The Progressive Holy Spirit

If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:15-17

I. Holy Spirit WITH us.

a. Jesus here describes Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth.

i. He testifies to the truth that is Jesus Christ.

ii. He enlightens us to the truth of God as revealed in Christ.

iii. He exposes what is not truth.

iv. He guides the seeker and ultimately the believer into all truth.

b. The work of God’s Spirit with us is that of displaying His power in our lives to stir up a hunger for Him to be in our lives.

c. Holy Spirit is always at work in this world drawing people to Jesus Christ.

d. Without the work of God’s Spirit, we cannot come to the knowledge of the truth. He is constantly at work with us and around us pointing and leading us to the place of truth and life in Christ.

e. For over 3 years, the disciples had observed the Spirit of God at work in the life of Jesus. They had experience Holy Spirit at work with them as well. Yet, Jesus promises a new and fresh revelation of God’s Spirit, in that He will be IN THEM.

II. Holy Spirit IN us.

a. This is the work of regeneration or new life that takes place at salvation.

b. This is the first work that we allow the Spirit to do in our lives.

c. When Holy Spirit is with us, we can observe and see what He is doing and get an idea who He is. But, until we open our hearts to allow Him in, nothing has truly changed in our hearts and lives.

d. This is the step from mental acknowledgement to heart acceptance.

Again Jesus said, Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:21-22

e. At this time, the disciples were infused with the regenerating presence of the Holy Spirit and new life in Christ.

f. The word “breathed” is the same verb that is used in Genesis 2:7 where we see that God breathed into Adam the breath of life. In the same way that God breathed physical life into man at creation, Jesus is here breathing spiritual life into the disciples that they might become a new creation.

g. This is the onset of the New Covenant provision for salvation and life in Christ. This is the birth of the church.

III. Holy Spirit ON us.

a. This is a second and separate work of Holy Spirit in our lives.

b. This is the baptism in the Holy Spirit, where we are endued with power from Heaven as promised by Jesus.

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

c. Jesus lived, moved, operated and ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit, and His intention for us has always been that we do likewise.

d. The baptism in the Holy Spirit, or Holy Spirit on us, is available to all believers who have Holy Spirit in them – regeneration/salvation.

e. John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit. This promise applies for us today.

f. This baptism in the Spirit – Spirit on us – is always accompanied by the initial physical evidence of speaking in tongues.