The story is told that Dr. Walter Wilson once visited a godly man in
France. One day he said to Dr. Wilson, "What does the Holy Spirit
mean to you?" The doctor answered, "He is one of the Persons of the
Godhead." "Yes," replied the man, "that is true, but I asked, ‘what
does the Holy Spirit mean to you?"' The doctor again replied, "He is
my Teacher. He is the third Person of the Trinity." The godly
man looked at him kindly. "You have still not answered my question.
What does the Holy Spirit mean to you?"
Dr. Wilson saw the truth and made this reply, "He is nothing to me.
I have no personal relationship to the Holy Spirit and can live
without Him. This was a turning point in Dr. Wilson's
spiritual experience. He came into a personal relationship with the
Spirit of God and came to know His power in his soul-winning
ministry.
There are so many of God's people who love the Lord, who have a
burden for souls, who are faithful in church attendance, but who
know little or nothing about personal fellowship with the Holy
Spirit. Others base their knowledge of the Holy Spirit on some
emotional experience. Our only guide, however, is the Bible. "To the
law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20).
There are those who are think of the Holy Spirit in an impersonal
way because of the translation of Romans 8:16: "The Spirit Itself .
. ." Now the Greek word for Spirit, Pneuma is a neuter noun; but the
Greeks often used the neuter to speak of persons. We sometimes speak
of a baby as "it" although we definitely mean a person. So here we
may speak of the Holy Spirit not only as itself, but as Himself.
Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit by using the personal pronoun:
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgement" (John 16:8). "Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth Is come . . ." (John 16:13). 1. The Holy
Spirit is a person because He possesses the essential quality of
personality. This implies three things: Intelligence which reveals
itself in knowledge; Emotion which reveals itself in feeling;
Volition which reveals itself in will. A person has the power to
reason, to love, and to determine. This is exactly what we find in
our study of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit has a mind. In Romans 8:27 we read "and he that searcheth
the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
The Spirit teaches us the things of God. John 14:26: "But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my
name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
The Spirit loves us. Romans 15:30: "Now I beseech you, brethren, for
the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that
ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." God's
love is revealed in the Spirit as well as in His Son, for God is
three Persons in One. It is because the Spirit loves us that He can
be grieved (Eph. 4:30).
The Spirit has a will. Acts 10:19,20: "While Peter thought on the
vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise
therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:
for I have sent them." Acts 13:2: "As they ministered to the Lord,
and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for
the work whereunto I have called them." Acts 20:28: "Take heed
therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which
he hath purchased with his own blood."
Let us further see the personality of the Holy Spirit manifested
through His activity. Such activity is only possible by a person.
He creates. Psalm 104:30: "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are
created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
He strives. Genesis 6:3: "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not
always strive with man . . ."
He moves. Genesis 1:2: "And the earth was without form, and void;
and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God
moved upon the face of the waters."
He quickens. John 6:63: "It is the spirit that quickeneth." He
witnesses. John 15:26: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will
send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which
proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."
He guides. John 16:13: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is
come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come."
He searches. 1 Cor. 2:10,11:
"But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God."
He sanctifies. 1 Cor. 6:11: "And such were some of you: but ye are
washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are Justified in the name of
the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
He gives gifts. 1 Cor. 12:11: "But all these worketh that one and
the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will."
The Holy Spirit must decide the gifts.
He leads. Romans 8:14: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God,
they are the sons of God."
He helps. Romans 8:26: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our
infirmities."
He raised the dead. Romans 8:11: "But if the Spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you."
He dwells in His people.
Ephesians 2:22: "In whom ye also are builded together for an
habitation of God through the Spirit."
He reveals. Ephesians 3:5: "Which in other ages was not made known
unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit."
He speaks. Revelation 2:11: "He that hath an ear, let him hear what
the Spirit saith unto the churches."
He prophesies. 1 Timothy 4:1: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving
heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils."
He performs miracles. Hebrews 2:4: "God also bearing them witness,
both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of
the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?"
2. The Bible shows that it is possible to commit six definite sins
against the Holy Spirit:
(1) He may be blasphemed (Matt. 12:31); (2) He may be rebelled
against (Isa. 63:10); 3. He may be grieved (Eph. 4:30); (4) He may
be done despite to (Heb. 10:29); (5) He may be resisted (Acts 7:51);
(6) He may be lied to (Acts 5:3).
3. The Bible definitely
teaches that the Holy Spirit is God. (1 ) He possesses the
attributes of Deity. He is omnipresent (Psalm 139: 7—10). He
possesses creative power (Gen. 1:2). He is eternal (Heb. 9:14).
(2) He performs the work of God. He raises the dead (Romans 8:11).
He appoints overseers in the church (Acts 20:28). He regenerates
(John 3:5). (3) He is associated with God and is equal with
God. He is called God in Acts 5: 3, 4.
In the Baptismal formula as found in Matthew 28:19, baptism is in
the name (not names) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. One God in three Persons. It should be obvious that if there
is one Person mentioned in this formula, then the other two are
Persons also.
How wonderful it is that this Person should live in our hearts. May
we be willing to surrender all to Him.
2. THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The story is told of a young man who heard that his wealthy old
uncle had left him a Bible in his will. It was inscribed with these
words: "To my nephew I leave a copy of God's priceless Word which I
trust he will use daily and find within its pages real treasure.
"The young man was disgusted. He threw the Bible into an old trunk
in the attic. Years went by and when he found himself pressed beyond
measure, he turned to the old Book for comfort. When he opened it,
he found between the pages money that was worth a fortune. He
neglected the Book and he lost the joy of making full use of his
uncle's money.
When we neglect to open the Bible for study, we lose greater wealth
than money. The blessed Holy Spirit is waiting to help us, to
comfort us, to teach us, but we miss the blessings because we do not
spend time with God and His Word. I would like you to notice
first of all an important verse in John 7:39: "(But this spake he of
the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the
Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)" The word "given" printed in italics, is not found in
the Greek. The verse should then read, "The Spirit was not yet,
because Jesus was not yet glorified." The truth here revealed is
that when this verse was spoken the Holy Spirit had not yet come
into the world because Jesus was not yet glorified. However, we read
over in Genesis 1:2 that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of
the deep. There are also a number of other places recorded in the
Old Testament where we have references to the work of the Holy
Spirit.
The basic fact is this: Although the Holy Spirit was revealed in the
Old Testament, He did not come to this earth to dwell until Jesus
was glorified. Just as Jesus was revealed in the Old Testament in
type, in shadow, and in direct prophecy, He did not come to this
earth until God's appointed time. We celebrate the Christmas season
as the birthday of the Lord Jesus Christ. In like manner, there was
a time when the Holy Spirit came to this earth in a definite way.
This coming was in every sense the birthday of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said in John 14:23: "If a man love me he will keep my words:
and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, AND MAKE OUR
ABODE WITH HIM." This promise as fulfilled and became a reality on
the Day of Pentecost which was the birthday of the Holy Spirit.
Although we find the presence of the Holy Spirit recorded in a
number of instances in Old Testament Scriptures, we do not find the
Spirit dwelling in believers as a whole in the Old Testament.
I have heard Christians pray for the Holy Ghost. This is not right
according to scripture. In Romans 8:9 we read: "But ye are not in
the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell
in you. NOW IF ANY MAN HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST HE IS NONE OF
HIS." If we have not the Spirit of God dwelling within we are in no
sense a child of God. We also read in Romans 8:16: "The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of
God."
OLD TESTAMENT PROMISE
The Old Testament surely presents the reality of the Holy Spirit in
actual presence as well as in prophecy and type, and let us note a
few of these instances. Job cried in chapter 33:4: "The spirit of
God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me
life." The Spirit came upon Gideon (Judges 6:34. See also Judges
14:6 and 1 Samuel 10:10). Then notice too that He dwelt in Joseph
(Gen. 41:38,39). This work of the Holy Spirit was particular and
definite. He came to meet the specific needs of God's servants at
certain times. However, in the New Testament, after Christ was
glorified, the work of the Holy Spirit became universal in the lives
of all believers.
Now going back to the Old Testament we want to see the significance
in the prophetic and typical pictures of the Holy Spirit. The
Passover Feast was a yearly remembrance of God's deliverance of the
Children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. It was a picture of
Christ, our Passover, who was sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7).
In the observance of the feast of the wave loaves, Israel was thus
commanded: "And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the
Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave
offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow
after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall
offer a new meat offering unto the Lord" (Lev. 23: 15,16). This was
a typical picture of Pentecost and it marked the exact time when
Pentecost would take place.
Just as the birth of Christ was fulfilled in every respect according
to the detailed prophecies of the Old Testament Scriptures ("But
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made
of a woman, made under the law" (Gal. 4:4), so the coming of the
Holy Spirit was according to God's appointed time and manner. His
time was fixed as we saw symbolized in the feast of the wave loaves
and when the disciples gathered together in the Upper Room waiting
for the fulfilment of God's promise, they waited in prayer for ten
days because after Christ's forty days on earth following His
resurrection, there were still ten days remaining of the "seven
sabbaths."
NEW TESTAMENT PROMISES
Let us now note the promises in the New Testament concerning the
coming of the Holy Spirit.
We have the words of the Lord Jesus in John 15:26: "But when the
Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall
testify of me." Jesus promised to send from the Father the Holy
Spirit whose ministry here upon the earth would be to testify of the
Son.
I am afraid of Holy Spirit experiences that do not exalt the Lord
Jesus Christ. I remember one day meeting a friend who was a believer
like myself. The friend became very excited in relating to me an
experience which was attributed to the Holy Spirit. The believer
said something like this: "O, I'm so happy today. I really have it
now. I never was satisfied with my life but I know I'm all right
now. I'll not have to worry about sin any more. I have no more
doubts. I feel better now than when I was saved. In fact, this is
better than salvation." I stopped the believer right there. I said
something like this "Whatever you have it is not an experience of
the Holy Spirit. In no way have you been exalting Christ and
testifying of Him. You are exalting yourself rather than Christ.
Jesus said, "He shall testify of me."
We also read in John 16:7: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is
expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him
unto you." Here the Lord Jesus sees beyond His cross-work, His blood
atonement, when by the Spirit of God, He will minister as our Great
High Priest.
Notice also the 14th verse, "He shall glorify me: for he shall
receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." The Holy Spirit always
glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 2:32,33 we read that
the apostles witnessed the fulfilment of the promise of the Holy
Spirit's coming. "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and
having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath
shed forth this, which ye now see and hear." What they now saw and
heard was the beginning of this new dispensation (the birthday) of
the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2:1 we read: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place." The great prophetic day
had come. God's promises were being fulfilled. It was the birthday
of the Holy Spirit. He now took up His abode in the lives of the
believers. He joined the believers together into one body which is
THE Church.
May I say that Pentecost does not take place today. There cannot be
two Pentecosts any more than there can be two birthdays for the Lord
Jesus Christ. Pentecost was a once-for-all experience. We receive
the Holy Spirit when we receive the Lord Jesus as our Saviour.
3.THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE NEW BIRTH
The promise of the Holy Spirit to every believer was made by our
Lord in John 14:16,17: "And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even
the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with
you, and shall be in you." What Jesus says is that He is the
Comforter now present with the disciples but another Comforter would
come who shall abide in them.
Jesus also said: "He shall abide with you forever." He is to come
not for some special period of time but forever. He is to dwell in
the believers forever. When we pray for the Holy Spirit we do not
pray for Him as though He were absent. We pray for Him to come into
every department of our lives so that He may possess us and own us
and work through us to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.
CONVICTION
When we consider the Holy Spirit and the New Birth we begin with his
work of convicting sinners. How we need to stress this truth today.
Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit would come into the world
He would "Reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
Judgment of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness,
because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of Judgment,
because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8—11).
The work of the Holy Spirit is to "reprove" or "convict" or
"convince" the world of sin.
It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that men and women come
to know themselves as sinners before God. As sinners they are dead.
You will remember that God told Adam that he could eat of all the
fruit in the garden except the fruit which was in the midst of the
garden. The penalty for disobedience was death. Those words "thou
shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17) literally mean "dying, thou shalt
surely die." The moment Adam sinned he died spiritually and the
process of physical death had already begun.
Now I pray today that God the Holy Spirit will burn this truth into
your heart. As you listen, you stand before God as a believer or an
unbeliever, as a pardoned sinner or a guilty sinner, saved or lost,
on the narrow road or on the broad road, on the way that leads to
Heaven or on the way that leads to Hell. The Holy Spirit has
come to convict you of your sin. Your sin means your standing before
God. So many people say to me something like this, "I'm not so bad.
I'm not perfect but I do the best I can. I go to church. I pay my
bills. I look after my family. I try to follow the Golden Rule."
This means nothing as far as your standing before God is concerned.
Jesus said, "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John
3:18).
The primary reason you are condemned is because you have not yet
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. To believe on Jesus is to come
before Him as a guilty, lost, condemned, Hell-bound, helpless,
hopeless, sinner - trusting Jesus and Jesus alone to save you by
simply receiving Him as your personal Saviour. It has nothing
to do with christening, baptism, confirmation, joining the church,
working in the church, being good, doing the best you can. Your
standing before God is dependent only upon your relationship to the
Lord Jesus Christ. Have you received Him personally? Do you know
definitely when you were saved?
A YOUNG MAN AND JESUS
One day a rich young ruler came to Jesus (See Mark 10:17-22). None
of us could claim what this young man claimed in relation to the
commandments of God. He said, "Master, all these have I observed
from my youth." Jesus said in reply, "One thing thou lackest: go thy
way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow
me." But we are told that he departed from Jesus very sorrowful for
he had great possessions. Actually the great possessions "possessed
him." He was chained by his possessions and he could not break loose
to receive the Saviour. The Holy Spirit is trying to teach us
that whatever there is between us and the Saviour we must be willing
to give up if we are to be saved. God knows your heart. God, by His
Spirit, is able to see the secret places of your life. He knows what
is keeping you back from Christ. He sees your pride. He knows your
indifference. He beholds your sin. He perceives the wickedness and
the deceitfulness of your heart.
NICODEMUS
Consider Nicodemus. He was a religious man, a teacher in Israel to
whom Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water (the Word of God)
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. . . Ye
must be born again" (John 3: 5 and 7).
I asked a young man the other night this question, "Are you a
Christian?" He answered, "Of course." I continued, "When were you
saved?" He said, "I have always been a Christian. I was born a
Christian." Jesus would say to this young man and to others like
him, "Ye must be born again. Ye must be born from above." Your good
birth, your Christian home, your godly parents, your church and
Sunday school, your good moral character can in no way save your
soul. There is no other way into Heaven except through the NEW BIRTH
which is the work of the Holy Spirit.
MYSTERY
True there is the element of mystery. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "The
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
every one that is born of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit is the GIVER
of eternal life. He imparts to us a new nature. You cannot explain
it, but you can receive Him and receive eternal life.
HOW TO BE SAVED
In John 1:12,13 we read, "But as many (and you are included in this
number) as received him (not as many as are christened, confirmed,
baptized, reformed) to them (and to them alone) gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God."
The moment we receive Christ we are adopted into the family of God.
It is an instantaneous experience. When the Holy Spirit does His
work of regeneration, He then comes to dwell in the heart of
believers.
HE ABIDES WITHIN
Every believer has within his heart the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We read in Romans 8:9: "Now if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, he is none of his." In the 15th verse we read: "For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have
received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."
We also read in Gal. 4:4 - 7: "But when the fulness of the time was
come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the
Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore
thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, than an heir of
God through Christ."
In 1 Cor. 6:19 Paul through the Spirit asks this question, "What?
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is
in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"
Every believer has the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Your
body and mine is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Do we really grasp
this truth? Is God being glorified in our bodies? We are bought with
a price. We are not our own. But our bodies must be yielded
personally to God. In Romans 12:1 we read: "I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service." Your body belongs to the Lord by right, but you
must present it or hand it over to Him if He is to use it for His
glory.
So few of God's people enter into the deeper act of consecration,
giving their bodies to the Lord. God wants Christian young people to
lay their bodies on the altar of sacrifice. Will you today yield
your body to Him that He may use you in full-time service to help
reach multitudes with the Gospel? There is one further work of
the Holy Spirit that needs to be mentioned. In Romans 8:16 we read:
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God." Have you the witness of the Holy Spirit? We
may know and we ought to know that we are saved. We have the witness
of the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirits that we are the
children of God. God is our Father. When we are saved we are adopted
into His family as His dear children. "And because ye are sons, God
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying Abba
Father."
4.THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE BELIEVER
We have already seen that the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin and
brings us to the saving knowledge of Christ. The moment we are saved
He indwells every believer. Our Lord promised this before He went
back to Heaven. John 14:16,17: "And I will pray the Father, and he
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you
forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for
he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."
THE BAPTISM
When Paul came to Ephesus he asked, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed?" They replied, "We have not so much as heard
whether there be any Holy Ghost." Many are like these people today
when it comes to a complete understanding of the work of the Spirit
in our lives.
As Paul talked to these twelve men who professed to be disciples he
realized that their knowledge of the Christian faith was very
imperfect and defective. He wondered if they had ever really
received the Holy Spirit. This passage is wrongfully used by
charismatics who quote it as a basis for believers to receive the
Holy Spirit and the speaking in tongues as the evidence of the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. As we said before, when we are saved we
receive the Holy Spirit and are immediately baptized into the body
of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13: "For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we
be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Romans 8:9 says, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he
is none of his." The teaching of these verses is not that the
receiving of the Holy Spirit is a work of grace that follows
salvation.
Since these men (Acts 19) were disciples of John the Baptist they
certainly knew the existence of the Holy Spirit from the Old
Testament Scriptures. They also knew of the promise because John had
taught his disciples that the One who would come after him would
baptize them with the Holy Spirit. What these disciples did not know
was that the Holy Spirit had already been given at the day of
Pentecost.
These men only knew the baptism of John and they declared their
repentance by baptism as a necessary preparation for receiving Him
as King. They did not know that Christ had died, had been buried,
had risen from the dead, and had ascended into heaven. Paul
explained this to them, and urged them to believe on Jesus. Then
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Paul laid his
hands upon them and they received the Holy Spirit. They then spoke
with tongues which was full proof to the Jewish people there that
they too had received the same experience as that which had occurred
at Pentecost. Such supernatural powers were given by God before the
New Testament was written. Today we know that we receive the Holy
Spirit at the time of conversion, not by signs and wonders and
feelings and experiences, but by the testimony of the New Testament
itself. The moment a person is saved he is indwelt by the Holy
Spirit. He is sealed by the Holy Spirit. He receives the earnest of
the Holy Spirit. He receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
THE SEALING
When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our bodies, He seals us, or
more accurately, He becomes our seal. In Eph. 1:13 we read: "In whom
ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel
of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise." The Bible makes a
distinction between the new birth and the seal. We are born of the
Spirit in order that we may become the children of God. We are
sealed with the Spirit because we are the children of God.
When the cattle rancher brands his cattle, he does this, not to make
them his cattle, but because they are his cattle. We are born again
through the power of the blood of Christ. As God's children, God
seals us by His Spirit. When we write a letter, we sign our name,
put the letter in the envelope, and then seal it. We seal it because
the letter is finished. The seal of the Holy Spirit is the witness
that the transaction is completed.
If we do not have the seal, the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are
not saved. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his" (Rom. 8:9)
THE EARNEST
This is what Paul refers to in Eph. 1:13,14 as the EARNEST of the
Spirit. " ...Ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. Which
is the EARNEST of our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
THE ANOINTING
The Bible also teaches us that the Holy Spirit anoints all
believers. We cannot understand the Word of God except by the
anointing of His Spirit. In 2 Cor. 1: 21, 22 we read: "Now he which
establisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our
hearts." In 1 John 2:20 we read: "But ye have an unction (anointing)
from the Holy One and ye know all things."
THE FILLING
Then I want you to notice the need for the FILLING of the Holy
Spirit. In Eph. 5:18 we read: "And be not drunk with wine, wherein
is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." This filling is not a
once-for-all experience. We need to be filled every day if we are to
serve the Lord in His power.
In Acts 2:4 we read that on the Day of Pentecost the believers "were
all filled with the Holy Ghost." A few days later we read that they
were filled again. Acts 4:31: "They were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness."
I would like you to notice that when the early church received the
filling of the Holy Spirit they preached the Word of God unto the
salvation of many precious souls. It was God's power working in them
for the salvation of lost souls. There is so much talk today about
the filling of the Holy Spirit but there is so little soulwinning.
How different from the early church.
The filling of the Holy Spirit comes as a result of our yielding to
the perfect will of God. In Romans 12:1,2 we read: "I beseech you
therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your
bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your
reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
BE FILLED
This time of heart-searching before the Lord must be continual. It
is so easy to become absorbed with other things rather than the
Lord. If we are to serve the Lord we must be filled with the Spirit.
It is not an emotional experience that calls for noise or any
outward manifestation. It is a faith experience before the Lord that
comes through a complete surrender to God's most perfect will.
GRIEVE NOT THE SPIRIT
We also read in God's Word that the Holy Spirit may be grieved. "And
grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the
day of redemption" (Eph. 4:30). Then notice the next two verses:
"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one
to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
As I see so many people without Christ and so many opportunities to
reach them, my heart is burdened. We are not able to reach the lost
because of the indifference of God's people. If we are filled with
the Holy Spirit, we will not count the cost but will press on with
the Gospel message. Let us be much in prayer that His Spirit may
truly guide us into His perfect will.
