My Path To Jesus
Baptism and In-Filling of the Holy Spirit
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The Seven Roles Of The Holy Spirit
Regenerator
Meet the Holy Spirit, who can do it all. He is the Spirit of God. He has limitless power and wisdom, yet He willingly comes to live inside any person who believes in Jesus Christ. And that means we have access to His amazing power. As I pondered the work of the Holy Spirit in Scripture and in my own life, I identified seven distinct roles He plays. Jesus told Nicodemus that we are born again by the Holy Spirit. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus said in John 3:5, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” True conversion is the most supernatural thing we will ever experience. When a person puts his faith in Christ for salvation, it is the Spirit who opens the heart and imparts divine life. He then indwells us, giving us the confidence that we are now children of God. None of us would be Christians today if it were not for the regenerating power of the Spirit. And if you have ever led someone to faith in Christ, you know it is truly the most amazing miracle God can perform. If you are praying for someone to repent and give his heart to Jesus, do not minimize the role the Holy Spirit plays in this process. How does this miracle happen? We typically tell new Christians that Jesus came into their hearts at the moment they repented of their sins. But again our language limits the grandeur of a true conversion. When the Holy Spirit enters the life of a repentant believer, He literally breathes new life into the dead! Just as the prophet Ezekiel watched dry skeletons stand up, grow new flesh, and breathe again (Ezek. 37), people who are dead in sin are resurrected to a new life when they believe in Jesus Christ for the first time. Never forget the power of conversion. Of all the manifestations of the Holy Spirit available to us, conversion is the most precious—and the most powerful. Never minimize the Holy Spirit’s power to transform a sinner.
Meet the Holy Spirit, who can do it all. He is the Spirit of God. He has limitless power and wisdom, yet He willingly comes to live inside any person who believes in Jesus Christ. And that means we have access to His amazing power. As I pondered the work of the Holy Spirit in Scripture and in my own life, I identified seven distinct roles He plays. Jesus told Nicodemus that we are born again by the Holy Spirit. “Truly, truly, I say to you,” Jesus said in John 3:5, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” True conversion is the most supernatural thing we will ever experience. When a person puts his faith in Christ for salvation, it is the Spirit who opens the heart and imparts divine life.
Empowerer
Jesus told His early followers that when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That sounds noisy and disruptive. It sounds like something that would shake the world! Wherever the Spirit goes, He changes people into radicals. He gives them the power to preach boldly, heal sick people, even raise the dead. Hundreds of years before the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church on the Day of Pentecost, the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, newly anointed as a priest, got a free preview of how God would send the Holy Spirit to empower His people. The preview came in the form of a vision that included a stormy wind; a cloud that glowed with fire; flashes of lightning; and strange, four-faced cherubim empowered by God’s divine energy. What God was sharing with Ezekiel was the miracle of Pentecost, when God would clothe His people with power from on high. The early disciples would not only hear the sound of a rushing wind and see flames of fire descend on every believer’s head but also be infused with untamable qualities: supernatural strength, fierce courage, uncanny boldness, and an unusual ability to see into the invisible realm of God’s mysteries. I am not suggesting that He brings disorder or chaos. God is not the author of confusion. But too often the church of today has tried to confine the Holy Spirit, muzzle Him, or constrain Him so we can maintain control. I fear that in some cases we have begged this wild Spirit of God to stay away from us so we can play our tame version of church without His unexpected interruptions. If we are honest, we will admit that the church has become so weak, timid, and compromised with the world that we do not even remotely resemble the powerful Christians in the first century who bravely preached the gospel, worked miracles, and even gave their lives in martyrdom to serve Christ. Yet the promise remains for us: any Christian daring enough to invite the Spirit to empower him can experience all the manifestations of power.
Jesus told His early followers that when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they would be “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). That sounds noisy and disruptive. It sounds like something that would shake the world! Wherever the Spirit goes, He changes people into radicals. He gives them the power to preach boldly, heal sick people, even raise the dead. Hundreds of years before the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the early church on the Day of Pentecost, the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, newly anointed as a priest, got a free preview of how God would send the Holy Spirit to empower His people.
Guide
The Spirit has access to all the wisdom and knowledge of God. When we abide in Him, He leads us continually into truth—causing us to grow and mature spiritually. He is our teacher (1 John 2:27), and those who depend on Him will know where to go and what to do because they are following His heavenly directions. Romans 8:14 tells us: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” If you are a child of God, you have access to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is the best guide ever because He has all the information you need from the past, the present, and the future. I am old enough to remember when people did not have GPS software on their phones (or on anything else!). We actually had to keep maps in the glove boxes of our cars—folded maps made of paper! We’d use them to figure out how to get to a new address. Looking back on those days of studying maps (and asking for directions), I wonder how any of us found our destinations. The Holy Spirit is like your internal GPS, except that He never gets confused or offers wrong information. But if you want to know the Holy Spirit’s guidance, you must learn to discern His voice and His subtle nudging.
The Spirit has access to all the wisdom and knowledge of God. When we abide in Him, He leads us continually into truth—causing us to grow and mature spiritually. He is our teacher (1 John 2:27), and those who depend on Him will know where to go and what to do because they are following His heavenly directions. Romans 8:14 tells us: “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” If you are a child of God, you have access to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is the best guide ever because He has all the information you need from the past, the present, and the future. I am old enough to remember when people did not have GPS software on their phones (or on anything else!). We actually had to keep maps in the glove boxes of our cars—folded maps made of paper! We’d use them to figure out how to get to a new address. Looking back on those days of studying maps (and asking for directions), I wonder how any of us found our destinations.
Uniter
The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for fellowship, koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament. Koinonia, which also can be translated as “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love one another deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit’s dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, His koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together. After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (vv. 44–45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they witnessed this loving community (v. 47). Koinonia was an essential ingredient in the New Testament church. It is what connected Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, and Priscilla and Aquila as a team. It is what held the early Christians together in the face of persecution and caused them to lay down their lives for one another. We must return to koinonia—but you can’t download it or fake it. We will have to scrap artificial, event-driven programs if we want to have the relational Christianity of the Book of Acts. And we will have to invite the Holy Spirit to do His work of connecting us with our brothers and sisters in Christ with His supernatural bond.
The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for fellowship, koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament. Koinonia, which also can be translated as “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love one another deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit’s dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, His koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together. After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (vv. 44–45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they witnessed this loving community (v. 47).
Intercessor
This is one of the greatest miracles of grace. The apostle Paul told us that the Holy Spirit who lives inside us “intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Rom. 8:26). Even when we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit prays the perfect will of God. No matter what kind of dark difficulty we face, the Spirit travails for us until we emerge safely through the test. Have you ever “groaned” in prayer? Most of us know the feeling. We may not feel full of faith when we utter our deepest cries to God. We could be going through a difficult struggle and not feeling very spiritual. We may not even be able to muster the strength to pray for half an hour. Our prayers may be a pitiful series of short phrases such as, “Help me, God!” or “Lord, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.” But, according to the Bible, these kinds of prayers are powerful. All you have to do is read the psalms of King David to know that God hears prayers such as: “O Lord my God, I cried to you for help” (Ps. 30:2). And what is so comforting is that when we feel frustrated in prayer or don’t know what to say, the Spirit is praying at a deeper level inside us—and He knows what to pray! That is the promise of Romans 8:26. Many of us are at the most intense stage of the birth process, the transition phase. Childbirth is the time when a pregnant woman feels confused, irritable, and restless. We endure similar feelings of desperation in our walk of faith. We ask ourselves, “Did God really promise me that?” Everything inside us wants to quit believing. This is how the travailing process works—and we have the Holy Spirit to help us through the pain. He prays with groanings too deep for words until faith gives birth to the answer we are waiting for.
The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for fellowship, koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament. Koinonia, which also can be translated as “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love one another deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit’s dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, His koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together. After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (vv. 44–45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they witnessed this loving community (v. 47). Koinonia was an essential ingredient in the New Testament church. It is what connected Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, and Priscilla and Aquila as a team. It is what held the early Christians together in the face of persecution and caused them to lay down their lives for one another. We must return to koinonia—but you can’t download it or fake it. We will have to scrap artificial, event-driven programs if we want to have the relational Christianity of the Book of Acts. And we will have to invite the Holy Spirit to do His work of connecting us with our brothers and sisters in Christ with His supernatural bond.
Comforter
Before Jesus went to the cross, He spent a lot of time with His disciples and opened His heart to share many things with them. During His last crucial hours with His closest followers—whom He called “friends”—He talked a lot about the Holy Spirit. He wanted His disciples to know they would not be alone even though He was leaving them. Jesus told them in John 14:16–18: I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. After Jesus was raised from the dead, when His dejected disciples were huddled inside a house with the doors shut, Jesus appeared to them. After He showed them His pierced hands and the wound in His side, He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22). We often think the Spirit was first given on the Day of Pentecost, but that experience was the disciples’ second encounter with the Spirit. Their first introduction occurred Sunday evening of the Resurrection. The Helper had come, just as Jesus had promised! We have been given an amazing gift. When the Spirit came to dwell in you, He brought the eternal life of God. He gives you the very breath of heaven. He infuses you with God’s presence. And more than that, He sets up eternal residence in you so you will never feel alone. Christians can literally sense the presence of the Holy Spirit in themselves, and as we grow in our faith we learn to hear His comforting voice. I have learned to especially appreciate the presence of the Helper when I go through difficult times of trial, discouragement, or struggle. The Spirit sustains me with supernatural strength and hope. When I experience grief, the Spirit cheers me; when I am mistreated or persecuted, He gives me miraculous grace to endure; when I am accused or misunderstood, He fights my battle for me; when I make a mistake and want to kick myself, He lifts my head and mixes gentle correction with encouragement; when I am in despair, He reminds me of God’s promises. He wants the same for you.
The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for fellowship, koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament. Koinonia, which also can be translated as “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love one another deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit’s dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, His koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together. After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (vv. 44–45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they witnessed this loving community (v. 47). Koinonia was an essential ingredient in the New Testament church. It is what connected Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, and Priscilla and Aquila as a team. It is what held the early Christians together in the face of persecution and caused them to lay down their lives for one another. We must return to koinonia—but you can’t download it or fake it. We will have to scrap artificial, event-driven programs if we want to have the relational Christianity of the Book of Acts. And we will have to invite the Holy Spirit to do His work of connecting us with our brothers and sisters in Christ with His supernatural bond.
Refiner
When the Spirit came upon the 120 disciples in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, He was manifested in primarily two ways: (1) the sound of a rushing wind and (2) flames of fire that miraculously appeared on each person’s head. We do not know the exact nature of this fire; it obviously was not physical fire or it would have burned everyone’s hair! It was most likely the visual manifestation of the Spirit’s presence. But most assuredly this fire also represents to us the holiness of God. Are you willing to allow God to purify you, even in hidden areas? Suppose you have lived in the same house for 24 years and you decide to move. The process of packing and cleaning that house is never easy. Imagine what you will see if you pull your refrigerator out from the wall to put it on the moving van. It has been in the same corner of the kitchen for a long time. No one has ever swept under it. The tile would be filthy. The floor might be caked with layers of grime, dust, stray nutshells, specks of rotted food, lost hair bands, dog hair, and unidentified stains that have been there for more than two decades. Yuck! This would require some special cleaning to get your house ready for a new owner. It is a scary thought, but you may have areas such as this in your own life. Sometimes we hide our secret sins in private compartments. We know how to mask our ugliest attitudes. But when the Spirit comes in power, He comes to scour us of our grit and grime. He moves the furniture around in our lives in order to cleanse us of resentment, anger, shame, addictive behavior, and so many other things that can create distance between us and God. I encourage you to open your heart to the Spirit’s fire.
The Book of Acts tells us that after the first disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit, they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42, emphasis added). The Greek word used for fellowship, koinonia, appears here for the first time in the Bible and then is used 18 times throughout the New Testament. Koinonia, which also can be translated as “partnership,” is a supernatural grace that causes Christians to love one another deeply. It was not possible before Pentecost because it is a manifestation of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Just as the Spirit’s dunamis power enables us to heal the sick or work miracles, His koinonia knits our hearts and binds us together. After the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts 2, koinonia caused the early disciples to share their possessions unselfishly (vv. 44–45) and to share meals often (v. 46). Many people decided to become Christians when they witnessed this loving community (v. 47). Koinonia was an essential ingredient in the New Testament church. It is what connected Paul, Timothy, Luke, Titus, and Priscilla and Aquila as a team. It is what held the early Christians together in the face of persecution and caused them to lay down their lives for one another. We must return to koinonia—but you can’t download it or fake it. We will have to scrap artificial, event-driven programs if we want to have the relational Christianity of the Book of Acts. And we will have to invite the Holy Spirit to do His work of connecting us with our brothers and sisters in Christ with His supernatural bond.
The Holy Spirit
Take a quick listen to Rev. Donnie King about the Holy Ghost and the importance it is in every aspect of the Christian life.