THE HOLY SPIRIT
In the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit is often called the Spirit of God, showing the Spirit and God are one and the same. They are indivisible.
1. The Holy Spirit is the one true God.
a. God said, “I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to observe My ordinances” (Eze 36:27; 37:14). Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:24).
b. Paul said, “There are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone” (1 Cor 12:6; Phil 2:13).
c. Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…you have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:3-4).
d. John said, “We know that He abides in us, by the Spirit which He has given us” (1 Jn 3:24).
2. The Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ.
a. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out ‘Abba Father!’” (Gal 4:6)
b. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom” (2 Cor 3:17).
c. In Acts, the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot [i.e. the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot]” (Acts 8:29). After Philip finished his work with the eunuch, the Spirit of the Lord (Jesus) caught Philip away (Acts 8:39). Thus, we see that the Spirit and the Spirit of the Lord are the same (Acts 8:29-39).
d. In Acts 16:6, Paul and the others were forbidden to preach in the Roman province of Asia. In Acts 16:7, some authoritative manuscripts read “the Spirit of Jesus” did not allow them to go into Bithynia.
e. “But the anointing which you receive from Him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in Him” (1Jn 2:27). From this passage, we know that the “anointing” refers to the Holy Spirit or Holy One (1 Jn 2:20). Also, “the anointing which you received from Him” may refer to the anointing by Jesus Christ (1Jn 2:27).
f. “But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Rom 8:9).
From this passage we learn that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of Christ (Jesus) refer to the same Spirit. Thus, the Holy Spirit is God, for God is Spirit (Jn 4:24), and the Holy Spirit is Jesus Christ, for in Jesus is the essence of God (Col 2:9).
II. THE NAMES AND TITLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. The Spirit of God. The Spirit of the Lord (Jehovah) (Mt 3:16; Isa 11:2)
2. The Spirit of the Father. The Spirit of the Lord (Mt 10:20; Lk 4:18)
3. The Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Jesus (Rom 8:9; Acts 16:7)
4. The Spirit of truth. The Comforter (Jn 16:13; 14:26)
5. The Spirit of holiness. The Holy Ghost (Spirit) (Rom 1:4; Lk 2:26)
6. The Spirit of wisdom. The Spirit of revelation (Deut 34:9; Eph 1:17)
7. The Spirit of burning. The Spirit of the fear of the Lord (Isa 4:4; 11:2)
8. The Spirit of judgment. The Spirit of counsel and might (Isa 28:6; 4:4; 11:2)
9. The Spirit of grace. The Spirit of life (Heb 10:29; Zech 12:10; Rom 8:2)
III. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS VITALLY RELATED TO SALVATION
1. To enter the kingdom of God one should be reborn in the Holy Spirit (1 Sam 10:6; Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38; Tit 3:5).
2. The Holy Spirit gives humanity everlasting life (Eze 37:14; Rom 8:2; 1 Cor 15:45; Gal 5:25; 1 Jn 5:12; Rev 22:17).
3. With the Holy Spirit, one belongs to Christ (Rom 8:9; 2 Tim 2:19; 1 Jn 3:24).
4. The Holy Spirit adopts the believers as children of God (Mt 3:16-17; Rom 8:16; Gal 4:6-7).
5. The Holy Spirit is a pledge for entering the heavenly kingdom (2 Cor 1:21-22; Eph 1:13-14).
IV. WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL TONGUE?
1. The spiritual tongue is the utterance done by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 19:6).
2. Generally, no man understands the tongue (1 Cor 14:2, 14, 16).
3. The unknown tongue is not an earthly language (1 Cor 14:10-11, 13).
4. With the spiritual tongue the Holy Spirit prays and makes supplications for believers (Rom 8:26-27; 1 Cor 14:15).
5. The tongue edifies the believers (1 Cor 14:4).
6. The unknown tongue is meaningful; and God moves other people to interpret the tongue, i.e. through the gift of interpretation if necessary (Acts 2:5-11; 1 Cor 12:10).
7. If some one interprets the spiritual tongue, i.e. has the gift of interpreting the tongues of another person, the spiritual tongue becomes an understandable prophecy to all (1 Cor 12:10; 14:26-28).
8. “to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Cor 12:10). Here the tongues are those which edify others and the church (1 Cor 14:26-28), and are interpretable if one is moved to do so. This kind of spiritual tongue is a special gift; and not every believer who has received the Holy Spirit receives this gift of speaking different kinds of tongues (1 Cor 12:30; 14:5, 13, 27-28).
9 One should never restrain others from speaking in tongues, whether self-edifying or in edification for the church (1 Cor 14:39-40; 1 Thes 5:19).
10. The spiritual tongue is spoken (Mk 16:17; Acts 2:4, 10:46; 19:6; 1 Cor 12:30). When one speaks in the tongue, one does not make repetitious sounds or monotones. Speaking in the unknown tongue involves speaking in a spiritual language to God and not making repetitive or monosyllabic sounds (e.g. rolling the tongue).
V. HOW CAN ONE RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?
1. A person should have a genuine and correct faith (Jn 14:15-16, 21; Acts 10:44-48; Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13).
2. A person should be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 19:2-6).
3. A person should receive the laying of hands by ordained elders or deacons (Acts 8:14-17; 19:6; Heb 6:2).
4. A person should pray earnestly and diligently (Lk 11:5-13; Acts 1:14).
5. A person should wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit in the holy city – the true church (Zech 14:17; Lk 24:49; Acts 1:4-5; Gal 4:26; Heb 12:22).
6. A person must obey God (Acts 5:32).
VI. EVIDENCE TO SHOW ONE HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. A Christian does not automatically receive the Holy Spirit after conversion (Acts 19:1-2).
2. Neither does a Christian receive the Holy Spirit after baptism (of water) (Acts 8:15-16).
3. A Christian having the Holy Spirit may receive the “speaking in the unknown tongue” (Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 19:6-7).
Spiritual utterances are not understood by ordinary people (1 Cor 14:2) and so God sometimes inspires another person to interpret in order to build up the church (1 Cor 12:10; 14:26-28).
4. A Christian receiving the Holy Spirit while praying has vibrating movements of the body so much so he may be misunderstood and ridiculed as being drunk (Acts 2:13). Very often the movements, when intensified, may lead non-believers to think that he may be mad (1 Cor 14:23). These physical vibrations of the whole congregation during prayers, when concerted and transmitted to the floors may even rock the building (Acts 4:31).
These movements of the body are manifestations of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Our Lord Jesus Christ explains that the Holy Spirit is like the wind (John 3:8; Acts 2:2-4).
We cannot see the wind but we can tell a wind is blowing by observing the fluttering movements of leaves and flowers. The Bible frequently records the Holy Spirit as ‘wind’ or ‘breath’. (Eze 37:5,9,14; Jn 20:22). There are definitely visible and audible signs when a believer receives the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33).
5. Sometimes a Christian may sing spiritual song during prayer (1 Cor 14:15; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16).