The Holy Spirit

1. His Personality and Ministry

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. When He makes His home in us, He comes in as a complete person - not by installments!

The Holy Spirit's work is to convict us of sin and to point us to the righteousness of Christ (See John 16:7-11; Romans 3:22-24). On the basis of faith, the Holy Spirit has regenerated us (John 3:3-5), and now bears witness with our human spirits that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

Although the Holy Spirit was active in the Old Testament period, He did not indwell the saints under the Old Covenant but "came upon them" for specific tasks (See 1 Samuel 16:14; Psalm 51:11). Joel prophesied the outpouring of the Spirit in Joel 2:28-29. (This prophecy has two aspects: one relating to the Church, and one relating to Israel). Jesus said in John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Verse 39 goes on to say, "But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not given (outpoured), because Jesus was not yet glorified." Jesus had not yet been crucified, buried, and resurrected; He still had to return to His Father's side and pour out the Spirit!

In Luke 11:13 the Lord Jesus told His disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit (this was proper under the Old Covenant). They did not respond, but we find Him giving them an initial experience with the Spirit in John 20:22 anyway. The prophesied outpouring of the Spirit took place on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:1-18, 32-33. Note that the disciples did not specifically pray for the Spirit (Acts 1:14) but prayed for wisdom regarding a business matter! (Acts 1:24-26). Also we find no instructions in Acts or the Epistles to pray for the Spirit. The reason: He had already been outpoured by Jesus (Acts 2:33). Therefore it is not proper for us to pray for the Spirit or for a baptism with the Spirit when He has already been given and indwells the life of every born again believer. (See Acts 11:14, 17-18). Every believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment he accepts Jesus Christ by faith. Romans 8:9 says, "Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His!" To be born again is to be one spirit with the Lord: "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came to take up residence in His temple which is the Church (the Body of Christ) (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:21-22). His temple is made up of individual believers (1 Corinthians 6:19). 1 Corinthians 12:13 speaks of the Body of Christ, the Church, and of the fact that the believer was baptized (placed) into it through union with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Baptizer while it is the Holy Spirit who gives unity or oneness to the Church. The last part of this verse is also very important: "and (we) have all been made to drink into one Spirit" referring to the immediate, but subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit. These two aspects: baptism and filling, are not identical but complementary. If you baptized an apple in a tub of water - it would only be baptized. However, if you baptized a cup in a tub of water, not only would it be baptized, but it would also be filled! The baptism with the Spirit is a sovereign act of the Head of the Church whereby He places the new believer into His own Body. The filling with the Spirit is an initial sovereign act by the Lord Jesus followed by a daily walk in the Spirit for which the believer is responsible. So, in Acts 2:1-3, the disciples were baptized in the Spirit (pictured by a sound) with the result that "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (v.4) Now the baptism with the Spirit and the filling with the Spirit take place when a sinner receives the Lord Jesus Christ.

As believers we often fail to understand the significance of having been "filled with the Spirit" at conversion. Then and there the Holy Spirit began taking control of our lives. But He was limited by the degree of our commitment to Christ. He desires to be in complete control - not just a resident in our lives, but the President! Thus the filling with the Spirit is not just a single experience at conversion, but a continuous process throughout life. Ephesians 5:18 literally means something like this, "It is your responsibility to be continually filled in (your human) spirit" with the Holy Spirit. To be constantly filled with the Spirit we must guard against (1) grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), and (2) quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). We grieve the Holy Spirit by not maintaining proper relationships with people. Failure to forgive another person grieves the Spirit (Ehesians 4;32). On the other hand the exhortation not to "quench the Spirit" comes in the middle of a list dealing with the believer's spiritual life. Failure to rejoice always quenches the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:16). Part of our responsibility then, to remain "Spirit-filled" is to confess sin: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). As a result of agreeing with God concerning our sin, we not only enjoy forgiveness and cleansing, but we are refilled with the Spirit. It is the Christian's normal responsibility to be "Spirit-filled".

Although we were filled to our capacity at conversion, God desires to increase our capacity. To that end, He keeps dealing with issues in our lives so that we can enjoy a fuller relationship with the Spirit.

Walking in the Spirit will produce results in our lives such as: (1) speaking to one another about spiritual things, (2) singing to the Lord, (3) giving thanks for all things, (4) submitting to one another, (5) obeying parents, (6) bringing up our children in the training and admonition of the Lord, and (7) obeying our employers (Ephesians 5:19-6:8), as well as other results.

For such a believer "rivers of living water" will flow and he will be a blessing to others. If there is no "flow" then sin is blocking the channel! The fulness of the Spirit is not just for "spiritual" Christians but enables every Christian to live a consistent Christian life!

II. His Gifts

We must distinguish between natural abilities and the gifts which the Holy Spirit gives. Natural abilities such as singing, speaking and leading must be given over to the Lord. If He chooses to use one of them or all of them in service for Him - that is His choice! Therefore it should not be presumed that because a Christian is a leader in the community that he will be a leader in the local church. On the other hand, spiritual gifts are given to the believer by the Holy Spirit and therefore impose a RESPONSIBILITY upon him! (1 Corinthians 12:4-11). Gifts are given to be of mutual benefit to the entire Church. Therefore we must determine our gifts from God and learn how to use them effectively in His service - which is always to people.

One purpose of Paul's letter to the Corinthian believers was to put the abuse of a number of gifts into its proper context. This abuse concerned prophecy and "languages." Paul, himself, spoke a great deal in "languages" (1 Corinthians 14:18), but his preference was for prophecy (14:5). The exercise of any gift including that of speaking in a "language" must edify the Church (14:26). The Corinthians were giving preference to "languages" without a translator which resulted in confusion. Speaking in a "language" is not connected with the baptism with the Holy Spirit and therefore is not a sign of the baptism which is a sovereign "placing" and not a subjective experience. Neither is it a sign of the filling with the Spirit. The gift of "languages" is simply a gift sovereignly GIVEN to various members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:7-8, 11). Therefore attempts to try to speak in "tongues" are a work of the flesh. In 12:29-30, Paul makes it clear that only some members of the Body have the gift of "languages," not all!

We need to be cautious concerning the misuse of the gift of "languages" since so many unscriptural practices are now associated with it. It is obvious from Paul's letter that the gifts can be exercised in the flesh! (See 1 Corinthians 3:1-4) To be a valid ministry, the gifts of the Spirit must be exercised within the guidelines or framework laid down in chapters 12-14. Anything less opens the door to deception and abuse. A believer should be willing to have his gift tested to make sure that the source is the Holy Spirit (See 1 John 4:1-3).

Concerning healing, we must be balanced as well. It certainly is Scriptural to be healed! However, it is also a fact that God sovereignly allows sickness to achieve His own purposes. Paul continued to suffer although he had earnestly prayed for healing (11 Corinthians 12:7-9). Paul did not lay hands on Timothy and heal him. Instead he advised a common, oriental remedy (1 Timothy 5:23). Paul also left Trophimus sick in Miletus (11 Timothy 4:20). Yet it is this same Paul who taught us what we know about spiritual gifts. He said that the Spirit would give "to another gifts of healings" (1 Corinthians 12:9). Please note that both words are plural! No one has the gift of healing! The Holy Spirit gives "gifts of healings" sovereignly as He will through His chosen instruments. Although healing was an important part of the ministry of Jesus, His goal was evangelism and discipleship.

God has also given believers instructions regarding healing. In James 5:14-16, (1) the sick person initiates the action; i.e. he calls for the elders to come. The elders are a group of spiritually mature men; (2) They anoint the sick person with oil and pray "the prayer of faith"; (3) The Lord heals the individual and raises him up. James notes that unconfessed sin will hinder healing. Therefore, a certain amount of counselling seems to be in order.

In conclusion, our lives must be under the control of the Holy Spirit, not just for service, but for Christian growth and maturity. After all is said and done, the measure of maturity in God's eyes is not the spiritual gifts we possess, but the fruit of the Spirit we manifest: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, (self-control)" (Galatians 5:22-23a).

-Revised

The Bible text is from The New King James Version, Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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