The Holy Spirit and Body Life
You, the Holy Spirit, and Body life:
The Spirit baptizing and gifting
Selected Scripture
Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocateto be with you forever –the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it does not see him or know him.But you know him, because he resideswith you and will be in you (John 14:16-17).
These words from the Lord Jesus raised the expectations of His discouraged disciples. Something new and wonderful was about to happen. In just a few days, when the Spirit would come, He would live inside them. Unlike their Master who was about to leave them, the Spirit’s presence would be permanent. This had never happened before. Note even with the greatest leaders of the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit’s ministry in our lives can be confusing. The religious lingo seems so unfamiliar—indwelling, sealing, baptism, gifting, filling, walking. How do you know if any of these have happened? When should I expect it? How will I know?
Dividing the ministries of the Holy Spirit into three primary categories helps us appreciate their importance in our Christian experience:
¨ The Holy Spirit and eternal life—indwelling and sealing.
¨ The Holy Spirit and everyday life—filling by and walking in the Spirit.
¨ The Holy Spirit and body life—baptizing and gifting.
When it comes to body life, an understanding of the baptism and gifting of the Spirit is absolutely critical to experiencing the joy and confidence of living in community. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s ministries during the church age is to glorify Christ (John 16:14) by building His body—the church.
Baptizing and Gifting: You and your fellow believers have all the spiritual power you will ever need to glorify Christ by loving and serving Him and one another in the church!
