How to Receive the Holy Spirit: Biblical Guide and Personal Experience

Reception of the Holy Spirit is a doctrine and a term found, among other places, in the Acts of the Apostles 2:38, perhaps, 2:7, to explain the point in the life of a believer when he or she first receives the Holy Spirit and theotokos (Mary mother of Jesus) is used to glorify Mary as a vessel of incarnation of the God’s son himself. This experience, though often identified with conversion to Christianity, was sometimes considered as a separate step in some traditions. Referred to as the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit,” “being filled with the Spirit,” or the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in the Bible, this experience is portrayed as offering Christians power for life and service, a more vibrant awareness of the presence of God, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It’s interpretation and experience varies between Christian traditions, but has widespread agreement that it is a core concept of Christian spiritual life.

The paper aims at examining the aspects in which one can receive the Holy Spirit, mostly based on biblical teachings and the extent to which personal experience conforms to the Bible. It explores the character and work of the Spirit of Christ as it unfolded in the Old and New Testament scriptures, studies the fatherly gift of the Spirit in light of the conditions for its reception as they can be found in the Bible (like repentance and faith) and also examines how the Spirit is received and how it is not a result of repentance and faith, particularly looking at sovereign acts of God, the laying on of hands, and prayer, considering the first church’s reception of the Spirit. In addition, this guide considers the biblical evidence and theological significance of the Holy Spirit, discussing the evidence of such from speaking in tongues, to prophecy, inner transformation, and evidence of spiritual renewal for Christian witness. Lastly, it applies these biblical models to individual spiritual pilgrimages, addressing common experiential patterns of brokenness, followed by victory, and providing scripture-based advice for those who would like to receive the Holy Spirit today, as well as to the most common mistaken ideas about this deep spiritual happening.

How does One Get the Holy Ghost According to the Bible and from One’s Own Experience?

The reception of the Holy Spirit is a divine encounter that is recorded in Acts, and is described throughout the New Testament. It is set forth as a promise of God, ordered by Jesus Christ, and necessary to the Christian life and witness. The process and the experience is described in bible accounts, apostolic instructions and actual examples from the saints of God in history, frequently’sculpted’ on the same pattern of scripture.

What Does the Bible Teach about the Holy Spirit?

The Person of the Holy Spirit and the promise of His coming are basic truths that enable to know how to receive Him. Scripture portrays the Holy Spirit as a divine person at work throughout history and objectively promised to the believer in a new and dynamic covenantal way in the New Covenant.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son, Jesus Christ. He is not a thing or an impersonal power, but a personal being with mind (1 Cor. 2:10-11), feelings (Ephesians 4:30), and volition (1 Cor. 12:11). The Holy Spirit is accorded divine attributes: he is eternal (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscient (1 Cor 2:10), ommisapient (1 Cor 2:10) and omnipotent (Luke 1:35). He was in creation (Gen.buttonShape-1:2), He moved the scriptures (2 Peter 1:21), He fills believers (Acts 1:8).

What Prophecies of the Holy Spirit did the Old Testament Contain?

Old Testament Prophecies of the Outpouring of God’s Spirit The Old Testament includes several important prophecies that predict a universal effusion of God’s Spirit on His people. These were prophecies of a day of’, spiritual restoration and energizing. This can be illustrated with three key examples:

• Isaiah 44:3: “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring. This verse mentioned a future time with new spirit being poured out and blessing following.
• Ezekiel 36:26 – 27: I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. ” This passage associates the receiving of the Spirit with personal change and obedience to God.
• Joel 2:28-29 tells us, ‘And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days. This is probably the most well-known Old Testament prophecy mentioning the Holy Spirit, which Peter refers to on quite a famous occasion, the day he stood up on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17-21), when the fulfilment was inaugurated by the New Covenant people of God. It emphasizes the all-access nature of the Spirit – regardless of age, gender, or class.

What was the Message of John the Baptist about Receiving the Holy Spirit?

John the Baptist, who was Jesus’s forerunner, explicitly taught about the baptism with the Holy Spirit that would be administered by Jesus. His teachings were an important step in the reformation of our view of the Spirit. His words are referred to by the four gospels:

• Matthew 3:11: “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
• Mark 1:8: And I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
• Luke 3:16: “John answered them all, saying, ‘I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’ “
• John 1:33: “I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’” “

John’s message separated his water baptism of repentance from the One who would baptize with the Holy Spirit—a baptism that would produce a more profound experience and empowerment born of the Spirit. Implied within the allusion to fire is a cleansing, purging dimension to this experience.

What Did Jesus Promise About the Holy Spirit?

Jesus Christ himself gave many promises to His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. These pledges are full of significant information about the Spirit’s role, and of the advantages experienced by believers when He is present among them. Several key promises include:

• John 7:37-39: In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.) This commitment connects faith in Jesus to the reception of the Spirit, who is depicted as a fountain of spiritual life.
• John 14:16-17, 26: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (Paraclete), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (v. 16-17). “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (v. 26). Jesus guaranteed the Holy Spirit as a God-assisted, permanent, truth-dispenser, and teacher.
• John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. Emphasis is placed on the testimony of the Spirit concerning Jesus.
• John 16:7-15: Jesus describes why He must leave in order for the Spirit to come. He explains the Spirit’s role in convicting the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, and leading the disciples into all the truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (v. 13).
• Acts 1:4-5, 8: And while they were together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father,” which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (v. 4-5). And he added, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 14 And those witnesses of Christ, those who have received power to overcome sin and speak for Jesus, are all called to be fishers of men, to work with the Main Angler, telling lost people about our jesus. (v. 8). This promise clearly connects receiving the Holy Spirit with divine power to witness world-wide.

What Does the Bible Say Must Occur for One to Receive the Holy Spirit?

The Bible describes some factors or responses on the part of people that correlate with God’s promise to give the Holy Spirit. Not as deserving works to win the Spirit, but as heart-attitudes and acts of obedient self-surrender, in the face of which He can enter in.

That Repentance is the Gate to the Spirit.

Scriptural Repentance is constantly and clearly portrayed in the Bible as a necessary precursor to coming into a right relationship with God and receiving His gifts, such as the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 is a very important verse on this subject. On the Day of Pentecost, after Peter had preached the gospel and the people asked what they should do. But Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So when the Bible calls for repentance (the word in Greek is metanoia, met-an-oy-ah), it’s not just talking about feeling really bad about what you’ve done, it’s talking about a change of mind and a change of direction – a turning FROM sin and a turning TO God. This involves acknowledgment of one’s sinfulness, sincere regret for the sin, and a deliberate determination to abandon it and to henceforth live in submission to God. Such a turning it is indispensable there should be, for the Holy Spirit is himself holy, and he can only inhabit a holy temple; he desires to dwell in a place that pants to be rid of sin, and to be conformed to the image of the Saviour. Acts 3:19 reinforces this: “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” The “times of refreshing” can be identified with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. A heart inclined to repentance is of necessity a fertile ground for the seed of the Word; the gift of the Spirit.

What Position of Belief in Jesus Christ Do I Need to be in to Receive the Holy Spirit?

Believing in Jesus Christ is another important requirement to receive the Holy Spirit. This connection is even highlighted in the Apostle Paul’s writings. InGalatians 3:2, 5, he questions the Galatian fathers this way: “…Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing of faith?” … 5 Does God supply the Spirit to you and work miracles among you through the works of the law or hearing with faith? The obvious implication is that faith is how they also received the Spirit.

It says so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” It is Ephesians 1:13 which also associates faith with the receiving of the Spirit: “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the promised Holy Spirit.”

This faith is not just an intellectual belief, but is it a personal commitment to trust and rely on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is placing one’s faith in what Jesus has done on the cross and fully trusting in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection as the only means to salvation. And by this active faith upon Christ they are justified, and so qualified to receive the promised Spirit. “Hearing with faith” implies an attitude that is receptive to the gospel, and so is followed by the reception of the Spirit.

Does A Person Need to Be Baptized in Water in Order to Receive the Holy Spirit?

The link between water baptism and the experience of the Spirit is theologically uncertain, due to different orders of reception in various biblical narratives. Even though Acts 2:38 (“Repent, and be baptized… and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”) connects them so closely, other passages present different sequences, showing that water baptism is not an absolutely, unvarying condition of receiving the Holy Spirit at the start in every case, though it is a command for believers.

Think of these biblical illustrations:

• Acts 2:38 Another question that the prophet Joel influences the answer: And that repentance and baptism come before receiving the Holy Ghost. This is a common pattern.
• Acts 8:12-17: The Samaritans Received the Holy Spirit “Then they had people to go with them to some of the village of the Samaritans and teach the children and wives concerning assembling to Jesus sitting at father’s right side after father was through doing healing through father’s authority and the Word of Wisdom in knowing about the New Testament when they read from the Old Testament (v. 35 and I Corinthians 14:23-29 by the Holy Spirit). Yet, they did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John arrived from Jerusalem and laid hands on them (v. 14-17). Here, belief and water-baptism comes first, then reception of the Spirit at a later point via the laying on of hands.
• Acts 9:17-18 (cf. Acts 22:16): Saul (who became Paul) met Jesus on the Damascus road and became a believer. One Ananias was sent to him to put his hands upon him, that he might receive his sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 9:17). And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales; and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptised.O and he rose up with them, and was baptised (Acts 9:18). Here it seems that being filled with the Spirit is prior or concurrent with sight regained and water baptism comes after.
• Acts 10:44-48: In the house of the Gentile centurion Cornelius there was something special. While Peter was still speaking the words of the gospel, “the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word” (v. 44). The Jewish Christians who were with Peter marveled because on the Gentiles also was poured the gift of the Holy Ghost, in that the Gentiles spake with tongues and magnified God (v. 45-46). It was only AFTER they had obviously received the Spirit that Peter ordered them to be baptized in water. (v. 47-48). This is a perfect example of when the baptism of the Holy Spirit in receiving the Holy Spirit came before water Baptism.
• Acts 19:1-6: Paul encountered some disciples in Ephesus who had been baptized only by John. And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying” (verse 6). Here there was Christian baptism, and the laying on of the hands for the Spirit.

These references show that, although water baptism is a meaningful ordinance and an ordinance of believing (Matthew 28:19), God is still sovereign and chooses to give the Holy Spirit before, and through, after water baptism. Unchanging aspects are repentance and faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Water baptism is a public testimony of that inner faith and repentance.

WHAT IS TO ASK FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Jesus Himself tells those who believe to ask for the Holy Spirit, for the Father is ready to give such a good gift. In Luke 11:9-13, Jesus explains persistence in prayer with parables, and then says, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened… If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

To ask for the Holy Spirit denotes a deliberate purpose to acquire, and an effort for obtaining that divine boon. It demonstrates an awareness of our need for the presence and power of the Spirit. This asking is not a magic but a sincere cry and trust in God’s commitment. It implies that while the Spirit is a promised present, a posture of seeking and asking can in some sense be the process of receiving, at least for those who, having believed, seek for a fuller experience or empowerment of the Spirit. This asking is to arise out of the previously described circumstances of penitence and belief.

How do you receive the Holy Spirit, that is to say according to the Bible?

The book of Acts contains several commentary details about how believers in the New Testament church were filled with the holy spirit. These narrative accounts describe a number of different mechanisms for the impartation of the Spirit as a case of divine initiative, accompanied by varying degrees of human response or agency.

What was the first pentecost and what does it have to do with receiving the Holy Spirit?

Pentecost, found in Acts 2, represents the first and foundational outpouring of the the Spirit upon Jesus’ disciples. This was the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (Acts 1:4-5, 8) and Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28-29). There were about 120 Christians gathered in Jerusalem when “suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:2-4).

Pentecost’s importance in attaining the Holy Spirit is threefold:

1. It ushered in “the New Covenant of the Spirit” (2 Cor. 3:6; 2 Cor. 3-7): Now the Spirit will be indiscriminately bestowed 24) upon all the members of the church of Christ in a new, abiding, and universal disposition, as virtually all the elect community, in contrast to single individuals only, as in the Old Testament age.
2. It enabled the Church to live out its mission: Immediately upon the Spirit’s descent, the disciples were able to boldly proclaim the gospel, and the result was approximately 3,000 conversions in a single day (Acts 2:41). That was the power unto witness that Jesus had spoken of when he said, “You shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you—and you shall become my witnesses…”
3. It established a precedent, of sorts: The acts of wind and fire that accompanied Pentecost were particular to that first occasion, but the core experience — being “filled with the Spirit” — and the phenomenon of speaking in tongues went on to be recurring elements in subsequent stories about people receiving the Spirit (Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:6).

Pentecost taught that the receiving of the Holy Spirit is an essential aspect of God’s design for every believer and is an essential empowering for life and service in the Kingdom of God.

Is It Possible to Get the Holy Spirit by an Act of Sovereign God Without Human Medium?

Yes, the Bible demonstrates that one can receive the Holy Spirit directly by an act of God’s sovereign will, without the necessity of a human agent (e.g., laying on of hands), Peter quoting Jesus said to him, “The wind blows wherever it wishes. The best example of this is what happens to Cornelius and his household in Acts 10.

The Roman centurion Cornelius is described in Acts as “a devout man [who] feared God with all his house” (10:2), to whom the angel of God was sent by God to announce his favour and show him what to do (10:31). And as Peter was preaching the good news to Cornelius and his group of family and close friends, the Bible informs us, while Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit came upon all who heard the word” (Acts 10:44). This divine intervention was so unmistakable that the Jewish brethren who traveled with Peter “were astonished because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. because they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (Acts 10:45-46).

In this case, there was no laying on of hands, no definite prayer that they might receive the Spirit at that time. They got the Holy Spirit as they heard and believed the preaching of the word of God. This event illustrates that God, indeed, is the free and sovereign giver of His Spirit. It also was instrumental in persuading the primitive Jewish church that Gentiles were to be part of God’s plan of salvation under the same conditions, that is receive the same Spirit.

What is the laying on of hands that imparts the Holy Spirit?

There was also the practice of the laying on of hands by apostles or other believers through which people were given the Holy Spirit. This action symbolizes blessing, commissioning, or the conferring of a gift or authority. Here are some examples in Acts:

• The Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17): Philip went to Samaria and preached there and many people believed what he preached and were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ then the apostles Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem. they “prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:15-17). This is a separate experience of receiving the Spirit after conversion and baptism, in response to the apostles’ prayer and laying on of hands.
• Saul of Tarsus (Paul) (Acts 9:17) – A Disciple named Ananias went to Saul in a vision, calling him brother just before he baptizes him. Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, about all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; 15 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” 16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; 17 I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 18 So Ananias went and entered the house. And he laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ” And Ananias ” laid his hands on him” (Acts 9:17). And the Spirit came upon Saul.
• Ephesian Disciples (Acts 19:1-7): Paul encountered some twelve disciples in Ephesus who had been baptized with John’s baptism, but had never received the Holy Spirit and in fact had never heard that there is a Holy Spirit. They were then fully taught by Paul and baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, “and when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6).

The laying on of hands in these instances seems to have been a bridge God used to impart the Holy Spirit, usually and/or at least apparently through acknowledged spiritual authority. It’s not sets up as the one and only motivation; it’s one that’s valid and scriptural.

How Does Prayer Help You Receive The Holy Spirit?

Intercession along with the individual’s prayer for the Spirit’s filling are important factors in enabling one to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus Himself Himself even encouraged us to ask the Father for the Spirit (Luke 11:13). The Prayer Model of the Early Church:

• The Disciples Pre-Pentecost (Acts 1:14) -The disciples before Pentecost: “And all these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” This season of “one accord” praying went before their being filled with the Spirit.
• Prayer for the Samaritans (Acts 8:15): As already noted, Peter and John “prayed for them [the Samaritan believers] that they might receive the Holy Spirit” prior to the laying-on of hands. Prayer was an integral part of this ministry.
• Prayer for Boldness and Filling (Acts 4:31) Although this is a distinct filling or empowering, not a second inauguration for every individual present, it does demonstrate the connection between prayer and the Spirit’s activity: “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Prayer means dependence on God, gaining concordance of man’s will with God’s will and forming an atmosphere of seeking and receiving openness to what God wants to give. For the one desiring to receive the Holy Spirit, prayer from the heart holding desire, faith and surrender is a key. Corporate praying by the church for people to “receive” the Spirit is another pattern of prayer.

What Are The Scriptural Witness And Fruit Of Receiving The Holy Ghost ?

When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, the Bible describes different symptoms or results that appear in his/her life. These include visible manifestations of the spirit as well as deep inner changes and the ability to live and serve as a Christian.

A Response to “Is Glossolalia the Initial Evidence of the Spirit Baptism”

Issue of glossolalia The issue of ‘speaking in other tongues’ (glossolalia) being the only or primary evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit according to what one believes, has led to differing views by Christian denominations. A number of key places in Acts associate speaking in tongues with receiving the Spirit:

• Pentecost (Acts 2:4): “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This was the first instance.
• Cornelius’ Household (Acts 10:45-46): Jewish Christians were already aware that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles “For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and exalting God.” Here tongues was a visible sign.
• Ephesian Disciples (Acts 19:6): “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.”

Inferring from these events, some Christian traditions have seen the use of tongues as the sign of a true baptism of the Spirit (although any such sign would normally be expected to manifest itself more than once, unless tongues are seen as a once-for-all event). They do see something of a consistent pattern in Acts where this does manifest itself.

However, other theological views note not every occurrence of receiving the Spirit in Acts includes tongues being spoken (e.g., the Samarians in Acts 8:17, although Simon Magus observed something miraculous in an attempt to pay for this). What is more, Paul’s enumeration of gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 implies a diversity of gifts dispensed by the Spirit: “To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,” Here then are many similarities and differences between wisdom and knowledge: the same giver of both, but given to different persons, and for different kinds. For by One Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit ) * “For to one is given the word of wisdom..to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues…Do all speak with tongues?” (1 Corinthians 12:7-10, 30). The rhetorical question “Do all have speak with tongues?” suggests a negative answer in the church-body of many ministries and gifts.

So “speaking in tongues” is, indeed, a scriptural manifestation: associated with receiving the Holy Spirit, in times past, in a number of important cases, but there is a very strong case that it should not be thought of as the Only or Everyone’s Necessary “Initial Evidence”: many theologians and Christians believe. They would stress the Spirit’s work in regeneration, assurance, and sanctification as the chief evidences, with gifts such as tongues a subset of one of the many ways this might manifest itself.

What Other Spiritual Manifestations or Gifts May Occur with Holy Spirit Baptism?

In addition to speaking in a language, the Bible records that other spiritual manifestations and gifts are provided with the Holy Spirit. These are expressions of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power:

• Prophecy: After the Ephesian disciples begin to speak in tongues, we are told in Acts 19:6 they not only spoke in tongues, but they also “prophesied” after receiving the Holy Spirit. Wisdom and prophecy are both spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:10, Romans 12:6). (add Acts 2:17-18) “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…”
• Boldness in Testimony: Acts 1:8 is a promise of power for testimony when the Holy Spirit comes but Acts 4:31 (another filling) is a corresponding outcome: “and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). This gall to declare Christ will always come as a fruit of the Spirit.
• Glory and Exaltation of God: Cornelius and his household, when they received the Spirit, were heard “magnifying God,” “speaking in tongues” (Acts 10:46). An eruption of praise and worship, exalting the greatness of God, can be a nearly unmistakable evidence of the touch of the Spirit.
• Joy: The Holy Spirit bears fruits, and one of the is joy (Galatians 5:22). Filling with, or being filled with, the Spirit is commonly linked with expressions of deep joy (Acts 13:52: “And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.”)..
• Gifts are Outward Signs of Differences of Ministries and Manifestations of the Spirit 1Cor 12:7-11; Rom 12:6-8; Eph 4:11 Each Spiritual Gifts listed relates to the work of the Holy Spirit in gifting the members of congregation to serve others and to build up the church. These gifts are wisdom, knowledge, faith, gift of healing, workings of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, variety of tongues, and interpretation of tongues, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, ruling, and shewing mercy. It is by the reception of the Holy Spirit that these gifts work in a believer’s life.

“Just As You have Received the Holy Spirit, So Walk in Him” Colossians 2:6-7 by Dr. Sims Every Christian has received the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14, etc.). How does the receiving of the Holy Spirit make a difference in one’s life, causing inner transformation and fruit of the Spirit?

The deepest and most lasting effect of accepting the Holy Spirit’s fellowship and living in it, is what we call sanctification, i.e. the renewal of the inner being. The Holy Spirit operates inside the Christian to bring about the character of Christ in him, which is the fruit of the Spirit. Here’s what Galatians 5:22-23 says are those: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

This is not instant “perfection” but work in progress. The moment a person is indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9, 11; 1 Corinthians 3:16), there is a stirring of spiritual life that was not present before:

• A New Nature and Desires: Spiritual life is given by the Spirit (that is, believers are “born of the Spirit”) and new, holy desires are fashioned in opposition to the old sinful nature (Galatians 5:16-17).
• Victory Over Sin: Romans 8 explains that “the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). The Spirit is “able to put to death the deeds of the body” (Rom. 8:13).
• Solidarity with God’s Family: The Holy Spirit confirms to the believer that they are children of God (Romans 8:16). He is the “seal” of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14).
• Love for God and Others: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5). That is what empowers us to truly love God and love others.

This inward ministry of the Spirit, the molding of our character in the likeness of God, it can safely be said is the ultimate sign of His presence and His work in a Christian’s life, more fundamental and enduring, perhaps, than any specific gift of the Spirit.

What is Service and Witness Empowerment that Comes from Receiving Holy Spirit?

One of the primary reasons that the Holy Spirit is given to us as believers is for empowerment for Christian service and witness. Jesus’ last promise before ascending to heaven was clear: “But you will receive power when the Holy Sprit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” ( Acts 1:8).

Throughout the Book of Acts, there is evidence of this empowerment:

• A Bold and Efficacious Declaration: The same Peter, in a state of fear, increased the Spirit-filled boldness and boldly preached on the Day of Pentecost, and many thousands were saved(Acts 2). Stephen was “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3, 5), and of “grace and power” (Acts 6:8), doing great wonders and signs and speaking words of wisdom which his enemies were unable to refute (Acts 6:10).
• Guidance in the Work in missionary effort the Holy Spirit instructed and directed believers where to go or not go (Acts 8:29; Acts 13:2; Acts 16:6-7).
• The Supernatural Empowerment for Ministry: The Spirit empowered Christians variously with spiritual gifts (see 1 Cor. 12), anything that was needed for edifying the church and advancing the gospel. That is, it consisted of gifts of teaching, leading, healing, working of miracles, etc. in order to be used with efficiency.
• Perseverance in Persecution: In the early years of Christianity, it was extremely difficult to be a Christian. The Holy Spirit graciously empowered them to endure suffering and persecution—and even to do so with joy (Acts 5:41; 1 Thessalonians 1:6).

The reception of the Holy Spirit is, consequently, not for personal upliftment, but it gives each believer the ability to engage in God’s mission to the world through their declaration of Jesus Christ and through their works of mercy and justice as they demonstrate the power of God in all that they do.

DIRECTIONS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST INTRODUCTION What Does Personal Experience with the Infilling of the Holy Spirit Have to Do with Bible Doctrines?

Most personal experiences of receiving the Holy Spirit today follow Scripture pattern and principle. Of course, everyone’s subjective experience is different, but a number of similar themes arise which are in rough accord with the biblical testimony concerning the work of the Spirit – of a real experience of God that produces transformation and empowerment.

What Are Some Common Topics People Testify About When Receiving the Holy Spirit?

Among Christians who welcome and emphasize the Holy Spirit, the classic form of testimony is to tell of a “baptism of the Holy Spirit” experience, which often includes receiving at least one of the supernatural gifts described in the New Testament.The basic elements of such a testimonies can generally be crudely reduced to the same themes found in the Biblical description of the manifestations and results of the Holy Spirit. These patterns are not always the same right down to the detail, but suggests a pattern that is recognisable in the act of God.

• A Stronger Awareness of God: Others experience an increased sensitivity to God’s presence, love, and holiness. This may be associated with a great sense of joy, peace, or one of being covered with God’s glory. This accords with those passages talking about the Spirit’s revelation of God’s love (Romans 5.5) and the frequency in which joy is associated with the Spirit (Acts 13.52).
• Spiritual Release and Freedom: Some claim to feel “free” from burdens, fears, or past sins. Some might experience this as a deep inner cleaning, or new freedom in their relationship with God, as the Spirit already works sanctification and sets the believers free (Romans 8:2).
• Spiritual Insights or Understanding: People might convey how they have come to a sudden knowledge or understanding of truth, or a new insight into scripture or Lord Jesus. This is connected with the Spirit being the “Spirit of truth” who leads into all truth (John 16:13) and testifies about Jesus (John 15:26).
• Witness and Service: A testimony can often excite others to want to share their faith in Christ or to minister to a new group of people in the gospel. This is a direct manifestation of what Acts 1:8 foretells.
• Spiritual Gifts: For others, spiritual gifts are manifested during the encounter, such as tongues, prophecy, increased prayer or worship. These instances similar to the testimonies related in Acts (cf., Acts 2:4, 10:46, 19:6), and the doctrines of gifts in 1 Cor 12-14.
• A Greater Love for God and Other: A deeper love—an ability to love God, love other believers, and even love the lost with His compassion—is regularly described, consistent with the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
• A longing for holiness and obedience: Many experience an increased determination to live for God – to hate sin and long for righteousness which, of course, is a key element of the Spirit’s sanctifying activity in our lives (Ezekiel 36:27).

We must view personal experiences in the context of Scripture, never destroying the biblical content, but allowing the truth of God\’s Word to confirm and maintain spiritual health and stability.

How Can a Person in This Modern Age Take Practical Steps to Receive the Holy Spirit as They Did in the Bible?

These days one also can do sth to receive the Holy Spirit, by applying what is stated in the Bible. This is a act of faith; it is of desire of abundance in all that God has promised. The following are some steps (based on biblical principles) that can help direct a person in his or her search:

• A Foundation of Repentance and Faith in Jesus Christ: As already explained, true repentance from sin and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation. For he who has not taken that step, it must come first (Acts 2:38; Ephesians 1:13). This includes baptism in water as a demonstration of that belief.
• Know You Can Have It: Find out what the Bible has to say about the Holy Spirit (e.g., Luke 11:13, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38-39). Knowing that the Spirit is a Gift the Father wishes to give to His kids nurtures faith and hope.
• Nurture a Genuine Hunger: Cultivate a real appetite for more of God and the enabling presence of the Holy Spirit in your life (John 7:37 – 39). It should be God Himself that we want, not an experience or power.
• Ask in Faith: Specifically, Jesus urged His disciples to ask for the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Payer should be definite; praying to be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit once, then exercise faith that God is a good Father who gives good gifts.
• Yield and Surrender The reception of the Spirit entails yielding one’s life to God. This is a willingness to give up all of self–our mind, emotions, will, and body- to His control and use.
• Take Out Any Known Obstacles: The sin that isn’t confessed, the unforgiven hurt, or the lack of submission to God’s will can block openness to the Spirit. It is necessary to examine oneself and confess ones own limitations.
• Seek in Fellowship even if Alone: Although the Spirit can be received alone, it may be beneficial to seek the Holy Spirit in a faith-group or with experienced believers who can pray with and for you (as exemplified in the laying of hands in Ac 8 and 19).
• The Way and the Timing of God God may fill someone with His Spirit in a quiet prayer time or in a powerful corporate worship experience. These associated symptoms may be different. One needs to be open for how Go wants to work, rather than have a precursor idea locked in.
• Persist in Asking: The reality may be granted the moment you place a request; sometimes, it may require some time of seeking (See Luke 11:5-10 for ’asking’ in prayer).

The emphasis must always be on God\’s person, and on a closer walk with God, with the realization that the receiving of the Spirit is both for the glory of God and for effective involvement in the purposes of God.

What myths are being spread about how to receive the Holy Ghost?

It can be misleading about how you have to get the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit has to be received. Articulating these answers can aid believers in including this spiritual truth with biblical clarity and balance:

• That it’s All Just Emotionalism: Experiences of the Holy Spirit can be accompanied by intense emotions such as joy or awe, but it’s not purely or even necessarily an emotional experience. It is a real spiritual encounter with God that affects the entire being—spirit, soul (which includes our emotions, intellect, and will), and body. Over reliance on exhibition of emotions as the ultimate evidence can be deceptive.
• That it’s Only for Some Elite or “Super-Saints”: The gift of the Holy Spirit, as introduced by Peter on Pentecost Day is “for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:39). This suggests that the gift is for every believer.
• That it is Automatically Received in Fullness at Conversion and Cannot Be Sought After: Though the Holy Spirit indwells everyone who has come to faith in Christ (Rom 8:9), both scripture (e.g., Acts 8, Acts 19) and tradition (in Lk/Acts and later) distinguish between the indwelling of the Spirit at conversion and the empowering experience of a separate “baptism” or “filling” of the Holy Spirit, which may be sought.
• That Speaking in Tongues Is the Only Proof, and If You Haven’t Spoken in Tongues, You Haven’t Received: As we discussed above, tongues is a biblical sign, not in the sense that it is the only or required evidence for all believers. Rather, the focus should be on the wider work of the Spirit in strengthening character and equipping for witness.
• That it is a Frightening of Uncontrolled Experience: The Holy Spirit is a being in control,body in order, not of confusion(1st Corin.14:33,40). Although it may profoundly impact you, God isn’t usually going to override dude’s free will. One of the fruits of the Spirit is self-control (Galatians 5:23). Ephobia is largely a result of ignorance and wrong depictions.
• That It is a One-Time Experience with No Ongoing Aspect: Although there may be a moment of initial reception or filling with the Holy Spirit, the Bible also refers to multiple fillings (Ephesians 5:18: “be [continually] filled with the Spirit”) and walking in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16, 25). Many times, the first reception is the beginning of a life in the power and presence of the Spirit.
• That One Can “Work Up” the Experience by Human Effort: The Holy Spirit is received by grace through faith. There is activity involved, searching, praying, repenting – but it is a gift from God… not something obtained by human effort or emotional fervor.

A biblically shaped understanding will also help to correct these sorts of misperceptions and enable us to engage a desire to receive the Holy Spirit with faith, wisdom, and openness to God’s real work.

What Kind of Spiritual Experience is Being Filled with the Holy Spirit?

The baptism with Holy Spirit is a life-changing empowering event in which a believer receives a distinct impartation or filling of God’s Spirit. This experience is marked by a sense of the reality of God’s immediate presence and a bestowal of divine power for Christian life, witness, and service. It’s more than a theology; it’s a relationship with the third Person of the Trinity, which brings you into the closer, more intimate relationship with God whom Jesus had in mind. It may even become a major fulcrum in a saints spiritual development, increasing spiritual insight, character fruitfulness and ministry effectiveness. The Bible presents this experience as being a necessary aspect of living the Christian life à la God rather than according to human capability. How as a person might one acquire the Holy Spirit is, therefore, a matter of extraordinary import for those wishing to live out the Christian life to its fullest?

What Are Some Other Questions That Come Up When Talking About the Role of Holy Spirit in the Life of the Christian?

In addition to the beginning, how to get the Holy Spirit, there are some other questions about how the Holy Spirit operates, as well as His importance in the life of a Christian.

How does the indwelling & the filling of the Holy Spirit differ?

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is poured out by the Holy Spirit upon every born-again Christian throughout the entire time of his/her life starting at his/her spiritual birth. The filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) is a term describing the work of the Holy Spirit that is exerting control and influence upon the life of the believer, the experience could be continuous or repeated and empowers the believer for service and Christ like living.

Can you lose the Holy Spirit once You have it?

Most theological systems hold that the Holy Spirit, who seals a believer until the day of redemption (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30), cannot be “lost” by a true believer, which would demonstrate that he has no ultimate security. However, a believer can “grieve” the Holy Spirit by sin (Ephesians 4:30) or “quench” His work (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and their experience of God’s presence and power will be reduced.

What are the love gifts of the Holy Spirit?

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are bestowed by God to the church in order to build up the church and for ministry. Key passages for these lists are 1 Corinthians 12:8–10, 28–30; Romans 12:6–8; and Ephesians 4:11. These include gifts of utterance (prophecy, tongues), power (faith, healing, miracles), revelation (wisdom, knowledge, discerning of spirits) such as service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy.

How does the Holy Spirit assist a Christian in his daily life?

The Holy Spirit assists the believer in many ways: He enlightens the mind of the unsaved to recognize their need for Christ (John 16:7-11), convicts (convinces) the sinner of the salvation available in Christ (John 16:8-11), and regenerates those who respond in faith and repentance, giving them new life (Titus 3:5-6). He indwells the believer permanently (Romans 8:11, Ephesians 1:13-14), sealing the believer in salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 4:3). He enlightens the believer of truth (John 16:13). He fills (controls) the believer (Ephesians 5:18), and He affects the believer’s assurance of salvation (Romans 8:16). He aids the believer in prayer (Romans 8:26-27), and He acts as comforter and helper (John 14:16, Acts 9:31). And He is the One who empowers the believer to live a Christ-honoring life and to resist temptation (Romans 8:9-13).

What is the sin against the Holy Spirit?

The sin of blasphemy against the Spirit (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, Luke 12:10) is widely interpreted as a willful attributing to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit—accomplished through Jesus Christ—of satanic origin. It is a heart of unbelief that deliberately refuses to believe the highest witness of God’s Spirit to Christ and thereby bars itself against every possibility of repentance and pardon. It is a “sin which hath never forgiveness” because it is a rejection of the basis of conviction and of salvation.