Great Doctrines of the Bible
Special English Version

Lesson 8
THE HOLY SPIRIT
(Part Three)

INTRODUCTION
This is the last of three lessons on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. People all over the world are talking about the Holy Spirit and His work. We thought it was very important to pay more attention to this subject. We want you to have a very clear understanding and so we have divided the subject into three lessons.

IMPORTANCE OF THIS LESSON

• Every believer should know how he can be filled with the Holy Spirit. He should know what the Holy Spirit has available for him. He should know how to get what the Spirit has for him.
• There is much confusion on the teaching of the Holy Spirit. God says that all believers must be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The believer must be filled with the Spirit if he wants to tell the Gospel to other people. If he wants to help others to believe in Christ, he must be filled with the Spirit.
• If he wants to understand the Bible and enjoy the Christian life, he must be filled with the Spirit.
• It is most important to understand and hold on to the teachings of this lesson.

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THE LESSON

I. THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS

1. He makes the believer a new person.
   He gives new life to those who were “dead in their sin” (Ephesians 2:1). The believer is born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. He makes the believer alive in his spirit (John 3:5-8; 6:63).
   • The Spirit honors Christ (John 16:13-14). He makes the sinner feel guilty of sin (John 16:8). If the person repents from his sin and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit gives him a new life (Acts 20:21; 2:38-41; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:4)
2. He baptizes the believer (1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3). These verses talk about the baptism INTO Christ. This baptism makes the believer a member of the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:30).
3. He marks the believer (Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:22).
   The Holy Spirit is the mark on the believer that he belongs to God (2 Timothy 2:19). He is like a mark that you cannot take off. The believer is a child of God forever!!!
4. He lives in the believer (John 14:17; 7:38-39; 1 Corinthians 6:19).
   This means that the Holy Spirit stays with the believer. He never leaves the believer. The Holy Spirit lives in us like we live in a house (John 15:4-5; 14:16-17).
5. He helps the believer to know for sure that he is a child of God (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6).
   He talks to the believer and tells him that he is a child of God. The Holy Spirit is the first part of all the things God promised to the believer. Because the believer has the Holy Spirit he knows that he will go to heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Corinthians 5:5).
6. The Holy Spirit guides the believer (Romans 8:14; Galatians 5;16, 25).
   The believer must walk in the Spirit. This means that we must do what He desires that we should do.
7. He gives the believer everything he needs (John 4:13-14).
   The living water Jesus talks about is the Holy Spirit. This verse says that the Spirit gives the believer everything he needs. He will never be spiritually thirsty again.
8. He teaches the believer (John 14:26; 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14).
   He is the part of the Three-in-One God who teaches the believer. He helps the believer to understand the truth.
9. He fills the believer (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31; Ephesians 5:18).
   He fills the believer with love, happiness, wisdom and peace.
10. He gives the believer power for the Christian life (Acts 1:8).
    He gives the believer power over sin (Romans 8:2). He gives the believer power to talk to others about Jesus (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5). He gives the believer power to pray (Romans 8:26-27). He also gives the believer power to bear fruit (Galatians 5:22).

II. THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTIZES THE BELIEVER

1. Many people are confused about this doctrine and many people do not agree on this doctrine. Some people say it means that the believer does not do any more sin. They say it makes the believer perfect. Other people say, when a person is baptized the Spirit causes him to speak in a different language. Others say the Spirit causes them to speak in a heavenly language. People cannot understand that language.
2. People are confused because they do not understand that there is more than one baptism in the New Testament.
   1. The baptism of John (Acts 1:22).
      This baptism was only for Israel (Matthew 3:1-2; Luke 7:29). It was a baptism by which people showed their repentance from sin (Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24). John asked the Jews to leave their sin and turn to God. This baptism showed that they had really repented.
   2. Water Baptism.
      John baptized Jesus in water (Mark 1:9-10). Christ commanded His disciples to be baptized. He gave them the power to do so (Matthew 28:19). This baptism shows that the believer is one with Christ. Putting a believer under the water is a picture of the burial of Christ. Coming out of the water is a picture of the resurrection of Christ (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12). The following verses in the Bible talk about water baptism (Acts 8:12, 36-39; 16:33).
   3. Baptism BY the Spirit (I Corinthians 12:13).
      When a person repents and believes he is baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27). At that time the believer becomes part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13,27; Ephesians 2:15-16; 5:30). The body of Christ is also called “the Church” (Ephesians 1:22-23). This baptism shows that we have been placed in Christ. This baptism does not give us power. It is completely different from the baptism of Acts 1:5.
   4. Baptism WITH the Spirit (Acts 1:5).
      1. Here we see that the one who baptizes is Christ Himself (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Peter in Acts 2:14-18,33; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5-8).
      2. Acts 1:5-8 just repeats what Luke 24:49 says. Luke is the one who wrote both the book of Acts and the Gospel according to Luke. He says, “I send the promise of my Father UPON you; but you must stay until power is given to you…” and “…a few days from now you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…but you will receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you….”
      3. The promise of this baptism came true in Acts 2:4. In this verse we read, “And everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other languages.”
      4. The Lord does this baptism to us and He also does it in us. The blessing is that the Holy Spirit comes upon the believer (Acts 1:8). This is the gift of power (Luke 24:49). At this time the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).
3. Now you must carefully note the differences between Acts 1:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:13.
   1. There is a difference in people.
      In 1 Corinthians 12:13 the people were believers but they were not strong for God.
      In Acts 1:5-8 the Spirit lived in the followers of Christ (John 20:22).
   2. There is difference in what the people must do.
      In 1 Corinthians 12:13 they did not have to do anything.
      In Acts 1:5-8 they had to wait until the gift of power came.
   3. There is a difference in the person who did the baptizing.
      In 1 Corinthians 12:13 the Holy Spirit does the baptizing.
      In Acts 1:5-8 Christ does the baptizing.
   4. There is a difference in the reason for the baptism.
      In 1 Corinthians 12:13 the believer is baptized to put him into the body of Christ.
      In Acts 1:5-8 the believer receives the gift of power that comes upon him and in him.
   5. There is a difference in what happened in the end.
      In 1 Corinthians 12:13 the believers are baptized into Christ. All the believers together make up the body of Christ. This is also called the “Church.”
      In Acts 1:5-8 we see that the Holy Spirit lived in the disciples and He gave them the gift of power. At that time 3000 people received Christ as Savior (John 20:22, Acts 2:41-42).
4. When you preach or teach about the baptism of the Spirit, you must make clear what baptism you are talking about.
5. But what about Ephesians 4:5?
   This verse says that there is “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”
   1. Yes, there is only one great baptism – this is the baptism BY the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). This baptism puts a believer in the body of Christ. Without this baptism a person cannot enter heaven. A person can go to heaven without water baptism. A person can go to heaven without the gift of the power of the Spirit. The baptism Paul is talking about is the one in 1 Corinthians 12:13.
   2. Here is something to think about. In Matthew 18:16, Jesus said every word will be proved by two or three witnesses. Here are two great witnesses.
      1. When you are baptized in water you show to the world the baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13. You are saying that when you believed you were put into the body of Christ. And you are saying that now you plan to follow Him. This is the witness on earth.
      2. When Christ fills you, He baptizes you with the Holy Spirit and gives you the gift of power. This power is the witness of heaven that you are a part of the body of Christ.
6. Some people say that when you are baptized with the Spirit you are able to speak in other languages. This is not what the Bible teaches.
   1. The Lord promised a sign in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. This sign was not the ability to speak in other languages. The sign was POWER to talk to others about Christ. It was POWER to preach the Gospel. This is still THE sign today.
   2. Many people in the Old Testament were filled with the Spirit, but they did not speak in tongues. Examples in the Old Testament are: Bezaleel, Moses, Elijah, Saul, Samson and David.
   3. Many people in the New Testament were filled with the Holy Spirit and they did not speak in tongues. Some of these people were Elizabeth, Zachariah, John the Baptist, Paul, Stephen, Barnabas and the believers in Acts 4:31. The Holy Spirit came upon Christ for His special work. Christ was also filled with the Spirit (Acts 10:38; Luke 4:18) but Christ did not speak in some other language.
   4. The great men who brought the church back to the truth did not speak in tongues. These men were Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and Knox.
   5. David Brainard, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Finney, R.A. Torrey, D.L. Moody and Billy Sunday were all great evangelists. None of them spoke in other languages.
   6. The truth is that you can have all the power of God without speaking in other languages.

III. THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
Read the following verses very carefully: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Romans 12:6-8 and Ephesians 4:8-11. The New Testament mentions 21 spiritual gifts.

1. These things are gifts. This means that they are free.
   1. You cannot buy them.
   2. You cannot ask for them or pray for them.
   3. You cannot earn them.
   4. God just gives them to the believer (1 Corinthians 12:7).
2. God decides to whom He will give these gifts. He does it according to His will.
   1. Every gift comes by the grace of God (Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:11).
   2. The believer cannot choose what gifts he wants to have. God makes that decision.
3. There are many different kinds of gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4). There is a reason for each gift. These gifts are for the operation and for the good of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:5-6).
   • The ability to speak in other languages was a special gift from God. This gift was useful for the church. For this reason it was not just babble or words without meaning. Babble or words without meaning would not do the church any good.
4. The Lord directed how all the gifts were used (1 Corinthians 12:5). A believer could not use the gift any way he pleased.
5. Every believer receives a gift from the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:7,11).
6. One gift was not better than any other gift. Just like one part of a human body is as good as any other part (1 Corinthians 12:18-25).
7. One gift was not holier than any other was.
   1. A believer should not be boss over another believer because of his gift.
   2. The gift of languages never made one believer holier than another believer.
8. Every believer did not receive the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 12:30).
9. The gift of languages is not a sign that a person “has the Holy Spirit.”
   1. It is not a sign of special power.
   2. It was just one gift among many other gifts.
   3. It was last of all the gifts.
   4. It was the least important of all the gifts (I Corinthians 12:28). Speaking for God and preaching the Gospel were much more important (1 Corinthians 14:1).
      • Do not think about the gifts that God did not give you. Be happy about the gifts you have. Use the gift you have to make His name great.

IV. THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT

1. The Bible talks about the believer who:
   1. Is totally filled with God (Ephesians 3:19).
   2. Is totally filled with Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
   3. Is totally filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).
      • One thing is certain, the Three-in-One God wants to fill us completely with Himself.
2. The New Testament presents the work of the Holy Spirit WITH the believer, IN the believer and UPON the believer (John 14:16,17 and Acts 1:8).
   1. The work of the Holy Spirit WITH the believer.
      1. He makes the believer feel guilty about his sin (John 16:8).
      2. He gives the believer a new life (John 3:5-8).
      3. He walks with the believer and helps him in his life (John 14:16).
      4. He teaches the believer (John 14:26).
      5. He shows Christ to the believer (John 16:13-15).
      6. He leads the believer (Romans 8:14).
      7. He lives in the believer (John 14:16).
   2. The Holy Spirit works IN the believer.
      1. He makes the body of the believer His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19).
      2. He works in the believer to produce fruit (Galatians 5:22).
      3. He helps the believer when he is weak (Romans 8:26-27).
      4. He helps the believer to know for sure that he is a believer (Romans 8:16; Galatians 4:6-7).
      5. He helps the believer to win over his own sinful desires (Galatians 5:16).
      6. He sets the believer apart from sin so God can use him (Romans 15:16).
   3. The work of the Holy Spirit UPON Christ and the believer.
      1. He came upon Christ (Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18). He made Christ able to preach.
      2. The promise is to believers (Isaiah 44:3).
      3. The promise was fulfilled (Acts 1:8, 2:17; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 Peter 4:14).
      4. God gave the priests, prophets and kings ability to do the work because they were allowed to do it. When the Holy Spirit came UPON a believer, then the believer was able to do the work of God. In Acts 10:38 we read that God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Holy Spirit and power.
      5. The work of the Holy Spirit UPON believers was always for power to preach (Acts 1:8). This happened in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. This work of the Holy Spirit made some people able to do great things for God (Judges 14:6).
         • When the Holy Spirit works WITH a believer and He works IN a believer and UPON him, then the believer knows that he is totally filled with Christ Himself.

V. HOW YOU CAN BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

1. By resting.
   You must be sure that you are a believer and you must rest in the finished work of Christ (Matthew 11:28-29).
2. By thirsting.
   You must be thirsty for God’s power. (Matthew 5:6; John 7:37-39).
3. By confessing.
   Confess all your sin to God. When you try to get close to God and sin starts to come, turn away from it immediately (1 John 1:8-9; Proverbs 28:13).
4. By turning away.
   1. Turn away from trusting your own power (Philippians 3:3).
   2. Turn away from trusting the things that were important to you when you were an unbeliever (Philippians 3:7-10). Turn away from anything in your life that keeps you from doing what you should (Hebrews 12:1). Putting away the old person you were before you were saved (Ephesians 4:22).
5. By giving yourself to Christ.
   You must give your body, soul and spirit to the Lord completely. There must not be anything that ties you to the old life. You must obey His will without question (Romans 12:1; 6:13; Acts 5:32).
6. By Praying (Luke 11:13; Acts 4:31).
   After you have done the things above, then you must pray and ask God to fill you with His Spirit. He will do so.
7. By believing (Mark 11:24).
   After you pray, don’t wait for a feeling. Just believe that God has heard you and go out with the knowledge that He has answered.

CONCLUSION
I would like you to pray much about this lesson. Think about it much. Make sure that you do the things you have learned in this lesson. It is not enough just to know them in your head. The world is waiting to see a person who is completely filled with the Holy Spirit Himself. Say to yourself, “With the help of God I will be a person like that.”

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