No, but it does show that procession 
from the father and the son and the son's equipping of his disciples 
for the work of ministry by the power of the Holy Spirit. So 
the Spirit is another helper that Jesus prays to his Father 
to send, and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. 
Seventh, the Spirit is sent by God to enable the people of God 
to cry, Abba Father. We've seen that in Galatians 
4. You see that in Romans chapter 8. Again, personhood and divinity. Things unique to the Holy Spirit 
to the Son and Father as well. Eighth, the Spirit is a gift 
given by the Father in Luke 11 and the Son. Turn to the one 
of the Son in Acts chapter 2. I've already referred to that. 
So remember the phenomena of the tongue speaking, it was magnifying 
the great works of God Almighty, the Spirit comes and in conjunction 
with or in fulfillment of Joel chapter two, the Spirit comes 
and notice what Peter says concerning his presence on that day. So 
verse 33, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and 
having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, 
he poured out this which you now see and hear. So Christ at 
the right hand of the Father is responsible for the outpouring 
of the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of that prophecy from the prophet 
Joel in Joel chapter 2. And I think a good summary statement 
concerning the person of the Spirit is found in the Nicene 
Creed. After detailing what we confess 
concerning the Father, it then goes on to a confession concerning 
the Son, And then of the Spirit it says, and I believe in the 
Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the 
Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped 
and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. Again, a good summary 
statement of the Bible's teaching concerning the ministry of the 
Holy Spirit. So brethren, I don't want to 
jam in Ephesians 1, 13 and 14 in terms of the ministry of the 
Holy Spirit. I don't want to rush through 
what the apostle says or appropriates with reference to the Spirit's 
activity in the salvation of sinners in verses 13 and 14. 
It's glorious. It demands some scrutiny and 
some searching. So for right now, I just want 
to close with an emphasis first on the necessity of theology 
proper. In other words, brethren, that 
is our bread and butter. That's what differentiates us 
from the non-Christians. It's not about our performance. 
It's not about our conduct. It's not about our virtue. It's 
about our God. It's about Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit. That's what distinguishes us. 
Now certainly we should have conduct consistent with that 
true and living God, and especially the redemptive work of His Son 
that has brought us forgiveness, that has brought us salvation. 
We should live in light of that and live in a particular manner. 
But brethren, the knowledge of God is absolutely crucial. Who 
is this God? That ought to be what we are 
longing to understand. Certainly the Bible is filled 
with all kinds of good lessons and all kinds of good helps for 
life in this present world. In fact, in Ephesians, when we 
get later on in Ephesians 5 and 6, for instance, there's a great 
emphasis on ethics within the Christian life, as individuals, 
as families, as employers, as employees. Brethren, I am not 
suggesting we shouldn't study those passages, but it seems 
to me that the church has hastened to study those passages and bypass 
the glory of Ephesians 1, 3-14. Paul the Apostle starts not with 
husbands love your wives, but he starts with blessed be the 
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with 
every spiritual blessing. He starts with God. He ends with 
God. He discusses God within. Why? because it is the knowledge of 
God Most High that not only differentiates us as His people, but it gives 
us encouragement, it gives us strength, it gives us the wherewithal 
to get out of bed each and every day and to persevere unto that 
heavenly kingdom. Because of who God is, it enables 
the people of God to continue to faithfully go forward. If 
we don't know this God, if we don't understand the system of 
grace, if we don't understand the benevolence of God, we'll 
always be on this sort of mercenary footing. Am I okay with you today, 
Father? One of my grandsons asks his 
father, are you happy, daddy? I'm happy. He likes to test the 
waters. Everybody happy here? People 
pleaser, right? That's indicative of this little 
fellow. He wants everybody around him to be happy. Sometimes I 
think we treat God that way. Are you okay with me, God? Have 
I sinned my way out of your covenant and kingdom? Have I broken that 
covenant in such a way that I've got to sort of carry my favor 
back with you? That's not the God of Holy Writ. 
In Him, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of 
sins. According to what? The riches 
of His grace. See, brethren, this isn't just 
some sort of a sideline note. When we get that concept that 
all that is in God is God, that God is his perfections, that 
means love is infinite. That means grace is infinite. That means mercy is infinite. There is no utilization of all 
the resources that are in our God. We can never exhaust it. We can never out-sin God's grace. I'm not suggesting we try, but 
we cannot. It's according to the riches 
of His grace. So understanding God differentiates 
us from the pagans. It differentiates us from all 
the false sort of religions out there. but it encourages us, 
it comforts us, it strengthens us. Where does the psalmist go 
when he's musing on the chaos that oftentimes obtains in the 
world around us? He goes to God. Psalm 4610, be 
still in what? Know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. 
The comfort for the believer is not in, I hope the circumstances 
work themselves out. I hope the chaos is overcome 
by the new political leader. The comfort for God's people 
is the God of the people. The comfort for God's people 
is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, each of whom we 
have communion with, yet not three gods, one God, most glorious, 
most wondrous, most loving. Those are things predicated of 
this God because this is what the Bible teaches. So the doctrine 
of theology proper, that means the study of who God is, is necessary 
to differentiate us, it is necessary to encourage us, and it is necessary, 
brethren, because it's what we should want to do. It is what 
we should want to do. Turn to Psalm 111. Psalm 111. The psalmist sets forth a pattern 
here that we should employ in this context of theology proper. Psalm 111 at verse two, the works 
of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them. There are people that spend time 
studying the creation. There are people that spend time 
in botany and zoology and biology and all manner of understanding 
the created world around them. This has its tap roots in history 
and in scripture. Solomon was a natural scientist. Solomon was a philosopher. Solomon 
composed several Proverbs, not just what we have in there, but 
he has this approach to wisdom. He looks at God's world and he 
thinks through it. He looks at the two books, God's 
revelation and general revelation, and God's revelation and special 
revelation. And it leads him to ponder. It 
leads him to muse. It leads him to contemplate. 
So we study God's works, creation. It's a good thing to study. Providence, 
we ought to study that and be aware of that because in the 
midst of the chaos, God is over all. It is His chaos. It is for His purposes. It is 
ultimately for His glory. And understanding providence, 
I hope, would put us in a proper place in terms of our humility 
before God. But redemption. Great are the 
works of the Lord, or the works of the Lord are great, studied 
by all who have pleasure in them. It is just and legitimate and 
necessary for those conquered by sovereign grace to want to 
understand their God, to want to know about the Father, the 
Son, and the Spirit, to take passages like Ephesians 1, 3 
to 14 seriously, and to bless God for who He is, to bless God 
for what He does, to bless God for His triunity, and the wisdom 
that is displayed in the salvation of his people. He chose us before 
the foundation of the world. In the fullness of the time, 
he sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law to 
redeem those under the law. And then he sends the spirit 
to those conquered by the grace of that savior so that they can 
cry, Abba, Father, so that they receive that spirit of adoption. 
I mean, brethren, you're saved. Isn't that the best thing you've 
ever heard? That's the most glorious and 
wondrous thing. We were dead in our trespasses 
and sins. We were justly liable to God's 
wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. 
Our dessert is hell. Our dessert is separation from 
God. Our dessert is the outer darkness 
wherein there is weeping and wailing, gnashing of teeth. But 
lo and behold, God saved us. Is it a stretch then to think 
that Peter's kind of losing his mind in 2 Peter 3, 18, but grow 
in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus 
Christ. I don't wanna say, brethren, 
this is a duty and you better start to study the Trinity. But 
brethren, it is a duty and you better start to study the Trinity. 
You better have clear understanding. In this internet age, there is 
no shortage of heresy. There is no shortage of Arianism. There is no shortage of Sabellianism. There is no shortage of ways 
that people, the professing people of God, can go astray with old 
ancient heresies that have been brought back anew, baptized afresh, 
and employed against the living and true God. And then finally, 
without this knowledge, without this understanding of who God 
is, without a recognition of the riches of His grace, we won't 
be evangelists. We won't proclaim the glory of 
Christ to a lost and dying world. But when we understand that glory 
of Christ, when we understand the blessed power of redemption, 
It's an impetus to us to go and tell sinners about Christ. Come to Him. Yeah, but I'm a 
sinful man. Yeah, that's who He came to save. It magnifies the glory of God 
in the salvation of sinners and provides the impetus for the 
people of God to go therefore and to make disciples of all 
the nations. Perhaps we're not better at making 
disciples because we're not as fully committed to the God that 
we're proclaiming. But when we understand this God, 
when we grow to see how the Scripture refers to this God, It melts 
the heart, it wins the soul, it causes conquest and it makes 
us want to serve Him and to glorify Him and to understand that this 
is the most blessed provision that has ever been given in the 
history of mankind. And we will bid by grace sinners 
to come to our Lord Jesus Christ. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your word. We thank you for the revelation 
of who you are, one true and living God who exists eternally 
as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Help us, Lord, to grow in our 
understanding, and may these things stabilize and encourage 
and comfort our hearts as well. Father, may we have such a love 
for you and such a desire to see others saved that we would 
go and tell people about our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. It's 
a world of blessing and theology and help Ephesians 1.7, in him 
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins 
according to the riches of his grace. Father, certainly this 
is a message that this lost and dying world desperately needs 
to hear. So God bless your church in the publication of these truths 
and in the propagation of the Christian message. And we ask 
this in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
Amen. We'll close with a brief time 
of meditation.