When does the Holy Spirit enter the life of a believer?
This is an important question. While ideas differ on this subject, I believe the answer is quite clear from the Scriptures. Let’s look at the work of the Spirit in a few of the aspects given in the Word.
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT – The Lord Jesus, before His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to Heaven told His disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit and His importance. We read the Lord’s words in John 16:7-8, “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.” Part of the work of the Spirit in the world is to convict men of their sins, to understand God’s righteousness and judgment. Before one comes to believe in Christ, the Spirit is already working in his heart to put his faith in Christ. We know this Comforter is the Holy Spirit because of what we read in 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.” Here, we also learn that the work of the Spirit is to lead believers to understand the truth of the Word of God. We read in John 16:13, “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.”
THE INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT – When exactly does the Spirit indwell the believer? At the moment of salvation!
- Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
- 1 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.”
- Romans 8:9, “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.”
These verses make it plain that the moment one accepts Christ as his savior, he immediately is sealed with the Spirit, and is baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit. In fact, if one does not have the Spirit dwelling inside him, it’s because he is not a believer…is not one of Christ’s.
THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT – Ephesians 5:18 tells us, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” This shows us that as believers on the Lord Jesus, we should BE FILLED with the Spirit. We see here that we are instructed to be filled. When first saved, we were automatically INDWELT with the Spirit, but it is up to us to be FILLED with the Spirit. How do we become filled with the Spirit? If we give ourselves over to alcohol, we become drunk, and the alcohol controls us. In contrast, if we give ourselves over to the Spirit, we will be led of the Spirit, and He will control us. When we totally give ourselves over to the Spirit, he will effectively lead us into all truth through the Word of God, He will direct our steps, and He will allow us to resist the temptations of the flesh, as we read in Galatians 5:16, “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
I would like to make one more comment about the believer being indwelt and sealed with the Holy Spirit. Once the Spirit indwells us, He will stay with us until the day we are taken home to Glory. We read in Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.” This redemption is in reference to the redemption of our bodies when we leave the earth. Romans 8:23 says, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODY.” (CC) (634.6)