Definition
The gift of the Holy Spirit has always been God’s means of regenerating his people to new life and empowering spiritual leaders, but since the miracle of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit has been given to all believers to enable them to carry out the wide variety ministries God calls them to, to enable supernatural signs and gifts, and to guide Christians in their gospel proclamation.
Summary
The Holy Spirit is not just given in the NT; he was operative throughout the whole of the OT: the Spirit is the creative power of God, was responsible for empowering civil and military leaders in the nation of Israel, and anointed the kings of Israel to enable them to fulfill their calling. Since the miracle of Pentecost, which was the fulfillment of OT prophecy, the Christian church has received the Spirit in a democratized fashion. Now, all Christians receive the gift of the Spirit to enable them to carry out the wide variety ministries God calls them to. The Spirit also enables supernatural gifts and signs to operate, such as prophecy and speaking in tongues. The Spirit guides Christians in their faith and is the seal upon them that they will ultimately inherit all the blessings of Christ. And above all else, the Spirit is given to shine a light upon Jesus and direct the focus of our heart’s confidence and adoration on him alone.
Courses
Videos
Should We Pray for Filling of the Spirit?
Michael Horton explains what the Bible means when it talks about being “filled with the Spirit” and talks about how Christians can pursue that goal.
J. D. Greear on Whether God Speaks Audibly Today
J. D. Greear weighs in on whether God still speaks audibly.
Podcasts
Articles
What Jesus’s Ascension Does for Us
It may be the most important doctrine you never think about.
Turning Point of World History: The Resurrection According to Acts
In his Gospel, Luke recounts Christ’s resurrection. In Acts, he gives us five implications.
‘She Has a Spirit of ______.’ But Are Such Phrases Biblical?
When it comes to these popular phrases, there’s a spirit of confusion afoot.
What Does ‘Born of Water and the Spirit’ Mean in John 3:5?
Where do ‘water’ and ‘the Spirit’ come together in the Old Testament in a context that promises a new beginning?
3 Comforts When You’re Reduced to Wordless Prayer
“He who searches hearts” can’t fail but to hear us when we’re too overwhelmed for language.
Jesus Did Not Pray Just to Set an Example
If even Jesus needed to pray, what does that say of us, his younger, non-divine siblings? How arrogant must we be to think we can survive without prayer?
When Disciplining Kids Doesn’t Seem to Make a Difference
How often do we expect behavior from our kids that even we don’t exhibit?
. . . And Then the Holy Spirit
Though never absent in the early phases of God’s work, the Spirit is often anonymous.
