​REVIEW
 
So, let’s continue this new series on the Holy Spirit entitled— “The Types of the Holy Spirit.” Now, what we are doing in this series is looking at the various descriptions used of the Holy Spirit throughout God’s Word, understanding that there are many of these physical examples and analogies used in the Bible to describe Him.
 
Thus far, we have looked at the most popular picture we have of the Holy Spirit—the Dove. And we learned from this a lot about the Holy Spirit’s gentle and peaceful nature. We then looked at what is likely the most common type of the Holy Spirit used in the Scriptures—Oil.  And we saw that just as various people and things were “anointed” with oil in the Old Testament, likewise we have been anointed in this New & Better Covenant. So, we saw the various benefits of that. 
 
Therefore, in part one of this new series, we learned that while we want to be “harmless” as the Holy Ghost is, we don’t want to be “harmless” to the kingdom of darkness. We are to let the anointing of the Holy Ghost break the yokes around us. Therefore, let’s get on His team and start putting our hands on people—letting the anointing destroy the sickness, oppression, poverty, etc. that the enemy has bound people with. Amen.  
 
Then, last week, we began looking at two more types of the Holy Spirit—the Water & the Wine. And we saw that as one is baptized in water for repentance, we can also be baptized in the Holy Spirit for the power to repent. Amen! But we saw that this compares the water to the Holy Ghost. And like water is the source of life—refreshing, cleansing, and satisfying us—the Holy Spirit provides these same benefits in our spiritual lives. Yes, just as water is a necessity for our physical life, the Holy Spirit is a necessity for our spiritual life. And as we also learned last week, one of the reasons for this is because the difference between the Holy Spirit being upon us and us merely being saved is like the difference between a spring or well of water versus rivers of living water. Yes, the baptism of the Holy Spirit provides a huge difference in our spiritual walks.
 
But we also learned that it is up to us to drink of this water of the Spirit. Yes, God promised us this in Isaiah 44:3 when He said, “For I will pour water on Him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants.” So, we’ve got to get thirsty—for those who thirst for righteous things will be filled with righteous things, and this includes the Holy Spirit.
 
But then we turned the water into wine and began to look at another aspect of the Holy Spirit that we can drink of—New Wine.
 
We saw that on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost in that upper room, that there were those mocking who thought that they were drunk with new wine (Acts 2:13). But then we saw Peter correcting them saying, “For these are not drunk, as you suppose…” (2:15).
 
So, we saw that the Holy Spirit has an effect on us that wine has on people. Therefore, we need to, as Ephesians 5:18 says, “be not drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” Notice that the apostle Paul here compares being drunk with wine as being filled with the Spirit. One expositor states that the word “drunk” means “to be filled.” So what Paul was literally saying was “don’t be filled with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.” And we saw that just as Jesus must have been fun to be around if the kids all liked Him, we too can be more enjoyable to be around if we stay full of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we learned that a believer does not need wine to experience joy; however, drinking of this new wine will produce genuine joy. Amen?
 
So, let’s stay full of the Holy Spirit and experience the various benefits of this spiritual water & wine. This will yield the joy, happiness, satisfaction, and abundant life that only He can provide! Lord, fill our cups to overflowing today! Amen!
 
THE EFFECTS OF WIND
 
So now, let’s move on to another type of the Holy Spirit, and like it is with this particular example of the Holy Spirit, we don’t see a lot of it, but we certainly see the effects of it.
 
In John chapter three, we have the popular story of Nicodemus coming to Jesus in the nighttime and Jesus teaching him about the new birth. The story begins in verse one: “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’” (John 3:1-8)
 
So, we can clearly see that Nicodemus, coming to Jesus by night, was not wanting his fellow Pharisees to know about this meeting. And we also see that he confesses that “we” know that He was a teacher sent from God because of the signs that prove His Father was with Him. That means that even though they accused Him of casting out demons and healing the sick by some demonic power, they really knew the truth—that He was sent by God.
 
But I love how Jesus never even responds to Nicodemus’ comment, but jumps right into the truth regarding the necessity of being born again. So, after Nicodemus questions how a man can be born a second time, Jesus goes on to explain that this new birth is a spiritual thing and, therefore, the Holy Spirit is who performs this spiritual new birth in us. But here is the point I want you to see:
 
In verse 8, after Jesus tells him not to marvel that He said that one must be born again (verse 7), He describes this spiritual rebirth with a physical example. Again, He says, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
 
What was Jesus saying here? He was saying that while we cannot see wind, we can see the effects of it. Likewise, while we cannot see the spiritual new birth that takes place in those who believe on Jesus Christ and confess His Lordship in their lives, we can see the effects of it. In other words, we cannot see the spiritual change that took place within someone, but we can both see and hear the fruit of that change. Yes, like Jesus said, we cannot physically tell where this change came from or where it is taking us (i.e. We cannot see how the Holy Spirit entered someone and our ultimate destination in heaven). Amen? Another point that can be taken from verse 3 is that, just like Nicodemus, unless you are born again, you won’t be able to understand spiritual truth. So that may be why you have not been able to get through to non-Christians when trying to share spiritual things.
 
But Jesus was specifically talking about being “born of the Spirit,” right? So, we are seeing the Holy Spirit being compared to the wind that blows where it wishes. Therefore, just as the wind blows where it wishes, the Holy Spirit blows where He wishes. In other words, this means that He does things according to how He wills to do them—dispersing His gifts and graces as He wills.
 
But the fact that the Holy Spirit is described as “wind” in the Scriptures, teaches us more than just He’s going to do what He wants to do. We can learn how He leads us in what He wills to do.
 
SETTING OUR SAIL
 
Interestingly enough, when we look at Matthew 4:1 where Jesus was being led by the Spirit to go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, the word “led” there also is used to describe “setting sail.” Yes, this word was used to describe how navigators would launch out to sea by setting sail. 
 
You see, when you are sailing you don’t just set your sails how you want to, you let the direction of the wind dictate how you arrange your sails. Likewise, we shouldn’t try and “set” everything in our life; we should let the “wind” (the Holy Spirit) dictate how we arrange everything. It is pointless to work against Him. Therefore, “the wind” can refer to “His will.”
 
Now the fact is, like it is possible to sail against the wind, it is possible for a believer to go against the Holy Spirit’s leading. And the truth is, the majority of Christians have done this more often than we have not. Like it was with Saul of Tarsus, in his zeal for what he thought was the will of God, he “kicked against the goads,” persecuting God’s church. And while that is an extreme example of going against the will of God, it shows us how we can, as Bob Seager sang, go “against the wind”—kicking against the direction the Holy Spirit is trying to take us.
 
But the truly spiritual person lets the wind of the Spirit direct them. And when we learn to let the Holy Spirit blow into our sails and take us in the direction He wills for us to go, we will always be led into victory. He is not going to lead us into darkness and defeat, but into that perfect path of triumph as Second Corinthians 2:14 teaches us. Thanks be to the Holy Spirit who always leads us in triumph!
 
But again, there is cooperation needed on our part! Our sails must be set to catch the wind and to be led into His plan and purpose for our lives. So, how do we do that? Well, let’s look at a couple of Scriptures that teach us how to “set our sails.”
 
Now the first example shows us the necessity of actually having a sail to set before we ever learn how to set it. This is found in Second Timothy 3:16-17 where the apostle Paul said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
 
The words “thoroughly equipped” in verse 17 come from a word used to describe a boat that was “completely outfitted” with all of the bells and whistles that would “totally equip” that boat for sailing to its destination. So, what are we seeing here? That it’s the Word of God—in fact, all of the Scriptures—that thoroughly equip us with the sails needed (among other things) to get to the other side. Hallelujah! Jesus said that His words were spirit and life (John 6:63). Therefore, in order to be equipped with the sails that will catch the wind of the Spirit, we need to be in the Word of God—studying to show ourselves approved and meditating on His saying both day and night.
 
Now we will come back to these verses in Second Timothy in a moment, but let’s look at another verse that teaches us how we set our sails to catch “the Holy Wind”—and it sheds light on the example we just saw of the importance of God’s Word.   
 
In Second Peter 1:20-21, the apostle Peter gives us insight into how the Scriptures were God breathed. It says, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
 
You see, these holy men wrote the things that they wrote because the Holy Spirit was “moving” them to write them. And don’t be mistaken here: This does not mean that He was directing them, dictating to them what to write. No, He was simply blowing into their sails and “inspiring” the things that they wrote.
 
THE SOFT, GENTLE BREEZE
 
You know, if you look at the Holy, Inspired Scriptures, one might wonder how this could be the infallible Word of God—because some of these writings certainly seemed like they were written by men due to the personal aspect in them. But what we need to understand is that when the Holy Spirit “moves” one to do and say something, that doesn’t mean He has taken them over. No, I can stand up before you today and be inspired by the Holy Spirit to say the things I am saying to you, but that doesn’t mean that everything I am saying is from God. The truth is—some of the things I say come through this weak and flawed vessel. For example, the Holy Spirit does not say, “y’all.” But on the other hand, He doesn’t say “thou” either. I know we have heard prophecies before that seems like God talks in the King James version, but that’s not true. But again, that doesn’t mean because we heard a prophecy laced with a bunch of old English that it wasn’t from the Lord. All that means is that God flows through these pipes and so we are capable of getting some God and some of the person in every God inspired unction. So, my point is that everything that is “Thus saith the Lord” is not all “Thus saith the Lord.” Some of it is “Thus saith them.” 
 
One of my favorite examples of this is found in the Book of Luke.
 
In Luke 1:1-4 we are told by Dr. Luke- “Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”
 
So, notice what Luke was saying here: He said in verses 1&2 that there had been many who had taken it upon themselves to write about the life and ministry of Jesus—some of them being actual eyewitnesses to the things that Jesus said and did. But in verse 3, Luke said that in spite of all that had already been recorded by others, “it seemed good” to him also to write an orderly account of Jesus’ life and ministry because he had a perfect understanding of all things from the very first. Now we know that he had this “perfect understanding” from the beginning of Jesus’ life because of how Luke’s gospel has more details of the birth of Jesus than all of the other three gospels.
 
But I want to draw your attention to those three little words he used in verse 3— “it seemed good” —because they are extremely important regarding the subject at hand.
 
Now we should know that the Gospel of Luke was inspired by God as well, down to the very last jot and tittle. So, it would be a gross understatement to say that Luke was “led by the Holy Spirit” to write this book that would be canonized as Holy Scripture, correct?
 
But this “moving” of the Spirit is subtle, like a soft breeze and a gentle nudging. In fact, looking at this example in Luke as well as all of the other books of the Bible, you would have to add to the Bible to say that these individuals knew that what they were writing was God inspired.
 
For example, one would think that if Luke were going to be chosen to write one of the four most important books that would ever be written, God might have instructed him to do so through a dream, an open vision, an audible voice, etc., but he did not! You would have to add to the Bible to say that God led Luke to write this gospel through any of these spectacular forms of guidance. In fact, there is actually no indication that Luke even knew what he was writing was going to be passed down for 2,000 years and considered part of the Holy Scriptures.
 
So, this is pretty amazing to think that God led him to write one of the most important books ever written—one of the four Gospels that have been passed down for 2,000 years declaring the truth about our Savior—simply by the fact that it just seemed like a good idea. You would think that God would either have spoken to him in an audible voice saying— “Luuuuuke, I am your Father (notice the Star Wars undertone to this😊)! Write the things which I will tell you” or maybe God would have sent an angel with the message— “Thus saith the Lord, thou art to writest a book that wilt be canonizeth as Scripture and read by billions of people!” No, God led this man to write one of the most important books ever written simply by bearing witness with his spirit which manifested itself as it just seeming like a good thing to do! That is amazing!
 
Now here is the point we should learn from this: If God led Luke to write his gospel by just simply dropping an idea in his heart, how much more will He lead us in the same way!?! Let me say it this way: If the Lord led Luke to do something of such super-significance by this unspectacular inner witness, how much more will He lead us to do things of less significance by an unspectacular inner witness!?! That’s a powerful truth, my friends! And the Spirit, a still small voice (not our emotions), will lead us as we have more of God's Word hidden in our heart, because the Spirit and the Word agree.
 
But again, this Holy Spirit “moving” that Peter described is similar to how wind will carry things. Therefore, we see the truth of “setting the sail” used again, and we can learn that if our intentions are to glorify God and to love and bless others, then we can trust that the Holy Spirit will move us into His perfect plan for us!      
 
For example, we see this same word being used in the account of Jesus’ burial, how the man we began this teaching talking about—Nicodemus—was led. In John 9:39, it says, “And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds.” Yes, the word “bringing” there is the same word that Peter used to describe how holy men were moved by the Holy Spirit to write the things they did. Now it might seem like Nicodemus is just choosing to do this, but I want you to see that just as Dr. Luke was obviously being moved by the Holy Spirit to write his gospel, Nicodemus was being moved by the Holy Spirit to honor Jesus at His burial. In both events, there were no fireworks and spectacular manifestations, but they were being moved by the Holy Spirit simply because their sails were set. Amen. 
 
THE RUSHING MIGHTY WIND
 
Interestingly enough, the word Peter used for “moved” in Second Peter 1:22 is the same word used in Acts 2:2 when the Holy Spirit is described as a rushing mighty wind. Therefore, the sound that came from heaven of a “rushing mighty wind” described a mighty wind that was “carrying or moving” something. Amen? Therefore, we can clearly see that the Holy Spirit is a mighty wind that moves and carries people or things. And we need to understand this about the Holy Spirit—that one of His primary functions is to lead, inspire, and move us in our lives.  
 
But this example in Acts 2:2 teaches us something else about the effects of wind—it can be powerful! Notice that when the Holy Spirit showed up, He was described as a rushing mighty wind.
 
The word for “mighty” is only used this one time in the Scriptures, and it describes a violent and forceful wind. Therefore, if the Holy Spirit is described as “wind,” then we can see that when He comes, “power” comes to! 
 
Jesus said in Luke 24:49, “…tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high,” speaking of the Holy Spirit. The word “endued” comes from the Greek word enduo which was a word first used in Greek literature in the story of a very ugly woman who went to a magician to see if he could help her. So, she came to him she said, “I’m very ugly. Can you help me?”, and he looked at her and agreed that she indeed was very ugly. But he told her that he could help her. So, he said, “Close your eyes and get ready to receive.” Then he proceeded to cast a spell on her and “Walla,” she was turned into a gorgeous woman.
 
Now it is very interesting to me that Jesus would use this word to describe the baptism of the Holy Ghost, but it paints an accurate picture. You first recognize that you need help, that you need something more, or that you are deficient in some way or another. Then you come to God and tell Him that you need His help and He looks at you and agrees that you indeed need His help. He proceeds to “endue” (or “clothe”) you with His Spirit and, as it says in First Samuel 10:6, “you are turned into another man”—a man or women of God clothed in the ability and power of God. Yes, with “wind” comes “power”—the power to change us and the power to change others through us. Amen!
 
This example in Acts chapter two gives us the very root meaning of the word “Spirit.” You see, the word “spirit” also can describe “breath.” So, the Spirit of God can also be called the breath of God.
 
Genesis 2:7 speaks of something God did only for man, and not even for the animals when we are told that the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and “breathed” into his nostrils the breath of life; which made man a living soul. Now it is very clear in this verse that the breath of God is referring to when the very Spirit of God was breathed into Adam which gave him his spirit! But, as we know, Adam forfeited his spiritual life when he sinned in eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Therefore, because of his offense, we all died spiritually.
 
But now, thanks to Jesus, all who are born again by the Spirit of God have life breathed back into our spirit. Therefore, what Adam lost in the Fall, Jesus regained in the Resurrection! We see this in John 20:22 when He breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” So, just as the old creation began with the breath of God, so the new creation began with the breath of God as well. This is when His disciples were born again—when Jesus breathed into them the breath of life. And as we fall in love with the Word and start to breathe it in, it will be life in us.
 
Therefore, the Holy Spirit, like a rushing wind, breathes life back into us! So, may we let the Holy Spirit do His work in our lives—leading and guiding us through the wind that blows into our sails all the way!?! Glory!

REVIEW
 
Last week, we began a new series on the Holy Spirit which we are calling, “The Types of the Holy Spirit.” And what we are doing in this series is looking at the various descriptions used of the Holy Spirit throughout God’s Word, understanding that there are many of these physical examples and analogies used in the Bible used to describe Him—such as oil, water, wind, fire, wine, etc. So, there is no shortage of illustrations that the Lord has used in the Bible to describe the Third Person of the Godhead.
 
So, last week, we began by looking at by far the most popular symbol of the Holy Spirit that we see used in the Word—the DOVE. But we learned that this does not mean (contrary to popular opinion) that the Holy Spirit is some sort of spiritual bird. No, we saw that He is not a dove, but rather this describes the personality and traits that He possesses.
 
So, we looked at the event where Jesus was baptized in the Four Gospels—and saw that He was said to either descend “like a dove” or “in bodily form like a dove.” Therefore, this describes the Holy Spirit both descending “in the manner” that a dove does and also His form “appearing to be” like a dove.
 
So, we asked the question: What is a dove like? And we saw that a dove is gentle, tender, and peaceful. So, perhaps the gospel writers described the Holy Spirit resting upon Jesus like a dove because He glided down so smoothly and so softly and landed on Him as a dove would. And our take away from this was that He’s not going to force Himself on us. He will come when we want Him and in the manner in which we invite Him to. Yes, He’s gentle and tender like a perfect gentleman. Therefore, He is not going to force Himself on us and make us do something we don’t want to do. Church, evil spirits possess people. They are the ones who make people do things they don’t want to do. Therefore, if one cannot control themselves, then it isn’t the Holy Ghost; it’s another spirit.
 
So again, the Holy Spirit must be yielded to and cooperated with. Therefore, the Holy Spirit and His gifts are subject to us as to how much we desire to let Him flow. And if you don’t believe that—then just look around you. If we believe that the Holy Spirit is just going to do whatever He wants to do in us and we are not seeing a plethora of gifts flowing in our lives, then that means He doesn’t want to move that often. But no, I can assure you, the problem is not with Him desiring to work; it is with us learning to yield to His work. Amen?
 
So, the Holy Spirit operates like a dove—gently and graciously. He leads and guides us in an unassuming way—inspiring us, yet not driving us. Another way of saying this is that is He is “harmless” just like Jesus said we are to be in Matthew 10:16— "harmless as doves.”
 
Then we looked at another type of the Holy Spirit—the most common type, mind you—in the Scriptures. We saw that He is often described in the Scriptures as OIL.
 
And we saw that in the Old Testament, various people and things were “anointed” with “oil”: Originally, it was used exclusively for the anointing of the priesthood as well as the articles of the Tabernacle and subsequent temples in Jerusalem. However, it was used later to include the anointing of kings for their role. So, the oil was used to anoint the kings, priests, and the articles of the Tabernacle. And why? We saw that it was to consecrate them and to also make them “most holy.”
 
So, we saw what this means to us today: Jesus has made use kings and priests unto our God (see Revelations 1:6). And we saw what this means—if we have been made kings and priests, then God must have anointed us too! Amen! Therefore, we are “anointed” to be His children (those born [again] to be His kings) and to serve Him (i.e. priests). Therefore, we are the ones anointed to be kings and priests in this new and better covenant (see First Peter 2:9)!
 
But it got even better: We also saw that we are now the Temple and Tabernacle of God—for He does not dwell in temples made with hands, but now dwells in the temple of our bodies. So, we learned that if we are the Temple of God today, then we must be anointed by God! Therefore, we are anointed to be indwelt by Him. Glory!
 
Yes, we learned that the common misconception that some Christians are anointed and some are not is wrong. We saw in First John 2:20 that we all have an anointing from the Holy One. It doesn’t say that we hope to be anointed or we will be anointed by Him someday. No, it says that we all—every born again, Spirit baptized believer—has an anointing from the Holy One Himself!  Therefore, when Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to…” this means that we have been anointed with the same anointing that He was anointed with! Therefore, the same Spirit that He had, we have! Amen!
 
You see, church, all throughout the Scriptures when we see someone being anointed with oil, that is symbolic of the Holy Spirit being poured out on them—either to equip and empower one for a particular office or to set free and deliver one from a particular bondage. We saw it used the latter way in James 5:14-15 where the anointing with oil is seen as a method to bringing healing and deliverance to the afflicted. This, of course, is not saying that there is inherent power in the oil itself to heal someone; rather, it is using oil as a contact point between the minister and the one receiving ministry. And since “oil” is symbolic of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of the sick with oil is a symbol showing how it is the power of the Holy Spirit to set the captive free.
 
But we also saw that being anointed was another way of saying that the Hand of the Lord is upon us! Therefore, we learned that if God’s Hand is on us, then we ought to get our hands on people! And we saw that the very last sign that Jesus said would follow those who believe in Mark 16:18 was “they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
 
Church, ministering God’s healing power to the sick is part of what we have been delegated the authority to do in Jesus’ name. It is a sign that is supposed to follow these kings and priests! And the truth is—if we have been called to do it, then we have been anointed to do it!
 
Therefore, while we want to be “harmless” as the Holy Ghost, we don’t want to be “harmless” to the kingdom of darkness. It’s the anointing that breaks the yoke (see Isaiah 10:27). And those yokes and burdens are what the evil spirits put on people; not the Holy Spirit. He is in the yoke destroying business, not the yoke building business. Therefore, let’s get on His team and start putting our hands on people—letting the anointing destroy the sickness, oppression, poverty, etc. that the enemy has bound people with. Amen.  
 
THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST
 
So, now that we’ve looked at both the Dove & the Oil—which both describe how the Holy Spirit comes upon us (i.e. descending upon & being poured out upon us)—let’s look at another type of Him that will echo this truth—water.
 
You see, just as when one is baptized in water he or she is totally immersed in the water, when someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit they are immersed in the Spirit—meaning, they are not sprinkled with a little bit of Him to where He only affects a relatively small portion of them. Like when one truly is “baptized” in water, they get soaking wet. Likewise, when one receives the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit, they get soaked in Him—meaning, it’s not just their spirit that gets sprinkled; their whole man gets wet. That means our heart is affected, our soul gets affected, and our body gets affected. We get soaking wet in the Holy Ghost! Amen!   
 
Notice how Jesus compared being baptized with water to being baptized with the Holy Spirit: In Acts 1:5 He said, “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So, what does it mean to be “baptized” with the Holy Spirit? Well, notice here that Jesus made the comparison to John baptizing with water to us being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
 
You know, even the baptism of John has been misunderstood: People today baptize incorrectly because when you look up the word “baptize,” it literally means to be “immersed or dunked” in water, not “sprinkled.” In other words, to be baptized in something means to be completely dipped or plunged into it.
 
So, if being baptized with water means to be immersed, dipped, dunked or plunged into the water itself, then it is to be understood that being baptized with the Holy Spirit also means to be immersed, dipped, dunked or plunged into the Holy Spirit Himself. Amen!
 
Saints, this is the difference between having the Holy Spirit “within” us and having the Holy Spirit “upon”: Sure, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us when we are born again and He regenerates our spirit, but there is a subsequent Promise which is what Jesus was talking about here where the Holy Spirit doesn’t just dwell in us, but He comes upon us. Amen!
 
I remember a time when I was attending Charis Bible College in Colorado Springs and a discussion came up in the breakroom about what is the difference between receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This question was being debated and then, by what I believe to be a word of wisdom, the Lord gave me the answer right then and there: You see, when one is born again, they receive the Holy Spirit to where He comes and regenerates, renews and then seals their spirits (Titus 3:5 & Ephesians 1:13). Yes, He dwells in that born-again believer’s spirit, but the hidden man of the heart is the only part of us that He affects. Amen!
 
This is where the baptism of the Holy Spirit (or, the Holy Spirit coming upon us) comes in: You see, while it is certainly important for the Holy Spirit to affect the spirit of man and perform that first work of grace in our lives, what about the other parts of man? What about the body and the soul?
 
You see, the question that was getting raised in that CBC breakroom that day was— “Did we not get all of the Holy Ghost when He came to live in our hearts at our salvation experience?” Well, sure, we didn’t just receive a part of the Holy Spirit when we were born again and another part of Him when we were baptized in Him. No, we received all of Him when we were born again but He did not receive all of us.
 
Let me substantiate this statement, further by us considering the different terminologies that are used to describe this second work of grace:

1. FILLED: There are several Scriptures that reference being “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Well, if a cup is “filled” with water that means that it is not just one-third full or two-thirds full; No, for a cup to be full means that the entire cup is affected by the drink, not just a portion of it. Therefore, to be “filled” with the Spirit means that the whole man is filled; not just the spirit, but the soul & body too.
2. BAPTIZED: As I alluded to earlier, to be baptized with the Spirit means to be immersed, plunged and dipped in the Spirit, not just sprinkled. So, in other words, when we are baptized in the Spirit, it is not just my head, hands, legs etc. that gets wet; all of me gets wet when I am submerged in water. Likewise, to be baptized in the Spirit is to have every part of you—spirit, soul and body—experiencing the life-giving water of the Spirit!
3. UPON: As we’ve made the point of, the Spirit’s baptism is referred to as the Spirit coming upon us as well. So, what we see in this is that the Spirit literally comes upon our outward man, to affect our senses, to empower us to live the things that our spirits have already been touched by. Amen! 

 
Therefore, from these terms we see how the Holy Spirit is supposed to be poured out “upon” us to where we are completely “immersed” with Him and totally “filled” by Him. Amen!  But my point is that just the phrase “baptism in the Holy Spirit” shows us that the Holy Spirit is likened to water. Now there are other benefits to water rather than just the symbolism of us being washed in Him that is being used in the water baptism. Let’s look at some other Scriptural examples of this to see other benefits of the Holy Spirit in our lives. …
 
WELLS & RIVERS
 
Now it is clear the role that the Holy Spirit plays in our salvation. Yes, we are told in Titus 3:5 that we were saved, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Amen. So, both the washing and regeneration (i.e. new birth) that transpired in our salvation were done by the Holy Spirit according to this passage. In fact, Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:14— “…But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” So, say this with me: “The water that Jesus has given me has become in me a fountain of water that springs up into everlasting life!” Amen! Now it is clear that fountain of water is the gift of salvation. We see this echoed in Isaiah 11:3 when the prophet said, “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Church, this is the fountain of water that springs up into everlasting life—the well of salvation. But it is also to be understood that the Holy Spirit is the one who put that well of salvation on the inside of us in the first place. Yes, that water had to originate from another body of water. And that originating body of water is the Holy Ghost.  
 
This is why Jesus said what He did in the seventh chapter of the Gospel of John: He said in John 7:37-39, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
 
Now the timing of Jesus’ statements here is significant—for it was on the last day, the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles. But that is a lesson for another day. The point is that Jesus cried out that He who is thirsty could come to Him and drink—which He went on to say that this is simply believing in Him which would result in rivers of living water flowing out of our hearts. Therefore, we see again the association made between our salvation and water. But notice what John goes on to tell us in verse 39— “But this He spoke concerning the Spirit whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Ohhh, so now we are seeing that the Holy Spirit is who Jesus was really speaking of here! Therefore, the Holy Spirit was prophesied to be those rivers of living water that would flow out of our hearts.
 
So, this goes back to my point regarding the difference between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation. When one is saved—being washed and regenerated by the Holy Spirit—a well or fountain was placed within us. But although wells and springs contain and produce water, they are not rivers of living water. That’s what the Holy Spirit produces—rivers, not wells or fountains! Yes, His presence in our lives is like the difference between having a well in us and having rivers of living water in us! Glory!
 
ARE YOU THIRSTY?
 
Now I want you to notice that Jesus equates “water” in both John 4:14 & 7:38 to “life” (i.e. springing up into everlasting life & rivers of living water). What this teaches us is that the Holy Spirit is our life and as we learn to daily “drink” from Him, we experience and walk in “the God kind of Life.” You see, just as “water” is absolutely essential to physical life, the Holy Spirit is likewise a necessity for spiritual life.
 
First Corinthians 12:13 says that we, “…have been made to drink into one Spirit.” The Greek word used that is translated “drink” not only describes an individual drinking water; it also describes a piece of land that has been irrigated. The Holy Spirit will refresh us as rain refreshes a desert, giving us irrigation when we feel dry.
 
This is what I believe God promised us in Isaiah 44:3 when He said, “For I will pour water on Him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants.” You see, “water” refers to “refreshment” and “the source of life,” right? Therefore, just as “water” is needed to live; so is the Spirit. Just as “water” is used for refreshment; so is the Spirit.
 
So, I ask you today: Are you thirsty? No, not physically, but spiritually, emotionally, etc. Are you truly satisfied and content in your heart? If not, your problem might be that you need to drink of the Spirit. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve never drank of Him before, just that you need to be washed in Him again. Like water, we have to continuously drink in order to stay hydrated. And like the Holy Spirit is who washes and refreshes us, He is also who we drink and derive our life from.
 
WATER TO WINE
 
Now speaking of drinking, that leads me to the next type of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures—Wine. Yes, like we see in Jesus’ first miracle, we are going to also turn the water into wine right now!
 
So, let’s look at a couple of examples in the Bible where the Holy Spirit is compared to “wine”:
 
First of all, on the day of Pentecost, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost in that upper room, we see that while the majority were amazed and perplexed by what they were hearing (i.e. the disciples speaking in other tongues and declaring, in their own tongues, the wonderful works of God), there were others mocking who thought that they were drunk with wine (Acts 2:13). But then we see Peter correcting them saying, “For these are not drunk, as you suppose…” (2:15). Notice this phrase— “as you suppose.” So, they were drunk alright, just not like those people thought!
 
You see, most people “suppose” that the reason this group of people thought they were drunk was just by the tongues they were hearing, but when you hear people praying in tongues have you ever mistaken that with someone being intoxicated? I haven’t. So, what this shows me is that the effects of the infilling of the Holy Spirit can easily be mistaken for the effects of being filled with alcohol.
 
Of course, the Holy Spirit does not come to make us senseless and silly; He makes us sharp and bold. Many have abused those verses in Acts to defend bizarre and ungodly behavior. I believe in the joy and power of the Holy Spirit, but much of what we have seen on display is just the flesh. So, what was it that made the onlookers assume that the believers were drunk? It’s because they were acting under a new influence. They were behaving abnormally. They were speaking and moving in a way that was different. No, they weren’t belligerent, but they were bold! They weren’t incapacitated, but they were joyful.
 
The Holy Spirit is compared with wine, not because He brings foolishness and chaos, but because He brings boldness and joy. Just as people receive wine in celebration, so are we to receive the Holy Spirit with gladness. His presence, like wine, marks the occasion. Wine represents the joy, prosperity, and boldness brought about by the Holy Spirit.
 
Which leads me to my next point:
 
 
 
FILLED WITH WINE OR FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT?
 
Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.” Notice that the apostle Paul here compares being drunk with wine as being filled with the Spirit. One expositor states that the word “drunk” means “to be filled.” So what Paul was literally saying was “don’t be filled with wine, but be filled with the Spirit.”
 
But notice that Paul makes the point of saying that being drunk with alcohol leads to “dissipation.” The word “dissipation” comes from the Greek word “sozo” which is the word translated “salvation.” But this word “sozo” has the alpha negative “a” before it which gives the word “sozo” the exact opposite meaning that it has on its own. It literally describes the opposite of that which has a saving quality about it. Therefore, it rather has a destructive quality. So, Paul was describing how living a drunkin’ lifestyle just leads to destruction and bondage, but how having a Spirit-Filled lifestyle has the opposite effect. It leads to freedom and wholeness!
 
Why do people like to get drunk anyways? It is because it frees them from their inhibitions. Yes, they become free to do the things they normally wouldn’t do. Another reason is because it makes them joyful and fun to be around. Likewise, full of the Holy Spirit, we become free to be ourselves and become joyful and fun to be around.
 
You know, Jesus must have been fun to be around if the kid’s all liked Him, right? Children aren’t drawn to sour-pusses, I can assure you. Speaking of Jesus, Hebrews 1:9 says, “Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your companions” The Holy Spirit is called the “oil of gladness” because that is what is produced in a believer who is full of the Holy Ghost—JOY! Joy unspeakable and full of glory!
 
You see, the believer does not need wine to experience joy. Wine can only give unfulfilling counterfeits of what the Holy Spirit offers. The Holy Spirit is the wine of Heaven—and the good news is that He is free and He doesn’t give you a hang-over either! So, in essence, Paul is saying, “Hey guys. Don’t get drunk on wine because that just leads to bondage. But instead, be filled up with the Spirit and experience the new wine!” In other words, one doesn’t need alcohol in order to have a good time and enjoy life; learning to drink of and being filled with the Holy Spirit can give one what they felt like only alcohol could give them. Amen.
 
Now someone might say, “Well, I am Spirit-filled but I am not experiencing all of those effects of the Holy Spirit!” Well, there is a difference between having been filled with the Spirit and currently being full of the Spirit!
 
You see, in this verse, when the Apostle Paul says, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,” he is talking to a church of people who had already received what we call the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We see this in Acts chapter 19, when the apostle Paul came to Ephesus and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed and they were subsequently all filled with the Holy Spirit (see Acts 19:1-6). Therefore, this church was already introduced to the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
 
So, why does He tell them here to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What we need to understand is that there is one initial infilling of the Holy Spirit, but there are many subsequent refilling’s: You see, the phrase “but be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18 literally means in the original Greek “be being filled” or “be continuously filled.” Therefore, this is an instruction to stay full of the Spirit of God.
 
Yes, there are numerous instances throughout the Book of Acts that state that a believer was filled with the Holy Spirit even after they had been initially baptized in the Holy Spirit. So again, there is evidently one initial infilling of the Holy Spirit but many subsequent refilling’s. But we have to choose to keep being filled. We have to remember; we are experiencing as much of God as we really want. If we want more, we will press in more. God is looking for people who are seeking Him with all their hearts to move mightily on His behalf.
 
STAYING FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
 
So, a good question then is: How do we stay full of the Holy Spirit? Well, let’s look at the next verse and find out how:
 
Ephesians 5:19 says, “speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” A major key to staying full of the Spirit is the words that come out of our mouth. In other words, just as our mouth is the primary way one fills their belly with wine, our mouth is the primary way one stays full of the Spirit. Paul said here that we are continuously filled with the Spirit when we let “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” come out of our mouth. So, what are “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs?”
 
“Psalms” suggests what we would call “scriptural music.” In almost every usage of the Greek word “psalmos” the Psalms of the Old Testament are what is being referred to. So, singing “psalms” would be singing the Psalms of the Old Testament obviously, but it could also include singing other portions of Scripture. The term “hymns” literally describe “festive songs” or “songs of praise specifically addressed towards God.” A hymn differs from a psalm in that while a psalm is generally scripturally-based, a hymn is a song that comes of human origin. Some examples of “hymns” could be “I Sing Praises to Your Name”, “Holy, Holy, Holy”, or “the Doxology.” Then Paul said that the third and final songs that we should sing are “spiritual songs.” The word “spiritual” literally means “non-carnal.” So “spiritual songs” are “songs that are not of human origin”—that is, songs that are given by inspiration of the Spirit. This would include singing in tongues or simply just singing a song in our own understanding that the Holy Spirit puts in our hearts and that did not originate from man.
 
Someone might say, “But it is not always convenient to sing. What do you do in those times?” That Is why Paul’s next phrase in Ephesians 5:19 is “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” In those times where it is not appropriate to sing aloud, we can make melody in our heart to the Lord. We can always maintain that inner communion with Him. God is a spirit so we can worship Him (or, fellowship with Him) in spirit (i.e. not naturally). So, when we cannot let it come out of our mouth, we need to let it continue in our heart.
 
Actually, this singing and making melody in our heart is always important to do. Sometimes we can just let songs come out of our mouth without our hearts being behind the words. If all we do is just sing psalms and hymns without our hearts truly being involved it will do absolutely nothing to keep us full of the Spirit. That is why Paul went on to say “singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This means that the songs that come out of our mouth should be aimed at the Lord. That is, that we are not just singing but that we are actually singing to the Lord—making Him the object of all the words that proceed from our mouth. This is getting our heart involved in our psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.
 
Paul goes on to say in Ephesians 5:20— “giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Along with letting the praises of God come out of our mouth we need to let thanksgiving flow from our lips as well.
 
Psalm 69:30 says, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.” The first phrase in this verse is a description of Ephesians 5:19 and the second is a description of verse 20. This Scripture shows us how we magnify the Lord. It is through giving thanks to Him! And although this is not the intended meaning of David, when we thank God always for all things, we will magnify God on the inside of us! In other words, we will have more of the Holy Spirit filling our bodies.
 
Notice that Paul said, “giving thanks always for all things.” We are to give thanks all the time and for everything! Someone might say, “How can we be thankful all the time and for everything?” Well, for example, if your car breaks down you can still thank God that He gave you a car to drive before it broke down and that He will provide for you to drive it again in the future. You can always find something to be thankful for in everything. You can always find something positive to thank God for in every situation. And keeping this kind of positive and grateful outlook is a major key to staying full of the Spirit of God! Here is a good place to mention complaining. The opposite of praising and being thankful is complaining - this is how we quench the Holy Spirit. So avoid complaining at all costs.
 
Finally, Paul says in Ephesians 5:21 that we are to stay full of the Spirit, “submitting to one another in the fear of God.” Someone might say, “What does submitting to other believers have to do with being filled with the Holy Spirit?” Well, when you are submitting, you are serving, and when you are serving, you are giving out. And this is how one stays filled up with God—by giving out to others. Amen.
 
But the main point I am making is the importance of praise, worship, and thanksgiving coming out of our mouths regarding maintaining a Spirit-Filled life. Amen. This is how we drink in the Spirit, when His praises come out of our mouth. And just like we need to bathe regularly so that we won’t stink in the natural, we need to be "bathed" in the Holy Spirit continually so that we won't stink spiritually.
 
NEW WINE
 
Now do you remember how those mockers in Acts 2:13 said, “They are full of new wine”? They don’t know how true that statement really was—because yes, the disciples were indeed full of new wine! “Full” in respect to them being full of the Holy Spirit, and full of “new wine” in respect to them being filled up with the One Who had just been given to us—the newly arrived Holy Spirit, who is typified as wine.    
 
Now do you recall when Jesus said in Mark 2:21-22, “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”?
 
The “new wine” referred to here can describe our salvation or the Holy Spirit Himself. I choose to believe that it describes the Holy Spirit because of these other comparisons in the Scriptures to the Holy Spirit being like wine. The salvation experience, in my opinion, is when the old wineskins are replaced with new wineskins. Once the new birth occurs, we have the capacity to house the new wine!
 
So, it starts with being born again—drinking of the waters of salvation—becoming renewed wineskins. And then we are capable of receiving the new wine of the Holy Ghost. But then we must continually be filled with this new wine—staying full of Him to where it is not just us having the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit having us. This yields the joy, the happiness and the abundant life—the Spirit filled life! Lord, fill our cups to overflowing today! Amen!