Coming of the Holy Spirit

"And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

The first mention of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. He was active in creation, bringing order out of chaos, life out of death. "The Spirit of God moved" — the Hebrew word means "hovered, brooded, vibrated." The Spirit was the agent of recreation, bringing life and order to the formless earth.

"And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years."

The Spirit strove with man—convicted, warned, restrained sin. This is the same convicting ministry described in John 16:8-11. The Spirit worked to restrain evil and call men to repentance. But God warns: "My spirit shall not always strive". There is a limit to how long the Spirit will strive with rebellious man. Noah preached for 120 years. Then judgment came.

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

The Holy Spirit is the Author of all Scripture. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." They wrote, but the Spirit moved them, guided them, inspired them. Every word of the Old Testament is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16), produced by the Holy Spirit.

"And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times...And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid...And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon...And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him: and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him..."

Samson is the example. "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him" — repeatedly, for specific tasks. When he needed strength to fight, the Spirit empowered him. But the Spirit did not permanently indwell Samson. The Spirit came for the job, then left. This was the Old Testament pattern.

"And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines...And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him."

The tragic result of Old Testament empowering: "he wist not that the LORD was departed from him."Samson assumed the Spirit's power would be there as before. But the Spirit had left. In the Old Testament, the Spirit could and did depart when believers sinned or when the task was complete. This is the key difference from the New Testament.

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

David's prayer after his sin with Bathsheba. "Take not thy holy spirit from me" — David knew the Spirit could be taken. He had seen it happen to Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). Old Testament believers lived with this fear. They could lose the Spirit's indwelling. Today, under the New Covenant, this prayer is unnecessary. The Spirit abides forever (John 14:16). We are sealed unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The Spirit will never leave us.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."

"Create in me a clean heart" — David prays for spiritual renewal, regeneration. The Spirit was the agent of regeneration in the Old Testament, just as He is today (Titus 3:5). But the indwelling was not permanent. David asks God not to take the Spirit from him.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."

Jesus promised a change. "He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." At that moment, the Spirit was with them (Old Testament pattern). Soon, the Spirit would be in them (New Testament pattern). This was a prophesied transition.

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you."

"It is expedient for you that I go away" — better, more profitable. Why? So the Comforter could come. Jesus' physical presence was limited to one place. The Spirit's presence would be universal, indwelling every believer everywhere. The coming of the Spirit depended on Jesus' departure—His death, resurrection, and ascension.

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you...If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

This was transitional instruction—specific to the disciples at that time. They could ask for the Spirit. Today, believers do not need to ask for the Spirit at salvation. We receive Him automatically the moment we believe (Romans 8:9). But during the transition, the disciples could ask for the Spirit's empowering.

"And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost."

After His resurrection, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost."This was a temporary, transitional measure—a "hold-over" until Pentecost. They received some measure of the Spirit, but the full indwelling, sealing, baptizing work of the Spirit would come ten days later at Pentecost.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The Day of Pentecost — the birthday of the Church. For the first time in history, the Holy Spirit came to indwell believers permanently. The signs—wind, fire, tongues—were for authentication, to mark this epochal event. But the reality was the indwelling of the Spirit. From this moment forward, every believer would receive the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit at the point of salvation.

"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."

"The Holy Ghost which is given unto us" — past tense, completed action. Every believer has been given the Holy Spirit. This is not an experience to seek. It happens at salvation.

"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

"If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Possession of the Holy Spirit is the mark of a true believer. If you do not have the Spirit, you are not saved. If you are saved, you have the Spirit. There is no in-between. Every believer has the indwelling Spirit.

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

"The Spirit of God dwelleth in you" — present tense, continuous action. The Spirit permanently dwells in every believer. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19).

"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

"Because ye are sons" — the indwelling Spirit is the proof and privilege of sonship. God has sent the Spirit into our hearts. We did not earn it, seek it, or work for it. God gave it because we are His sons.

"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

"We know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us." The indwelling Spirit is our assurance. We know we belong to God because the Spirit dwells in us.

"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts."

"Sealed us" — past tense, completed action. God has sealed every believer with the Holy Spirit. A seal marks ownership, guarantees authenticity, and secures the contents. We are sealed—owned by God, authenticated as His, secured until redemption.

"And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

"Sealed unto the day of redemption" — the seal is permanent. We are sealed until the day our bodies are redeemed (Romans 8:23). The Spirit will never leave. He is the guarantee of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14). This is the New Testament reality. This is what Pentecost brought.