All the four gospels show us that the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and rested on Jesus at the time of his baptism. If the Son of God needed the Spirit of God in his life and ministry, can we do ministry without the enabling of the Holy Spirit? Think about this.
Though many quarrel over the words baptism, anointing, filling etc; all the four gospels introduce Jesus Christ as One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33. See also Acts 1:5). God may use human channels to bless you with the Gift of the Holy Spirit; but Jesus is the only baptizer.
The Holy Spirit is a person; not just a power. He is God himself. And he has unlimited power. Because he is a person the Bible asks us not to grieve the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:30). The Bible also asks us not to be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). That is about influence. God wants us to be Spirit-led.
Life Application:
Have you ever wondered why even after trusting in Jesus as Saviour and Lord you feel tempted and sometimes sin? Have you ever resisted temptation? Have you been in that tug of war between your desire to yield to temptation and your desire to please God? If yes, know that Paul spoke about it too in Romans 7:14–25. Now how do you tackle temptation? One way is to observe how birds fly. They fly in spite of gravity pulling them down. It is because the law of gravity is overcome by a higher law of flight.
So also your sinful nature (gravity which pulls you down and towards sin) will always be present. But you can overcome it by being Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. That is what Paul says in Romans 8:2. “because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1).
The Spirit of God helps you in prayer. “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:26, 27).
“Groanings which cannot be uttered are often prayers which cannot be refused.” ― C. H. Spurgeon.
So seek the help of the Spirit of God in prayer. His name in Greek is parakletos means one called alongside to help. So he is your Helper in prayer.
The Spirit of God witnesses or testifies in your heart that you are God’s child. “For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship [some translations, “adoption”]. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:15, 16).”
He (Paul) says that God’s spirit witnesses with our spirit that we really are his children. The adoption ceremony was carried out in the presence of seven witnesses. Now, suppose the adopting father died and there was some dispute about the right of the adopted son to inherit, one or more of the seven witnesses stepped forward and swore that the adoption was genuine. Thus the right of the adopted person was guaranteed and he entered into his inheritance. So, Paul is saying, it is the Holy Spirit himself who is the witness to our adoption into the family of God. – William Barclay’s Commentary on Romans.
The Spirit of God will help you remember what you read, meditate, and memorize from God’s Word (see Psalm 119:11 on the importance of hiding God’s Word in your heart so that you might not sin). The Spirit of God is the Spirit of Truth. Jesus said that he will guide you into all truth and take from what is his and make it known to you (see John 16:12—15).
The Spirit of God is gentle like a dove and mighty like the wind. He always chooses to be on backstage and turn the spotlight on Jesus the Lamb of God who shed his blood on the cross. Therefore any ministry that glorifies the preacher or builds an earthly kingdom or preaches a prosperity gospel or is focused on making money has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. For them the warning of Matthew 7:21 is most applicable.
Now if you need the blessing of the Holy Spirit, know that without him you cannot come to Jesus. He is the one who convicts you of sin (John 16:8). At the same time, Jesus asked his disciples to wait for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5 and 8). When he came in power, the fearful disciples turned into bold witnesses who turned the world upside down with their message of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus.
If you need the blessing of the Holy Spirit you need to thirst for him (see John 7;37, 38). Thirst is most important. The next thing is to ask. As simple as that. “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him (Luke 11:13)!
Just receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit in faith as you accepted the gift of eternal life by faith. See what Peter said at
Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call (Acts 38, 39). The promise of the Holy Spirit is for you. He is the gift that God has promised to give you when you believe in Jesus. Now how do you receive a gift? You say thanks and just receive; isn’t it?
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