The Work Of The Holy Spirit Series

Part 1 – “The Two Fold Work of The Holy Spirit”

Submitted by Dave White – Central Florida District Coordinator

 

Every born again believer has the Spirit of God within them. Before you were born again your spirit man was dead because of Adam’s sin.

Ephesians 2:1-10

2 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

• Jesus said that we must be born again.

John 3:5-7

5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

• The Apostles taught about the born again life.

1 Peter 1:23

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

There are two separate works of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The first work is the new birth. The second work is the infilling of power, the baptism in the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues, that Jesus promised.

Luke 24:49

49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city (or tarry in Jerusalem) until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Acts 1:8

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

John 7:38-39

38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

In John 20:22 Jesus appears in a room where the disciples were gathered together. The room was shut up tightly and Jesus appeared to them in His resurrected body. When Jesus appeared to them the Bible says that He breathed upon them and spoke these words…

Verse 22… And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

This is not a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit- who would be given on the Day of Pentecost. This is the work of the Holy Spirit for the regeneration of their dead spirit. The work that Father God did at the creation of man was after Adam was fashioned from the soil of the Earth. He was lifeless until God breathed into him the breath of life.

Genesis 2:7

7 the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

• Man’s spirit came alive with the breath of God.

Man sinned and according to God’s word the day that man sinned he would surely die (Genesis 2:17). So the eternal problem was that God’s creation now had a dead spirit. This death God spoke of could not have been a physical death because Adam and Eve did not fall dead when they committed high treason against God. According to Genesis 5:5 Adam did not die until he was 930 years old. The death that God spoke of was the death of his spirit.

The sacrifices of animals did not regenerate man’s dead spirit. Man’s sins were covered but not remitted.

Only through the blood of the sinless son of God, Jesus Christ the Lord, could man be born again. When Jesus breathed on the disciples His breath, it was the same life giving breath that the Father breathed into Adam.

At that instant they were born again.

Another reference to the breath of God is in Ezekiel 37:9, when the breath of God symbolized by the four winds blew upon the dry bones of Israel and they lived.

Ezekiel 37:9

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'”

Jesus is the first born among many brothers the Bible states (Romans 8:29). Because Jesus conquered death through His resurrection, so do all who receive Him as Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:20-23

20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 21 So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man. 22 Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life. 23 But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.

So their spirit had been born again after His resurrection, but they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost. Jesus told the disciples to wait or tarry in Jerusalem until they were filled with power from on high.

• The question we will raise now is do we still have to wait today?

No, we do not have to wait or tarry for long periods of time to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  If this was so, then why doesn’t everyone obey the scripture and go to Jerusalem? No, thank God the Holy Spirit has been given, the promise has come.

Luke 24:49… Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Is waiting or lingering around the altar for extended periods of time part of the formula to being filled with the Holy Spirit?

NO!

Acts 2:1-4

2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Pentecost is a noun meaning fiftieth. The Day of Pentecost was the fiftieth day after Passover. We know that Jesus was crucified during Passover, He is our Passover Lamb.

Before the death angel was to come through Egypt, Moses was given instructions for the sacrifice. The animal’s blood was to be placed on the door post and mantel of every home so the death angel would Passover them.

Because Jesus is our Passover lamb, judgment and eternal death passed over us onto Him! Thank God when our Passover lamb was slain, He bore all of man’s sin. He bore the sin nature that we inherited from Adam, plus He bore our transgressions.

Fifty days later, a great feast was held, it was a HARVEST FEAST. Jews from the entire known world were in Jerusalem for this feast. God, who knows all things, had a plan. (He was looking for His harvest)

Galatians 4:4-7

4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

God would not pour out His Spirit until the fullness of time. The city of Jerusalem was full of people from every nation.

Acts 2:5-21

5 Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem, devout men from every part of the world. 6 So when this noise was heard, they came crowding together, and were amazed because everyone heard his own language spoken.

7 They were beside themselves with wonder, and exclaimed, “Are not all these speakers Galilaeans? 8 How then does each of us hear his own native language spoken by them?

9 Some of us are Parthians, Medes, Elamites. Some are inhabitants of Mesopotamia, of Judaea or Cappadocia, of Pontus or the Asian Province, of Phrygia or Pamphylia, 10 of Egypt or of the parts of Africa towards Cyrene. Others are visitors from Rome–being either Jews or converts from heathenism–and others are Cretans or Arabians.

11 Yet we all alike hear these Galilaeans speaking in our own language about the wonderful things which God has done.” 12 They were all astounded and bewildered, and asked one another, “What can this mean?” 13 But others, scornfully jeering, said, “They are brim-full of sweet wine.”

14 Peter however, together with the Eleven, stood up and addressed them in a loud voice. “Men of Judaea, and all you inhabitants of Jerusalem,” he said, “be in no uncertainty about this matter but pay attention to what I say.

15 For this is not intoxication, as you suppose, it being only the third hour of the day. 16 But that which was predicted through the Prophet Joel has happened:

17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, God says, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall have dreams;

18 and even upon My bondservants, both men and women, at that time, I will pour out My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 I will display marvels in the sky above, and signs on the earth below, blood and fire, and pillars of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, to usher in the day of the Lord– that great and illustrious day; 21 and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Acts 2:36-42

36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 “Repent,” replied Peter, “and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, with a view to the remission of your sins,(Step number one, get born again) and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Step number two, be filled with the Holy Spirit).

39 For to you belongs the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, whoever the Lord our God may call.”

40 And with many more appeals he solemnly warned and entreated them, saying, “Escape from this crooked generation.” 41 Those, therefore, who joyfully welcomed his Message were baptized; and on that one day about three thousand persons were added to them;

42 and they were constant in listening to the teaching of the Apostles and in their attendance at the Communion, that is, the Breaking of the Bread, and at prayer.

• Tarrying or waiting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was for the initial entrance of the Holy Spirit into the world on the Day of Pentecost.

 

Biblical Examples Of Believers Being Filled Without Waiting.

Peter preaches at Cornelius’ house and the Gentiles are saved and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:44-48

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Paul at Ephesus…

Acts 19:1-6

19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.

4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Thank God everything God has for man is available right now by faith. Faith Is Now.

If someone says he wants to get saved, you don’t say, “Wait and come to church Sunday and then seek salvation.”

If someone wanted you to pray for their healing, you wouldn’t say, “Wait.” No, sick people want to get healed immediately, especially if their bodies are in pain.

Salvation is a gift; healing is a gift; and so is the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Closing Thoughts…

• God Has Already Given the Holy Spirit: Believers Need Only To Receive This Gift.
• God Gave The Holy Spirit On The Day Of Pentecost And He Has Never Taken Him Back!
• Now It Is A Matter Of Receiving The Gift God Has Already Given.

Nowhere in the book of Acts will you find this question… “Has God given you the Holy Spirit”?

No, the question is, “have you received the Holy Spirit”?

The Holy Spirit is the gift of God that has been given.

Any gift that has been given just has to be received.old