Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit As A Testimony
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16). We once had lost our identity as God’s children because we had sinned against Him. But by Christ’s salvation, we are now God’s children again. God now gives us the Holy Spirit as a witness to tell us that we are His children.
We are also spiritually dead in sin. But God restored our spiritual life, giving us eternal life. Now God lives in us through His spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us that assurance of God’s presence. “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (1 John 3:24).
The Holy Spirit is also a “seal” that guarantees God’s promise of a heavenly home for believers. How do we know that Christ is alive? We know because His promise of the Holy Spirit has been fulfilled. How do we know that heaven is real? We know by the Holy Spirit God has poured out on us.
How To Receive The Holy Spirit
Knowing that we need to have the Holy Spirt to be saved, we must ask ourselves, “Do I have the Holy Spirit?” Even if you have already accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you may not have received the Holy Spirit yet. If God has not given you the sign of speaking of tongues, you have not received the Holy Spirit. This is why the apostle Paul asked the believers he met, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” (Acts 19:2).
They replied that they had not received or heard of the Holy Spirit. After baptising them, Paul laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
Be Baptised
To receive the Holy Spirit, we need to go through conversion, We must believe in the Lord Jesus as Our Saviour, humbly repent of our sins, and be baptised into Christ. Baptism goes hand in hand with the promise of the Holy Spirt; we cannot have one without the other.
“Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). If you have been baptised in a way that is different from what the Bible teaches, or have not received that complete gospel of salvation, you will need to receive baptism and the gospel in the True Jesus Church.
Obey The Truth
God gives the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32). Since the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, everyone who wishes to receive the Holy Spirit must humbly study and obey the true gospel taught by the true church.
Pray
We also must ask God for the Holy Spirt. The heavenly Father gives the Holy Spirit “to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). Prayer is the way to ask for the Holy Spirit.
Begin your prayer by saying, “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray.” The Lord promised, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do” (John 14:13). It is only by the name of Jesus Christ that we have the privilege to make a request to God. So we offer a prayer in His name. In your prayer, speak to God and tell Him how much you need Him or wish to know Him. Invite Him to come into your heart and give His Holy Spirit.
You may also praise Him, saying, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord Jesus.” “Hallelujah” means “praise the Lord.” The is the way the multitude in heaven worships God. While you praise God with your lips, your prayer must also come from your heart. With a humble attitude, come before God, asking for forgiveness and mercy: “God have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).
Thirst for the Holy Spirit as if you are thirsting for water. With faith in God’s promise, and through persistent prayer and earnest longing, you will receive the Holy Spirit as the Lord promised. When the promised Holy Spirit comes upon you, just as recorded in Scripture, you will be moved to speak in unknown tongues. You may also experience warmth and power from above.
The Holy Spirit is from God; so when you receive the Holy Spirit, the experience is not frightening one, or one where people lose control or consciousness. You will remain conscious and may end your prayer any time. This is a wonderful sign from God, and it is the same experience that Jesus’ disciples experiences two thousand years ago, when the precious gift of the Holy Spirit first came down to man.
Evidence of Receiving The Holy Spirit
When a person receives the Holy Spirit, God gives a sign to show that the Holy Spirit is in him. The sign is the speaking of tongues—the ability to speak in an unknown language that only God can understand. “For he who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries” (1 Corinthians 14:2). The speaking of tongues is a profound communion with God, for prayer and for praising God.
When God poured out His promised Holy Spirit for the first time on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the believers began to speak in tongues. Since then, whenever the Holy Spirit came upon the believers, it was evidenced by the speaking of tongues. Anyone who has not had this experience has not yet received the Holy Spirit, because speaking in tongues is the necessary evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Receiving the Holy Spirit is an experience that is audible and very often visible. It is audible because of the sign of speaking in tongues. It is often visible by the movement of the body, although this is not a necessary sign. The disciples of the Lord Jesus said that they as well as the observers could “see and hear” the pouring out of the Holy Spirit. The speaking of tongues is not a one-time experience only. Because the Holy Spirit dwells in us, we can speak in tongues whenever we pray.
Through praying in tongues, “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26). Speaking in tongues is beyond human expression and makes our prayers more effective because it is direct, spiritual language with God. As human beings, we all have the desire to express ourselves; but the expression is often not verbal. In moments of joy, for example, we laugh. In times of fear, we scream. In times of sadness, we sob.
Sometimes we ache so deeply that mere words cannot convey our pain. Sometimes “thank you” hardly expresses our heartfelt appreciation to God. We may have the drive to say something, but to say it clearly and concisely is often beyond our oral abilities. But when the Holy Spirit prays for us, He replaces our earthly words with a spiritual language. Our hearts become satisfied.