The Holy Spirit is the energy and power of the Christian life, and it’s vital for Christians to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. We’re not supposed to live the Christian life in our own strength, but we’re to live in the power of God.
The Holy Spirit is powerful like fire (Acts 2:3), wind (Acts 2:2), and water (John 7:38-39). Fire can destroy entire forests and even cities. The wind of tornadoes and hurricanes is extremely forceful. Water is strong enough to sweep away entire villages and reshape continents. Almost all energy for human use is created by one of these three forces – fire, wind, or water. People burn coal or gas, harness wind, and use hydroelectric dams to produce energy. But the Holy Spirit who is inside us is more powerful than all these forces, and we need the power of the Holy Spirit to live for God.
We are saved by grace through faith. Then, after we are saved, we are called to live by faith. Faith enables us to tap into the infinite power of the Holy Spirit and live above our natural abilities.
Jesus gave us radical commands to follow, and these commands are actually more extreme than the commands of the Old Testament. People often think that the Old Testament law was too hard, and it’s a good thing that we’re set free from that Law because we could never do all of those things. But Jesus’ commands are even harder! Moses’ Law said don’t kill, but Jesus said don’t even hate. The Law said don’t commit adultery, but Jesus said don’t even lust. Just like the flesh has no power to keep the Old Testament law, so the flesh has no power to keep the New Testament commands! We need the power of the Holy Spirit if we’re to live as Christians and actually obey Jesus. We don’t obey Jesus to be saved, we obey him because we ARE saved, and he’s our Lord and King.
Jesus obeyed the Old Testament Law perfectly, and then he died, giving away his righteousness to all who believe in him. Now, through faith, the Holy Spirit is inside us, and we have power to obey God and manifest his kingdom to this world.
Without the Holy Spirit, the New Testament commands would become a dead law. But to Christians who have the Spirit of God inside, the commands of Jesus are the pathway to life! They are not burdensome (1 John 5:3), but they are the means of unleashing God’s kingdom. Jesus said his words are spirit and life (John 6:63).
Obeying Jesus and the grace of God are in complete agreement. Grace is not a cover-up for sin; grace is divine energy or empowerment to do God’s will. When we receive God’s grace, we will want to obey his word.
Last week we talked about 18 things to avoid spiritual confusion. How can we keep track of all these things and do them? It’s not possible through our flesh. But by the Holy Spirit, we can do all this and more. The solution is not walking in the flesh; the solution is walking in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead us according to the word of God, and as we walk according to God’s word, the Spirit will empower us to obey God.
Jesus told his disciples that it was good for them that he was going away, for if he didn’t go away, the Holy Spirit would not come to them (John 16:7). This shows how important the indwelling Spirit is. Even if Jesus is standing among us, without the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are powerless to do what he says. We would just bumble around and fail like the disciples did before Pentecost. For 3.5 years, the disciples didn’t understand basic things because they lacked the indwelling Holy Spirit, even though Jesus was with them the whole time. But when the Holy Spirit came upon them on Pentecost, they were completely transformed. With the Holy Spirit inside us, we can do all things. Jesus even said that we would do greater things than he did because the Holy Spirit is inside us (John 14:12).
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a person. He is not a thing. The Holy Spirit is God himself, one person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is Almighty God living inside us. When Christians tap into the Holy Spirit, they are in contact with the Power that created the universe, who knows everything about everything, and who has all power to do anything. The Power of God controls the future of the world. In the coming days, AI computers, armed robots, or even Terminator cyborgs may wreak havoc on the world. But these things will be like small ants in comparison to mature Christians who are full of the Holy Spirit, connected to the infinite power and wisdom of Almighty God.
The name of the Holy Spirit is HOLY. There is no sin, false teaching, or error with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead people away from these things into truth and light, which will set them free. Holiness is clean, peaceful, and good. The Holy Spirit will make us holy, so we can be holy even as our Father in heaven is holy (1 Peter 1:16). Demons are called unclean spirits, and they will make us unclean when we submit to them. Let’s submit to the Holy Spirit, and he will clean us up.
You Must be Born Again
Unbelievers don’t have the Holy Spirit inside them, but the spirit of Satan works in them (Ephesians 2:2). They are confused, spiritually weak, and incapable of doing basic spiritual things until they trust in Christ and are born again. When we are born again, our dead spirit is made alive and set free from sin (John 3:5-7). The Holy Spirit comes inside us and is joined to our spirit, making us new on the inside (1 Corinthians 6:17).
The first disciples were born again after they saw Jesus rise from the dead. Before that, they did not really believe the gospel (Matthew 16:21-23, Luke 18:31-34). But after his resurrection, Jesus breathed on them and gave them the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). But they still lacked power.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
There’s more to our experience of the Holy Spirit than being born again. After being born again, we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Just like we need to be baptized in water after we’re born again, so we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. There are two baptisms that are fundamental to Christianity (Hebrews 6:2) – water and Spirit.
John the Baptist said that he baptized in water, but Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). A man baptizes in water, but Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized in water, we are immersed in water by a person, but when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are immersed in the Holy Spirit by Jesus. We need both water and Spirit baptisms.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father (Luke 24:49). Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is a promise from God.
Jesus told us to wait to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so we would receive power (Luke 24:49). Jesus wants us to have power. He doesn’t want us to live a powerless Christian life. We have no spiritual power by ourselves, but we need God’s power to overcome sin, Satan, the flesh, and the world. We need power to obey God! This power comes from the Holy Spirit.
We need power to live the Christian life; otherwise, we are doing it in our own strength, and we will fail. Sadly, many Christians have never been taught about baptism in the Holy Spirit, and so they have never experienced this power. They are muddling along in their Christian lives with no real victory. They are saved, but they are struggling. We need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit if we expect to accomplish anything for God.
When Jesus began his ministry, he was baptized in water and baptized in the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist baptized him in water, and then the Holy Spirit came on him like a dove, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit and began his ministry (Luke 3:22).
Jesus told his disciples to wait until they were clothed in power so they could be effective witnesses for him (Acts 1:4-5). To tell others about Jesus, we need the power of God that comes to us when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In the Upper Room, 50 days after the resurrection, the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-6). The Holy Spirit came on them like fire and wind, and they were transformed. Before this moment, they were saved, had eternal life, and had the indwelling Spirit. But they lacked power. This is why Jesus told them to wait. After being baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were transformed. No longer afraid, they burst out of the Upper Room and began setting Jerusalem alight with the fire and power of God. 120 disciples became thousands of disciples, as people began running into the kingdom of God.
Peter said that the promise of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for everyone who God calls (Acts 2:38). God has called us; therefore, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for us. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and his promises never fail.
Acts gives us the details of normal Christianity, and it shows us how Christianity is supposed to operate. Christianity is supposed to be the same today; God never changed it. Throughout the book of Acts, people were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 8, Philip preached the gospel to the Samaritans, and they believed the gospel and were born again. Days later, the apostles laid hands on them, and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:12; 15-17).
Saul saw Jesus on the Road to Damascus and was blinded by a bright light from heaven. Saul believed in Jesus and was born again. Then he got up and was led by the hand to a house. Suddenly, a man came into the house, laid hands on Saul, and his eyes were healed, and he was baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17). Then he became the apostle Paul, and he began tearing through the Mediterranean with the power of God, unleashing God’s kingdom wherever he went.
Peter preached to Cornelius and his household. Hearing the gospel, they believed and were born again. Then, they were suddenly baptized in the Holy Spirit as the Spirit fell on them powerfully, and they began speaking in tongues (Acts 10:44-48).
We shouldn’t think speaking in tongues is strange. It just means speaking in a language that a person doesn’t know. God knows all languages, and when his Spirit is moving in us, he may inspire us to speak a language that we don’t know. This is a good thing, not a bad thing, for it’s a miracle, and all miracles from God are good. If we speak in a tongue, we speak mysteries to God (1 Corinthians 14:2), and we edify ourselves (1 Corinthians 14:4).
Once Paul met some people and preached the gospel to them. They believed in Jesus and were baptized in water. After this, Paul laid hands on them, and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit. They spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:4-6).
How to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a powerful and essential step for us to live an effective Christian life. How can we be baptized in the Holy Spirit?
First of all, we must desire this. God is not going to force us to be filled with the Holy Spirit if we don’t want to be. Just like we have to respond to the gospel with faith in order to be born again, so we have to respond in faith to his promise of baptizing us in the Holy Spirit in order for that to happen.
Second, we need to ask Jesus to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said that God will give the Holy Spirit to those of his children who ask him (Luke 11:9-13). God’s children are already born again, but they need more of the Holy Spirit.
Third, baptism in the Holy Spirit often happens through the laying on of hands, and if you want someone to pray with you and lay hands on you for this, please ask.
Jesus is Coming by His Spirit
At the end of the age, the Lord is coming back. But before he comes back in his body to judge the world, he’s coming back by his Holy Spirit to empower his people (Hosea 6:2-3). He’s coming like a spiritual rain to fill his people with his power.
The early rain of the Holy Spirit fell on the early church, and they turned the world upside down through God’s power. We are waiting for the latter rain of the Holy Spirit, which is the beginning of the return of Christ to the earth (James 5:7-8). The Lord is now preparing his church to become his bride to receive the latter rain outpouring of his Holy Spirit.
by Peter
