The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Dear Brethren,

Throughout history God has worked with Israel in a unique way.  Strangers of other nations were not heirs of God's material promises, and were only mentioned as they came into contact with Israel.  Initially, the Apostles' expectation was that salvation was only for the Israelites.  But, God gave His Holy Spirit to some Gentiles before they were baptized in order to make it clearly known that His will was for all peoples, not only Israelites, to become Christians and have salvation.

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:  But in every nation he that fears Him, and works righteousness, is accepted with Him."  (Acts 10:34-35).

The usual and expected order of events is that one is first baptized before receiving the Holy Spirit.  Can someone receive God's Holy Spirit before they repent or before they have faith in Jesus Christ?  The normal way that God's Spirit is bestowed on individuals is after God's calling.  God works with us through His Spirit before His Spirit is in us (John 14:17).

The Father grants us repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior (Acts 11:18, Ephesians 2:8).  Repentance and faith are not initiated by a novice Christian acting on his own.  It is God who begins the calling process by granting repentance and giving a measure of faith.  God, through His Spirit, begins working with every person that He is calling to conversion.  Then, as a general rule, it is immediately after water baptism, with the laying on of hands, that the new convert receives the promise of the Father – an earnest His Holy Spirit in us (Acts 8:15-17, 19:5-6).  It is this measure of God’s Spirit – His Life in us – that makes us His children.

In some special and extraordinary cases, God reversed the order of things, giving of His Holy Spirit prior to baptism.  Only God perfectly knows the heart and mind of a person.  In establishing the Church of God, it was necessary for God to demonstrate His will by pouring out His Spirit in some cases before individuals had formally entered into a covenant relationship with Him by going down into a watery grave.  Though, in every case where God first gave His Spirit, baptism followed immediately so that all righteousness might be fulfilled.

"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 Spirit."  (Acts 2:1-4)

The Bible does not tell us if most of the one hundred and twenty faithful brethren were already baptized or not.  Perhaps many, if not all of those brethren were already baptized.  We know from John 4:1-2, that the apostles were already baptized before the coming of Pentecost.   "...Jesus baptized more disciples than John [the Baptist], though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples [did the baptizing.]"

It is God's Holy Spirit that opens our minds to know God, and to recognize the will of God.  Repentance and baptism are absolutely necessary, as is obedience to God.  These require the interaction of God's Holy Spirit.

God acted by sending His Holy Spirit to un-baptized individuals in order to punctuate the fact that He was working in a new and powerful way among men.  There were unanswered questions that could only be resolved by direct signs and miracles from God.  The New Testament Church of God—brethren led and motivated by God's Holy Spirit—was coming into existence.  God had prophesied beforehand that He would do so.

"It shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh.  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out My Spirit."  (Joel 2:28-29)

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Sermon:  The Coming of the Holy Spirit-Part 1
Sermon:  The Coming of the Holy Spirit-Part 2


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