13

Volume
13
SALT
Service and Leadership Training
The Holy Spirit

May 2003
T H E H O L Y S P I R I T
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1......................................................................................................................................................... 1
WHO IS THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY ?........................................................................................... 1
The Holy Spirit is God .................................................................................................................................. 1
The Holy Spirit is a Person .......................................................................................................................... 4
The Holy Spirit is Whom Jesus sent to be with His disciples.................................................................. 8
CHAPTER 2....................................................................................................................................................... 11
WHAT WAS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM CREATION UNTIL PENTECOST ?....................... 11
The First Work............................................................................................................................................. 11
The Second Work........................................................................................................................................ 11
The Holy Spirit inspires and empowers people. ...................................................................................... 11
The Holy Spirit inspires God’s Word........................................................................................................ 12
The Third Work................................................................................................................................................. 13
Differences in the Old Testament “working” and the New Testament “working” ....................................... 14
Selective and Temporary Indwelling........................................................................................................ 14
Regeneration ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Restraining Sin ........................................................................................................................................ 16
The Fourth Work .............................................................................................................................................. 17
CHAPTER 3....................................................................................................................................................... 21
WHAT HAS BEEN THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SINCE THE DAY OF PENTECOST ?..................... 21
The First Work .................................................................................................................................................. 23
Proclaiming the Gospel .............................................................................................................................. 23
The Second Work............................................................................................................................................. 24
Working in and through Jesus’ disciples today ......................................................................................... 24
The Spirit Witnesses to the Truth ............................................................................................................ 24
The Spirit Brings Salvation to Mankind.................................................................................................... 25
The Spirit Leads and Empowers Believers to Live like the Messiah....................................................... 28
The Holy Spirit Directs the Church .......................................................................................................... 30
CHAPTER 4....................................................................................................................................................... 32
WHAT IS THE MEANING OF “BAPTISM” AND “FILLING” OF THE HOLY SPIRIT? ................................... 32
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit............................................................................................................................ 32
Fact of Indwelling ....................................................................................................................................... 32
The Holy Spirit is a gift............................................................................................................................. 32
The Holy Spirit is given at salvation......................................................................................................... 33
A person not possessing the Holy Spirit is an unbeliever. ...................................................................... 33
The Holy Spirit indwells carnal believers. ................................................................................................ 33
The Holy Spirit indwells believers permanently. ...................................................................................... 33
Problems Related to Indwelling.................................................................................................................. 33
Baptizing Work of the Holy Spirit ................................................................................................................... 34
Introduction................................................................................................................................................. 34
Definition .................................................................................................................................................... 34
Explanation................................................................................................................................................. 34
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is unique to the church age. .................................................................... 34
The baptism of the Holy Spirit includes all believers in this age.............................................................. 34
The baptism of the Holy spirit brings believers into union with other believers in the Body of the
Messiah. .................................................................................................................................................. 34
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings believers into union with the Messiah. ......................................... 35
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an “experience.”............................................................................. 35
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is performed by the Holy Spirit. ............................................................... 35
Filling Work of the Holy Spirit......................................................................................................................... 35
Definition .................................................................................................................................................... 35
Explanation................................................................................................................................................. 35
It is essential for the believer’s maturity (1 Corinthians 3:1–3)................................................................ 35
It is essential for the believer’s service (Acts 4:31; 9:17,20). .................................................................. 36
Conditions .................................................................................................................................................. 36
Important Questions ................................................................................................................................... 37
CHAPTER 5....................................................................................................................................................... 43
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRUIT AND THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?................ 43
The difference in "gifts of the Spirit" and "fruit of the Spirit" ..................................................................... 43
What is the fruit of the Spirit? ..................................................................................................................... 43
What is meant by the term: "gifts of the Spirit"?......................................................................................... 44
Definition.................................................................................................................................................. 45
Explanation .............................................................................................................................................. 45
The Holy Spirit gives many different gifts. .................................................................................................... 46
Some questions about our spiritual gifts ...................................................................................................... 51
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INTRODUCTION
Breathe on me, Breath of God; fill me with life anew, that I may love what You do love
and do what You would do.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, until my heart is pure, until with You I will one will—to
do and to endure.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, till I am wholly Yours, till all this earthly part of me glows with
Your fire divine.
Breathe on me, Breath of God, so shall I never die, but live with You the perfect life of Your
eternity.
Believers in Jesus as the Messiah believe in the “one and only one living and true God.” As the
supreme personal Spirit, He is the Creator, Preserver, Redeemer and Ruler of the universe. It is
impossible to define God, but it is possible to describe Him. For example:
God is the supreme personal Spirit
He is perfect in all His attributes
He is the source, support and end of the universe
He guides the universe according to the wise, righteous and loving purpose revealed in
Jesus the Messiah
He indwells all believers by His Holy Spirit
He seeks to transform men according to His own will and bring them to the goal of His
Kingdom
To God we owe the highest love, reverence and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to
us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes. These attributes are without
division of nature, essence or being.
In this course, we will be studying the distinct personal attributes of God the Holy Spirit…the
Third “Person” of the Trinity.
The faith of a believer is so simple that even a small child or a person of very limited intelligence
can come to know the Messiah. He or she can have a deep relationship with Him. However, the
believer’s faith also contains great mysteries that the human intelligence cannot understand.
One of these mysteries is the Trinity. We believe in only one God, but we believe this one God
is “three persons:” God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
Most believers have a favorite illustration with which they try to explain the Trinity. For example:
Some use the sun and say that the orb in the sky, the light rays and the heat are three different things,
but there is only one sun.
Others use the illustration of a person: a man is the son of his father, the husband of his wife, and the
father of his child, but the man is only one being.
None of our illustrations fully explains the Trinity. We simply accept this doctrine by faith. Any
group that calls itself a church but denies the doctrine of the Trinity is not truly the church of
Jesus the Messiah.
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C H A P T E R 1
Who is the Third Person of the Trinity ?
Paul said,
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
2 Corinthians 3:17
The first thing we need to understand about the Holy Spirit is that …
The Holy Spirit is God
The Holy Spirit is the “Spirit of God” and the “Spirit of the Messiah.” Thus, He is God in spiritual
expression. As God is a person, so is the Holy Spirit a Person. He is the third person of the
Trinity. He possesses all the attributes of God and all the elements of personality.
Let me emphasize that---
The Holy Spirit exercises the power of the Father and the Son in creation and redemption.
The Holy Spirit is the power by which believers come to Jesus and see Him with new
eyes of faith.
The Holy Spirit is closer to us than we are to ourselves. He is the indwelling Spirit – He
lives within the believer.
Through our physical eyes, we can see physical things, however, believers see Jesus
through “spiritual eyes.” This explains why the relationship of the Father and the Son is
more prominent in the gospels. It is through the eyes of the Holy Spirit that the Father –
Son relationship is viewed.
Perhaps in man’s interpretation of the Bible throughout history, the Holy Spirit has been slighted
because He is invisible and as a result is seen as the least prominent of the three Persons of the
Godhead. Clearly, He is very much involved in God’s design for the provision of salvation.
However, He has assumed a role supportive of the Lord Jesus, who in turn acts in obedience to
His Father. The Holy Spirit does not reveal Himself. He reveals God in Jesus the Messiah.
This is one explanation as to why one understands Jesus better than one understands the
Spirit.
Jesus said---“He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it
known to you.” John 16:14
“He will bring glory to Me!” ---Not to Himself. This suggests that any system of religion or
theology, which magnifies the Holy Spirit above Jesus, is not of the Holy Spirit. However, we
must not make the mistake to mean that the Holy Spirit has inferior status to the Father and the
Son. If we did that, we would be treating the great works done in each believer during this age
by the Holy Spirit as insignificant. In fact, the most prominent presence of God with the believer
is expressed by the Spirit’s activity in and through individuals.
1
The Son is in us (Colossians 1:27), as is the Father (John 14:23 – the only description of that
indwelling). However, the Spirit’s presence is described the most. Keep in mind satan’s
strategy is to minimize the deity of the Holy Spirit (as well as His personality and even His
existence). Satan wants to prevent the believer from entering into and enjoying to the fullest the
wonderful works of God toward him through the third Person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit
brings to the believer all of God He ever could dream of having. In a genuine sense, the Holy
Spirit is our representative from God during this age (John 14:16).
“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever”— John 14:16
This is a biblical fact that is designed to lead us to dependence as well as boldness. In spite of
the great things people have accomplished for God since Pentecost, it is safe to say that no
human being has ever drawn on that indwelling presence as fully as he could. There is always
more of God available to us through the presence of the third Person in us.
As we have said previously, God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 28:19, we are _______________1 in the name of all three Persons.
In John 14:23, Romans 8:9–11, 1 Corinthians 3:16 and Colossians 1:27, we are ____________2
by all three Persons.
We do believe in only one God, but our God is three persons. Again, we say the Holy Spirit is
the third person of the Trinity.
Through the years, differing beliefs about the Holy Spirit have divided believers. This is very
unfortunate since it is the Holy Spirit who makes us one with Jesus and with each other. In this
book, we want to specifically look at what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was
In the written in Greek. The Hebrew word for spirit (ruach) had various
beginning, let
meanings, all more or less equally prominent. “Ruach” can mean---
us consider the
fundamental breath, air, strength, wind, breeze, spirit, courage, temper, Spirit.
question – “How However, let us look at four prominent meanings.
did the Holy Spirit Wind --- an invisible, mysterious, powerful force
receive His
Name?” Breath (air on a small scale), or spirit--- The same mysterious force is seen
as the life and vitality of man.
Wind--- something you can feel and see the result of its blowing. However, you can not see the wind
itself.
Divine power---where “ruach” is used to describe occasions when men seemed to be carried out of
themselves—not just a surge of vitality, but a supernatural force taking possession. This was
particularly so with the early charismatic leaders.
In both the Hebrew and Greek languages, the word for “spirit” originally meant "breath." Later it
1 baptized
2 indwelt
2
had the meaning “wind," and still later, the word came to mean "Spirit." In the Bible, the word
"Spirit" (breath or wind) is always associated with power or force. So, the name – “Holy Spirit" –
describes the third member of the Trinity as the holy and powerful Lord God.
Quite simply, because He is God, the Holy Spirit is everywhere.

Another However, we believers also say with confidence – "He lives in me"
introductory
(I Corinthians 3:16, 6:19). This has been true since the day of Pentecost.
question that we
must ask at the
beginning of The Holy Spirit appears in the Gospel of John as the power by which
this book is believers are brought to faith and helped to understand their walk with
simply – “Where God.
is the Holy
Spirit?” He brings a person to new birth:
“Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit” (John 3:6).
“The Spirit gives life” (John 6:63).
The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, or Counselor (or Helper), whom Jesus promised to the
disciples after His ascension. The Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit are unified together in
ministering to believers (John 14:16, 26). It is through the Counselor that the Father and Son
abide with the disciples (John 15:26).
“
And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever----” John 14:16
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach
you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me.” John 15:26
As noted above, because He cannot be seen, the Holy Spirit’s actual existence and personal
nature have often been doubted through the years. However, the Bible declares in many places
and in many ways that we are to regard the Holy Spirit as real. He is as the Lord Jesus who
walked in Palestine. He has the same ability to interact rationally with human beings.
We know the Holy Spirit is God because of the interchange of names

Another in Scripture. In Acts 5, when Peter was reprimanding Ananias and
question we
Sapphira, he asked them in verse 3 why they had lied to the Holy Spirit.
might ask is –
How do we know
In verse 4, he tells them that they have lied to God. The words "God"
the Holy Spirit is and "Holy Spirit" used in this way indicate that God and the Holy Spirit
God? are the same person.
Next, we know the Holy Spirit is God because He has the characteristics of God. Read these
verses and write down a characteristic of God that is applied to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm 139:7–10 –
Luke 1:35 –
3
John 6:63 –
Hebrews 9:14 –
1 John 5:6 –
Only God is present everywhere. Only He has “the power of the Most High,” and can give life
(2 Corinthians 3:6). He is eternal and is truth. The Holy Spirit has these characteristics because
He is God. We know the Holy Spirit is God because He does the work of God. When we read
the first chapter of Genesis, we see the Spirit of God active in creation. Both of these things are
obviously mighty acts of the Lord God Himself.
Finally, we know the Holy Spirit is God because His very names show that He is divine.
He is called, "the Spirit of the Messiah" ---

“You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of
God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not
belong to the Messiah.” Romans 8:9
He is called, "the Spirit of God" --- (Matthew 3:16)
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven
was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him.”
Matthew 3:16
He is called, "the Spirit of the Lord"---
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to
the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight
for the blind, to release the oppressed,” Luke 4:18
Sometimes the last two names above are misunderstood. The result is that sometimes people
think the Holy Spirit is a term for the personality of God rather than the Spirit being a distinct
person Himself. Other people think He is only a kind of divine power. These ideas are wrong.
We have already spoken of the three "persons" of the Trinity. God as a person has a will,
emotions, intellect and other attributes of personality. The second thing we must understand
about the Holy Spirit is that…
The Holy Spirit is a Person
The Bible never uses the word "it" when speaking of the Holy Spirit – the Bible always uses the
word “He." It is very important that we understand that the Holy Spirit is a person. In fact, His
role in creation (along with the Son – Genesis 1:2 and Colossians 1:16) demonstrates His
intelligence and purposefulness – attributes of a person.
“Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2
“For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and
invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by
Him and for Him.” Colossians 1:16
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This [and other Scriptural evidence] rejects the position of some that the Holy Spirit is simply an
“influence” or a “feeling.” Those who think of Him as simply a “divine power” often try to use Him
as a tool. Instead of using the Holy Spirit for our own purposes, we are to obey Him and let Him
work through us.
WRITE HOW SOME PEOPLE IN YOUR AREA MIGHT USE THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A TOOL:
Early in church history, Arius from Alexandria denied the personality of the Holy Spirit. He said
the Holy Spirit was only an “influence” coming out from the Father. Arius also said --- “The
Father existed before the Son. There was a time when the Son did not exist. Therefore, the Son
was created by the Father. Therefore, although the Son was the highest of all creatures, He
was not of the essence of God…..[hence not deity].” Arius was condemned at the Council of
Nicea that was held in AD 325. This problem continued until the Council of Constantinople in
AD 381 in which a decision was made on the Holy Spirit.
Good as it was, the Nicene Creed only affirmed ---- “We believe in the
What Was Holy Spirit.” There was no clear doctrinal formulation concerning the
Important
Person of the Holy Spirit. Arius, meanwhile, taught that the Holy Spirit
About… the
Council of was the first creation of the Son. Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople,
Constantinople? taught that the Holy Spirit was a creature, like angels, subordinate to the
Son. However, Athanasius emphasized that the Holy Spirit was also of
the same substance (homoousian-of one substance) as the Son and the Father. It was not until
the Council of Constantinople in A.D. 381 that the matter was settled. The council adopted the
following statement--- “We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds
from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who
spoke by the prophets.” --- The statement emphasized that the Holy Spirit was not subordinate
to the Son nor the Father but was of the same substance as Father and Son.
The doctrine of the Trinity has been controversial since the earliest days of Christianity. As we
have seen, the Council of Nicea affirmed its belief in the Triune Godhead. During the 16th
century Reformation period, it was again denied by the Socinians. Still today, many liberal
theologians and groups are blatant in their denial. They often speak of God, the Father of all,
Jesus, the mere man, and the divine influence of the Spirit of God. This form of blasphemy
relegates each member of the Godhead to a role far less than that ascribed in the Bible.
Arius’ teaching has continued to the present time in Unitarianism and in some cults, such as the
Jehovah’s Witnesses. This belief, and the teachings of Nestorius in 451AD, (taught that there
were two persons of Jesus) also had influence in some groups of believers in the past that
influenced Mohammad.
5
Since God the The Holy Spirit has a distinct personality and His attributes confirm
Holy Spirit is a His personality.
person –
What are His Let us briefly discuss five of the attributes that confirm the Holy Spirit’s
personal personality – intellect, knowledge, mind, emotions and will.
attributes?
First, the Holy Spirit has intellect. The Scriptures state – “the Spirit
searches all things” – (1 Corinthians 2:10). The word “search” means to examine or investigate
a matter. This requires intelligence or intellect. The Holy Spirit examines the depths of God and
reveals them to believers. The same Greek word is used by the Messiah in John 5:39 where
He states – “You diligently study [search] the Scriptures.”
Second, the Holy Spirit possesses knowledge. Of course, no human being has an awareness
or knowledge of the thoughts of God. However, the Holy Spirit understands the very “thoughts
of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).
Third, the Holy Spirit has a mind. As we noted above, the Holy Spirit knows the Father and the
thoughts of the Father. Likewise, the Father “knows the mind of the Spirit” (Romans 8:27). The
original Greek word for “mind” means “ a way of thinking, an aim, aspiration, etc.” – clearly
indicating that the Holy Spirit has a mind and intellect (Ephesians 1:17).
Fourth, the Holy Spirit has emotions. To have “emotions” simply means to have feelings, to
have awareness and an ability to respond to something. Ephesians 4:30 commands, “do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God.” The context emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is grieved when a
believer sins by lying (verse 25), being angry (verse 26), by stealing or being lazy (verse 28), or
speaking unkind or unwholesome words (verse 29). The same word is used in describing the
Corinthians’ sorrow after Paul wrote them a stern letter (2 Corinthians 2:2, 5). It is a Person
who is grieved – a mere influence cannot be grieved.
Fifth, the Holy Spirit has a will. This indicates He has the power of sovereign choice and
decision. The Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts “just as He determines” (1 Corinthians 12:11).
The phrase, “He determines,” refers to “decisions of the will after previous deliberation.” The
idea of sovereign choice is evident in this statement. The same word is translated as He “chose”
to describe the will of God the Father in James 1:18. Just as the Father has a will, so the Holy
Spirit has a will. In Acts 16:6, the Holy Spirit exercised His will in forbidding Paul to preach in
Asia and redirecting Paul to ministry in Europe.
All of these Scripture passages clearly teach that the Holy Spirit has intellect, knowledge, mind,
emotions and will as part of a genuine personality. Now, using the following list of Scripture
references, write the correct reference beside the personality attribute of the Holy Spirit:
Scripture References: Nehemiah 9:20, Romans 8:27, 1 Corinthians 2:11,

1 Corinthians 12:11 and Ephesians 4:30
He has a will:
He has a mind:
He knows the thoughts of God:
He is good:
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He can be grieved:
We have clearly seen that the Holy Spirit is a Person because He has the attributes of a
person. In addition, the Holy Spirit performs works that are done only by persons. The Holy
Spirit performs works that are similar to the works of the Father and the Son. These works
confirm the personality of the Holy Spirit. For example, the Holy Spirit teaches, testifies, guides,
convicts, regenerates, prays for and commands.

The Spirit teaches. Before Jesus departed from the disciples, He
Let us briefly encouraged them by telling them He would send them “another
consider these Counselor” (John 14:16). “Another” stresses that the Holy
seven works Spirit will be a Counselor, or Helper, of the same kind as the
done by the Holy Lord Jesus. Just as Jesus had taught the disciples (Matthew
Spirit that confirm 5:2 and John 8:2), so the Holy Spirit would teach them (John
His personality
14:26). The Holy Spirit would perform and carry on the same
kind of teaching ministry as Jesus did. The Holy Spirit would
cause them to remember the things the Messiah had taught them earlier. The Spirit
would confirm the Lord’s teaching.
The Spirit testifies. Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Spirit “will testify about
Me” (John 15:26). “Testify” means to be a witness or give evidence about someone.
The Holy Spirit would testify concerning the teaching of Jesus that He had come from
the Father and had spoken the truth of God. The very same word [“testify”] is used in
the next verse, John 15.27, about the disciples’ testifying concerning the Lord Jesus.
As the disciples would testify concerning Jesus, so also would the Holy Spirit testify of
the Messiah.
The Spirit guides. Jesus declared that when the Holy Spirit comes – “He will guide you
into all truth” (John 16:13). The picture is that of a guide or an escort leading a traveler
into territory unfamiliar to the traveler, but familiar to the guide.
The Spirit convicts. John 16:8 states that the future ministry of the Spirit would be to
“convict the world.” “Convict” means to convince someone of something or to point
something out to someone. The Holy Spirit acts as a divine prosecutor in convicting
the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.
The Spirit regenerates. The one who experiences the new birth has been born of the
Holy Spirit. The Spirit regenerates him. Just as the Son of God gives life to believers
(John 5:21), so the Holy Spirit regenerates people (Ezekiel 36:25 – 27 and Titus 3:5).
The Spirit prays. In the time of a believer’s weakness, the Holy Spirit helps the believer
and intercedes on his behalf (Romans 8:26 – 27). The Father understands the
intercession of the Spirit and answers the prayer. He works all things together for good
in the believer’s life because the Spirit has interceded for the child of God
(Romans 8:28). The same word regarding intercession is used of Jesus in His
intercessory work (Romans 8:34 and Hebrews 7:25). Just as the Messiah intercedes
on behalf of believers, so the Spirit also intercedes for them. One is again reminded of
the simple fact: an inanimate object or “influence” or “force” can not intercede for others
– a person intercedes.
The Spirit commands. In Acts 13:2, the Holy Spirit commanded that Paul and Barnabas
be set apart for missionary work. Acts 13:4 adds that the two men were sent out by
the Holy Spirit. In Acts 16:6, the Holy Spirit prohibited Paul and Silas from preaching in
7
Asia. In Acts 8:29, the Holy Spirit directed Philip to approach the chariot of the
Ethiopian eunuch.
Thus, we can see from these various works the confirmation of the fact that the Holy Spirit is
indeed a person.

Now, read the following Scripture passages and write the actions of a person
that describe the actions of the Holy Spirit.
John 16:8:
John 16:13:
Acts 13:2:
Romans 8:14:
Romans 8:26 – 27:
Teaching, convicting, guiding, commanding, leading and praying for us are just a few of His
actions. We will review these and look at some more of His actions in further detail later in this
book. We have observed that the Holy Spirit is God and that the Holy Spirit is a Person. There
is one more thing we must understand about who the Holy Spirit is. The third thing we must
understand about the Holy Spirit is that…
The Holy Spirit is Whom Jesus sent to be with His disciples
As He was about to leave them, Jesus' heart was touched by His disciples' anxiety, fear and
lack of understanding. Although He was facing crucifixion in just a few hours, Jesus lovingly
tried to prepare them for the time when they would no longer see Him or touch Him. We read
Jesus' words to His disciples at this crucial time in John 13 – 16.
Jesus promised His disciples that He would continue to be with them (John 14:18). He did not
mean He would physically stay with them. Instead, He teaches them about the Holy Spirit who
is going to come in His place. In John 14:16 – 17, He gives the Spirit two of the many names
we find for Him in Scripture: the Spirit of Truth and the Counselor (or, Helper). In John 14:16,
the Word states that He [the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor”] will “be with you forever."
In verse 16, Jesus mentions “another Counselor.” There are two Greek words for "another."
One word means “another of the same kind." The other word means "another of a different
kind." In this passage, Jesus uses the first word – “another of the same kind.” Thus, He tells His
disciples that He is sending them “another Counselor” who is like Himself. The Holy Spirit is like
the Lord Jesus Himself.
The word "Counselor" is the Greek word "parakletos" which literally means "one who is called
along side." "Parakletos" is used for someone who comes to a person's side to help him. For
instance, it is used for an attorney in a court of law. The attorney naturally comes alongside his
client to help him or to help her. A "parakletos" is someone who defends us, comforts us,
strengthens us and helps us to cope with all circumstances of life. Jesus also referred to the
8
Holy Spirit as the Counselor—the Comforter—the “Paraclete”—the One who would reside in
each believer and always be ready to help and guide in times of need. He lives within us
forever.
Therefore, in brief summary, who is the Holy Spirit?
First, He is God.
Second, He is a Person.
Third, He is the One Jesus sent to be with us, His disciples, all the time. The Holy Spirit
is the One who lives within us and is at our side. He abides with us forever.
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Study Questions

1. How you would explain the concept of the Trinity to a new believer?
How would you explain the Trinity to a non-believer? What illustration
would you use?
2. How did the Holy Spirit receive His Name? Where is the Holy Spirit?
3. From Acts 5, tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Show how this passage reveals
that the Holy Spirit is God.
4. What characteristics about the Holy Spirit do the Scripture passages of John 6:63 and
Psalm 139:7 – 10 reveal?
5. Name at least 5 attributes that confirm the Holy Spirit’s personality.
6. Give the Scripture passages that you would use to explain that the Holy Spirit has a
mind, a will and emotions.
7. Regarding praying for the believer, tell the similarity between Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
What Bible verses speak about this subject?
8. In John 14:16, what is the significance of the phrase “another Counselor?”
9. Name at least 5 actions (works) of the Holy Spirit.
10. To you, what is the most important attribute and the most important work of the Holy
Spirit that you would explain to a new believer? To a non-believer?
< How does God want you to respond to what He has showed you?
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C H A P T E R 2
What was the Work of the Holy Spirit from Creation

until Pentecost ?
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God sent forth to do God’s Work. A general
mention of this has been made in preceding paragraphs. There are specific works
worthy of further details. I will discuss four works in this chapter and two works in
the next chapter.
The First Work
In the OLD TESTAMENT, the first work of the Holy Spirit is His involvement in God’s work of
creation. Let us look at some verses.
“
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep,
and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” Genesis 1:2
“By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His
mouth.” Psalm 33:6
Several Scripture passages affirm that the Holy Spirit was involved in the work of creation.
Above in Genesis 1:2, the verse indicates that the Spirit hovered over creation, bringing it to life.
In Psalm 104:24–26 below, the psalmist describes creation. In verse 30, he indicates how God
created. Job 26:13 expands the creation of God to the heavens. The Holy Spirit created not
only the earth but also the heavens.
“
How many are your works, O LORD! In wisdom, You made them all; the earth is full of
your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond
number— living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, and the
leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.” Psalm 104:24-26
“When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.”
Psalm 104:30
“By His breath the skies became fair; His hand pierced the gliding serpent.” Job 26:13
The Second Work
The second work is that the Holy Spirit inspires and empowers. He empowers the lives of
people. This is evident in the stories of the judges, kings and prophets. He inspires the
writing of His Word. This is evident as the Holy Spirit becomes a vehicle of God’s revelation
through these people in the writing of His Word.
The Holy Spirit inspires and empowers people.
Israel’s leaders—from Moses to Joshua, to the judges, to David and Solomon, to the ‘Servant of
God’ of Isaiah 42—all receive their wisdom, courage and power as gifts resulting from the
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possession of God’s Spirit. The primary example, however, is surely the inspiration of the
prophets, who, because they possess (or are possessed by) God’s Spirit, speak and act with an
authority and power not their own.
The Old Testament prophet’s message did not originate with himself. He was merely the
vehicle through whom God spoke to the people. He was guided by the Holy Spirit in giving forth
his message (Jeremiah 1:2, 4, 9, 11 and 17).
While the Old Testament prophet was usually the vehicle through whom God revealed Himself,
it was the Holy Spirit who guided the writers of Scripture. Second Peter 1:21 indicates the Holy
Spirit was the one who spoke through the Old Testament prophets, safeguarding their words
from error. Specific examples may be cited.
The Holy Spirit controlled David. David exclaims, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). Acts 1:16 emphasizes the same truth in
explaining David’s prophecy concerning Judas, which had to be fulfilled because “the
Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David” (Acts 4:25 and Matthew 22:43).
The Holy Spirit controlled Ezekiel. Ezekiel’s numerous prophecies were given through the
control of the Holy Spirit who enabled the prophet to receive visions from God
(Ezekiel 2:2, 3:24, 8:3 and 11:24).
The Holy Spirit controlled Micah. The Holy Spirit filled the prophet to enable him to speak to
the nation (Micah 3:8).
This second work is related to the Scriptures themselves. This has to do with revelation,
inspiration and illumination. The Holy Spirit revealed God’s will. He inspired chosen people to
record it. In addition, He illumines minds so that they may understand it.
The Holy Spirit inspires God’s Word.
Believers in Jesus as the Messiah believe that the Bible is the inspired written record of God’s
revelation to men. In order to understand this truth, one must consider three words: revelation,
illumination and inspiration.
Revelation is the process by which God reveals Himself and His will to human messengers.
As love, God reveals Himself. He does so through nature (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:19–20)
and the human conscience (Romans 2:1 – 14). Revelation is God’s communication to
people concerning Himself, His moral standards and His plan of salvation. God has made
Himself known to all people everywhere in the marvels of nature and in the human
conscience, which is able to distinguish right from wrong. Because this knowledge is
universal and continuous, by it God has displayed His glory to everyone.
However, revelation in its fullest expression is in Jesus the Messiah, which is recorded in
the Bible. It is a full, complete revelation to be followed by no other revelation.
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Look up these verses; write how Jesus is the fullest expression God.
• Hebrews 1:1 – 2:
• John 1:18:
• John 14:9:
• John 17:8:
• 1 Peter 3:18:
• 2 Peter 3:2:
Illumination is the Holy Spirit’s work as He enlightens the human mind with spiritual
understanding in order that persons might grasp the revealed truth of God’s Word.
Illumination refers to the supernatural guidance of the writers of Scripture by the Spirit of
God. They wrote what was the divine Word of God, transcribed accurately, reliably and
without error in the original manuscripts (“autographs”).
In Old Testament times, those who received God’s revelation did not always fully
understand it. For instance, David in Psalm 22 and Isaiah in Isaiah 53 wrote more about
Jesus on the Cross of Calvary than they comprehended. These great truths were fulfilled
in Jesus the Messiah. In New Testament times, the Holy Spirit also illumined the minds
of the Gospel writers, Paul and other New Testament writers, so that they might
understand and interpret the events for all ages to come. The apostles did not fully
comprehend Jesus’ words to them. Nevertheless, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit
would help them understand all things that He had said to them. The Spirit still illumines
the minds and hearts of serious students of God’s Word so that they many discover truths
thus far unknown to them.
Inspiration refers to God’s inbreathing into the chosen human messengers through the Holy
Spirit. This enabled them by divine guidance to deliver or record God’s revealed
message. In the scriptural sense, it means God breathing into His messenger. Second
Timothy 3:16-17 uses this word, which literally says the Scriptures were “God-breathed”—
that is, the breath or Spirit of God infused the minds of the writers with His perfect will and
truth (2 Peter 1:20 - 21). Not everything written by an apostle or a prophet was necessarily
inspired. Paul wrote at least three letters to the Corinthians, but apparently only two were
inspired records (1 Corinthians 5:9). Samuel, Nathan and Gad each wrote accounts of
David’s life. Only one of these prophets produced an inspired record (1 Chronicles 29:29).
H Remember, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17). The Greek word for all means every single part of the whole.
So, Paul said, “Every single part of the whole of Scripture is God-breathed.” God is the God
of truth and cannot breathe error.
The Third Work

The third work of the Holy Spirit is that He works through men. His work is through men, even
through Jesus. This work is seen most clearly in the Book of Acts. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit
transformed the disciples from defeatism to boldness, giving them a full understanding of Jesus’
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redemptive work. He enabled them to speak in languages other than their native tongues, thus
enabling them to preach to the people gathered in Jerusalem. He stood with them before their
opponents. He guided early believers in their decisions. Each new development in the
preaching of the gospel was at the expressed command of the Holy Spirit and with the Holy
Spirit’s approval.
Differences in the Old Testament “working” and the New Testament “working”
Concerning the third work of the Holy Spirit, we will examine the “indwelling”. Some theologians
say that there were two differences concerning the “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit. These
theologians speak of a “selective indwelling” and a “loss of indwelling.” Let us look at these two
issues.
S e l e c t i v e a n d Te m p o r a r y I n d w e l l i n g
In John 14:16–17, Jesus said,
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you
forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees Him
nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”
Jesus indicated that following Pentecost the Holy Spirit would begin a new ministry to believers
that was unlike that of the Old Testament. The emphasis of this passage is that the new
ministry would be an indwelling (in contrast to the Spirit simply being with them) and it would be
permanent. The promise of John 14 pertains to all believers, the indwelling is permanent.
However, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was selective and it was
temporary.
Let us look at how the Holy Spirit indwelt selectively and temporarily.
1. The Holy Spirit indwelt some people in the Old Testament. The Spirit indwelt Joshua
(Numbers 27:18) and David (1 Samuel 16:12–13) .
2. The Holy Spirit came upon some people in the Old Testament. Theologians suggest
there is no great difference between “indwelling” and “coming upon.” The idea of
“coming upon” seems to imply only a temporary characteristic of the Spirit’s
relationship to the Old Testament believer. The temporary “coming upon” is seen
when the Spirit came upon an individual for a specific task of service. It is reasonable
to assume that when the task had been carried out, the Spirit was no longer upon the
individual.
3. The Holy Spirit was given or came upon select individuals in the Old Testament times
to perform specific tasks.
Such enabling included:
• Ability in artistic work for the Tabernacle and Temple, given to Bezalel
(Exodus 31:2–5 and 35:30–35) and Hiram (1 Kings 7:14)
• Ability to lead the nation, given to Joshua (Numbers 27:16–18), Saul
(1 Samuel 10:10) and David (1 Samuel 16:13)
• Ability in warfare, given to Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (Judges 6:34), and
Jephthah (Judges 11:29)
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• Unusual physical strength, given to Samson (Judges 14:19).

• Ability to conquer Cushan-Rishathaim, given to Othniel (Judges 3:10)
• Ability to defeat the Philistines, given to Samson (Judges 14:6)
• Ability to prophesy blessing concerning Israel, given to Balaam
(Numbers 24:2).
An evaluation of these texts shows that all involved empowerment for a physical
activity. None of them had to do with salvation from sin in any sense. Empowering a
person for service had nothing to do with the spiritual condition of the person.
Jephthah was the son of a harlot, living in an idolatrous environment. Samson was a
carnal man, living to satisfy his carnal desires. Balaam was an unbeliever.
• The Holy Spirit filled some people in the Old Testament. God filled Bezalel with the
Spirit, giving him wisdom for craftsmanship “to make artistic designs for work
in gold, in silver ” (Exodus 31:2–5) to beautify the tabernacle.
• The Holy Spirit departs from some people in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 16:14).
Most comings of the Spirit on a person are to empower him or her for a
specific task. Only in 1 Samuel 10:6,10 and 11:6 is Saul described as flooded
with the Spirit. Here, after his rejection by God, because of his disobedience
toward God, we are told the Holy Spirit has departed permanently.
First, the Spirit’s indwelling in the life of a person had no evident

Three
observations
relationship to the person’s spiritual condition.
concerning Old
Testament Second, the Spirit’s indwelling was a sovereign working of God in the
indwelling-- person to perform a specific task, for example, delivering Israel in
warfare or building the tabernacle.
Third, the Spirit’s indwelling was temporary. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Saul but also
departed from him (1 Samuel 10:10 and 16:14). David was fearful that the Holy Spirit would
leave him (Psalm 51:11).
When the Lord contrasted the relationship of the Spirit to Old Testament men and those living
after the day of Pentecost, He said that the Spirit had been abiding with them and that He would
be in them (John 14:17). This seems definitely to indicate a difference in the pre- and post-
Pentecost relationships. However, the word abides shows that His ministry was not an erratic
one in Old Testament times. Today, all believers are permanently indwelt. This universality and
permanency were apparently not guaranteed in Old Testament days.
Regeneration
Did the Spirit in the old covenant come upon persons for a short period
Did the Holy of time for a special task, while in the New Testament He permanently
Spirit
indwelt the believer? If so, this assumes that the saints of the older
regenerate
people in the covenant became members of the family of God merely by observing the
Old Testament? rules and regulations of the Torah. But, what about the statement in
John 3:10?
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Read John 3 --- Jesus explained the new birth (which involved regeneration) to
Nicodemus. He reminded him that these things were taught in the Old Testament and
therefore he ought to have known them (John 3:10).
Write John 3:10-_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
Now, read Ezekiel 11:19, 18:31; Ezekiel 36 and Jeremiah 31:31-33. [In John 3:10, Jesus
was referring to Ezekiel 36.] These passages involve a discussion of water and the
Spirit.
In Ezekiel and Jeremiah,
“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from
them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.” Ezekiel 11:19
“
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all
your impurities and from all your idols. 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 and be careful to keep My
laws.” Ezekiel 36:25-27
“The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the
house of Israel
and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their
forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they
broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD.
Jeremiah 31:31-32
God promises the Israelite nation a regeneration experience in the Millennium. God will give
them a new heart and a new spirit—He will put His Spirit within them. He will regenerate them.
Although these passages pertain to the future, the Old Testament believers would have also
experienced regeneration. Ezekiel 18:31 the Lord said,
“Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new
spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?”
The people were commanded to “get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” The two phrases
parallel those of Ezekiel 36:25–27 as well as John 3:5 and suggest the Old Testament believer
was regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Psalm 51:10). Again, this universality and permanency
were apparently not guaranteed in Old Testament days.
Restraining Sin
Restraint was apparently the Holy Spirit’s special work from the earliest times (Genesis 6:3). It
is also possible that His very names and titles had a restraining effect on men as they thought
about Him (Nehemiah 9:20 and Psalm 51:11). The Spirit’s striving against sin or restraining sin
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would be limited because man refused to heed the Spirit’s convicting ministry. In this context,
God judged the people with the flood of Noah’s day.
The Fourth Work
The fourth work of the Holy Spirit is His work in the life of Jesus. This work is seen in the Virgin
birth, in His life, and in His death and resurrection.
In the Virgin Birth, Gabriel told Mary plainly that the baby to be born to her
What was the would be conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). Both Matthew and
Work of the
Luke emphasize the ministry of the Holy Spirit in causing Mary’s
Spirit as seen in
the Virgin Birth? conception. Matthew 1:20 stresses, “because what is conceived in
[Greek ek] her is from the Holy Spirit.” This stresses origin of Jesus. The
origin of Jesus’ birth was not through Joseph but through the agency of the Holy Spirit. Luke
1:35 uses the terms “come upon” and “overshadow” to describe the Holy Spirit’s ministry with
regard to Mary in causing the conception. The same term “come upon” (Greek eperchomai) is
used of the Holy Spirit’s coming upon the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 1:8). “Overshadow”
suggests God’s powerful presence will rest upon Mary, so that she will bear a child who will be
the Son of God. The significant point of emphasis in both gospels is that Jesus had no human
father. Joseph did not father Jesus.
1. The human nature of Jesus came into existence. It was not a

What was the person who came into existence, for Jesus as a Person,
Result of the
existed from all eternity in His deity. However, the human
Work of the
Holy Spirit in nature of Jesus had a beginning in Mary’s womb.
the Virgin Birth? The human nature of Jesus was sinless. Although Jesus had
2.
a fully human nature, it was not stained by sin. Although He
was born of a human mother, the conception by the Holy Spirit guaranteed the
sinlessness of Jesus. This fact reveals why the doctrine of the virgin birth is so
important. Had Jesus had a human father He would have been no different from
anyone else. The testimony to the sinlessness of Jesus the Messiah is evident as
Jesus claimed for Himself: “there is no unrighteousness in Him” (John 7:18). John
the apostle declared, “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).
3. The human nature of Jesus brought human limitations. Although Jesus was sinless,
the virgin birth resulted in a truly human nature. Jesus was tired (John 4:6). He
became thirsty (John 4:7). He slept (Matthew 8:24). He wept (John 11:35). He
submitted to the voluntary limitations of humanity.
In His life, Jesus was anointed by the Spirit in some special way at the
What was the time of His baptism (Luke 4:18 and John 1:32). Luke 4:18 indicates
Work of the
Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit, which probably occurred at His
Spirit as seen in
Jesus’ Life? baptism when the Holy Spirit visibly came upon Him. The Spirit’s coming
upon Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1. Just as kings were
anointed (2 Samuel 2:4) and priests were anointed (Exodus 28:41), so the Messiah would be
anointed. The act of anointing conferred power. In this case, the Holy Spirit would Himself
anoint and empower Jesus for ministry.
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1. The anointing designated Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and King. John

Several points 1:31 indicates John the Baptist presented Jesus to the nation
may be made
at His baptism. This was done in the manner of Old Testament
summarizing the
anointing of kings (1 Samuel 16:6–13).
Jesus the 2. The anointing introduced Jesus to His public ministry (Acts 10:38).
Messiah--- Following His baptism, Jesus began His public ministry of
teaching and performing miracles. The anointing of the Holy
Spirit set Jesus apart to His ministry as Israel’s Messiah. The anointing was necessary
because of Jesus’ humanity and it was also to demonstrate the unity of the Trinity.
3. The anointing empowered Jesus for His public ministry (Luke 4:18). Although Jesus had
power in Himself to perform miracles, He revealed the unity within the Triune Godhead
and His dependence upon Another in the Trinity by receiving the Holy Spirit’s
empowering for ministry.
4. The anointing was a divine authentication of Jesus. At the baptism of Jesus, the Father
audibly confirmed Jesus as Messiah to the nation. The people heard the Father’s
authenticating statement, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”
(Matthew 3:17).
5. The Holy Spirit filled Jesus. Luke 1:15 indicates John the Baptist, the forerunner, was
filled with the Spirit while still in his mother’s womb. The Messiah would certainly be
filled with the Spirit to at least the same extent as the forerunner of Messiah. Luke 4:1,
says, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit...was led by the Spirit….” The verb is in the
imperfect tense, suggesting continuous action. Jesus was now continuously under
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament record of the life of Jesus
reveals a fulfillment of the predictions in Isaiah 11:2 and 42:1. Jesus was continuously
filled with the Holy Spirit.
What was the The Holy Spirit not only empowered Jesus in His earthly ministry, but He
Work of the
also played a part in the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Spirit as seen in
His death and In His Death
resurrection?
“How much more, then, will the blood of the Messiah, who through the
eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences
from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14
The idea of the suffering Servant of Isaiah may have been prominent in the mind of the writer of
the letter to the Hebrews. If this is the case, then the Spirit who comes upon the Servant in
Isaiah 42:1 is also the Spirit who leads the Servant to bear the sins of many in Isaiah 52:13–
53:12 and die on the cross.
In His Resurrection
The biblical accounts indicate each member of the Godhead had a particular part in this great
act of resurrection.
1. Jesus was raised by the power of God the Father (Ephesians 1:19 – 20, Psalm 16:10).
2. Jesus also had the power to raise Himself (John 10:18).
3. The Holy Spirit also was involved in effecting the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah.
Romans 1:4 declares, “who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be
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the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus the Messiah our Lord.”
This is a reference to the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:11 refers to “the Spirit of Him who raised
Jesus from the dead.” This refers either to the Holy Spirit or the Father. In 1 Peter 3:18, it
declares that Jesus was “….put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.” The
phrase refers to the working of the Holy Spirit in resurrecting Jesus the Messiah.
As we conclude this chapter, we see that the entire ministry of Jesus was performed under
the direction of the Spirit. As you read this brief list of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of
Jesus, put a check mark beside the ways He also wants to work in your life.
The Messiah was conceived by the Spirit (Matthew 1:20). As part of the Godhead, the
Lord Jesus is eternal. He did not come into existence in a manger in Bethlehem. Before
Jesus lived as a man on this earth, He was in heaven. However, when Jesus came to
earth as a human, it was a result of the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit came upon the Messiah at His baptism (Matthew 3:16).
The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1).
The Spirit filled the Lord Jesus (Luke 4:1).
The Spirit led Jesus (Luke 4:1).
The Spirit anointed the Messiah (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38).
It was through the Spirit that the Messiah offered Himself up to God in death
(Hebrews 9:14).
After His death, the Spirit raised Jesus (Romans 8:11).
Jesus came to this earth as a human being. As a human being, He experienced temptation
and trouble. He became thirsty, hungry, sleepy and tired. He felt joy, sadness, disappoint-
ment and grief. He suffered greatly at the hands of evil men. He experienced the things in
life that all humans experience. However, because He lived His life completely in the power
of the Holy Spirit, He was able to live without committing sin. He served with great power.
He offered Himself as a sacrifice, to complete all the work that God sent Him to do.
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Quiz
Fill in the blank concerning the work of the Holy Spirit:3
The Holy Spirit:

1. Proceeds from the Father a. Acts 9:31
2. Edifies the Church b. John 14:16
3. Given through the Messiah’s intercession c. Isaiah 61:3
4. Sent by Jesus from the Father d. Romans 14:17
Galatians 5:22
1Thessalonians 1:6
5. Given by the Father e. Romans 5:3-5
6. Testifies of the Messiah f. John 14:26
7. Given by the Messiah g. John 15:26
8. Imparts the love of God h. John 15:26; 16:7
9. Communicates joy to saints i. John 15:26
10. Sent in the name of the Messiah j. John 14:16
Questions
Discuss in groups how God worked in Old Testament and New Testament times.
Through men
Through His Word
By Regeneration
By restraining sin
In the life of Jesus the Messiah
3 1.g, 2.a, 3.b, 4.h, 5.j, 6.i, 7.c, 8.e, 9.d, 10.f
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C H A P T E R 3
What Has Been the Work of the Holy Spirit Since the
Day of Pentecost ?
After the resurrection of our Lord, some time of waiting passed (Acts 1:12–26).
The little group of believers, numbering about 120, met daily. On one of these
days, they chose Matthias to take the office that Judas had abandoned by his
betrayal of Jesus. Judas, overcome with remorse and yet unwilling to turn to Jesus
for pardon, had thrown the 30 pieces of silver for which he betrayed the Lord down on the
temple floor and, rushing out, had hanged himself.
Now, another must take his office as an apostle. The little group found two candidates among
those who had been with Jesus since the beginning of His ministry and who had also been
witnesses to the Resurrection. Following an Old Testament practice, they then let God choose
between the two by casting lots. The group of the Apostles was thus returned to its original
number of Twelve. Now, before we begin our discussion of Pentecost, let us briefly consider the
meaning of the word “apostle.”
Apostles---The word apostle means “one sent out.” In secular Greek, it often referred to a ship or
naval force sent on an expedition, seldom to an individual. Yet, the word was chosen by Jewish
translators of the Old Testament to reflect a Hebrew word that referred to a person acting as
another’s representative.
In the New Testament, the word apostle is found 10 times in the Gospels, 28 times in Acts, and
38 times in the letters. It usually refers to men appointed by Jesus for a special function in the
church. While these men are primarily the Twelve and Paul, others are also called apostles.
There is no doubt that the apostles were given special authority and power. Not only were they
witnesses to the events of Jesus’ life, but they were also authoritative interpreters of those
events. As the body of apostolic teaching grew, it became clear that the church was being “built
on the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 2:20).
There is no indication in Scripture that the loyal apostles were replaced by others as they died
(Acts 12:2). As witnesses and interpreters of the purposes of God in the early days of the
church, the apostles stand unique. However, as witnesses to the reality of Jesus, the apostles
were about to enter into an adventure that they share with all Jesus’ followers of every age.
That adventure happened on the day of …
Pentecost (Acts 2:1)--- The Feast of Pentecost was one of the three annual Old Testament
celebrations during which the men of Israel came to Jerusalem to worship at the temple. It was
a time when Jews from around the world gathered in their ancient homeland and offered
sacrifice to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Pentecost was a harvest festival, coming at the time of the grain harvest, just 50 days after
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Passover. Each year, the firstfruits of the harvest were offered with joy and thanksgiving,
accompanied by the recitation of Deuteronomy 26:3–10 by the worshipper.
Pentecost was clearly God’s choice time for the initiation of Jesus’ followers into their great
adventure. Just 50 days before, Jesus Himself had been crucified—and raised again. Now, as
an indication of the great harvest of everlasting life that Jesus’ death had won, the 120 believers
were about to be touched by the Spirit of God. They were to be the first of a vast multitude,
the first of millions upon millions who would follow them into a unique relationship with God
through Jesus the Messiah.
The choice of Pentecost was also an indication of the meaning of that new relationship for
believers. The first words the Old Testament worshipper uttered at the Pentecost service were
these---
“I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to
our forefathers to give us.” Deuteronomy 26:3
“I declare that I have entered in!” This is just what Pentecost meant to the first disciples, and
what it should mean to us. Through Jesus, we have entered into everything the Promised Land
foreshadowed. We are now free to experience the fullness of all the good things the Lord our
God has chosen to give men. God’s first gift was the gift of the Holy Spirit.
You may wonder why the Holy Spirit was not given before Pentecost. That question is
answered in John 7:39. The Holy Spirit did not come until after Jesus was glorified, that is, until
His resurrection and return to heaven.
The Holy Spirit (Acts 2:2–21)--- As we have mentioned before, the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit
as a Person. He is an individual distinct from and yet One with the Father and the Son. As
God, the Holy Spirit had various relationships with men in Old Testament times.
The Old Testament also spoke of a coming day when God would enter into a new and special
relationship with those who believe. Jesus had spoken often of this. Jesus looked forward to a
day when He would be back with the Father, and the Spirit “whom those who believed in Him
were later to receive,” would be given (John 7:39). The promised Spirit was to teach and guide
believers (John 14:16). According to Jesus’ final promise, He was to bring power for that new
kind of life, which bears witness to Jesus’ reality (Acts 1:8). “In that day,” Jesus had said, the
Spirit would not simply be “with” the disciples, but “in” them (John 14:17). Pentecost was the
promised day!
The Bible tells us that the Spirit’s coming into believers was unmistakably marked. A mighty
wind seemed to rush through the room where the 120 gathered. Flames of fire flickered over
each head. As the Spirit filled them, individuals began to speak in languages they did not know.
This drew a great crowd of men who had come to Jerusalem for the Pentecost festival. Each
person heard the disciples speaking in the language of the land where he was presently living.
“How is it,” wondered the visitors, “that each of us hears them in his own native language? …
We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (Acts 2:8, 11) Perplexed and
amazed, they asked each other, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)
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This was Peter’s response to those who demanded an explanation of the disciples--- “This is
what was spoken by the Prophet Joel:
“In the last days,” God says, “I will pour out My Spirit on all people.” Acts 2:16–17
That great gift which God had reserved until the last days was being poured out freely now. All
were to know the touch of the Spirit of God. Both daughters and sons would be empowered by
Him. Most significant of all, from that day forward after the coming of the Spirit of God, then
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). God was moving out
beyond the boundaries of Israel to offer to all people that relationship with Himself, which is at
the heart of eternal life.
The disciples themselves did not understand just then all that the Spirit’s coming meant. They
did not see Pentecost as the beginning of the church, as it later came to be understood. They
did not realize that the Holy Spirit, living in each believer, would Himself constitute a living link
binding each individual to other believers, to form a vital, loving community.
Nevertheless, they did know that God’s new day was now! They did know that the Holy Spirit
had filled them with Jesus’ promised power. In addition, they did begin immediately to explain
the striking witness that the rushing wind and the flames and the tongues had given to every
observer of the reality of God’s presence in these set-apart men.
The Holy Spirit has come! Now, what was or is His Work?
In Matthew 26:69 – 75, we read about Peter's cowardly denial of Jesus on the night Jesus was
arrested. In Acts 4, we read that Peter, along with John, was on trial before the Sanhedrin. The
Sanhedrin was the very group of Jewish leaders that forced Pilate to sentence Jesus to death
by crucifixion. When the Sanhedrin told Peter and John not to preach about Jesus again, they
replied in verse 20 (Acts 4) that they could not “help speaking about what we have seen and
heard.”
What caused this change in Peter? Two things happened between the time of his denial of the
Lord and this brave declaration. One was the resurrection of Jesus; the other was the coming of
the Holy Spirit. Reflecting on the change in Peter’s life, let us examine two more important
works of the Spirit.
The First Work

Proclaiming the Gospel
After Pentecost, the disciples, who had run away on the night of Jesus' arrest, were ready to
suffer for Jesus (Acts 4:21, 29). They went everywhere proclaiming the gospel (Acts 8:4). They
won many people to the Messiah (Acts 2:41). Throughout Acts, the Holy Spirit’s action and
work is connected with evangelism and missions.
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The Second Work
Working in and through Jesus’ disciples today
The Bible tells us about so many different kinds of work He does for us, in us and through us
that it is hard to remember them all. Perhaps it will help us to divide His work into four groups.
Let us discuss these four categories of work related to the Holy Spirit, which are as follows:
1. The Spirit witnesses to the truth.

2. The Spirit brings salvation to mankind.
3. The Spirit leads and empowers believers to live a life like the Messiah.
4. The Spirit directs the church.
Now, let us look at each one of these areas of work in more detail.
T h e Sp i r i t W i t n e s s e s t o t h e Tr u t h
First, the Holy Spirit witnessed to the truth as He inspired the Holy Scriptures (Acts 1:16, 28:25,
2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Peter 1:10 – 12 and 2 Peter 1:20 – 21). The only way mankind can know the
truth is for God to reveal it. Our human discoveries of truth are mixed with error because our
minds are limited and are corrupted by sin. God has revealed all the spiritual truth that we need
to know. The Holy Spirit breathed it into His prophets who wrote the Bible. We are forbidden to
add to or take away from that truth. What the Bible says is always our test for what is true and
what is not true about God, salvation and the kind of life we are to live.
Second, the Holy Spirit witnessed to the truth as He testified about the Lord Jesus (John 15:26,
16:14 and Acts 5:32). God not only revealed truth in His word – He came bodily as truth in
Jesus. Jesus said – "I am the truth..." (John 14:6). To know eternal truth, we must know the
Messiah. The Holy Spirit tells us about the Messiah. He assures the lost person that Jesus is
truly the Son of God. He helps the believer understand more about Jesus and Jesus' teachings.
He will never glorify Himself or us, because His primary work is to glorify Jesus.
Third, the Holy Spirit witnesses to the truth as He teaches us and leads us into truth (Luke
12:12, John 14:17, 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:13 and 1 John 2:27). Long ago, the Holy Spirit
inspired the prophets to write the Scripture. Now He helps us to understand the Scripture. He is
the One that persuades us to listen to God's message and to obey rather than harden our
hearts against it (Hebrews 3:7 – 11).
Another way He leads us into truth is by giving us wisdom. Acts 6:3 mentions the first deacons
being full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom. Part of the meaning of Paul's prayer in Colossians
1:9 is that those Colossian believers would have Spirit-given wisdom. John 16:13 could be
translated: "...He will lead you into all kinds of truth." We have a teacher to help us learn all the
kinds of truth that we need to know.
Finally, He speaks through us to others (Mark 13:11, Luke 12:12 and 1 Corinthians 2:4). We
have a wonderful promise that even if we are put on trial because of our faith, the Holy Spirit will
give us the words to say. In his regular ministry, Paul was very conscious that it was not his
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own words, but the power of the Spirit as he preached which brought men to real faith in God.
The Holy Spirit speaks through the believer to tell others about Jesus. The second category of
work related to the Spirit is that…..
The Spirit Brings Salvation to Mankind

We have said that the Holy Spirit continues Jesus' work. Jesus said that He came to bring
salvation (Luke 19:10). However, He had to die and be resurrected before His work of salvation
could be fully proclaimed. After Jesus' work of salvation was finished, the Holy Spirit came to
give His disciples the power to proclaim the gospel of salvation to the ends of the earth.
Besides empowering the messengers, the Holy Spirit also works to bring salvation to those who
hear the message. There are two parts to this work:
First, He convicts men of their sin (John 16:8 – 11). Jesus said that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin,
righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). He convicts men:
• Of their sin, showing that the greatest sin is lack of faith in Jesus as Messiah
• Of righteousness, which God demands. Men lack this righteousness which
they can have only in Jesus.
• Of judgment, under which they abide as children of satan. Thus, one
recognizes God’s just judgment and is ready to receive the Messiah unto
salvation or to reject Him unto condemnation.
The Holy Spirit enables a lost sinner to turn to Jesus in faith and in His power to be born of the
Holy Spirit as a child of God. He seals and sanctifies His child as God’s possession.
For a person to become a believer in Jesus, he must realize he is a sinner who needs to be
saved. It is the Holy Spirit, who convinces men that they are sinners and that their greatest sin
is lack of faith in the Messiah. He also convinces men that God demands the kind of
righteousness portrayed in the life of Jesus. He shows them that they do not have this
righteousness, but they can have it through Him. He convinces them that they face judgment
and hell.
The convicting work of the Spirit is the placing of the truth of the gospel in a clear light before the
unsaved person so he acknowledges it as truth whether or not he receives Jesus as
personal Savior. Conviction is making the message clear, not the saving of the soul—that is
regeneration. In other words, the one who testifies about the redeeming grace of God must
depend on the Spirit even to make that testimony understood clearly.
What truth is it that He makes clear? It is the truth about sin, righteousness and judgment as we
have discussed above.
The proof that men are in a state of sin is because “they believe not on Me.”
The righteousness of Jesus is proved because of His resurrection from the dead
and ascension to the Father. All of His righteous claims were fully vindicated when
He returned to heaven.
The proof of judgment to come is based on the past judgment of satan. If satan,
Jesus’ archenemy, has been judged (John 12:31), what chance can any man hope
to have of escaping judgment if he refuses the grace of God?
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The order of the Spirit’s work of conviction is a logical one. Man needs first to see his state of
sin. Then, he needs to have proof of the righteousness of the Savior who can save him from
that sin. Finally, he needs to be reminded that if he refuses to receive the Savior he will face
certain judgment and condemnation.
After we become a believers, the Spirit still convicts us when we sin. There is a very big
difference in the way in which the Spirit convicts us and satan accuses us. The Holy Spirit
convicts us so that we will repent and our relationship with God will be restored. The result is
peace. Satan accuses us so that we continually feel guilty, become discouraged and do not
continue to closely follow Jesus our LORD.
Second, the Holy Spirit gives life (John 3:5-8, 6:63; Romans 8:2,11 and 1 Peter 3:18). Real life is
eternal life. Eternal life means more than just life that lasts forever. Eternal life is God's kind of
life. It is the Spirit who works this KIND OF LIFE in people who accept Jesus as their Savior.
The salvation experience is just the first step of a new life. When a person becomes a believer
in Jesus, the Holy Spirit begins His many tasks to lead and empower the believer to live a godly
life. He does this both by helping each believer individually and by helping believers together as
a church. This begins at the moment of salvation as the Holy Spirit comes to live within us and
secures our position in Jesus. We call the moment of salvation----regeneration (Titus 3:5).
Although the word regeneration is used only twice in the Bible (Titus 3:5, where it refers to the
new birth, and Matthew 19:28, where it refers to the millennial kingdom), the concept of being
born again is found in other passages, notably John 3. Technically, it is God’s act of giving
eternal life to the one who believes in Jesus. While faith and regeneration are closely
associated, the two ideas are distinct. Faith is the human responsibility and the channel
through which God’s grace is received. Regeneration is God’s supernatural act of imparting
eternal life. The two must happen together. Any attempt to place one chronologically before the
other cannot be more than useless academic exercise.
Some argue that since a man dead in trespasses and sins cannot believe, God must first
regenerate him in order that he may then believe. However, if that were true, that is, if he
already had been regenerated and thus been given the gift of eternal life, why would he need to
believe? The two must be simultaneous. The Word of God is also closely associated with
regeneration as the necessary revelation to give proper content to a man’s faith (1 Peter 1:23
and James 1:18).
Although the process of regeneration may take time, the act of regeneration itself is
instantaneous. One is either unborn or born, and that great change happens in a moment of
time. An individual may not know precisely the moment of his salvation, but in God’s sight, he is
either dead in sins or born into the family of God.
Regeneration brings with it a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17), which means a new capacity to
serve righteousness. The old nature is not eradicated, for the capacity to serve self continues
until we die. Regeneration does not make a man perfect, but it places him in the family of God.
It gives him the new ability to please his Father by growing into the image of Jesus the Messiah.
Fruit from the new nature is proof that regeneration has occurred (1 John 2:29).
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The Holy Spirit is God's gift to us (Acts 2:38, 10:45). The gift is given
So, how do we when we believe in Jesus the Messiah. Sometimes, believers feel that
receive the Holy
they have not received the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between
Spirit?
receiving the Holy Spirit and being filled with Him. Many times a feeling
that one has not received the Holy Spirit is really a sign that one is not
filled with the Holy Spirit. Later, we will discuss being filled with the Spirit.
At this time, we might ask another question…..
Historical Background - The Scriptures speak of sins against the Holy Spirit
What is the Sin called quenching or putting out the Spirit’s fire
Against the Holy
(1 Thessalonians 5:19) and grieving (Ephesians 4:30). It also speaks of
Spirit?
the sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. That is usually in mind when
“the sin” against the Spirit is mentioned.
In discussing the sin against the Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31–32), it is important to consider the
historical background against which the sin was committed. Jesus had manifested Himself to
the nation Israel through His teachings (Matthew 5–7) and His miracles (Matthew 8–10). The
Messianic signs had been performed in the midst of the nation. Now, the religious leaders came
to investigate the Messiah for themselves (Luke 5:14, 17). Who was the Messiah? Was Jesus
the Messiah? How would they explain His miracles? The conclusion of the Jewish leaders is
reached in Matthew 12. It culminates in the sin against the Holy Spirit. For example, in Matthew
12:22, they brought a demon-possessed man to Jesus and He healed the man. The response
of the people in 12:23 reflects the influence of the religious leaders. The people exclaimed,
“Could this be the Son of David?” However, the Pharisees dogmatically asserted: “It is only by
Beelzebul, the prince of the demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” The Lord Jesus was
referred to as doing His work through the power of the devil by the Pharisees. It was in this
context that Jesus declared that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would never be forgiven.
This background is important to consider in discussing the sin of Matthew 12:31–32.
Explanation -THE SIN IS AGAINST THE MESSIAH. The sin against the Holy Spirit also involved a sin
against the Messiah. The crux of the matter is stated in Matthew 12:24. The religious leaders
had heard the Messiah teach and had seen His miracles, but their evaluation of the Messiah
was that He performed His miracles by the power of satan. That was their sin against the
Messiah. Instead of recognizing Him to be the Messiah, they said He performed miracles
through satan’s power. They did not deny the miracles, but they rejected the source as being
from God. They said He worked through the power of satan. The One who was destined to be
Israel’s Deliverer both spiritually and nationally was rejected and charged with being in league
with satan. That rejection was the foundation of the sin against the Holy Spirit.
THE SIN IS AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT. The One upon whom God put His Spirit was the One
termed working through satan by the Pharisees. God had said, “I will put My Spirit upon Him”
(Matthew 12:18). However, the leaders said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons,
that this fellow drives out demons”. The sin was committed in a historical context. The
Pharisees had observed first-hand the public ministry of the Messiah. They had seen His
miracles with their own eyes, yet they ascribed the Messiah’s work to satan. The sin against the
Spirit was final and unforgivable because they had the witness of the words and works of the
Messiah. They could have been forgiven had they only rejected the witness of the Messiah.
However, they rejected the final witness, the testimony of the Holy Spirit. There was no further
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witness to be given to them. It should be noted that the sin against the Spirit was eternal
(Matthew 12:31–32). There was no opportunity for repentance. It was unpardonable and would
never be forgiven.
Question - The question that may be asked is, “Can the sin against the Holy Spirit be committed
today?” Many scholars say that to commit the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would
require the physical presence of Jesus the Messiah today. In other words, He would teach and
perform miracles while the hearers and onlookers would reject His ministry saying He is working
by the power of satan. The sin of blasphemy against the Spirit is not the same as unbelief.
There is no indication in Scripture that if a person has once refused the gospel that he will never
again have an opportunity to believe nor is there a particular sin today that cannot be forgiven.
There are people who have refused the gospel the first time, but later when they heard it again
came to believe in the Messiah. Of course, unbelief will not be forgiven if a person permanently
persists in unbelief. Now, the third category of work related to the Holy Spirit is that…..
The Spirit Leads and Empowers Believers to Live like the Messiah
The Holy Spirit dwells within us. He is with us forever (John 14:16-17, Romans 8:9-11 and
1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 6:19).
The distinctive feature of the ministry of the Spirit today is His indwelling every believer,
regardless of his spiritual condition. The easiest test of this is to notice that in the New
Testament, sinning believers are said to be indwelt. Do you remember the Corinthians? If ever
there was a group of carnal believers, it was at Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:3). There were many
problems even legal battles among the brothers. And yet, Paul says, without making any
exceptions, that the Holy Spirit lived within their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19). Indeed, this is the
basis for his exhortation not to defile their bodies. Furthermore, Romans 8:9 makes it clear that
the absence of the Spirit is an evidence of an unsaved condition. Therefore, if the Spirit were to
come and go in a person’s life then he would have to --- lose, regain, lose, etc., his salvation.
How can a There are two avenues of assuring evidence. One is simply to believe
believer know the Word of God, which says this is true. The other is to look at one’s
that the Spirit of experience as an evidence of the Spirit’s presence and working in
God is within one’s life. However, experience may not always be convincing since
him? sin may hinder His work. In the normal process of a believer’s
development, one’s growth will be slow but steady with no unusual
demonstrations of the power of God. This unspectacular kind of progress should never be
diagnosed as indicating the absence of the indwelling Spirit. He does abide forever in every
believer’s life (John 14:16–17).
He seals us (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). When someone in New

Testament times put his seal on a letter, it was a stamp of ownership. The seal was a sign the
letter belonged to him. The Holy Spirit is the sign or guarantee that we belong to God.
The sealing of the Holy Spirit is one of many works God performs on behalf of the believer to
secure his salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 1:13, 4:30). Second Corinthians 1:22
says, God “set His seal of ownership on us and put His seal in our hearts as a deposit.” In Old
Testament times, a seal was used in various ways:
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A seal authenticated a document (a marriage contract)

It authenticated a transfer of power from one ruler to another
It served as a lock to secure something, more by the authority it signified than by its
intrinsic strength
It was used to verify a document such as a bill of divorce.
The Holy Spirit is given to the person who believes in Jesus, as a seal, identifying the believer
as belonging to God. The principal idea of sealing is that of ownership. The believer is sealed
with the Spirit to identify the believer as belonging to God. Branding cattle would be a parallel ---
the rancher puts his brand on the cow as a sign that the cow belongs to him. God has put His
seal, the Holy Spirit, within the believer to verify that the believer belongs to Him. God’s Word
indicates that the Holy Spirit Himself is the seal. The phrase “gave us the Spirit,” explains the
sealing, which is done to a believer. It is not something the believer does himself.
Moreover, the sealing is permanent — with a view to the believer’s ultimate glorification
(Ephesians 4:30). Hence, the sealing not only emphasizes ownership but also security. The
Holy Spirit verifies that the believer permanently belongs to God. The emphasis of these
passages is also that all believers are sealed. Despite their carnality, all the Corinthian believers
were sealed. Even those who were capable of grieving the Spirit were sealed (Ephesians 4:30).
Furthermore, because there is no command to be sealed further indicates that all believers are
sealed at the moment of conversion.
He sanctifies us (Romans 8:13 and 1 Peter 1:2). Sanctify means "to separate or to set apart." At
our conversion, the Holy Spirit sets us apart to God. He then works in our lives to separate us
from sin and to grow us into being like Jesus.
The word sanctification (Greek hagiasmos) means, “to set apart.” The same root word is
found in the words saint, holy and holiness. Sanctification and its related terms are used in a
variety of ways in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. With respect to the New
Testament believer, however, there are primarily three aspects of sanctification.
Positional sanctification. This is the believer’s position or standing before God, based
on the death of Jesus the Messiah. In positional sanctification, the believer is
accounted holy before God. He is declared a saint. Paul frequently began his
letters by addressing the believers as saints (Romans 1:7, 1 Corinthians 1:2,
2 Corinthians 1:1 and Ephesians 1:1). It is noteworthy that so carnal a group as the
church at Corinth is addressed as “those sanctified in the Messiah Jesus”
(1 Corinthians 1:2). This positional sanctification is achieved through the once-for-all
death of the Messiah (Hebrews 10:10, 14, 29).
Experiential Sanctification. Although the believer’s positional sanctification is secure,
his experiential sanctification may fluctuate because it relates to his daily life and
experience. Paul’s prayer is that believers should be sanctified entirely in their
experience (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Peter commands believers to be sanctified or
holy (1 Peter 1:16). This experiential sanctification grows as the believer dedicates
his life to God (Romans 6:13 and 12:1–2) and is nourished by the Word of God
(Psalm 119:9–16).
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Ultimate Sanctification. This aspect of sanctification is future and anticipates the final
transformation of the believer into the likeness of the Messiah. At that time, all
believers will be presented to the LORD without any blemish (Ephesians 5:26–27).
The fourth and final category of work related to the Holy Spirit is that……
The Holy Spirit Directs the Church
He makes us part of the body of Jesus the Messiah (1 Corinthians 12:13). We do not live the
godly life isolated from other people. We become part of a body. Our fellow members of the
Messiah's body help us, and we help them. The Lord reveals more of Himself to each of us
through other members of His body.
“
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave
or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13
The Greek word for temple is naos (1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:19 also in
What is the 2 Corinthians 6:16, Ephesians 2:21 and Revelation 21:22). This Greek
“body” of Jesus
word for temple refers more to the building itself than hieron, which was
the Messiah?
used to indicate the entire temple complex. Paul told the believers that
each one of their bodies was a naos, a living sanctuary for God
(1 Corinthians 6:19). Paul also said that the church, as the Messiah’s body, is a spiritual temple
for God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17, 2 Corinthians 6:16 and Ephesians 2:21).
First Corinthians 12:13 speaks about one Spirit . . . one body. Believers are part of the
whole body, placed into it by the one God. What a special privilege it is to be God’s spiritual
dwelling place, both individually and corporately. The glory of God filled the tabernacle
(Exodus 40:34) and the temple (1 Kings 8:10,11). Now the glory of God in the person of the
Holy Spirit dwells within every believer (John 14:16, 17). Thus, the Holy Spirit inhabits the
entire church. In the New Jerusalem, there will be no need for a physical temple because God
and the Lamb will be the eternal temple (Revelation 21:22).
All believers are called to witness about the Messiah and to serve God. The Holy Spirit makes it
possible for us to fulfill this calling as:
He gives us power (Acts 1:8)

He gives us the necessary gifts to carry on God's work (1 Corinthians 12)
He fills us (Ephesians 5:18)
He anoints us (1 John 2:20).
As the Holy Spirit works in our lives, our relationship with God grows deeper and we become
more like the Messiah because:
The Spirit helps us in prayer (Romans 8:26)

He makes Jesus Lord of our lives (1 Corinthians 12:3)
He produces fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9)
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Not only does He work with each believer individually to do each of the things listed above, He
works with us as a body. It is the Holy Spirit …..Who….. DIRECTS THE CHURCH.
Has the Holy

We have just been discussing the Holy Spirit's work in the lives of us
Spirit always who live since the time of the Messiah. In the OLD TESTAMENT, He was
worked in the active in creation and the revelation of God's Word to those who wrote
same way as He the Scripture. He also came upon men to give them wisdom and skill, to
does now? enable them to do mighty works for God.
However, there is one very big difference between the Holy Spirit's work in the Old Testament
and His work since Pentecost. In the Old Testament, He came upon particular people at
particular times for particular tasks. Since Pentecost, he lives in every believer, all the time, to
help us in every area of our lives.
Questions:
1. What are the main differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament
workings of the Holy Spirit?
2. If someone came to you and said you could lose your salvation by sinning, what would
your answer be? What verses would you use from THIS CHAPTER and THE PREVIOUS
CHAPTER to back up what you believe?
H We recommend that you do a personal study of the topics listed below:
1. He causes the church to grow (Acts 9:31).
2. He makes the church into one body (1Corinthians 12:13).
3. He leads in church decisions (Acts 15:28). At the end of one of the most important
church conferences ever held, those who participated could say, "It seemed good to the
Holy Spirit and to us..." That is the way churches should always make their decisions.
4. He gives particular commands to the church (Acts 13:2).
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C H A P T E R 4
What is the Meaning of “Baptism” and “Filling” of the

Holy Spirit?
“That the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live
according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:4
Someone said, “As the earth can produce nothing unless it is fertilized by the sun, so we can do
nothing worthwhile for God without the energizing Holy Spirit’s power operating in our lives.”
“I used to ask God to help me. Then I asked if I might help Him. I ended up by asking Him to do His work
through me.”
— Hudson Taylor
One of the marks of spiritual maturity in any believer’s life is the growing conviction of the
necessity of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power for daily living. How natural it often seems to
attempt to live our lives and even minister for God in our own wisdom and strength. How tragic
it is when churches and religious organizations institutionalize themselves. They do this with
dogma or legalistic rules and practices that gradually replace the invigorating ministry of the Holy
Spirit in the lives of their people. Some say that religious movements often follow a predictable
course: A Spirit-filled leader, an efficient machine, and then a dead monument.
Since these are important issues to understand, let us look at the importance of the Spirit-filled
life and ministry of the believer.
Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Fact of Indwelling
A key verse that indicates the unique ministry of the Holy Spirit in this age is John 14:16. This is
where Jesus promised the Spirit would indwell believers and that the indwelling would be
permanent. This permanent indwelling would not be for a select few but for all believers. There
are a number of indicators that affirm these facts---
The Holy Spirit is a gift.

The Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers in Jesus without exception. There are no conditions
attached to the gift of the Spirit except faith in the Messiah (John 7:37–39). Many Scriptures
speak of the Holy Spirit as being “given” to believers. The word "give" in these instances
means, “ to bestow a gift” (2 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Thessalonians 4:8 and 1 John 4:13). Because
the Holy Spirit is given as a gift, there is nothing the person can do to receive the gift apart from
accepting it.
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The Holy Spirit is given at salvation.

This is the positive statement. The negative of this statement is that the unbeliever does not
possess the Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 indicates the Holy Spirit is given at the moment of salvation.
“Having believed” means in Greek “at the moment of belief, salvation was given.” The sealing
(and indwelling) of the Spirit took place at the time of believing. Galatians 3:2 also emphasizes
this same truth.
A p e r s o n n o t p o s s e s s i n g t h e H o l y Sp i r i t i s a n u n b e l i e ve r.
Romans 8:9 emphasizes, “if anyone does not have the Spirit of the Messiah, he does not
belong to Him.” Jude 19 refers to unbelievers as “devoid of the Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit indwells carnal believers.
The carnal Corinthian believers, who were guilty of lawsuits against fellow believers, and other
sins, were nonetheless indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). If only a select group is
indwelt by the Spirit then the Corinthians would not all have been indwelt. Romans 8:9 and 2
Corinthians 1:22 demand a conclusion that all believers, regardless of their spiritual condition,
are indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
T h e H o l y S p i r i t i n d w e l l s b e l i e v e r s p e r m a n e n t l y.
Not only does the Holy Spirit indwell all believers, but also it is a permanent indwelling
(John 14:16). The Holy Spirit is given to believers as a “down payment,” a verification of their
future glorification (2 Corinthians 1:22 and Ephesians 4:30).
Problems Related to Indwelling
There are a number of biblical texts that raise problems with the New Testament teaching on the
permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Some of these deserve special note.
Psalm 51:11--- David’s prayer, “Do not take your Holy Spirit from me,” relates to the
temporary indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament period. Following
Pentecost the indwelling of the Spirit was permanent (John 14:16).
Acts 5:32--- Peter is not establishing obedience as a condition for the indwelling of the
Spirit, but rather Peter uses “obey” as a synonym for "believe." The similar
expression is used in Acts 6:7, where it is clear that the meaning is faith (John 3:36).
Acts 8:14–17--- This was a unique situation during the transition from law to grace and
from Israel to the church. There had to be clear evidence that the Samaritans were
also receiving the Spirit just as the Jews. This is not normative to this age. If it were
normative, then no one could receive the Spirit because it would take the apostles to
confirm the indwelling, just as they did with the Samaritans.
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Baptizing Work of the Holy Spirit

Introduction
The subject of the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit has become a point of considerable
controversy and diverse opinion. There is some confusion with water baptism and in addition
there are many passages that refer to Spirit baptism. Some people see Romans 6:4 and
Galatians 3:27 as referring to water baptism. Others understand the baptizing work of the Spirit
as a “second blessing,” which may be empowerment for service and/or may manifest itself
through speaking in tongues. Part of the confusion lies in a failure to understand the distinctive
nature of the church. It was at Pentecost that the church was born and that the Holy Spirit
began His work of building the church by baptizing believers into the Body of the Messiah.
Definition
The baptizing work of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit places the
believer into union with the Messiah and into union with other believers in the Body of Jesus the
Messiah (1 Corinthians 12:13).
Explanation
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is unique to the church age.

The basic reference is 1 Corinthians 12:13, which states,
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave
or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13
This ministry of the Spirit that began at Pentecost is seen by comparing Acts 1:5 and 11:15.
“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.” Acts 1:5
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the
beginning.” Acts 11:15
Acts 1:5 indicates that the baptizing work is still future and Acts 11:15 indicates the “beginning”
of this work was at Pentecost in Acts 2. The baptizing work did not occur in the Old Testament.
It is unique to the church age, which began at Pentecost.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit includes all believers in this age
The emphasis that “all” are baptized by the Holy Spirit is stated in several passages. First
Corinthians 12:13 indicates, “We were all baptized.” In Romans 6:3,5, all who were baptized are
those who have been united to the Messiah, hence, all believers. In Galatians 3:27–28, it
indicates “all of you” were baptized into the Messiah and became “one in the Messiah,” no
matter whether they were Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female.
The baptism of the Holy spirit brings believers into union with other believers
in the Body of the Messiah.
There is absolutely no distinction for those coming into union with one another: Jews, Gentiles,
slaves, free people, men, women—all come into union with one another (1 Corinthians 12:13).
It is also noteworthy that the spiritual condition of the believer is not a factor as we have stated
previously.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings believers into union with the
Messiah.
The very ones that were “baptized into the Messiah” (Romans 6:3) were also “united with Him”
(Romans 6:5). This truth prohibits the baptism of the Spirit from being a work following
salvation.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an “experience.”

Since this is a work done to the believer and not by the believer, and since the baptism occurs
simultaneous to salvation, it is not an experience.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is performed by the Holy Spirit.

There are not two baptisms by the Spirit. Some distinguish between 1 Corinthians 12:13 and
Acts 1:5. They say, “ by one Spirit,” [1 Corinthians 12:13] suggests the placement into the
Body. They say that, “ with the Holy Spirit,” [Acts 1:5] means a future act of empowerment.
However, the same Greek preposition en is used in both phrases. It is not good Bible
interpretation to attempt a distinction where the same Greek phrase is used in both passages.
The Holy Spirit is the agent of the baptism (Acts 1:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:13).
Filling Work of the Holy Spirit
The filling of the Holy Spirit is distinct from the other ministries of the Spirit inasmuch as it is
conditional. Works such as the indwelling, baptism, regenerating and sealing are non-
experiential. They occur but once at the moment of conversion. However, the filling of the Spirit
is an experience and can be repeated.
Definition
The basis for the filling of the Spirit is Ephesians 5:18, “be filled with the Spirit.” The command
to be filled with the Spirit is given in contrast to the warning “do not get drunk with wine.”
Drunkenness exhibits the inability of the person to control himself. The nature of the believer’s
life is to be in contrast to the nature of the uncontrolled drunkard. The meaning of “filled” (Greek
plerousthe) is “control.” The indwelling Spirit of God is the One who should continually control
and dominate the life of the believer. A further contrast can be noted between the spiritual
believer and the carnal believer (1 Corinthians 2:9–3:4). The carnal man is the man who lives
under the control of the sin nature. The spiritual man is the man who lives under the control of
the Spirit.
Explanation
The filling of the Spirit is necessary for two reasons.
It is essential for the believer ’s maturit y (1 Corinthians 3:1–3).

Paul admonished the Corinthian believers as being “fleshly” (Greek sarkikos), “controlled by the
flesh.” The solution to carnality and walking according to the old nature is to be controlled or
filled by the Spirit.
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It is essential for the believer ’s service (Acts 4:31; 9:17,20).

Acts 4:31 illustrates the relationship between filling and service. It was the filling of the Spirit
that enabled the believers to “speak the Word of God boldly.”
What does it When Paul was filled with the Spirit, he immediately began to
mean to be filled proclaim Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 9:17, 20).
with the Spirit?
To be Spirit-filled means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. A carnal
believer is controlled by his own desires. To be Spirit-filled means to be totally occupied by
the Holy Spirit. As an illustration, think of a clean bucket being filled to overflowing with
water. The water fills every part of the bucket. When we are Spirit-filled, He occupies
every part of our life. There is no part of our heart, mind or will that we do not let Him fill.
A result of being Spirit-filled is that we begin moving into the life of fulfillment, which God
intended for us to have.
Ephesians 5:18 teaches three factors concerning the concept of being filled with the Spirit.
It is a command. Nowhere is the believer commanded to be indwelt or sealed with the Spirit.
However, the believer is commanded to be filled with the Spirit. It is a command to “be
continually being filled with the Spirit” for maturity and service.
It is conditional. There are no conditions related to the indwelling, baptism, sealing and many
other works of the Spirit. However, the filling of the Spirit is conditional. Obedience to other
commands of Scripture is necessary in order to be filled with the Spirit.
It is repeated. Ephesians 5:18 is a present imperative, commanding us to be “continually
being filled.” This indicates it is not a one-time experience but rather a repeated event.
Conditions
Ephesians 5:18 is a command to be filled with the Spirit. There are inferences about conditions
necessary for being filled. It is surprising that there is no command in Scripture to pray for the
filling of the Spirit. Since the command relates to a right relationship with God, the conditions
governing that relationship must have to do with the filling of the Spirit. There are several
commands that relate to a believer’s being filled with the Spirit.
What keeps a The many reasons believers are not Spirit-filled can be summarized in
believer from three areas:
being filled with 1. Unconfessed sin. Sin is a terrible affront to a Holy God. God’s
the Spirit?
Spirit of holiness cannot fill a heart that is dirty and full of sin.
This includes both sinful actions and sinful attitudes, such as
unwillingness to forgive those who have wronged us.
2. Lack of faith. Our entire spiritual walk is a walk of faith. Doubt hinders His work in our
life. He cannot fill a life, which is closed, to Him by obstacles of doubt.
3. Indifference. Many times, we think of sin as bad things we actively do. Often we do not
realize that it is also sin when we are not concerned about living within the will of God
or do not care about spiritual matters. However, indifference is a serious sin and
prevents the Spirit from filling our lives.
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Important Questions
There are many questions about the filling of the Spirit. Let us look at some of them.
There are numerous results of being filled with the Spirit. The result of
What is the being filled with the Spirit will be to produce the fruit of the Spirit
result of the
(Galatians 5:22-23).
filling of the
Spirit?
In contrast to the walk according to the flesh (Galatians 5:19–21), the
filling of the Spirit produces “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control.”
What are some First, some believe in a doctrine called "sinless perfection." This
wrong ideas
means they think that a Spirit-filled person will never sin again. They
about being
filled with the base this doctrine on their interpretation of particular verses in 1John.
Spirit? Unfortunately, they ignore the clear teaching of 1John 1:8,10, which
is addressed to believers:
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no
place in our lives.”
Second, some believe that a person must have an unusual feeling or dramatic experience, such
as speaking in tongues, when he is filled with the Spirit. God works with each of us in different
ways. Not everyone sees the bright light Paul saw when he was converted. Just as different
people have different individual experiences connected with their conversion, people also have
different individual experiences connected with the Spirit's infilling.
We need to be aware of those misunderstandings both for our own sakes and for those with
whom we counsel. A person who has wrong ideas will feel disappointed when he does not
receive that for what he hoped. We are not to hope for a certain feeling or experience. Instead,
we are to have faith that God will keep His promise to fill us with His Spirit.
The phrase "filled with/full of the Spirit" is used fifteen times in the
Why should New Testament. It should be normal for the believer.
each believer be
filled with the
Spirit? Romans 8:28-29 tells us that God's purpose in calling us is that we
will be "conformed to the image of His Son." It is the Holy Spirit who
makes us like Jesus. The way to become like Him is to be filled with His Spirit.
In addition to giving us a Jesus-like character, God also wants to equip each of us with
the power of His Spirit to serve Him effectively. We have already noted that Jesus
Himself was filled with the Spirit. If He needed to be Spirit-filled, how much more do we!
The only verse in the New Testament which gives the unchangeable
How can one be conditions for being Spirit-filled are Jesus' words in John 7:37-39.
filled with the
Verses 37-38 describe the steps many people give in their personal
Spirit?
testimonies about being filled with the Spirit. Let us look at these
steps.
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1. A thirst to be filled with the Spirit- Jesus said, "If any one thirst... " If you have ever been
extremely thirsty, you know that to thirst means you have an intense desire for
something... that you want it more than anything else. This kind of desire is the first
step of becoming Spirit-filled.
Our desire must come from proper motives. Wrong motives for seeking the filling of
the Holy Spirit are wanting to have His power in order to accomplish our own goals
(even if they are religious goals), or simply looking for a religious experience. Our
desire to be Spirit-filled must be motivated by a desire to glorify the Lord.
2. Repent from all sin- Jesus said, "...let him come to Me.” Coming to Jesus always
involves turning away from our sin in repentance. This is true at the time of salvation.
It is also true in our current relationship with Him. We must repent in order to be filled
with the Spirit because it is impossible for us to be full of both sin and the Holy Spirit.
Usually repentance of sin involves several factors.
One factor in repentance is hatred of our own sinfulness. Like Isaiah we cry out, "Woe is
me... for I am a man of unclean lips.” We see our own filthiness and are repelled by it.
Another factor is that which caused Isaiah to see his sinfulness: consciousness of the
holiness of God. When we see ourselves in the light of God's holiness we become aware
of how exceedingly sinful we are.
These two factors lead to the third one: confession to God of one's sin and need. We
acknowledge there is no way we can free ourselves from the sin that clings to us and is a
part of us. We confess our sins to Him and ask Him to forgive us and rescue us from sin's
power.
The word "repent" was actually a military term, which meant to turn and go in the opposite
direction. To repent of sin is to be willing to turn away from it.
3. Complete surrender of oneself to the leadership of the Lord-Jesus

said, "...let him come to Me."
Coming to Jesus always also involves surrendering ourselves to Him. At the time of
our salvation, we totally surrender ourselves to the Lord. As we walk with Him, we
understand more about what this surrender means. In fact, the more mature we
become in Jesus the Messiah, the more we understand about the meaning of
surrender.
As believers, we discover that there are battles within us between what we want to do
and what we know God wants us to do. There is a war between the desires of the old
nature and of the Spirit. For this reason, we have to surrender our wills, bodies, minds
and emotions to Jesus as our Lord. The word "Lord" signifies that He owns us and we
are to be completely obedient to Him.
It often happens that the Spirit convicts a believer in areas of his life where Jesus is
not yet Lord ... where He is not in control. Usually, it is because we want to control
these areas of life ourselves. We are not willing to surrender them to God's control.
Sometimes, we do not surrender because we are afraid of what might happen or what
God might demand of us.
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4. Ask with faith- Jesus said, "...let him come to Me." Coming to Jesus always involves
turning away from our sin in repentance and surrendering ourselves to Him in faith.
In verse 38, Jesus promises that living water, meaning the Holy Spirit, will flow out of
those who believe or trust in Him. Jesus used this same phrase to the Samaritan
woman in John 6:35 when He told her that whoever trusts in Him will never thirst. In
John 14:12, He used the same phrase when He promised that whoever trusts Him
would do greater works than He did.
Our entire relationship with God is a relationship of faith. We accept Jesus by faith.
We walk with Him by faith. We are also filled with His Spirit by faith.
On what basis can we have faith that God will fill us with His Spirit? The basis is….
• That He commanded us to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
• That He promised to give the Spirit to those who ask (Luke 11:13).
There are some things that show a lack of faith. One of them is asking for a particular
sign. We are to believe God's Word, not an external sign. Another evidence of lack of
faith is depending on our feelings. We are not to judge God's actions by what we feel
but by what He says in His Word.
5. Accept it- Jesus said, “…drink." This is really just a part of faith. We simply reach out
and take what He offers. He has said He will fill us with His Spirit. We accept what He
gives to us.
When we hear or read testimonies of great believers about their experience of being filled
with the Spirit, we can find the same outline in almost all of them:
• A sense of failure and frustration in the believer’s life they were living
• A great desire for God to fill them and use them
• A new work of God in their lives (filling of His Spirit)
• Victory in their lives.
We live in a world where human beings experience problems. No

Does being spiritual experience will remove all problems from our lives. Walking
filled with the
in the Spirit, however, does give us victory in dealing with those
Spirit solve all
my problems? problems.
The filling of the Spirit is not a shortcut to a believer’s maturity (although it is the primary
step). Remember, the idea of sinless perfection is a wrong idea. However, in the life of a
Spirit-filled person, there are evidences of a Spirit-filled life, such as the fruit listed in
Galatians 5:22-23.
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After being filled with the Spirit, we discover that we are leaky containers.
After being filled How do we stop the leaks? There are three particular commands in the
with the Spirit,
Bible about our relationship to the Holy Spirit. These commands are
how can I
remain filled? steps in walking with Him or remaining Spirit-filled.
1. Walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Walk means to conduct one’s life. Rather than living
under the domination of the old nature, believers are exhorted to conduct their lives
under the control of the Holy Spirit.
A person walks a step at a time. Walking in the Spirit is not a once-for-all action. It is
walking with Jesus a step at a time. We have discussed the command: "Be continually
being filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). A person who walks in the Spirit
recognizes his need to be continually being filled with the Spirit.
The other side of this command is found in Ephesians 4:27, which tells us not to give
satan any place or any opportunity in our lives. Verses 22-26 all warn us not to yield to the
temptation to commit particular sins. Anytime we sin, we give satan opportunity to control
some area of our lives.
2. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). The context of Ephesians 4:30 relates to
exhortations concerning sin. Believers are warned not to lie (4:25), not to prolong
anger (4:26) and not to be bitter or unforgiving (4:31–32). When a believer does these
things, he grieves the Holy Spirit.
Sin in our lives prevents the Spirit from filling our lives. We are commanded "Do not grieve
the Holy Spirit.” Grief is always related to love. The Holy Spirit loves us, and He is grieved
when we sin. When we look at this command in the Bible, we see that it is located in the
midst of a list of sins (Ephesians 4:25-31). Every sin listed in these verses is a sin that we
commit against other people. As a loving Spirit, He is grieved when we sin against others
whom He loves. He is grieved when we are not allowing Him to work His fruit of love in
our lives. When we are grieving the Holy Spirit, we are not walking by the Spirit.
3. Do not quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). The context of this passage relates to
ministry. The believer is exhorted to pray without ceasing (5:17), be thankful (5:18)
and not despise prophetic utterances (5:20). When believers pour cold water on the
fire of ministry they quench the Spirit. The Spirit’s ministry is not to be hindered.
Believers also should not hinder others in their ministry for God.
If we use the symbol of fire to represent the Holy Spirit, this command means to not put
out the fire. Every time we are not available for Him to do what He wants to do in or
through us, we are quenching Him. To remain filled with Him, we must be totally available
to Him. Walking by the Spirit means we become sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit and
follow His guidance.
Any time we reject the Spirit's work in our lives, we are quenching Him. For instance, His
work is to glorify Jesus. Therefore, sins such as self-exaltation, rather than exalting Jesus,
quench Him. He comes to empower us, so self-sufficiency will quench Him. He inspired
the Scripture and He wants to lead us into all truth. Therefore, neglect of God's Word
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quenches Him. He is our guide, so failure to obey quenches Him. Think of one or two
other actions of ours that quench the Spirit because those actions are in opposition to His
work. Write them down.
Besides these three commands, another necessity to remain filled with the Spirit is
immediate confession of sin and immediate acceptance of God's forgiveness. The Holy
Spirit convicts us, so refusal to acknowledge our sin or to repent when we become aware
of sin quenches Him. Remember, satan will continue to accuse us of sin that we have
confessed and for which God has already forgiven us. If we continue to feel guilty about
sin that God has washed away, we grieve Him. Our unnecessary feeling of quilt will
hinder our relationship with Him. Our preoccupation with the sin will keep the Spirit from
continually infilling us.
Both Romans 8 and Galatians 5:16-24 make it clear that we must

What else is choose not to fulfill the desires of our old nature. It is the selfish
necessary to
nature in us that wants to do what we want to do, rather than what
walk in the
Spirit? God wants us to do. We must consider our old nature to be dead,
that is, to be crucified with Jesus (Galatians 5:24 and Romans 6:11).
What has been said about staying filled with the Spirit or walking in the Spirit can be
summed up in two words: trust and obey. The prayerful attitude of a person who is
walking in the Spirit is the prayer Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, "Yet, not My will, but
Yours be done.” To live in this kind of commitment to God is to live in faith and
obedience.
The person who is living a life of faith and obedience will be doing the necessary things to
stay filled with the Holy Spirit. These things include spending time with the Lord in His
Word and in prayer, setting his mind on the things of God... on "what the Spirit desires"
(Romans 8:5), and loving God Himself more than we love the blessings He gives us.
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Questions
1. List some Scriptures indicating that the Holy Spirit indwells permanently.
2. What does the Holy Spirit do when He “baptizes” someone?
3. When is a person “baptized in the Holy Spirit”?
4. What is the “filling of the Holy Spirit”?
5. Who may be filled with the Holy Spirit?
6. Is the filling of the Holy Spirit necessary for the believer? If so, Why?
7. What does God say about the necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit?
8. What keeps a believer from being filled with the Spirit?
9. What is the result of being filled with the Spirit? Can you tell if you are filled with the Spirit?
How?
10. How can you remain filled with the Spirit?
11. Are the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” and the “filling of the Holy Spirit” the same thing?
Explain.
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C H A P T E R 5
What is the Difference Between the Fruit and

the Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
“If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love, just as I have obeyed My
Father’s commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that My joy may be
in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:10–11
“Joy is the flag flown from the castle of my heart when the King is in residence here.” — Unknown
Joy should be one of the chief characteristics of our faith. In the New Testament, the word
“chara” is used 53 times to mean “joy.” Only a joyful exuberant believer is a worthy
representative of the transforming power of the Messiah’s gospel. What is spiritual joy? It is
much more than mere laughter or even happiness. It is a life that is at rest in the Lord---
regardless of life’s circumstances. Such a life cannot help but have a strong impact on
non-believers. If there were more singing believers, there would be more believers.
Often our finest and most effective songs are sung during the trials of life. It is easy to sing
when all is well. However, to sing during difficulty requires the indwelling presence of Jesus. A
pastor-evangelist wrote the words and music for a joyful hymn following the death of his wife
and three sons in a fire at the home of his wife’s parents while he was away conducting
evangelistic meetings. What was it that gave this pastor joy in his heart when all his outward life
experienced suffering? We need to look at the meaning of the “fruit of the Spirit” and “the gifts of
the Spirit” to understand the Lord’s workings in us as we walk through life.
The difference in "gifts of the Spirit" and "fruit of the Spirit"

Gifts of the Spirit are various spiritual abilities that are given to different people,
which enable them to serve God.
The fruit of the Spirit are qualities of character, which the Holy Spirit works in every
believer. All believers are to have all the fruit of the Spirit.
What is the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22-23 list these character qualities. As you read these characteristics with their
definitions put a small check mark beside some you especially want to pray about and
cooperate with the Spirit to develop in your life.
Love: that kind of compassion, which wants only the best for another person,
regardless of his actions toward you
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Joy: the kind of joy whose foundation is in God and not in earthly circumstances
Peace: the serenity of knowing God is in control, one is in His hands, and He will
work out everything for the highest good
Patience: longsuffering or forbearance with other people, even when they do not
deserve it
Kindness: graciousness, being sweet-natured toward other people
Goodness: moral virtue which is willing to act for the good of other people
Faithfulness: reliable, can be trusted
Gentleness: teachable, tamed, submissive, controlled by the will of the Master
Self-control: the ability to control one's actions rather than being controlled by one's
emotions or desires
If you look again through the qualities of character, which are the fruit of the Spirit, you will see
that they describe Jesus our Lord. As the Holy Spirit works His fruit in us, He is making us like
Jesus.
The believer’s character comes from within, by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit seeks to
transform us into the Messiah’s likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18, Romans 8:29, 12:1–2). However,
we could meditate for hours on the fruit of the Spirit hoping that it would become part of us.
Nevertheless, Paul clearly states that no law could ever produce this kind of character
“If we live in the Spirit” --- This is salvation, being made alive by the Spirit.
“Let us also walk in the Spirit” ---This is sanctification, allowing the Spirit to command and
control our lives.
Compare Ephesians 5:18–24 with Colossians 3:12–19 and you will see that to be filled with the
Spirit is to be controlled by the Word of God, for the results are identical. “Walking in the Spirit”
is not some emotional experience, detached from everyday life. The daily experience of the
believer is one who feeds on the Word, prays and obeys what the Bible says.
What is meant by the term: "gifts of the Spirit"?

Circle either T or F. We will discuss the answers throughout the chapter.
T or F? The more important the spiritual gift, the more mature and spiritual the person.
T or F? The major evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is his or her ability to
speak in tongues.
T or F? We must ask God for the spiritual gift we want.
T or F? A person “under the influence” of the Spirit can not help shouting out.
T or F? Some believers have little to contribute to others.
T or F? In church meetings, only the pastor should teach, because he is usually the
only one with seminary training.
T or F? There is no real test for “spirituality.”
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Definition
There are two Greek words generally used to describe spiritual gifts. The first is pneumatikos,
meaning “spiritual things” or “things pertaining to the spirit.” This word emphasizes the spiritual
nature and origin of spiritual gifts. They are not natural talents but rather have their origin with
the Holy Spirit. They are supernaturally given to a believer by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11).
“
All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just
as He determines.” 1 Corinthians 12:11
The other word often used to identify spiritual gifts is charisma, meaning “grace gift.” The word
“charisma” emphasizes that a spiritual gift is a gift of God’s grace. It is not a naturally developed
ability but rather a gift bestowed on a believer (1 Corinthians 12:4). This emphasis is seen in
Romans 12 where Paul discusses spiritual gifts. He stresses that spiritual gifts are received
through the “grace given” to believers (Romans 12:3, 6).
“
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:4
A concise definition of spiritual gifts is simply a “grace gift.” A more complete definition is “a
divine ‘present’ of a special ability for service upon a member of the body of the Messiah.”
Explanation
Two concepts are involved in spiritual gifts. First, a spiritual gift TO AN INDIVIDUAL is God’s
enablement for personal spiritual service (1Corinthians 12:11). Second, a spiritual gift TO THE
CHURCH is a person uniquely equipped for the church’s edification (Ephesians 4:11–13).
It should also be noted what is not meant by spiritual gifts. It does not mean a place of service.
Some may suggest “he has a real gift for working in the slums.” This, of course, is a wrong
concept of spiritual gifts. Nor is a spiritual gift an age group ministry. Or some might say that,
“he has a real gift for working with children.” A spiritual gift is not the same as a natural talent.
There may be a relationship, but a natural talent is an ability that a person may have from birth
and he develops this ability. However, God gives a spiritual gift supernaturally at the moment of
conversion. Natural talents and gifts may be contrasted as seen in the following chart:
COMPARISON OF NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL ABILITIES

Comparisons Natural Talents Spiritual Gifts
Source: From God From God
through parents independent of parents
Possessed: From birth From conversion
Purpose: To benefit mankind on the To benefit mankind on the
natural level spiritual level
Process: Must be recognized, developed, Must be recognized, developed,
exercised exercised
Function: Ought to be dedicated by Ought to be used to God’s
believers to God for His use glory
and glory
A gift of the Spirit is a spiritual ability given to a believer to enable Him to serve God. The
purpose of the gifts is to build up the body of Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:7). Each believer has at
least one spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:7: "to each"). Some believers have more than one. We
cannot choose which gift we want to have. The Holy Spirit decides which gift the body of Jesus
needs from us. Therefore, He gives them according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:11).
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The two ways the gifts of the Spirit can be used are:
__________
__________
Through the rest of this book, we will use the term "spiritual gift" to refer to the gifts of the Spirit,
namely abilities given the believer to enable him to serve God.
The Holy Spirit gives many different gifts.
What are the The fact we do not find a list of gifts all in one place, but find them
gifts of the scattered through the Scripture, indicates that there is no comprehensive
Spirit? list of spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts in different times
and places according to the need of the body. The lists we have in
Scripture indicate the sort of gifts He gives.
The following is a list of gifts compiled from Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:6-11, 28-31,
1 Peter 4:11 and Ephesians 4:11. As you read the list, think about people you know who give
evidence of these gifts in their lives. Put a check mark beside the ones you think YOU might
have.
1. Prophecy: The ability to proclaim the Word of God, to see a situation from God's viewpoint, and
to state consequences of present trends. A prophetic message emphasizes right and wrong in
a particular situation. The gift of prophecy is mentioned in Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10
and Ephesians 4:11. Before the completion of the biblical canon, the gift of prophecy was
important for the edification of the church (1 Corinthians 14:3). The prophet received direct
revelation from God and taught the people for their edification, exhortation and consolation
(1 Corinthians 14:3). Since the revelation came from God, it was true; the genuineness of the
prophet was exhibited in the accuracy of the prophecy (Deuteronomy 18:20, 22).
A secondary meaning of the word is the ability to predict future events. The apostle received his
information through direct revelation from God. Hence, Agabus announced the famine that
would come over the world (Acts 11:28). In addition, we see Paul’s captivity in Jerusalem
(Acts 21:10–11). Through direct revelation, the prophet received knowledge of divine
“mysteries” (1 Corinthians 13:2) that man would not otherwise know. Prophecy involved both
predicting future events and also speaking God’s truth in terms of exhortation and instruction.
The gift of prophecy is also related to the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20).
Some believe that because the foundation of the church has been laid and the canon of
Scripture is complete there is no need for the gift of prophecy today. Others believe that a
person with the gift of prophecy may see the consequences certain actions will bring. For
example, a prophet may have a strong sense of God's impending punishment upon a group of
His people who are living in willful disobedience to Him.
The person with a prophetic gift usually has a strong sense of the history of God's people and is
an individualist who speaks out frankly and boldly urging God's people to live right. This often
means he has to stand alone, as his message is uncomfortable to many believers.
46
2. Service/Helps (Romans 12:7 and 1 Corinthians 12:28)--- The ability to recognize needs and
meet them in a practical way. People with this gift are those who get a needed task done
without seeking or attracting attention to themselves.
SERVICE -- the Greek word is diakonia. The word is used in a broad sense and refers to ministry
and service to others in a general way. A sampling of the usages of this word indicates that:
Timothy and Erastus served Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:22)
Paul served the Jerusalem believers by bringing them a monetary gift (Romans 15:25)
Onesiphorus served at Ephesus (2 Timothy 1:18)
Onesimus was helpful to Paul while he was in prison (Philemon 13)
The Hebrew believers displayed acts of kindness (Hebrews 6:10)
These and other examples show that an important aspect of serving is helping other believers
who are in need. Normally, this is not a conspicuous gift. Often, the believer serves others and
most do not know his service.
HELPS ---the Greek word is antilempsis. It denotes helpful deeds, assistance. The basic
meaning of the word is an undertaking on behalf of another. The word is similar to serving and
some see these gifts as identical. Certainly, they are quite similar if not the same. The word
occurs in Luke 1:54, Acts 20:35 and 1 Timothy 6:2. The gift of helps means to physically help
and meet the needs of someone in special need --- for example, the poor, sick, widows,
orphans, strangers, travelers, etc.
3. Teaching (Romans 12:7 and 1 Corinthians 12:28): The ability to present the truth in such a way
the students understand it and apply it to their lives.
A pastor is a teacher, but a teacher is not necessarily a pastor. A number of factors would show
that a person has the gift of teaching. He would have a great interest in the Word of God and
would commit himself to a disciplined study of the Word. He would have an ability to
communicate the Word of God clearly and apply the Word to the lives of the people. This gift is
clearly evidenced in a man who has the ability to take profound biblical and theological truths
and communicate them in a simple way so ordinary people can readily grasp them. This gift
was emphasized considerably in the local churches in the New Testament because of its
importance in bringing believers to maturity (Acts 2:42, 4:2, 5:42, 11:26, 13:1, 15:3, 18:11, etc.).
Two things should be noted concerning the gift of teaching. First, it requires development. A
person may have the gift of teaching, but for the effective use of the gift, it would demand
serious study and the faithful exercise of the gift. Second, teaching is not the same as a natural
talent. Frequently, public school teachers are given positions of teaching in a local church. It
does not necessarily follow that their natural ability to teach means they have the spiritual gift of
teaching. The natural ability and the spiritual gift of teaching are not the same.
4. Exhortation--- The Greek word is parakalon. It means, “called alongside to help.” The noun
form is used of the Holy Spirit as the believer’s helper (John 14:16, 26). It is the ability to
comfort and encourage others and to motivate them to do what is right. The exhorter is one
who has the ability to appeal to the will of the individual to get him to act. The gift of exhortation
47
is often linked with teaching (1 Timothy 4:13, 6:2), and is addressed to the conscience and to
the heart. The gift of exhortation may be either urging someone to pursue a particular course of
conduct (Jude 3), or comforting someone during a trial or tragedy (Acts 4:36, 9:27, 15:39).
5. Giving: The Greek word is metadidous. It means, “to share with someone,” hence, the gift of
giving is the unusual ability and willingness to share one’s material goods with others. This also
means the desire and practice of contributing one's material assets to the Lord's work, including
giving to needy people. The command of Paul is to give “with liberality.” It refers to giving out of
compassion with a singleness of purpose, not from ambition. This gift is not reserved for the rich
but for ordinary believers as well. The Philippians apparently exercised this gift in their giving to
Paul (Philippians 4:10–16).
6. Mercy: This word means the ability to help and comfort those who are in physical or emotional
distress. People with the gift of mercy often have an ability to stand the sight of blood, pain and
suffering, which makes them able to be helpful in situations in which other people cannot cope.
They are very sensitive to the needs of others.
7. Wisdom: This is insight concerning how God-given truth can be practically applied to specific
situations and the ability to share this insight with others. The gift of wisdom is not necessarily
related to education or to an unusual amount of knowledge. The person with wisdom is the
person who consistently gives good advice in which he applies spiritual principles in a practical
way to the situations of life.
8. Knowledge: This is the ability is to discover, understand and clarify information that relates to
the life and growth of the church. People with a gift of knowledge are the information gatherers
who remember what they have learned. Persons with this gift are helpful to groups during the
decision-making process.
9. Faith: This is a special ability to believe God will intervene in a particular situation, and to be
part of this intervention through prayer and the Holy Spirit's power. Those with this gift have an
awareness of what God wants and believe that it will happen. God uses their belief to help
make it happen. People with a gift of faith often believe that a situation will change for God's
glory, although it appears humanly impossible. They are willing to carry out God's will in the
face of overwhelming difficulties.
10. Healing: This is the ability to help an ill person regain physical or mental health. Some
believers believe that this healing is always instantaneous and obviously miraculous. Others
believe the healing may take place through a process in time that most people regard as
natural. Some believe it is independent of medical help. Others believe it is a gift frequently
given to believers in the medical profession.
11. Miracles: This is the Holy Spirit's power working through a person to perform supernatural
deeds, which are humanly impossible. Some believe this gift ceased by the end of the first
century. Others who believe it is still a God given gift think that God only gives it on particular
occasions for a particular purpose.
12. Discernment of spirits: This is the ability to recognize whether actions and teachings are from
God. People with this gift are usually very aware when the Holy Spirit is being grieved, insulted,
quenched or blasphemed. They can tell the difference between divine, human and satanic
48
powers. They sense when the Spirit's work is being counterfeited by other powers. They may
also often sense the motivations of religious workers.
13. Speaking in tongues: In Acts, this was the ability to speak in a language that had never been
taught to the speaker. In 1 Corinthians, it seems to refer to an ecstatic utterance that is not a
recognized human language. Many believers think this gift ceased with the first century. Many
others give testimony that they have this gift at the present time. Sometimes, people manipulate
themselves into speaking in tongues through repeating particular syllables. This is not what is
described in the New Testament. In 1 Corinthians 14, it seems to be a private gift.
14. Interpretation of tongues: This is the ability to communicate the meaning of a "tongue" to other
hearers. The instructions on the use of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14 logically lead to the
conclusion that anytime the gift of tongues is given, the gift of interpretation will also be present.
15. Apostle (Ephesians 4:11)--- An important distinction must be made between the gift and the
office of the apostle. The office of apostle was limited to the Twelve and to Paul. In Luke 6:13,
Jesus called the disciples to Himself and chose twelve of them “whom He also named as
apostles.” To those twelve Jesus gave a unique authority that was limited to those holding the
office of apostle (Luke 9:1, Matthew 10:1). Later, in defending his own apostleship, Paul
emphasized that the signs of a true apostle were performed by him (2 Corinthians 12:12). The
qualifications for the office of apostle are set forth in Acts 1:21–22. Those holding the office had
to have walked with the Lord from the baptism of John until the ascension of the Messiah.
Paul’s situation was unique. He referred to himself as an apostle but one “untimely born”
(1 Corinthians 15:8–9).
The gift of apostle is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and also Ephesians 4:11. The word
apostle comes from apo, meaning “from,” and stello, meaning “to send.” Hence, an apostle is
one that is “sent from.” It appears the word was used in a technical sense as well as a general
sense. In a technical sense, it was limited to the Twelve who had the office of apostle as well as
the gift. In that sense, it was a foundational gift limited to the formation of the church
(Ephesians 2:20). When the foundation of the church was laid, the need for the gift ceased. Just
as the office of apostle has ceased (because no one can meet the qualifications of Acts
1:21–22), so the gift of apostle in the strict sense has ceased. The word apostle is also used in
a general sense of a “messenger” or a “sent one” in the cause of the Messiah. These are
referred to as apostles but do not have either office or gift. The word is used in a non-technical
sense of one who is a messenger (Acts 14:14, 2 Corinthians 8:23 and Philippians 2:25).
16. Administration: This word is from the Greek word prohistimi, which means to stand before, to
lead, to rule or to preside (Romans 12:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:28). In Romans 12:8, Paul refers
to the one who leads. It is used of elders in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 and 1 Timothy 5:17. First
Corinthians 12:28 refers to the gift of “administration” (Greek kubernesis), literally, “to steer a
ship.” It is the ability to coordinate the activities of others so that their common goals are
achieved. People with the gift of administration have an ability to see the overall picture. They
have an awareness of the resources which are needed and available to complete tasks. They
can organize a group to achieve its goals. Frequently, they can set goals in accordance with the
will of God, communicate those goals to others, and motivate others to achieve those goals.
49
17. Evangelism: The Greek word is euanggelista - “one who proclaims the good news.” One
definition of the gift of evangelism is ---the gift of proclaiming the Good News of salvation
effectively so that people can respond to the claims of the Messiah in conversion and in
discipleship.
People who are consistently sharing their faith may have this gift, as well as evangelists who
bring many people to Jesus through their preaching. The person with the gift of evangelism is
characterized by a deep awareness of the lost condition of men and a constant urge to tell other
people about Jesus the Messiah.
Several things are involved in the gift of evangelism---

It involves a burden for the lost. The one having this gift has a great desire to see
people saved.
It involves proclaiming the good news. The evangelist is one who proclaims the good
news.
It involves a clear presentation of the gospel. The evangelist has the ability to present
the gospel in a simple and clear fashion. He proclaims the basic plan of salvation: sin,
the substitutionary death of the Messiah, faith, forgiveness, reconciliation—in a way that
unbelievers without a biblical background can understand the gospel.
It involves a response to the proclamation of the gospel. The one having the gift of
evangelism sees a response to the presentation of the gospel. That is an indication he
has the gift.
It involves a delight in seeing people come to the Messiah. Because it is his burden and
passion, the evangelist rejoices as men and women come to faith in the Messiah.
Although only some people have the gift of evangelism, believers are not exempt from
proclaiming the good news. All believers are to do the work of evangelism (2 Timothy 4:5).
18. Pastor: The word pastor (Greek poimenas ) literally means “shepherd.” It is only mentioned
as a gift in Ephesians 4:11. The word is used also of the Messiah who is the Good Shepherd
(John 10:11, 14, 16; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 2:25). It designates the spiritual shepherding work
of a pastor-teacher. The work of a pastor has a clear analogy to the work of the shepherd in
caring for his sheep. As a pastor, he cares for the flock. He guides, guards, protects and
provides for those under his care. An example is found in Acts 20:28, where Paul exhorts the
elders from Ephesus “to shepherd the church of God.” It is to be done voluntarily---not for
material gain nor by lording it over believers but rather by being examples of humility
(1 Peter 5:2–5).
There is a second aspect to this gift. It involves the ability to teach. It is sometimes said of a
pastor: “He can’t teach very well but he is a fine pastor.” That, of course, is impossible. If a
person has this gift, he is both a shepherd and a teacher. As a teacher, the emphasis is on the
method by which the shepherd does his work. He guides, he guards, he protects by teaching
God’s Word . This is an important emphasis for the maturation of believers in a local church.
Paul exhorted Timothy to faithfulness in teaching the Word (1 Timothy 1:3, 5; 4:11, 6:2, 17).
[For more discussion on the pastor-teacher and other terms in the New Testament defining this
office, refer to the SALT book entitled Pastoral Letters, specifically 1 Timothy 3.]
50
Some questions about our spiritual gifts
Are we excused When we look at the list above, we see that there are some gifts
from doing what mentioned which describe characteristics that are to be true of all
we are not believers. For instance, all believers are to witness. However, we
gifted to do? recognize that some people have a gift for evangelism that is beyond the
results which many faithful witnesses experience. All believers have
faith. All believers are to give and to be merciful. Having a gift simply means that there is an
unusual ability in a certain area which God uses as He determines.
Believers who have never thought about the term "spiritual gift" have
Is it important to served effectively through the centuries. However, it is very helpful for a
know one's
believer to recognize his spiritual gift or gifts.
spiritual gifts?
Gifts are given for service. A believer who knows what gift he has and
what gifts he does not have will find it easier to serve God in accordance with his gift. Some
believers have felt guilty because of their lack of ability to do particular tasks. Others have
worked hard but have not been effective because they are working outside their gifts. Knowing
one's gifts prevents false guilt and helps one to serve more effectively, because he will be doing
what God has equipped him to do.
Although we usually serve God in the area in which He has gifted us, we must not limit God. He
may give a particular gift only once or only occasionally to a person so He can accomplish some
task. For that reason, we must follow the Spirit's leadership when He impresses us to do
something which is unusual for us. God will never ask us to do anything that He does not equip
us to do.
However, we will usually serve in areas where we have a "primary gift.” For that reason, we are
responsible to know, practice and use our primary gift or gifts.
To answer this question, we must look at two things. First, we must

Are spiritual understand that for spiritual gifts to be used in an effective manner, our
gifts always
lives must also be marked by the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit
effective?
are the characteristics which make us like Jesus. When Jesus was on
earth, His work could not be separated from His character. His work is
continued through us as His character is being formed in us and as we use the spiritual gifts.
Notice that 1 Corinthians 13, which discusses the fruit of love, is placed right in the middle of the
discussion on spiritual gifts. Paul mentions several of the gifts and says they are useless without
love.
Second, we must understand that God uses the spiritual gifts He has given us to carry out His
work and purposes. They are not a kind of magic by which we can fulfill our own wishes, even
when they are good and unselfish. Look at Paul. He had a gift of healing. Surely, he would
have used this gift to heal Epaphroditus, whom he loved. In Philippians 2:25-27, we see that
this did not happen.
51
There is disagreement among believers about this question. Many

Are all the believers feel that the gifts of miracles, tongues and interpretation of
spiritual gifts
tongues were limited to the first century. Others add healing to the list of
still given now?
gifts, which they feel were limited to that time (although they do not deny
that God heals today).
The first century is sometimes called the apostolic age, because disciples were still living who
had seen Jesus. The church was just beginning. Believers who feel these gifts ceased with the
first century think they were given primarily to verify that the Christian religion was true. Now, we
have the completed written Scripture and the witness of the church through the ages to prove
Christianity is true.
Other believers feel that all the gifts are given today. On the blank page opposite, write which
opinion you hold and why you believe the way you do.
There are three principles we must always follow in the use of spiritual
How can we gifts:
avoid the
misuse of
spiritual gifts? 1. The gifts must be used in accordance with the teachings of
Scripture.
2. The gifts must be used, under the leadership of God, to reveal His power. It is He
whom we are serving, not our own purposes.
3. Spiritual gifts are to be used for the glory of God. This means it is wrong to use them
for personal recognition or any other selfish end. The Old Testament warning that God
will not share His glory with another is appropriate here.
Already it has been said that every believer has a spiritual gift. However,
Are spiritual not every believer can be considered a spiritual person. Paul mentioned
gifts a sign of
that the Corinthian church did not lack in any spiritual gift (1:7), but he
great
spirituality? calls the brothers " worldly" who are "infants in the Messiah" (3:1). When
we read the entire letter (1 Corinthians), we find that the Corinthian
church had many problems because they were still worldly rather than spiritual.
We must also be cautious of satan's ability to fake or mimic the spiritual gifts. He has great
power and he delights in counterfeiting the gifts of God in order to deceive and confuse people.
Being spiritual is the result of being filled with the Spirit, not just being gifted by the Spirit.
52
Spiritual Gifts versus Spiritual Responsibilities

Spiritual gifts (1Corinthians 12) are extraordinary abilities that the Spirit gives to a believer to build up the church.
Even though such attributes as faith, teaching and giving are considered gifts, all believers are exhorted to develop
these traits.
Some believers are given But all believers are called . . .
Divine wisdom (12:8) To live wisely (Romans 16:19, Ephesians 5:15 and Colossians 4:5)
Extraordinary faith (12:9) To walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) and abound in faith (2 Corinthians 8:7); to
take up the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) and pursue faith
(1 Timothy 6:12 and 2 Timothy 2:22)
Special teaching gifts To teach others the truths of God (Matthew 28:20 and 2 Timothy 2:2, 24)
(12:28; Romans 12:7)
Supernatural ability to To serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13) and to minister to others
help (12:28) (Romans 12:7)
The gift of exhortation To exhort one another daily (Hebrews 3:13)
(Romans 12:8)
The ability to give with To give “not grudgingly or of necessity” but cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:7)
liberality (Romans 12:8)
Divine power to show To be merciful (Luke 6:36 and James 2:13)
mercy (Romans 12:8)
In spite of a renewed awareness and appreciation of the Holy Spirit’s ministries within recent
years, there is also much theological difference between various groups of believers regarding
terminologies and specifics. May we not become so engrossed with our theological differences
about the Holy Spirit that we forfeit the practical benefits of living and walking in the Spirit and
demonstrating the fruit of a Spirit-filled life to a lost world—“love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22).
53
Exercises:
1. Locate all the references you can concerning the indwelling of the Spirit.
2. Make a chart of all the spiritual gifts present today, along with places where they might
be used.
3. Trace the Spirit’s ministry through the book of Acts.
Get in groups of five. Discuss the spiritual gifts with each other. Tell each other what gift
you see in one another. Tell your group what you believe is your spiritual gift.
The discovery of one’s gifts--- How can one know what his or her gifts are? Here are four
suggestions:
1. Be informed as to what spiritual gifts are available. A person may not know, for
instance, that showing mercy is a spiritual gift.
2. Be willing to do anything for the Lord. Many believers miss the full use of their gifts
simply because they are not regularly serving in a local assembly.
3. Third, be active, for the use of one gift may lead to the discovery of others. When we
are first introduced to Philip in the New Testament, he was using the gift of serving
(Acts 6:5). Because he was faithful in that, God added the gift of evangelism
(Acts 8:5). Faithful use of what we have will bring greater opportunities and the gifts to
go with them.
4. Ask your group members to sum up the session by completing the following two
statements: “Spirituality is not. … ” and “Spirituality is. … ”
54

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The Holy Spirit

Who is the Third Person of the Trinity ?

The Holy Spirit is God

Let me emphasize that---

As we have said previously, God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In Matthew 28:19, we are _______________1 in the name of all three Persons.

Quite simply, because He is God, the Holy Spirit is everywhere.

We know the Holy Spirit is God because of the interchange of names

He is called, "the Spirit of the Messiah" ---

The Holy Spirit is a Person

Scripture References: Nehemiah 9:20, Romans 8:27, 1 Corinthians 2:11,

The Holy Spirit is Whom Jesus sent to be with His disciples

Therefore, in brief summary, who is the Holy Spirit?

5. Name at least 5 attributes that confirm the Holy Spirit’s personality.

8. In John 14:16, what is the significance of the phrase “another Counselor?”

9. Name at least 5 actions (works) of the Holy Spirit.

What was the Work of the Holy Spirit from Creation

The First Work

The Second Work

The Holy Spirit inspires and empowers people.

The Holy Spirit inspires God’s Word.

The Third Work

• Unusual physical strength, given to Samson (Judges 14:19).

First, the Spirit’s indwelling in the life of a person had no evident

Write John 3:10-_________________________________________________________

In Ezekiel and Jeremiah,

The Fourth Work

1. The human nature of Jesus came into existence. It was not a

1. The anointing designated Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and King. John

The Spirit drove Jesus into the wilderness (Matthew 4:1).

The Spirit filled the Lord Jesus (Luke 4:1).

The Spirit led Jesus (Luke 4:1).

The Spirit anointed the Messiah (Luke 4:18, Acts 10:38).

After His death, the Spirit raised Jesus (Romans 8:11).

Fill in the blank concerning the work of the Holy Spirit:3

The Holy Spirit:

The First Work

The Second Work

Working in and through Jesus’ disciples today

1. The Spirit witnesses to the truth.

The Spirit Brings Salvation to Mankind

At this time, we might ask another question…..

He seals us (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). When someone in New

 A seal authenticated a document (a marriage contract)

The Holy Spirit Directs the Church

 He gives us power (Acts 1:8)

 The Spirit helps us in prayer (Romans 8:26)

Has the Holy

H We recommend that you do a personal study of the topics listed below:

1. He causes the church to grow (Acts 9:31).

2. He makes the church into one body (1Corinthians 12:13).

4. He gives particular commands to the church (Acts 13:2).

What is the Meaning of “Baptism” and “Filling” of the

Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a gift.

The Holy Spirit is given at salvation.

Problems Related to Indwelling

Baptizing Work of the Holy Spirit

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is unique to the church age.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an “experience.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is performed by the Holy Spirit.

Filling Work of the Holy Spirit

A seal authenticated a document (a marriage contract)

He gives us power (Acts 1:8)

The Spirit helps us in prayer (Romans 8:26)