The contrasting spheres of law, grace, and kingdom are often confused. It becomes the distinguishing mark of the saints of the present age, the secret of the peculiar intimacy and relationship of Christians to the Lord Jesus Christ. Learn more about the importance of the Holy Spirit in Christianity. While experience may vary and be far from static in any individual, the position of the believer in Christ remains unalterably the same. often mentioned (Acts 2:47; 1 Cor 6:15; 12:12-14; Eph 2:16; 4:4, 5, 16; 5:30-32; Col 1:24; 2:19). Accordingly, references to baptism of the Spirit as performed by Christ can be interpreted in this light. The translation of Acts 19:2, “Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?” should be translated, “Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed?” Instead of being in support of the supposed theory that only some Christians are indwelt, it is actually a refutation. The figure is that of a finished transaction. The confusion prevailing in the treatment of this doctrine has its rise in many factors. Salvation and baptism are therefore coextensive, and it is impossible to be saved without this work of the Holy Spirit. The two aspects of baptism into Christ are inseparable and blend into one entity. In the nature of any instantaneous act, there can be no experience of process. All the details of his salvation spring from this new position. Before He returned to heaven, Jesus said, “… you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit … But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Acts 1:5-8. The work of the Holy Spirit in baptism is different, however. The particular duties of a Christian as living with other Christians are often mentioned, including the Christian’s relation to his sinning brother, to brothers weak in faith or practice, and to brothers who give rebuke or correction. 7 ways God’s Spirit works in a Christian’s life. The believer is in Christ, and Christ is in the believer. In this passage we are exhorted, “Grieve not the holy Spirit of God,” because we are sealed by Him unto the day of redemption. Filling relates wholly to experience, while indwelling is not experimental, in itself. He is considered perhaps the world's foremost interpreter of biblical prophecy.John is perhaps best known for his bestselling work on Bible prophecy, Armageddon... More, 4. The Person of the Holy Spirit, possessing all the attributes of God, by His presence is a token of God’s abiding grace which could not be excelled. The problem has a solution in at least three particulars. | The fact of His indwelling is mentioned in many passages (John 7:37-39; Acts 11:17; Rom 5:5; 8:9, 11; 1 Cor 2:12; 6:19, 20; 12:13; 2 Cor 5:5; Gal 3:2; 4:6; 1 John 3:24; 4:13). The very nature of the baptism of the Holy Spirit forbids that it be experimental. Frequent mention is made of this fact in Scripture, and its basis is the baptism of the Spirit. 5 The Christian who is indwelt by the Spirit is indwelt by God. In some denominations and movements, the Holy Spirit is overemphasized, leading to a Christless Pentecost — putting the Spirit exclusively on the throne and losing Jesus in the temple. From this it has been falsely inferred that receiving the Holy Spirit is a work subsequent to salvation and requiring the laying on of hands. Various experiences have been related to this ministry as constituting evidence that the individual has been sealed. One of the positive evidences for universal indwelling among Christians is the plain statement of Romans 8:9, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” Possession of the Spirit which has been sent by Christ Himself and given to every Christian is necessary in order to be saved and belong to Christ. | The nature of the seal forbids any possibility of counterfeit or disallowing of the token. It constitutes a significant proof of grace, and of divine purpose in fruitfulness and sanctification. Accordingly, 1 Corinthians 12:13 indicates that we “have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” It is probable that this refers to participation in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Father does this “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (v. 3). The principal cause of disagreement is found in the common failure to apprehend the distinctive nature of the Church. The importance of this doctrine, then, to the Christian and to the theologian cannot be overestimated. Speaking in tongues is numbered with the temporary spiritual gifts bestowed in the apostolic period. First He makes us so to accept God's mercy that we rest in … A careful study of the three references in Scripture will demonstrate, however, that every Christian is sealed by the Holy Spirit. Although we may know weve been saved, we might not realize that the Holy Spirit came to live within us at that moment. It was a sense of guilt for past sins on which Tetzel traded, and which was fully satisfied in Luther’s doctrine of justification by faith. It becomes instead a sovereign act of God in which the soul is taken to Himself. From the two references to the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Acts, it may be safely concluded that this ministry is never found before Pentecost and that it occurs simultaneously with the other ministries of the Spirit given to all who believe the moment they place saving faith in Christ. In Acts 1:5, Christ in His parting words to His disciples said, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” Two important facts appear in this statement: (1) Up to this time the Holy Spirit had not baptized them; (2) they would receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a few days-“not many days hence.” They were told to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). Yet they are reminded that they are baptized by the Spirit. As Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer has well written: “A sphere is that which surrounds an object on every side and may even penetrate that object. Support Us The possibility of some only possessing this blessing is contradicted. (Series to be continued in the January-March Number, 1942). The same preposition is used, however, in an instrumental sense with sufficient frequency in Scripture to free the translator from any artificial interpretation (cf. No reference to this is ever found in the Old Testament. By an act of the Holy Spirit, some future day the Church will receive its last addition, and Christ will come to receive her to Himself. The difference of opinion which exists on this doctrine is often found among writers who are essentially agreed on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as a whole, and at the same time, the attitude of any writer on the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit may well be considered a definite basis of classifying his whole position. | ©Copyright 2002-2021 | While it can be said that Christ died for all, even before they are saved, it cannot be said that individuals are baptized into the body of Christ until they come to the moment of saving faith. It is plainly stated that the seal is placed on the Christian with a view to keeping him safe unto the day of redemption-the time of complete deliverance from all sin. (Saint Paul writes of "manifestations of the Spirit" in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, and some Protestants use that list to come up with nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, but these are not the same as the ones recognized by the Catholic Church.) It is clear, however, that the entire ministry of the Spirit is being accomplished for the believer at the will of Christ. A careful study of the varied ministries of the Holy Spirit will reveal that only the work of the Holy Spirit in filling is experimental. The Holy Spirit executes God’s will in our life, sent from the Father, through the redemption of the Son. It is rather a sovereign assignment of God, in which every believer is given his distinct place in the body of Christ. A number of considerations point to this conclusion. All are within the sphere of ministry to the saved. By the act of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the present age began at the day of Pentecost. Likewise when the disciples asked, “Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” (Luke 22:49), they had in mind the use of the sword as the instrument even though held by a human hand. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?” (Acts 11:15-17). The work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life is an on-going process of becoming holy through sanctification. Baptism is often identified with the filling of the Holy Spirit. The inference is plain that the presence of the Spirit abides even in the hearts of Christians who are unyielded and living in sin. A number of considerations point to the doctrine that every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Only two references to baptism by the Holy Spirit are found in Acts (1:5; 11:16), and these passages are complementary. There is actually no more connection between the baptism of the Spirit and speaking with tongues than there is between speaking in tongues and regeneration or justification. In this 7-day devotional based on the book Set My Heart on Fire by J. Lee Grady, you will meet the Holy Spirit, who can do it all. Those who have seen His work know His reality. The first of these passages, Acts 5:32, states, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” The inference is sometimes made that obedience or yieldedness to the will of God is a condition of receiving the indwelling Holy Spirit. There is only one God and He is the third divine person of the Trinity. While these special ministrations of the Spirit occurred only to the saved, they are not to be expected as the usual signs accompanying baptism of the Holy Spirit. From 2 Corinthians 1:22, it may be inferred that the seal is none other than the Holy Spirit Himself. Acts 9:31. Believers are not called upon to summon up the strength within them, for their new way of life is supernatural, stemming from the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. According to Ephesians 1:13 and 4:30, the believer is sealed by or in the Holy Spirit. In the Church age, it is impossible for anyone to be filled with the Spirit who is not indwelt. The problem of Acts 8:14-20 no doubt presents the most serious difficulty in the support of the doctrine of universal indwelling. The first two solutions provide a sufficient explanation of the passage. The context of the passages points to judgment, the character of which could be fulfilled only at the second coming of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom. The early chapters of Acts are admittedly transitional. Failure to recognize the importance and significance of this doctrine has issued in many false teachings and has denied to many Christians the joy of their salvation. The thought of being brought into the sphere of the ministry of the Spirit by baptism is not excluded by making the Holy Spirit the agent of baptism. The word anoint is used in the sense of apply, and is especially appropriate in view of the fact that oil is used as a type of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that gives our spirit the strength to face: 1. Being thus conjoined to Christ, the Father sees the saved one only in Christ, or as a living part of His own Son, and loves him as He loves His Son (Eph 1:6; John 17:23).”2. Through regeneration the believer partakes of eternal life. Here are just 10 supernatural things the Holy Spirit does in your life. The Scriptures present the doctrine in sufficient passages to permit the careful student to arrive at an accurate understanding of the truth. In salvation, the believer is removed from his position in Adam, and he is placed in Christ. The doctrine of the Church as the body of Christ is a major doctrine of the New Testament. From this it has been induced that we are baptized not by the Spirit, but in the Spirit. Hence, while we are never exhorted to be indwelt, we are urged to be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). While most people have heard about the Holy Spirit, only a few really know its role in our lives. The work of baptism assures the unity of the various members of the body. The Holy Spirit is referred to in many instances as a gift” (John 7:37-39; Acts 11:17; Rom 5:5; 1 Cor 2:12; 2 Cor 5:5). It is a supernatural act. The Father takes the initiative: “According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope” (1 Pet. Abundant Life Crusades The believer goes with Christ to the grave and there becomes dead to sin and in resurrection becomes alive to God. Whatever may have been felt after the baptism of the Holy Spirit was complete, the act itself did not produce any experimental phenomena. Extended Scriptures are also found on the doctrine of the gifts of Christ to His body (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:27, 28; Eph 4:7-16). The spiritual gifts that believers possess are given by the Holy Spirit as He determines in His wisdom (verse 11) The Holy Spirit also does work among unbelievers. Accordingly, the unsaved are described as “having not the Spirit” (Jude 19). The special acts of revelation which occurred in the early Church, and the phenomenon of speaking in tongues are not to be confused with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 2 THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT SECTION I The Gift of the Spirit as Comforter—His own special Name—the way to know Him—He shall be in you—the Day they would know Him—the Gethsemane agony It is of supreme importance in seeking to understand spiritual things that we recognize the Holy Spirit … Upon their baptism and confession of faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit came on them. The Spirit is "given to those who obey" Jesus (Acts 5:30-32). When He indwells us, He begins the work of harvesting His fruit in our lives—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control ( Galatians 5:22-23 ). There is no period of transition. This work of the Spirit is not directed toward those who are free from guilt, nor is it held high as an objective or height to reach. Up to Wesley’s time emphasis had been laid upon what the Holy Spirit does for the church, that he gives authority to her teachings and efficacy to her sacraments; Wesley preached the work of the Spirit in the individual. The flow of blessing and enablement comes from within the Christian rather than from an external influence. He encompasses, surrounds, encloses, and indwells the believer. Baptism into Christ is not identification alone; it is also a union of life. If this concept of the nature of the Church is held, the baptism of the Holy Spirit has no relation to it. Other sources of confusion in this doctrine are manifold. On behalf of this generation, Your friends in the service of Christ, The position and union effected are perfect from the moment of baptism. Three passages of Scriptures are sometimes interpreted to mean that the indwelling of the Spirit is an experience subsequent to new birth, and that therefore it is not a feature of every believer’s possessions (Acts 5:32; 8:14-20; 19:1-6). First, while the delay of the normal indwelling of the Spirit until the arrival of Peter may be admitted, it is clear that this phenomenon was never repeated. A careful examination of the references in the Gospels, however, would seem to rule out both of these interpretations. While our position in Christ is the ground of our experience when we are yielded to the Spirit, our position in itself does not produce experience. The fact that the Holy Spirit departed from Saul proves only that this was possible in the Old Testament when the Holy Spirit did not indwell all the saints (1 Sam 16:14). As mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, outpourings of the Holy Spirit can include healing, prophecy, exorcism, and speaking in tongues. ], {Editor’s note: Footnotes in the original printed edition were numbered 13-15, but in this electronic edition are numbered 1-3 respectively.}. The work of baptism wrought in any individual is accomplished once and for all, however, and it is never repeated, involves no subsequent process in itself, and is never improved. In the Gospels all references are prophetic. The Good News Thus the bird is in the air, and the air is in the bird; the fish is in the water and the water is in the fish; the iron is in the fire and the fire is in the iron. The seal is provided as the token of what will be brought to its conclusion at the day of redemption. Some Thoughts The presence of the Holy Spirit is our “earnest” of the blessing ahead (2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; Eph 1:14). And even if weve heard this truth, we may not understand who the Spirit is or why His indwelling presence is significant. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. While their teaching may be most helpful as in the case of Pastor Dolman, the terminology is confusing and in the case of some writers results in the end in unscriptural teaching. Having been joined to Christ by the baptism of the Spirit, the believer is identified with the work of Christ on the cross and His triumph in resurrection. The settlement of this doctrine has been postponed because the time had not come when its settlement could be reached. It is assumed that all are sealed, and because of this, all are exhorted not to grieve the Spirit. The absence of the Holy Spirit indicated a lack of salvation. The Trinity is at work in regeneration. 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