You may have noticed as we read the previous scriptures that the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, is often mentioned in conjunction with the water baptism. I have not shunned this connection, merely delayed it so that I might probe deeper into this aspect of the Christian’s life.

Recall once more that Jesus told Nicodemus that, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Jesus pointed out this connection, and man can never break it, no matter how hard he tries. Our souls’ salvation depends upon our being born again (regenerated) of water and of the Spirit!

John 1: 29-36: "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!"

This connection is further explained by the Apostle Paul, in:

I Corinthians 12:13: "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."

At the time of our baptism, one spirit, the Holy Spirit from God, causes us to become part of the one body, the church of Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Luke 24:46-49: "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. 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."

Acts 1: 1-8: "The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 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. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Acts 2: 1-12: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?"

These readings from Acts chapters 1 & 2 give us an insight regarding the Holy Ghost baptism. There was a reason for this event. Jesus gives us the answer before the Holy Spirit ever arrived.

John 14: 15-21: "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."

John 14:24-26: "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

John 15: 26-27: "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."

John 16: 7-15: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you."

Matthew 28: 18-20: "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

Let’s review some facts from the scriptures that we have studied so far:

Like the wind, the Holy Ghost cannot be seen, but the effects are obvious.

The Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) is real, sent from God to do His work.

The Holy Ghost is powerful, and, like Jesus, works as one with God.

The Holy Ghost is referred to as both "He" and "It".

He (it) is a comforter, in the place of an ascended Jesus.

He (it) is a teacher of truth, reminding of what Jesus taught.

Saved people are to be baptized in the name of the Holy Ghost, as well as in the names of the Father and the Son.

We have no record of the Holy Ghost’s workings in the disciples in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. John’s account gives us the words of Jesus regarding the Holy Ghost, or Spirit, which had not yet come to men (humans). The first indication of the actual working of the Holy Spirit in the disciples came upon the day of Pentecost when the apostles were gathered in Jerusalem. The writer of Acts, presumed to be Luke, said that Jesus referred to this as the baptism of the Holy Ghost, at which time the apostles would be endowed with great power from God.

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The Roles Of The Holy Ghost (Spirit)

What are the roles of the Holy Ghost? Comforter and teacher, guide and communicator, and a tie that binds all Christians together in one body. He is also a witness to remind God's children of all the things that Jesus had previously taught and commanded.

Acts 2: 1-4: "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

The baptism of the Holy Ghost, which is invisible -- John 3:8: "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit" -- in which the apostles were apparently engulfed in the Spirit, resulted in their being filled with the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Spirit took up residence within them, as it apparently does with all born-again Christians.

Romans 8:9-11: "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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 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 dwelleth in you."

I John 3: 24: "And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us."

Let us review again that which takes place upon becoming a Christian: one is born of water (baptism) and of the Spirit (which takes up residence within), and so becomes a newly reborn creature. The blood of Jesus, the sacrificial Lamb of God, washes away past sins, and purifies the sinner-turning-Christian. The newborn Christian feeds -- studies and meditates -- upon the word of God, growing thereby. The goal is for the Christian to mature in spiritual stature as a member of the called-out body, or ekklesia, of Christ, as befits the head of the body, which is Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:2: "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."

The Holy Spirit within a Christian sanctifies -- sets apart -- the individual to the service of God. That is why we are to put sin out of our lives. We are the body, the ekklesia, of Christ. We each dedicate our individual bodies to the spiritual service to God, aware that we are part of Christ’s body.

Romans 12:1-2:" I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Ephesians 2: 18-22: "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit."

1Corinthians 6:19: "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?"

The Holy Spirit, dwelling within Christians, is our guide and teacher, and our channel of communication with God! Our body is a temple, and all Christians collectively are established as a holy house, where the Spirit of God dwells to translate and transmit our pleas to God.

1 Peter 2:5: "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

Romans 8: 26-27: "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

I Corinthians 3: 16-17: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

God declared, in 1Peter 1:16: "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. "

The role of the Holy Spirit is manifold. Besides interceding to God on our behalf and translating our prayers, He is also here to remind us of what Jesus taught.

John 14:26: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

Hebrews 8: 10-11: "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest."

In this way, we put sin out of our lives, knowing that God’s Holy Spirit lives inside us, bringing to mind the teachings of Jesus. (For the importance of Bible study in the role of understanding what the will of God is, please read my topical study entitled: How To Study The Bible). We are further reminded that since God’s Holy Spirit lives inside of us, we are the body of Jesus Christ, or the called-out asembly of Christ.

Since this is true, we need to be pure, the true sons and daughters of God, Romans 8: 11-21: "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 dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."

Galatians 4: 4-7: "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

I John 3: 1: "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

God is holy. As His children, He requires that we be holy. He gave us His son Jesus, to die on the cross as the sacrificial lamb, whose blood washes us thoroughly. Once cleansed by the blood of the lamb (Jesus), then we must make every effort to put sin out of our lives. We are to be the pure and holy children of our Father in heaven.

II Corinthians 6: 16-18: "And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

1 John 4: 13-14: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."

1 Corinthians 15:34: "Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."

1 John 2:1: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:"

The Holy Spirit lives within a clean and pure temple -- our cleansed body, mind. and spirit -- to remind us of God’s word, found in the teachings of Christ. He also resides within to verify that we are the children of God. In addition, He renders our prayers to God in a spiritual and godly manner.