The following works of the Holy Spirit are specifically named in Scripture.

Baptism. The baptism of (or by) the Spirit is mentioned in a number of passages in the Gospels and Acts. While the Acts passages describe what the baptism of the Spirit is, they do not define it. Some have made the mistake of assuming that because certain events took place at the same time (namely, the coming of the Spirit, speaking in tongues, flames of fire resting on the heads of the believers, and the sound of a rushing wind) that the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost is the baptism of the Spirit and that speaking in tongues is the sign of the baptism of the Spirit.

It is, of course, hard to explain why the flames of fire and sound of a mighty wind are ignored in this interpretation. Nevertheless, the baptism of the Spirit is defined in 1 Corinthians 12:13; thus, we are not left in doubt or forced to attempt to draw our doctrine from mere description. Also, in this verse, Scripture states that “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.”

The baptism of the Spirit, then, is that action by which the third Person of the Trinity bonds a believer to Christ and to other believers as members of His body. This happens to all who trust in Christ at the moment of faith. It is true that Pentecost was the first occasion of the Spirit’s exercise of this ministry. But it does not follow that the other events that took place at the same time either were the baptism or signs of it.

Filling. Acts 2:4 tells us that when the third Person of the Trinity came upon the believers in Jerusalem in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (1:8), all there were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4). The Old Testament speaks of the Spirit coming upon believers who were called to perform special tasks (Judg. 6:34; 11:29). The Spirit was thus seen as necessary to enable the individual to complete the task successfully, for it was the Spirit who empowered him or her.

When the New Testament speaks of believers being filled with the Spirit, it does so in the passive voice. We are filled, but we do not fill ourselves. Filling is a work of God. Also, filling is viewed as essential for ministry. Being filled with the Spirit was a qualification of the first deacons (Acts 6:1–6), and it is also related to character, for these early deacons were known for their wisdom (v. 3) and faith (v. 6). The relationship of being filled with the Spirit to inner transformation is especially clear in Galatians 5:22 and 23, where the fruit produced by the Spirit in the lives of believers is described as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control.”

Sealing. Ephesians 1:13 and 14 state that when we believed in Jesus, we “were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” In this passage the Spirit is likened to the seal stamped on goods that had been purchased. The seal marked the goods as the possession of the owner, and also served as a guarantee that the owner would collect his goods one day. In this passage the “inheritance” is not ours; rather, it is us! We are God’s inheritance; thus, we are precious to Him. The Spirit marks us as God’s own and keeps us safe until the day of redemption.

Indwelling. Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit who had been with them would one day be in them (John 14:17). It is this reality that is expressed in the theological term “indwelling.” While “indwelling” is not a term found in the Bible, the reality it expresses is taught unmistakably.

Several verses in Romans 8 use this language, emphasizing the fact that the Spirit has established a home in the hearts and lives of those who know Jesus. Thus, “You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (v. 9). And, “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (v. 11). From these verses we see that it is the Spirit in us who gives us the ability to live truly Christian lives.

Gifts. Another ministry of the third Person of the Trinity stated explicitly in Scripture is that of giving spiritual gifts to believers. This, too, is an enabling work of the Spirit. In other words, His presence enables us to make our own unique contribution to the health and well-being of the members of the Christian community.

--Richards, L. Every name of God in the Bible.