Felix Aviles

The Holy Spirit in the life of the believer
By: Felix Aviles (R) 2025

Knowing the person of the Holy Spirit and experiencing Him working in our Christian walk is of utmost importance. Jesus Himself said: “ It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (speaking of the Holy Spirit) will not come to you” (John 16:7). By the same token, the apostle Paul said: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).

Despite the importance the authors of the New Testament give to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there is a great deal of lack of knowledge together with confusion and different opinions regarding this. Through the years I have had conversations with many people, and I have heard first hand the wide range of reactions, ranging from apathy (on one hand) to extreme positions (both positive and negative), none of which are biblical. For that reason I have decided to present what the Bible says (as well as what it does NOT say), and let the Bible speak by itself outside of any personal opinion.

1. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament

Even though the Holy Spirit is most active in the New Testament, the Third Person of the Trinity was active in the Old Testament as well. He was present at Creation (Genesis 1:2). King David knew that the Holy Spirit is present everywhere (Psalm 139:7-12). And throughout the rest of the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit dwelt with the people of Israel, pouring out His power over prophets and kings (1 Samuel 10:9-13). However, this experience was not manifested in the entire nation; in more than one instance, prophets rebuked Israel for being a “rebellious and stiff-necked people” (Isaiah 65:2; Exodus 32:9). Nonetheless, it was God’s desire to pour out His Spirit not just upon a few but every believer (Joel 2:28-29; John 14:17; Acts 2:39).

2. The Holy Spirit before the new birth

The Holy Spirit does not dwell in a person who has not received Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14). However, this does not stop Him from working in us before we are born again. As a matter of fact, Jesus said the Comforter would convict “the world of sin” (John 16:8). This leads us to believe that, even from the outside, the Holy Spirit is the One who produces in us conviction and the desire to look after Christ until we finally surrender to Him.



3. The Holy Spirit in the new birth

Once we receive Christ in our hearts, the Holy Spirit begins a marvelous work in us. He makes us be born again (John 3:5) and seals us, that is, identities us as belonging to God (Ephesians 1:13). He also gives us testimony that we are children of God (Romans 8:16).

4. The Holy Spirit in our daily walk

As if this was not enough, the Holy Spirit does not stop working at conversion – that is just the beginning. Throughout our Christian walk, the Holy Spirit teaches us (John 14:26), comforts us (John 14:16), helps us in our prayers (Romans 8:26-27; Ephesians 6:18), sanctifies us (John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 6:11) and guides us to Jesus (“He will guide you into all truth” - John 16:13; Jesus said: “I am the truth” - John 14:6).

5. The fruit of the Holy Spirit

A plant that is sown in good soil germinates and grows and eventually will produce fruit - this is the moment every farmer longs for. In that same way, the measurement of our spiritual growth is the presence of fruit in our lives.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

The fruit on a tree serves at least three distinct purposes:

- Identifies the tree.

An apple tree produces apples. A fig tree produces figs. It is in their nature - you don’t have to force it; it occurs naturally and spontaneously. The opposite will never happen: an apple tree cannot produce figs, nor the fig tree produce apples – it is not in their nature. That’s why Jesus said: “you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:20).

- Fruit is nutritious and helps us grow.

The experience of the Holy Spirit produces in the inner being of a believer so many good things, giving rise to a fruit that is good for food, so that people who come near can eat from it. Speaking in similar terms, Jesus said: “He who believes in Me … out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38-39). Notice that the experience of the Holy Spirit is not to be felt “in the interior”, but it comes “out of” the heart, meaning that the rivers that flow from the believer can calm the thirst of those who come close by.

- Fruit is the tree’s way of reproducing itself

The seed inside a fruit can be sown, and with time it will produce another plant of the same species, which in turn will produce even more fruit.

Notice that the passage from Galatians speaks of “fruit” (singular), NOT “fruits” (plural). Look at it this way: an apple tree can produce many apples, but all are identical in nature. In that same way, the Holy Spirit produces in us a fruit that manifests the very nature of God.

A Christian who is grown and mature in his faith will manifest it in his fruit - the measurement of spiritual growth and holiness are known not by what he says but for what you see. Such a person is a blessing wherever he goes and produces other Christians in his likeness. On the other hand, a fruitless Christian is immature and lacks growth. He does not know who he is, does not feed or bless anyone, and those who follow his example are as rickety as him.

6. The baptism in the Holy Spirit

This topic, and the one that follows, are a cause of confusion and disagreement among Christians of various backgrounds. To try to avoid that, I will follow what the Bible says in a chronological way, and leave the reader to come to his own conclusions.

The first person to mention the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” was John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11 and others), when he said: “I indeed baptize you with water … but He who is coming after me … will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. Two conclusions can be drawn from this statement:
- John made a distinction between his ministry and Christ’s.
- He also made a distinction between “baptism in water” (unto repentance, performed by John) and the “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (to be performed by Jesus).

It is then understood that John was talking about two different and separate experiences. At the same time, both experiences are called “baptism”. This word literally means “to submerge”. Thus, “baptism in water” is an experience where the believer is submerged in water; in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, the believer is “submerged” in the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was present during Christ 's ministry (Luke 4:14); however, the disciples had not received Him (John 7:39). When Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit (John, chapters 14 thru 16), the references to the Comforter are in future tense.

The first time the Bible mentions that the disciples received the Holy Spirit appears in John 20:22, after the resurrection of Christ. This is something that was given by Jesus at His will; the disciples did not do anything to receive it. We could call this an “impartation”. However, in other passages, the Lord speaks of the experience with the Holy Spirit as something we must ask for (Luke 11:13) or wait for (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Acts 1:14, Acts 2:1). Moreover, the expression “filled with the Holy Spirit” is used only after Acts 2:4 – we can then conclude that, even though the apostles received the Holy Spirit in John 20:22, they were not “filled” then. If the Holy Spirit is “given” or “imparted”, why did Jesus command to “ask” for it?

This suggests there are two experiences with the Holy Spirit. The first one is receiving the Holy Spirit at conversion. The second one is the baptism with the Holy Spirit, where the believer is filled (Acts 2:4) and receives power to be witnesses of the gospel (Acts 1:8; 4:29-33).

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is an experience for every believer (Acts 2:17-18), apart from conversion and normally happens after it (Acts 2:38).

A supernatural event happened on that Day of Pentecost when the disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit - they “began to speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4). The disciples had not learned these tongues or languages before (Acts 2:6-11); they spoke “as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). The languages were understood by the pilgrims that were in Jerusalem for the Feast.

The phenomenon of “speaking in tongues” happened again in Acts 10:44-46 and Acts 19:6. In these instances, however, there is no mention that the tongues were understood by those who heard them; but as they spoke, people around them knew they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-18 tells the experience in Samaria with the Holy Spirit. Even though “speaking in tongues” is not explicitly mentioned, there are details in the story that point in that direction. It is told that Simon “saw” that people received the Holy Spirit. How did Simon “see” that”? The only possibility is that there was a physical evidence. It is true that being “filled with the Holy Spirit” is an internal experience that cannot be “seen”, speaking in tongues is something supernatural (that is, does not come from human nature) that can be “seen”.

The apostle Paul elaborates on the public use of tongues in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 – I’ll get to that later. However, in addition to being the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Paul taught other benefits of speaking tongues in private that many people may not be aware of.

- “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4). When we speak in tongues, we speak to God (1 Corinthians 14:2 and 14), and this brings blessing, self-edification and spiritual growth.
- “The Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). When we pray in tongues, we let the Holy Spirit intercede for us in ways that we could not in our own understanding (“for we do not know what we should pray as we ought”).

7. The gifts of the Holy Spirit

“For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues” (1 Corinthians 12:8-10).

These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11) for the edification of the church. Through these gifts God uses us, and not the other way around.

Contrary to the opinion of some, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are NOT a measurement of spiritual maturity. Nowhere it is mentioned in the Bible that whoever has one of these gifts is “more spiritual”, “more mature”, “holier” or even “more saved” than someone who doesn’t. It is a gift, given by the Holy Spirit’s exclusive will, without us doing anything to deserve them. At the same time, there is no excuse to despise them; Paul commands us not to ignore them (1 Corinthians 12:1) and to ask for them (1 Corinthians 14:1, 13).

Let us now look at each gift individually:

- word of wisdom: Wisdom is more than knowledge; it is knowing how to apply knowledge to solve a situation. This type of wisdom is not human; it is supernatural. To a certain degree, the best example of someone who manifested this gift was King Solomon (1 Kings 3:16-28).

- word of knowledge: This gift does not come from a natural source. It is something that could not be known but through a direct revelation from God. The Old Testament mentions two scientific facts in times when the technology to prove them did not exist (Job 26:7; Isaiah 40:22). In Matthew 16:17, when Peter told Jesus that He was the Messiah, Jesus replied saying that this knowledge did not come by natural means.

- faith: Every believer has a certain measure of faith (Romans 12:3; Hebrews 11:6). However, faith as a gift of the Holy Spirit is different, and it seems to be an extraordinary measure of faith given to the church in special circumstances.

- healings: Miracles that result in healing of the body.

- miracles: Events that defy the laws of nature.

- prophecy: In the Old Testament, prophets brought a direct message from God to the entire nation, or to an individual for a particular reason. In the New Testament, prophecy is to be given for “edification, exhortation and comfort” (1 Corinthians 14:3; it could also respond to a specific need (of an individual or the church) in a particular situation. In some cases, prophecy includes predicting the future, though it does not always have to.

- discerning of spirits: Ability to know when a situation, supernatural manifestation or word comes from God or not (1 John 4:1).

- different kinds of tongues: In the previous point we dealt with tongues in connection to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In the context of this chapter, as a “gift”, it refers to the use of tongues in public to bring a message from God in a language not learned by the person who speaks. In this sense, it is connected to the gift of interpretation. The use of both gifts together edifies the church (1 Corinthians 14:26).

- interpretation of tongues: It is the ability to “translate” a message given in tongues into a language the listener can understand. It is possible that the person with this gift can understand the message in tongues, or that he/she receives the message in his/her native language directly from God. When these two gifts (tongues and interpretation) work together, it equals the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:4-5).

It is noteworthy that right in between 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 14, Paul dedicated a whole chapter (13) to speaking about love. Some have taken the erroneous position that, if you show love, then the gifts are not needed; this is far from Paul’s intention. What the apostle teaches is that love must be the foundation, the platform, the reason and the medium through which we exercise the gifts so that the body of Crist can be edified (Ephesians 4:16).

As I mentioned at the beginning of this discussion, the Bible commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The experience with the Holy Spirit should not cause any fear, on the contrary: we should seek it with enthusiasm, knowing that God wants us to know Him more, that everything God has for us is four our edification and growth, that God wants us to prepare us to face life’s troubles, and that He wants to equip us for His ministry, so that we can serve Him as He wants.

Here are some answers to common questions about the experience with the Holy Spirit:

- Can we be saved without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes. The only requirement for salvation is to be “born again” (John 3:3) when we receive Jesus (John 1:12).

- Do we have the Holy Spirit without the baptism?

Yes.

- Can we live a Christian life without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes.

- Can we be transformed and produce fruit without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes.

- Can God use us without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes.

- Can we operate in the gifts without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes. Remember the apostles healed the sick and cast out demons without the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

- Can we be "filled with the Holy Spirit" without receiving the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”?

No. In the book of Acts, being "filled" and receiving the “baptism of the Holy Spirit" is the same thing.

- Can we say we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues?

Nobody can judge who has the baptism of the Holy Spirit and who doesn’t. However, in the book of Acts, whenever it is said that the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, other people heard them speaking in tongues.

- Can we be used by God with power without the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

No. That is the very reason for the baptism of the Holy Spirit: to give us power. Before the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were given the authority to perform miracles, but they lacked power. That is why they fled when Jesus was arrested, and even Peter denied knowing Him. But after receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, they spoke with such boldness that the priests and the Jewish rulers were left speechless since they knew the disciples were common people with no education (Acts 4:13). They did not fear persecution; as a matter of fact, they endured it with joy, even to the point of giving their lives.

- Do we need to ask and seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Yes. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was Jesus’ idea. He encouraged us to ask for it. He commanded the apostles not to leave Jerusalem until they received it. Jesus said that the Father wants to give us the Holy Spirit. Why should we resist, or not be interested in receiving, something that God wants to give us?

- There are some who quote 1 Corinthians 12:30 ("Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?") as their basis to teach that tongues are not required to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Is this what Paul taught?

No. The reader is encouraged to review the verses from the book of Acts that state that whenever people were “filled with the Holy Spirit”, they spoke “in other tongues”.

The context of this verse is the place of ministries and gifts during worship. Chapter 12 speaks of the spiritual gifts (verses 8-11), among which you find "different kinds of tongues" (verse 10), which are different from the tongues that come with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This chapter elaborates on how the body works, and how each member has a different function (verses 12-30). In that sense, not everyone is an apostle or a teacher (verse 29); by the same token, not everybody is to operate in the gifts at the same time. Paul goes further in explaining order within the church in chapter 14.

- Did Paul prohibit the use of tongues in public?

No. Paul never spoke against speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:5, 39). What Paul said was that if they are to be spoken in public (during worship), they must be done in order.

- Most Christians would agree that the Holy Spirit is still active in present times. However, some teach that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit mentioned in the New Testament ceased with the Book of Revelation and the death of the last of the apostles (John); they base their belief on 1 Corinthians 13:8 (“whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away”). Is this true?

No. Revelation is the last book of the New Testament because it speaks about events of the end times. However, it was not the last book to be written. After its completion, John wrote the gospel that bears his name as well as his three letters.

Those who quote the verse from 1 Corinthians 13 also use verses 9 and 10 to justify their line of thought (“For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”). According to this teaching, “that which is perfect” refers to the closing of the Bible canon with Revelation. However, this is just a speculation that does not have the support of most Bible scholars. Others see “that which is perfect” as the Second Coming of Jesus, when we will be glorified with Him - this interpretation has a lot more of a Biblical sense.

From a historical perspective, there was a “pause” of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. For thousands of years nobody talked about the baptism of the Holy Spirit or the gifts. It is easy to understand that up until the end of the 19th century, Christians would think that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit had ceased. But since the beginning of the 20th century, we now live in a different reality.

When we look at Bible prophecy regarding the end of times, some have been fulfilled. There are others that are being fulfilled, whereas others are waiting for their fulfillment. Prior to 1948, it was impossible for Bible theologians to believe that the prophecy of Isaiah 51:11-12 would come to pass, and the Jews would return to their homeland. But then May 14, 1948, happened. If God decided to bring the children of Israel to the Promised Land almost two thousand years after Jesus’ time, who are we to question God’s sovereignty to pour out His Spirit just like He did in the 1st century?

As a conclusion, I want to leave you with a prayer from a cherished Christian hymn in Spanish: “Submerge me in the river of your Spirit…” (“Sumérgeme en el río de tu Espíritu…”)