Posts Tagged ‘Holy Spirit’
We Have Received of His Spirit
Paul speaks of the most remarkable gift to the believer having reminded his audience that the world by its own wisdom could not find out God. To those who have believed the gospel, he assures them “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we…
Read MoreWhat the Holy Spirit Does When We Believe the Gospel
Having the Spirit’s ministry within us is even greater than having Jesus’ physical presence among us (see John 16:7). That might sound hard to believe, but once you’ve understood the manifold ministries of the Spirit, you will see why Christ’s words are true. In today’s post, we will discover the Spirit’s primary purpose in all…
Read MoreHe’s Not an It: Understanding the Person of the Holy Spirit
A Misunderstood Person There’s quite a bit of confusion in the church today about the person of the Holy Spirit. People may know a lot about God the Father and Jesus Christ, but few seem to have a Biblical understanding of who the Spirit is or what He does. Some think that the Spirit is…
Read MoreA Spirit-Filled Marriage (1)
Let’s face it: so many homes are filled with heartache. In 2019 in this country there were more than 2 million marriage ceremonies. But there were more than 746,000 divorces. These sterile statistics don’t begin to convey the hours of pain and grief that taunt the American public. Our church members minister to a number…
Read MorePreaching with Power, Redux
My recent article, “Are We Preaching with Power?,” kicked up some responses at Sharper Iron. The discussion was positive (a rarity on the internet), and it prompts this expansion of the theme. To review, the passage that prompts this thinking is Acts 24, where Felix becomes frightened when Paul preaches on righteousness, self-control, and the…
Read MoreAre We Preaching with Power?
When Paul preached to the Roman governor, Felix, the Bible says, “as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened.” (Acts 24.25) Paul’s preaching on these topics brought conviction to the heart. This response is in keeping with the Lord’s promise in Jn 6.8-11. In verse 8, Jesus says,…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit, Like A Dove
Why did the Holy Spirit choose the dove to illustrate His ministry? In the Scriptures, there are three prominent illustrations of the Holy Spirit. He is like a dove; He is like the wind (John 3:8, Acts 2:2-4); He is like oil (especially in anointing, 1 Samuel 16:13, Isaiah 61:1, Acts 10:38). For a few…
Read MoreManifestation and Mastery of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church
Are the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12.7-10 for every generation in the church age? More importantly, what does it mean to be a spiritual person. The great desire of faithful believers is to make certain we do not quench or grieve the Holy Spirit when we meet in the church. Any genuine manifestation of the…
Read MoreThe Holy Spirit’s Work Prior to Pentecost
Many refer to the church age in which you and I live as the “Age of the Holy Spirit.” After Christ’s resurrection and ascension, the Spirit came to indwell, empower, and transform believers into the image of Christ (see Acts 1-2).1 Christians everywhere can now enjoy the fullness of the Spirit’s ministry in them, to…
Read MoreDoes Spirit Baptism Occur After Conversion?
Some charismatic teaching indicates that a person must undergo a separate experience of receiving (or being baptized with) the Holy Spirit sometime after conversion. To arrive at this perspective, they lean heavily and sincerely upon instances in Acts when this either did happen (Acts 2:4ff, Acts 8:14-17, Acts 19:1-7) or merely appeared to happen (Acts…
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