How Do I Know I Have the Holy Spirit?
Of course, every new believer automatically receives the Holy Spirit the moment he or she believes... right?
Isn't that what the Bible says?
Let's check that out in the Word.
The following verses are usually very familiar:
Romans 8:9 "...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."
However, do those verses mean what they seem to, on the surface?
Or were they written to an audience who would understand them differently than we do, who have been taught modern Protestant theology?
In the Book of Acts, we have it clearly demonstrated for us, what the Apostles' doctrine was, in this.
In Acts 8, Phillip, a deacon, brought the Gospel to the Samaritans. And it says many Samaritans believed, and were baptized. But for some reason, the apostles saw a crisis. And they actually risked their lives to set the situation right.
This was in a time of severe persecution, when the believers were scattered from Jerusalem.
Only the Apostles remained there, but they had to be very careful. Their lives were in danger.
Most of us today, if we heard a heathen city had all come to faith in Christ, would immediately start rejoicing, and just assume they all received the Spirit the moment they believed.
But that wasn't the reaction of the Apostles.
Why?
Because something was very different about this.
What usually happened, had not happened.
It was such a crisis, that the apostles put their lives on the line, to correct this situation.
What was the crisis?
These people had believed in Jesus Christ.
And they had been baptized, therefore they were truly born again.
Didn't they automatically get it all?
Why was there a problem?
The apostles were expecting something else to happen.
The apostles were not satisfied with what we today have become accustomed to.
The apostles knew something most Christians do not know today!
They knew these new believers in Samaria had not yet "received" (v.15) the Holy Spirit, unless something easy to witness, was visibly evident!
What were they looking for?
Verse 16 tells us. They were looking for the Holy Ghost to "fall upon" them.
Think about that!
The Apostles did NOT teach that every new believer automatically received the Holy Spirit the moment they believed!
They had no such doctrine that that we hear today, which says, "some believers receive the Holy Spirit silently, with no outward manifestation."
Now, I know, most Bible scholars will be saying, "But the reason the Samaritan believers didn't yet receive the Holy Spirit, is because..."
And that's all true.
But that's not my point. I agree with the reason why they didn't.
But my question is not "why" didn't the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit when they believed?
These are my questions:
1. "HOW did they not receive Him?"
2. "HOW did the apostles know they didn't?"
3. "If it was possible for the Samaritans to be born again, without having yet received the Holy Ghost, then how can we today say that's impossible?"
Now, is this a pattern?
Did the Apostles always expect the Holy Spirit to "fall upon" new believers, to "evidence" outwardly that they had "received" Him?
Yes.
First of all, this entire episode would not have happened, otherwise.
Furthermore, this is a pattern evidenced elsewhere in Acts.
Look at Acts 19:1-7.
Paul came to Ephesus, and found 12 men who seemed to be "believers."
But something was strange. Something was missing.
He didn't see evidence of something he was looking for.
So he asked the question that reflects his concern:
"Have you received the Holy Spirit, since you believed?"
Now, think on this a minute.
Paul's question was sincere. He honestly was questioning whether or not they had yet received the Holy Spirit, even though he thought they were believers in Christ.
But when they confessed they had not yet even heard about Jesus, then the light went on!
So THAT's why they weren't evidencing the Holy Spirit!
So Paul took them back to square one, and got them started out correctly.
He taught them about Jesus Christ, and then baptized them in water.
But Paul wasn't finished yet.
Paul did not just "take it by faith" that everyone automatically receives the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again.
If Paul HAD taught that doctrine, he would never have done what he did next!
Paul then laid his hands on them, and prayed that they would receive the Holy Ghost!
Why?
Because obviously, Paul did NOT believe every believer automatically receives Him!
THIS, then, is the Apostles' Doctrine concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit:
#1. Believers do NOT automatically and silently receive the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again.
#2. Believers who are born again and baptized in water are then candidates to receive the Holy Spirit.
#3. There is an outward evidence, easily observable, which demonstrates that a believer has received the Holy Spirit. (Even Simon saw it, in Acts 8.)
#4. If this outward evidence is not yet present, it's a crisis. It's not the norm.
Now, this will present a crisis of faith to many.
But do you want the truth?
Or do you just want to be consoled, and made comfortable?
Do you want the Scriptures to make you comfortable in your experience?
Or do you want your experience to line up with the Scriptures?
Now, what about those earlier verses?
Stay tuned!
Isn't that what the Bible says?
Let's check that out in the Word.
The following verses are usually very familiar:
Romans 8:9 "...Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
Galatians 4:6 "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
1 Corinthians 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."
Ephesians 1:13 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise."
However, do those verses mean what they seem to, on the surface?
Or were they written to an audience who would understand them differently than we do, who have been taught modern Protestant theology?
In the Book of Acts, we have it clearly demonstrated for us, what the Apostles' doctrine was, in this.
In Acts 8, Phillip, a deacon, brought the Gospel to the Samaritans. And it says many Samaritans believed, and were baptized. But for some reason, the apostles saw a crisis. And they actually risked their lives to set the situation right.
This was in a time of severe persecution, when the believers were scattered from Jerusalem.
Only the Apostles remained there, but they had to be very careful. Their lives were in danger.
Most of us today, if we heard a heathen city had all come to faith in Christ, would immediately start rejoicing, and just assume they all received the Spirit the moment they believed.
But that wasn't the reaction of the Apostles.
Why?
Because something was very different about this.
What usually happened, had not happened.
It was such a crisis, that the apostles put their lives on the line, to correct this situation.
What was the crisis?
These people had believed in Jesus Christ.
And they had been baptized, therefore they were truly born again.
Didn't they automatically get it all?
Why was there a problem?
The apostles were expecting something else to happen.
The apostles were not satisfied with what we today have become accustomed to.
The apostles knew something most Christians do not know today!
They knew these new believers in Samaria had not yet "received" (v.15) the Holy Spirit, unless something easy to witness, was visibly evident!
What were they looking for?
Verse 16 tells us. They were looking for the Holy Ghost to "fall upon" them.
Think about that!
The Apostles did NOT teach that every new believer automatically received the Holy Spirit the moment they believed!
They had no such doctrine that that we hear today, which says, "some believers receive the Holy Spirit silently, with no outward manifestation."
Now, I know, most Bible scholars will be saying, "But the reason the Samaritan believers didn't yet receive the Holy Spirit, is because..."
And that's all true.
But that's not my point. I agree with the reason why they didn't.
But my question is not "why" didn't the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit when they believed?
These are my questions:
1. "HOW did they not receive Him?"
2. "HOW did the apostles know they didn't?"
3. "If it was possible for the Samaritans to be born again, without having yet received the Holy Ghost, then how can we today say that's impossible?"
Now, is this a pattern?
Did the Apostles always expect the Holy Spirit to "fall upon" new believers, to "evidence" outwardly that they had "received" Him?
Yes.
First of all, this entire episode would not have happened, otherwise.
Furthermore, this is a pattern evidenced elsewhere in Acts.
Look at Acts 19:1-7.
Paul came to Ephesus, and found 12 men who seemed to be "believers."
But something was strange. Something was missing.
He didn't see evidence of something he was looking for.
So he asked the question that reflects his concern:
"Have you received the Holy Spirit, since you believed?"
Now, think on this a minute.
Paul's question was sincere. He honestly was questioning whether or not they had yet received the Holy Spirit, even though he thought they were believers in Christ.
But when they confessed they had not yet even heard about Jesus, then the light went on!
So THAT's why they weren't evidencing the Holy Spirit!
So Paul took them back to square one, and got them started out correctly.
He taught them about Jesus Christ, and then baptized them in water.
But Paul wasn't finished yet.
Paul did not just "take it by faith" that everyone automatically receives the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again.
If Paul HAD taught that doctrine, he would never have done what he did next!
Paul then laid his hands on them, and prayed that they would receive the Holy Ghost!
Why?
Because obviously, Paul did NOT believe every believer automatically receives Him!
THIS, then, is the Apostles' Doctrine concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit:
#1. Believers do NOT automatically and silently receive the Holy Spirit the moment they are born again.
#2. Believers who are born again and baptized in water are then candidates to receive the Holy Spirit.
#3. There is an outward evidence, easily observable, which demonstrates that a believer has received the Holy Spirit. (Even Simon saw it, in Acts 8.)
#4. If this outward evidence is not yet present, it's a crisis. It's not the norm.
Now, this will present a crisis of faith to many.
But do you want the truth?
Or do you just want to be consoled, and made comfortable?
Do you want the Scriptures to make you comfortable in your experience?
Or do you want your experience to line up with the Scriptures?
Now, what about those earlier verses?
Stay tuned!
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