FOUNDATION OF FAITH PART X

Blessed Sunday to Everyone

THE WORK OF HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit plays an essential part in our salvation. He shows us how wrong our sins are and helps us accept Jesus as our Savior. He changes our lives. "And when he comes [the Holy Spirit], he will prove to the people of the world that they are wrong about sin and about what is right and about God's judgment"(John 16:8). "'I am telling you the truth,' replied Jesus, 'that no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but he is born spiritually of the Spirit'" (John 3:5-6). The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer. He enters the heart when conversion takes place. "To show you that you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who cries out, 'Father, my Father'" (Galatians 4:6). Romans 8:9 says further, "Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him." If we belong to the family of God, His Spirit dwells within us. "For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God's children, and by the Spirit's power we cry out to God, 'Father! my Father!'" (Romans 8:15-16). We have talked about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and we may also have the infilling of the Holy Spirit which occurs after conversion. It is sometimes called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Not every believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit, but it is an experience God wants all His children to have. "He [Jesus] has been raised to the right side of God, his Father, and has received from him the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us" (Acts 2:33). "Peter said unto them, 'Each one of you must turn away from his sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 2:38). "The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Helper. He teaches, gives us love and fellowship, and guides us into truth. He has fruit for us, like joy, peace, patience, humility and self-control (Galatians 5:22) and spiritual gifts with which to minister unto the Lord and to our fellow man" (I Corinthians 12:4-7).

VERSE OF THE WEEK

Peter said unto them, "Each one of you must turn away from his sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God's gift, the Holy Spirit".

- 1 Acts 2:38