Section 06 · Become Like Christ

The Holy Spirit

Knowing God and Walking in His Ways

Why the Spirit Is Essential

What Christ has accomplished is applied to believers and made effective in their lives by the Holy Spirit. He is not an impersonal force but the divine Person who gives new birth, dwells within God’s people, illumines the Scriptures, bears witness that they are God’s children and forms the likeness of Christ in them. The disciple who has beheld Christ, learned from Him and abides in Him discovers that transformation is not achieved by moral effort alone. It is the Spirit who works within believers as they depend upon Him, trust God’s Word and walk in obedience.

From Indwelling to Transformation

The study begins with who the Holy Spirit is, tracing His work in creation, His promise through the prophets, His work in the ministry of Jesus and Christ’s promise of another Helper. It then follows His work in bringing believers into life and communion with God—new birth, indwelling, illuminating the Word, glorifying Christ and bearing witness to their adoption—and the life He sustains: prayer, fellowship with God, walking in the Spirit, fruit, transformation into Christ’s image, power for witness and service, and being filled with the Spirit. The closing movement turns toward perseverance, assurance and discernment: believers are sealed for their inheritance and assured of the Father’s love, joined together in Christ’s body, warned not to grieve or quench the Spirit, and taught to test spiritual claims by Scripture. This life is neither self-powered effort nor passive waiting. By the Spirit believers trust, obey, put sin to death, are renewed, bear fruit, bear witness and persevere.

Topics in this study

  1. The Person of the Holy Spirit
  2. The Spirit in Creation
  3. The Promise of the Spirit
  4. The Spirit in Jesus’ Ministry
  5. Jesus Promises Another Helper
  6. The Spirit Brings New Birth
  7. The Spirit Indwells Believers
  8. The Spirit Reveals the Things of God
  9. The Spirit Glorifies Christ
  10. The Spirit Illuminates God’s Word
  11. The Spirit Bears Witness to Adoption
  12. The Spirit Enables Fellowship With God
  13. The Spirit Helps Us in Prayer
  14. Walking in the Spirit
  15. The Fruit of the Spirit
  16. Transformation Into Christ’s Image
  17. Empowerment for Witness and Service
  18. Being Filled With the Spirit
  19. Not Grieving or Quenching the Spirit
  20. The Spirit as the Guarantee of Our Inheritance
  21. The Spirit and the Father’s Love
  22. The Spirit and the Unity of the Church
  23. Discerning and Testing Spiritual Claims