THE HOLY SPIRIT -- #6

     Thank you. I hope that you have had a good week as we have begun a
new year. May our resolution for this new year be to become a better
student of God's Word, the Bible and thus a better person as we allow
that word to permeate our every action and word. May we all have a
longing desire to become more pleasing in the sight of our God with the
strong will to seek out His Word and apply it to the life which we live.
May God bless you in that desire.
     We have been studying for some time now the great subject of the
Holy Spirit.  Last week our study lead us to examine what the Scriptures
teach with reference to the miraculous gifts of the first century
disciples.  We saw in that lesson that a time would come when the gifts
of the Holy Spirit would be done away, would cease to be.  Our conclusion
was and is that those gifts were done away or ceased when the need for
them ceased. Since miraculous gifts were for the purpose of confirming
the word, there is no longer any need for these gifts today, since that
Word has been confirmed for almost 2000 years. We have the completed,
revealed, revelation of Heaven. It was confirmed during the first century
by signs and miracles, by inspiration of those so endowed with the gift
of Spirit. Paul states, "But we received, not the spirit of the world,
but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were
freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in words which
man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual
things with spiritual words" (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).  Peter states, "For
no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being
moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21).
     Among the last words Jesus said to the apostles before His ascension
into heaven were: "For John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be
baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). The
fulfillment of this promise is recorded in the second chapter of Acts.
The baptismal measure of the Holy Spirit gave the apostles power to
perform various miracles: speaking in tongues (Acts 2:4); healing the
sick (Acts 3:6-8); raising the dead (Acts 9:36-41); preaching by direct
inspiration (John 14:26). Luke tells us, "And by the hands of the
apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people" (Acts
5:12).
     With very few exceptions, modern miracle workers maintain that they
have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. If they are right in this, then
they have the same power received by the apostles. If not, why not. They
should be able to speak in foreign languages, they should be able to
raise the dead, they should be able to be bitten by a venomous serpent
without ill effect (Acts 28:4-6). But why is it that these who claim to
be miracle workers when going into a foreign country must study the local
language in order to communicate with the populous? Surely, if they have
been baptized in the Holy Spirit, they should have the same power as the
apostles had in being able to speak in tongues they had not previously
learned (Acts 2:8, 11).  Further, why is it that those who claim the
baptism of the Holy Spirit need to read and study the Bible in order to
know anything about what it teaches? Obviously, if they have been
baptized in the Holy Spirit, they should be able to express "all truth"
as did the apostles without the necessity of any previous Bible
knowledge.
     There was a man who claimed that he knew someone who had died and
later revived. He asked of a preacher if the preacher would like to meet
him. To which the preacher replied, "No, but I would like to meet the
coroner who signed the death certificate."  Some few years ago, I met a
gentleman in a public religious discussion for four nights.  One night we
discussed the "gifts of the Holy Spirit." This man signed and affirmed
the proposition that he had the same gifts that the apostles had. In the
process of the discussion I asked him to cast a spell of blindness over
me and that would settle the discussion. In Acts 13:6-12, the incident is
recorded where the apostle Paul cast a spell of blindness upon a man
named Elymas, a sorcerer. Elymas opposed the teachings of Paul and Paul
performed a miracle. My claim was, if you have the same power as Paul,
cause me to be blind. Needless to say, I still have my eyesight, though
at times it seems to falter. His answer was, "That would be testing the
Lord." Do you think that Paul was testing the Lord?  Isn't it strange,
those who claim to have the same power as the apostles cannot do the
things which the apostle did. I also told this gentleman, "It is time for
us stop debating, let us see you demonstrate."  Let us go to the
graveyard and see your power. Raise a dead person and I will follow you
the rest of my life. You claim to have what the apostles had. Why can you
not do what they did?
     When Paul wrote his letter to Ephesus he stated, "There is one body,
and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over
all and through all, and in all" (Ephesians 4:4-6). Did you hear that?
ONE BAPTISM. This letter was written in about 64-65 A.  D., about 34
years after Acts, chapter 2. Was water baptism still a command? Why yes.
Water baptism is taught in many passages as being a requirement of
mankind to obey. Water baptism is not Holy Spirit baptism. They are two
separate and distinct baptisms.  Yet, when Paul wrote to the Ephesians,
he states there is one baptism. What does that tell the honest person? It
tells us that Holy Spirit baptism was not being received in 64 A.D., nor
in 1999 A.D. Who is desirous to accuse the apostle Paul of not know what
he was talking about. Who is willing to contradict the apostle?
     Sometimes those who claim the baptism of the Holy Spirit go to 1
Corinthians 12:13, "For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one
body...," and claim this teaches Holy Spirit baptism. If it does affirm
Holy Spirit baptism we have it contradicting what Paul said in Ephesians
4:4. And if God's word contradicts itself, then it no longer is
dependable. Would any in our radio audience affirm that there are two
baptisms today?? We shall see. Actually what this passage teaches is that
by means of one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.  "In one
Spirit" obviously refers to the direction and influence of the one
Spirit. When one is baptized in water for the remission of sins in
obedience to the command of Christ Jesus, that one is following the
guidance, the teaching of the one Spirit. The apostle Peter commanded
those who asked, "What shall we do?" to "Repent and to be baptized
everyone of you for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit" Acts 2:38).  When 3000 of the listeners were
baptized, they were responding to the Spirit as the Spirit spoke through
the apostle Peter. Thus, under the direction of the Holy Spirit they were
baptized for the remission of sins. Here is the one baptism. Immersed in
water in response to the teaching of the Spirit. The Spirit spoke through
Ananias in Acts 22:16, when he told Saul, "Arise and be baptized and wash
away your sins." When Saul (or Paul) was baptized, he was obeying the
instructions of the Holy Spirit, thus, "In one Spirit was he baptized
into one body." Yes, the one baptism in Ephesians in 64 A.D. was water
baptism, the same command that is proclaimed today in the great
commission of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jesus sent the apostles
forth into all the world with the charge, "Go ye therefore, and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even
unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20). That is the one baptism
that the apostles preached and it is the one command that the Ephesians
were reminded of.
     "But," someone says, "didn't Peter say that when you are baptized
for the remission of sins that you would receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit?" That is exactly right. That is the promise that the apostle make
in Acts 2:38. But, what is meant by the "gift of the Holy Spirit?"  Is it
the Holy Spirit as a gift, or is it the gift which the Holy Spirit gives?
Remember, the Holy Spirit is a person.  Are you telling me that one
person can be given to another person and the person being given takes
His abode in the body of the second person? Thus, two persons in one
body. Impossible. We discussed this matter in one of our former lessons
on the Holy Spirit.
     Consider the other possibility. The gift of the Holy Spirit is
something that the Holy Spirit gives. And what would that be? When one is
baptized, that one's sins are washed away by the blood of Christ. That
one has agreed with the teaching of the Spirit and receives the promise
that the Spirit made. When Saul responded to the command of Ananias (Acts
22:16), "arise and be baptized," he was responding to the teaching of the
Holy Spirit, and received the promise (or gift) of the Spirit. That
doesn't seem to be so hard to understand, does it?  In the book of Acts
there are many examples of those who became children of God. In every
case or example, the sinner was baptized. Acts 2, 3000 souls; Acts 8, the
Samaritans; Acts 8, the eunuch; Acts 10, Cornelius; Acts 16, the
Phillipian Jailor; Acts 18, the Corinthians; Acts 22, Paul. Why were they
all baptized?  Because Jesus said, "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). All of these received the gift of the Holy
Spirit, that which the Holy Spirit gave, the promise of salvation.  What
if I said, "Wash my car and you will receive the gift of Jack." What
would you think?  Would you expect Jack? Or would you expect something
which Jack will give you?
     Let us go back to the reference to miracles. We defined a miracle as
an act of God superseding or suspending a natural law. A miracle is an
event that is so extraordinary, that the believer and the non-believer
admit that it happened and that is was beyond normal human experience.
Acts 4:16, reads, "What shall we do to these men?  for indeed a notable
miracle hath been wrought thorough them, is manifest to all that dwell in
Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it." Those who were the enemies to the
apostles acknowledged that the miracle had been performed. If there is
disagreement, the disagreement proves the event is not a miracle.  But,
look at the so-called miracles today. There is much disagreement as to
whether a true miracle has taken place.
     In the book entitled, "Healing, A Doctor In Search of a Miracle,"
Doctor William A. Nolen,  circled the earth, searching for healing
miracles.  He visited many, many places where miracles were claimed to
have happened. Kathryn Kuhlman's healing services; with Norbu Chen, a
self acclaimed healer; on to the Philippines where psychic surgeons work;
spending over two years looking. When he concluded his search and
completed his book, his conclusion was that there had been no miracle
performed.  On page 308, he states, "I have been unable to find any such
miracle worker."  And this from a man who went looking from the medical
point of view, as a doctor. I highly recommend the reading of this book
by those who are honest with themselves. Now if you are satisfied with
your feelings, you probably will not look into this any further. But, my
friends, God shall not judge us by our feelings or by our emotions. We
shall be judged by the Word of God, the truth of the Holy Spirit.

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