Today’s blog post is an exposition of two concepts we commonly hear as Christians. Having explored who the Holy Spirit is, we will now look into His works. The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer can be understood in two major aspects: His work within a believer and His work upon a believer.
The Spirit within/Indwelling
The Holy Spirit within a believer is for the transformative work of salvation. At the point of salvation—from the very moment the heart believes and a confession is made unto salvation—the believer receives the Holy Spirit into their heart. So, this is a gift only given to those who are saved. (Acts 2:38)
His presence in a believer is what makes things like the fruit of the Spirit evident (Gal. 5:22-23). His presence qualifies a person as a new creation. Without His work of transformation, there is no “new” nature to inherit. It is this aspect of His work that makes a person do a complete 180, as it was in Paul’s case—the church persecutor became the church planter (Gal, 1:13-16). The inward change starts with the indwelling, which helps us in our daily lives (Rom. 8:13-14).
It is this same indwelling that is being referred to when Scripture speaks of things like “being sealed for the day of redemption” and the Spirit “bearing witness that we are children of God”. (Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30, Rom. 8:14-16)
A believer is characterised by the presence of the Holy Spirit within. Scripture describes great men of God like Stephen and Barnabas as being full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3-5; 11:24). Matthew 7:16-20 tells us that by their fruit we shall know them. It is easy to distinguish a true Christian from a fake by examining whether they exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. You can always discern the inner witness in a person by the character they exhibit and the lifestyle they lead (Gal. 5:22-23, 1Jn. 2:3-6). This was the knowledge behind the choosing of the deacons. When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit lives within them, and if the Holy Spirit lives within them, it will show all around them.
The Spirit upon/Infilling
The Holy Spirit upon a believer is for the equipping of the believer. When He comes upon a believer as such, the believer then receives extraordinary strength to carry out an assignment. One of the first places we see this occurrence is in Numbers 11:25 when Moses chose elders to assist with his task, and the Spirit of God came upon them for governance. Likewise, after the anointing of David, the Spirit of God came upon him for rulership (1 Sam. 16:13). When Jesus was baptised, the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and confirmed His ministry (Lk. 3:21-22; 4:18-19).
This infilling brings about the outward manifestations of the Spirit. For example, when Mary came to visit Elizabeth, Scripture records that the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy, she was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to say things that confirmed the identity of the baby Mary carried (Lk. 1:39-45). Zechariah also became full of the Holy Spirit when his son, John was born, and he began to prophesy (Lk. 1:67-79). When the Holy Spirit came upon the brethren in the upper room, they were endued with power from above and began to speak in other languages (Acts 2:1-4). Also, the ability of a person to speak in the language of the Spirit is a manifestation of His presence upon them (Mk. 16:17, 1 Cor. 12)
Although the infilling of the Spirit can be received through the laying on of hands, as was the case when Ananias laid hands on Paul, Peter and John laid hands on the people of Samaria, and Paul laid hands on the disciples at Ephesus, it is not always received through this means alone (Acts 8:14–17; 9:17; 19:1–6). The Bible encourages us in Luke 11:13 to ask for the Spirit and He will be given to us. Unlike the indwelling which comes quite automatically once you believe, the infilling can be received upon request.
However, there are some occasions, such as the day of Pentecost and the gathering at Cornelius’ house, when the Holy Spirit comes spontaneously. But a close look at those instances give us better perspective. At Pentecost, it was a monumental shift that marked the official birth of the Church and the beginning of a new era in God’s redemptive plan (Acts 2:1-4). At Cornelius’ house, the Holy Spirit’s coming proved that the gospel was for the Gentiles as well. It was a confirmation for Peter and the growing body of Christ at large (Acts 10:24-48).
Needless to say, the opportunity for the infilling only comes to believers. No one can have the Holy Spirit upon them without first belonging to Christ. Even if they are performing signs, such manifestations are not necessarily evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence. The magicians of Pharaoh also performed signs, but not by the Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit is at work in the life of every believer, first within and then upon us While His indwelling brings about the inward transformation that accompanies salvation, His coming upon a believer equips and empowers us for the assignments God has given us.
As we continue our study of the Holy Spirit, there is still so much more to learn about His person and His work in our lives. Understanding these things helps us appreciate the gift we have received and recognise the different ways He works in and through us.
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