What do we believe about Experiencing the Holy Spirit and His Gifts?
Pursue Love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts…. 1 Corinthians 14:1
Who is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is co-equal with the Father and with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He exists to unite us with and to glorify Jesus Christ (John 15:26), as well as to empower believers for Christian witness, service (Acts 1:8), and to live the life God has called us to (2 Peter 1:3).
How does one receive the Holy Spirit?
Luke 11:11-13 tells us, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” What this reveals is that, first, God wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and second, that the process is not difficult. It is a simple matter of receiving the Holy Spirit, and we do that in the same way we are saved: through our confession. You confessed Jesus as Lord to be saved (Romans 10:9-10) and much in the same way, your confession is what it takes to receive the Holy Spirit.
This doesn’t have to be done at church or the altar. It doesn’t have to happen in a prayer service or in the middle of a powerful worship set. We often tell people when they lay down to go to bed tonight, simply ask the Holy Spirit to fill you. “I receive the gift God the Father gave to me, the gift Jesus the Son promised me, the Holy Spirit. I receive you now Holy Spirit and ask you to fill me to overflowing.” It is that simple. If you mean it, God means it, and the Holy Spirit will fill you.
When does one receive the Holy Spirit?
There are some who believe a person receives the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ according to Ephesians 1:13 and Acts 2:38. Other believe that this is a separate infilling moment after salvation (Acts 10). At Freedom, we want everyone to grow in their understanding of the person and power of the Holy Spirit as well as their understanding of His work in their lives. so while we refuse to make a declarative statement on the timing of your infilling, we suggest you do as we do and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you on a daily basis.
What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit or being Filled with the Holy Spirit?
Being baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit is when a believer in Jesus Christ receives extraordinary power for Christ-exalting ministry (Acts 1:8). This baptism is marked by an initial act of receiving by faith through Jesus Christ and continues as a daily response of receiving what God has made available for our service to and relationship with Him (Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:38, Ephesians 1:13-14). As demonstrated in numerous accounts throughout Acts, the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit is marked by an experienced power that is characterized with a new desire to magnify God in worship (Acts 10:46), a powerful disposition to obey God in everyday life (Acts 5:29), a supernatural ability to live the life he’s called you to live (2 Peter 1:3), to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and abandon the fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5), and the ability to operate within the various gifts God has given us through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12).
What are the Spiritual Gifts and are they still available?
A spiritual gift is an extraordinary power given by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the Church Body and for the work of ministry in the world (Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10-11). Scripture nowhere states that the gifts have ceased. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit at work in the church of the first century are available today and are to be earnestly desired and practiced (1 Corinthians 13: 8-12, 1 Corinthians 14:1). As we minister to individuals, we will use some or all the gifts available to us from God to see healing, deliverance, freedom, and restoration developed in a person’s life. While God gives different gifts to different people (1 Corinthians 12:11), these gifts are not a reflection of spiritual maturity. They are a response of openness and faith to God and are a gift of the Holy Spirit available to all believers (Luke 11:13). The manner in which these gifts are expressed is a reflection of spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-16).
Order in the administration of the Spiritual Gifts
Public expressions of the Spirit will be demonstrated in an orderly manner as directed by Scripture through church leadership. Appropriate expression of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a corporate setting includes submission to pastoral and elder authority and involves expression of the gifts with dignity and order so that the Holy Spirit and his gifts can be received by all (1 Corinthians 14). A chaotic, over-emotional environment is not what God had in mind as the atmosphere for the expression of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14 is very clear about this.
At Freedom, we will always use caution in the outward expressions of the gifts of the Spirit so that we can both create an environment where the Holy Spirit can do as he wishes yet where people are not acting out in emotional, self-gratifying expressions that take the attention off of the Holy Spirit. In Sunday morning worship settings, we will always strive for order within services so that all can experience the Holy Spirit in their own way and at their own level. We don’t want anything to deter a person from having an experience with the Holy Spirit and believe that emotionalism surrounding this topic is drastically more detrimental to that experience than anything else.
The Fruit of the Spirit
Reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit will produce the character of Jesus Christ in our life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Collectively, these are the characteristics that should be present and should be growing in all believers in Christ by the Holy Spirit’s power. The only way to exude these qualities in a person’s life to the level God intended is through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Summary
We believe the need for the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in a believer’s life is as critical today as it was in the day of the Apostles. We hold the position, supported by Scriptures, that the Holy Spirit’s presence and power are for every believer until Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 13:8-12).
If you have any other questions, please connect with us at www.freedomdl.com/connect