Outline:
A. What is the Holy Spirit?
B. God’s new manifestation
C. Promise of FatherD.
A gift
E. The Comforter
F. A seal of ownership
G. A witness that we dwell in Him and He in us
H. Why receive the Holy Spirit?
I. Brings rest, peace, and joy
J. Helps us pray
K. Gives power to witness
L. Teaches, guides, shows us things to come
M.Gives power over the enemy
N. Opens the door to other gifts of the Spirit
A. What is the Holy Spirit?
Life and death. These two words depict the beautiful story of redemption flowing throughout the pages of our Bible.But suppose Adam had never sinned and broken fellowship with God. There would have been no need for redemption. Nor would man have required a manifestation of deity known as the “Son of God.”
For man to have a living, recreated spirit was impossible until Jesus became our substitutionary sacrifice. Now He could share with His choice creatures that intimate communion and spiritual fellowship that had been deniedHim since the dawn of creation!
B. God’s new manifestation
John 4:24; 7:37-39
Who was this manifestation called the Holy Spirit? He is the same Spirit who created and spoke the worlds into existence, who is everywhere at the same time, and who dwelled in Jesus. Wonder of wonders, He can now unite with, and become resident within the human spirit!
To a Samaritan woman, Jesus once ex-plained:
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John4:24).
Let’s think for a moment about the various manifestations or roles God has assumed.Have you ever wondered why Jesus’ titles and characteristics are identical with the Father’s?God created the earth; Jesus created the earth (Colossians 1:16-17). God answers prayer;Jesus answers prayer (John 14:13-14). God knows all things; Jesus knows all things (John21:17). God forgives sins; Jesus forgives sins (Mark 2:5-7).
Attributes describing the Holy Ghost also verify His deity. The reason for these similarities is that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are all manifestations of one God. He has assumed various roles for the specific purpose of bringing man in harmony with his Creator. God wants to share His life with mankind asHe did in the beginning.
Notice what John added (in his parenthesis) about Jesus’ promise of the Holy Ghost:
“If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of theSpirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”(John 7:37-39).
The Holy Spirit could not touch and quicken our dead spirits until Jesus had freed us from Satan’s dominion, and had been glorified.
Two visible symbols have been used to illustrate the Holy Spirit. At Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit was symbolized by a dove (John 1:32). In the upper room, tongues, or flames of fire danced above the disciples’ heads (Acts 2:3).
Perhaps a dove was chosen to indicate Jesus’ purity, meekness, and innocence.The flames of fire indicated that something within mankind needed to be purged or cleansed. As we study the various characteristics of the Holy Spirit, keep in mind that this gift was made possible through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.
C. Promise of Father
Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:39
Jesus referred to the baptism of the HolyGhost as “the promise of the Father.”
“And, behold, I send the promise of myFather upon you” (Luke 24:49).
“Commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me” (Acts 1:4).
“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” (Acts2:39).
To whom is this intriguing “promise”offered? To those who want to enter into covenant with Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit baptism is the covenant relationship.
D. A Gift
Acts 2:38; 11:17; Luke 11:13
The Holy Ghost is referred to in Scripture as a “gift” from God:
“And ye shall receive the gift of the HolyGhost” (Acts 2:38).
“Forasmuch then as God gave them [theGentiles] the like gift as he did unto us” (Acts11:17).
“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give theHoly Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke11:13).
And what greater gift could God give unto us than immersing our spirits into His ownHoly Spirit?
E. The Comforter
John 15:26; 16:7
Another term Jesus used for God’s Spirit was “Comforter.”
“But when the Comforter is come, whomI will send unto you from the Father, even theSpirit of truth, which proceedeth from theFather, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26).
“It is expedient for you that I go away:for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you” (John 16:7).
What is a “comforter”? The word implies that He will soothe us in distress and sorrow.He will ease the misery of our grief, bring consolation and hope. When in trouble, He gives aid and encouragement. Who could ask for a dearer Friend?
F. A seal of ownership
Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30;II Corinthians 1:22
The Spirit is God’s seal of ownership upon our lives. It is somewhat like a guarantee that everything is safe in the Spirit’s keeping. Paul described it like this:
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
“And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).“Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts” (II Corinthians 1:22). The Holy Spirit is both a seal of God’s ownership of our lives and a guarantee that some day we shall enjoy the fullness of heaven’s blessings.
G. A witness that we dwell in Him and He in us
I John 3:24; 4:13; Galatians 4:6; Acts 15:8
To let us know that officially we are members of the new covenant and have our names written in the Book of Life, God’s Spirit “witnesses” with our spirits that we are His:
“And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. . . . Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit” (I John 3:24;4:13).
“And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6).
“And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them [the Gentiles] witness, giving them theHoly Ghost, even as he did unto us” (Acts 15:8).
The baptism of the Holy Ghost is an assurance that He has accepted us into the royal
family.
H. Why receive the Holy Spirit?
Many today commonly mistake the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an “added blessing.” If you receive Him, well and good; if not, you can still be saved without Him. But the HolySpirit is actually God’s presence. His baptism provides the inner transformation and equips every believer for living in this world.Consider these special favours bestowed upon those who ask for and receive this glorious experience:
I. Brings rest, peace, and joy
Isaiah 28:11-12; Romans 14:17
Considering the large percentage ofAmericans who nightly put themselves to sleep with pills, we understand the craving forrest and peace.
God was aware of the pressures that would be inflicted upon believers in the last days and specifically provided relief in this beautiful blessing. Isaiah prophesied long ago, “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refresh-ing: yet they would not hear” (Isaiah 28:11-12).
Another ingredient men desperately search for is included in this baptism. Dozens of slogans give clues for finding the happy life. “Happiness is . . .” But the Spirit goes beyond surface gratification to the more enduring attribute of “joy.”
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Romans 14:17).
If you feel a restlessness or some wistful longing, perhaps your soul is crying for the true peace and joy of the Holy Ghost!
J. Helps us pray
Romans 8:26; I Corinthians 14:14-15; Jude 20
Another purpose for this baptism is its support in prayer. The Spirit actually helps us pray:
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which can-not be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27).
“For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (I Corinthians14:14-15).
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the HolyGhost” (Jude 20).
A handicap commonly shared by believers is ignorance in praying according to God’s will. But the Spirit can assist and supply our need. He will help our infirmities and make intercession for us according to what God knows is best.
In this intercessory prayer, the believer does not rely on his own feelings or under-standing, but offers his body as a temple in which the Spirit Himself conducts prayer.
God has provided a means of givingHimself praise and pouring out of our heart sin a supernatural way—praying in an unknown language. Praying in the Spirit is theGod-ordained outlet for glorifying Him and allowing the Spirit of intercession to ascend to our Father’s throne.
K. Gives power to witness
Acts 1:8; 4:31
Examine the drastic change in the disciples following Pentecost. Previously, they were fearful, frustrated followers hiding secretly from the dreaded Jewish leaders. But after receiving the Holy Spirit baptism, they became bold, fearless men accomplishing extraordinary tasks.
A new motivation controlled their think-ing and propelled them into a driving force that shook their cities and nation. Fearlessly they performed a tremendous new mission after being empowered by the Holy Ghost.
Jesus had strictly commanded that the disciples wait for the Spirit to come. No preach-ing, teaching, or witnessing. The Spirit would furnish the supernatural power and boldness:
“But ye shall receive power, after that theHoly Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the utter-most part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
“And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with bold-ness” (Acts 4:31).
The word “power” is a translation of theGreek word dunamis from which we get such English words as “dynamo,” “dynamic,” and“dynamite.” The essential meaning of the word then is that of a forceful, explosive impact!
A mighty, spiritual impact was felt by the whole city of Jerusalem after the coming of the Spirit. In some places there was revival; in others a riot; and often, a combination of both.
“And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have
turned the world upside down are come hither also” (Acts 17:6).
L. Teaches, guides, shows us things to come
John 14:26; 16:13
To correctly understand and interpret all the truths of God’s Word, it is imperative to beSpirit-filled. The only Bible owned by the apostles was Old Testament Scriptures. But with the Revelator, Interpreter, and Teacher ofGod’s Word dwelling inside, they were enabled to correctly interpret and apply pas-sages from the Old Covenant to the New.
“The Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26). “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13).
Human wisdom cannot correctly interpretScriptures. But when the Author resides within, the Word becomes clear! Why?Because the Bible itself was authored by theHoly Ghost (II Peter 1:20-21). His Spirit united with our spirit opens our understanding to receive the Word.
God wants His children to be Spirit-directed every day. He desires to control every thought, word and action. “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14).
Two important points should be remembered in learning to follow the Spirit’s directions: there is a right place and a right timing.
To enjoy God’s blessings and success, do the right thing at the right time. Difficulty in heeding the Spirit’s leading stems from conflicts with our own desires.
Experience teaches that the Holy Ghost never makes a mistake.
Learn early in your Christian walk that theHoly Spirit wants to be your Counselor andDirector of affairs. This is the way to avoidfrustration and a fruitless, defeated life.
M. Gives power over the enemy
Luke 10:19-20; Isaiah 59:19; I John 4:1-4
Alone, we are absolutely powerless to combat the forces of evil. Satan’s plan is to detract and confuse and hinder our efforts to fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. But theSpirit is ever present to defeat him. Jesus promised,
“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
Centuries before, Isaiah foretold:
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).
Enemy attacks are certain to come. Expect them as part of the Christian warfare. But be assured that the same power source used in Jesus’ temptation will still produce the same victory for us.
Strength to resist Satan’s enticements is measured by the power resident within a believer’s spirit. It we keep our spirit fortified by the Holy Spirit, we shall emerge victorious.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John4:4).
N. Opens the door to other gifts of the Spirit
I Corinthians, Chapters 12 and 14
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the“promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4) and is the seal of the New Covenant. However, in his first letter to the Corinthians (chapters 12and 14), Paul described spiritual gifts. (We shall study them in more detail in our next lesson).
Upon entering the spiritual realm, refrain from living and thinking “soulishly”; live in the Spirit!
Do not be satisfied to remain on spiritual“milk”; advance to “meat.” The Spirit has many wonderful truths to be explored.
The blessed gift of the Holy Spirit is a doorway that leads to many other gifts and ministries. Open the door and come on in!
