The Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement. For Jesus said to His disciples: “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:7-11). Therefore when a man acknowledges that he is a sinner and he repents of his sins and he believes in the Son of God, we know that it is the Holy Spirit who has convicted him of sin. He is indeed the One who brings convictions of sin to an individual.

 

The Spirit regenerates those who repent and believe and makes them children of God, because Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit” (John 3:5-8). He gives life to them, as it is written: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing” (John 6:63 - NKJV) and again: “The Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6 - NKJV); He renews them, as it is written: “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-5); and He baptizes them into the body of Christ, as it is written: “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13 – NIV).

 

The Spirit dwells in our hearts and bears witness that we are children of God, as it is written: “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:15-16 – NKJV), and again: “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). The Spirit testifies that our sins are forgiven, as it is written: “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:14-17). We know that God lives in us by the Spirit, as it is written: “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24 – NKJV). Therefore we Christians are sure we are children of God because the Spirit of God (or of Christ) is in us; when we open our mouth and call God ‘Father’ we do it by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who bears witness that we have been forgiven by God, that we have eternal life and that God abides in us.

 

The Spirit sanctifies those God foreknew and predestined to be adopted as His sons, as it is written that we are “elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:2) and again that God from the beginning chose us for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:13). That’s why we are called ‘the saints.’

 

The Spirit gives us freedom and transforms us into the image of the Son of God, as it is written: “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). We enjoy so much the freedom which comes from the Spirit, it is a wonderful freedom; however, we must see to it that we do not lose this freedom, as some Christians have done for they have started to live after the lusts of the flesh and now they are again entangled in the pollutions of the world.

 

Through the Spirit we put to death the deeds of the body, as it is written: “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” (Romans 8:13). So the Holy Spirit helps us to perfect holiness in the fear of God.

 

The Spirit brings forth good fruit in our life, as it is written: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

 

The Spirit produces the unity among us Christians. However, we must keep this unity through the bond of peace, as it is written: “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 - NIV). Why do we Christians feel we are all one in Christ? Because the Spirit has baptized all of us into one body, that is, the body of Christ.

 

The Spirit strengthens our inner man (Ephesians 3:16). That’s why we feel strong in the Lord.

 

The Spirit makes us abound in hope, as it is written: “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost” (Romans 15:13). Therefore, if we confidently hope that God will fulfil His promises in our life, if we hope that Jesus Christ will come again, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit; not by our own power, but by the power of the Spirit.

 

The Spirit helps us to keep the good deposit, for Paul wrote to Timothy: “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:14 - NIV). Therefore the help of the Spirit is necessary in order to hold fast the confession of our hope till the end of our life.

The Spirit makes those who live by the Spirit reap eternal life, as it is written: “He that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:8). Therefore, if we walk in the Spirit, in due season we will certainly of the Spirit reap eternal life.

 

Through the Spirit we have access to God the Father, as it is written: “For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:18), and by the Spirit we worship God, as it is written: “For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God ….” (Philippians 3:3 – NIV), for He is the One who inspires worship on the part of the believer.

 

The Spirit prompts us to confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, as it is written: “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Therefore the Lordship of Jesus can be confessed by a man only by the Spirit.

 

The Spirit is jealous for us and longs jealously, as it is written: “Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5). Therefore we must not love the world or the things in the world, lest we grieve the Spirit by our conduct and provoke Him to jealousy.

 

The Spirit comforts us, for one of His names is “the Comforter” (John 14:26). In the Book of the Acts of the apostles it is written: “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). That’s why when we are downcast we feel comforted, for the Holy Spirit who is in us comforts us.

 

The Spirit accomplishes the purpose of God in our life, as it is written: “This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6).

 

The Spirit brings the words of Jesus to our remembrance and teaches us everything, as it is written: “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you” (John 14:26) and again: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13 - NKJV). Have you ever wondered how you can remember the words of Jesus you have heard or read? Well, the answer is that you can remember them by the help of the Spirit. Have you ever wondered why you can speak about the things of God with words of God’s wisdom? Well, the answer is because the Spirit teaches you those words. I would like to point out that the fact that the Holy Spirit teaches us all things does not mean, of course, that we may not learn much from those who are taught by the Holy Spirit, for the Lord Jesus gave some to be teachers for the edifying of the Church (Ephesians 4:11-12), and we are commanded to teach and admonish one another (Colossians 3:16); nor does it mean that when we are taught by the Spirit we are independent of the Word of God, for the Holy Scripture is the instrument through which He instructs us.

 

The Spirit guides us into all the truth, as Jesus said: ““Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come” (John 16:13). This means that He always leads us to believe and practice what is right in the sight of God.

 

The Spirit warns us that afflictions await us (Acts 20:22-23). In other words, He warns us that we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22).

 

The Spirit reveals to us things to come, for Jesus said that He will tell us things to come (John 16:13). He revealed to the prophet Agabus that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world (Acts 11:28), and that Paul would be bound by the Jews and handed over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:11). And He revealed to Paul that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).

 

The Spirit reveals to us God’s secret wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6-10). For He revealed the mystery of Christ to the apostles and prophets, as Paul said to the Ephesians: “When you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:4-5 – NKJV).

 

The Holy Spirit on certain occasions prevents us from doing certain things, which are not bad things in themselves, for they are not according to the will of God for us. Here is what happened to Paul and his fellow workers during one of their missionary journeys: “Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not” (Acts 16:6-7). The Spirit knows the will of God for us, therefore at God’s appointed time He leads us to do what God wants us to do, and to go where God wants us to go. So, if you are trying to do a certain thing which is not according to the will of God for you, or you are trying to go where God does not want you to go, He will reveal to you that you must not do that thing or you must not go to that place. That does not mean that you will never do that thing or you will never go to that place, but it means simply that at that particular time your doing that thing or your going to that place was not according to the will of God. So you may do that thing or go to that place in the future. Know this, that the Holy Spirit is willing to make God’s will known to us, however on our part we must be open and sensitive to His guidance.

 

It is through the Spirit that we are delivered from our distresses, for Paul, while he was in prison, wrote to the Philippians: “I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance” (Philippians 1:19 - NIV). Therefore when we pray for our brothers so that God may deliver them from their distresses, we are sure that the Spirit is working in order to deliver them.

 

The Spirit puts the adversary to flight, as it is written: “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will put him to flight” (Isaiah 59:19 - NIV). That’s why we do not fear the devil, for we know that when he comes to us in order to harm us, if we resist him, the Holy Spirit will put him to flight.

 

The Spirit infills us and makes us speak with other tongues when He comes upon us. We have seen that according to the book of the Acts of the apostles, on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples gathered together they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. In the same book, however, are recorded other incidents in which some believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. For instance, when the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household they began to speak with other tongues, as it is written: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:44-46). And when the Holy Spirit came upon about twelve disciples at Ephesus, after Paul had laid his hands on them, they spoke with other tongues, as it is written: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve” (Acts 19:6-7). The coming of the Spirit upon a believer is called ‘the baptism with the Holy Spirit,’ for Jesus, before He was taken up into heaven, said to His disciples about the outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church: “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence” (Acts 1:5). Through this baptism the believer is endued with power from on high, for Jesus said to His disciples: “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 - NKJV). Later I will speak about the baptism with the Spirit extensively.

 

The Spirit helps us to pray, as it is written: “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 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 8:26-27 – NKJV; cf. Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20). When does the Spirit make intercession for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered? Whenever we pray in other tongues. For when a believer prays in other tongues, he prays in the Spirit to God for the saints. In other words, the Spirit enables him to ask God (with the spirit) for the things he is not able to ask God (with the understanding) because of his limited knowledge. He makes intercession for the saints asking God for things that are unknown to the one who prays in other tongues. Later I will speak about praying in other tongues extensively.

 

The Spirit distributes His gifts to us according to the will of God, as it is written: “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Later I will speak about the gifts of the Spirit extensively.

 

The Spirit makes men overseers. Paul said to the elders of the Church of Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Therefore when a believer has the qualities he must have to become an overseer, the Holy Spirit will lead the assembly of the saints to appoint him overseer (or bishop).

 

The Spirit commands to set apart for Him some men for the work to which He has called them and then He sends them out into the harvest of the Lord, as He did in Antioch, as it is written: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus” (Acts 13:1-4).

 

We preach the Gospel by the Spirit, as it is written: “Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven – things which angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:10-12 - NKJV).

 

The Spirit will speak through us when we are before governors and kings for the sake of Jesus. This is what Jesus said to His disciples the Spirit will do: “And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you” (Matthew 10:18-20). Many Christians throughout history have experienced for themselves the truthfulness of this promise made by Jesus.

 

The Spirit glorifies Jesus, for Jesus said: “He will glorify Me ….” (John 16:14 - NKJV). So when we give praise, honour and glory to Jesus, we do this by the Spirit. It is the Spirit who prompts us to glorify the name of Jesus.

 

The Spirit testifies about Jesus Christ, for Jesus said: “He will testify about me” (John 15:26). He testifies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, as it is written: “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (1 John 4:2-3); He testifies that Jesus came by water and blood, as it is written: “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth” (1 John 5:6); and He testifies that Jesus rose from the dead, for He was a witness of the resurrection of Christ (Acts 5:32). Of course, the Spirit testifies of many other things concerning Jesus Christ, for He testifies of all the things written in the Bible which concern Christ (His Deity, sonship, offices, etc.). Therefore when a man or a woman comes to us and tells us something about Jesus which is not true, the Spirit, who is in us, warns us that it is not He who is speaking through him or her.

 

The Spirit can take away a man, that is, He can bring him from one place to another, as He did with the evangelist Philip on one occasion, as it is written: “And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing” (Acts 8:39). This is what happened in the last century to David Du Plessis in South Africa; one day he was asked to go to a certain place and as he made his way towards that place, all of a sudden the Spirit took him away and brought him to that place. This incident is written in the book A man called Mr. Pentecost (pages 82-87).

 

 

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