In the fear of God and in the bonds of Christian love, we solemnly confess our faith as set out in The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith. These are the things most surely believed among us, which we desire to hold in Christian love and proclaim faithfully to the world - for the good of men and for the glory of God (1 Timothy 6:12-16).

In this historic Baptist document we find an assistance in controversy, a confirmation in faith and a means of edification in righteousness. Here we have a body of divinity in small compass and by means of the Scriptural proofs will be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15).

We leave to the opinion of individual members the two issues of the regeneration of infants and the identity of the anti-Christ (referred to in Chapter 10, paragraph 3, and Chapter 26, paragraph 4 of The 1689 Confession of Faith).

In view of the paucity of information in The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith on the Holy Spirit's presence and work in the believer's life, we add the following:

(a) The God of all comfort, who dwells in heaven and is always present everywhere on earth (1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-10), graciously granted, to all those that are justified, in and for the sake of his only Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:16-18, 2 Corinthians 1:4-5), the additional priviledge of abiding in his special presence, by sending his Holy Spirit, the Spirit of his Son, as the Spirit of adoption, into each of their hearts (Galatians 4:6), upon their repentance from sin and faith in Christ (Acts 2:38-39), whereby they are comforted and encouraged in their afflictions (2 Corinthians 1:4-5, Philippians 1:19-20), strengthened in their love, hope and faith (Romans 15:13), assured of their sonship and eternal life (Romans 8:14-16), assisted in their prayers (Romans 8:26-27), instructed in the words and ways of Christ (John 14:26, 16:13-14), given access to and filial communion with God (Ephesians 3:18, Galatians 4:16), liberated from spiritual bondage (Romans 8:2, 2 Corinthians 3:17), enabled to mortify sin and please the Lord (Ezekiel 36:27, Romans 8:13), united to Christ and each other (1 Corinthians 6:17, 12:12-13), and sealed until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14).

(b) This personal indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not now manifested by the ability to accomplish miraculous feats, or by hearing heavenly voices, receiving direct revelation, foretelling the future or speaking in tongues (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), since these special apostolic endowments and signs, bound to the founding of the church, ceased when the apostles finished their unique work (Acts 8:18-19, 19:6, 1 Corinthians 13:8-10, 15:7-8, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Ephesians 2:20, 3:5), but rather is manifested throughout this age, by the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

(c) Unlike the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which is the root and cause of saving faith (John 3:3), this gift of the Holy Spirit results from the exercise of saving faith and is conditioned upon it (Acts 2:38), nevertheless the Spirit is not received subsequent to conversion as a second blessing, but immediately upon the exercise of saving faith, so that no true believer is devoid of the Spirit of God, nor is this gift of the Spirit, patiently tarried for, or carnally peddled (Romans 8:8-9, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:2-3).

(d) Although the Holy Spirit resides irrevocably in the hearts of all true Christians from the moment of their conversion, being received once and for all (Ephesians 1:13-14), nevertheless the same Spirit continues to be supplied to them throughout their lives, so that it is the duty of those already indwelt by God's Spirit both to request further supplies and larger measures of the Holy Spirit and to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13, Ephesians 5:18).

(e) The gift of the Holy Spirit is never completely taken away from true Christians, but he can be so grieved by their rebellions and backslidings (Isaiah 63:10) that for a season his presence is greatly withdrawn and his influences largely withheld (Psalm 51:8-17), therefore, it is the duty of all believers neither to grieve nor to quench the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

(f) All true believers in every era had the Holy Spirit in their hearts and enjoyed the benefits of his special presence with them (Numbers 27:18, 1 Peter 1:11), but subsequent to the session of Christ and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2:33), in the era of God's New Covenant with Israel, the people of God (Hebrews 8:10-12), not merely individually but now also corporately, are the temple of God, the place of his special habitation (1 Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 2:19-20), their distinguishing trait now being this gift of the Holy Spirit, so that unless a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit he has neither inheritance among God's people under the New Covenant nor any right to membership in the church of Christ (Romans 8:8-9).