Q&A - HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

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Q&A – HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU ARE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Acts 2: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

This is a question that seems to beset many believers.  It is a question that, more often than not, comes from questioning how the Holy Spirit can be inside of me if I am still committing sin, or if I am undisciplined, or am lacking power in my life, or am weak in faith.  It is usually not asked so much as a doctrinal question as it is a spiritual condition question (although it is a pet doctrinal issue for many).

To answer this question, we must first define the critical term. What do we mean by being “filled” with the Holy Spirit? This is where one runs into doctrinal issues rather quickly, and where theological opinions abound.

There are two answers to the question. 

1.  Being filled means, “to be indwelled by” the Holy Spirit.

2.  Being filled means, “to be under the influence of” the Holy Spirit. 

It seems to me that a disciple would KNOW when he/she is wholly under the influence of the Holy Spirit.  The manifestation of the Holy Spirit consuming our life’s expression would be rather obvious; and not the reason why someone would ask this question.  We will touch upon this idea, however, at the end of this study; but clearly what needs to be addressed is whether or not a disciple has the Holy Spirit at all.  So, let’s ask this question in a more direct way.

HOW CAN WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Acts 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahushua Messiah for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as IAUE our Elohim shall call.

Earlier in his address to the Jews that had assembled around the disciples that morning, Peter had explained that the phenomenon of the 120 disciples speaking in the languages of all the peoples who had gathered from many nations, declaring unto them the mighty acts of Elohim, was a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel.  Joel had said that in the latter days IAUE would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.  This was a manifestation of that.

Peter refers to the unmistakable and indisputable manifestation of the Holy Spirit that was the very cause of the crowd having gathered when he refers to “the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  He explained that one must repent and be baptized (in water), and then the gift of the Holy Spirit would be received…not just by the crowd that gathered that Pentecost morning; but “to all that are afar off, even as many IAUE our Elohim shall call.”

Peter was not laying down a formula.  He was not explaining that in order to receive the Holy Spirit you first had to repent, then you had to be baptized in water, and THEN you could receive the Holy Spirit.  If you think about it, the 120 disciples who had just been “filled” with the Holy Spirit had not been baptized in the name of Yahushua Messiah since his resurrection.  Before they were visited by the resurrected Messiah, many of them still had not resolved in their minds who he was.  After his death, they were all ready to go back to their old lives.  Any water baptism prior to the resurrection would not represent the same thing as it would after his resurrection.  This is evidenced in Acts 19 with the passionate Ephesian disciples who had received John’s baptism of repentance; but they were baptized again AFTER they had the word of Elohim more fully preached to them by Paul.  (Acts 19:1-7)

There are five instances in the Book of Acts where the experience of new believers receiving the Holy Spirit is recorded. 

The first is the 120 disciples who were in the upper room praying for ten days awaiting the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It is obvious that all of them had repented.  They had not received the Holy Spirit yet because He had not yet been given to man (John 7:39).  Messiah first had to complete the formalities of his sacrifice in the temple of IAUE not made with hands…in the presence of His Father, Himself.  Once that was completed, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples received the Holy Spirit (which was made evident, manifested by, their speaking in tongues). They were no doubt numbered among the 3,000 who believed and were baptized that day. (Acts 2:41)

The second incident is in Acts 8:5-17, when Phillip went to Samaria and preached the gospel and cast out demons, healed the sick, and healed the lame.  The whole city came to Messiah and the people were baptized in water; but it took Peter and John coming up to Samaria from Jerusalem to lay hands on these new disciples before they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Master Yahushua.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

The third incident is in Acts 9:1-18, when Paul confronted the resurrected and glorified Messiah on the Damascus road.  No doubt repentance was Paul’s first response.  After being blinded by the glory of the Master for three days, Ananias was sent to him to restore his sight and to fill him with the Holy Spirit.  Immediately after he his sight was restored and he received the Holy Spirit, Paul was baptized in water.

Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Master, even Yahushua, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

The fourth incident is in Acts 10:34-48, when Peter went to the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion.  As he preached the gospel to him, his family and friends, the Scripture says the Holy Spirit “fell upon them,” and then they began speaking in tongues and magnifying IAUE.  Peter recognized this as evidence of the same event they experienced on the day of Pentecost and said that they had received the “gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately, he instructed them to be baptized in water.

The fifth incident is in Acts 19:1-6, when Paul met with the disciples of John in Ephesus. Though the passage does not state it openly, it was apparent to Paul that these disciples were not “complete,” so he asked them point blank if they had received the Holy Spirit SINCE they believed.  They were unaware of any Holy Spirit. Paul asked them about their baptism; and they said they were baptized unto John’s baptism.  Hearing this, Paul understood they had not actually believed on Yahushua as Messiah.  When they believed on Yahushua, Paul baptized them, then laid his hands upon them; and they received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and prophesied.

If we consider that the unrecorded event of the 3,000 who were added to the church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41) followed the instructions of Peter (Acts 2:38), then we have six conversion events in the book of Acts:  Three received the Holy Spirit AFTER they were water baptized.  Three received the Holy Spirit BEFORE they were water baptized. 

The real point to be made here is that one first has to become a repentant believer, i.e., born again, become a new creature in Yahushua Messiah, BEFORE one is qualified to receive the Holy Spirit.  One does NOT automatically receive the Holy Spirit as a “package deal” with believing; therefore, “Have I received the Holy Spirit since I believed,” is the real question.  If you are not aware of a moment in your life AFTER you believed in Messiah when your body was invaded by the presence of the Spirit of the Creator, the answer is, “No.”  If no one has laid hands on you or prayed with you to receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit; or if you have not asked IAUE to give you his “gift” and filled your body with the Holy Spirit, the answer is, “No.”  If you did not approach your water baptism with the full expectation that you would receive the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit when you emerged from the water, the answer is, “No.”  If IAUE has not sovereignly filled you with the Holy Spirit (like the household of Cornelius experience), the answer is, “No.”

Next post we will discuss a “Yes” answer.