Filled With The Holy Spirit Pt. 2

Raul Ries: What is the true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? According to Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 verses 1 to 4, it's love. Do you possess the love of Jesus Christ in your life? For that is the only way that the Holy Spirit can be activated in your life to witness the power and service of the Holy Spirit.
Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Thanks for joining us today as Raul continues our focus on the Holy Spirit with a look at the many ways the Trinity's third member works to conform us to Christ. From equipping us for spiritual warfare to guiding us in sharing our faith, the Holy Spirit is the source of wisdom, confidence, and strength. Here's Raul with part two of our study, Filled with the Holy Spirit.
Raul Ries: The purpose and necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, number one, is for power and service. Acts 1:8, we read, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses to me in Jerusalem, all of Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the whole earth." Secondly, this is important. Not only empowers you for service, but secondly, it empowers you for spiritual warfare. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and against rulers of darkness of this age, and against spiritual hosts and wickedness in heavenly places." And then again, there in the book of Ephesians, listen carefully, chapter 6 in verse 18, he says this, and this is so good. He says, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Holy Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." God wants us to be baptized for spiritual warfare with the Holy Spirit. And thirdly, the power of the Holy Spirit, like I told you, it's an overflowing power. John 7:37 through 39, listen to what he said. "On the last day of the great day of the feast, Jesus stood up and he cried out saying, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow constantly rivers of living water.'" But this he spoke concerning the Holy Spirit whom those believing in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Even at the beginning, he told them about this power that would come upon them and it would be an overflowing power like a living river of water overflowing in your life. That's a promise from God himself to us. I love that. And then third point is this: the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for who? It's for everyone that has been born again of the Holy Spirit. Everyone that is born again. First of all, negatively, this is the way it is: it is not simply for those who lived in apostolic times, which means when the apostles died, the Holy Spirit and the gifts stopped. That's not true. Dispensationalists believe that. That's not true. The Holy Spirit and the promise of the Holy Spirit is for us today and tomorrow and the next day until Christ comes again. Secondly, it is not only for ministers or missionaries or those of special service. It is not for a special class of people or mature Christians. But the Holy Spirit is for anyone who has accepted Jesus Christ by faith. Now, if that is true, then fourthly, what are the conditions for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit? How do you receive it? Well, there are some conditions. The first condition is this: repentance from sin. Have you truly, sincerely, truthfully repented of your sin? Can you really believe that in your heart? Listen, in Acts 2:37-38, Peter said this, and now when they heard this, they were pricked to their heart. And then Peter said to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" they said. And then Peter said unto them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of his sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." There it is. And watch this, those that said that it stopped at apostolic times: "For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off." That's us. Notice that, and as many as the Lord our God will call. That's in the book of Acts. The promise is not only to them, but to us and to our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren if the Lord tarries. The Holy Spirit and the baptism is for them. So it's important that we realize that. Secondly, not only repentance from sin, secondly: renouncing sin from our lives. You cannot live a life of sin and expect God's power in your life. It will not work. In Romans chapter 6:6-7, he says this, "Knowing this, that our old man, our old life was crucified with Jesus Christ, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin." If you really have died to Jesus Christ and you believe that Jesus died and rose again, then what happens? Jesus is saying that you don't have to live a life of sin. You're free from sin. Thirdly, we need to believe in Jesus Christ for our salvation. Not in the church, not in church membership, not on some person, but in Jesus Christ. He's the only way, the only truth, and the only life. Galatians 4:6 says this, "And because you are sons, God sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts, crying out Abba, Father, or Daddy, Daddy, Abba Father," which is in Hebrew. Concerning to us, the spirit of God. And fourthly, we need to ask him by faith and believe it. No doubt. Believing that he's able to do it. In Matthew 5:6 on the Sermon on the Mount, in the beatitudes, this is what Jesus said, "Oh, how happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." I love that. There's no way that any one of us should be empty. If we're seeking after other things, we're seeking in the wrong places. God says that when you come to him, he is able to fill you completely with his Holy Spirit and power, where it means you don't have to desire anything else. You can be focused on Christ. Listen, fifthly: the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit also will be this: receiving his power to do what? To witness to people. To tell them about Christ. Acts 1:8, I read it twice, I read it. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to witness. And then six: we need obedience to God. That's important. We need to obey Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:8 says this, "And being found in appearance as a man, Jesus, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even to the death of the cross." He is our example, and we need to follow his example. Now when it comes to experience, every one of us here and others like Finney and Wesley and any one of those people that ever received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we all have our own experience, but we don't go by anyone's experience, but what the Bible teaches. In Acts chapter 2, we have a noise from heaven that should be like a mighty rushing wind. And what happens? It fills the whole house, and cloven tongues of fire sat upon each of the disciples, and they all began to speak in other tongues as the spirit gave them the ability. Notice, it wasn't their own doing. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and when they spoke in tongues, it was the spirit giving them the ability to speak. It wasn't something they were making up. God did it through his power. Secondly, in Acts 8, this is what it says: the gift of the Holy Spirit was imparted by the laying of hands by Paul and John. No special manifestation is mentioned there in Acts 8. And then in Acts chapter 9, the Holy Spirit imparted on Paul by Ananias. Remember, Paul the apostle was converted, and he had accepted Christ on the way to Damascus. And then God sent Ananias to him and he said, "Ananias, I want to tell you something. There's a guy down the street that was the persecutor of the church, and he was on his way there to kill you, but I've saved him. And what I want you to do is I want you to go over his house. He's blind and he's waiting for you to come because I already told him you're coming. I want you to go over there and I want you to lay hands on him, and I want you to baptize him in the Holy Spirit." God told that to Ananias. You can go home and read it when you go home. Chapter 9, incredible story, as God baptized Paul with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And then in Acts chapter 10, when Peter was giving his message, the Holy Spirit began to fall on the Gentiles. And as the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, guess what happened? They began to speak in other tongues. It's incredible what God can do in the baptism of Holy Spirit. And then in Acts 19, when Paul came to Ephesus, there were some 12 disciples of John the Baptist that had been converted through him and indoctrinated by him, but they didn't know the further way of the Holy Spirit. So when Paul came, he said to them, "Hey, you guys, have you guys ever heard of the Holy Spirit?" And they said, "Well, yeah, we've heard of it, but we don't know what it is." And Paul began to expound to them, and it says that he laid hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them, and this in Acts 19, they got baptized in the Holy Spirit and they spoke in tongues, and at the same time they prophesied. They prophesied the word of God. Incredible. So these are the biblical experiences. Now this question comes up: does everybody then speak in tongues? No. Then what is the true evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? According to Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:1-4, it's love. The love of God. Do you possess the love of Jesus Christ in your life? For that is the only way that the Holy Spirit can be activated in your life and be used in your life to witness the power and service of the Holy Spirit. Now, does God baptize people, some people in tongues? Yes. Now what is the benefit of having tongues in your life? Well, according to Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 14, tongues is actually given to you not so that we can speak publicly as a message to people. God doesn't speak to us a message through tongues. But tongues is given to you as part of your prayer language. It's a prayer that God will give to you to pray words that you don't even understand, but only the Holy Spirit can interpret as he prays to Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ knows exactly what you're saying. Romans 8:26-27, mark that.
Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Connect with us anytime at somebodylovesyou.com to browse through our full selection of faith-building resources. Raul's study of the Holy Spirit titled Filled, Empowered, and Equipped is conveniently available on both CD and USB. We'll tell you how you can get a copy in just a few moments. But first, here's more with Raul Ries.
Raul Ries: It is the spirit groaning within me. But when I speak in tongues, it's not so that I can speak a message to you. That's not biblical. There are no messages in tongues. And it's so neat why? Because the Holy Spirit is the one that is interceding for us. Sometimes I feel like, "Lord, I have no words to pray to you," but with groanings that I cannot even understand, I just groan unto the Lord, but he understands why? Because the spirit makes intercession for us. That's what the Bible says. Now you may say, "Man, that's foolish." Call it what you will. The spirit speaks. And you see the evidence that is given to us concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we see it all the way through the book of Acts like I showed you. On the day of Pentecost, listen to what it says. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all sitting in one accord." Did you notice that? In one accord, one place. In order for God to move in the church, we cannot have backbiting, we cannot have lying and cheating and disunity and contentions. we have to be of one accord. Unity. Unity. Unified together as members of the body of Jesus Christ in one place. And then when that happened, suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them divided tongues of fire as they sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them the utterance. As the spirit gave them the ability to speak. I love that. The Holy Spirit gave the ability. And then again, and when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. This time there was no tongues, but the power was given them to speak the word of God with boldness. That's in Acts 4:31. And then in Acts 8:15-17, listen to what he says, "And when they had come down, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, and as yet it had not fallen upon none of them, that had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit." And then again, and Ananias went his way and entered the house and laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road to Damascus, he says he came and he sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." Think about that. And Paul was baptized. And then Peter: "And while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word, and those of the circumcision who believed were astonished as the Jews, and many also came to Peter because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God." And then Peter answered and said, "This is what God has done." They magnified God. When anybody would speak in tongues and then a true interpretation would be given, it would be like a song giving glory and honor to the Lord. And then it says, "And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit." Notice that. And it happened then while Apollos was at Corinth that Paul having passed through the upper regions came to Ephesus, and finding some disciples, he said unto them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And so they said to him, "We don't even know so much or have heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." And he said unto them, "Into what then have you been baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism." And then Paul said, "John indeed baptized the baptism of repentance saying to the people that you should believe on him who has come after him, that is Christ Jesus." And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and they prophesied. And then of course, I told you at the beginning that the greatest proof of being baptized of the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues, but it's love. Listen to 1 Corinthians 13:1-4. "Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels and have not love, I have become a sounding brass and a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I can even remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And although I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." It's the gift of love that gives us the power to know him and the power of his resurrection. But listen carefully in my conclusion: how then, if we have received the Holy Spirit, then why is it that some of us have lost the power of the Holy Spirit? Did you know that you can lose the power of the Holy Spirit in your life? Let me give you, I think I wrote down, there's about seven points that R.A. Torrey gives to us concerning the losing of the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives as believers. Number one: you can lose the power of the Holy Spirit in your life through our separation from God by living a life of sin. No power. Who's our example of that? Samson. Check out Judges 16 when you go home. It'll blow you away. The power of the Holy Spirit can be lost. It says in Judges 16:20, "And she said, Delilah said to Samson, he said, 'The Philistines are upon you.' And Samson, he awoke from his sleep and he said, 'I will go out as before as other times, shake myself free.' But he did not know notice when he was with this whorish woman that the Lord had departed from him." God gave him an opportunity to repent and to get away from this woman, but he didn't, and the longer he stayed, eventually the Holy Spirit's power was no longer in his life. He was defeated. No power. But God gave him back his grace later on when he repented. Whenever you're living a life of sin, you have no power. No power at all of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, you can lose power through the incoming of sin in your life, such as Saul in the Old Testament, 1 Samuel 15:22-23. When Saul lied and he disobeyed God's command to Samuel, listen to what it says, "And then Samuel said, 'Has the Lord has great delight in burnt offering and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he also has rejected you from being king.'" Think about that. God rejects us when we live a life of sin until we make it right. God loves you, you're a child of God, he'll never let you go, but he can't be in fellowship with you while you are in sin. You have to turn from sin. Thirdly, you can lose power in your life, the power of the Holy Spirit, by being selfish, self-indulgence in your life in sin. In Galatians 5:17, he says, "For all flesh lust against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you wish." When you walk in the flesh, you're displeasing Jesus Christ and the spirit of God. It is quenched, it is hindered. He cannot do his effect work in your life. And then fourthly, through being greedy and the love of money. 1 Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." Notice, money's not evil. The root of all evil is what? The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils, for which some have astray from the faith in their greediness and perceived themselves through with many sorrows. There's nothing wrong with having money, but when money takes over your life and it becomes your possession and your king and it rules and it masters you, you are quenching the Holy Spirit of God and you're losing power in your life. And then six, through the neglect of prayer. If you're not praying, then you're not getting power from the Holy Spirit. Listen, 1 Samuel 12:23, Samuel's praying for the people. He says this, "Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should ever sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and the right way." Did you know that it's a sin not to pray? It's a sin not to pray. You can come to church, you can go through all the activities and all the motions, but if you're not praying, you are sinning against God because prayer is fellowship with God, communion, oneness with God.
Guest (Male): As you look for ways to serve the Lord and point others to his love, we encourage you to open your heart to the power and leading of God's Holy Spirit. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's lesson was titled Filled With the Holy Spirit. If you'd like to get an unedited version with much more teaching, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. Simply call us at 800-634-9165. We'd also like to offer you Raul's seven-part series Filled, Empowered, and Equipped. It's available on CD or thumb drive. Underscoring how the Holy Spirit can equip you with all that you need to carry out God's will, this study will inspire you to daily surrender your heart and life. You'll also learn how to maximize your spiritual giftings to bring greater honor and glory to Jesus. Visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 to order Raul's seven-lesson series. We'll send you Filled, Empowered, and Equipped on CD for $20, or if you'd like, on flash drive for $11. The number again is 800-634-9165. Or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, P.O. Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California, 91765. Catch Raul for straight talk on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel every Tuesday at 10 a.m. West Coast time. This channel also features podcasts of all of these programs, or you can look for them on iTunes and Spotify. We're a listener-supported ministry and we are so grateful for your partnership as we keep sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Join us next time for more from this series on the Holy Spirit. You'll find that God gives you his own spirit as a mark of ownership, sealing your identity as his child. And when you walk in obedience, the Holy Spirit will fill you with power and wisdom to accomplish mighty kingdom-building work. Here's Raul with a closing comment.
Raul Ries: And then seventh and lastly, you can hinder the work of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit in your life by neglecting the word of God in your life. If you're not studying it, if you're not reading daily. Joshua 1:8 says this, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it." You see the reason we read and we study is so that we know what to do. God tells us what to do, to obey. And then he says this, "For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." The only way to be successful is to be in prayer, to be in the word of God, and to be committed to Jesus Christ completely and asking him to baptize us with his Holy Spirit.
Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California.