In Psalms, chapter seventy-eight, verse eleven, the Israelites failed spiritually, at least partly, because they forgot the deeds and miracles God had performed among their founding fathers. Likewise, we must not forget the works and miracles of God done in and through the faithful believers of the New Testament church. The Holy Spirit wants to act today with the same signs, wonders, and miracles that He performed in former days so that the message of redemption might go forth through our lives and churches with the same power and effectiveness.
The Holy Spirit is the initiation point whereby Spirit-filled believers receive the enabling power of the Spirit to witness for Christ, often with subsequent power such as signs, wonders, and miracles to be carriers of His life, hope, and forgiveness of sins to the lost so that they can be saved. However, this all begins with believers accepting the baptism of the Holy Spirit after salvation, as in Acts two, verses thirty-seven through forty-one, and chapter sixteen, verses twenty-five to thirty-four.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is likely for those whose hearts are toward God in repentance from their wicked ways, as in Acts two, verse thirty-eight, and Acts three, verse twenty-six, and maintained by the same sincere commitment to Christ. It is a baptism into the Spirit, who is holy, as in Romans one, verse four. Therefore, if the Spirit is at work in us in all His fulness, we live in greater conformity to Christ’s holiness. Believers who have received baptism in the Holy Spirit will have the desire to please Christ in whatever way they can. The fullness of the Holy Spirit complements which completes and fills up the saving and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Those who claim the fullness of the Spirit yet live a life contrary to the Spirit of holiness are deceived and untruthful.
Those who display spiritual gifts, miracles, and spectacular signs or inspiring oratory yet lack true faith, love, and righteousness are not operating by the Holy Spirit but by an unholy spirit not from God, as in Matthew seven, verses twenty-one through twenty-three, Matthew twenty-four, verse twenty-four, and Second Corinthians eleven, verses thirteen through fifteen, respectively.