HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YE BELIEVED?
THIS WAS PAUL’S QUESTION to the 12 disciples of John the Baptist when he found them in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-2). These men were believers and only knew the teachings of John. What was the teaching of John? We read in Matthew 3:1-2,
“IN those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
JOHN’S MESSAGE was that of repentance, to believe in the coming Saviour Jesus Christ and for people to turn away from their sins. He also urged the believers who for baptism and confessed their sins to
“BRING forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:”
~Matthew 3:8
JOHN ALSO made them to know that although he baptized them with water, there was One coming that would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with Fire (Verse 11). So John was the one who first, in this gospel time, introduced us to the dispensation of the Holy Ghost.
ALTHOUGH WE HAD the promise in prophecy as we read in Joel 2:28 and 29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit,” the disciples of Jesus also received the promise from the Master Himself.
HE TOLD them,
“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high,”
~Luke 24:49
NOTICE HOW Jesus termed it, “the promise of the Father,” “Power from on high.”
ALTHOUGH THESE DISCIPLES who encountered John were saved, just as the disciples of Jesus were at the time they received the promise, they had no knowledge nor experience of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of Power.
NOTE AGAIN that Jesus connects the Spirit and Power when he said in Acts 1:8,
“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 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.”
IT IS THEREFORE CLEAR that the presence of the Holy Ghost in the heart is what makes a difference between two believers. Watch Paul filled with the Holy Ghost and the weak disciples of John without Him. Consider the fearful apostles of Christ before Jesus went to the cross and the same apostles after the Pentecost. I am sure you will see much difference as the apostles worked the works of God, healed the sick, withstood the fiery persecutions, preached the gospel in every city in the face of intimidation, raised the dead, discerned and cast out evil spirits and spoke in various languages they never learned and through it made known the truth in all lands.
YOU WILL NOTICE that Paul did not ask these simple folks if they spoke in tongues since they believed, rather he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost. Some people today are bent on speaking in tongues rather than receiving the spirit. Instead of seeking to be filled by the Spirit, they seek a kind of tongues. No wonder we see all kinds of spirits today manifesting in strange languages called tongues. Thank God such evil machinations of Satan have been exposed. God is not the author of confusion, the evidence that you are filled with the Spirit is not that you can speak in tongues, the evidences are those graces which the spirit of God bestow on you as recorded in Galatians 5:22,23. We will treat the tongues question another day.
HOWEVER, the Spirit of God changes the state of the heart and sanctifies it for God’s use. We see that as they humbled themselves in prayers they received it and began to speak with tongues and prophesied. They indeed were filled and became more useful and empowered.
A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE is a consecrated life in Christ Jesus. While many are satisfied with a shallow Christian experience, God has made available to us a deeper Christian experience through the presence of the Holy Ghost. No wonder, the shallow Christian is falling and rising everyday. He will always rely on the prayers of others to sustain his weak faith. No, don’t continue in this way, there is a higher level of power for you.
THE HOLY GHOST is the Christian’s power to preach and live out the gospel around the community and the larger society. It is the church’s power to propagate the doctrines of Christ in the face of compromise and opposition.
THE SPIRIT IS the Christian’s power to be holy. The Holy Spirit makes holy. The world of religion without the Holy Ghost cannot preach or live holiness. It is futile and empty talk for the church to preach holiness and not have the Holy Ghost. It is an empty talk for a Christian to talk about holy living without the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
AGAIN, IT IS a theological somersault for preachers to claim to have the Holy Spirit (speak in tongues and conduct deliverance) and proclaim that they cannot live holy. What then is the work of the Holy Ghost in their lives?
HAVE YE RECEIVED the Holy Ghost since ye believed? It is good that you have believed, now that you have received Jesus and have sworn to walk with Him and obey His commandments, but is it not time to seek his power, which is not for a few but a promise for all who believe?
HEAR WHAT Peter said on that day when the Holy Ghost first came upon man,
“FOR the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call,”
~Acts 2: 39
EVEN AS MANY as the Lord our God shall call. Has the Lord called you? If yes, then the promise of the Spirit is for you.
YOU MAY ASK, how do I receive the Holy Ghost? I have attended a church service where I was asked to receive the Holy Ghost and what the preacher was waiting to hear is that I should begin to mutter some shimma-shabba. Brother, if that is what you are seeking for, then be sure you may receive a spirit – but you will not receive the power of the Holy Ghost. It is by faith, not by signs or sight. Yes when you have received the power, you will begin to see its manifestation in your life. In your devotion and consecration; yes, in your ability and input in the spiritual work of God; yes, in your dispensation of the gift of God in you and most especially, your life will be adorned with His rich graces, the same Paul referred to as fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and 23.
LET ME EMPHASISE that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not the manifestation of some gift or the just the speaking of tongues – it is the entrance of the Spirit in the heart of a man. Jesus said,
“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,”
~John 14:17
NOTE THAT JESUS said He shall be IN YOU. It is not just an influence or a feeling. It is a real experience of change and a new level of relationship between man and God through the Spirit.
I ASK AGAIN, have you received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? This is your chance of giving your Christian experience a facelift and your walk with God a fun. May the Lord grant your desires as you seek his sanctifying power and a deeper experience in the Holy Ghost. Amen.
I have got this experence for about 4years now, when I am praying I cant pronuance any word again my toung we clif to the roof of mouth. The only thing I hear is diferent noice, it will coming out from inside me and I will feeling dezzy and body and head will be shaking as if I want to vomit.
This I think is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, Please how will I receive the Power?
My dear Ugiagbe,
Thanks for visiting our site and dropping a comment. It is our desire to ensure that people come to understand the truth about the Holy Ghost baptism and power. This is because what we are seeing today is not only a shame but a sham.
I do not really understand what your experiences are in relation to your religious inclinations, but the word of God speaks plainly.
First, the Holy Ghost is promised to all who believe. It is not for unbelievers. As you will read in Acts 19:1-2. It is for those who have believed. It is the sanctifying power of God in the hearts of believers (2Peter 2:13; 1Peter 1:2). The evidence that you have the Holy Spirit is not speaking in tongues, but the fruit of holiness and righteous living. It is not a sign to the believers (1 Cor. 14:22 ), but to unbelievers. Therefore it is out of place for anyone to seek for tongues as a sign that he has the Spirit of God. The evidences of the Spirit in found in Galatians 5.22-23.
As to your experience, without trying to pass any judgment, I would like you to know that the Spirit of God enhances and facilitates our prayers, and not impede or inhibits it.
The apostles under the influence of the Spirit of God did many mighty works. Do not take any experience for the Holy Spirit baptism. You have to understand its operation. When you pray and you can’t utter a word, what does it suggest? Are you edified? Are you able to communicate your burden? God’s will is that we pray. And prayer means talking or communing with God and the Holy Spirit is there to facilitate that. Any thing that hinders it is certainly not of God.
Referring to Romans 8: 26,27, it reads, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
This scripture refers to the role of the Spirit of God as prayer facilitator. When we are so confused and burdened about what to pray for He helps us. When we have groaning (pains and stress of the mind and problems seemingly beyond us so that we could not even utter them), the Spirit of God, knowing our mind, will communicate same to God on our behalf.
Again the Spirit of God is likened to a dove. It does not behave Himself unseemly and does not need to ruffle and make you uncomfortable. He expresses Himself in your living and helps you when you need comfort. He is Comforter and does not discomfort. So watch it. you need to be sure of the kind of experiences you have and seek help from a true minister of God that you be not deceived. Many false spirits are in the world. The Bible calls then seducing spirits. They impose themselves and seek to manipulate, but the Spirit of God is gentle, empowering you to attain higher spiritual realm of purity and holy living rather than a ritualistic exercise of religion.
You can receive the power by faith in God. Just the way you receive salvation and deliverance from sin, that is the same way you can receive the Spirit of God. In Acts chapter 2, the apostles were together in one accord praying in the upper room for a while and the power came. The records showed that people made themselves available to God as vessels purified and the Spirit came and filled their temple.
Faith is the word. If you seek for signs you will be deceived. Faith comes after you have met the conditions as stated in the article you read. 1. you must be free from sin or born again, for the Spirit cannot dwell in defiled temples. 2. you must seek it, by asking the Giver to anoint you with His Spirit. And in doing this you must believe, for without faith nothing can be received from God. You cannot receive the Spirit without His power.
He comes with it and if you are still sinning it means you do not have it, for Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes, He will reprove the world of sin, (John 15:8).
I will leave you with these words, praying that the Holy Spirit, who is our Divine Teacher will guide you into all truth.
Do feel free to write us on any Bible Issue and you may write us through The Church of God, P.O.Box 12840 , Wuse, Abuja or reach us on raysoftruth2000@yahoo.com.
Remain blessed.
Oluwole Josiah