THE BAPTIST FAITH AND MESSAGE, Article Five

This is Part 5 of a continuing series of articles examining the Baptist Faith and Message 2000. This statement of faith was adopted by the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting on June 14, 2000 “to set forth certain teachings which we believe.”

God the Holy Spirit

“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.”
Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.
(Baptist Faith and Message, 2000)

In our treasured hymn “Holy, Holy, Holy” we correctly sing “God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.” The Holy Spirit is just as much God as the Father and the Son; indeed He is the very Spirit of God and Christ. We should never refer to Him as an “it” or think of Him as the Force. He is a person with all the characteristics of personality. Scripture pictures the Holy Spirit as able to reason, feel, and act. He communicates and supports us in a personal way. The Holy Spirit is a Person! He is God!

As the Revealer of truth, He has inspired the writing of Scripture—both Old and New Testaments. He moved upon prophets and apostles to write down the Word of God and gave oversight to the process so as to produce the flawless revelation of God. Having inspired the writers, He now works to illumine the readers. Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide us into all truth.

As Christ reveals the Father and glorifies Him, so the Spirit reveals the Son and glorifies Him. It is His special ministry to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. He does this primarily through the people He indwells—the church, Christ’s Body.

It is the Holy Spirit who draws us to Christ and births us into the family of God. He does so by convicting us of sin, the need for righteousness, and the inevitability of judgment. His effectual call produces faith in us to receive God’s forgiveness through Christ. We are then born again—a spiritual birth that makes us a new creation.

When we receive Christ we are baptized in the Holy Spirit—immersed into Christ—and He likewise comes to indwell us. Water baptism is a visible picture of this spiritual reality. As the believer is “buried” in water, he or she is testifying that they have been spiritually connected to the work of Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection—buried with Him in baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. That is the work of the Spirit of God.

As the life of Christ indwelling the believer, the Spirit begins to produce His fruit in us—the fruit of Christlikeness—love, joy, peace, and all the rest. Not only is the fruit of the Spirit produced in us, but also the gifts of the Spirit are bestowed on us, equipping us for spiritual service. All God’s children are gifted children, having at least one gift, and often several, given by the sovereign will and grace of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus called the Holy Spirit “the Comforter,” literally, one who stands beside us. He is always with us—will never leave, nor forsake us. In times of great stress and heartache, we find Him manifesting His presence as our peace and comfort.

From the moment we receive Christ, the Spirit comes to indwell us as our seal of a secure salvation. He is the guarantee that our redemption will be consummated in heaven—not one child of God being lost along the way.

Although we must not think of the Holy Spirit of God as being some impersonal force—some thing or it—we surely recognize that He is the source of our strength—that apart from Him we can do nothing, but with Him we can do all things. One thing God demands is worship in spirit and truth. The Spirit of Truth moving on the congregation enables us to exalt Christ in worship that is spiritual and true—the only acceptable way. His presence and power in our lives empowers us to share the Gospel and serve the Lord—the only effective way.

We dare not lean on our own ingenuity or ability. The task is too large for us—it is beyond us. It demands the power of God. We would be stupid not to call upon and rely upon the Spirit of the Living God!

Thankfully, we do not have to live in our own strength. The Holy Spirit will fill us—that is control us, energize us, and anoint us, so we may impact our world for Christ.