What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

 

Ephesians 5:17-21 (AMP)

17 Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is. 18 Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. 19 Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, [offering praise by] singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for all things, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 21 being subject to one another out of reverence for Christ.

How does the Holy Spirit relate to us as individual believers in what is called “the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?”

Although the Trinity or the Godhead is one God, when He (God) relates to the world (us), He is three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. So, in the Trinity, God the Father is the supreme creator, Jesus the Son is our Saviour and the Holy Spirit is the power of God in action, our comforter and guide.

God sees believers as sinless as we belong to Jesus, and now, because Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as our counsellor and to lead us in all truth to fulfil God’s purpose for us here on earth. Everything the Holy Spirit does is for the Glory of Jesus and, with the Holy Spirit guiding us, everything we do as believers should also be to glorify Jesus! Jesus lives in us through His Holy Spirit!

John 16:13-15 (NIV)

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible for us to bring glory to Jesus!

What is meant by the Baptism with the Holy Spirit?

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is when a believer, a born-again Christian, receives power from on high – from God.

Luke 24:49 (NIV)

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

Matthew 3:11 (NLT)

I (John the Baptist) baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone (Jesus) is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

The verses above clearly show us that Baptism with the Holy Spirit empowers us to be effective witnesses on earth in the name of Jesus. This power enables us to do the same things Jesus did and much more!

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

The verse below tells us that Jesus had to go back to the Father in heaven after his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection so that He could send the Holy Spirit to us so that we will be fully equipped to do the ministry that the father has prepared for every one of His children to do!

John 16:7 (KJV)

Nevertheless I (Jesus) tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

In the next verse, Jesus himself tells us that he will give us power. How does he do this? Read the next section and you’ll find out!

Luke 10:19 (NIV)

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Who are we baptised with the Holy Spirit by?

It is Jesus who baptises us with the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:11-12 (AMP)

11 “As for me (John the Baptist), I baptize you with water because of [your] repentance [that is, because you are willing to change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret your sin and live a changed life], but He (the Messiah) who is coming after me is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove [even as His slave]; He will baptize you [who truly repent] with the Holy Spirit and [you who remain unrepentant] with fire (judgment). 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat (believers) into His barn (kingdom), but He will burn up the chaff (the unrepentant) with unquenchable fire.”

In the above verse it is John the Baptist talking and the person he is referring to as the one that will come after him is Jesus.

And again, in the verse below it is confirmed that it is Jesus that baptises us with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:33 (NIV)

Exalted to the right hand of God, he (Jesus) has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

How are we baptised with the Holy Spirit?

a. By an impartation through spiritual words, e.g. preaching or prayer.

Acts 10:44(NIV)

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

b. By an impartation through the laying on of hands

An impartation of the Holy Spirit from one person to another by the laying on of hands.

Acts 8:17 (NIV)

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:6 (NIV)

When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

The speaking of tongues after the laying on of hands, is physical evidence of one being baptised with the Holy Spirit.

c. By a combination of a and b – prayer and then the laying on of hands.

d. By whatever way God choses – a sovereign move of the Holy Spirit – we cannot put God in a box!

Why is it important for Christians to be baptised with the Holy Spirit?

• To follow the example of Jesus

John 1:32 (NIV)

Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.”

• To receive power from God to enable us to be overcomers of this world in Christ Jesus and to be His witnesses to the world.

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Luke 24:49 (NIV)

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

• To be able to do great things in the name of Jesus

Acts 1:8 – as above

• To be enabled to live life in the Spirit

Romans 8 Read the whole chapter for yourself - it will change your life!

• For the spiritual gifts to be manifest in us and through us to others

1 Corinthians 12:4-11 (NKJV)

4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

• It is the Holy Spirit that gives us ‘spiritual’ life in Christ Jesus:

James 2:26 (NIV)

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

• The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a gift from God.

Luke 11:13 (NIV)

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

The Power You Receive from the Holy Spirit (Baptism in the Holy Spirit) that will help your daily walk as a born-again Christian.

The Holy Spirit is the power of God and through Jesus we are freely given the power of the Holy Spirit. Eagerly desire the in-filling of the Holy Spirit. God longs for us to move in power as a witness to the nations.

John 20: 22 (AMP)

And when He (Jesus) said this, He breathed on them (the disciples) and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 (AMP)

Jesus speaking:

But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.”

The Benefits we receive from being Spirit Filled:

1. He gives us spiritual life.

Job 33:4 (NIV)

The Spirit of God has made me;

the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

John 6:63 (NIV)

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

2. He will always know where we are both physically and spiritualy, we have no place to hide.

Psalm 139:7

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

3. He is the giver of prophesy, dreams and visions.

Acts 2:17 (NIV) (Quote from Joel 2:28)

“‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

4. He gives us power to be effective witnesses to the world in the Name of Jesus.

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

5. He leads us on God’s path for our lives.

Psalm143:10 (NIV)

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God;

may your good Spirit

lead me on level ground.

2 Peter 1:21 (NIV)

For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 13:4 (NIV) – brackets are mine

The two of them (Barnabas and Saul), sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.

6. He gives strength to our inner being (the human spirit) to accomplish the things that the Father has given us to do by faith in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:16-17a (NIV)

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

John 14:12 (NIV)

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

7. He will be our second (Jesus being the first) Advocate (one, like Jesus, who intercedes with the Father on our behalf) and he will live in us.

John 14:16-17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

8. He is truth and will lead us in all truth. He will receive from Jesus what we need to know which will bring glory to Jesus!

John 16:13

13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.

9. He helps us overcome our weaknesses by interceding for us in accordance with god’s will for us. If we live life in the Spirit we are assured that we are living according to the Father’s will!

Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

10. He gives us revelation directly from the Father. If we are not filled with the Spirit, we will be unable to receive God’s revelation for us in Christ Jesus!

1 Corinthians 2:9-13 (NIV)

9 However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”—

the things God has prepared for those who love him—

10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

11. Through the Holy Spirit our bodies become a temple of the Holy Spirit and we are to honour God with our bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV)

18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

12. When we follow the path of God’s love, the Holy Spirit gives us the gifts of the Spirit for us to use to build up and edify each other and thus bring glory to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 14:1 (AMP)

Pursue [this] love [with eagerness, make it your goal], yet earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual gifts [to be used by believers for the benefit of the church], but especially that you may prophesy [to foretell the future, to speak a new message from God to the people].

13. When we live by the Spirit, the fruit of the spirit will be manifest in us and through us and this life in the spirit enables us to overcome our sinful nature and its wordly passions and desires!

Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

14. He is a ‘flame’ within us that we are instructed by Jesus to not smother, put out, be unresponsive to or quench!

1 Thessalonians 5:19 (AMP)

9 Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit. 20 Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations—words of instruction or exhortation or warning].

15. He Sanctifies us and leads us, through the Word, to spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 2:13 (AMP)

But we should and are [morally] obligated [as debtors] always to give thanks to God for you, believers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through the sanctifying work of the Spirit [that sets you apart for God’s purpose] and by your faith in the truth [of God’s word that leads you to spiritual maturity].

Prayer:
Abba, Father, I pray that you would fill me now with your Holy Spirit that I may be changed in my innermost being and that I follow your path for my life, move in the power of the Holy Spirit to help others and bring glory and honour to the name of Jesus. Amen.

Remember always that if we do not have love (the agape, unconditional love of God) – then we have nothing and are nothing but empty vessels! Let love be your first goal!

1 Corinthians 13:1 (NIV)

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJV)

Let all that you do be done with love.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for you reading and studying the Bible for yourself. I am flawed, the Bible is not!

What is the purpose of water baptism?

 

1. What water baptism is not

Before we look at what water baptism is, I believe that it is most important for us to establish what it is not, using the Bible as our point of reference.

It is not infant christening.

The practice of the christening of babies and infants is not found in the Bible and therefore it is not a Biblical practice or instruction from God. Christening is a man-made tradition that came into being in the early Church through the emergence of Roman Catholicism. But as born-again Christians it is our duty to follow the teachings of the Bible and not the teachings of man.

Infant baptism or christening is not necessarily sinful, but it should be understood that it does not constitute a spiritual cleansing from sin. This can only be done by a person’s acknowledgement and renouncing of their sin before God and the acceptance of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Infants and babies cannot do this as they do not understand this action.

2. What water baptism is

Now, let me first say here that as born-again Christians we are followers of Jesus Christ and His teachings (The Bible – the entire Bible, both Old and New Testaments):

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

And as we are His disciples, we should be following His example in all He did. Jesus was baptised to fulfil all righteousness and it is our duty as His followers to be baptised as He was.

He was baptised as a man (a human being) to identify with us, even though he was not a sinner (1 John 3:5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin), and to set us an example in all righteousness.

Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

From the above five verses we can extract several points that a new believer needs to be aware of that will show the significance and correctness of a believer being water baptised:

• Jesus specifically came to be baptised - vs 13 – as His disciples we should do the same

• Jesus was being obedient to the Father as his being water baptised would fulfil all righteousness – vs 15

• Baptism in water paves the way for a believer’s Baptism in the Holy Spirit – vs 16

• The act of believers being water baptised is pleasing to God as in Christ Jesus we become the sons (children) of God vs 17. Scripture confirms that we become children of God once we are born-again:

John 1:12-13 (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

So, from this we can see that water baptism is pleasing to God and follows in the footsteps and example of Jesus our Lord and Saviour.

Water baptism is an act of faith and obedience to the commands and example of Jesus.

Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Water baptism is a public declaration by a believer:
Baptism publicly declares to the world that you are a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a public confession of your faith in, and commitment to, Jesus Christ. It is the next step after salvation through repentance and is an act of faith. It is an important foundation stone for the Christian life that you are about to embark on.

3. What is the meaning and significance of water baptism to a born-again believer in Jesus Christ?

Water baptism in the life of a believer is a move from sinful death to a righteous, everlasting life in Christ Jesus:

Colossians 2:12-14 (NIV)

12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

From the above verses we are told of the symbolic significance water baptism has for us as born-again believers in that it identifies us with the death of Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, on the cross and his burial and resurrection from the dead:

• Our submersion in the water is symbolic of our burial of our old, sinful life

• Emerging from the water is symbolic of our resurrection to our new life of forgiveness of our sins by God in Christ Jesus

4. Water baptism symbolises our brand new life in Christ Jesus and our commitment to Him as His followers:

The apostle Paul tells us, that as born-again Christians, we are a new creation, our old sinful selves have passed away and we are raised up out of the waters of baptism as new creations:

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Romans 6:4-7 (NIV)

4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

5. Why is it so important for born-again Christians to be water baptized?

In trying to answer this question let us first examine the full symbolic importance of water baptism in a believer’s declaration to the world of their commitment to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour and their desire to follow him in all His ways and teachings.

Water baptism is like a wedding ring. It is a believer’s outward, symbolic statement to the world of his life, love and commitment to Jesus as being a part of His ‘bride’ which is lived out by a believer from day to day.

Isaiah 54:5 (NIV)

For your Maker is your husband—

the Lord Almighty is his name—

the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;

he is called the God of al the earth.

Revelation 19:5-7 (NIV)

5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,

all you his servants,

you who fear him,

both great and small!”

6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!

For our Lord God Almighty reigns.

7 Let us rejoice and be glad

and give him glory!

For the wedding of the Lamb has come,

and his bride has made herself ready.

• Water baptism symbolically washes away our sins – see Acts 22:16 below

6. Water baptism affirms the blessings of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit over a believer’s life.

When we go through the waters of baptism we are baptized into the full Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity – one God, three persons! It also confirms that we believe that Jesus will be with us always!

Matthew 28:18-19 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

7. Water baptism also connects us to other believers as the ‘body of Christ’ – the Church

In Matthew 28:18-19, the Lord’s instruction is for all who come to Him and are born-again, to be baptized. Although we make an individual and personal decision to be water baptized, all believers are instructed to do it and thus this one individual act of obedience joins us together as one body – the Church of Jesus Christ.

8. When should a believer be water baptized?

Why wait? As soon as you have given your life to Jesus, decide to be water baptized! It is an act of faith and obedience and walking in obedience to the will of Christ is or should be the ultimate aim of all believers - full obedience to the teachings of Jesus.

Acts 22:16 (NIV)

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

9. Was Jesus water baptised?

Yes, he was, and this is another reason why all believers should be water baptised. If Jesus did it, it stands to reason that it will be good for us to do so!

Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

From the above verses we see that three significant things take place when we are water baptized:

1. It fulfills all righteousness – vs 15

2. It paves the way for baptism in the Holy Spirit – vs 16

3. It is pleasing to God the Father – vs 17

As born-again Christians, disciples of Jesus and children of God it is our loving duty to follow our Lord’s example and be water baptised!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Next week: The importance of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit

What does it mean to be born again?

 

1. In the Words of Jesus
The term ‘born again’ only appears in the New Testament and was first referred to by Jesus himself, this is captured by the apostle John in the below verse:

John 3:3 (NIV)

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

At the time John recorded this passage, Jesus was speaking to a man called Nicodemus who is described as a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council. The Pharisees were a group of Jewish religious leaders who followed the Law of Moses, the Jewish religion at that time and the Council was a group of various, publicly esteemed Jewish religious leaders of the day.

Nicodemus had approached Jesus one night (John 3:2) and had admitted that he believed Jesus had come from God. Jesus’ response to this admission is quoted above in verse three.

This response sort of flummoxes Nicodemus as in verse 4 he asks this: “How can someone be born when they are old.” And exclaims that it is impossible for someone to enter their mother’s womb a second time to be born!

Now what Nicodemus didn’t understand at this stage was that Jesus wasn’t referring to a physical rebirth but rather a spiritual one. This is explained below in section 2.

2. Man’s Two Birth’s
The best place to start in this explanation, is of course with the words of Jesus himself.

John 3:5-7 (NIV)

5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’

In verse 5 above, Jesus speaks of being born of water and of the Spirit – two different births. Let’s look at these two very different births.

A. The Physical Birth
When the Bible refers to man as being ‘born of water’ it is referring to man’s physical birth. When we pop out of our mothers’ wombs not long after her waters have broken. This in no way refers to the waters of Baptism. Water baptism is something completely different and a topic with which we will be dealing with in another article in this series. So physical birth is the first birth but the most important birth to all mankind is the second birth which is a spiritual birth.

B. The Spiritual Birth
The spiritual birth is where a person becomes born again. Because it is a spiritual birth it is only, and can only be orchestrated by God, through Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is nothing that we can ever do for ourselves or that anybody else can do for us – not even our parents.

In essence we, as human beings, are first and foremost spiritual beings. After God uniquely created Adam and Eve (Genesis 2), and, in their creation and after, He had breathed life into them, he enabled them to procreate by coming together in sexual union. And in this miraculous process, the Spirit of God is interwoven within each human being at the time of conception. Just as God breathed life into Adam so His breath (spirit) is miraculously instilled into each living foetus. It is the Spirit of God that gives us life.

John 6:63 (NIV)

The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.

But, now here’s the rub, because of the sin of Adam, way back in the garden of Eden, every human being that has ever been born from them and after them, is born in sin and therefore man’s spirit is dead to God. This is a spiritual death and spiritual death is not the same as our physical death, spiritual death is separation from God. It is man’s sin that separates him from God. Everybody has sinned and is thus dead to God, therefore we can have no fellowship with Him as God is free of sin and will not have fellowship with it. This is confirmed in the below scripture:

Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)

But your iniquities have separated

you from your God;

your sins have hidden his face from you,

so that he will not hear.

Now, as I mentioned above, we have all sinned and if we say we haven’t, we are telling lies – porky pies! The below scriptures in the New Testament confirm this:

Romans 3:23-25 (NLT)

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. 25 For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,

1 John 1:8-10 (AMP)

8 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.] 9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. 10 If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.

If you have ever told a lie you have sinned! If you have ever taken anything that doesn’t belong to you, you have sinned. If you have ever spread gossip, you have sinned. When you swear and use foul language, you are sinning! And so on.

It is our sin that separates us from God, which is spiritual death, and, because of this sin, it is the spirit of man that needs to be born again – renewed. This has nothing to do with our physical, natural birth from our mother’s womb, it is purely a spiritual awakening.

3. What do we have to do to become born again?

All we must do to become born again is confess that we are sinners and repent (repent means to turn away from) of our sins from the heart, and before God in the name of Jesus and ask Jesus to come and live in our hearts and be our Lord and Saviour.

We have to believe from our hearts that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that he died on the cross as an atonement for our sins and to accept him as our Lord and Saviour and submit our lives to him and to follow him and all his ways (as laid down in the Bible) daily.

We do this by praying a simple prayer that will go something like this:

Dear Lord Jesus, I confess before you that I am a sinner and I repent of my sins before you. I ask that you forgive me for my sins and ask you to come into my heart to be my Lord and Saviour and to fill me with your Holy Spirit and to help me to walk a Christian life according to your teachings in the Bible. I believe, Lord Jesus, that you died for my sins, and I believe that God raised you from the dead! Amen.

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Now, once you have prayed this prayer you come into the kingdom of God and have an immediate spiritual family of brothers and sisters all over the world, with God as the Father!

If you have just prayed this prayer, the best thing for you to do at this stage is to get yourself into a local fellowship with fellow believers, that is start going to a local Church that preaches the gospel of Jesus and believes the entire Bible is the Word of God. And after this I would encourage you to start reading and studying the Bible for yourself and start a prayer life of your very own and become involved in the life of the local fellowship you have chosen to be a part of!

Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour is the only way by which man can be born again and receive everlasting life in heaven. You can’t get to heaven by calling yourself a good person, or doing good things, or by giving money to charity or by doing charitable work or by praying to Mother Mary or by going to Church every Sunday. You can only enter heaven by way of accepting Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and repenting of your sins as mentioned previously in this article.

Acts 4:11-12 (NIV)

11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

4. What happens to me when I am born again?
Well, I’m pleased to say that there is no downside to being born again. In fact, we receive many benefits from God once we become born again. The main benefit being that we will have everlasting life! Our salvation is a gift from God, we can’t earn it buy it or do good works for it!

Let’s have a look at some of these benefits:

a. We receive everlasting life.

John 3:16 (NIV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

b. We receive forgiveness of our sins.

1 John 1:9 (NIV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

c. We have the right to call ourselves sons and daughters of God.

John 1:12-13 (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

d. God will answer our prayers when we ask in the name of Jesus and with the right motives.

John 14:13-14 (NIV)

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

When we pray and ask God for things in Jesus name, our motives need to come from a pure and selfless heart and not just for self-gain and selfish ambitions.

James 4:3 (NIV)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

e. God will meet all our needs.

Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

f. We will receive God’s peace in our lives.

John 14:27 (NIV)
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

g. He will create in us a desire to serve Him and to serve others by doing His will as we walk in faith.

James 2:17 (NIV)

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

h. We are a new creation, and our sins are forgiven.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

5. What will happen to me if I am not born again?
Well, this is the bad news and I mean really bad news! If you are not born again, you will spend eternity in hell, which is spiritual death – eternal separation from God and His eternal love, no matter how good a person we may consider ourselves to be!

John 3:3 (NIV)

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.

The above verse says it very clearly, you will only see the kingdom of God, which is eternal life, if you are born again. If you are not born again, you will not see the kingdom of God which means you go to hell from which there is no escape!

If you are not for God, then you are against him, and thus you belong to the devil and unless you repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour – be born again - you will be consigned to hell for eternity, just as the devil is. If you are not for God, then you are against Him – there is no middle road!

Matthew 12:30 (NIV)

“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

Matthew 13:41-42 (NIV)

41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Five Basic Steps That a New Believer Should Take Towards Spiritual Maturity

1. Repent and be baptized
Scripture tells us that once we have repented and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we need to be baptized in water.

Acts 2:38 (NIV)

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In order for you to be baptized it would make sense for you to join a local Church – a local fellowship of

2. Join a local fellowship of believers – a local Church
God created us to be social beings just as he is, and to help each other in our daily Christian walk. God’s Church is not a building but rather each and every individual born-again Christian together - that is the Church, you and I and all our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ across the world.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching..

Romans 12:5 (NIV)

so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

1 Corinthians 12:12 (NIV)

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

3. Read/Study the Bible Daily
The aim of our Christian walk is to be increasingly conformed to Christ’s image. In other words, to become increasingly like Jesus daily. This is a process, and one of the keyways that will help us in this walk is to read and study the Bible as often as we can as Jesus is the Bible in the flesh. The more we read the Bible and do what it tells us, the more we will become like Jesus.

John 1:14 (NIV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

James 1:22 (NIV)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

4. Pray
Prayer is talking to God. It is impossible to form a meaningful relationship with anybody if you don’t talk to them. You can’t get to know anybody if you don’t talk to them. You can’t ask anybody for help if you don’t talk to them to let them know you need help! You build relationship with people by talking to them. It is the same with God. When you talk to Him, He will talk to you!

The best example we have of building this kind of relationship with God is our Lord Jesus. Let’s examine this statement by what the scriptures tell us of Jesus praying!

Luke 5:16 (AMP)

But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

Mark 1:35 (NIV)

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Luke 22:32 (NIV)

But I (Jesus) have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

So, here we have three of many examples from the Bible where Jesus went to God the Father in prayer. God is the source and fountain of all knowledge and power. We can ask him for anything as long as we ask with the right motives in our hearts.

James 4:3 (NIV)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Prayer should be selfless, pure and from the heart and not designed for self-gain (self-change, yes!) and pleasure.

God created us to worship Him in Christ Jesus and prayer is one form of our worship of God that is guaranteed to build a strong and healthy personal relationship with Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.

5. Be responsible for Your Own Walk to Christian Maturity
Nobody can walk your Christian walk for you. Your progress in your walk to spiritual maturity lies squarely upon your own shoulders. If you keep your eyes on Jesus and not on man, if you are quick to repent of sin and even quicker to forgive those that sin against you, then you will be well on the road to maturity.

Be obedient to what the Bible teaches, walk in faith and put the Bible teachings into practice in your daily life. Being a born-again Christian is not a part time job, it is a fulltime, lifestyle commitment!

James 1:22 (NIV)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

God chose you to be his child and in Christ Jesus you have the power through the Holy Spirit to overcome any obstacle the world throws at you! God chose you to serve Him here on earth and to be a channel of blessing to others!

John 15:16-17 NIV)

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

John 16:33 (NIV)

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

You will not have a trouble-free life as the above scripture explains, but you will overcome any obstacle in your path if you keep your eyes upon Jesus and not on man. You will experience miracles in your own life and in the lives of your loved ones and you will see miracles in the lives of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus!

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise! For he alone is worthy!

Jesus, the Name above all names!

Who is God?

Who is God? (The Father)

The question, “Who is God?”, is probably the most asked question of all time, by both Christians and non-Christians alike.

To answer this question, and indeed any other question we have on Christianity, our first and only point of reference is the Bible. God’s handbook for all Christians – the creator’s Manual of Life for man.

What does scripture tell us of who God is?

Here we will have a look at what both the Old and New Testament’s say. The second book of Timothy tells us that all scripture, although written by man, is God inspired (men writing in the power of the Holy Spirit) and is useful in teaching us all things – all we ned to know about walking through life as a committed Christian – a born again believer:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God the creator:
Now in the very first verse of the very first book of the Bible we see that we are told that God is the creator of the heavens and earth.

Gen 1:1 (NIV)

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

He created all things including man!

Gen 1:27 (NIV)

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.

So here we have it – God is the creator of man – You and Me!

Now at this point you are probably saying to yourself that this is all very well, but who created God?

Much has been written about this and man ofttimes likes to make things intellectually and scientifically complicated. So, I‘m going to keep this explanation simple, I hope!

Our Christian walk is a walk of faith and our belief in God is an integral part of this faith walk. The more we walk in faith and the more we believe in the Bible, the more God will reveal himself to us through our belief in Jesus and by revelation through the Holy Spirit.

We must believe in faith that that God has always been in existence and that it is He that is able to create things where there was once nothing. This is how all things created came into existence, planets, sun moon stars, galaxies, man and so on. Just examine the scriptures below from the Old Testament and see for yourself:

Isaiah 40:28 (NIV)

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

Nehemiah 9:6 (NIV)

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

And for good measure here’s one from the New Testament:

Colossians 1:16-17 (NIV)

16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

So, here we have it confirmed from the Bible that God has always been in existence, and He is the creator of all things.

God the sustainer:
We are told in the book of Colossians that God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) was here before all things came into being and that it is God that holds and maintains everything in its place. Everything God created was in, through and for Jesus – the Name above all names. The only name through which mankind can receive salvation.

Col 1:17 (AMP)

And He Himself existed and is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. [His is the controlling, cohesive force of the universe.]

God sustains and maintains everything, including life. He holds everything in place – all creation and that includes both you and me!

God is Spirit:

In the Book of John in the New Testament we are told that God is a Spirit.

John 4:24 (NIV)

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

God is spirit and is therefore invisible to the human eye. The Hebrew word for spirit in the Old Testament is ‘Ruwach – pronounced roo-akh (ref: Strong’s Concordance H7307)’, the word also has the meanings of ‘breath’ and ‘wind’ both of which we can feel and hear but cannot see.

This is the same for us as born-again believers. We can both feel and hear God in our spirit (which is the spirit of God within us) but we cannot see him.

In Genesis 2:7 we learn that it is the spirit of God within us that gives our bodies life. He enables us to breath and to live within the boundaries of the world that He has created for us which includes our earthly bodies.

Genesis 2:7 (NIV)

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

In the above verse, the Hebrew word for breathed here is again ‘ruwach’. Thus, as we’ve learned above from the Hebrew meanings of the word ‘ruwach’, the breath of life in us, that which enables us to live and gives us life, is God’s spirit! Man, therefore exists on earth through a body in which are housed our Spirit and Soul. All created and placed together by God.

God is love:
Whenever the New Testament writers are referring to God’s love, they use the Greek word ‘agapē’ – pronounced ‘ag-ah-pay’ which, when expanded to its full meaning, is translated in English as ‘a love that is unconditional, benevolent, charitable and freely given’ - we don’t have to do anything to earn it or give anything in return for it, we just need to receive it.

And as we receive God’s agapē love, so it is our duty as God’s children to show His love to others in all we do and in our service to Him.

This will bring glory to the name of Jesus! If we don’t have God’s love, then we don’t know God!

1 John 4:8 (NIV)

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

As believers we also need to realise that the fulness of God’s love also encompasses discipline and judgement. After man’s judgement, those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour from the heart will go to eternal life in Heaven, but thos who have not accepted Jesus will go to eternal punishment in Hell!

Hebrews 12:5-6 (NIV)

5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”[Prov 3:11-12]

Hebrews 9:27 (NIV)

Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

Matthew 25:46 (NIV)

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

God is our Father:
Probably the most famous bible verse that shows us that God is our Father comes from Matthew 6:9, the Lord’s Prayer:

Matthew 6:9 (NIV)

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

This verse is the start of the Lord’s prayer where Jesus is teaching the disciples, and ultimately us as well, how to pray. It is quite clear from this verse that we can address God as our Father!

When we are born-again we become, and have the right to call ourselves, children of God. And if we are children of God it, makes sense that He is our Father. Just examine the two verses following to confirm this!

John 1:12, 13 (NIV)

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we become born-again and therefore, we become the sons and daughters of God and He becomes our Father. A father better than any earthly father we will ever experience.

God is three persons but one entity:
This characteristic of God can be difficult to grasp for many new Christians. God is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Commonly referred to in most Christian circles as The Holy Trinity.

When we examine the scriptures in Genesis 1:1, 2 in the Old Testament and in John 1:1-5, 14 in the New Testament we see quite clearly that God is three persons in one.

Genesis 1: 1, 2 (NIV)

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters

So then in the verses above from Genesis, we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and right there with Him at the very beginning is the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit).

Now let’s jump forward a few thousand years to the New Testament and the book of John – not the Baptist, but John the beloved disciple of Jesus, the one who wrote the Book of John.

In the below verses from the book of John we see quite clearly that the Word (The Bible) was with God in the beginning and in verse 14 it clearly states the Word was made flesh and lived among us, this is Jesus.

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now, what do these Genesis and John verses tell us? Simply this, they expose the full Godhead to us, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity!

Just to summarise these verses quickly into three main points, we have:

‘In the beginning’ was:

a. God – The Father

b. And Jesus (the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us) – The Son

c. And the Spirit of God – the Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God and thus the Spirit of Jesus

The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity – God in three persons. Just like there are three parts to an egg – yolk, white and shell, three parts but one egg!

Other scriptures referring to who God is:
There are many other scriptures throughout the Bible that refer to who God is, and I am listing a few of them in the table below.

I would encourage you to read and study them in your own time. The more you read God’s Word (the Bible), the more God will reveal himself to you and your mind will be renewed through the washing of the Word!

All verses are from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.

Ex 3:14
And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus, shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

Nu 23:19
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

1 Tim 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prov 3:19
The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

Is 40:28
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.

Is 44:24
Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

Rev 1:8
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Conclusion:

To summarise this section, we now know that God is:

• Love

• Our Father

• The creator of all things created

• The sustainer and maintainer of all things

• Spirit

• Three persons in one – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity

• Our discipline and our judge.

• Believed on by all born again Christians in faith

• Who is Jesus? (The Son)

The most popular, modern-day depiction of Jesus is as a baby in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes. This is such a misleading representation of who Jesus really is and, although he started his human life as a baby, it is so far from his true, godly persona.

Jesus the Man
Jesus was born supernaturally of a virgin, Mary the wife of Joseph. Before Joseph and Mary had consummated their marriage, Mary was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

The birth of Christ is told in Matthew 1:18-25 and was the fulfilment of a prophecy spoken by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah some 800 years before Jesus’ actual birth:

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Isaiah 7:14 (AMP)

4 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Listen carefully, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and she will call his name Immanuel (God with us).

Immanuel is a Hebrew word and means: God with us. This tells us that God walked among us in human form as Jesus the Son of God!

Jesus the Son of God
Having been born miraculously through the Holy Spirit we can safely say that Jesus’ father is God.

Scripture also confirms this, at Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist just before he begins his ministry as an adult.

Matthew 3:16 and 17 (NIV)

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Jesus is God
Now this is a controversial topic and one that stumbles many people, particularly ‘religious’ people.

But there are many Bible verses that clearly show that Jesus is God. One of my favourite passages that shows this is found in the Book of Colossians and another is in the Old Testament in the Book of Isaiah:

Col 1:15-17 (NIV)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

So, in the above verses we are shown many things that confirm that Jesus is God:

1. Jesus is the image of God who is invisible – the visible representation of the invisible.

2. He is the creator of all things created – the visible and the invisible.

3. He existed before everything else and his power holds things together.

4. And in Isaiah 9:6 the child born is referred to as ‘The Mighty God’ and The Everlasting Father

And just to strengthen this, let’s have a look at what the disciple John writes:

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

When we examine the above six verses, they are quite clear in their exposition of Jesus being God and are easily understood:

1. The Word was God – verse 1.

2. All things were created by him – verse 2.

3. He is the creator of everything – verse 3.

4. He (Jesus) was the light of men – verse 4.

5. The Word was made flesh (Jesus) and lived among us – verse 14.

So here we have it, Jesus is God. He came to us in the flesh to identify with humanity and to sacrifice himself willingly for us on the cross so that all those that accept him as Lord and Saviour can be born-again of the Spirit, receive forgiveness of our sins and receive eternal life.

Romans 9:5 (AMP)

To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to His natural descent, came the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), He who is exalted and supreme over all, God blessed forever. Amen.

Colossians 2:9 (AMP)

For in Him all the fullness of Deity (the Godhead) dwells in bodily form [completely expressing the divine essence of God].

Who is The Holy Spirit?
Let me try and introduce you to Him as I have grown to know him – my friend, my comforter, my guide and my permanent connection to Jesus, God and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, throughout the world!

When we examine what the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit (or the Spirit of God or the Spirit as He is sometimes referred to) we can see quiet clearly just who He is, and just what He does, and just how important He is to God, to Jesus and most importantly, to us as believers.

Right, now let’s examine scripture and discover just who the Holy Spirit is. Let’s unfold the mystery together, shall we? In this section I will be repeating some of the verses that we have already covered but I believe this will be a good reinforcement of our topic!

Without trying to get too complicated, I suggest that we start at the very beginning.

Genesis 1: 1, 2 (NIV)

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

Okay then, here we are told that God created the heavens and the earth and right there with Him at the very beginning is the Spirit of God (the Holy Spirit). Now, as I’ve said before (a bit of repetition is good), let’s jump forward a few thousand years to the New Testament and the book of John – not the Baptist, but John the beloved disciple of Jesus, the one who wrote the chapter.

John 1:1-5, 14 (NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Here in John 1 and in the very first verse, John takes us right back to the beginning, Genesis 1 verse 1.

Now, what do these Genesis and John verses tell us? Simply this, they expose the full Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit – The Holy Trinity!

Just to summarise these verses quickly, we have ‘In the beginning’:

a. God (and the Word which is Jesus) – The Father

b. Jesus (the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us) - The Son

So, does this answer our original question? Who is the Holy Spirit? I think so!

The Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus is God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity.

Just like there are three parts to an egg – yolk, white and shell, three parts but one egg!

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD!

2 Cor 3:18 (NIV)

The Lord is the Spirit

And for good measure just look below and see what the apostle Peter said about the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts.

Acts 5:3- 4 (NIV)

3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Here Peter is chastising a fellow called Ananias about lying and asks in verse 3 why he lied to the Holy Spirit and in verse 4 he goes on to say that he has lied to God thus equating the Holy Spirit in verse 3 to God in verse 4 making them one person. The Holy Spirit and God are one!

Now that we know who the Holy Spirit is, let’s see how He relates to us as believers.

Although the Trinity or the Godhead is one God, when He (God) relates to the world (us), He becomes three distinct persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

So, in the Trinity, God the Father is the supreme creator, Jesus the Son is our Saviour and the Holy Spirit is the power of God, and thus Jesus, in action, he is also our comforter and guide and is also called the Spirit of Truth.

God sees believers as sinless as we belong to Jesus, and now, because Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us as our counsellor and to lead us in all truth to fulfil God’s purpose for us here on earth.

Everything the Holy Spirit does is for the Glory of Jesus and, with the Holy Spirit guiding us, everything we as believers do should also be to glorify Jesus!

Conclusion

To summarise this article, we now know who God is, He is:

· The Father

· The Son

· The Holy spirit

· The Holy Trinity

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and Praise. Amen!

Jesus, the Name above all names!