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HOLY SPIRIT
I) IS THERE A SEPARATE AND 2ND BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1) [Acts 8:12]:
"But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women."
"They" = a number of individuals who lived in Samaria, v. 5.
So a number of individuals who lived in Samaria believed in the gospel of salvation as Philip presented it to them. Samaritans held to an heretical form of Judaism. The Samaritans descended from the northern tribes of Judaism which were captured years ago by Assyria and scattered all over the world, leaving a remnant in the northern Israel area. This remnant strayed far away from the basic tenets of Judaism and this provoked the hostility of the Jews from Judah, the southern province of Israel, which contains Jerusalem. In the book of Acts, Luke is presenting the historical beginnings of the church - how the body of believers started with the Jews in Jerusalem and spread outward throughout the world. In Acts chapter 8:12-18, Luke reports the next move of the church after its remarkable beginning in Jerusalem with Peter and the Jews there, (ref. Acts chapter 2). This next move is begun by Phillip going to Samaria to incorporate the 'cousins' of the Jews - the Samaritans into the body of Christ. After that, God moved the church into the Gentile world with the ministry of the Apostle Paul. So this unique one time historical account of Phillip's first evangelistic encounter with Samaritans in Samaria is the context of this passage. Therefore, not every single detail of this event is to be determined as the norm for all other applicable events. For example, Scripture establishes the norm for all believers of the church age relative to the baptism of the Holy Spirit as occurring at the point of trusting alone in Christ alone, (Eph 1:13-14, Gal 3:2). This one time historical event written about in Acts chapter 8 therefore is extra-normal in the sense that God sovereignly held back the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the new Samaritan believers until the church in Jerusalem, represented by Peter and John, could become involved with their new Samaritan brothers in Christ, thus establishing the concept and the reality of the unity of believers in Jesus.
So Luke states in Acts 8:12 that a group of Samaritans believed in the gospel of salvation. God's Word states in numerous places that once one believes in Christ alone for eternal life alone then one is saved, (Jn 3:16; Acts 16:31), so these Samaritan individuals were saved unto eternal life at the moment of their expressing their belief in the gospel of salvation, including Simon:
2) [Acts 8:13]:
"Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw."
Objectors to these Samaritans and Simon being saved state that they were not saved because they must have been false professors or because they only expressed a simple intellectual assent to the gospel of salvation. Otherwise, the objectors go on to say, they should have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But this contradicts what Scripture says about salvation and disallows God to sovereignly permit unique and extra normal events.
In defense of what Luke wrote in this passage, one must state that if the Bible says that an individual believed in the Gospel of salvation then that's what the verse means. And God's Word states that that's all that is required of an individual in order to be saved, (Jn 3:16-18; Eph 2:8-9). One must also accept our Lord's conclusion that faith is defined as a simple intellectual assent:
a) [Mt 18:3 AMPLIFIED]:
"And [Jesus] said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you repent (change, turn about) and become like little children you can never enter the kingdom of heaven at all."
["repent" = "straphete" = turn yourself about, i.e., change your mind about Christ from not believing to believing in Him as Savior, i.e., be converted to Christianity by faith alone in Christ alone.
"become like little children" = have a simple mental attitude of acceptance, i.e., an attitude of agreement that what God is saying about His Son is true:
b) [1 Jn 5:9-13]:
(v. 9) "We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which He has given about His Son.
(v. 10) Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about His Son.
(v. 11) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
(v. 12) He who has the son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
(v. 13) I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
So eternal life is received when one expresses a simple mental assent that what God is saying about His Son is true - that to believe alone in His Son alone will provide for them eternal life.
3) [Acts 8:18-23]:
(v. 18) "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the Apostles' hands, he offered them money
(v. 19) and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'
(v. 20) Peter answered" 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!'
(v. 21) You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
(v. 22) Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
(v. 23) For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.' "
'May your money perish with you" = The word "perish" and other synonymous terms are used in Scripture to mean physical death, (Jer 44:27; Jer 12:4), or the destruction of something, (1 Pet 1:4; Acts 8:20; 2 Sam 1:27), or eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire, (Jn 3:13-18), depending upon context. Keep in mind that Peter is speaking to Simon who is a born again believer destined for eternal life with God in heaven, (Acts 8:13, Eph 1:13-14). Although Simon behaved in a despicably evil manner after his conversion to Christianity, recall that this kind of behavior is not beyond a believer, especially a newborn believer with a history of such behavior, (cp Eph 5:1-17; Gal 5:16-21). Thus the word "perish" cannot mean that Simon will perish in the Lake of Fire. But he is in danger of perishing via physical death, (cp Jas 1:15; 1 Jn 5:16; Pr 10:27; 11:19), and perishing in the sense of his earthly lifestyle, i.e., the value of whatever he does on earth perishing at the judgment seat of Christ, (1 Cor 3:11-15), leaving him with no rewards in heaven for all eternity! Consider also that Simon repented of his despicable behavior:
4) [Acts 8:20-24]:
(v. 20) Peter answered" 'May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!'
(v. 21) You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
(v. 22) Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
(v. 23) For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.'
(v. 24) Then Simon answered 'Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.' "
So Simon indeed did repent and asked Peter to pray for him so that he would not be harshly disciplined by God for his admitted evil behavior. Recall that such an admission to God of evil behavior resolves the problem of discipline for a believer bringing him forgiveness and bringing him back into fellowship with God Almighty as a believer:
a) [1 Jn 1:9]:
"If we [believers, (v. 2:1)] confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us these sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
If objectors had considered these later verses in Acts chapter 8 their stand on Simon's condemnation to the Lake of Fire would not have been so rashly made.
5) [Acts 8:14-16]:
(v. 14) "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
(v. 15) When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
(v. 16) because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
["They prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them" = signifies that they, including Simon, all were indeed saved, (cp v. 16). For one must be a believer in order to have the Holy Spirit come upon one, the context of this passage indicating that the Holy Spirit would indeed come upon each of them. God's Word goes to an extra length here to explain that they all had not yet received the Holy Spirit as if it were something unusual that they had not yet received the Holy Spirit when they became believers. Scripture here is not specific as to why this Spirit baptism has not occurred at the point of belief, but we can surmise God's reason from verses 14-17. In any case, it is not the norm for church age believers to receive a later Holy Spirit baptism as other clear passages in God's Word testify to, (Eph 1:13-14; Gal 3:2).
"..they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." = signifies water baptism since there is only one Spirit baptism, (Eph 4:4-6), which had not occurred yet, (v. 16). The phrase "baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus." refers in Scripture to water baptism, (cp Acts 10:47-48; 19:5-6; 1 Cor 1:13-16 and to Holy Spirit baptism, (Ro 6:3; Gal 3:27). It could not be Holy Spirit baptism in Acts 8:16 because the same verse states that "the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them". Nor could it be any other kind of real baptism. For there is only one real baptism for the believer, water baptism being a symbol of that real Holy Spirit baptism, (Eph 4:4-6). There are no other real baptisms for the believer such as a second Holy Spirit baptism:
a) [Eph 4:4-6]:
(v. 4) "There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were called -
(v. 5) one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
(v. 6) one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all."
b) Compare Eph 1:13-14 which specifically states that church age believers receive the the indwelling Spirit, i.e., the baptism of God the Holy Spirit at the time of trusting alone in Christ alone:
[Eph 1:13-14]:
(v. 13) "And you were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
(v. 14) Who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory."
(Cp Gal 3:2)
So for God's sovereign reason which is not explicitly stated in this passage, these church age believers did not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the point of trusting alone in Christ alone for their salvation. The next few verses do, however, provide good cause for the later Spirit baptism]:
6) [Acts 8:14-17]:
(v. 14) "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
(v. 15) When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
(v. 16) because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
(v. 17) "Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."
["When the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them." = Notice that the account of the ministry of the Apostle Phillip is interrupted here in order to bring out an important point: it was and is God's sovereign purpose to build a church comprised of Jew and Gentile - without distinction, (Eph 3:6). So God went to great lengths to convince Peter that nonJews were to be an equal part of the Body of Christ - the church, (Acts 10:1-23). And it finally took years for the Jewish believers to accept fellowship with nonJews, (Gal 2:11-14). So word got back to the Apostles in Jerusalem that many in Samaria had accepted the gospel of salvation. Then the Apostles "sent Peter and John to them." Scripture indicates that they were sent to participate in the Holy Spirit baptism of the Samaritans.
The point of Peter and John assisting in Holy Spirit baptism was to make it clear to Jew and Gentile believer that they are all one in Christ and are to put aside their differences and act toward one another with godly grace and agape godly love:
a) [Eph 3:6]:
"This mystery [the church] is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."
So God enabled the Jewish Apostles Peter and John to go up to Samaria on what Scripture indicates is a remarkable event: the conversion of a number of Samaritans to Christianity. Recall that the Jews attitude toward the Samaritans was hostile:
b) [Jn 4:9]:
"The Samaritan woman said to Him, [Jesus] 'You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?' (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)"
So to have the Jerusalem church which was mostly Jewish send two of their most authoritative Apostles, Peter and John, up to Samaria to participate in the delayed Holy Spirit baptism of the Samaritan believers indicates that God had a special purpose in mind which was to emphasize the unity of believers in Christ.
Therefore to make this unique event determine the norm for Holy Spirit baptism would be the same as to insist that what happened at the first Holy Spirit baptism at Pentecost was also the norm and not a unique event also:
c) [Acts 2:1-4]:
(v. 1) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
(v. 2) Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
(v. 3) They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
(v. 4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues [i.e., other known languages] as the Spirit enabled them."
If Acts 2:1-4 were the norm at the baptism of the Holy Spirit then all believers would experience the "blowing of the violent wind from heaven" and "the tongues of fire" as well as the supernatural gift of speaking in other known languages. But this event was also a unique one and not God's established norm for the tongues of fire and the violent wind is not duplicated elsewhere in Scripture. Nor do all believers have the gift of tongues, (1 Cor 12:30).
(v. 19) "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the Apostles' hands, he offered them money.
(v. 19) and said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.' "
Similarily, the laying on of hands by an Apostle during the early days of the Church Age and not every time in order to result in baptism of the Holy Spirit is also not the norm throughout the Church Age.
Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, (Fleming H Revell Co, Old Tappan, N.J., 1971; W.E. Vine, p. 321):
"LAYING ON
EPITHESIS, a laying on (epi, on, tith emi, to put), is used in the N.T.
(a) of the laying on of hands by the Apostles, accompanied by the impartation of the Holy Spirit in outward demonstration, in the cases of those in Samaria who had believed, Acts 8:18; such supernatural manifestations were signs especially intended to give witness to Jews as to the facts of Christ and the faith [to all who believe whether Jew or Gentile]; they were thus temporary; there is no record of their continuance after the time and circumstances narrated in Acts 19...nor was the gift delegated by the Apostles to others....;
[God enabled the Apostles to exercise certain spiritual gifts such as to lay hands on individuals as God the Holy Spirit indwells them or as God the Holy Spirit imparts in them a spiritual gift. The office of Apostle was not passed on after the original twelve and Paul died. Neither were a number of the Apostles' spiritual gifts passed on, such as the aforementioned two]
Vines, op. cit., p. 321:
LAYING ON OF HANDS, CONT.
(b) of the similar act by the elders of a church on occasions when a member of a church was set apart for a particular work, having given evidence of qualifications necessary for it, as in the case of Timothy, 1 Tim 4:14; of the impartation of a spiritual gift through the laying on of the hands of the Apostle Paul, 2 Tim 1:6...cp the verb epitith emi in Acts 6:6, on the appointment of the Seven, and in the case of Barnabas and Saul, 13:3; also in 19:6;
(c) in Heb. 6:2, the doctrine of the laying on of hands refers to the act enjoined upon an Israelite in connection, e.g., with the peace offerings, Lev3:2,8,13; 4:29, 33; upon the priests in connection with the sin offering, 4:4; 16:21; upon the elders, 4:15; upon a ruler, 4:24.
The principle underlying the act [of laying on of hands] was that of identification on the part of him who did it with the animal or person upon whom the hands were laid.
[for the purpose of having GOD'S SOVEREIGN WORK of Holy Spirit baptism, healing, setting an individual apart for a particular work or office, the impartation of a particular spiritual gift, etc., etc., whatever the context of the particular passage dictates]
So the common denominator when a Church Age believer is baptized with the Holy Spirit is faith alone in Christ alone and nothing else, this baptism happening one time only. The norm for this baptism happening is immediately - at the time an individual expresses faith in Christ as Savior.
So these are historical accounts in Acts and each group of people is different from each other group. The laying on of hands was not done with the Jewish believers and Apostles in the upper room. It was done with the John the Baptist believers who were Jewish, and it was done with the Samaritan believers. But it was not done with the Gentile believers who received the HS upon believing as Peter spoke without the laying on of hands in Acts 10:43-48.
The consensus for this laying on of hands is to affirm both Jewish and Samaritan believers are part of the Church, the Body of Christ and an Apostle was present to do this affirmation. The HS may have come upon all Samaritan and John the Baptist type believers after that without the laying on of hands. But this was not reported in Scripture. One could make a case for this assuming that the Apostle did not have the time to go around to hunt down and lay hands on all Samaritan and John the Baptist believers. It seems the point was made with these two incidents. So can we make a doctrinal statement out of all of this with so many inconsistencies - and specialized groups without language to make it general for all believers??? NO!
Can each of these scenarios be duplicated today. NO! These were historical so you cannot demand that there be a later laying on of hands unless you can duplicate the setting of these scenes. Only the Gentile one which received the HS upon believing as Peter spoke, without the laying on of hands can be duplicated today.
II) FILLING & BAPTISM OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
Near the end of our Lord's ministry just before He went to the cross He spoke of a time in the near future of the disciples lives when God the Holy Spirit would actually be in them - indwell them permanently:
A) Jn 14:16-17:
"And I [Jesus] will ask the Father, and He will give you [the disciples] another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will
[soon] be in you."
The disciples would soon be baptized
(from the Greek "baptizo" meaning to immerse, submerge)
with God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would soon be in them:
B) [Acts 1:4]:
"[Jesus told the disciples] 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised, which you have heard Me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"
[The Apostle Paul spoke of the baptism of the Holy Spirit when he said to the disciples of John in Ephesus, Acts 19:2-6]:
1) [Acts 19:2]:
" 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'
[During the period of the church age - the age of Christianity - when one believes in Christ and becomes a Christian believer, i.e. at the very point of that Christian's salvation, he will receive (be baptized with) the Holy Spirit. I Cor 12:13; Gal 3:2; Eph 1:13-14]:
2) [Acts 19:2-3]:
'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' So Paul asked, 'Then what baptism did you receive?' 'John's baptism,' they replied.
[So the disciples received the water baptism - (immersion by water) - of John the baptist and not the baptism of the Holy Spirit - (indwelling by the Holy Spirit) - when they believed and became born again Jewish believers. This Spirit baptism was something new to them]:
3) [Acts 19:4]:
"Paul said, 'John's [water] baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the One coming after Him, that is, in Jesus.' "
[Notice that repentance is synonymous here with believing in Jesus. So the disciples of John had become believers - born again Jews - and were water baptized by John the Baptist with a water baptism signifying their repentance - change of mind - about their sins and resultant belief in Jesus the Messiah to take care of them; but they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit because baptism of the Holy Spirit had not yet been made available. Our Lord had not been crucified, risen and ascended into heaven. Ref Jn 14:1-21.
Recall the period during our Lord's early ministry, when John the Baptist continued to preach repentance, our Lord had born again Jews water baptized with the water baptism of repentance also - during which period Spirit baptism did not occur. Cp Jn 3:22-26, 4:2]
5) [Acts 19:5]:
On hearing this, they were [water] baptized [again - this time] into the name of the Lord Jesus.
[they were immersed into water signifying their passage from believers - born again Jews - who were disciples of John the Baptist to believers who are Christians..... from saved Jews who are part of the kingdom of God to saved Christians who are part of the church - the Body of Christ - in that kingdom of God]:
6) [Acts 19:6a]:
"When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them...."
[Then, after they were water baptized in the name of Jesus, the Greek text says that the next thing Paul did was to place his hands on them and THEN the Holy Spirit came upon them, i.e. they were THEN baptized with, i.e. permanently indwelt by, God the Holy Spirit, cf Eph 1:13-14]:
7) [Acts 19:6b]:
"...and they spoke in tongues and prophesied."
[Then these twelve former disciples of John the Baptist - now members of the Body of Christ - the church, spoke in tongues and prophesied, evidencing two spiritual gifts that God the Holy Spirit imparts to some believers upon being indwelt by Himself. To others He imparts other spiritual gifts at the point of salvation, cp 1 Cor 12:27-31]
In another passage in the Book of Ephesus the Apostle Paul spoke of another event in the believer's life: the filling of the Spirit:
"Do not get drunk on wine by which there is dissipation...
[intemperance, wasteful lifestyle]
but [in contrast] be continually filled
[pervaded with the influence, controlled]
but be continually filled by means of the Spirit.
[Examples which of being filled with the Spirit are]
Speaking ...............................
Verbs in these next two verses (20-21) are all nominative, plural, present, passive, participle, i.e. they are 'speaking' words indicating a number of examples of behavior which illustrates being filled with the Spirit; behavior which is passive, i.e. the believer is not the initiator of the behavior - God in His grace is] speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Paul also instructed the believers at Galatia to live in such a way as would be characterized as being controlled by - filled with - the Spirit:
E) [Gal 5:13-26]:
"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love. The entire Law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
So I say, live [be controlled by] by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you [born again - saved - believers] do not do what you want.
But if you are led [controlled by] by Spirit, you are not under Law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those [believers] who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[They will go to heaven because God in His sovereignty has provided completely for their salvation through their faith in what Christ did on the cross, (Jn 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, I Jn 2:2 & 5:9-13); but they will inherit nothing when they get there. They will lose their inheritance - their rewards - owning nothing but dwelling in heaven for the rest of eternity. This is like an earthly father who disinherits his son for unrepentant immoral behavior but does not disown him - he remains his father's son but without any inheritance to enjoy]
E cont.) [Gal 5:13-26 (cont)]:
But the fruit of the Spirit.................
[the evidence of one's being filled, i.e. controlled by, the Spirit]
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus ..............
[i.e. those who have trusted alone in Christ alone as Savior and are thereby permanently indwelt by the Spirit so that they permanently belong to Christ, (Eph 1:13-14]
Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires..............................................................
[We need to divert a moment to several passages in Romans chapter 6 which explain the sinful nature being crucified. We are no longer slaves to sin - when we were as unbelievers we were operating ceaselessly under the control of our slavemaster the sin nature. Even as unbelievers when we did human good it came out of the 'human good' side of the sin nature and was unacceptable to God, (Isa 64:6, Ps 53:2, Eccl 7:20, Ro 3:19-20). When we become born again believers we die to sin - Jesus Christ has "crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires" in the believer.
We are no longer enslaved to sin -
We had no choice when we were unbelievers but to be enslaved to the sin nature. Even when we were unbelievers and we did human good it came out of that sin nature.
Believers still retain the sin nature: which gives us the capacity even while we are now believers to choose to sin; even to sin all the time and to allow ourselves to be enslaved to it again and again.
It is no longer a matter as it was when we were unbelievers of not having any choice but to sin. Now as believers we can choose to sin or not to sin. So we as believers struggle between the two natures: the sin nature and the spiritual nature.
The Apostle Paul asks of us born again believers:
[Ro 6:1b-2]:
"Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
[Shall we believers continue to sin because we know that God will continue in grace - unmerited favor - to forgive us every time?]
[Ro 6:2]:
By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
[Death to sin means separation from the enslavement power that sin has over us, not the extinction of sin:
'If we are no longer enslaved to sin then how can we choose to go back to being enslaved by it when you now have a choice not to?] [Ro 6:1b-2].
[So Paul commands the believer]:
[Ro 6:13]:
"...do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness."
[Believers have a choice]
[Ro 6:19-20]:
"I [Paul] put this in human terms because you [born again believers] are weak in your natural selves
[you are weak with the natural self - the sin nature - which you still retain].
Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever increasing wickedness, so now
[that you are born again believers, you are commanded instead to]
offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
[this you can choose to do or choose not to do because you still retain the sin nature]
When you were slaves to sin you were free from the control of righteousness.
[you did not have God the Holy Spirit indwelling you and actively involved in guiding your life toward righteousness]
[As unbelievers we were totally enslaved by the sin nature. Everything - 100% - of what we thought, said and did came out of the sin nature - whether it was human good or evil all of it totally unacceptable to God.]
[As believers our total enslavement to the sin nature is broken and we are now under the direction of God the Holy Spirit.
THIS DIRECTION DOES NOT RULE OUT OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE TO SIN AT ANY TIME - EVEN TO CHOOSE TO OBEY THE SIN NATURE WHICH WE RETAIN AND THEREBY RE-ENSLAVE OURSELVES UNTIL GOD IN HIS SOVEREIGNTY TAKES STEPS TO BRING US OUT OF IT OR BRING US HOME BY AN EARLY PHYSICAL DEATH]:
[Ro 6:15-16]:
"What then? Shall we sin because we are not under Law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to [physical] death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"
Getting back to the passage in Galatians 5:13-26:
[Gal 5:24]:
"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
[Gal 5:25a]:
Since we live by the Spirit.....
[Since we are now under the direction of God the Holy Spirit and no longer under the direction of the sin nature]
[Gal 5:25]:
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
[We have a choice: to keep in step with God, i.e. be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit or not to keep in step with God - to sin or not to sin]
[FOR EXAMPLE]
[Gal 5:26]:
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."
[One final problem: The Apostle Paul clarifies this final problem very well in the 7th chapter of his letter to the believers in Rome in which Paul explains the strife between the two natures within man:
[Ro 7:21-23, 25b]:
"So I find this law at work:
when I want to do good, evil is right there with me.
For in my inner being
[in the believer's spiritual nature which is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit]
I delight in God's law;
But I see another law at work in the members of my body,
[the sin nature of the believer]
waging war against the law of my mind
[the spiritual nature of the believer]
and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.............
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
The Apostle Paul then states that even when he wants to do good - divine good - that which is in God's will - that evil is right there with him. So it is evident that even a believer is not capable of being filled with the Spirit of his own effort - of acting in fellowship with God - of producing genuine fruit of the Sprit - of truly being in God's will....................... at least not while a believer's sin nature is operational, (able to be in operation) - which is 100% of the time.
The answer to this apparent dilemma can be found in I John. It is solely by the grace of God that a believer spends one millisecond in fellowship with God:
[I Jn 1:3-4]:
(vv. 3-4) "We [apostles] proclaim to you
[who are already born again believers,
cp verse 2:1]
what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us.
And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete."
[So John is writing to believers proclaiming information from the Lord Jesus Christ for the purpose of establishing in the believer an ongoing fellowship with the Apostles and ultimately with God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The stated purpose then of I John is to tell Christians how to be in fellowship with God, i.e. how to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit. The only way to be in fellowship with God is to be filled with the Spirit. Then John goes on to explain how this is done]:
[I Jn 1:5-9]:
(v. 5)"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you:
God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all.
(v. 6) If we claim to have fellowship with Him............"
[i.e. if we claim to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit - evidencing fruit of the Spirit]
(v. 6) ".If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not the truth."
(v. 7) "But if we walk in the light,"
[Notice that the writer John states "if we walk in the light" and not "if we walk according to the light." If John wrote "according to the light" this would have to mean that believers would walk without sin which the believer cannot sustain because he still retains the sin nature, (verse 8 which follows on the next page states this). But to walk in the light means to be open and responsive to the light of our God and Savior which shines down upon us waiting to be walked in]
(v. 7) "But if we walk in the light as He [God] is in the light, we have fellowship with one another"
[as we believers walk in the light as God is in the light then we believers have fellowship with God]
(v. 7 cont.) "and"
[and as a result of receiving - responding to the light in which God walks - being open to receive that light as one does who chooses to walk into a well lit room from outer darkness] (v. 7 cont) "and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
[and as a result of responding to the light in which God walks by choosing to walk in it and not by trying to emulate God in all His perfection on our own, the sin which we believers are constantly committing is by the grace of God simply and completely purified - done away with - because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross and not because of any succes we believers had in walking in sinless perfection for a moment or two. The author John then writes in verse 8]:
(v. 8) "If we claim to be without sin ......"
[a principle or a cause of sin = sin nature , i.e., "if we claim to be without the sin nature"]
(v. 8) "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us."
[John is saying that even believers have the tendency to sin and they cannot ever claim to be without that tendency until it is time to leave this mortal body and to be with the Lord]
[But the grace of God is always available:
verse 9 is a key verse for the Christian]:
(v. 9) "If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
[Notice that it is Almighty God's faithfulness and justice that is stressed as what is behind God's action to forgive and purify the sinning believer every time that that believer confesses his sin. To be sure, God's love toward His child - the believer - is what motivated Him to enable Himself to graciously deal with the sin of the believer; but His justice and faithfulness can only be exercised because of what God the Son accomplished on the cross. Otherwise God could not exercise His faithfulness or His justice toward the sins of the believer inspite of the love of God]
(v. 9 cont) "If we confess our sins...." ["homologomen" = confess = the same thing to confess - to admit i.e., to admit or confess back to God what the Spirit has already made the believer aware of in his conscience with respect to his sins.
Incidentally, "homologomen" is in the present tense meaning that we are constantly to confess. So the believer admits back to God the particular sins that are brought by God to his mind. Then God will forgive that believer of those sins; and what is more He will purify that believer of all of his unrighteousness and bring him back into fellowship with Himself - under the control of the Spirit. That believer will again be filled with the Spirit]:
(v. 9 cont) "...He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins..."
[Greek = better rendering: "these our sins". i.e. these particular sins of ours which we have just admitted to]
(v. 9 cont) "...and purify us from all unrighteousness."
[and God will also purify us believers at the moment of confession of ALL SIN in our lives up to that moment - even that sin which the believer did not confess and might not even be aware of. So now at that moment of confession the believer is filled with, i.e., controlled by the Spirit, He has received the light - is walking in the light, i.e. he is in fellowship with God All of this is accomplished solely by the grace of God and not by any efforts on the believer's part.
Zane Hodges put it this way in his commentary on the Book of I John, (BKC, p.886]:
'''Naturally only God knows at any moment the full extent of a person's unrighteousness. Each Christian, however, is responsible to acknowledge (the meaning of "confess," homolg omen;).................. ......whatever the light makes him aware of, and when he does so, a complete and perfect cleansing is granted him. There is thus no need to agonize over sins of which one is unaware.
Moreover, it is comforting to learn that the forgiveness which is promised here is both absolutely assured (because God "is faithful") and also is in no way contrary to His holiness (He is "just").....................
As is already evident from 1:7, a Christian's fellowship with God is inseparably connected with the effectiveness of the blood which Jesus shed for him.
In modern times some have occasionally denied that a Christian needs to confess his sins.....It is claimed that a believer already has forgiveness in Christ (Eph 1:7). But this point of view confuses the perfect position which a Christian has in God's Son
(by which he is even 'seated...with Him in the heavenly realms' [Eph 2:6]) with his needs as a failing individual on earth. What is considered in I John 1:9 may be described as 'familial'................'''
[Webster's Dictionary: 'familial' ? relating to a family. i.e., the family of God - the relationship of a child of God to his Father is estranged because of the child's sin; and fellowship with the Father is broken]
[Mr Hodges' quotation cont.]:
'''What is considered in I John 1:9 may be described as 'familial' forgiveness. It is perfectly understandable how a son may need to ask his father to forgive him for his faults while at the same time his position within the family is not in jeopardy......Furthermore, the Lord Jesus Himself taught His followers to seek forgiveness for their sins in a prayer that was obviously intended for daily use (cf. the expression 'give us today our daily bread' preceding 'forgive us our debts,' Matt. 6:11-12)........confession of sin is never connected by John with the acquisition of eternal life, which is always conditioned on faith.......................
[Conditioned on faith alone in Christ alone]
....First John 1:9 is not spoken to the unsaved, and the effort to turn it into a soteriological affirmation is misguided.....
[Soteriological ? that which has to do with one's salvation unto eternal life]
....When a believer loses personal touch with the God of light, he begins to live in darkness. But confession of sin is the way back into the light."
[i.e. back into being filled with the Spirit. So what did happen at Pentecost?
Acts 2:1-4:
"When the day of Pentecost came. they [the apostles]were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled ..........................................."
["eplErOsen" = filled up, permeated, saturated]
"Suddenly a sound like a blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..............................................."
["eplEsthEsan" = filled mentally with, be under full influence of. This is a different word for filled than the Greek word "eplErOsen" used previously to describe the sound like the blowing of a violent wind FILLING UP the room]
"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
[So all of the Apostles at this moment in history became indwelt - baptized by - and filled by the Spirit. It does not specifically state in this passage that the baptism of the Spirit occurred but other passages indicate that the baptism of the Spirit was to occur at that time and also that in order to became under the control of God the Holy Spirit, i.e. filled with the Spirit, a believer must first become indwelt by the Spirit. (Cp Jn 14:16-17; Acts 1:4, 19:2-6; & finally I Cor 12:13-END which indicates that all believers are baptized by the Spirit At the time of the Spirit baptism believers are for the moment under the Spirit's control , (i.e., are filled with the Spirit) and may exercise a variety of spiritual gifts.
Today the baptism of the Spirit happens at the moment of salvation. Back in the time in history at the feast of Pentecost as described in Acts chapter two when the church was just beginning and baptism of the Spirit was new, the indwelling of God the Holy
Spirit at times occurred after the moment of expressing one's faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah. Many born again Jews were already believers before this unique baptism began, including many disciples of John the Baptist, (cp Acts 19:1-7).
Once indwelt by God the Holy Spirit the Apostles were also at that moment under the Spirit's filling, i.e. control - not having grieved God by walking in darkness at that moment with unconfessed sin; and the Spirit thus enabled them to evidence one of the many fruits of the Spirit which they received from God - the gift of tongues.
(Not all early church Christians received this particular gift, cp. I Cor 12:30).
SENSING THE LEADING OF THE H.S.
1) A tremendous verse to know the meaning of and memorize is Pro 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight"
And how can one do this???
Let's review:
"Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart" begins with trusting alone in Christ alone for salvation - for eternal life (Jn 3:16) - ...................BEGINS......................
and continues for the rest of eternity as you grow in the "grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Pet 3:18).
2 Peter 3:18 (NASB)
18 but
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him
be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
A Christian's life is a life of faith energized by his love for his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (Gal 5:6) which enables him to be controlled or led ("filled" Eph 4:1-end) by the Spirit.
[Pr 3:5-6]:
"and lean not on your own understanding;" is intimately connected with "trust in the Lord with all your heart".
It is part of the same command by God to you... it is in the same sentence. In order to trust in the Lord with All your heart you cannot lean on your own understanding for that is then not trust. Your own understanding, (human viewpoint), is opposed to divine viewpoint.
Divine viewpoint is largely found in God's Word. To trust in the Lord is largely to learn, accept and obey by faith - by trust - God's Word and thereby lean not on your own understanding.
"In all your ways acknowledge Him" means to be controlled, led by the Spirit (Eph 4:1 -end) - to walk in the Light - to be in fellowship with God (1 Jn 1:3-10).
How can all your ways acknowledge Him?
By learning God's ways through Bible doctrine and making His ways your ways.
By rejecting ways (thoughts, words and deeds) which are human viewpoint and adopting ways which are divine viewpoint.
"Inasmuch as we refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the true knowledge of God (human viewpoint); and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
To obey Christ is to obey His commandments. His commandments are found in His Word:
"Do not let this Book of the Law [God's Word] depart from your mouth [depart from - be absent from your thinking]; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful (Jos 1:8)[prosperous and successful within the sovereignty of God's particular will for you].
"And He will make your paths straight" means 'And He will direct your path - your life - every step.'
So how in our experience do we know truly that God is directing our path?
Scripture indicates that God the Holy Spirit leads us through our understanding of God's word at times via a thought that comes to you (Cp 1 Kg 19:3-18 esp.vv9b & 11) - providing of course that it is in line with God's Word. At times God will lead you via a still, small voice (v 12).
A small thought that rings true to Scripture as it is applied to a present circumstance.
First comes the knowledge of Scripture WHICH INCLUDES THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IN SCRIPTURE DIRECTLY APPLIES TO YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHAT DOES NOT. This takes time, effort on your part in order to "study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved, a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, [ashamed that you are not able to] correctly analyze and accurately divide - rightly handle and skillfully teach - the Word of Truth.
(2 Ti 2:15 Amplified Bible).
And on the part of God it takes the working of God the Holy Spirit in leading you to the true sources of Bible doctrine in order that you may be edified and grow to spiritual maturity. If you are learning true Bible doctrine you can be sure that you are following the leading of God the Holy Spirit in some respect.
Getting back to our passage on Elijah: notice that Elijah just came through a tremendous battle and victory over the "prophets" of Baal & Israel's wicked king Ahab and his viciously evil wife Jezebel. So now just after this exhausting time king Ahab's wife Jezebel has put out a "hit" contract on him and the troops will be coming to get tired old Elijah. Elijah runs for his life thinking that he is the only true prophet of the true God left. He is severely exhausted, depressed and afraid - one of God's greatest prophets of all time is out of fellowship with Jehovah God
(1 Kg 18:1-19:10).
Notice how the Lord takes care of his man - God gives Elijah rest and food FIRST (vv3-9). We likewise are to take care of our physical needs - rest, nourishment, good nutrition, a time away from the battle & a time to be with our Lord, a time for encouragement, then a time to prepare & a time to go back into the battle. This is evident especially in this passage about Elijah. More evidence that fellowship with a local body of believers is essential.
Here again when we know in our directive mind, (as opposed to our mind which is motivated by emotion - feeling), that since Scripture commands us to take care of the physical as well as the mental and spiritual because it IS the temple of the Holy Spirit then we are being led by God's Word which is the same thing as being led by God the Holy Spirit. (2 Cor 6:16; Mt 6:25-end)
We are simply led by God the Holy Spirit in the fact that we have studied, accepted & purposed to obey and then DID OBEY God's Word - that is the ever present leading of God the Holy Spirit. This leading appears in "black & white" in God's Word and is not
ALWAYS accompanied by a still small voice or a feeling or a series of circumstances or as an answer to prayer.
One must not wait, for example, to be emotionally "led" to pray. There are many so-called prayer proceedures where praise & worship, exhortation and all kinds of antics are PERFORMED in order to motivate people to pray.
Scripture COMMANDS the believer to
"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thes 5:17).
This includes those times when you are not "motivated" (i.e. you do not feel like praying) and times when you are truly motivated (regardless of your feelings).
True motivation is motivation to obey God's commands in His Word as a result of your faith which is energized by your agape (godly) love for your Savior. (Gal 5:6). [Agape love which is a godly love which expresses an attitude toward another which is totally free of any ill will is not always accompanied by feelings of Phileo (emotional) love].
Nothing else is required to get you to pray except simple obedience to what is a clear command in Scripture: "Pray without ceasing."
By the way, emotions & feelings which are properly oriented by Scripture via a Christian's understanding and obedience to God's Word are wonderful and something for the believer to be thoroughly enjoyed in this Age and for all eternity!!!
We can also inspect our "wake" (the path that a ship has already followed) - comparing what has lately been on our mind & what we've been doing in order to see if there is a pattern of circumstances that lines up with certain Biblical principles that we know and that keep coming to mind. Such a pattern which does line up with our understanding of Scriptural principles is often a message from God the Holy Spirit to the believer to respond with the exercising of his duty (ex. prayer, witnessing etc) and/or his spiritual gift(s), (evangelism, giving, exhorting, etc). We should be constantly comparing what has been on our mind relative to God's Word and our relative concern for others in the light of that Scripture - what we've been doing in a Scriptural sense - to prayer requests and God's word so as to sensitize ourselves to the leading of God the Holy Spirit and to what God is accomplishing with our lives.
Keep in mind that "..we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". (Eph 2:10).
Often God gives us homework and provides the answers through our contacts and experiences with people and the works of people relative to His word (Sermons, tapes, writings, conversations etc). For example, a question or a challenge or even a point made in argument to refute the true Gospel of salvation may be brought up. THAT IS YOUR HOMEWORK WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LEADING YOU. SO RESEARCH IT AND PROVIDE THE PARTY(IES) WITH AN ANSWER! This is the leading of God the Holy Spirit.
(2 Ti 2:15 & 1 Pet 3:15). Often the answer you provide will be requested by others sometimes very soon after you have begun to do your research (that is always very exciting to me - you see, even a biblical fundamentalist like myself is permitted to get excited once in a while. Hopefully there will be requests for this work as a result of others posing similar questions about the leading of God the Holy Spirit in a believer's life).
This is another way in which you are being led by God the Holy Spirit -via circumstance coupled with God the Holy Spirit's prompting in your mind of truth from Scripture that you have learned or will learn relative to the circumstance (Jn 14:26). You find yourself compelled to prepare yourself to answer the questions, statements or challenges of others in that circumstance.
You are obeying the Word of God as you are being led by God the Holy Spirit "to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3).
Part of this leading of God the Holy Spirit in a believer's life may involve having a burden for someone relative to their lost condition or their illness or their situation of hardship or their immaturity in the faith, etc, etc. Scripture indicates that it is God the Holy Spirit's job to provide a believer with such burdens as part of the believer's motivation to exercise his spiritual gift(s) and it is commanded to the believer to bear those burdens:
"Carry each other's burdens [by exercising prayer, exhortation, teaching, comforting, etc : your spiritual gifts and duties], and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." (Gal 6:2).
After studying and receiving and obeying Scripture to the point that the gifts that God has given a believer at the point of salvation are becoming evident, the Christian will become aware of God's leading in his life relative to the use of his spiritual gift(s). Circumstances will come up in his life which will enable him to practice his gift(s). A Christian should therefore purpose to learn from Scripture all he can about his gift(s) and develop a sensitivity to circumstances around him which might call upon him to utilize his gift. It will often be remarkable that as soon as a believer is ready to exercise his gift in a certain way, that circumstances will present themselves to him in order to test his gift.
There are at least three circumstances which occur which will affirm what your spiritual gift(s) is, these come by the leading of God the Holy Spirit:
1) Other believers, notably more mature ones will state what they notice is your gift(s). (This requires that you do have regular fellowship somewhere with a body of believers under the guidance of a properly teaching pastor-teacher. This necessitates the study of Scripture under the topic of how the Word of God should be taught in order to determine which local body of believers to fellowship with).
2) You yourself will notice a compulsion to exercise your gift(s) especially the more you learn about it (them) and the more you exercise it (them).
3) Circumstances will crop up around you which will indicate that the use of a certain spiritual gift(s) is in order and those circumstances will point to you as the one who is to exercise that particular gift(s).
(You must familiarize yourself with all the spiritual gifts as described in Scripture in order to be able to recognize whether or not you have a particular gift(s), how to properly use it and how to recognize the opportunities to exercise your gift(s).)
All of this activity as described above describes ways in which God the Holy Spirit is leading you. Remember that the Holy Spirit is God. God is Almighty, He decrees that all events - ALL EVENTS - in the universe occur, the good and the evil. God does not create evil nor does He do evil yet He permits it in the universe to His own glory!! Whatever you do has been decreed by God. Some things that you do are within His perfect will for you, some are not - theologically, this is called God's permissive will. You are operating within your own finite will and power at the same time that God is operating through you and everywhere in the universe with His infinite will and power.
The following is Scriptural evidence of a number of things which give evidence that you are being led (controlled, filled) by God the Holy Spirit:
"..be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Singing and making music in your heart, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Eph 5:18-20).
"..but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22)
Of course, the first step to walking in the light is the confession of all known sins so that the temporal (everyday, experiential) sin problem is dealt with by God, i.e. when you confess your sins to Him, God in His infinite mercy forgives you, the believer, on a temporal basis of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
(You already have been forgiven eternally unto eternal life).
Now you are in fellowship, temporal fellowship with Almighty God and are to continue to walk in the light of the righteousness of Christ (1 Jn 1:3-10) - a walk of faith energized by love for Him. (Gal 5:6).
Finally, when a Christian takes to a direction in his Christian life that can be described as being in fellowship with with God, i.e. he is walking in the light, he is being controlled by the Spirit of God, AND ESPECIALLY IF HE IS EXERCISING HIS SPIRITUAL GIFT, then the enemy - Satan or most likely a demon angel or two will take notice and start causing trouble in a myriad of ways from car trouble to personality problems to persistent temptation where the believer is weakest etc, etc.
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF SPIRITUAL WARFARE AND REMEMBER:
THE BATTLE IS
THE LORD'S
[Now would be a good time to study up on the believer's tactics in spiritual warfare BEFORE the battle begins to rage and Eph 6:12-18 is a good place to start].
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON OF THE GODHEAD
The Holy Spirit is a Person Who is God and Scripture clearly testifies to this.
Passages In The OT Which Portray The Holy Spirit As An Individual Person Who Is God
[The following passages in the OT portray a number of meanings for the word Spirit from an entity, a person who has power and wisdom which can pick one up an set one down to another place, provide knowledge to another. It also can portray the power and knowledge of another.
2SA 23:1 These are the last words of David: "The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel's singer of songs:
2SA 23:2 "The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.
[Notice that the Spirit is portrayed here as a Person Who spoke through David such that His word was on David's tongue. ]
2KI 2:15 The company of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha."
[Notice that the word spirit here is portrayed as the power and knowledge of Elijah which rested on Elisha] And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16 "Look," they said, "we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down on some mountain or in some valley."
[Notice that the Spirit here is portrayed as an entity that physically picked up Elisha and moved him from one place to another. ]
"No," Elisha replied, "do not send them." 2KI 5:26 But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you?
[Now the word spirit refers to the power and knowledge of Elijah]
Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?
1CH 28:11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things.
[Notice here that the Spirit is portrayed as a person, an entity, an individual Who put in David's mind the plans for the courts of the temple]
NE 9:16 "But they, our forefathers, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and did not obey your commands. 17 They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, 18 even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, `This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,' or when they committed awful blasphemies. NE 9:19 "Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the desert. By day the pillar of cloud did not cease to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst.
[Notice that the Spirit is portrayed here as an individual, a Person Who instructed the Israelites in the desert, not just a force of God, but the Spirit of God, a Person]
JOB 4:15 A spirit glided past my face, and the hair on my body stood on end. JOB 4:16 It stopped, but I could not tell what it was. A form stood before my eyes, and I heard a hushed voice: JOB 4:17 `Can a mortal be more righteous than God? Can a man be more pure than his Maker?
[Notice that a spirit is portrayed here as an individual, a person who stands before Job and voices a message. Here is yet another usage for the word spirit]
PS 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. ISA 63:10 Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.
[This speaks of a person Who is greieved. The power and knowledge of God is not in view as being grieved, but an individual Person, named God's Holy Spirit is]
ISA 63:11 Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his people-- where is he who brought them through the sea, with the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among them, ISA 63:12 who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses' right hand, who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting renown, ISA 63:13 who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open country, they did not stumble; ISA 63:14 like cattle that go down to the plain, they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD. This is how you guided your people to make for yourself a glorious name.
[Notice that the phrase "The Spirit of the LORD" is portrayed here not just as the power and knowledge of God but a Person Who was among the Israelites, Who operated as the arm of power of God at Moses' right hand, Who Himself divided the waters of the Red Sea before the Israelites and led them through the depths. A person did this, not simply the impersonal power of God. It was God Himself Who did this: God the Holy Spirit, guiding the people of God to their place of rest in the desert to make a glorious name for Himself. Notice that being given a name, i.e., a name that reflects ones glory and honor is something reserved for an individual Person not an impersonal entity coming from God, but God Himself is glorified, God the Holy Spirit.]
EZE 1:10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went.
[Notice that the word spirit portrays an individual creature of some kind, not an demonstration of the power or knowledge of God or man]
EZE 2:1 He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." 2 As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.
[Notice that the word "Spirit" portrays an individual Who came into Ezekiel, raised Ezekiel to his feet and spoke to him.]
EZE 2:3 He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day.
[And notice that the words of this Individual called the Spirit states that the Israelites rebelled against Me which implies that the Spirit is God] He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. 4 And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain. [Notice that the Spirit is continued to be portrayed as an Individual, a Person Who lifted Ezekiel up between earth and heaven and in visions of God He took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner court.]
Passages In The NT Which Portray The Holy Spirit As An Individual Person And God
With reference to God the Holy Spirit: The command for Christians to baptize in the name if the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, (Mt 28:19), is an indicator that the Holy Spirit is a Person and not just the power of God the Father. 'In the name of' indicates not just a power of the Holy Spirit which would not have a name then but a Person Who is God the Holy Spirit.
Scripture clearly treats the Holy Spirit as a Person of the Godhead:
[Acts 5:3-4]:
(v. 3) "But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land?
(v. 4) While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.' "
[Notice that in verse 3 Peter indicates that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit and then in verse 4 Peter states that the Person to Whom Ananias lied to was God. So the Holy Spirit is a Person Who is God and not just a manifestation of God's power. One would not lie to a force, one would lie to a Person]
In the Gospel of John there is a passage which indicates that Jesus will go up to heaven and another Comforter will come to the disciples, i.e., the Holy Spirit:
[Jn 14:16-17]:
(v. 16) "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever:
(v. 17) that is the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."
"another" = "allon". The Greek word "allon" is the word which John used which is translated "another" in the English. "Allon" more specifically means 'another of the same kind' whereas the Greek word 'heteron' could have been chosen but was not.
'Heteron' means another but of a different kind. Compare Gal 1:6-7 where Paul speaks of of a different gospel, ("heteron"), which is not another, ("allon"), of the same kind that he preached as the true gospel:
[Gal 1:6-7]:
(v. 6) "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him Who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different [= "heteron" = another of a different kind] gospel;
(v. 7) which is really not another ["allo" = another of the same kind]"
Cp 1 Cor 15:39-41.
[Jn 14:16-17 cont.]:
(v. 16) "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever:
(v. 17) that is the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."
So since we have already proved that Jesus Christ Himself is God, (Titus 2:13), then "Another" of the same Kind' Who is, ("allon"), as Jesus Christ is, could only be God. Therefore since Jn 14:16-17 states that "Another" of the same kind as Jesus Christ is refers to the Holy Spirit then the Holy Spirit is God.
[Jn 14:16-17, 26 cont.]:
(v. 16) "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
(v. 17) that is the Spirit of truth, Whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you."
["Him" = "Auto" = nominative, singular, neuter, personal pronoun]
(v. 26) "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you."
["Whom" = "Ö" = nominative singular masculine pronoun.
"He" = "ekeinos" = nominative, singular, demonstrative, masculine pronoun]