Church of God, New World Ministries

The Holy Spirit - Key To Salvation

Why is so much emphasis placed on a day that God, originally, gave to ancient Israel in the Old Testament? There you will find it called, “feast of firstfruits”, “feast of weeks”, “day of firstfruits” and is listed as one of the annual Sabbaths or Holy “feasts of the LORD” (Leviticus 23:2, 15,16). The Day is Pentecost.

There is strong scriptural support that Pentecost is also the day when God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.

But, there is far greater significance placed on this Day in the New Testament! The name, PENTECOST, means “count fifty” (from the Old Testament instructions), and must be counted correctly). Scriptures reveal this to be the Day when the Holy Spirit was given to God’s people and instituted the BEGINNING OF THE TRUE CHURCH OF GOD.

THE HOLY SPIRIT - KEY TO SALVATION!

First, we’ll go to what Jesus Christ told His disciples on the night He was betrayed to be slain: John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments, 16 And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he (it) may abide with you forever. 17 Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth it not, neither knoweth it: but you knoweth It; for it dwelleth with you, and shall be IN YOU.” Verse 26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost (Spirit), whom the Father will send in My name, It shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

Now, when did this “in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit” take place? It occurred on Pentecost and is the POWER that Christ promised to His disciples. But, He told them they would have to wait (until the Day of Pentecost) to receive it. Luke 24:49 “And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with POWER FROM ON HIGH.”

What was to be one result of that power? Eventually, if we fulfill our responsibilities as Christians, that power will transform us into the very family of God! John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them gave He POWER to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.”

This was part of what was required of those who were there in Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 1:4 “And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which saith He, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.”

Acts 2:1 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come (after counting the 50 days), they were all with one accord in one place. 2 - And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 - And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them. 4 - And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, (languages), as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 - And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation (of that area) under heaven. 6 - Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.” (This was a partial fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy: (Joel 2:28) Now, back to Acts 2:17 “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:”

When these people heard the Apostle Peter’s inspired sermon about repentance, being baptized into the Name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, they were brought to true repentance and GIVEN THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. (Acts 19:6 adds the necessity of “laying on of hands” to receive the Holy Spirit.)

Here, I want to bring out a point that demonstrates that these people were just as ignorant about the ABSOLUTE NEED of the Holy Spirit, as most today: Acts 19:2 "He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Spirit. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. 4. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus 5. When they heard this, they were baptized in(to) the name of the Lord Jesus. 6. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues (languages), and prophesied (spoke with inspiration).

In John 14:26, we read about the Holy Spirit: ‘It (The Holy Spirit) shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” Do you realize that NO ONE can understand the Bible, God’s Plan, or even what SALVATION IS ALL ABOUT, WITHOUT THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?!!

Now, our second point: It is made abundantly clear in Paul’s revelation: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ONLY GIVEN TO THOSE WHOM GOD HAS CALLED, I Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified (set apart) in Christ Jesus, CALLED TO BE SAINTS, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” Verse 26 “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” I Corinthians 2:1 “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power: 5. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the Power of God. 7. but we speak the wisdom of God IN A MYSTERY, even the HIDDEN WISDOM, which God ordained (decided upon) before the world unto our glory: 8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9. But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart (mind)of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him. 10. BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: for the Spirit searcheth (teaches) all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save (except) the spirit of man which is in him? Even so THE THINGS OF GOD KNOWETH NO MAN, BUT (BY) THE SPIRIT OF GOD. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that WE MIGHT KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God. (I John 4:1, 6) 13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. BUT THE NATURAL MAN (WITHOUT GOD’S SPIRIT) RECEIVETH NOT THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD: for they are foolishness unto him: NEITHER CAN HE KNOW THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED. 15. But he that is spiritual (has the Holy Spirit) judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct Him? BUT WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST.” (Philippians 2:5)

Point three is: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT, YOU ARE NOT YET A CHRISTIAN! Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are (truly) in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, BUT AFTER THE SPIRIT. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. (What is your mind, what are your thoughts, centered on?) 7. Because the carnal mind (unconverted) is enmity (hostile toward) against God: for it is not subject (submissive) to the law of God, NEITHER INDEED CAN BE. 8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, IF SO BE THAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELL IN YOU. Now IF ANY MAN HAVE NOT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS NONE OF HIS.”

You have been bought and paid for by the shed Blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ! I Peter 1:2 “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father (John6:44), through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: ---- 5. Who are kept by the Power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Verse 18 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… 19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We learned about Christ being our “Passover” during the Spring Holy Days. Now we see another prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts 5:29, “Then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men 32. And we are His witnesses of these things; and so also is THE HOLY SPIRIT, whom (that) God hath GIVEN TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM.”

If you haven’t recognized the obligation of obeying God’s Ten Commandments to receive His Holy Spirit, you’ve accepted a false conversion! I John 2:4 "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5. But who keepeth His Word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in Him

Let’s notice this final point about the Holy Spirit. YOU CAN’T BE SAVED, WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Earlier, we read a few verses from Romans 8, about whether we have or do not have the Holy Spirit. It’s called the Spirit of Christ in one verse and we saw that we were not even considered a Christian, without that Spirit. Continuing on, we see that it requires the IN-DWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT to be in the First or “Better” resurrection. Romans 8:11 "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 dwells in you. 14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God 15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of sonship (not “adoption”), whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, (human spirit) that we are (in a begotten state) the children of God.” Hebrews 11:35 “Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection.”

At this time, I want to quote from Lesson 4 of our MINI CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, “The Holy Spirit is the essence, power, mind and spiritual extension of God. God begets Christians as His sons through this Spirit. It strengthens a Christian spiritually, converts his mind as an earnest or guarantee of eternal life.”

The Holy Spirit is described in the Bible as “the Spirit of God”, “the Spirit of the Lord”, “the Spirit of Jesus Christ”, “the Spirit of truth”, and “Comforter” or “advocate”. It is the power of God, the mind of God and the extended means by which God accomplishes His work throughout the universe. As such, the Holy Spirit is not a separate being; it has no independent existence as an individual entity or person within the Godhead.

Remember! God’s Holy Spirit is an undeserved GIFT FROM GOD! It is given by God’s calling and His granting of repentance to those who respond. Heed these Words of Life! Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him; 4. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will.”

 
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