Now the meaning of the words of Jesus regarding the need for Him to go away and also the words in John 7:39 that He had to be first glorified become very clear. If He did not go, the Holy Ghost could not come. Jesus will not occupy two bodies at the same time upon this planet. When he was upon earth, He lived in the incarnate flesh that was born of the virgin Mary and now dwells within the church which is His body.
By Ralph V. Reynolds
To View the Entire Article, Click Here
To Download the Entire Article Directly to Your Computer, Click Here
To View the Outline, Click Here
To View the PowerPoint, Click Here
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit” (I Corinthians 12:13).
I have preached the gospel for many years and believe that the Lord could give me at least another ten years to preach this wonderful message of salvation. You who have listened to me in the past have never heard me speak of the Holy Spirit in the neuter pronoun “it”. You who will be hearing me in the future will also never hear me referring to the Holy Spirit as “it”. In fact, if you do, I promise to take you to the best restaurant in town and buy you a steak dinner. Listen to me carefully and see if you can find an instance of this
The reason I do not speak of the Holy Spirit in the neuter pronoun is simply because the Bible does not. Jesus speaks of the Holy Ghost in the personal pronoun “He”. In Chapters 14 and 16 of John’s gospel, Jesus spoke of the Holy Ghost some sixteen times and uses the third person personal pronoun “He”. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you do not receive it, you receive Him.
Then who is “He”? Is He the third person of the Trinity? Is He some unknown, mystical force or is He personal? It is very important to all of us to understand just who He is. Jesus, in speaking to His disciples, made the statement that He would pray the Father and He shall give you another Comforter. This pronoun “another” has lead to much speculation regarding the identity of the Holy Spirit. In Chapter 7 of John’s gospel, Jesus promised that there would be rivers of living water flowing out of the belly of them that believe. In the context, it clearly states that this is speaking of the Holy Ghost who is not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. Therefore, the giving of the Holy Spirit must come after Jesus’ glorification. Jesus had to be glorified before the Holy Ghost could be given.
Was there no Holy Ghost before the Day of Pentecost? In not, then who overshadowed Mary in the incarnation? Please tell me then, what did John the Baptist have? He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother’s womb. Are there two Holy Spirits: one active before Calvary and the other since? No, certainly not! There is only one Spirit.
However, the Holy Spirit took upon Himself a brand new ministry at Pentecost.
The phenomena of Pentecost, the blessing of Pentecost, the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the experience that anyone of us may receive when we come to the Lord Jesus Christ all may be spoken of as “it”; however, we receive Him. The Bible is very clear on this.
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from genera¬tions, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26, 27).
Jesus plainly said to His disciples that He would not leave them orphans but would come to them. “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).
To View the Entire Article, Click Here
To Download the Entire Article Directly to Your Computer, Click Here
To View the Outline, Click Here
To View the PowerPoint, Click Here
