Tommy Mann

Q. Where is Christ now? A. Christ sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father, making intercession for the saints. Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead He ascended back into heaven. His absence from earth made way for the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, so Jesus told His disciples it was good that He left (John 16:7). When Jesus left He didn’t retire to South Florida, nor did He go to heaven to twiddle His thumbs and wait for the rapture. He is busy today sitting at the right hand of the Father, serving as our advocate. Romans 8:34 says Jesus, “indeed is interceding for us (also see Hebrews 7:25).” This work of intercession means Jesus speaks to God on our behalf. This is comparable to the role of a defense attorney. Why do we need an attorney? Because there is a prosecutor bringing horrible charges against us, and unfortunately, the charges are all true. Revelation 12:10 says Satan is “the accuser of the brethren” who has been accusing us “day and night....

Q. How do people lose the Holy Spirit? A. Believers cannot lose the Holy Spirit, but they can quench His power through sin .   We do not earn the filling of the Holy Spirit, so we cannot be expected to earn the keeping of the Holy Spirit. At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit is given to believers, and He is there to stay. He doesn’t leave us when we sin, or else we would be forced to get saved all over again to get the Spirit back. That is an amazing promise! But just because we can’t lose the Spirit doesn’t mean our sin doesn’t affect the relationship. The Bible speaks of quenching and grieving the Holy Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 plainly says, “Do not quench the Spirit;” Ephesians 4:30 says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed until the day of redemption.” To quench means to suppress fire. The Holy Spirit wants to work through the believer to do great things for God, but when we sin we throw water on that fire. Read Ephesians...

Q. How do people receive the Holy Spirit? A. Believers receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation .   When Jesus prepared His disciples for His departure, He let them know they would not be alone; “ the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you (John 14:26).” The Holy Spirit did not indwell believers until after Jesus went back up to heaven. The Holy Spirit first came to live inside believers during a Jewish holiday called Pentecost, which was the anniversary of God giving Moses the law. At that moment, described in Acts 2, believers everywhere were simultaneously filled with God’s Holy Spirit. From that time on, as soon as a person trusts in Christ for their salvation, they also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13 says, “ In Him (Jesus) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the prom...

Q. What is the fruit of the Spirit? A. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).   The fruit of the Spirit is contrasted with the works of the flesh. In Galatians 5:19-21 Paul says, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The unsaved person naturally produces any or all of these works of the flesh. Instead of living like the lost, we should live a life characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But those characteristics do not come naturally...