The Symbols of the Holy Spirit

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Recommended: Explain the baptism of the holy spirit

There is, perhaps, no other doctrine of the church that is shrouded in uncertainty and controversy than the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. For centuries it has been misused and misinterpreted, push aside and covered up, mocked and ridiculed. The Church and others have even martyred believers for their extreme views. However, if the Holy Spirit is a part of the Holy Trinity and a vital part of our orthodoxy, then it should be imperative for us to know it’s workings in the lives of mankind?

One question that Christians have dealt with for centuries concerns the purpose of the Holy Spirit. Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit relevant for Christians in our current culture? Or is the Holy Spirit just a nonessential addition to the Christian life? Kind of like the appendix in the human body; we’re not sure what it is there for, but everyone has one. This has been the sentiment for the Holy Spirits purpose in the life of the Believer.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a real and vital part of our salvation. One cannot adequately understand the full measure of the Christian life without experiencing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is as much part of the Christian life as is the love of God or the atonement of Christ. It is insufficient to experience one without the other. Therefore, the Trinity becomes the anchor, which gives validity and balance to the working of the Holy Spirit in every believer’s life. It is essential for every Christian to take the time and diligent study to look at the historical evidence concerning the Holy Spirit to see if they point to a greater or lesser need for the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the Christian life. Then to look at theological and scriptural evidence that would suppo...

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... Diego, CA: Aventine Press, 2006.

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Third Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.

Hart, Larry D. Truth Aflame: Theology for the Church in Revival. Revised Edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.

Holm, Bernard. "The Work of the Spirit: the Reformation to the Presnet." In The Holy Spirit in the Life of the Church: From Biblical Times to the Presnent, edited by Paul D. Opsahl, 101-104. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 1978.

Horton, Stanley M. What The Bible Say About The Holy Spirit. Springfield, MO: Godpel Publishing House, 1976.

Rakes, Mike L. "The Semantics of Renewal." In Spirit-Empowered Christianity In The Twenty-First Century, edited by Vinson Synan, 30. Lake Mary, FL: Charisma Media/Charisma House Book Group, 2011.

Rogers, Adrian. What Every Christian Ought to Know. Nashville, TN: B&H Publishing Group, 2012.

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