Q&A - HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

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Q&A – HOW CAN YOU KNOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

In our last post we examined the recorded events in the Book of Acts where people responded to the gospel and received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  In Acts 8, with Philip in Samaria, it was possibly a week or two before Peter and John in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had responded to the gospel and made the 30+ mile trek up to Samaria to impart the Holy Spirit to the repentant, water-baptized disciples.  The Ephesian disciples in Acts 19 believed the gospel as explained by Paul, were baptized in water, and then Paul laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

It is indisputable from the Scriptural record that the initial role of the Holy Spirit in conversion is to give birth to new believers and to place them into the body of Messiah.  It is a secondary, but equally important role, to indwell the new believer with His own presence.

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.

Note in this verse that in baptism, the baptizing agent is external to the person; but in drinking, the agent is internal.  In repentance and belief, the Holy Spirit’s work is external; but in receiving the Holy Spirit, His presence is internal.

The question we are facing, today, is how do we know if we have received the Holy Spirit?  What are the evidences that the Holy Spirit is internal to us and not just external?  Throughout the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come “upon” a person to enable a desired response such as to prophesy, to have supernatural strength, to receive a revelation, etc. Let’s look at what the Scriptures say would happen when the Holy Spirit comes “inside” a person.

John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In my own experience, from the moment I received the Holy Spirit, I immediately began to saturate myself in the Scriptures.  I wanted to learn absolutely as much as was possible to learn from the Word of IAUE. I instantly became a student, and the Holy Spirit became my teacher.  There wasn’t even a thought given to it. It was just the most natural and obvious thing for me to do.  Scriptures I had read often throughout my prior years became opened to me with insight and understanding that had eluded me until then. It was almost as if I was reading the Scriptures for the first time.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

1 John 5:6  This is he that came by water and blood, even Yahushua Messiah; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

Many believers often have doubts about their faith, about Yahushua being real, even doubting the very existence of IAUE. All such doubts originate with the whispers of the enemy.  Once a believer is indwelled by the Holy Spirit, he/she has a constant witness from the Spirit of IAUE that Messiah indeed has come in the flesh, has redeemed man, and sits at the right hand of the Creator.  The Spirit testifies of Yahushua…of the Truth (see John 16:13).

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of Elohim is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

 Possibly the most important function of the Holy Spirit in our lives is to lead us in paths of righteousness.  “Righteousness” is almost exclusively a “religious” word seldom used outside the context of Scriptures; so it has been the subject of much tradition blinding us to its real significance.  In simplest terms, righteousness is the moral purity by which IAUE makes all His decisions, and upon which all His words, actions and behavior are based.  He expects us to live righteously; and to make that possible, He has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit…His Spirit.  “Holy” is essentially that condition produced by righteousness.  It is what “sets us apart” from what is not righteous.

If you do not have an internal compass pointing you to moral purity in your decisions, words, actions and behavior; and if you do not sense conviction immediately upon failing to be righteous in these areas, you probably have never received the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. IAUE hates sin.  The Holy Spirit of IAUE breathes His hatred for sin within us.

When one receives the Holy Spirit, there is a sense of completion that overwhelms you; and that brings a peace that cannot be stolen by circumstances.  With that peace; and possibly as a fruit of that peace, there is a joy that is also not based on your outward circumstances.  Though you may not be at all happy with what is happening around you, it has no bearing whatsoever on the constant presence of peace and joy in your life.  If this is not your experience, it is likely you have not received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Mark 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Power is an undeniable evidence of the Holy Spirit; but, unfortunately, it is one that is often sacrificed to tradition and bad doctrine.  One must choose to act in the power of the Holy Spirit.  It does not happen by accident.  Because of errant tradition and wrong teaching, many believers never experience participation with the Holy Spirit to impart the power of IAUE into the lives of those who need it.

Is Speaking in Tongues “THE” Evidence of Receiving the Holy Spirit?

There are many books that have been written and many preachers and teachers that present the idea that speaking in tongues is the foremost and inseparable evidence of one being filled with the Holy Spirit; even to the point that they believe that if you have not spoken in tongues, you have not yet received.  I would humbly submit that they are simply mistaken.  Personally, I think THEY want to hear one speak in tongues to placate their own need to be satisfied that one has received the Holy Spirit.

If we look back over the accounts from Scripture where people come to Messiah and are born again, water baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, we will find that there is no reference to speaking in tongues associated with the 3,000 converts on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the Samaritans in Acts 8, the apostle Paul in Acts 9, or the Philippian jailer in Acts 16. Consequently, it is not wise to try to force a doctrinal position that speaking in tongues is necessarily the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit.  We do know, however, from 1 Corinthians 14, that Paul spoke in tongues often and much.  When he first spoke in tongues is not known.  In my own experience, I desperately wanted to speak in tongues when I went forward in a bible study meeting for ministry.  The Holy Spirit’s indwelling was extremely dramatic for me, so much so that I refer to my body as being invaded by His presence.  He came into me with a dramatic force; and almost instantly I craved to study the Scriptures with a voracious appetite for the Truth. It was two weeks later when I first spoke in tongues.

It can be declared with Scriptural confidence that the believer is expected to speak/pray in tongues, based on Mark 16 and 1 Corinthians 14.  If you don’t pray in tongues, it is possible that you have not received the Holy Spirit; but it may also be possible, you just haven’t allowed the Holy Spirit to manifest that ability in your life. 

There are many other evidences that the Holy Spirit is within the believer; but they are not automatic.  They require participation and abiding in Messiah.  I want to focus, in this study, on the automatic evidences of His indwelling presence in order to provide you with a framework to determine whether or not you have received the Holy Spirit in your own life.

If you have the least bit of uncertainty about whether or not you have received the Holy Spirit since you believed upon Messiah Yahushua, I would encourage you to waste no time either to go to a brother or sister whom you know for a certainty is filled with the Holy Spirit and ask them to lay hands on you and to pray that you might be filled with the Holy Spirit; or, if there is no one near you that meets that qualification, then pray for yourself.

Luke 11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Simply declare to the Father your faith in Messiah; thank Him for making you a new creature in Messiah Yahushua; and ask Him for the gift that He wants to give you.  Ask Him to give you His Holy Spirit; then thank Him for doing so.  You will not be denied.