The Holy Spirit is a gift to all who give their life to Jesus (Acts 2:37-39). Most believers accept this as a fact, even though they may not understand the implications of it. A segue question comes to mind about the gifts provided by the Holy Spirit. Are the gifts given by the Spirit for Christians today? Which ones? Are these connected to being more or less blessed and accepted?
   As we begin this brief study, let me say that scriptures teach when one is saved, he is all the way saved, accepted by the Father as one washed in the blood of Jesus. The Spirit who indwells the Christian works in the Christian to help him/her grow continually through life, in His grace.
   Gifts from the Spirit are different from the gift of the Spirit. All Christians receive the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), and Christians receive gifts from the Spirit, but not all Christians receive the same gifts (I Corinthians 12:4-10). The body of Christ, illustrated by Paul with the human body, has different parts, performing different duties and thus the ‘body of Christ’ (the church) does what it is supposed to do in the world, with the help of the Spirit.
   Now since I am not going to be able to cover everything in this article… and since I don’t know it all, you will need to read carefully I Corinthians 12, 13, and 14. These Christians had a major problem of jealousy and lack of love for each other. Thus chapter 13 is critical to all of this. Brethren were jealous, because some Christians had the gift of tongues (the ability to speak a different language not normally learned (Acts 2:1-12), and others did not.  They may have had a gift like ‘mercy’ or ‘giving’ or ‘leading’ or some other gift (Romans 12:4-8). The ones with the gift of ‘tongues’ looked down on the one without this gift, this is evident when reading I Corinthians 14. Paul writes to correct their attitudes towards each other. Every gift was important to the ‘body’. No one was to be considered ‘of less importance’ than others, (Romans 12:3), even though some gifts were more important (I Corinthians 14:5). Certainly putting one another down, was not right.
   As far as ‘tongues’ was concerned, Paul deals with this more in I Corinthians 14, where he says that prophecy (which edified the whole congregation), was actually to be desired more than ‘tongues’, since it didn’t involve speaking a language unknown to the rest (I Corinthians 14:3-5). Prophesying was simply speaking a word from God for the instruction, encouragement, and edification of the whole group. The practice of everyone speaking at the same time in some ‘unknown tongue’, was actually FORBIDDEN by the apostle (I Corinthians 14:23).
   They were to follow these instructions… two or at the most three with the gift of tongues were allowed to speak at the assembly (obviously with an interpreter)
(I Corinthians 14:27).
 Those that prophesied, they were to do so in a decent and orderly fashion,
(I Corinthians 14:33).
   Does the Holy Spirit still give gifts today? The “signs and wonders” done to prove that those who spoke were authentic apostles are recorded for us in scriptures. Gifts from the Spirit, some are not with us, some are. God still works, answers prayer, heals, guides, ‘opens opportunities’… Other things were mentioned in a previous article.
   No I am not trying to limit God. however, I do not want to teach something which goes beyond what He has revealed in scriptures either.

    On the Day of Pentecost (AD 33) some three thousand were redeemed by the grace of God when they repented and were immersed “for the remission (forgiveness) of sins” as Peter commanded, but that wasn’t and isn’t all that is promised! There was a gift, a gift from God which is for all Christians… the indwelling Holy Spirit, (Acts 2:38-29). 
   This is a special, ‘what I believe’ article… So, if you do not agree, just open your Bible and read the references that are there, and make your own decisions.  (One old preacher told me, “Jack, it’s alright to write about the Holy Spirit as long as you don’t try to explain Him.” Maybe he was right.)
   That all Christians receive the Holy Spirit is beyond a doubt (to me), (Acts 2:39; 5:32). Jesus had promised the coming of the Spirit (John 7:37-39), a Comforter, an Advocate for his disciples (John 16:6-11; Acts 1:1-11). 
   When speaking with Nicodemus, Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:1-8). Thus Jesus brings both water (immersion) and Spirit together into the picture of a new birth. Keep in mind… “A WATERLESS, SPIRIT BIRTH, IS NO MORE BIBLICAL THAN A SPIRITLESS WATER BIRTH.” Jesus said this birth is composed of “water” AND “Spirit”.
   It is the Holy Spirit, our Reality our Guide, who protects, and nourishes and keeps the body of Christ until He returns. The Gift OF the Spirit is different from gifts FROM the Spirit, some of these gifts were temporary and some permanent. All gifts have a special purpose within the body of Christ. Study carefully the following passages, I Corinthians 12:1-12; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:11-14. Today, we have the written word, and while some gifts do not seem to be with us today, others definitely are, but ALL as the Spirit wills and purposes. We also have the Spirit’s help in guiding, protecting, and opening doors for the spread of the Good News.  
   Other things that the Spirit still does today…(1) Provides spiritual judgment (1 Corinthians 2:14-15), (2) Works in salvation, ( 1 Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Corinthians 12:13), (3) Fruits of the Spirit in the Christian’s life, (Galatians 5:22-24), (4) He strengthens the Christian’s heart (spirit), (Ephesians 3:16-17),  (5) He unifies the body of Christ, (Ephesians 4:3-6), (6) He helps in worship, (Ephesians 5:18-21), by encouraging worship in song, thanksgiving, submission, and reverence, and prayer (Ephesians 6:18), (7) He brings joy, (I Thessalonians 1:6), (8) He sanctifies the Christian throughout life, (Romans 15:15-16; II Thessalonians 2:13), (9) He is evidence of salvation to the Christian, (I John 3:24). 
   If these are not enough to make the Christian rejoice, then consider that the Spirit, gives life, satisfies spiritual thirst, enables service in a new and deeper way, sets us free from the law of sin and death, makes us God’s children, helps us pray, makes us God’s temple, and fills our lives completely, and …. just as God raised His Son, by the power of the Spirit….he will one day raise us (Romans 8:9-11; I John 3:1). Physical death is only the door to an eternal resurrection. Praise God!

   Peter said it… “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 2:39). This verse carries as much weight as verse 38… Paul said, “You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of
God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not
belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).
  I BELIEVE THAT EVERY PERSON WHO HAS REPENTED, AND BEEN  BAPTIZED HAVE BEEN ARE FORGIVEN, AND HAVE RECEIVED THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
   Either that ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE THE SPIRIT or NONE have received the Holy Spirit. It is no more difficult for the Spirit to dwell in a million than 12. I find no middle ground on this in scriptures. Jesus said it, promised it… Peter and Paul both preached it…. I believe it. Paul confirms this in I Corinthians 6:19 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” 
   Let’s carefully question the next one who is to be baptized.  “Are you
saved?”  “No, not yet”.  “Are you wet?”  “No not yet”. Continue the questioning after baptism. “Are you wet?”  “Yes”. “Are you saved?  “Yes”.  If all that takes place between the ‘dry’ and the ‘wet’ is water, why does Paul write “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (I Corinthians 12:13). Jesus taught Nicodemus, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5).  One birth, two elements. 
   Both are equally essential, and serve a different purpose in the picture of being saved. If one denies that baptism is necessary for salvation, he necessarily invalidates the life giving Spirit, for they are both JOINED and necessary in the new birth according to Jesus, this much is plain. Paul said “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4). It  is my conviction that the scriptures clearly teach  that all those that receive the good news of Jesus Christ, who turn from sin and are born again in a birth of WATER AND SPIRIT, and not only receive the remission of sins but also the gift of the Holy Spirit (or the Holy Spirit as a gift).
  
  

   You have to be patient with beginning preachers…. (and maybe a few experienced ones)… we make mistakes. Looking back over sermons preached back in the 70’s and 80’s, I have to admit, I would make a few changes. There was too much guilt, not enough grace. Balance was sorely missing and greatly needed. I recall I was full of excitement, yet very nervous. My mind was ‘packed’ with scriptures, yet there was something missing. A minister needs both a knowledge of the scriptures and A KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE.  I was afraid of being ‘marked’, and upsetting those who ‘held the church purse strings’. For whatever reason, I held back from saying some things which needed to be said… things which would have helped, not only those who listened, but myself as well. 
    I spoke strongly about “remission of sins” mentioned in Acts 2:38, but said little about the last part of the verse where Peter speaks equally about receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. I can’t really explain it. How could I preach so much on baptism being FOR the remission of sins, and fail to teach that those who are baptized receive something very important, even critical to living the life of a Christian…. a gift from God, the Holy Spirit?
  The fact is, that those on Pentecost, were told to do two things, “repent” and “be baptized” (immersed is the meaning of this word). They were also told that they would receive two things, the “remission (forgiveness) of sins” (this was the reason for doing what Peter said), AND “the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, after personal study, and independent thinking, I want to share some things with you.
   John the Baptist, introduced Jesus by saying, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8).   John was speaking to a people from  Judea and Jerusalem.  This was BEFORE Christ chose his 12 apostles. When and how does Jesus baptize believers in the Holy Spirit?  Jesus said, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:37:39).  If the penitent believer receives the remission of sins at baptism (immersion), and does not receive the Spirit of God, then this would indeed be called, ‘water regeneration or water salvation’. Much indeed would be missing. Paul wrote, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” (Colossians 2:12). Does God work in the process of being baptized or is it just a matter of form?  Is there an actual birth, and if so, does it not require a new Spirit?  (Because without the Spirit, that which has been planted (buried) in baptism… receives no LIFE,  therefore will not grow. The past would be dealt with, but there would be no future.) If it requires a new Spirit, who’s Spirit is it? Why hold back in teaching that every believer receives the Holy Spirit in conversion when the Word of God clearly teaches this truth!
            More to come….