The Apostles’ Creed: The Holy Spirit

Aug 30, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Holy Spirit Is God—Not a Force to Be Wielded

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal power but God himself, present and active. When Ananias lied to the apostles, Peter confronted him: "You have not lied to men but to God." The Spirit shares divine attributes—holiness, sovereignty, and truth—proving His deity. To treat Him as a tool dishonors His personhood. Walking with Him means surrendering to His will, not demanding He follow ours. His presence demands reverence, not manipulation. [47:12]

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
(Acts 5:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you treated the Holy Spirit as a force rather than a Person? How might your prayers change if you addressed Him as “You” instead of “it”?

Day 2: The Spirit Speaks, Leads, and Grieves Like a Person

The Holy Spirit thinks, speaks, and feels. He guided Paul into missions, taught the disciples, and is grieved by hardened hearts. His personhood means He relates to us intimately—not as a vague influence but as a divine Friend. Resisting His promptings isn’t ignoring a rule; it’s wounding a relationship. To walk with Him is to listen, not just act. [53:26]

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
(John 14:26, ESV)

Reflection: When have you sensed the Spirit’s specific guidance this week? How would you respond if He spoke to you as clearly as He did to Paul in Acts 8:29?

Day 3: God’s Promise Fulfilled—The Spirit Now Lives in You

Ezekiel’s prophecy of hearts made new by the indwelling Spirit became reality at Pentecost. No longer limited to temples or prophets, God’s presence now dwells in every believer. This isn’t a metaphor—the Creator who hovered over chaos now reshapes our inner world. Your body is His sanctuary, your obedience His delight. [01:01:29]

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
(Ezekiel 36:26-27, ESV)

Reflection: What daily habit could remind you that the Spirit lives in you? How might His indwelling presence comfort you in a current struggle?

Day 4: Transformation Isn’t Self-Improvement—It’s the Spirit’s Fruit

The Spirit’s fruit isn’t a checklist but evidence of His surgical work. Patience grows when He reshapes our reactions; joy deepens as He recalibrates our desires. Striving for moral perfection fails. Abiding in Him succeeds. His fruit glorifies God because it’s His signature, not our achievement. [01:16:00]

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
(Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: Which fruit feels most absent in your life? How might focusing on the Spirit’s nearness—not your effort—cultivate it?

Day 5: Gifts Are the Spirit’s Work—Not Your Spiritual Toolkit

Spiritual gifts aren’t talents to control but manifestations of the Spirit’s sovereign will. He distributes abilities “as He chooses” for His purposes, not our prestige. A healed body or prophetic word points to the Healer, not the vessel. True power comes when we decrease so He increases. [01:20:10]

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
(1 Corinthians 12:4-7, ESV)

Reflection: Have you ever used a spiritual gift to elevate yourself? How can you steward your gifts this week to highlight the Giver?

Sermon Summary

The Apostles’ Creed brings the church to its third great confession: “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” The creed is not Scripture, but it keeps believers grounded in the core truths of Scripture so false teaching does not pull them off track. The Trinity cannot be perfectly pictured or fully understood in human terms, yet Scripture makes clear that the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, and all three are the one God.

The Holy Spirit is God. Peter calls Ananias’s lie a lie to the Holy Spirit and then says, “You have not lied to man, but to God.” Jesus also places the Spirit within the one name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at baptism. The Spirit bears the attributes that belong to God alone: He is all-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, true, sovereign, wise, Creator, and giver of life.

The Holy Spirit is also a person, not an impersonal power or energy. The Spirit thinks, wills, speaks, teaches, leads, can be resisted, and can be grieved. The Spirit is not something believers can grab hold of and wield like spiritual wizards. The Spirit is God Almighty, and believers are called to desire His will, walk in the Spirit, live by the Spirit, and keep in step with the Spirit.

The Spirit stands as the personal active presence of God in creation. The Spirit hovered over the waters at creation, filled Bezalel with skill to build the tabernacle, rushed upon judges to deliver Israel, anointed kings, and spoke through prophets. Yet the old covenant pattern remained limited: the Spirit would come upon particular people and sometimes depart. Ezekiel therefore looked ahead to the day when God would remove hearts of stone, give hearts of flesh, and put His Spirit within His people.

Jesus lived as the first and only sinless human life perfectly united with the Father and the Spirit. The Spirit led Jesus, empowered His ministry, cast out demons through Him, and enabled Him to offer Himself. Jesus promised frightened disciples that His departure would bring another Counselor, the Spirit of truth, who would remain with them forever and live in them.

Pentecost fulfilled that promise. The Spirit came not merely upon a judge, king, or prophet, but upon all who call upon Christ. Jesus cleanses sinners by His blood so the holy Spirit can dwell in them. The Spirit transforms believers from the inside out, producing Christlike fruit one degree at a time. Spiritual gifts are not tools that people own and use however they choose; they are gracious manifestations of the Spirit, distributed as He wills for the common good. The right response is simple: “God, use me. Get me out of the way, and just You do Your thing through me.”

Key Takeaways

1. The Holy Spirit is truly God The Spirit possesses the attributes that belong to God alone, not merely unusual spiritual power. Scripture refuses to treat Him as an influence, energy, or religious feeling. Belief in the Holy Spirit means trust in God Himself, personally present and actively working. [50:51]
2. The Spirit is a person, not power The Spirit thinks, speaks, teaches, leads, and can be grieved. Such language calls believers away from trying to control spiritual things for personal purposes. The Spirit does not become an instrument in human hands; human lives become instruments in His hands. [54:58]
3. God’s presence now lives within believers Ezekiel’s promise reaches its fulfillment through Christ’s cleansing work and Pentecost’s outpouring. The holy presence once associated with the tabernacle and Holy of Holies now dwells in redeemed people. This reality should produce humility, awe, and confidence in God’s nearness. [74:29]
4. Fruit grows through knowing the Spirit The fruit of the Spirit is not a checklist for determined self-improvement. Love, patience, self-control, and the rest grow as believers stop resisting the Spirit and grow closer to Him. Christ’s character is formed slowly, one degree of glory at a time. [78:08]
5. Spiritual gifts follow the Spirit’s will The Spirit distributes gracious workings according to His own will and for the common good. No believer possesses God’s power as a personal weapon to use on command. God receives glory when His Spirit works through available people rather than when people seek glory through spiritual activity.

## [84:45]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[39:49] - Prayer for the Holy Spirit
[42:05] - The Apostles’ Creed and the Trinity
[44:48] - The Holy Spirit Is God
[51:17] - The Holy Spirit Is a Person
[55:51] - God’s Active Presence in Creation
[57:38] - The Spirit Throughout the Old Testament
[60:55] - The Promise of the Spirit Within
[61:29] - Jesus Full of the Holy Spirit
[65:38] - Jesus Promises the Counselor
[71:24] - Pentecost Fulfills God’s Promise
[75:07] - Transformation and the Fruit of the Spirit
[78:59] - Spiritual Gifts and God’s Will
[84:45] - Trusting the Spirit to Work Through Believers

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 5:3-4

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?” [46:58]

“While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” [47:22]

John 14:16-17

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,” [01:06:24]

“even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.” [01:06:37]

“You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” [01:06:45]

Ezekiel 36:26-27

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” [01:01:07]

“And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” [01:01:19]

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit;” [01:20:32]

“and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;” [01:20:36]

“and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.” [01:20:36]

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” [01:20:43]

“For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,” [01:20:48]

“to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,” [01:20:48]

“to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” [01:21:03]

“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” [01:21:07]

Observation questions

In Acts 5:3-4, what connection does Peter make between lying to the Holy Spirit and lying to God? [47:12]
What names and descriptions does Jesus give the Holy Spirit in John 14:16-17, and what do those words reveal about His relationship with believers? [01:06:24]
According to Ezekiel 36:26-27, what does God promise to remove, give, and put within His people? [01:01:07]
In 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, what phrases are repeated to show who is behind the different gifts, services, and activities? [01:23:50]

Interpretation questions

Peter calls a lie to the Holy Spirit a lie to God. Why does this matter for how Christians speak about and relate to the Holy Spirit—as God Himself rather than as an impersonal spiritual force? [50:51]
Jesus promises “another Helper” who will be with believers forever and in them. How would that promise have comforted disciples who feared being left without Jesus’ physical presence? [01:05:38]
Ezekiel connects God’s gift of a new heart with His Spirit causing His people to walk in His ways. What does this show about the difference between trying harder in human strength and being changed from the inside out? [01:15:07]
First Corinthians says that the Spirit gives manifestations “for the common good” and distributes them “as he wills.” How does this correct the idea that spiritual gifts are personal abilities to control or use for self-promotion? [01:24:41]

Application questions

The Holy Spirit thinks, speaks, leads, and can be grieved. In what situations is it easiest to treat Him more like a distant power than a personal God? What would change in those situations if His presence were taken seriously? [53:38]
God’s holy presence lives in those cleansed by Christ. How might this truth shape the way a believer responds to temptation, private sin, fear, or feelings of being alone? [01:14:29]
The Spirit’s fruit includes love, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Which part of Christ’s character seems most needed in current relationships or responsibilities, and what might it look like to seek the Spirit rather than simply try harder? [01:17:30]
Transformation usually happens “from one degree of glory to another.” Where has there been even a small sign of growth over time, and where is patience needed with the Spirit’s ongoing work? [01:16:59]
Believers can resist and grieve the Holy Spirit. Is there an area of life where God may be calling for surrender, forgiveness, honesty, or obedience, but there has been resistance? What would one faithful next step look like? [01:16:22]
The Spirit gives different workings for the common good. What needs in the church, neighborhood, workplace, or family might God want to meet through an available believer? How can someone pray, “God, use me; get me out of the way”? [01:25:06]

Sermon Clips

41s

#PersonNotPower

“But that's not who the spirit is. The spirit is not just a power that you give to someone and say, now go use that power as you think. No. The spirit is the one who wills. He is a person. He is God. He decides what he's going to do through you. Not what you're going to do using him. But people somehow think I can use him to do what I want. That's crazy. He's God. Can you grab God and pull him down from heaven and go do something with him? No. He reaches down and uses you to go do something.”

67s

#GrowInSpirit

“And he's doing it. And what does that look like as he transforms us? The fruit of the spirit. It's not the fruit of people, it's the fruit of the spirit. And that is love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and faithfulness, gentleness and self control. And so many times we read that and we think, okay, that's a list of things that I need to do. Right? Tell me not. That's just what you feel like, that's the list. I gotta do it. I mean, if I'm not doing that, I'm not obeying God. So I gotta try really hard. And we do try hard, and we fail hard, and then we feel bad about ourselves, and we beat ourselves up. And the answer is not try harder, the answer is get to know the spirit better. Grow closer with the spirit, grow in the spirit, and he will produce the fruit. And you will stop grieving the spirit. You'll stop resisting the spirit, he'll produce the fruit. That's what he does. That's what he wants to do. That's his will.”

71s

#DesireHisWill

“Because the spirit's not just some kind of force, energy, we can't just wield the spirit as though it were that. Grab hold of it and and treat it like it's a sword or something, like it's an it. The Holy Spirit is he. Not something we can just wield like we're spiritual wizards. Casting the spirit wherever we want to send him, no. He is the spirit, he is God almighty. We should instead try to desire his will. What's your will, Holy Spirit? Why? Because the will of the spirit is the will of Jesus, and it's the will of the father. That's that's that's how it works. One God, one will, one being. We should desire that. That's why scripture constantly says, walk in the spirit, live by the spirit, keep in step with the spirit, desire his will.”

42s

#SpiritDwells

“And our salvation is found through the work of the Holy Spirit now, who draws us to Christ, the blood of Christ covers us in order that the Holy Spirit can come live in us. The reason why you can't have the Holy Spirit live in you before Jesus is because we're covered in sin, full of sin. Our lives can't contain the holiness of God. But Jesus did something on the cross. He paid for all of those. And those who call on his name have now been washed clean. Not kind of clean, perfectly clean for the spirit to come live inside of you. That's the reality.”

44s

#TransformedBySpirit

“He says, will it now be perfected by your flesh? No, of course not. We begin by the spirit and we are perfected through the spirit. So, the next thing kids are gonna write in your notes and I maybe in the adults, I don't know, it's this, the holy spirit transforms us from the inside out. That's what he's doing. And thank God for that. It's this presence of the spirit, God himself in us, that's transforming us. It's not us transforming We can't transform us. We don't have that kind of power. Only the spirit has that kind of power.”

60s

#DontGrieveTheSpirit

“The spirit can be resisted. Remember Stephen? When they're when they're going to kill him, he's there before all the Sanhedrin, he says, why do why do you always resist the Holy Spirit? You can resist the Holy Spirit. And the spirit can be grieved by us. We can grieve him the way we grieve each other. You can grieve the Holy Spirit. He is a person. That's language of how you describe a person. Right? He's not some personal force. You can't lie to electricity. Right? The the the magnetic field around the earth doesn't speak to somebody and call them into ministry.”

29s

#SpiritHasPersonality

“But when we think of the Holy Spirit as God, we have to understand the next truth, which you will fill in your notes, and it's this. He is also, he is a person. He's not just a power, he's a person. But when I say he's a person, I'm not saying he has a body. That doesn't, the body doesn't make a person a person. It means he has personality, it means he has the characteristics of personhood.”

67s

#SpiritInsideUs

“And so that's awesome, and and we say, okay, Jesus was full of the spirit, praise God, And and to me that makes sense that he's full of the spirit because he is God. But here's what's incredible. This is this is the astounding thing Jesus said when he was on this earth. And this is why Jesus was so excited to to to depart, to leave. And it's because he made a promise that when he left, he said, I'm going to descend the spirit and he is gonna live in you. You could imagine Jesus' excitement in that statement because Jesus had been experiencing this forever. And he was like, you're about to experience something you don't even know is coming. And it's gonna be the spirit inside of you. So you don't you don't get it, but you're gonna. It's coming. And he was excited about that. That's astounding.”

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