One of the reasons we have confusion and wrong doctrine about the Holy Spirit is that we don’t clearly understand how His roles differ from the Old Testament to the New. Reading Old Testament verses about the Spirit back then and applying them to us today will bring error, confusion and false teaching. For example, before Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon those who needed Him when they needed Him. He wasn’t in all believers all the time like He is with us today. He came for special needs and left when they were accomplished. Bezalel being filled with the Spirit to have the wisdom and skill needed to build the Tabernacle is an example (Exodus 31:1-5).
If we think this is the way God works with us today we are wrong. It can cause us to incorrectly feel we have to do something after salvation to gain the Spirit. Or we may believe we can lose the Spirit and cause us to live in fear of that happening. Because of this, some come up with unbiblical ‘proof’ we have the Spirit’s presence by elevating certain emotions or spiritual gifts. All of this takes down a bad track in our spiritual lives.
The Holy Spirit was temporarily given to believers in Old Testament times as they had need (Numbers 11:29). . He came upon Moses and the Jewish elders to help them lead the people (Numbers 11:25, 29). That also happened with Gideon (Judges 6:34). It wasn’t uncommon to read of Him coming upon or leaving various judges like Samuel and even King Saul. When Elisha replaced Elijah, he asked for the Spirit that worked in Elijah to be in him, even doubly as powerful (2 Kings 2:9, 15). David himself, after his sin with Bathsheba, wrote in Psalm 51: 10-12 “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” He knew he needed God’s Spirit to help him lead the people of Israel.
The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit lives in every believer from the moment of salvation (John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 12:13). This is literally Jesus’s presence in us by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:5; Romans 8:10; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 1:27). The Holy Spirit is always in every believer from the moment of salvation. How much we let Him control and lead us depends on our allowing Him to fill us completely (Ephesians 5:19). God gives the Spirit “without limit” (John 3:34). Therefore, in the Old Testament the Spirit temporarily came upon those who needed Him when He was needed. After Jesus, believers all receive the Spirit at the moment of salvation (John 7:37-39; 14:16-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 12:13) and He never leaves us.
The Holy Spirit came on the early Christians during the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, which means “50” (Leviticus 23:16) because it was 50 days after the wave-offering of the “Firstfruits” (Leviticus 23:10,15). Leviticus 23 describes the 7 annual feasts which God declared the people were to observe. These started with the Passover and culminated with the Feast of Tabernacles. They are also symbolic pictures showing the major events of history from eternity past to eternity future. Pentecost was in the middle, the anniversary of the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. That was accompanied by thunder, lightning and smoke (Exodus 19:16-18). When the Holy Spirit came to the upper room, there were fiery tongues and a mighty wind (Acts 2:2-3). As Christians we are now the Body (1 Corinthians 12:27) and Bride (Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9) of Christ, not just His servants like in the Old Testament (Leviticus 25:55, etc.). That is why we all receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation and never lose Him as long as we live.
We never have to do anything special to receive Him. There is no post-salvation experience to become indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We never have to wonder if He lives in us or not – He always does. There is no way of getting ‘more’ of Him. And it’s impossible to have ‘less’ of Him or lose Him entirely. Totally impossible. We don’t need to live in fear or uncertainty. We should never try to do things to manipulate God to give us the Spirit or more of the Spirit. No certain people or leaders have a special ‘in’ with the Spirit that the rest of us don’t have. We are all as close to Him as we allow ourselves to be by submitting to God’s will and living for Jesus in all we think, say and do. Anyone that says anything different is wrong. Those who persist in teaching such things are false teachers.
Romans 8:9-11 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Do you ever have fear that you have lost the Spirit’s presence? If so, thank God that can never happen.
Do you try to do things so God will be pleased with you and give you more power and help? If so, apologize to God for trying to earn something He has already given for free.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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