The Holy Spirit: In You or On You?

The Holy Spirit: In You or On You?
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Recently, I felt led to teach a series of lessons on the infilling, or baptism, of the Holy Spirit. I wanted to make the teaching so simple that any denominational person could understand it and experience it. Because many denominations have fought this experience, using Scripture to discount its existence or importance, I wanted to take the same verses they used and show the necessity of it for today.

Common fisherman and housewives were in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost, and a seminary degree was not necessary to understand Jesus’ command to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts1:8). Therefore, it seemed to me that a series on the infilling of the Holy Spirit must begin with a simple definition of that experience that could be easily understood by anyone.

The Life is In You

The first act of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to give them eternal life when they receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This transformation takes place in our spirit, not in our physical body or our soul (mind, emotions, and will). When we are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside our human spirit. At that moment, we are given all of the Person of the Holy Spirit, not half of Him then and the other half at a nother time.

In the following verse of Scripture,Jesus tells His disciples what the ministry of the Holy Spirit would be to the Church after His resurrection.

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.
-John 14:17

The Holy Spirit who lives in us is the same Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus when He walked this earth. Because the Holy Spirit who lived in Jesus raised Him from the dead, resurrection. The qualification for resurrection is sim ply the New Birth.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
-Romans 8:11

A believer in the Lord Jesus becomes the New Testament temple for the presence of God. The glory of God, which is the presence of the Holy Spirit, moved out of the Temple in Jerusalem at the tim e of Jesus'death, and after Jesus' resurrection, came to dwell in the hearts of believers.

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
-1 Corinthians 6-19

The moment we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we also become God's child and Satan's enemy. As a child of God, we are given authority over all the power of the devil. The New Birth places us in a position which is far superior to the power of the world.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
-1 John 4:4

The previous verses of Scripture only scratch the surface of all we receive and become when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. All of these things happen as a result of the Holy Spirit coming to live in us.

The Power is Upon You

Although we receive all of the Holy Spirit as a Person when we are saved, we do not receive all of His power, which constitutes His work or ministry. We have a real, intimate relationship with God through the indwelling Holy Spirit, but the ability to act on His Word comes from receiving His power.

The purpose of the infilling of the Holy Spirit is to endue us with God's power.

God is not only concerned about our inward man, the human spirit, but also our outward man, our daily life. Our natural man faces the world each day and needs the power of God to over come it. Since Satan is the god of this world and demonic forces control much of our society, we need His power for our own life, as well as to bless those around us.

When we are clothed with God's supernatural power, we have confidence in facing any circumstance or demonic attack that comes against us. The infilling of the Holy Spirit sets us free from many of the restraints and insecurities which have held us back, even as believers.

Once Lazarus was raised from the dead, he still had to be loosed from the grave clothes which hindered him. Jesus said "Loose him , and let him go "(John 1:44), and this is the purpose of the infilling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Holy Spirit in us gives us life, but the Holy Spirit on us gives us power to live the Christian life. It clothes the natural life of the believer with daily miracle power from God.

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued [clothed upon] with power from on high.
-Luke 24:49

This miracle power is for our life as a witness before the world. It opens us up to the super natural gifts and demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit, which are so necessary to win the lost. Satan has empowered his followers in the earth, and God wants to empower us to courageously meet and defeat them.

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye unto the uttermost part of the earth.
-Acts 1:8

On the Day of Pentecost, the 120 were praying in one place in total harmony. It was then that the infilling of the Holy Spirit became a reality, and God's supernatural ability became available to everyone in the Church.

And there appeared unto them cloven [divided] 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.
-Acts 2:3, 4

This promise of power was not only for those in the Upper Room, but for all who would believe on the Lord from that time on, Jew or Gentile (Acts2:39). This was seen a few years later when Peter received a call from the Lord to go and minister the New Birth and the infilling of the Holy Spirit to a group of Romans who were living in Cornelius' house at Caesarea.

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

And they of the circumcision [jews] which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
-Acts 10:44, 45

Many years later, this gift of power was still being ministered through God's main voice for the Church, Paul the apostle. He had been led by God to Ephesus, a city which was ready for revival.When he arrived, he found a few believers in the city, but they seemed powerless to win converts, heal the sick, or cast out demons. He discovered they were not filled with the Holy Spirit.

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples [believers],

He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghosts since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them, and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
-Acts 19:1,2,6

These believers at Ephesus seem so typical of believers today. They had the Holy Spirit living within, but did not have the Holy Spirit upon them.

What a Difference

What a difference this power made in the lives of the disciples! Before the Day of Pentecost, Peter was afraid to admit he even knew Jesus to a young girl who was warming her hands at a fire. Yet, a fter being clothed with power by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Peter boldly stood up and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to 3000 religious Jews.

Peter's sudden courage and dedication in presenting the Gospel did not stop there, either. A few days later, he grabbed the hand of a paralyzed man at the Gate Beautiful, and by the power of God raised the man up and healed him. The disciple who once cowered before a little girl's questions about his relationship with Jesus began to walk in such power from the Holy Spirit that his shadow caused people to be healed as he walked the streets of Jerusalem (Acts 5:15).

Is Satan any less powerful today than he was in Peter's time? Obviously, he is not. If for no other reason than that, the same power believers needed in the Early Church is needed for believers today.

Thank God, the Bible tells us that God is no respecter of persons (Acts10:34)! The same power Peter walked in is available to all believers today.

Even Jesus, who had the Holy Spirit with in, would not begin to minister until the Holy Spirit came on him when He was baptized by John at the Jordan River. We need our Jordan River experience today! There is a world of hurting people who are in desperate need of ministry. They do not need a list of im possible rules and empty philosophies from powerless Christians, but powerful demonstrations of the only true and living God.They want to see God in action in their lives and in believers' lives.

For this reason, the same God Who anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and power (Acts 10:38), wants to do the same for believers today!

Bob Yandian

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