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Holy Spirit - Part 1

by Reinhard Bonnke

Those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:14

These were the last recorded words of Jesus Christ to his disciples before he ascended into heaven at the end of his three years of earthly ministry:

'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.'  Acts 1:8

It is important to note that Jesus spoke of both Holy Spirit anointing and evangelism. It was not an either/or situation. His disciples were to receive power and to be witnesses. His last instructions to his followers had a two-fold meaning '“ he promised power and commissioned them for the tasks ahead.

There are various ways to describe the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. John the Baptist said that Christ would baptise us in the Holy Spirit. 'Baptise' has now become a purely religious term but originally it was a word used in commercial circles for dipping or soaking cloth in dye. The 'baptised' material took on the nature of the element into which it was dipped; it absorbed its colour. The cloth was in the dye and the dye in the cloth. To be baptised in the Spirit means that we are in the Spirit and the Spirit in us; we take on the character of the Spirit. We do not need to work to attain this '“ and indeed cannot; it is what happens in baptism.

Absorbing the nature of the Spirit produces in us what Paul calls the 'fruit of the Spirit' '“ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). This fruit develops in our character as we allow the Spirit to work in us.

BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

'Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.'  Ephesians 5:18

The Spirit comes to us himself. We do not receive a small portion of him or need to be 'topped up' from time to time. The Bible never talks about 'some' Holy Spirit or 'more' Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, every single person received the Holy Spirit '“ not just a bit of him. We receive the Holy Spirit from Christ as the promise of the Father.

We may pray for others to be filled with the Spirit but we have no authority to give the Holy Spirit '“ it is a personal gift from God.

Greek has a tense which is used to describe an ongoing, unending condition; this tense is used for the word 'filled', making the sense 'be being filled with the Spirit'. It means that we are to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT

'Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant '¦ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord '¦ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.'  1 Corinthians 12:1-11

The gifts of the Spirit never designate natural talents, such as a gift for music or another art form. The gifts referred to in 1 Corinthians 12 are supernatural manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
The gifts differ from one person to another. Paul described the church as a body with many members; each member is unique but has a vital role in the function of the body. Although there may be a marked difference in the way various parts of the body function, each one is needed and none should be perceived as being more important than another.

That is what it is like with the gifts of the Spirit. One believer receives one gift, another believer a different gift. No one gift should be considered superior or inferior to another (1 Corinthians 12:14-31). The emphasis should not be on the gift, to avoid the gift becoming an idol. The recipient of the spiritual gift should not glory in his or her gift because the gift could easily become a stumbling block of pride.

Let us consider each of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

THE WORD OF WISDOM

A word (i.e. message) of wisdom is supernatural wisdom, not something learned or acquired. It has its source in the wisdom of God and is the ability to grasp something that is beyond human understanding and to know what should be done in a specific situation '“ to the glory of God. James 1:5 tells us that wisdom is available to all who ask for it.

The practical relevance of a word of wisdom is apparent in its timing and application. It is not necessarily a proclamation at a church service. It could quite simply be a part of a discussion during which the Holy Spirit prompts someone to reveal divine truth or insight. Alternatively, it might be a revelation that occurs during a time of Bible study, prayer or meditation, when the Holy Spirit reveals Scripture that applies to specific circumstances. It has a practical purpose and may come in a fashion that seems neither miraculous nor overly religious.

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