Bible Truths Concerning the Holy Ghost
TRUTH #2 – THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT DWELLS WITHIN YOU WANTS TO GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF HIS MANIFESTATION.
Acts 2:38 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
In this verse, we have three separate, distinct events that take place in the life of a believer. First is repentance. This is the act of one turning away from anything whatsoever that hinders one from believing on Jesus Christ, so that the individual can fully trust Christ to save them.
The second event mentioned is baptism in water. This is done in the name of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the minister doing the baptizing must say the words, “in the name of Jesus.” This simply means that the minister is baptizing because Jesus Christ gave him the authority to do so. In obedience to Christ, the minister is baptizing IN CHRIST’S NAME, or IN CHRIST’S AUTHORITY. Note Colossians 3:17, which says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” This verse plainly states that we should do everything we do in the name of Jesus! As I begin this post, I am sitting in the waiting room of a shop as my oil is being changed in my car. Today, I am having my oil changed in the name of Jesus. You see, I use my vehicle for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. This car has transported me to revival meetings where I have preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. On my schedule, I have places in the upcoming weeks where I will preach. I plan on getting to those meetings in my car. I am changing my oil today so I my car will serve that purpose. I am most certainly changing my oil in the name of Jesus. However, I did not stand up in the waiting room and say, “I am changing my oil in the name of Jesus!” But I am doing it in the name of Jesus. We should do everything in His name. We should do all we do to glorify Him. This does not mean that we say the words, “In the name of Jesus” before we do something.
The third event in Acts 2:38 is the receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a separate event from repentance and baptism. It is subsequent to salvation; and is therefore not synonymous with it.
The Holy Ghost’s Strong Desire
In James 4:5, James says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”
This verse teaches us that the spirit that is in man “lusteth to envy.” The word “lust” means simply “strong desire.” It is usually used negatively, but not always. Any strong desire is, by definition, “lust.” This verse shows us that the spirit that is in man (not the Holy Spirit, but rather man’s human spirit) lusteth, or has a strong desire. Your spirit possesses a strong desire. The phrase in this verse says that the spirit within man “lusteth to envy.” This means that the spirit that dwells within you and me has a strong desire “to envy,” or, “to the point of being envious.” When I was converted to Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God moved into my heart. Now, I not only have my own spirit within me; I also have the Holy Spirit living within me. I find in the scripture that the Spirit of God that now lives within me has a strong desire, just like my own spirit has a strong desire. Notice:
Galatians 5:17 – “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The Spirit of God “lusteth against the flesh.” The word “lust” here is not a negative thing. It simply shows us that the Spirit of God that lives in us has a strong desire, just like the spirit that governs our flesh has a strong desire.
So, my human spirit that controls what my flesh does has a strong desire. The Spirit of God that lives within me also has a strong desire. They are “lusting against each other.” This shows us that both my flesh and the Spirit of God in my heart are fighting each other for something. What is it that they want? The end of Galatians 5:17 tells us – “…so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” They are fighting for control. My human spirit that governs my flesh wants to control what I do; the Spirit of God that lives within me wants to control what I do. So, who is going to control what I do, my flesh, or the Spirit of God within me? The answer is simple – control is given to whomsoever I yield. When I yield to the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost has a gift that He gives.
What Does the Holy Ghost Wish to Give Us?
I stated plainly in the last post that the Holy Ghost dwells within a saved individual at the time of conversion. When the Holy Ghost dwells within us, there is a gift He wants to give us, and does give it when we yield to His control. What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?
I Corinthians 12:7 – “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
This verse clearly shows us that the manifestation of THE SPIRIT [the Holy Ghost] IS GIVEN [the gift]. So, in this verse, we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift He longs to give us “the manifestation of the Spirit.” The Holy Ghost not only wants to live within me; He longs to give me His manifestation. He wants to manifest Himself in my life. He longs to reveal Christ to me, and reveal Christ through me. This is the “infilling” of the Holy Ghost, as some call it. Some call it the “fullness” of the Holy Ghost. Whatever you call it, it is the Spirit of God manifesting His power and presence in every aspect of our lives.
The Promise of the Gift of the Holy Ghost is to Every Believer
Contrary to what some churches teach, the gift of the Holy Ghost’s fullness and power did not cease with the apostles. This great promise is for every Christian today. We have already looked at Acts 2:38, but let us examine it again, this time with verse 39 following it:
Acts 2:38, 39 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Any serious student of the Bible can plainly see that the gift of the Holy Ghost is something subsequent to salvation, and it is available to those who are “afar off” from Peter’s generation. Listen carefully. If you are teaching that a person has the fullness of the Holy Ghost when they repent, turning completely to trust Jesus Christ, you are not preaching the Bible. If you are preaching that the gift of the Holy Ghost’s power and manifestation expired when the apostles expired, you are teaching contrary to what the Bible says. The gift of the Holy Ghost is available to Christians today.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul is writing to a church, a body of believers. He is not writing to lost people in this letter to the Ephesians. Notice what Paul says to these Ephesian Christians:
Ephesians 5:18 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
“Be not drunk with wine” is a command given to Christians. In the same verse is another command given to Christians – “Be filled with the Spirit.” It is a command for the person who is saved to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is ready to use every Christian reading this post. He is ready to fill you, to control you, to use you, to open the scriptures to you, to go with you to win souls for the kingdom of God, to enable you to edify the church of Jesus Christ, and to empower you to glorify Jesus Christ. There is so much waiting for the Christian who will yield to the Holy Ghost, receiving His gift. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost today!
TRUTH #2 – THE SPIRIT OF GOD THAT DWELLS WITHIN YOU WANTS TO GIVE YOU THE GIFT OF HIS MANIFESTATION.
Acts 2:38 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
In this verse, we have three separate, distinct events that take place in the life of a believer. First is repentance. This is the act of one turning away from anything whatsoever that hinders one from believing on Jesus Christ, so that the individual can fully trust Christ to save them.
The second event mentioned is baptism in water. This is done in the name of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that the minister doing the baptizing must say the words, “in the name of Jesus.” This simply means that the minister is baptizing because Jesus Christ gave him the authority to do so. In obedience to Christ, the minister is baptizing IN CHRIST’S NAME, or IN CHRIST’S AUTHORITY. Note Colossians 3:17, which says, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” This verse plainly states that we should do everything we do in the name of Jesus! As I begin this post, I am sitting in the waiting room of a shop as my oil is being changed in my car. Today, I am having my oil changed in the name of Jesus. You see, I use my vehicle for the furtherance of the kingdom of God. This car has transported me to revival meetings where I have preached the gospel of Jesus Christ. On my schedule, I have places in the upcoming weeks where I will preach. I plan on getting to those meetings in my car. I am changing my oil today so I my car will serve that purpose. I am most certainly changing my oil in the name of Jesus. However, I did not stand up in the waiting room and say, “I am changing my oil in the name of Jesus!” But I am doing it in the name of Jesus. We should do everything in His name. We should do all we do to glorify Him. This does not mean that we say the words, “In the name of Jesus” before we do something.
The third event in Acts 2:38 is the receiving of the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a separate event from repentance and baptism. It is subsequent to salvation; and is therefore not synonymous with it.
The Holy Ghost’s Strong Desire
In James 4:5, James says, “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?”
This verse teaches us that the spirit that is in man “lusteth to envy.” The word “lust” means simply “strong desire.” It is usually used negatively, but not always. Any strong desire is, by definition, “lust.” This verse shows us that the spirit that is in man (not the Holy Spirit, but rather man’s human spirit) lusteth, or has a strong desire. Your spirit possesses a strong desire. The phrase in this verse says that the spirit within man “lusteth to envy.” This means that the spirit that dwells within you and me has a strong desire “to envy,” or, “to the point of being envious.” When I was converted to Jesus Christ, the Spirit of God moved into my heart. Now, I not only have my own spirit within me; I also have the Holy Spirit living within me. I find in the scripture that the Spirit of God that now lives within me has a strong desire, just like my own spirit has a strong desire. Notice:
Galatians 5:17 – “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
The Spirit of God “lusteth against the flesh.” The word “lust” here is not a negative thing. It simply shows us that the Spirit of God that lives in us has a strong desire, just like the spirit that governs our flesh has a strong desire.
So, my human spirit that controls what my flesh does has a strong desire. The Spirit of God that lives within me also has a strong desire. They are “lusting against each other.” This shows us that both my flesh and the Spirit of God in my heart are fighting each other for something. What is it that they want? The end of Galatians 5:17 tells us – “…so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” They are fighting for control. My human spirit that governs my flesh wants to control what I do; the Spirit of God that lives within me wants to control what I do. So, who is going to control what I do, my flesh, or the Spirit of God within me? The answer is simple – control is given to whomsoever I yield. When I yield to the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost has a gift that He gives.
What Does the Holy Ghost Wish to Give Us?
I stated plainly in the last post that the Holy Ghost dwells within a saved individual at the time of conversion. When the Holy Ghost dwells within us, there is a gift He wants to give us, and does give it when we yield to His control. What is the gift of the Holy Ghost?
I Corinthians 12:7 – “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.”
This verse clearly shows us that the manifestation of THE SPIRIT [the Holy Ghost] IS GIVEN [the gift]. So, in this verse, we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift He longs to give us “the manifestation of the Spirit.” The Holy Ghost not only wants to live within me; He longs to give me His manifestation. He wants to manifest Himself in my life. He longs to reveal Christ to me, and reveal Christ through me. This is the “infilling” of the Holy Ghost, as some call it. Some call it the “fullness” of the Holy Ghost. Whatever you call it, it is the Spirit of God manifesting His power and presence in every aspect of our lives.
The Promise of the Gift of the Holy Ghost is to Every Believer
Contrary to what some churches teach, the gift of the Holy Ghost’s fullness and power did not cease with the apostles. This great promise is for every Christian today. We have already looked at Acts 2:38, but let us examine it again, this time with verse 39 following it:
Acts 2:38, 39 – “Then Peter answered and said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
Any serious student of the Bible can plainly see that the gift of the Holy Ghost is something subsequent to salvation, and it is available to those who are “afar off” from Peter’s generation. Listen carefully. If you are teaching that a person has the fullness of the Holy Ghost when they repent, turning completely to trust Jesus Christ, you are not preaching the Bible. If you are preaching that the gift of the Holy Ghost’s power and manifestation expired when the apostles expired, you are teaching contrary to what the Bible says. The gift of the Holy Ghost is available to Christians today.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul is writing to a church, a body of believers. He is not writing to lost people in this letter to the Ephesians. Notice what Paul says to these Ephesian Christians:
Ephesians 5:18 – “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.”
“Be not drunk with wine” is a command given to Christians. In the same verse is another command given to Christians – “Be filled with the Spirit.” It is a command for the person who is saved to be filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost is ready to use every Christian reading this post. He is ready to fill you, to control you, to use you, to open the scriptures to you, to go with you to win souls for the kingdom of God, to enable you to edify the church of Jesus Christ, and to empower you to glorify Jesus Christ. There is so much waiting for the Christian who will yield to the Holy Ghost, receiving His gift. Receive the gift of the Holy Ghost today!
