Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, just who is He and what is He all about? To get a good grasp on just who is the Holy Spirit, I would strongly recommend that you read this Bible study in conjunction with the Bible study on the Trinity. The Bible study on the Trinity will explore and explain the deity of the Holy Spirit. That is, the fact the Holy Spirit is one of three spiritual entities, referred to as “persons,” that comprise the Godhead. The deity of the Holy Spirit is such an in depth discussion that, for the sake of this Bible study, I will just state the biblical truth that the Holy Spirit is deity, worthy of praise, honor and worship, and then let you research this fact by reading the Bible study on the Trinity. The Holy Spirit makes His first appearance in the Bible in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (NKJ: Genesis 1:1-2) The Holy Spirit is eternal, and has existed with God from the eternal beginning (see Bible study on the Trinity). He was with God at the creation of the earth as the above verses state. We see the Holy Spirit all throughout the Old and New Testaments. He is referred to by various titles such as: >Holy Spirit >Spirit of God >Spirit of our God >Spirit of Christ >Spirit of Jesus Christ >Spirit of the Lord >His Spirit >My Spirit >Your Spirit >Spirit of the Holy God >Spirit of Truth >Spirit of Grace >Spirit of Glory >Spirit of Holiness >Spirit of Life >Spirit of His Son >Holy Spirit of God The Holy Spirit was very active in the lives of those following the Lord during the time of the Old Testament; however, it was not until the time of the New Testament, in particular, the first Pentecost mentioned in Acts, chapter 2, that the Holy Spirit took up permanent residence with each and every Christian. From that time until now, the Holy Spirit has been given as a gift to each and every Christian upon their acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior—to permanently dwell in their hearts. We will discuss the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in more detail further along in our study. Before one can begin to gain a solid understanding of the Holy Spirit, they must first understand and accept the reality that the Holy Spirit is a divine person--a person with which we may have a very personal relationship. As Biblical proof of His personage, let’s first take a look at some of His characteristics: >Knowledge: “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 2:11) The Holy Spirit has knowledge and knows the things of God. >Will: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 12:11) The Holy Spirit possesses His own will, and is not controlled by other forces. >Feeling: “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,” (NKJ: Romans 15:30) & “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (NKJ: Ephesians 4:30) The Holy Spirit has emotional feelings such as love and grief. Such characteristics are not possessed by a mere power or nebulous force, but are characteristic of an entity similar to you and I. My reference here to the Holy Spirit being similar to us is not referring to His power or divine nature, but that of consciousness and personality. Further proof of the personage of the Holy Spirit can be found in His actions and activities. The following verses summarize some of the actions and activities of the Holy Spirit, which gives us additional perspective into His personal nature: - The Spirit testifies or witnesses: “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.” (NKJ: John 15:26) “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…” (NKJ: Romans 8:16) - The Spirit guides: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (NKJ: Romans 8:14) - The Spirit convicts or convinces: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:…” (NKJ: John 16:7-8) - The Spirit restrains: “And the LORD said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” (NKJ: Genesis 6:3) - The Spirit commands and directs people: “Then the Spirit said to Philip, ‘Go near and overtake this chariot.’” (NKJ: Acts 8:29) - The Spirit performs miracles: “Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.” (NKJ: Acts 8:39) - The Spirit calls for special service: “As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” (NKJ: Acts 13:2) - The Spirit sends forth into Christian service: “So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.” (NKJ: Acts 13:4) - The Spirit intercedes: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (NKJ: Romans 8:26) How awesome are the actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The actions and activities of the Holy Spirit outlined above are not those of some impersonal force, on the contrary, they are those of a personal divine entity with all the actions and characteristics of a person. But one might question the importance that is placed on the concept of the Holy Spirit being a person and not just a mere force or power. While there are various significant reasons why it is important to understand the personage of the Holy Spirit, one reason stands out to me, and that is how we view our relationship with the Holy Spirit, that is, if we think of the Holy Spirit just as an impersonal influence or power to be obtained, then we treat the Holy Spirit as something to be used verses something that will use us. I greatly enjoyed how R. A. Torrey explained this concept, “If you think of the Holy Spirit, as so many even among Christian people do today, as a mere influence or power, then your thought will constantly be, ‘How can I get hold of the Holy Spirit and use it?’ But if you think of Him in the Biblical way, as a Person of Divine majesty and glory, your thought will be, ‘How can the Holy Spirit get hold of me and use me?’….Furthermore, if you think of the Holy Spirit merely as an influence or power that you are to get hold of and use, your thought will necessarily be, ‘How can I get more of the Holy Spirit.’ But if you think of Him in the Biblical way, as a Person, your thought will be, ‘How can the Holy Spirit get more of me?’” (The Holy Spirit, R. A. Torrey, page 14) He further added, “…if you think of the Holy Spirit in the Biblical way, as a Divine Person of infinite majesty, Who comes to dwell in our hearts and take possession of us and uses us as He wills, not as we will, it leads to self-renunciation, self-abnegation, self-humiliation.” (The Holy Spirit, R. A. Torrey, page 15) The Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts is not some power that we have harnessed, but is a divine entity that has harnessed us to use us based on His infinite wisdom. What a glorious revelation in that such a divine person wishes to use us in His divine work. Benefits We Receive from the Holy Spirit Furthermore, what wonderful benefits we, as Christians, receive from the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. First, the Holy Spirit actually teaches us concerning the things of God, “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.” (NKJ: John 14:26) When we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will point things out to us and give us divine insights concerning the verses we are reading, and He will bring those things that we read into our minds during those times when we most need them such as when going through difficult times, or when we are sharing the gospel message of salvation with a friend. Second, we are benefited by how He intercedes for us when we pray, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (NKJ: Romans 8:26) We don’t need to struggle during our times of prayer to God, trying to use just the right words and/or say just the right things. No, all we need to do is come before God in prayer with open hearts, and no matter what comes out of our mouths, the Holy Spirit will divinely translate to God what is actually on our hearts so our desires are perfectly communicated to God in our prayers each and every time. Third, we are benefited by receiving a comforter equivalent to Jesus Christ: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—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.” (NKJ: John 14:16-17) Jesus basically points to the Holy Spirit as being equivalent to Himself as a divine guide and counselor for us while we are here on earth, to be with us each and every moment of our earthly lives. When we receive the gift of eternal salvation, we are also given a wonderful bonus. That bonus is receiving the Holy Spirit into our hearts, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 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.” (NKJ: John 7:37-39) Once we receive Him into our hearts, He will never leave us. Through this indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have access to never-ending joy. No matter what circumstance we may be in, we can always look to Him for joy and comfort. In those times where the world would tell us we should be sad and miserable, such as times of emotional and/or physical pain, all we have to do is look to the Holy Spirit, and we will find peace and joy. Now, notice that I used the phrase “we have access” when referring to the Holy Spirit dwelling in our hearts. We can choose to not look to Him for comfort, and wallow in our earthly problems, or we may have sin in our lives, from which we refuse to turn from, that keeps us from accessing the joy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is given to each and every Christian to be with them continually for the rest of their earthly lives, but living with the continual joy of the Holy Spirit in one’s life is a decision to be made by each and every Christian. One final, and very important, benefit to note regarding the Holy Spirit is His regenerating work in the heart of a Christian, ”And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,” (NKJ: Ephesians 2:1) We come into this world as sinners (Romans 3:23), and are spiritually dead (Romans 6:23), that is, not of God and destined to an eternity apart from God. However, when we accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are made alive through the Holy Spirit. Our heart and mind are transformed (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and we receive an inheritance of eternal life in Heaven with God. The unregenerate mind, that is, the mind that has not been saved, is contrary to God’s Word and cannot even understand His Word (cf. Romans 8:7, I Corinthians 2:14). It is only through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that one can understand and follow God’s Word. We also receive a new will in that instead of looking to please ourselves, we look to please God, “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (NKJ: II Peter 1:4) Through our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we are made anew by the work of the Holy Spirit. As we read in the book of II Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJ: II Corinthians 5:17) Saving Work of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit is not only a strong influence in the life of a Christian, but He also is a strong influence to unbelievers as well, ““Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” (NKJ: John 16: 7-11) The Holy Spirit pricks the hearts of men, shows them the wickedness of their hearts, brings the reality of ultimate judgment into their hearts, brings to light the glorious righteousness of Jesus Christ and His precious gift of salvation, and extends a call to confess, repent, and be saved. A wonderful aspect of the saving work of the Holy Spirit, is that it is us through whom He works. In the Bible, it is always a human vessel that shows a repentant sinner the way to salvation. It can even be conjectured that the Holy Spirit has no way of reaching the unsaved except through those who are already saved. Take for instance the book of Acts. There is not one conversion that is made without the use of men. Examples: The conversion of Cornelius He was instructed by angel to, “And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’” (NKJ: Acts 11:13-14) Here, the angel was not to show him the way, but it was to be one who was already saved. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus Here, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself appeared to Paul (at that time called Saul) on the road to Damascus which caused Paul to go down on his knees and ask, “What shall I do, Lord?” But Jesus did not give Him the way to salvation, but sent him to someone who was already saved for instruction, “And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. “Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, came to me; and he stood and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that same hour I looked up at him. Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’” (NKJ: Acts 22:10-16) We are blessed to be the vessels through which the Holy Spirit converts the heart of people to a saving belief in Jesus Christ, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” (I Corinthians 12:3) However, though we are used by the Holy Spirit, we are merely the instrument through which the Holy Spirit speaks to the heart of the unsaved person. Not even the Word of God can pierce the hearts of people without the Holy Spirit opening that heart and interpreting His Word, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 2:14) This is why, when we are sharing the testimony of the gospel with someone, that we must look to the Holy Spirit and completely depend on him to open the heart of the hearer. For without the working of the Holy Spirit in one’s heart, it is impossible for that person to come to a saving belief in Jesus Christ through merely intellectual means. Indwelling, Baptism, Sealing, and Filling of the Holy Spirit There are four different phrases used in the Bible regarding the Holy Spirit, and how He interacts with a Christian. The four phrases are: Indwelling of the Holy Spirit Baptism of the Holy Spirit Sealing of the Holy Spirit Filling of the Holy Spirit These four phrases are definitely interrelated, but are not synonymous in meaning. At times, confusion arises as to just what each one of these phrases mean. However, such confusion can be quickly dispelled when we diligently study the Scriptures regarding these terms. Let’s take them one at a time. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit indwells each and every Christian from the moment they accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior till the day they leave this earthly body, that is death, and enter into eternity with God in Heaven. This is evident in the following verse, “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.” (NKJ: Romans 8:9) The absence of the dwelling of the Holy Spirit within a person is given as a proof that a person is not saved, that is, they do not belong to Christ. Hence, every Christian must have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Christians are even referred to as the temple, or home, of the Holy Spirit, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” ( NKJ: I Corinthians 6:19) Indeed, to receive the gift of salvation is to also receive the gift of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If you do not mind, let me share a personal belief that I have regarding the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in each and every Christian. I often hear it said by various people that it is not fair how some people can profess to be Christians, go to church, even attend weekly Bible studies, but live their lives in a very sinful manner. My reply to them is always the same. If that person is truly saved, then the Holy Spirit is living inside of them. And if the Holy Spirit is inside of them, then they will be under continual conviction from Him regarding their sinful life styles. Though they may appear to be enjoying their lives of sin with an outward smile on their faces, I guarantee that this is only an external facade. Inside themselves, they are miserable, and wondering why they are so unhappy when, from a worldly standpoint, they should be ecstatic with their sinfully fun lifestyle. Yes, they may have moments of pleasure while in the middle of their sin, but between these brief moments of pleasure, they are miserable with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. In regards to the permanency of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, I would like to point out what could be a potentially confusing issue. It has been noted that the Holy Spirit will never leave the New Testament Christian. However, contrastingly in the Old Testament the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was temporary or at least not guaranteed to stay within: “Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.” (NKJ: Psalm 51:11) “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.” (NKJ: I Samuel 16:14) The above passages have lead some to misinterpret the permanent nature of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The works of the Holy Spirit, in particular His indwelling nature, were very much different in the Old Testament, and more specifically, prior to the day of Pentecost in Acts (Acts 2). In the book of Acts, Jesus tells His disciples, who have obviously already received the gift of salvation, that they will soon be baptized by the Holy Spirit, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now’.” (NKJ: Acts 1:4-5) The Holy Spirit was about to begin a new ministry within believers beginning on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). He would take up permanent residence in the hearts of those who received the gift of salvation. Baptism of the Holy Spirit The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual event that occurs with all Christians. It is a specific working of the Holy Spirit within the heart of a Christian. What would appear to be a transforming work. The primary passage that can be used to determine a foundational understanding of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is I Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 12:13) A common misconception is that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is only shared by a select group of Christians rather than the entire body of the Church. This misconception is laid to rest with the prior verse, “…we were all baptized.” One is not saved without the work of the Holy Spirit. It should be strongly noted that the Corinthian church, at the time of the writing of I Corinthians, from which the above quote was taken, was struggling with various sinful behaviors from which the writer, Paul, was admonishing them to repent (based on the letter itself). Even so, they were being reminded that they were all baptized with the Holy Spirit. Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not something that is earned through works, or is not something one should strive to attain, but it is a gift received by each and every believer when they give their lives over to Jesus Christ. As mentioned, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not something that is reserved for those who are “living a good life”, and are free of guilt, but is a universal gift received by all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This is further emphasized in Ephesians 4:5, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (NKJ: Ephesians 4:5) This verse is emphasizing those spiritual things in which all Christians share. There is one body, that of the Church, there is one Holy Spirit, there is one hope, that of the saving work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, there is one faith, that is faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior of all humankind, there is one God inseparable from Jesus Christ, and there is one baptism, that of the Holy Spirit (it should be noted that this baptism does not refer to water baptism, for even though all Christians are called to be baptized as an outward symbol of what has already happened inside, there were and are some Christians that, for whatever reason, do not experience water baptism. Thus, water baptism, in contrast to baptism by the Holy Spirit, cannot be looked upon as a universal experience shared by all Christians). Several results occur when we are baptized by the Holy Spirit. First, it makes us members of the body of Christ, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 12:13) Through the baptizing of the Holy Spirit, we are all joined, as Christians, into one spiritual body or family (cf. Ephesians 4:5). A second result from being baptized by the Holy Spirit is that it brings about our union with Christ in His death and resurrection, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” (NKJ: Romans 6:1-10) With our spiritual baptism, we are united with Christ. We are able to share in His death, burial, and resurrection. We die to our old nature, and are resurrected with a new nature—that of Christ. Let’s understand that we will never be totally free from our old nature, it will still always lurk around. However, we are no longer slaves, that is, completely controlled by our old nature. As we read in the previous passage, “that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” Our old nature can tempt us, but we are no longer slaves to it through our spiritual baptism. From the time that we are saved until we die, there will be a constant battle between our new nature and our old nature. Our duty is to continually yield to our new nature, and to continually reject our old nature. Sealing of the Holy Spirit The Scriptures say that we are “sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (NKJ: Ephesians 1:13) This symbolism used by the Word of God points to when a king would put his seal on a document to authenticate that the document was his or from him. In the same manner, God has put His seal on us, by the way of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, to signify to all that we are His forever. This is a symbol of a finished transaction--a transaction that was wholly wrought by God. We are to take no pride in this event or believe that we contributed in any form. We are to be eternally grateful to our Lord for putting His seal upon us in the form of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. There are three passages in the Bible which refer to the “sealing” of the Holy Spirit: “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” (NKJ: I Corinthians 1:22) “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…” (NKJ: Ephesians 1:13) “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (NKJ: Ephesians 4:30) Based on the above verses, we are told a lot concerning the sealing of the Holy Spirit. First, it can be seen that the act of one being sealed by the Holy Spirit is entirely accomplished by God. The believer is never encouraged to seek being sealed, or to work or strive towards being sealed. It is based on belief alone, and is a gift from God to all those who believe on and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Second, it is clear that the sealing of the Holy Spirit is received by all Christians at the time of salvation. This is very evident in Ephesians 1:13, where we told that once we believe, we are sealed. There are no other requirements or events that must occur. Third, the sealing of the Holy Spirit is permanent, as is salvation, and cannot be lost. This is made very clear by Ephesians 4:30 where we are told that believers are sealed until the day of redemption, that is, the point in time where we are joined with Jesus Christ in Heaven. Finally, and to me the point of greatest significance, the sealing of the Holy Spirit points to the eternal security we have in our gift of salvation. Ephesians 4:30 clearly tells us that we are sealed until the time of redemption, which is the time that we depart from this earth and are joined with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in Heaven. The security of our eternal salvation is not left in the hands of ourselves, thank God, but is held tightly in the hands of our Lord. How could our gift of salvation be any more secure? As Christians, we should feel such joy and security in the fact that our eternal future is guaranteed and secure in the hands of God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Once we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit upon our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, nothing will be able to separate us from God, for as the Scriptures say, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NKJ: Romans 8:35-39) Filling of the Holy Spirit Filling of the Holy Spirit, as opposed to the baptism of the Holy Spirit, refers to the ministering work of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we completely submit to Him. As opposed to the indwelling, baptism, and sealing of the Holy Spirit, which are once for all events, the filling of the Holy Spirit is a temporary empowerment by the Holy Spirit for Christian service. The Filling of the Holy Spirit, that is, the receiving of His power in our lives, is not just a one-time occurrence, but is something that must be received each time a new Christian challenge is faced. One example of this can be found with the apostle Peter where we see him being filled at least three separate times: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance….But Peter, standing up with the eleven” (NKJ: Acts 2:4, 14) “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them…” (NKJ: Acts 4:8) “But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge….And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them….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.” (NKJ: Acts 4:19,23,31) From the above verses, it is an obvious conclusion that Peter, a righteous and devoted follower of Jesus Christ (and one of the twelve apostles), was not continuously filled with the Holy Spirit, but was filled with the Holy Spirit at specific times of Christian service or ministry. It should be noted that we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” (NKJ: Ephesians 5:18) This is in sharp contrast to those events pertaining to the salvation experience, the indwelling, baptism, and sealing of the Holy Spirit, which occur at the time of salvation and are received by each and every Christian. The indwelling, baptism, and sealing of the Holy Spirit are never referred to in a manner whereupon they are to be sought or strived after. On the contrary, they are referred to in the context of being gifts received from God. In contrast, the filling of the Holy Spirit requires action on our part, that of yielding ourselves to the will of God. Then, and only then, may we receive this blessing. Water Baptism and its relation to Baptism of the Holy Spirit Water baptism, that is, the Christian act of dipping or immersing one’s body in water, should not be confused as being the same event as that of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. As we have discussed, Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual event that occurs to all Christians as part of the gift of salvation. We are not commanded to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it is given to us as a gift from God; whereas, with water baptism, we are commanded by the Scriptures to perform this act. In addition, even though all Christians are commanded to be baptized with water, there are those Christians, for various reasons, that are not baptized with water. This, in itself would separate these two baptisms as separate events since, as we have previously discussed, Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an event that is shared by all Christians; whereas, water baptism is not an event shared by all Christians. There is a connection between Baptism of the Holy Spirit and water baptism. The connection is simply that water baptism is an outward symbol and testimony of what the Holy Spirit has already accomplished inwardly in each and every Christian. Our old nature has died, which is symbolized by immersion in the water, and we are spiritually born again and receive a new nature from God, which is symbolized by our coming back up out of the water. The following verses exemplify how the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit unite us with Christ and His work on the Cross: “…buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” (NKJ: Colossians 2:12) “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” (NKJ: Romans 6:1-10) Through Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are united with Christ in His death and subsequent resurrection. When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, so also died all the sins of those who would look to Him as their Lord and Savior. And when Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day, so also did all Christians receive eternal life with Him in Heaven. Amen. The Holy Spirit is a Gift Associated with Salvation As a final note, it is important for the Christian to realize that the Holy Spirit is a gift, “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.” (NKJ: Acts 2:38) A gift is by nature something that is given freely and without merit. It should be noted that the Holy Spirit is never referred to as a reward or something for which to be strived, which would be contrary to His being given as a gift. In accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we not only receive the free gift of salvation, but we are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell with us and inside of us for the remainder of our lives here on earth. He is a gift that should be cherished every day of our lives through our actions and our words.