Did You Receive When You Believed?

By David Sheats

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God's provision for bringing believers into the reality of His indwelling presence. It is through the Holy Spirit that the work accomplished by Christ at Calvary becomes a living reality within us, enabling true fellowship with God and grace to live the Christian life. A common assumption in Christianity is that every believer automatically receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. This message challenges that assumption and encourages a fresh look at what the Scriptures actually teach concerning receiving the Holy Spirit. It also addresses the evidence of the Spirit's presence, common hindrances to receiving, and the necessity of continuing to walk in the Spirit.

Table of Contents

- Do We Automatically Receive the Holy Spirit?

- The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

- From "With" to "In"

- The Way into the Riches of God

- The Evidence of Spiritual Baptism

- Hindrances

- Walking in the Spirit

- Comments on John 20:22

- Comment on Acts 2:38

- Questions to consider regarding the Samaria believers (Acts 8)

Do We Automatically Receive the Holy Spirit?

b'It seems there is almost a universal belief in Christian\r\ncircles today that we automatically receive the Holy Spirit when we first\r\nbelieve in Jesus. To even raise the question may seem almost heretical, yet\r\nthere are some very clear scriptures that would indicate otherwise. Jesus went\r\nto Calvary so that God could indwell each believer by the Holy Spirit, so it is\r\nvitally important to get this right. If we try to live the Christian life\r\nwithout the indwelling Holy Spirit, we will miss out on the basic source of\r\ngrace, and our experience of God will be greatly diminished from what God has\r\nintended. '

b'At the end of this article, we will look at some of the\r\nscriptures used to back the doctrine of automatically receiving the Spirit, but\r\nfirst let us explore the scriptures that show otherwise. It is not our purpose\r\nto deal with every possible argument, but to encourage those who are hungry for\r\nmore of God to make sure they are living in the reality of the indwelling God.\r\nLet us look again at all the scriptures with an open mind and let God reveal\r\nwhere we are, both in our experience and in our understanding, that we may not\r\nmiss what God has provided for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. '

b'"And it\r\nhappened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the\r\nupper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, \'Did\r\nyou receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?\' So they said to him, \'We have\r\nnot so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit\'" (Acts 19:1-2).\r\nWhen Paul came to Ephesus and found these believers, he evidently detected some\r\nlack that caused him to ask this question. Today I believe we can ask the same\r\nquestion. There is often a great lack of the presence and power of God. There\r\nis religious activity, but little manifestation of men dealing with the eternal\r\nGod. Do we want the fullness of God that we read about in the scriptures, or\r\nare we content where we are? If we are content, this exhortation will have no\r\nmeaning. But if we are thirsty for more than we are experiencing, it may be the\r\ndoor into a greater reality of fellowship with God.'

b'Many have dismissed Paul\'s question because he next\r\ndiscovered that these disciples (believers) had only been baptized by John\'s\r\nbaptism. That is true, but if a believer automatically receives the Holy Spirit\r\nwhen they first believe, why would he ask the question? If receiving\r\naccompanied believing, his question would be "Have you really believed in\r\nJesus?" or something similar. In this situation, it appears that these\r\ndisciples had responded to everything they knew (possibly from the ministry of\r\nApollos). It is also significant that even after Paul explained the way more\r\nfully and they were baptized in the name of Jesus, they still did not receive\r\nthe Holy Spirit until Paul laid his hands on them.'

b'There is another case in scripture that is even more\r\nobvious. "Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria\r\nhad received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they\r\nhad come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as\r\nyet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of\r\nthe Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit"\r\n(Acts 8:14-17). In this account Luke tells us that these believers had received\r\nthe word with joy, they had been baptized in the name of Jesus, and there were\r\ngreat miracles worked in their midst. Yet they had not yet received the Holy Spirit,\r\nand the apostles were sent to correct the situation. If we automatically\r\nreceive the Holy Spirit upon believing, how is this account possible? '

b'I trust that these two examples are enough to show that we\r\ncannot assume that a person has received the Holy Spirit just because they have\r\nbelieved in Jesus Christ.'

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

b'Just the mention of baptism "in" or "with"\r\nthe Holy Spirit tends to provoke a defense from many. There are many reasons\r\nfor this, but let\'s look again at a few scripture passages.'

b'"Now as the\r\npeople were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John,\r\nwhether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, \'I indeed\r\nbaptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I\r\nam not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire\'"\r\n(Luke 3:15-16).'

b'"And being\r\nassembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,\r\nbut to wait for the Promise of the Father, \'which,\' He said, \'you have heard from\r\nMe; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy\r\nSpirit not many days from now\'" (Acts 1:4-5).'

b'These two accounts are from the beginning and the end of\r\nthe ministry of Jesus here on this earth. One introduces His ministry and is\r\nmentioned in all four gospels. The other is at the end, just before He departed\r\nto be with His Father. Do they not strike you as very important? When a man is\r\ngetting ready to depart on a long journey, his final instructions are usually\r\nquite important. The instruction from Jesus in Acts 1:4 is of this nature. This\r\npromise of Jesus was fulfilled in the first 120 believers on the day of\r\nPentecost and is recorded for us by Luke in Acts 2. I think we are all familiar\r\nwith the account, so I will not repeat that here. However, I do want to point\r\nout that the promise was only fulfilled for 120 believers, and there is no\r\nstatement in scripture to indicate that this baptism with the Holy Spirit is\r\nautomatic for all believers afterward.'

b'When did the first believers receive the Holy Spirit?\r\nConsider the statement by Peter at the house of Cornelius: "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell\r\nupon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed\r\nwere astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit\r\nhad been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with\r\ntongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, \'Can anyone forbid water, that\r\nthese should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we\r\nhave?\' And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then\r\nthey asked him to stay a few days" (Acts 10:44-48). When Peter says "they\r\nreceived the Holy Spirit just as we have," what event is he referring to?\r\nHis reference to the evidence makes it clear he is referring to what happened\r\nin the upper room on the day of Pentecost. '

b'Peter states that the same promise they experienced on\r\nthat day was also for us: "\xd6\xb2\'Therefore\r\nlet all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom\r\nyou crucified, both Lord and Christ.\' Now when they heard this, they were cut\r\nto the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, \'Men and\r\nbrethren, what shall we do?\' Then Peter said to them, \'Repent, and let every\r\none of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins;\r\nand you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you\r\nand to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God\r\nwill call\'" (Acts 2:36-39).'

b'We are those who are "afar off." We also need\r\nwhat the disciples experienced in the upper room and what Peter offered to the\r\ngreat crowd on that day. The promise is for us, but we must avail ourselves of\r\nit. The Holy Spirit being given on the Day of Pentecost did not make it\r\nautomatic for the disciples at Samaria in Acts 8, the household of Cornelius in\r\nActs 10, or the disciples at Ephesus in Acts 19. They all had to receive by a\r\nspecific act of faith. Listen to what Paul told the Galatians: "This only I want to learn from you:\r\nDid you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?--"\r\n(Gal. 3:2). '

b'In scripture, we don\'t read of any provision of God that\r\nbecomes ours automatically. Even though Christ has made all things available to\r\nus, everything must be appropriated by faith. Pentecost was truly a historical\r\nevent marking the beginning of Christ building His church, but it is also an\r\nevent that is to be repeated in the life of each believer. All of us need our "Pentecost."\r\nThe specific details may vary from person to person, but the essence of the\r\ntransaction with God is the same. '

From "With" to "In"

b'The scriptures above are enough to show that the baptism\r\nin the Holy Spirit is available to all, and that through this baptism we\r\nexperience the indwelling of God. It is by this baptism that we experience what\r\nJesus spoke of in the upper room before He went to Calvary. John chapters 14\r\nthrough 16 are rich with truth that can help us, but I will quote just a few\r\nstatements: "And I will pray the\r\nFather, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the\r\nSpirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor\r\nknows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.\r\nI will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:16-18). "I still have many things to say to\r\nyou, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has\r\ncome, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own\r\nauthority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to\r\ncome. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to\r\nyou. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will\r\ntake of Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:12-15).'

b'Notice that Jesus said that the Holy Spirit was "with\r\nthem" but would be "in them." This is a foundational statement\r\nand answers many of our questions. When thinking about the baptism in the\r\nSpirit, many recount their past experiences with God and think that the Spirit\r\nmust be within or they could not have experienced those things. The Holy Spirit\r\nhas been working in all things from the beginning of creation, but He could not\r\ndwell within us until Christ paid the price of sin at Calvary. The Old\r\nTestament saints experienced the Spirit "coming upon them" or "in\r\nthem" on many occasions, but He never came to dwell within in the same way\r\nHe did on the Day of Pentecost. If that had been possible in the Old Testament,\r\nChrist did not need to go to Calvary. The Spirit coming to dwell within men on\r\nthe Day of Pentecost was a new event, never before experienced by any man. The\r\ndisciples during the time of Jesus experienced many things (including the\r\nrevelation of who Jesus was) but they did not know "God within" until\r\nthe veil was torn at Calvary and the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost. We\r\nalso may have experienced the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, but that\r\nin itself does not prove He has come to dwell within, making us alive unto God.\r\n'

b'What is the difference between "with" and "in"?\r\nConsider this statement of Jesus, together with John\'s comment: "On the last day, that great day of the\r\nfeast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, \'If anyone thirsts, let him come to\r\nMe and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his\r\nheart will flow rivers of living water.\' But this He spoke concerning the\r\nSpirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not\r\nyet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39). From\r\nthis statement of Jesus I believe we can say the main difference is that when\r\nthe Holy Spirit (God) dwells within, there will be a resource coming from our\r\ninner man that is clearly divine and brings a consciousness of God that we did\r\nnot have before. Paul says that His Spirit is joined with our spirit (1 Cor. 6:17),\r\nand this makes our spirit alive unto God in a way we never experienced before.\r\nThe "rivers of living water" flowing from the throne of God bring us\r\ninto union and fellowship with God and what He is doing, in His eternal\r\npurpose. This union brings an ability that is of God and His resources. But\r\nnote that John clearly explained this would not happen until Jesus was glorified.\r\n'

b'A second familiar statement of Jesus is this: "But you shall receive power when the\r\nHoly Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,\r\nand in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).\r\nMany have understood this to be power to minister the gospel: preaching,\r\nmiracles, and doing the work of God. I agree we do need God\'s power to do those\r\nthings, but each of us needs power beyond ourselves to be true sons and\r\ndaughters of God, and to "live His life." We cannot live the\r\nChristian life by self-effort. Whatever level we may attain to by our efforts\r\nwill always fall short of what God expects. God does not ask us to "live\r\nour lives for Him," but to live His life by the faith that He authors in\r\nour hearts. Paul said it this way: "I\r\nhave been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives\r\nin me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in [or of]\r\nthe Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). How\r\ncan we live His life except by having His Spirit indwelling us?'

b'To say this another way, it is the work of the Holy Spirit\r\nto make all that Jesus did for us at Calvary real to us and in us. Without the\r\nindwelling God, the work of Christ remains as a fact in history but lacks\r\npersonal and practical application in everyday life. The foundation of our\r\nsalvation is the work Christ did at Calvary, and everything He is doing in our\r\nlives today is based on that. But God does not intend that we try to apprehend\r\nin our minds the truth of what Christ did for us at Calvary, then work to apply\r\nit in our lives with our natural ability. Rather, He has sent the Holy Spirit\r\nto do within us what we cannot do. Our place is to receive the Holy Spirit into\r\nour lives, and then in cooperation with Him, by faith, let God work His work as\r\nHe chooses. "Therefore, my beloved,\r\nas you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my\r\nabsence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who\r\nworks in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:12-13).'

The Way into the Riches of God

b'What is the way into God\'s provision for us in His Spirit?\r\nA good place to begin is with the statement of Jesus already quoted from John\r\n7:37. Jesus said, "Thirst, come, and drink." If we are not thirsty\r\nfor more than we have, I sincerely doubt that we will seek more. A man who is\r\nthirsty looks for water. Are we thirsty, or are we satisfied with our present\r\nexperience of God? If we are thirsty for more, here is what Jesus says to do: "Come\r\nto Me."'

b'What does it mean to come to Jesus? We may feel that we already\r\nhave, and I am sure that most who are reading this have initially done so. But\r\nthroughout scripture we find that God bids us to "come" and "keep\r\ncoming." In the words of Jesus in John 15: "Abide or live in Me."\r\nOur objective throughout our whole life is a greater apprehension and\r\nexperience of Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no end to this pursuit because\r\nthere is no end to Christ. God is summing up all things in Christ, and all\r\nspiritual reality is to be found in union with Christ. The baptism with the\r\nHoly Spirit by Jesus brings us into that union initially, and as we respond to\r\nthe Holy Spirit, our relationship grows in a never-ending way. '

b'What does Jesus mean by "drink"? When we drink a\r\nglass of water, we take it into ourselves. The water becomes part of us. We do\r\nnot just look at the glass of water--to benefit, we must take it in. It is the\r\nsame with the Spirit. We must "take Him in." We must receive. God does\r\nnot force the Holy Spirit upon us. He has made the union available to us, but\r\nwe must willingly yield ourselves and receive Him. We can choose to receive or\r\nchoose to reject. God has made us with the ability to choose, but He does not\r\nforce how we choose. '

b'To say this another way, Paul says that faith comes by\r\nhearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:17). When we focus on Jesus\r\n(the living Word), we can expect Him to "speak" the Word of God to\r\nus. In the word that He speaks, there is direction, and a response is required.\r\nFaith is always completed by obedience. Each step of obedience brings us to a\r\nnew place in God where we are able to receive more. '

b'There are so many scripture passages that speak of the\r\nriches that God has opened up to us in Christ, such as: "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of\r\nsins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in\r\nall wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will,\r\naccording to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation\r\nof the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in\r\nChrist, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him. In Him also we\r\nhave obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him\r\nwho works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first\r\ntrusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also\r\ntrusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in\r\nwhom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise..."\r\n(Eph. 1:7-13)'

b'Whenever we see the term "in Christ Jesus," we\r\ncan almost always read it "in union with Christ Jesus," and it is the\r\nHoly Spirit who accomplishes that union. That is why Paul says that we were "sealed"\r\n(or "stamped" or "secured") with the Holy Spirit of\r\npromise. This encouragement and similar passages were written to those who had\r\nreceived the Holy Spirit during their initial response to the Lord. In the book\r\nof Acts, we see that repentance, believing in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin,\r\nwater baptism, and receiving the Spirit are all part of our beginning walk with\r\nGod. This is what Peter told the crowd on the day of Pentecost: "\'Therefore let all the house of Israel\r\nknow assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and\r\nChrist.\' Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to\r\nPeter and the rest of the apostles, \'Men and brethren, what shall we do?\' Then\r\nPeter said to them, \'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name\r\nof Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of\r\nthe Holy Spirit\'" (Acts 2:36-38).'

b'The way we come into an initial relationship with Jesus by\r\nthe Spirit is the same way that we continue. Here are Paul\'s statements to the\r\nGalatians: "This only I want to\r\nlearn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the\r\nhearing of faith?--" (Gal. 3:2) "Therefore\r\nHe who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it\r\nby the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Gal. 3:5). Thus,\r\naccording to Paul, the way to receive the Spirit initially is "by the\r\nhearing of faith" and the way to know a supply of the Spirit is the same,\r\nnamely "the hearing of faith." Jesus is the author of our faith and\r\nthe finisher of our faith, so we come to Jesus for the faith we need to receive\r\nthe Spirit, and He is the one who will complete the transaction by giving us\r\nthe Spirit. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit within that gives us the\r\nability to make Jesus our Lord in reality: "Therefore\r\nI make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus\r\naccursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit"\r\n(1 Cor. 12:3).'

The Evidence of Spiritual Baptism

b'How will we know that we have been baptized by Jesus with\r\nthe Spirit? How do we know that we are living His life? These and related\r\nquestions seem to be the source of much disagreement among Christians around\r\nthe world. What should be a great source of unity and joy seems instead to\r\nbring conflict and division. How can we come past this and see a greater\r\nexperience and testimony of God?'

b'The scripture indicates there are two main evidences of\r\nthe presence of the indwelling God: the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of\r\nthe Spirit. Both originate in God. Both are manifested in and through believers,\r\nand both require a relationship of faith to be experienced. Gifts are more quickly\r\nseen, while fruit takes more time to grow. I Cor. 12:1-11 speaks of the gifts\r\nof the Spirit and Galatians 5:22-23 speaks of the fruit of the Spirit. These\r\nshould go together and reveal God in and through each member of the body of\r\nChrist.'

b"There seems to be very little disagreement about the fruit\r\nof the Spirit, but a discussion of spiritual gifts seems to bring questions and\r\ncontroversy. Why should this be? Don't we need all that God has provided? Would\r\nGod ever make a gift available to us that is not needed? Would God ever keep\r\nanything from us that is needful? God's provision is perfect in every way. Our\r\nplace is not to reason about what we need or don't need, but to press into God\r\nto experience everything He has provided for His purpose and glory. "

b'The controversy usually seems to center on "tongues,"\r\nwhich is recorded in several accounts in Acts as an initial and supernatural\r\nevidence of the Holy Spirit\'s incoming. "Do I have to speak in tongues?"\r\nis a frequent question. No, you don\'t have to do anything, but don\'t you want\r\neverything God has provided? Paul says that "he who speaks in a tongue\r\nedifies himself." Don\'t we all need edification? We may not understand\r\nwhat we need in the beginning, but God does. Did Cornelius know what he needed?\r\nGod did, and He moved to provide that need. '

b'There is no scripture to support the common teaching that\r\ncertain spiritual gifts have passed away or have been replaced by the Bible. To\r\naccept such an idea is to overlook the riches that God has provided. If you\r\nhave been affected by this teaching, search the scripture for yourself and ask\r\nGod to reveal the truth. The book of Acts is especially important, because\r\nthere we see the gospel being proclaimed by the early church, with accounts of\r\nwhat happened to the first believers. I believe any lover of truth should be able\r\nto read these accounts and know from God whether they have received the Spirit\r\nor not. Be a lover of truth and enter into the fullness that God has made\r\navailable to all!'

Hindrances

b'Why have so many seemingly missed this very important\r\naspect of the gospel? I do not have all the answers, but I will suggest what I\r\nbelieve to be some of the main reasons.'

b'Incomplete teaching and presentation of the gospel is\r\nprobably the main reason. The gospel preached today is often very shallow. It\r\nis an "easy believism" that may not require genuine dealing with God.\r\nSeekers are told to repeat a "sinner\'s prayer," then assured that\r\nthey are now saved, have the Holy Spirit, and are eternally secure. At this\r\npoint, real repentance may not be evident, nor any observable evidence that God\r\nheard their prayer. People tend to believe what they are told, so if they are\r\nassured that their sins are forgiven and God dwells within, they will normally\r\nbelieve that. Thus, the biggest blame falls on those who present the gospel in\r\nthis shallow way.'

b"Secondly, there are many who actively preach against any\r\nobservable supernatural working of the Holy Spirit through spiritual gifts,\r\nsometimes even calling them the work of Satan. This tends to create fear and\r\nextreme caution toward anything supernatural. Such fear hinders faith and\r\nconfidence before God. Even though the Holy Spirit may be working to lead\r\nbelievers into a greater experience of God's grace, their minds take over and\r\nquench the Spirit. To overcome this, we must let the Holy Spirit wash our minds\r\nwith truth and bring us to a place of rest, so we can move in faith before God.\r\n"

b'Thirdly, the Holy Spirit can only come to indwell a\r\ncleansed vessel. That cleansing comes through genuine repentance and belief in\r\nJesus and His work on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. Repentance includes\r\nworks of repentance, not just words of repentance (see Matt. 3:8). Instructing\r\nthe Corinthians, Paul explains it this way: "For\r\ngodly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but\r\nthe sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you\r\nsorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of\r\nyourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what\r\nvindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter"\r\n(2 Cor. 7:10-11). The Holy Spirit is faithful to bring conviction of sin (John\r\n16:8-10). A lack of response on God\'s side may be due to unrepented sin or\r\nunbelief. If we stay before God, He is faithful to reveal such things so they\r\ncan be made right. '

b'Finally, God is looking for those who are willing to give\r\nthemselves to Him as Lord without reservation. The very essence of the gospel\r\nis to be brought from independence from God (the self-life) to being under the\r\nauthority of Christ as Lord. Jesus can only be the Savior of the one who has\r\nwillingly yielded all to His control. The Holy Spirit comes as an administrator\r\nof the authority of God. Having reservations toward His authority will hinder\r\nour relationship with God and must be resolved. To be "filled" with\r\nthe Spirit is to be "controlled" by the Spirit. This is a sensitive\r\nplace, and sometimes it takes time for us to completely yield. It has often\r\nbeen said that the Holy Spirit is a "gentleman" and does not force,\r\nbut waits to be invited to come in and take control. God is willing to wait,\r\nand knows when the matter is settled.'

b'God is giving us the most precious thing He can give:\r\nHimself. Ephesians 5 compares our relationship with Christ to marriage. Doesn\'t\r\nanyone seeking to be married want to make sure of the commitment of the other?\r\nIf God seems to delay filling us with the Spirit, we must not give up easily."And He said to them, \'Which of you\r\nshall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, "Friend,\r\nlend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I\r\nhave nothing to set before him"; and he will answer from within and say, "Do\r\nnot trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot\r\nrise and give to you"? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to\r\nhim because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and\r\ngive him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to\r\nyou; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone\r\nwho asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be\r\nopened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a\r\nstone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?\r\nOr if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being\r\nevil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your\r\nheavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!\'"\r\n(Luke 11:5-13)'

b'The whole theme of this passage is persistence: "Seek\r\nand keep on seeking." God knows when all conditions have been met. He is\r\ngood, has our best at heart, and is faithful to reveal anything on our part\r\nthat hinders. We receive the Spirit through the hearing of faith (Gal. 3:2)."But without faith it is impossible to\r\nplease Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder\r\nof those who diligently seek Him" (Heb. 11:6).'

b'Perhaps we feel we have done everything we know to do and\r\nyet God has not answered, at least not in the way we expected Him to. Here is\r\nwhere our confidence in the character of God may be tested. Jesus says that God\r\nwants to come and dwell within us, far more than we know, but our experience\r\nseems to show otherwise. What do we do? Well, can God communicate with us? Can\r\nwe hear Him? There is a very important truth that applies in this situation. The\r\nfaith that we need originates in God, not in ourselves. Consider this scripture\r\ncarefully:"Therefore we also, since\r\nwe are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every\r\nweight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance\r\nthe race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher\r\nof our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,\r\ndespising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"\r\n(Heb. 12:1-2).'

b'This scripture tells us that Jesus "authors"\r\nfaith in our heart and he also "finishes" it. Our place is to draw near\r\nto Him, acknowledging that "apart from Him we can do nothing." No\r\namount of self-determination can force God to do what only He can do. Instead,\r\nwe draw near to Him, waiting on Him, praising and worshiping Him, and\r\npresenting ourselves to Him to do what only He can do. This is not a place of\r\nstruggle--it must become a place of rest. Yes it is a place of perseverance,\r\nbut not a place of trying to do what\r\nI cannot do. There is a certain amount of mystery in this, because we may not\r\nunderstand why God seemingly delays. But in the process, God is bringing us to\r\nthe end of ourselves and what we can do, and leading us into the riches of what\r\nHe can do. He may be after something deep within our heart that we may not\r\nunderstand at first, but His time and His way of answering is always perfect.\r\nHe is God. '

Walking in the Spirit

b'"If we live in\r\nthe Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25). It seems that\r\nthere is a misconception among many, that once we receive the Spirit we are now\r\n"spiritual." An attitude of "Now I\'ve got it and can rest easy"\r\nhas misled many and brought confusion and harm to others. It is clear in the\r\nscripture that one who has begun in the Spirit is only a babe in Christ, and\r\nnow the focus is to walk in the Spirit and grow up into maturity as a son or\r\ndaughter of God. We must begin, and we must also continue.'

b'The Galatians are an example of believers that began but\r\ndid not continue to walk in the Spirit. Paul says that they received the Spirit\r\nand also knew a supply of the Spirit. But for some reason they allowed\r\nthemselves to be misled and brought to such a serious condition that Paul said\r\nthey had been "severed from Christ and fallen from grace" (see\r\nGalatians 5:4).'

b'The Corinthian church is another example in the scriptures\r\nthat shows that believers can receive the Spirit and yet be unspiritual in\r\ntheir expression. Paul said that these believers came behind in no spiritual\r\ngift, yet he spoke to them as "babes in Christ" and "carnal"\r\nor fleshly. Being alive to God is essential to the pathway of spiritual\r\nmaturity, but it is no guarantee that we will continue to the end. If we see\r\nthat clearly, it answers many questions that seem to have hindered many when\r\nconsidering the baptism in the Spirit.'

b'Brothers and sisters, the main question we are addressing\r\nin this short exhortation is whether a believer automatically receives the\r\nSpirit when they believe in Jesus. We have briefly touched on related issues\r\nand questions, hoping to encourage you to press into God past every hindrance.\r\nI hope this is enough to show that nothing in our relationship with God is\r\nautomatic. Every step is a step of faith, looking to God, hearing God,\r\nbelieving His word, and obeying Him in all things. If we want to justify our\r\ncurrent understanding or condition, I think we can always find a way. But such\r\nan attitude will hinder our progress. Spiritual progress only comes by\r\ncontinually seeking God for a fuller experience of His grace in all aspects of\r\nour lives. '

b'Here is the attitude Paul had near the end of his life and\r\nministry: "But what things were gain\r\nto me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things\r\nloss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I\r\nhave suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may\r\ngain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from\r\nthe law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is\r\nfrom God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and\r\nthe fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any\r\nmeans, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already\r\nattained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that\r\nfor which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count\r\nmyself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which\r\nare behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward\r\nthe goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let\r\nus, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think\r\notherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that\r\nwe have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind"\r\n(Phil. 3:7-16).'

b'May God find this same mind in each one of us today. If\r\nthis is true of us, we will press past every hindrance to experience the\r\nfullness that God has made available to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let us go\r\non! The door is open and the time is short.'

Comments on John 20:22

b'"And when He\r\nhad said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, \'Receive the Holy Spirit\'"\r\n(John 20:22). Based on this event, some maintain that now all who believe in\r\nJesus automatically receive the Holy Spirit when they believe in Jesus, and\r\nthat a reference to receiving the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost is a second\r\nreception for power for service. For those who may have this understanding, the\r\nfollowing points are provided for consideration:'

b'Thomas was missing. When did he receive the\r\nSpirit?What about the rest of the 120 in the upper\r\nroom? If Pentecost is a "second reception," when did they receive the\r\nfirst time?When Peter referred to "receiving the Holy\r\nSpirit as we did" (Acts 10:47), he mentioned events relating to Pentecost\r\n(not the upper room).Jesus "blew" or "breathed" ("on\r\nthem" is not in the original text). If that was the actual event of\r\nbreathing the Spirit into them as some maintain (such as in Genesis 2:7), then\r\nwhy did he tell them to "receive"? He should have said "now you\r\nhave received."No record is given of any steps taken to obey\r\nChrist\'s command. What did He expect them to do on that occasion to receive the\r\nSpirit?According to John 7:39, the Spirit could not\r\nhave been given at this time because Jesus was not yet glorified. In order to\r\novercome this objection, one has to argue that Jesus ascended that day to\r\nHeaven (the Father) and then returned to earth. It is not stated in scripture\r\nthat He did such a thing, so to accept that idea is speculation and reasoning.\r\nIn John 16:7 Jesus does say that He is "going to the Father." He also\r\nsaid the same thing to Mary. But there are many statements throughout the 40\r\ndays between His resurrection and ascension that are general in nature and\r\nall-encompassing regarding the whole plan of God. They are not listed in\r\ncareful chronological order specifying an exact sequence of events. Those that\r\ndethrone Jesus from being God in the flesh use His statement to Mary: "to\r\nyour God and my God." In other words, there is a certain amount of mystery\r\nand generality in the record of these events. To use John 16:7 and 20:17 to\r\nprove that Jesus had already gone to the Father and received the Holy Spirit is\r\nvery questionable.If this were the reception of the Spirit long\r\nanticipated by the saints of old, it is rather amazing that it is not mentioned\r\nany other place. Would such an important event be relegated to a few words by\r\nJesus in a relatively obscure passage of scripture, with no account of further\r\nevidence that it actually happened? Pentecost was the pouring out of the\r\npromise, and it was done in public with much evidence of divine action and\r\npresence. That is when Peter said he and other apostles received the Spirit\r\n(Acts 10:47).Also he said that "this is what was spoken by the prophet\r\nJoel."Peter specifically says in Acts 2:33 that Jesus\r\ndid not receive the promised Spirit to pour out on others until He was "exalted\r\nto the right hand of God."If this was in fact the first of a "double\r\nreception" of the Spirit, where else in scripture do we see any such\r\nmention of the need for two receptions? Receiving the Holy Spirit is critical\r\nto the New Testament gospel. Would we not see much more mentioned in other\r\nscriptures?If the disciples in the upper room actually did\r\nreceive the Holy Spirit on that occasion, how is it possible to draw the\r\nconclusion that now all who believe in Jesus also automatically receive the\r\nSpirit? Where do we see that in scripture or even in logic? We assume that the\r\ndisciples had undergone water baptism at some point. Does that mean that all\r\nbelievers now are automatically water baptized?To support the teaching that all believers now\r\nautomatically have the Spirit, some quote scriptures that remind believers that\r\nthey were "sealed with the Holy Spirit" (such as Eph. 1:13). However\r\nthis is arguing in a reverse order. The majority of the New Testament letters\r\ndo assume that believers have received the Spirit, and they are constantly\r\nreminded of God\'s provision in this regard, but for the most part they do not\r\naddress how or when this happened. Receiving the Spirit was a fundamental\r\naspect of the early church gospel, but in Acts we see that this experience was\r\na specific act of faith accompanied by observable evidence.Finally, I believe that an important doctrine\r\nmust not be based on one scripture verse, especially one that is not clear. The\r\nunclear scripture needs to be interpreted in light of other scriptures that are\r\nclear. I understand that this was a command by Jesus to receive the Holy Spirit\r\n(similar to Acts 1:4). Then the disciples received Him on the day of Pentecost.\r\n'

Comment on Acts 2:38

b'When Peter said "you shall receive the gift of the\r\nHoly Spirit," some have taken this to mean that when we are water baptized,\r\nwe "have" the Holy Spirit. If this were the case, Peter should have\r\nsaid something like this: "Repent, be baptized, and then rejoice for the\r\nHoly Spirit now dwells in you." But all he said was that these steps would\r\nlead to receiving the Holy Spirit. This verse does not expand on how this was\r\nto take place. The International Standard Version translates this verse as\r\nfollows: "Peter answered them, \'Repent\r\nand be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the\r\nforgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift\'"\r\n(Acts 2:38, ISV).'

Questions to consider regarding the Samaria believers (Acts 8)

b'How did the apostles know that these believers had not received the Holy Spirit? They had accepted the Word of God, they had been baptized, miracles were being done, and "there was great joy in the city"-but the apostles came because they had not received the Spirit.What did Simon see that led him to offer money that he might have power to lay hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit?'