After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days appearing to His disciples. One day, while they were assembled on a high hill, He ascended to Heaven right before their eyes, as described in Acts 1:1-11. Before departing, Jesus made a great and beautiful promise to His followers.
“… I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth… I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” John 14:16-18; 16: 5-7
Jesus has not left us alone in the world. He has sent the Holy Spirit.
A. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
The very first thing we must understand about the Holy Spirit is that He is indeed God.
“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied TO THE HOLY SPIRIT… You have not lied to men BUT TO GOD’ “. Acts 5:3,4 See also 2 Corinthians 3:17.
God has revealed Himself to humanity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These represent three distinct Persons, each with their own identity, yet they are united as one.
B. THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is a divine gift bestowed upon every believer. When someone puts their faith in Jesus and accepts the salvation He provides, the Holy Spirit resides within them, bestowing spiritual life.
“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call’ “. Acts 2:38,39 See also John 7:37-39.
C. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. In The Believer’s Personal Life
The Holy Spirit comes to dwell within the believer to minister to him personally:
a. He Testifies of Our Relationship With God.
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” Romans 8:16 See also 1 John 3:24.
b. He Teaches.
“But the Counsellor, 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
c. He Guides.
“… because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God” Romans 8:14
d. He Helps Us Live A Life Pleasing to God.
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature”. Galatians 5:16 See also verses 17-25.
e. He Helps Us in Prayer.
” In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express”. Romans 8:26
f. He Gives Life To Our Bodies.
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” Romans 8:11
2. In The Believer For Service
In addition to granting the Holy Spirit to reside within the believer, God desires to fill and baptize them with the Holy Spirit, equipping them to serve and honor Him in the world.
a. The Holy Spirit Gives Power And Boldness To Witness.
” But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” . Acts 1:8 See also Acts 2:14-40.
b. He Introduces The Supernatural Realm.
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit… To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues” 1Corinthians 12:4,8-10 See also Acts 2:4; 10:46; 19:6.
c. He Testifies That Jesus Is Alive.
” The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead… We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him” Acts 5:30-32 See also Acts 4:31-33.
d. He Brings a Fresh Understanding of The word Of God.
“… as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” 1Corinthians 2:9,10 See also John 16:13.
e. He Fills Our Spirit With True Worship To God.
“… be filled with the Spirit, speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” Ephesians 5:8,19 See also John 4:24.
f. He exalts Jesus.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. he will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” John 16:13-15 See also John 15:26.
D. HOW TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
God desires for His Holy Spirit, who resides within you as a believer in Jesus, to fill you completely with the power to serve Him abundantly. Ephesians 5:18
1. It Is A Gift Promised By God, So Ask For It
“… how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 See also verses 9-12.
2. Begin to Praise God As You Receive In Faith
“Then they worshiped him ,and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God” Luke 24:52,53
3. You Can Speak With A Supernatural Language
“… the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues… ” Acts 19:6 See also Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 10:45, 46; 1 Corinthians 14:5, 18.
Confession: I am grateful to God for the gift of the Holy Spirit in my life. Today, I commit to following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I resolve to attune my heart to His voice. I choose to invite the Spirit into my life and open myself to be filled with His presence.
