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The Holy Spirit - Part 2
The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and we pray in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is an important part in our Christian life. God says that every believer has the Holy Spirit living within each person (Romans 8:9 - But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.) However, God's desire is for there to be a growing experience in Him. There is a definite experience of being "baptized" in the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 19:1-7 - 1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all. And even after this baptism in the Holy Spirit, the believer should be continually "filled with the Spirit". Ephesians 5:18 - And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, Acts 4:31 - And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. This "infilling" is designed to be like "a stream of living water" flowing out from within (John 7:38-39 - He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.). To receive this baptism in the Holy Spirit, like everything else with God, is very simple. All you need to do is: Desire: Ask: Thank: John 16:7 - ''But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you"..
After Jesus ascended to the throne of His Father, He kept His promise and sent the Holy Spirit to indwell in the believer. John 14:17 - the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 1 Corinthians 2:12 - Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 3:16 - Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Many people believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is for the time of the Apostles, but as we can see this promise is also for the believer today! On the Day of Pentecost, Peter boldly declared: Acts 2:38-39 - Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, AND TO ALL WHO ARE FAR OFF, as many as the Lord our God will call." Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. John 14:16,26 - 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. John 15:26 - But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
From Old Testament to the New Testament, the Bible reveals one major problem in man that God continually came up against: Jeremiah 17: 9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure . . . In all His dealings with mankind, people would inevitably rebel against God. This was revealed through Jeremiah and many of the other prophets. God identified the root cause of this as the heart of man - his nature of sin. But God also gave a special promise that would remedy the problem forever:
Ezekiel 36:26-27 - ''I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees . . . ''. God's Power Within
Luke 24:49 - ''I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high'' When the Holy Spirit was outpoured on the Church, He fulfilled every detail of the Father's promise in Ezekiel 36.
The Spirit's infinite power was given to the believer so that he could live a life pleasing to God. The Spirit does this by: 1. Setting Us Free from Sin's Power Romans 8:1-2 - "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death''. 2. Making Us Clean in God's Sight
Titus 3: 5-7 - '' . . . He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life". 2 Corinthians 5:21 - For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth,
3. Giving Us Instant Access to the Father Ephesians 2:18 - ''For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit" Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
4. Empowering Us Ephesians 3:16, 19-20 - 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Ephesians 1:19-20 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places Colossians 1:10-11 - that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Now, with the Holy Spirit living inside us, the believer has ALL power.
Ephesians 4:22-24 - ''You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS" Romans 12:2 - And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. |
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