truth on the Holy Spirit
Getting to truth on the Holy Spirit is difficult but not impossible. God has shared His word and things about His Holy Spirit for us to know. There are also things we can't know (because He hasn't revealed it).
Let's study some of the basics and see what Scripture reveals for us.
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For those saved (after hearing the gospel and believing), they are marked and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the believer’s down payment to the eventual inheritance and full redemption.
Opening Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus and ending a long list of spiritual blessings that they have in Christ.
the bible truth on the Holy Spirit
The promise of the Holy Spirit can be broadly traced back to what God promised through Ezekiel13. It’s then announced by John the Baptist1 and Jesus2 as each comes on the scene in the first century. At last, it begins to unfold with Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit (e.g. “Helper”) to the apostles in the upper room3, which He repeats again to them after His resurrection4,5,6,7.
The promise of the Holy Spirit for these special messengers of God included both guidance into “all truth”3,4,5,6 but also an outward manifestation of power7,8 to confirm their word with miracles. “Not many days” later, on the day of Pentecost, they would experience the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” for the first Jews7 (and once more for the first Gentiles). But God’s “Spirit promise” didn’t end there…
Remember God’s promise of the Holy Spirit was for all that obeyed Him13, and that’s what Peter tells the crowd that was responding to the gospel message9 for the first time. This is the “Spirit part” of what Jesus shared with Nicodemus2 for those born again. It is the “indwelling of the Holy Spirit” for all/any (e.g. Jew or Gentile12) that would respond to the gospel12 in baptism2,9 and obedience10,11,13.
Being “baptized with the Holy Spirit” only happened twice7 as a proper event in the New Testament. Each occurrence4,5 marked “firsts” – the first conversion of Jews4, and then of Gentiles5. It was the miraculous ushering in of the kingdom of God for “the Jew first and also the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
The first occurrence was ten days later on the day of Pentecost4, the apostles would preach the gospel to the Jews in Jerusalem, saving 3,000 souls. The second time we read of the Holy Spirit baptism is at the conversion of the first Gentiles5. It was a miraculous spectacle just like on the day of Pentecost6,7. In fact, it was a necessary display to convince Peter, his traveling companions6, and the Christian Jews back in Jerusalem7 of God’s acceptance of Gentiles into the kingdom5,6,7.
What it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit can sometimes get mixed with other aspects of God’s promise of the Holy Spirit for all disciples. For example, John the Baptist1 preached that his cousin Jesus would bring a different baptism than what he taught. While this could have referred at least in part to the special anointing in Acts 24 and Acts 105, John was speaking to and about all disciples. When Jesus spoke about it2,3, it was specifically to the appointed apostles. Furthermore, after the Acts 10 instance6, Peter refers back and connects it to what Jesus had said3 (not John). Both of those instances were also for the benefit or in witness to the others present — proving to them that this was God’s will.
John’s profession1 fits much better with the water baptism of the new covenant5 that Jesus did bring for all mankind. A water baptism that would give the promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the individual. As a result, other passages8 are sometimes promoted as speaking about this special Holy Spirit baptism but they are forced interpretations often taken out of context.
The miraculous power of the Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus to the apostles just before He ascended2 (He had already given them authority to do miracles1). They first received the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit “not many days later” on the day of Pentecost3. From then on, the apostles alone could bestow the miraculous gifts to baptized believers5,6 by the laying on of their hands4,5,7. There is no other mention or example of this ability of non-apostles with the power to pass it on.
The Holy Spirit is dwelling in every baptized believer2,3,4,7,9,10,11,13,14,15. It is rather “matter-of-factly” stated in many places3,6,9,10,11,14,15. It is also a critical fulfillment to an ever-present Bible theme of God’s desire and promise11.
God literally dwelt among His people during the wanderings (tabernacle) and Solomon (temple) years. However, during the captivity (no temple) and remnant years He was absent but promised a day when He would return5,8. In the first century, Jesus alludes to this promise7,11, and we see the fulfillment of that promise on the Day of Pentecost4. From that point on, we see these matter-of-fact statements by New Testament writers about the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers2,3,6,9,10,11,13,14,15 – and by extension, His church1,12.
The Holy Spirit is dwelling in the born again Christian5,7,8 and was given as a down payment and seal5,6,9 for their salvation5,9 and inheritance6 in heaven. Throughout a Christian’s walk, they are being renewed7 and helped in their prayers to God1 by the Holy Spirit. This promise of His dwelling should be a source of comfort and rejoicing8. Finally, the Holy Spirit is testifying and bearing witness to the Christian through the Word of God2 — it is through God’s word that He speaks to us.
How specifically does the Holy Spirit do these things? We are not told. We only know that He does these things. We are also not told how or what it means when He is grieved due to our sin9, only that He is.
getting to the truth on the Holy Spirit is pretty important
don’t you agree?
Can someone receive the Holy Spirit before being saved?
There may be some that wonder if one can receive the Holy Spirit before being saved. This is a great question and one that deserves very careful study as it brings to the forefront at least a couple of commonly misunderstood topics regarding the Holy Spirit. No, [more]
How does one grieve the Holy Spirit?
"And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." This somewhat obscure statement occurs in Ephesians1 regarding the Holy Spirit. Understanding that this passage also speaks to something that the Holy Spirit does for the Christian today (e.g. seals), how can a Christian grieve the Holy Spirit? The [more]
What is the gift of tongues?
The Holy Spirit's gift of tongues is often espoused in today's evangelical world as a "stamp" of God's approval on the individual. In some cases, as with Kenneth Copeland, the gift of tongues is their proof of anointing as a prophet of God. In other cases, it's a testimony [more]
Are God’s word and the Holy Spirit the same thing?
It is believed by some that God's word and the Holy Spirit are the same thing. Proponents of this idea are often rejecting the idea of a literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit. God's word and the Holy Spirit are closely related but are not the [more]
What does it mean to pray in the Spirit?
Frequently in the discussion about gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Bible's command to pray in the Spirit3 will be brought up. The assumption here is that the few times the Bible actually talks about the Christian's need to "pray in the Spirit" is synonymous to and evidence of a [more]
What is the promise of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit can be a difficult topic to study. As a topic, it probably ranks as one of the most critical in applying a disciplined, Scripture interprets Scripture approach without Scripture weighting. The promise of the Holy Spirit, along with miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, the indwelling [more]
What was the purpose for miracles?
Before we attempt to understand the purpose for miracles, we should probably be clear about what a miracle actually is...at least according to Scripture. A good definition for Bible miracles would be, "an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs." This is actually the first definition from Websters. Incidentally, [more]
Where is the Holy Spirit dwelling today?
The idea of the Holy Spirit having a dwelling is well established in Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "shekhinah" means dwelling or settling and culminates into this Jewish idea of "Divine Presence". We can read of God's (e.g. Holy Spirit's) dwelling among the people of Israel [more]
Is there an inward call of God?
The inward call versus the outward call. Many today distinguish these as two different types of Godly or heavenly 'callings'. Dividing the spiritual callings found in scripture between an 'inward call' and an 'outward call' is perpetuated at least in part by teachings credited to John Calvin. "Calvinism", or more [more]
What is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit?
Jesus teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin that is unforgivable. The “unforgivable” aspect to this can be alarming and troubling. Undoubtedly, there's no Christian that would want to be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! Matthew 12:31: Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy [more]
How were miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit given?
Much is debated today about if miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit still exist. Sometimes blended with the "power of the Holy Spirit" in Scripture, the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit topic could be divided into two camps - cessationists and continuationists. It is also a debate closely [more]
Do miracles still happen today?
"It's a miracle!" That's an exclamation we hear often and have probably uttered ourselves. It might be used to describe passing a test you didn't study for or to sum up a great, come-from-behind victory. For example, the great Olympic victory by the U.S. Men's Hockey team is known as [more]
Is the Bible the complete revelation of God?
Whether or not the Bible is the complete revelation of God has profound implications on Christianity today. If the Bible isn't the complete revelation of God, then the door remains open to "other" revelation. "Other" could be other scriptural authority such as the Quran or the Book of Mormon. [more]
What does the Holy Spirit do for the Christian today?
Much is said about activity of the Holy Spirit today. In fact, in some Christian religious groups the primary emphasis of their message is the Holy Spirit - it is the "lure" and attraction for converts in their faith. Indeed, the combination ofpower andmystery can be intoxicating. On the [more]
Does it matter where we worship God?
Where we worship God has often been debated through the years. Some hold to the idea that worship must occur in a cathedral -- an often ornate structure dedicated to the worship of God. Others don't take much stock in the structure at all, whether an official worship building [more]
What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?
Being baptized with the Holy Spirit (aka Holy Spirit baptism) is a remarkably hot topic - often disputed among Christians today. And yet, there is little direct Scriptural reference to the explicit act of being "baptized with the Holy Spirit." In fact, there is much the Bible leaves [more]