Holy Spirit

Life without the Spirit of God is like a parched desert, a dry well, or a withered tree. No amount of fun, pleasure, or excitement can fill a heart’s thirst for God’s love, security, and guidance.

But we can quench this thirst once and for all if we have the fountain in us that never runs dry. This fountain is the Spirit of God. The Lord Jesus Christ will live in your heart through His Spirit, if you believe Him and ask Him to give you this “living water.” He will nourish your soul and give you true hope and purpose in life. “God is Spirit” (John 4:24). The Holy Spirit is God’s Spirit, or God Himself. So when referring to the Holy Spirit, the Bible uses the pronoun “He” instead of “it.”

The Holy Spirit carries out His work in different ways. Through the Holy Spirit, God created the universe, anointed His servants, and spoke through the prophets.

Nearly two thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit also came upon Jesus during His baptism to show that He was the Savior and filled Him with great power.

Today, He also moves people to believe and confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God. He convinces us of our sin so that we may come before God to ask for mercy.

God promised many times through the prophets that He would pour out the Holy Spirit on the believers, to live in their hearts. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27).

Our Lord Jesus Himself promised that the Holy Spirit would come and live in them permanently.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth... you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).

When a person receives the Holy Spirit, God gives a sign to show that the Holy Spirit is in him. The sign is the speaking of tongues—the ability to speak in an unknown language that only God can understand.

“For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). The speaking of tongues is a profound communion with God, for prayer and for praising God.

When God poured out His promised Holy Spirit for the first time on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), the believers began to speak in tongues. Since then, whenever the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, it was evidenced by the speaking of tongues. Anyone who has not had this experience has not yet received the Holy Spirit, because speaking in tongues is the necessary evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:45-47).

Receiving the Holy Spirit is an experience that is audible and very often visible. It is audible because of the sign of speaking in tongues. It is often visible by the movement of the body, although this is not a necessary sign. The disciples of the Lord Jesus said that they as well as the observers could “see and hear” the pouring out of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:33).

The speaking of tongues is not a one-time experience only. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can speak in tongues whenever we pray. Through praying in tongues, “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Speaking in tongues is beyond human expression and makes our prayers more effective because it is a direct, spiritual language with God.

As human beings, we all have the desire to express ourselves; but the expression is often not verbal. In moments of joy, for example, we laugh. In times of fear, we scream. In times of sadness, we sob.

Sometimes we ache so deeply that mere words cannot convey our pain. Sometimes “thank you” hardly expresses our heartfelt appreciation to God. We may have the drive to say something, but to say it clearly and concisely is often beyond our oral abilities. But when the Holy Spirit prays for us, He replaces our earthly words with a spiritual language. Our hearts become satisfied.

“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9). Not only do we need to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, we also need to have the Holy Spirit to receive Christ’s salvation.

“You were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). The Holy Spirit washes our sins away with the blood of Christ, declares us righteous (justifies), and sets us apart as God’s holy people (sanctifies).

Sanctification is God’s life-long work on the believer. We cannot overcome our sinful nature and the devil’s temptations by our determination alone. The Holy Spirit provides us the transforming power we need to live out Christ’s perfect example.

The Holy Spirit enables us to “put to death the misdeeds of the body” (Romans 8:13 niv). He strengthens our spirit to deny our own evil desires and to submit to God’s commands.

“God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). We once had lost our identity as God’s children because we had sinned against Him. But by Christ’s salvation, we are now God’s children again. God now gives us the Holy Spirit as a witness to tell us that we are His children.

We were also spiritually dead in sin. But God restored our spiritual life, giving us eternal life. Now God lives in us through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of God’s presence. “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24).

The Holy Spirit is also a “seal” that guarantees God’s promise of a heavenly home for believers (see Ephesians 1:13-14 and 2 Corinthians 5:1-5). How do we know that Christ is alive? We know because His promise of the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled. How do we know that heaven is real? We know by the Holy Spirit God has poured out on us.

Knowing that we need to have the Holy Spirit to be saved, we must ask ourselves, “Do I have the Holy Spirit?” Even if you have already accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you may not have received the Holy Spirit yet.

If God has not given you the sign of speaking of tongues, you have not received the Holy Spirit. This is why the apostle Paul asked the believers he met, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2). They replied that they had not received or heard of the Holy Spirit. After baptizing them, Paul laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.

To receive the Holy Spirit, we need to go through conversion. We must believe in the Lord Jesus as our Savior, humbly repent of our sins, and be baptized into Christ. Baptism goes hand in hand with the promise of the Holy Spirit; we cannot have one without the other.

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

If you have been baptized in a way that is different from what the Bible teaches, or have not received the complete gospel of salvation, you will need to receive baptism and the gospel in the True Jesus Church.

God gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, everyone who wishes to receive the Holy Spirit must humbly study and obey the true gospel taught by the true church.

We also must ask God for the Holy Spirit. The heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit “to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Prayer is the way to ask for the Holy Spirit.

Begin your prayer by saying, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray.” The Lord promised, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do” (John 14:13). It is only by the name of Jesus Christ that we have the privilege to make a request to God. So we offer a prayer in His name.

In your prayer, speak to God and tell Him how much you need Him or wish to know Him. Invite Him to come into your heart and give you His Holy Spirit. You may also praise Him, saying, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord Jesus.” “Hallelujah” means “praise the Lord.” This is the way the multitude in heaven worships God (see Revelation 19:1).

While you praise God with your lips, your prayer must also come from your heart. With a humble attitude, come before God, asking for forgiveness and mercy: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (see Luke 18:13 NIV).

Thirst for the Holy Spirit as if you are thirsting for water. With faith in God’s promise, and through persistent prayer and earnest longing, you will receive the Holy Spirit as the Lord has promised.

When the promised Holy Spirit comes upon you, just as recorded in Scripture, you will be moved to speak in unknown tongues. You may also experience warmth and power from above. The Holy Spirit is from God; so when you receive the Holy Spirit, the experience is not a frightening one, or one where people lose control or consciousness. You will remain conscious and may end your prayer any time.

This is a wonderful sign from God, and it is the same experience that Jesus’ disciples experienced two thousand years ago, when the precious gift of the Holy Spirit first came down to man.

The Lord Jesus called the Holy Spirit the “Counselor.” The Holy Spirit is like a personal friend and teacher who can guide us any time, without having to make an appointment. He is with us forever, if we live by the Lord’s words.

This Counselor teaches us to understand the truth, for He is the Spirit of Truth. “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13).

The Spirit opens our limited understanding, so we can comprehend God’s will and ways, for “no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Because the Holy Spirit enables us to know God’s will and truth, He is able to help us pray effectively. “Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27).

Praying with tongues benefits ourselves, much more so than if we pray with our limited words. The Holy Spirit also gives us God’s power: the power to transform our lives, the power over temptation, and the power to witness for Christ. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

“Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). The Bible teaches us to not only receive the Holy Spirit but to also seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Those who are full of the Holy Spirit are able to manifest God’s nature, such as love, purity, power, and wisdom.

According to our Lord’s promise, the Holy Spirit will fill those who believe in Him and humbly ask Him through constant and earnest prayer.

The fullness of the Spirit is like the continuous flowing out of living water. The Lord Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14). If we are full of the Holy Spirit, we will never thirst again because God dwells in our hearts and fills our souls with peace, comfort, and joy.

The fullness of the Holy Spirit is a result of letting the Spirit rule in our hearts. “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Instead of giving our minds and bodies to the control of sinful desires, we must always think and act according to the Holy Spirit, who guides us so that we are able to live a life pleasing to God.

“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6 RSV). God gives spiritual life to those who submit to the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Spirit-filled Christian overcomes sin and carries the beautiful example of Christ wherever he goes so that people can see Christ through him.

Paul, being filled with the Holy Spirit, was able to say, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Just as a good and healthy tree bears much fruit, those who are Spirit-filled also bear spiritual fruit, called the fruit of the Spirit. Bearing fruit is a figurative term for exhibiting behavior that builds others up to the glory of God.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23). Such edifying characteristics flow out naturally from us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord Jesus said to the disciples, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:8). When others see Christ through us, our Father in heaven receives glory. That is our heart’s wish and the purpose of our lives.

Heaven is for those who have the Holy Spirit. Before closing this book, think about what your next step should be.

If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, do so right now. If you still do not know about the baptism in the True Jesus Church, request a booklet or contact the church. If you have never prayed to God before, begin a life of prayer today. May the Lord pour out His Spirit into your heart and fill you with His Spirit. And may His Spirit guide you every moment, until you meet with our Savior in heaven.