God the Holy Spirit
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. --- Romans 8:14
Sooner or later Christian people will get around to asking each other what is believed concerning the Holy Spirit. As with every other doctrine we teach, it is not a matter of what we believe, but what the Bible teaches. The views on this subject are legion . We cannot possibly cover them all in this space. What we will say however is that it is in this area that many sincere, well meaning believers go astray.
This subject is often very subjective. That is to say most people take the view that the "proof of the pudding is in the eating", which roughly translated means, if what I believe gives me good feelings and results I must be headed in the right direction. Nothing could be further from the truth. The devil is in the business of selling a feel-good range of products today. The only way you can be sure that you are not misled by the greatest con-artist of all time is to know the Word of God. There is nothing wrong with getting a good experience, unless it does not check out with the Word of God. That means, not only can I find Scripture to support what I am doing, feeling or experiencing, but there must be not other passages of Scripture which are in conflict with it.
Prooftexting Will Get You Anywhere
Prooftexting is simply finding a Scripture text or passage that will support what you are arguing for, without seeing that it is in harmony with the rest of the teaching of Scripture. You might say in response to this, "Well, in that case, I would have to know pretty well all that the Bible has to say on any subject before I could be sure that my interpretation is sound." - and that is absolutely right. It takes time and diligence to understand the finer points of doctrine. That is why we have teachers in the church. However, today the teachers are largely letting us down. This does not mean that truth cannot be found, it just means that we need to dig in for ourselves and make sure that we are not being misdirected, even by well-meaning friends.
Baptized in the Holy Ghost At Conversion
The Bible says in Romans 8:14, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.. It is a mark of the Christian (Eph 1:13; 4:30) that if they genuinely receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, He will baptize them in or into the Holy Ghost. (Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Lu 3:16; John 1:33.) The Bible does not teach in any place, that this event is subsequent to conversion. We have only the example of the believers at Samaria (Acts 8:14) who received the Holy Spirit, some time after their conversion. However, these believers were of the despised Samaritans. These people were deemed racially impure "half-casts" in the eyes of the strict, Jewish elite. People who denied the validity of temple worship and were generally thought to be beyond redemption. It is not surprising that God so ordered events that there were witnesses, Apostles, who were present to testify to the genuineness of their conversion and receiving the Holy Ghost. The only precedent this sets is to demonstrate that it is possible, in special circumstances for the Holy Ghost to come into the life of a believer after his initial commitment. God is sovereign and he may choose exceptions to His own rules.
The Bible does teach that if one receives Jesus as their Saviour and Lord, it is expected that such a person will have also received or been baptized with in or into, the Holy Spirit. Carefully read Acts 19:1-7. Note in this passage verse two, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. The phrase "since you believed" takes the meaning "seeing that you believed" or "when you believed". We can deduce this from what Paul does next, he clarifies their doctrine of salvation not their doctrine of the Holy Ghost. If his primary intention was that they should be filled with the Holy Spirit, he would not have taken them back a step like this. Paul expected that if they were truly born again the baptism of the Holy Ghost would have already taken place and for him it followed that because they had never heard of the Holy Ghost, the reason was must have been they had never been really born again.
The "Saved" Know it by the Spirit
A believer does not have to cast around for proof of his conversion. When it happens change is instant, dynamic and clearly evident. That is the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the believer. If you believed and were baptized and nothing changed in your life, believe me you did not make it. You don’t need coaching on how to receive the Holy Spirit or His gifts, you need to go back a step and ask God what in the world is holding you back. It might be a misunderstanding of the doctrine of salvation, it might be your favorite sins, it could be pride. What ever it is if you genuinely want to know, God the Holy Spirit who is working with you on it from the outside, will reveal the problem to you. When you "get real" with God and invite Him to take control of everything in your life, to cleanse you from your sin and make your life holy in Him, His response will be overwhelmingly in the affirmative. Those who have experienced this and are reading these words have already said Amen. Sometimes tears begin to roll just at the remembrance of the event. The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16)
What You Do Not Need - A Fake Experience
Some teachers and pastors place an erroneous emphasis on the baptism in the Holy Ghost to the point where their prime concern is to have any enquirer baptised in the Holy Ghost, even sometimes before they fully understand the implications of commitment to Jesus Christ as saviour and Lord.
They quote from Luke 11:9-13 part of which says; 11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if [he ask] a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?
....... 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
This passage is thought to give protection from false spirits to those who desperately want the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The point they miss is verse 11. If a son and the comparison in verse 13 with your children. This passage, taught by an Israelite who was sent to the Israelites (Matt 5:24) relates to children of God who are sons of Abraham. The Jews had no idea of the mission of Jesus until their post Pentecost experience and the enlightenment of the teachings of Jesus brought to them by the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; John 16:13). The Holy Spirit was to come and take the place of Jesus as their Comforter and Mentor who would teach and illuminate Jesus’ words to them and through them to all His followers. We do not see Paul instructing the Ephesian believers in Acts 19 to ask, seek and knock regarding the Holy Spirit, no, once he got their doctrine and commitment to Jesus Christ straightened out, it happened immediately for them; Acts 19: 5 When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid [his] hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve.
I have witnessed people undergoing counseling to empty their minds and open themselves to the Holy Spirit. These people were falsely counseled that this practice is safe on the basis of Luke 11. Nothing could be further from the truth as one cannot use Scripture as a talisman or charm. When Scripture verses are used out of context they are of no use. It is also dangerous to do this because there are spirits who are willing to assume names such as Jesus or Holy Spirit simply to invade the unsuspecting victim. Folks I do not say this to scare you for the sake of it, but if I can send a chill down your spine in order to turn you aside from disaster then so be it. The best you can expect from this kind of misdirection is subjective psycho-babble of an empty and fleshly tongues imitation. The worst is a plague from Hell that you will need help to be rid of. If it seems argumentative and unkind to speak like this it is more unkind to say nothing. If you suspect that you may need more help on this make contact with us through our email address [email protected]
It is Not "Hard" to Be Filled With The Holy Spirit - All The Time.
The Holy Spirit spoken about in Luke 11 was given at Pentecost (Acts2) and is promised to all those who heard Peter preach on that day and all those who subsequently heard the message of the gospel:------Acts 2: 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.
If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, first you need to be sure that you have consciously, sincerely and irrevocably given your life to Jesus Christ. Go to our How To Find Jesus page and follow the instructions there. If you are a born-again Christian, Ephesians 5:18 just simply instructs the believer; 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; this is a simple instruction because it is a simple procedure to be filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit. If you ask Him to take over your life and "drive" He will. Just like that. The first time this happens is at the point of conversion, when we first believe in, trust in and rely on Jesus Christ alone for our Salvation. It might be accompanied by good feelings, "a rush," or not. You might experience a supernatural event such as a healing or deliverance from some oppression in your life... or not. It is not what you feel or experience that makes you become a child of God it is the covenant you make with Him. Like a marriage contract it is binding but even more so.
Just as in the experience of a wedding the couple might feel different things as they make their vows, some are filled with joy, some faint and so on, but the majority don’t get to experience the full impact of that contract until it sinks in what has really happened.
The believer can renew their vows to God frequently, this is the meaning of Ephesians 5:18, in the Greek of the New Testament this command is in the present continuous tense which would be literally rendered in English: "be keeping on being filled with the Holy Spirit continuously", it is God’s intention to live out the character of Jesus Christ through you and His means for this is the indwelling Person of the Holy Spirit. Invite Him to take the reins of your life each day, even each time you face a new challenge each day. Be in prayer about it constantly, silently, earnestly. If your heart is sincerely desiring it there is unlimited power for holy, obedient Christian living available moment by moment.
What Are We Filled With The Holy Spirit For?
As we have seen from God’s Word the Holy Spirit is crucial to the believer’s inauguration into the Christian faith. The first reason for the ministry of the Holy Spirit is His work in the regeneration of the believer as a spiritual child of God. There are those who minimise this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry. It is nevertheless true though, that this aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry, conviction and conversion (John 16:8; John 3:8), is most vital.
Holy Living
The next aspect of the Holy Spirit’s ministry in the life of the believer, though tragically neglected by many teachers, is probably the most important aspect of all. Adam was ejected from God’s presence in the garden simply because he could not live a holy life (i.e live without sinning) and thus qualify to continue to live in God’s presence. We are saved from a life of sin, restored to walk in holiness with God (Leviticus 20:7; 1Peter 1:15; 1Peter 1:16), a requirement of which we are still incapable without the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Bible teaches that this is the means God has chosen to enable us to live a holy life (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16) It is God’s purpose that you should demonstrate the fruit of the Holy Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: (Galatians 5:22f) as a prerequisite for your service for Him.
Witness
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye 4:18-31.shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. There is a rousing story of just this happening to the believers of the early church in Acts 4:29-31
Assigning And Ministering Our Gifts To The Church
The Holy Spirit is the Giver of gifts to the believers for their ministry to the Body of Christ, the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. 1Corinthians 12,13 and 14 teach a wayward church congregation concerning the purposes of God in the giving of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These three chapters should always be studied together as they supplement one another and in the original writing are a unity. 12: 25 explains the thrust of the whole: That there should be no schism in the body; but [that] the members should have the same care one for another. It was God’s purpose in giving the gifts of the Holy Spirit that we should help and supplement one another as a team or body in cooperative love.
What About Tongues?
Everybody wants to know about gifts. Especially the gift of tongues. Is it for today? Is it the sign or evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Is Tongues An Evidence of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer?
Some teach tongues is the evidence of the Holy Spirit baptism from Acts 10. Peter witnessed the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10, recorded their reaction and reported it to the brethren as evidence of their conversion. But notice what he reports to the brethren in Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. These Gentile believers received the gift of tongues when they received the gospel of salvation,
that is the first thing we notice in the record. Peter did not preach the Holy Ghost to them he preached salvation in Jesus. When they received Jesus they received an identical manifestation to that which happened on Pentecost. That is the second thing we see, the type of manifestation was identical to the manifestation on Pentecost. We read in Acts 2 4-6: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 � And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
What this event proved to Peter and the others was seen in Acts 10:34 � Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. This "proof" had nothing to do with ascertaining whether they had received the Holy Spirit, but rather that God was prepared to receive them though they were despised (by Jews) as Gentiles.
The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer then is the evidence of salvation, but there is no example of Scripture which draws the conclusion that tongues is the evidence of the Holy Spirit. What about Acts 10:46? We already dealt with this under our discussion of Acts 11:5 (above) in which Peter recounts this event (of Acts 10:46) pointing out that it was not simply tongues but a manifestation of the Holy Spirit identical to that which the Apostles experienced at Pentecost.
There is far more biblical evidence that the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is "proved" by the fruit of the Spirit as taught in Galatians 5.
Is Tongues A Sign?
The short answer is Yes. According to 1 Corinthians 14: 21 � In the law it is written, With [men of] other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying [serveth] not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
The passage to which verse 21 (above) refers is Isaiah 28:10-12 the context of which is: 12 To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear. Those to whom this sign was directed were the Jews who not only rejected Jesus, but also rejected His Apostles and the New Covenant (Heb 8:8).
So then tongues were to be a sign to unbelieving Jews, who heard the Apostles and the disciples in their own languages Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 � And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Conclusion:
The Bible teaches, when the Scripture is read as a whole, that the believer receives the Holy Spirit at the point of conversion as an evidence of his conversion. The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer transforms the believer into a new creature and makes radical changes to his character, morals and spirituality. At this point the Holy Spirit gives the believer a spiritual gift or gifts with which he will minister to the Church, the Body of Christ. These gifts are only to be exercised in edification of the body when the believer is manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit in a walk in holiness before God and man.
Though this is by no means a full treatment of the subject of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, it gives a basic understanding to the reader of what we believe the Bible teaches. I know that there are divergent views. However we have travelled and studied the Word of God for some time now and these are our hard earned conclusions in God’s Word. If you can offer something CONSTRUCTIVE we would be happy to look at your email and compare it with God’s Word which is to us the final authority for doctrine and practice.