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Monday, January 3, 2011

The work of the Holy Spirit: His infilling Power (upon)

It's important that believers understand that there is a twofold work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is God's desire for every one of His children to experience this dual working of the Spirit of God in our lives. The Holy Spirit within (indwelling) 
in the new birth, and the Holy Spirit upon (infilling) in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For far to long the church has taught that the new birth experience is all the Holy Spirit one would need or ever get. But that teaching is not entirely correct, and because of it, many in the church never experience the power of God in, through and upon their lives. In John 14:14,16 we saw that Jesus promised the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit when He said, I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter.... He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. At that time Jesus was saying this, the Holy Spirit was not yet in the disciples, nor in any of the followers of Jesus. This promise of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled in John 20:21-22, when the resurrected Savior breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit. When Jesus said that, He was referring to receiving the Holy Spirit in the new birth experience. That was when the disciples were born again. Now let us look at two other verses where Jesus is referring to a different working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. Luke 24:49, And behold, I send the promise of the Father upon you: but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem, until you be endued with power from on high. and Acts 1:5,8 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be Baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence... But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you. Notice thr use of the word "upon" in both Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8, referring to the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, there is a work of the Holy Spirit that God desires in the lives of believers. This work is what most of us refer to as the gifts of the Spirit. This is the Holy Spirit coming upon us to endue us with power from on high. Why am I teaching this, only because most of us don't know, or afraid to admit that we don't know it. If the disciples had heard some of these modern day preachers, who say that a believer receives all the Holy Spirit at the new birth, then the disciples would have never went to the upper room to wait on the promise. My only prayer in these posts is that we will come away with a more clear understanding of the purpose of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and that we will reach for more of what God has promise through His word. I can only imagine what the church would be like if we all was operating in the gifts of the Spirit. More to come. God bless and Amen

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