Conclusion
We have studied about the veracity of various teachings often associated with the Holy Spirit, and the Receiving of the Holy Spirit. As seen in the exposition above, these commonly associated teachings with the Receiving of the Holy Spirit have no Biblical basis and are wrong. From the Word of God, the Bible we learn certain things that are necessary to always keep in mind, so as to have a clear and Biblical concept about the Holy Spirit of God.
The Holy Spirit is God, is a person of the Holy Trinity. He has an extremely important role in the life – spiritual and physical, of every Christian Believer, a role that cannot be discounted, ignored or brushed aside as irrelevant. In the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, He is our God given Helper who dwells in us and abides with us always (John 14:16, 17), and teaches us all things, reminds us of all things (John 14:26). So critically important, so beneficial is the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian Believer that the Lord Jesus Himself sent Him and stepped aside, for Him to take charge of His disciples (John 16:7), so that He could guide them in all truth and tell of the things to come (John 16:13).
Without the guidance and teaching of the Holy Spirit, no one can learn the Word of God in its truth and effective applicability (1 Corinthians 2:9-15). So anybody seriously desirous of studying and learning God’s Word, ought to make sure that the Holy Spirit is present with him to help and guide him, else he will never learn the truth, and will keep fumbling around in works of human thought and wisdom, and never actually coming to the truth (2 Timothy 3:7).
We have seen in detail how treacherous and dangerous the implications of all the unBiblical teachings given in the garb of glorifying the Holy Spirit are. In studying God’s Word, and to draw correct conclusions, it is imperative that we study every part of every verse, and every passage, in its proper context and along with the related teachings in God’s Word to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpreting God’s Word, since all parts of God’s Word only supplement each other, never contradict each other. So anything that does not smoothly fit into the context or with the other related teachings, is something extraneous to God’s Word, and should not be accepted. Whereas the wrong teachings and false doctrines are built around taking verse or its part, or a passage out of its context and interpreting it without paying attention to other related teachings in the Bible, to make it appear as saying a particular thing.
Satan very well knows the importance of the Holy Spirit working in and for a Christian Believer, and how detrimental for his interests this working of the Holy Spirit through a Christian Believer is. Since Satan cannot wish away the Holy Spirit from Believer’s life, he attempts to beguile and lead people away from being obedient and submissive to this God given source of power and ability. Satan well knows that like he did with Eve, he can exploit our gullibility for seemingly beneficial, attractive and extra-ordinary things (Genesis 3:6), and thereby lead us astray from God’s Word, through his manipulations and misinterpretations of God’s Word. Therefore for understanding the role and necessity of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian Believer, and to stay safe from being misguided into wrong teachings and doctrine about Him, it is very important that we well understand and firmly plant our feet on some basic truths. Any teaching or doctrine that does not readily and conveniently fit into these basic Biblical facts, anything that has to be manipulated to try and make it fit these facts is a wrong teaching, is contrived, and ought to be rejected.
These basic facts are:
1. The Holy Spirit is God: He is not under the control of man; cannot be made to function under the control or whims and fancies of man; and, cannot be pushed or moved around as per desires and expectations of man. In our relationship with God, it is always God that lays the rules and it is always we humans who follow the rules and obey God. Anything that tends to reverse or even disregard this rule cannot be from God. So any teaching wherein there is even the hint of a suggestion that the Holy Spirit can be coerced, manipulated, or made to do something that is not in accordance with God’s Word through the efforts of man, is a wrong teaching, unacceptable, and not to be entertained at all.
2. The Holy Spirit is a person, a part of the Holy Trinity: The Holy Spirit is not an object that can be broken in pieces, made more or made less, or expanded or contracted, or given out or received in parts and instalments. Just as none of these things can be done with you and me, since we are persons, similarly they cannot be done with Him. Wherever His presence is, it is in His entirety not in parts or segments.
3. The Holy Spirit does not take any glory for Himself, but directs all the glory to Christ: The role of the Holy Spirit is to testify for the Lord Jesus (John 15:26), to take the things of Lord and declare them to us (John 16:15), to teach us and to bring to our remembrance the things the Lord Jesus has said (John 14:26). So those who go around speaking of having received visions and prophecies extraneous to the Bible, through the Holy Spirit beware – they are on very treacherous grounds. People should realize and accept that, like the Lord Jesus (John 8:26; 12:49), the Holy Spirit never ever speaks on His own authority, but only that which He hears (John 16:13). And what He speaks is always to glorify the Lord Jesus, and never Himself (John 16:14). So any concept, belief, or practice that tends to glorify the Holy Spirit instead of the Lord Jesus, cannot be from the Holy Spirit, cannot be from God; since God will never contradict Himself and His Word.
4. As we have seen throughout this write-up, the truly Born Again Christian Believers are temples of the Holy Spirit, and not leak-able or leaking tanks through whom the Holy Spirit can leak out over a period of time, or under certain circumstances. The Holy Spirit is given to every truly Born Again Christian Believer at the very moment of their coming into faith in the Lord Jesus, and He abides in him, dwells in him, and will continue to do so till their last breath on earth. So any talk of receiving Him through some means, after having come into faith, or of incrementing the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, through any alleged “baptism” or “filling” is a misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misapplication of Biblical truth – it just cannot happen! All a truly Born Again Christian Believer needs to do to manifest His presence in them in a better and more prominent manner is to remain submissive and obedient to Him; the more He is allowed to guide and control them, the more useful they will be for the Lord, and the more will He manifest His power through them.
Concluded
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