The Holy Spirit was promised to Abraham (Galatians 3:14), and the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Gospel, through Jesus Christ, to anyone, Jew or Gentile, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself (Acts 2:36-39).
Acts 2:38,39 “And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 “For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself.”
Comment: The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ Spirit sent to those, either Jew or Gentile, who repent of their sins, turn away from the world and religious traditions of men, to set their hearts to hear and obey His voice in the Scriptures.
Proverbs 1:23 “Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.”
Comment: The Holy Spirit is given for us to understand what the Word means from God’s point of view. It is by spiritual revelation that we understand the meaning of God’s Word – there is no other way.
1 John 2:27 “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
Comment: The anointing is the power to hear and understand spiritually, or, to pass on spiritual revelation, that transforms a man’s heart into the image of God’s heart.
John 14:26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.”
Comment: The Holy Spirit is the Teacher, not of some things, but of all things! The Holy Spirit reveals to us the will of God that enables us to walk blamelessly during our daily affairs. He transforms our minds so that we may prove to ourselves what His will is for us (Romans 12:1,2).
John 14:15-17 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
16 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;
17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.”
Comment: God gives His Spirit to those whose hearts are set on obeying Him, no matter what the cost. Worldly people have another spirit. The Holy Spirit speaks only what God’s Word speaks. This is how we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.
John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”
Comment: Not only does the Holy Spirit guide us as we grow into the image of God, but He discloses things that are to come in our future. He does this with the Word, using spiritual thoughts and spiritual words, revealing the understanding of God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 2:9 “but just as it is written, ” Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Comment: In Matthew 13:10-15 Jesus describes that those who have a heart after other things, cannot understand the things of God. They have the power to understand, but without repenting, they are given no revelation from God’s Word.
1 Corinthians 2:10 “But to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.”
Comment: But to those who seek Him with all their heart, soul, mind and strength He reveals even the deep things of God that are hidden from the eyes of others.
1 Corinthians 2:11 “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.”
Comment: No one can even know God or know His thoughts, unless the Holy Spirit is given to him to hear. The Holy Spirit is God’s voice in us. We are the Holy Spirit’s dwelling place.
1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,”
Comment: The spirit of the world might speak about religion or Scripture, but it does not sanctify us through the Word, making us holy as God is Holy (1 Peter 1:16).The spirit of the world always encourages us to love this world, store up, and prepare for this life.
1 Corinthians 2:13 “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
Comment: We learn to speak the things to others that the Holy Spirit speaks to us in order that they might repent (turn). This is so that they might receive the Holy Spirit and grow, by His guidance, into God’s image.
1 Corinthians 2:14 “But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”
Comment: The man who has the spirit of the world is not interested in the things of God, for he thinks that they are not of value to live life in this world. He is blind to their power!
1 Corinthians 2:15,16 “But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
Comment: The man who is taught by the Holy Spirit examines, investigates, inquires into, questions and discerns all things (Amplified Bible). Others don’t understand where he is coming from. It is God’s will that we know Him, and have His thoughts, His mind.
John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”
Comment: The Word is living and active! It is a living Word! The Word is God! The Spirit and the Word are One! The Spirit is the revelator of the Word. He gives us the necessary illumination to see and understand, unto eternal life.The Holy Spirit is the truth! (1Jn 5:6, KJV)
John 3:5,6 “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
Comment: The Word coming into our heart, is like a seed. We are born again by the ever living and ever lasting Word (seed) of God (1Peter 1:23).When we are born again, we are delivered out of the domain of darkness (confusion and bewilderment) into the kingdom of Christ (understanding the ways and thoughts of God), we are actually transferred into the kingdom of God in the unseen spirit realm.
Acts 5:32 “And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
Comment: If the intent and practice of our heart, is to deny ourselves our own agendas and pleasures, pick up our cross daily and follow Him (Luke 9:23), He gives us His Spirit. He clearly sees into the motives of our hearts.
1 Corinthians 6:19,20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?
20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body [and in your spirit, which are God’s, KJV].”
Comment: Our heart and body is the home of God for those who love and obey God. For the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (Luke 17:21).
2 Thessalonians 2:13,14 “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.
14 And it was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Comment: This is the reason for the Holy Spirit: That we may gain back the glory of God (His divine nature) that was in man, in the garden, before sin came into the world. This is the process of sanctification which the Holy Spirit works in us, as we have faith (confidence) in His Word, that He will fulfill His promises in those who believe and obey. Without the Holy Spirit we have no way to hear and understand God!
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
Comment: Everything must be discerned by the Holy Spirit! For many speak prophetically in the Christian Churches today. Many cast out demons. Many do signs and wonders. Many speak in tongues. There are many works done in the name of Jesus. There are many Christian teachings and seminars. But unless these works are done by vessels of honor (2Timothy 2:21), Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you!” He says this because they still love the world. Unholiness in a man is passed on through a man’s works!
Deuteronomy 13:1-3 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
2 and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,’
3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
Comment: These Scriptures instruct us that God allows our testing, by the use of false teachers having signs and wonders and teachings, to see if we love them, or God. We must discern false teachers by the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 2:12,13).
1 John 4:1 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Comment: False teachers are led by deluding spirits. They are deceiving and being deceived (2Timothy 3:13). We have been given the Holy Spirit so that we can follow God’s voice (Word), and recognize truth from error; “But the voice of a stranger we will not listen to” (John 10:5).
1 Thessalonians 5:21 “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good;”
Comment: Test mens words!!! Receive the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see if the words of their teachings are so (Acts 17:11). If God has your complete heart, you will know the truth, and the truth will enable you to recognize false teachings (John 8:31,32). This is freedom from the bondage of men!
2Thessalonians 2:9-12 “that is, the one [man of lawlessness, the Antichrist, vs. 3] whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged [condemned] who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure [approved] in wickedness.”
Comment: Isn’t this plain? Men perish because they love religion! But they don’t love the Word , which is the Truth (John 17:17)! Therefore, they have a different spirit, and one that God actually sends upon them. This spirit blinds their eyes to the whole purpose of God (See Mt. 25:1-4; 2Peter 2:1-3,17-19; 3:14,17; 1Timothy 4:1, 2Timothy 4:3,4). Again, here we see the testing of men by God.: We must learn to recognize and obey truth, over all other words of reasoning(John 3:19). Jesus said, “I am the truth…no one comes to the Father, but through Me (John 14:6).
Proverbs 2:6,12 Amplified Bible “For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
12 To deliver you from the way of evil and the evil man, from men who speak perverse things and are liars,”
Comment: His purpose in giving us His Holy Spirit is to deliver us from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, these are liars; Without the Holy Spirit, we are blind and deaf, without power to discern truth from error.
2 Corinthians 4:3,4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing,
4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Comment: From this we are clearly shown that another spirit controls those, whose mind is not controlled by the Holy Spirit. We are either under the power of the spirit of the world, or, the Holy Spirit of God. There is no neutral ground!!!
2 Corinthians 11:3,4 “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
4 For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.”
Comment: Jesus Christ is the Word (John 1:1). The spirit of the world, has a different gospel, another Jesus, and a different spirit. The worldly spirit is in the Church! It has false apostles, unknowingly masquerading as messengers of Christ, and as ministers of righteousness in Christian Churches (2Corinthians 11:13-15). But only the man who loves and obeys the Word, loves God. The Holy Spirit discloses to him Christ Jesus, his Lord and Savior.
In Conclusion: Test for yourself to see if you are following the true gospel, the true Jesus, and the true Holy Spirit.
Romans 8:5-9 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so;
8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
Galatians 5:24,25 “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh [human nature] with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk [be controlled] by the Spirit.”
Philippians 3:15 Amplified Bible “So let those of us who are spiritually mature and full grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also.”
If you desire to receive the Holy Spirit, the gift of God, then fix your eyes on Jesus, the Author and the Perfecter of your faith (the Word, the Scriptures). Turn away from all of your own self-loving ways, as the Holy Spirit reveals them to you, and He will reveal Himself. For our Lord wishes that no man should perish, but that all should come to repentance.