“And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lightning upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:16-17.

Here we find one of the most definitive scriptures in the Bible that speaks of the Trinity. People of the Oneness persuasion (Apostolic and United Pentecostal) have a real problem with these verses because, clearly, all three persons of the Godhead are presented in one place at one time. Jesus has just been baptized, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, and the Father speaks from heaven concerning His Son. How powerful this is!

However, let’s zero in upon the Holy Spirit. He (notice I didn’t say “it”) appears here as a Dove. As God, the Holy Spirit has always been. The Old Testament is filled with His presence and the New Testament holds the key to His present-day ministry. You see, the Holy Spirit has always been WITH man. When Samson tore down the Dagon temple, the Holy Spirit was with him. When Noah built the ark, the Holy Spirit was with him. When Isaiah saw the vision of the Seraphim (chapter 6), the Holy Spirit was with him. But, listen carefully. There’s a big difference between the Holy Spirit being WITH someone and being IN someone.

When Jesus died on the cross (Matthew 27:50), the veil in the Jewish temple was split in half by the very finger of God. From that day until now, God has mad His house somewhere else besides temples made out of stone. WE are now His house. This is literally true! How does God make this possible? When you went to the altar and gave your life to Jesus, a great miracle took place. God, the Holy Spirit, came and entered your body and found the real you – your spirit – and joined Himself to you. You became God’s house and you became one with Him. It was the Holy Spirit that made this possible!

The wonderful thing is the Holy Spirit did not come unto you empty handed. No! He came bearing power, and Gifts, and the anointing. God has filled you with Himself so that you might carry on the ministry of Jesus Christ in your own life. Jesus told his disciples that it was a good thing that He go so that the Holy Spirit could be sent. If you will allow me some license here…it’s kind of like millions of “little jesus’s” are running around on this planet. No, I’m not saying we ARE Jesus (or God), but we have received Him and His power and His anointing to carry on the work of Jesus on earth! Isn’t that exciting? Be sure and welcome the Holy Spirit and don’t grieve Him. 

Disclaimer: Many of the articles on the site were written many years ago. While the lessons and teachings are certainly applicable to issues of today, please note that some of the references mentioned in the article may be dated or otherwise proved inaccurate due to the passage of time. We bring you these articles in their original format. Thank you.