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"...Repent, and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that yours sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off - for all whom the Lord our God will call" Acts 2:38-39.
God's plan for every believer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Jesus called the gift of the Holy Spirit "the promise of the Father" (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8).
"...'If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me...streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified" John 7:37-39 (see also John 4:14).
The Work of the Holy Spirit
The work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life has three clear expressions:
Drawn by the Spirit
"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness and judgment" John 16:7-8 (see also 6:44).
The Holy Spirit draws the unbeliever to Christ by revealing God's presence and convicting him of sin. We are born into the family of God through the Holy Spirit.
"...I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again...Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit" John 3:3,6.
Sealed by the Spirit
"And you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance..." Ephesians 1:13 (see also 2:18,22; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5).
At conversion, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in the believer (Galatians 4:6). The Holy Spirit's work is to confirm our relationship with God (Ephesians 2:18; Romans 8:16) and to enable us to live a life worthy of God (Ephesians 3:16-20; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22-23).
"Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us" 1 John 3:24 (see also 4:13).
Empowered by the Spirit
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth" Acts 1:8 (see also 1 Thessalonians 1:5).
Jesus, though conceived of the Spirit, did not begin His ministry until He was "anointed...with the Holy Spirit and power" (Acts 10:38; Luke 4:18-19). The disciples received the Holy Spirit soon after the resurrection of Jesus (John 20:22) but were still commanded to wait in Jerusalem to be baptised in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5; 8:5-17; 9:17; 10:44). In the same way, God has designed for the Christian not just to be born of the Spirit, but to be filled with the Spirit.
"...There [Paul] found some disciples and asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit'" Acts 19:1-2 (read also verses 3-7).
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
"John answered them all, 'I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come...He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire'" Luke 3:16 (see also Acts 1:5).
To be baptised in the Holy Spirit means to be "immersed" in the power of the Spirit in order to be an effective witness for Jesus. The baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Testifies that Jesus is alive
"The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead...We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him" Acts 5:30-32 (see also 1:8; 4:31,33).
Makes Jesus more real to us
"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you" John 16:13-14 (see also 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12).
Produces greater effectiveness in prayer
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will" Romans 8:26-27.
Releases true worship to God
"...be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord" Ephesians 5:18-19 (see also John 4:24; Philippians 3:3).
Introduces the supernatural power of God
"...because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction" 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (see also Acts 10:38).
Brings the gifts of the Spirit
"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit...To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues" 1 Corinthians 12:4,8-10 (see also Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6).
Gives a new power and boldness to witness
"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly" Acts 4:31 (read also verses 29-30; Acts 1:8; 2:14-40).
Brings a fresh understanding of and love for the Word of God
"...as it is written: 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' - but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God" 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (see also John 16:13).
How to Receive the Holy Spirit
You must want Him
"...Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink'...By this he meant the Spirit" John 7:37-39.
It is a gift promised by God: so ask for it
"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" Luke 11:11-13 (see also verses 9-10).
You can speak in a supernatural language
"...the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues..." Acts 19:6 (see also Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 10:45-46).
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Unless otherwise stated, all scriptures quoted in these studies are from the New International Version of the Bible, © New York International Bible Society, used by permission. Other versions referred to are: KJV (King James Version), NKJB (New King James Bible), TLB (The Living Bible), Amp (The Amplified Bible) and The Message. All versions used by permission.
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