The Spirit's Ministry - Tongues and Prophecy

oment of Salvation. At the moment a man or woman believes in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit instantly performs miraculous events in that person’s life. One of the most important events is that He regenerates us or gives us new life.

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life (NASB) Titus 3:5-7

This passage captures a lot of truth. Here we are told that the Holy Spirit not only regenerates us (gives us new life), but also justifies us, (declares us to be just), and ready for eternal life. We are also told that the Holy Spirit is “poured out upon” us richly. If that is true, then every believer has the Holy Spirit at the very moment of believing in Jesus Christ. There is no condition in this verse. This is a statement of fact.

As we have already discovered, the Holy Spirit also secures us for eternity. He places a seal of ownership upon us.

. . . listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise . . . (NASB) Eph. 1:13

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. (NASB) 1 Cor. 12:13

This is not water baptism, since the Holy Spirit is the one performing the action. Some have stated that this passage refers to an event that occurs after one becomes a Christian, and one must ask for it. But this passage says that “all” are baptized. The Greek word is PANTES which means “all, every, whole.” That is, no one is left out. The Holy Spirit enters the life of each Christian at the moment he/she believes. That was Jesus’ promise in John 7:38-39. That is also the apostle Paul’s teaching in Titus 3:5-7. Paul repeats this truth in Galatians when he says,

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (NASB) Gal. 3:26-27

Notice that every one who believes in Jesus is baptized into Jesus. 1 Cor. 12:13 says that every believer in Jesus Christ is baptized into one body, and Galatians 3:26-27 and 1 Cor. 12:27 make it clear that that body is Christ’s body.

Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. (NASB) 1 Cor. 12:27

Any man or woman who believes in Jesus Christ is spiritually baptized into Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12). This occurs when the Holy Spirit is poured out upon us when we believe (Titus 3:5-7) and not later.

His Ministry Is Needed. Yet we need something more. Yes, the Holy Spirit is living inside each genuine believer, but Ephesians 3:16 tells us that we need something more in order to be strengthened.

. . . that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man . . . (NASB) Eph. 3:16

That is, we need the Holy Spirit to strengthen and empower every person who believes in Jesus Christ to live as God desires.

Many years ago, a man was standing next to an English gentleman looking at the Niagara whirlpool rapids when he turned to his friend and said, “Come and I will show you the greatest unused power in the world.” Taking the English gentleman to the foot of Niagara Falls, a tremendously large waterfall, he said, “There is the greatest unused power in the world!” “Not so!” was the reply. “The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God!” That is the truth. Some Christians are attempting to live the Christian life without the power of the Spirit.

So how can we be empowered to live as God would want us to live? The answer is found in Galatians 5:16-23 and Ephesians 5:17-6:5. Galatians calls it “walking in the Spirit,” and Ephesians calls it “being filled with the Spirit.”

Walking In The Spirit. God tells us that there is a great benefit to walking in the Spirit, and there is a great problem when we do not.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. (NASB) Gal. 5:16-17

God says that when we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the desire of the flesh. Gal. 5:19-21 tells us that the result is sin if we do not walk in the Spirit.

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NASB) Gal. 5:19-21

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (NASB) Gal. 5:22-33

The fruit of the Holy Spirit in the life of one who follows Jesus is spiritual growth towards holiness, but the deeds of the flesh are evil. Therefore, we should not be surprised that there is a war between the flesh and the Holy Spirit.