Beth-El Baptist Church

9/5/04

Has the Holy Spirit been removed from the Church?

There is a teaching that claims that the Holy Spirit has been removed from the Church. They use 2 Thessalonians 2:7 as part of their proof text. This session will be looking at what 2 Thessalonians 2:7 says.

1. What type of book is 2 Thessalonians?

2 Thessalonians 1:1

It is a letter written by Paul to the church of the Thessalonians.

2. What is the purpose of the letter?

2 Thessalonians 2:1

The letter is to correct false ideas about the Coming of the Lord.

The following questions are targeting the expansion of the individual verses 1 through 7.

3. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:1 say?

The letter is bout the coming of Jesus Christ and not about judgment.

4. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:2 say?

Don’t be concerned that the day of the Lord has come. It has not since I and others are still here. Someone may have forged a letter from Paul or claimed they received a letter from Paul that the Lord has already returned, no such letter has ever been written nor sent.

5. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 say?

Do not be tricked or lied to regarding the return of Jesus. Certain things must happen before the return of Jesus.

1. Falling away – Global apostasy. People don’t want to be part of the real church, the called out ones.

2. Revealed of one man of sin. A man that is major power of evil.

a. Opposes God

b. Exalts himself above God

c. Takes supremacy in opinion like God

d. Believes he is the only one

i. If someone is still preaching the Gospel, then the time has not come yet.

6. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:5 say?

Don’t ignore instructions. When evaluating the question of end-times, be sure and evaluate all such texts. Do not rest on only one or two scriptures.

7. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:6 say?

The revealing of the man of sin is being held back until the proper time.

8. Who is the restrainer?

Genesis 6:3

It is the Holy Spirit that is restraining the revealing of the man of sin.

9. Where is the restrainer now?

1 Corinthians 3:16

The Holy Spirit, the restrainer is currently in us, the believers.

10. Will God remove the restrainer from us?

Ephesians 4:30

Not until the day of redemption. Which is when the physical body is removed.

According to Acts 7:38, even the Israelites who wondered in the wilderness were called the church.

11. What does 2 Thessalonians 2:7 say?

There is no possibility that the Holy Spirit will be removed as long as there are believers. At the right time however, the Holy Spirit, who is awaiting the proper time to reveal the man of sin, will also move the man of sin out of the way to clear the way for the Lord’s return.