Pentecost (Part 3)
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| In loving memory of my father Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023 |
In our last message, we shared some thoughts about the significance of Pentecost in our lives today, the purpose of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, the results of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and the major aspects of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. We need to continue sharing about Pentecost for us today. We will start with the question of
(2) through the ministry of the Word
(3) through the laying on of the apostles' hands
Now, how do I prepare myself to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit? First of all I believe we must see a NEED to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then I must DESIRE to receive. My grandmother once wrote in her Bible, Lord let me create hunger in their hearts, for until they hunger they cannot be fed. What a word of wisdom!!! The next step is to ASK the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, for Jesus is the One who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). And the last step is to RECEIVE by faith. Just lift up your hands and praise and thank the Lord in whatever language or utterance He gives you. Jesus gave this pattern to His disciples in Luke 11:5-13.
But we need to be very careful that we do not make the letter of the Bible the end-all of the matter. There are FAR too many Christians who are looking for some "magic formula" when it comes to Christianity. Many books have been written that talk about "how to be born again," "how to be healed," and on and on. Too many Christians are looking for a quick and easy solution to their problems or a simple 1-2-3 set of steps to do in order to obtain something for ME.
Many years ago I participated in a Lay Witness Mission in Chester, Pennsylvania. My assignment on Sunday morning before the main service was to go to the adult Sunday School class. I was prompted to ask the 25 or so adults to tell me about their relationship with Jesus Christ. A woman immediately broke down, started crying, and sobbed, "I am NO WHERE." What immediately came to my mind was to read to her the verses in Romans 10:9-10.
Almost immediately, I was checked in my spirit. The Lord spoke to me that HE HIMSELF has a part in a person being born again. It is not simply a mechanical or ritualistic act. The end of that specific incident was very blessed. My immediate response was, "Before you leave this room you WILL be somewhere." Hindsight, that woman was born again when she confessed her great need.
The point is that the Lord Himself can baptize you with the Holy Spirit ... all by Himself!!! I have seen it happen! He does NOT have to use a human vessel (although we suspect that in most cases another person IS used). From our experience we have found that the Lord can do MANY things all by Himself, particularly if we get out of the way and let Him work.
Now, is it possible to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and NOT speak in tongues? Yes, at least for some time period. How do I know? because it happened to both my wife and to me. Three men prayed for me and laid hands on me to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Within a few minutes, my lips were quivering. One of the men said that I could speak in tongues any time I wanted to. But I did not speak in tongues at that point. Why? because I had never received any teaching about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I expected someone or something to open my mouth and speak through me. It doesn't work that way.
As the Spirit gave them utterance. So by FAITH we open our mouth and speak sounds, words unknown to us. We do the speaking but it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the sounds or words.
Finally, some Christians probably look at speaking in tongues as being something "silly" or perhaps only the result of some emotional fervor. When I was a church-going Methodist (but not a born-again believer), I heard about a married couple in the Methodist church we attended who were doing "funny things" like speaking in tongues. I got MAD!!! I think I felt more anger at that time than at any point in my life! I told my wife, "If they want to do funny things like that, they should get out of the church!" Well about three months later the Lord sovereignly apprehended me. Very shortly after that I was doing those same "funny things" like speaking in tongues. When God designed the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, He knew what He was doing! We need to submit ourselves totally to the Lord.
Therefore, submitting our tongue to the Lord (using our tongue only for HIS purposes) seems to be the last sign of our total submission to Him.
We need to expand our understanding and see the SPIRITUAL significance of scripture. When we speak in tongues, we exalt and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. We should desire to receive any and EVERY gift that God has for us. To reject any gift from God seems to be a tragedy!
Let us go back to the Book of Genesis.
The phrase "breath of life" means His Spirit. Note in that verse, man did NOT have a choice. We do not have a choice as to who our parents are. Man was created in the likeness of the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, Adam was innocent and sinless, but NOT "in Christ." He had not partaken of the tree of life. Adam only had created life. He did not possess the uncreated, divine life of God. Divine life cannot be created. It can only be shared through a living union with the Creator. The counterpart of that verse in the New Testament is,
The first question is exactly what, if anything, did the disciples receive at that point in time? That was after the resurrection of Jesus but before Pentecost. From Acts 1 it is clear that the early disciples still had no understanding until the day of Pentecost. Another rather puzzling question is the fact that scripture never says that the first 120 disciples were baptized in water. They may have received John's baptism of repentance, but other scriptures indicate that is not sufficient (Acts 19:3-5). So a very good question could be, Why were the early disciples not baptized in water? We will attempt to answer that question in our next message.
Today, of course, we still do not have a choice of the origin of our natural life, but we DO have a choice as to whether we receive the Holy Ghost. To partake of the life of Christ, we MUST be born again. We must receive the Holy Spirit, except this time by our own free will or choice.
The question now arises, perhaps, as to WHEN do we receive the Holy Spirit? Does this occur when we are born again or, as others say, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? My answer is YES! Why should we believe that only ONE of these alternatives could be true? First, let us look at some scriptures pertaining to Jesus.
If we think about those 3 sets of verses, they should give us a big clue to the sequence of events that should occur for us as Christians. When Jesus walked the earth, after His baptism and after being tempted in the wilderness, God dwelt within Him by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the same power that created the heaven and the earth; the same dynamite power that allowed Jesus to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, and perform all manner of miracles.
According to what is written in scripture, Jesus never performed a miracle, never healed a sick person, never preached a sermon, never walked on water, never calmed the sea, never raised the dead, never saved a sinner, and never called a disciple until AFTER He was filled with the Holy Ghost. Note "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]" (John 3:34). The word "measure" can also be translated as a "limited portion" or a "limited degree." This, as we will see shortly, is a major difference between Jesus and us. When Jesus walked the earth He was both God AND man. He still IS both.
How did the Father dwell in Jesus? the same way that He dwells in us, by the Holy Ghost. Later, after He had shed His blood on the cross, was dead and buried, Jesus rose again, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our purpose now is to see what it means for us to receive the Holy Ghost.
Jesus spoke the above words to His disciples AFTER His death and resurrection. The word "receive" can also be translated as "accept." There is NOTHING in the word translated "receive" in that verse that indicates "sometime in the future." We see NO way that verse can be interpreted to mean "receive ye the Holy Ghost after forty seven days on the day of Pentecost." When Jesus told His disciples to "receive ye the Holy Ghost," we believe that they DID receive or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer. On THAT day, the disciples confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus and they believed in their hearts that God had raised Him from the dead. That was not hard for them because they SAW the resurrected Jesus with their natural eyes. Few Christians today have seen the risen Christ Jesus with their natural eyes.
Now let us look at some scriptures that seem to indicate something different.
Once more, we ask the question, do we receive the Holy Ghost when we are born again? or when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? Our answer is still YES. Both are true. How is it possible for the Holy Spirit to reside within multitudes of believers at the same time? We do not know. Neither do you. Of course there is only one Holy Ghost. Is it possible to receive only part of the Holy Ghost at one time and another part at another time? No. But instead of thinking in terms of receiving the Holy Ghost in parcels, a little here and a little bit more later, let us think of "receiving the Holy Ghost" from MAN's perspective. Let us also think of receiving in terms of accepting or appropriating. We believe that we receive the Holy Ghost in such measure that we are willing to accept Him and appropriate Him in our life.
The one Holy Ghost has different offices. He brings different blessings, depending upon the believer's stage of surrender and faith to receive. The Holy Ghost is a Gentleman, however. He will come in and occupy ONLY that area of our lives which is willingly surrendered to Him. His FIRST office is to convict us of sin and draw us to Jesus.
When the sinner yields to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and accepts Jesus as his savior, he surrenders his self-sufficiency and cries out for help and a savior. God then blesses him with forgiveness, a new heart, a new hope, and new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit, in corresponding measure, comes into him.
The same Holy Ghost urges the Christian to turn from his carnality and let "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Therefore, when the Christian lays down his will at the feet of Jesus and dedicates his life to the service of our Lord, the Holy Ghost is enabled to take over another important area of the believer's life, and to pour out an added blessing upon him. God always rewards every surrender with a corresponding blessing; the greater the surrender, the greater the blessing.
When the hungry soul surrenders the last fortress of self, reason, tongue, and body to the will and rule of God, the Holy Spirit can take over complete control of the believer's life and actions, and can really possess the temple of man. The mind, the tongue, and the body are the last things over which a person wished to relinquish control. But when he finally yields, when he agrees, by faith, to "receive" the Holy Ghost and His rule over mind, body, and tongue, then, and only then can the Holy Ghost rule in the way that God desires to rule our lives. Then the Lord becomes our Master, our Lord, and our King. That is really RECEIVING the Holy Ghost. Anything less is only partial surrender to Him. There is an old adage that "If Jesus is not Lord of all then He is not Lord at all."
The Holy Spirit blesses us at conversion, at sanctification, at dedication, and those blessings are so wonderful that many believers think that is all there is to "receiving" the Holy Ghost. But when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit is not only in us, but we are then "full of the Holy Ghost" (Luke 4:1). That is also what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost ... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and endued with power from on high.
J. A. Dennis, in his booklet titled "The Holy Spirit," written in 1954, gives an excellent analogy of this increasing acceptance (receiving) of the Holy Ghost.
Many years ago, a true prophet of the Lord shared a nugget of gold with me. He tried to emphasize the great significance of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that someone had told him that the pope was baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that he certainly had no objection whatsoever to ANYONE being baptized with the Holy Spirit ... quite the contrary. But, he said, if the pope were baptized with the Holy Spirit, he could no longer be pope. He would have to give up his earthly power and title because of his new enlightenment and conviction. My friend emphasized that being baptized with the Holy Spirit is a POWERFUL event in our life. Today, of course, the world has tried to belittle, or cheapen being "born again." Those words are used by the world in many different areas. Is it possible that we have likewise belittled or cheapened the event of "being baptized with the Holy Spirit?" Finally, earlier we mentioned the verse in John 3:34, where "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]." This is NOT the same for us.
The above verse indicates that God has given to us the EARNEST of the Spirit in our hearts. The word "earnest," according to Strong's Concordance, means "a pledge" or "part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest."
At what point, then, do we receive MORE than the earnest of the Spirit? Will there come a time when God "giveth not the measure of the Spirit" to us? We believe the answer is YES! but ONLY if we qualify ... only if we allow the Lord to be Lord of EVERY aspect of our lives. In addition, God has a timetable for such a time. We believe it is called "the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). Has that time already occurred? We don't think so, although some relatively small number of believers may have come close.
In our next message, which will be our last word about Pentecost, we want to share about being filled with the Holy Ghost and look at one or two types in the Old Testament that speak of that same filling. So until next time, may the Lord be gracious to us and give us His peace.
How Do We Receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Perhaps the most basic answer to that question goes back to our very first two messages concerning our spiritual needs. First we must see a need, then we must desire to receive the fulfillment of that need, then we must sincerely ask the Lord to make that fulfillment real in our life, and then we must thank the Lord for that fulfillment.
The book of Acts gives examples of three principal ways by which the baptism with the Holy Spirit is received. These three are still in effect:
(1) sovereignly, through obedience of faith
Perhaps the most basic answer to that question goes back to our very first two messages concerning our spiritual needs. First we must see a need, then we must desire to receive the fulfillment of that need, then we must sincerely ask the Lord to make that fulfillment real in our life, and then we must thank the Lord for that fulfillment.
The book of Acts gives examples of three principal ways by which the baptism with the Holy Spirit is received. These three are still in effect:
(1) sovereignly, through obedience of faith
And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey Him. Acts 5:32
(2) through the ministry of the Word
44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them which heard the word.45 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.46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Acts 10:44-46
(3) through the laying on of the apostles' hands
2 He [Paul] said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:2-6
Now, how do I prepare myself to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit? First of all I believe we must see a NEED to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then I must DESIRE to receive. My grandmother once wrote in her Bible, Lord let me create hunger in their hearts, for until they hunger they cannot be fed. What a word of wisdom!!! The next step is to ASK the Lord to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, for Jesus is the One who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). And the last step is to RECEIVE by faith. Just lift up your hands and praise and thank the Lord in whatever language or utterance He gives you. Jesus gave this pattern to His disciples in Luke 11:5-13.
5 And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? [NEED and DESIRE]7 And he from within shall answer and say, trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. [ASK]10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. [RECEIVE]11 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
But we need to be very careful that we do not make the letter of the Bible the end-all of the matter. There are FAR too many Christians who are looking for some "magic formula" when it comes to Christianity. Many books have been written that talk about "how to be born again," "how to be healed," and on and on. Too many Christians are looking for a quick and easy solution to their problems or a simple 1-2-3 set of steps to do in order to obtain something for ME.
Many years ago I participated in a Lay Witness Mission in Chester, Pennsylvania. My assignment on Sunday morning before the main service was to go to the adult Sunday School class. I was prompted to ask the 25 or so adults to tell me about their relationship with Jesus Christ. A woman immediately broke down, started crying, and sobbed, "I am NO WHERE." What immediately came to my mind was to read to her the verses in Romans 10:9-10.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Almost immediately, I was checked in my spirit. The Lord spoke to me that HE HIMSELF has a part in a person being born again. It is not simply a mechanical or ritualistic act. The end of that specific incident was very blessed. My immediate response was, "Before you leave this room you WILL be somewhere." Hindsight, that woman was born again when she confessed her great need.
The point is that the Lord Himself can baptize you with the Holy Spirit ... all by Himself!!! I have seen it happen! He does NOT have to use a human vessel (although we suspect that in most cases another person IS used). From our experience we have found that the Lord can do MANY things all by Himself, particularly if we get out of the way and let Him work.
Now, is it possible to be baptized with the Holy Spirit and NOT speak in tongues? Yes, at least for some time period. How do I know? because it happened to both my wife and to me. Three men prayed for me and laid hands on me to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Within a few minutes, my lips were quivering. One of the men said that I could speak in tongues any time I wanted to. But I did not speak in tongues at that point. Why? because I had never received any teaching about the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and I expected someone or something to open my mouth and speak through me. It doesn't work that way.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4
As the Spirit gave them utterance. So by FAITH we open our mouth and speak sounds, words unknown to us. We do the speaking but it is the Holy Spirit who gives us the sounds or words.
Finally, some Christians probably look at speaking in tongues as being something "silly" or perhaps only the result of some emotional fervor. When I was a church-going Methodist (but not a born-again believer), I heard about a married couple in the Methodist church we attended who were doing "funny things" like speaking in tongues. I got MAD!!! I think I felt more anger at that time than at any point in my life! I told my wife, "If they want to do funny things like that, they should get out of the church!" Well about three months later the Lord sovereignly apprehended me. Very shortly after that I was doing those same "funny things" like speaking in tongues. When God designed the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues, He knew what He was doing! We need to submit ourselves totally to the Lord.
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
James 3:8
Therefore, submitting our tongue to the Lord (using our tongue only for HIS purposes) seems to be the last sign of our total submission to Him.
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him [Jesus], and given Him a name which is above every name:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11
We need to expand our understanding and see the SPIRITUAL significance of scripture. When we speak in tongues, we exalt and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. We should desire to receive any and EVERY gift that God has for us. To reject any gift from God seems to be a tragedy!
Let us go back to the Book of Genesis.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
The phrase "breath of life" means His Spirit. Note in that verse, man did NOT have a choice. We do not have a choice as to who our parents are. Man was created in the likeness of the image of God (Genesis 1:26). When God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden, Adam was innocent and sinless, but NOT "in Christ." He had not partaken of the tree of life. Adam only had created life. He did not possess the uncreated, divine life of God. Divine life cannot be created. It can only be shared through a living union with the Creator. The counterpart of that verse in the New Testament is,
20 And when He had so said, he shewed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: John 20:20-22
The first question is exactly what, if anything, did the disciples receive at that point in time? That was after the resurrection of Jesus but before Pentecost. From Acts 1 it is clear that the early disciples still had no understanding until the day of Pentecost. Another rather puzzling question is the fact that scripture never says that the first 120 disciples were baptized in water. They may have received John's baptism of repentance, but other scriptures indicate that is not sufficient (Acts 19:3-5). So a very good question could be, Why were the early disciples not baptized in water? We will attempt to answer that question in our next message.
Today, of course, we still do not have a choice of the origin of our natural life, but we DO have a choice as to whether we receive the Holy Ghost. To partake of the life of Christ, we MUST be born again. We must receive the Holy Spirit, except this time by our own free will or choice.
The question now arises, perhaps, as to WHEN do we receive the Holy Spirit? Does this occur when we are born again or, as others say, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? My answer is YES! Why should we believe that only ONE of these alternatives could be true? First, let us look at some scriptures pertaining to Jesus.
21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened.22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased. Luke 3:21-22
And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness being forty days tempted of the devil. Luke 4:1-2And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee ... Luke 4:14
If we think about those 3 sets of verses, they should give us a big clue to the sequence of events that should occur for us as Christians. When Jesus walked the earth, after His baptism and after being tempted in the wilderness, God dwelt within Him by the power of the Holy Ghost. This is the same power that created the heaven and the earth; the same dynamite power that allowed Jesus to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils, and perform all manner of miracles.
For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him. John 3:34
According to what is written in scripture, Jesus never performed a miracle, never healed a sick person, never preached a sermon, never walked on water, never calmed the sea, never raised the dead, never saved a sinner, and never called a disciple until AFTER He was filled with the Holy Ghost. Note "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]" (John 3:34). The word "measure" can also be translated as a "limited portion" or a "limited degree." This, as we will see shortly, is a major difference between Jesus and us. When Jesus walked the earth He was both God AND man. He still IS both.
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 1 Timothy 2:5
Jesus said, "The Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works." John 14:10
How did the Father dwell in Jesus? the same way that He dwells in us, by the Holy Ghost. Later, after He had shed His blood on the cross, was dead and buried, Jesus rose again, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our purpose now is to see what it means for us to receive the Holy Ghost.
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. John 20:22
Jesus spoke the above words to His disciples AFTER His death and resurrection. The word "receive" can also be translated as "accept." There is NOTHING in the word translated "receive" in that verse that indicates "sometime in the future." We see NO way that verse can be interpreted to mean "receive ye the Holy Ghost after forty seven days on the day of Pentecost." When Jesus told His disciples to "receive ye the Holy Ghost," we believe that they DID receive or accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Redeemer. On THAT day, the disciples confessed with their mouths the Lord Jesus and they believed in their hearts that God had raised Him from the dead. That was not hard for them because they SAW the resurrected Jesus with their natural eyes. Few Christians today have seen the risen Christ Jesus with their natural eyes.
Now let us look at some scriptures that seem to indicate something different.
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. Acts 19:2, 616 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever;17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16-17And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49
Once more, we ask the question, do we receive the Holy Ghost when we are born again? or when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit? Our answer is still YES. Both are true. How is it possible for the Holy Spirit to reside within multitudes of believers at the same time? We do not know. Neither do you. Of course there is only one Holy Ghost. Is it possible to receive only part of the Holy Ghost at one time and another part at another time? No. But instead of thinking in terms of receiving the Holy Ghost in parcels, a little here and a little bit more later, let us think of "receiving the Holy Ghost" from MAN's perspective. Let us also think of receiving in terms of accepting or appropriating. We believe that we receive the Holy Ghost in such measure that we are willing to accept Him and appropriate Him in our life.
The one Holy Ghost has different offices. He brings different blessings, depending upon the believer's stage of surrender and faith to receive. The Holy Ghost is a Gentleman, however. He will come in and occupy ONLY that area of our lives which is willingly surrendered to Him. His FIRST office is to convict us of sin and draw us to Jesus.
"And when He is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8).
When the sinner yields to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and accepts Jesus as his savior, he surrenders his self-sufficiency and cries out for help and a savior. God then blesses him with forgiveness, a new heart, a new hope, and new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit, in corresponding measure, comes into him.
The same Holy Ghost urges the Christian to turn from his carnality and let "the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
Therefore, when the Christian lays down his will at the feet of Jesus and dedicates his life to the service of our Lord, the Holy Ghost is enabled to take over another important area of the believer's life, and to pour out an added blessing upon him. God always rewards every surrender with a corresponding blessing; the greater the surrender, the greater the blessing.
When the hungry soul surrenders the last fortress of self, reason, tongue, and body to the will and rule of God, the Holy Spirit can take over complete control of the believer's life and actions, and can really possess the temple of man. The mind, the tongue, and the body are the last things over which a person wished to relinquish control. But when he finally yields, when he agrees, by faith, to "receive" the Holy Ghost and His rule over mind, body, and tongue, then, and only then can the Holy Ghost rule in the way that God desires to rule our lives. Then the Lord becomes our Master, our Lord, and our King. That is really RECEIVING the Holy Ghost. Anything less is only partial surrender to Him. There is an old adage that "If Jesus is not Lord of all then He is not Lord at all."
The Holy Spirit blesses us at conversion, at sanctification, at dedication, and those blessings are so wonderful that many believers think that is all there is to "receiving" the Holy Ghost. But when we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, the Spirit is not only in us, but we are then "full of the Holy Ghost" (Luke 4:1). That is also what happened to the disciples on the day of Pentecost ... they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and endued with power from on high.
J. A. Dennis, in his booklet titled "The Holy Spirit," written in 1954, gives an excellent analogy of this increasing acceptance (receiving) of the Holy Ghost.
"An invading army, landing on foreign soil, takes over one after another the fortresses and strongholds of the defending forces. The conquering general is "in" the country but the country and its inhabitants have not "received" him. Instead, they have stubbornly resisted him. But when either through choice or necessity, the people of the land throw down their arms and acknowledge the invader as their king, he takes over the rule of the country. He has dominion. He has been welcomed. He has been accepted or "received." He is in full charge."
Many years ago, a true prophet of the Lord shared a nugget of gold with me. He tried to emphasize the great significance of being baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that someone had told him that the pope was baptized with the Holy Spirit. He said that he certainly had no objection whatsoever to ANYONE being baptized with the Holy Spirit ... quite the contrary. But, he said, if the pope were baptized with the Holy Spirit, he could no longer be pope. He would have to give up his earthly power and title because of his new enlightenment and conviction. My friend emphasized that being baptized with the Holy Spirit is a POWERFUL event in our life. Today, of course, the world has tried to belittle, or cheapen being "born again." Those words are used by the world in many different areas. Is it possible that we have likewise belittled or cheapened the event of "being baptized with the Holy Spirit?" Finally, earlier we mentioned the verse in John 3:34, where "God giveth NOT the Spirit by measure unto Him [Jesus]." This is NOT the same for us.
21 Now He which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;22 Who also hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.2 Corinthians 1:21-22
The above verse indicates that God has given to us the EARNEST of the Spirit in our hearts. The word "earnest," according to Strong's Concordance, means "a pledge" or "part of the purchase-money or property given in advance as security for the rest."
At what point, then, do we receive MORE than the earnest of the Spirit? Will there come a time when God "giveth not the measure of the Spirit" to us? We believe the answer is YES! but ONLY if we qualify ... only if we allow the Lord to be Lord of EVERY aspect of our lives. In addition, God has a timetable for such a time. We believe it is called "the manifestation of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19). Has that time already occurred? We don't think so, although some relatively small number of believers may have come close.
In our next message, which will be our last word about Pentecost, we want to share about being filled with the Holy Ghost and look at one or two types in the Old Testament that speak of that same filling. So until next time, may the Lord be gracious to us and give us His peace.
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