HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT
By W. G. Guy
As the apostle Paul came to Ephesus he met with a group of twelve believers in Jesus Christ. He then asked them a question:
Acts 19:1-6 – And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. (They sound like Baptists.) And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
I made reference to the Baptists because for twenty-eight years I was one of them. They reject the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, especially the speaking in tongues. They say it is of the devil. They failed to realize that saying that the Holy Spirit Baptism, and speaking in tongues, is of the devil is actually blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It is calling the Holy Spirit evil, unclean, or of the devil. Jesus declared this is the unpardonable sin when He responded to the Pharisees who claimed He was casting out devils by the power of the devil.
I noticed that it is not just the Baptists that reject the Holy Spirit but other denominations also; mostly those who follow the Calvinist doctrines: they cannot accept the supernatural acts of God working through man. Yet God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, are extra supernatural compared to man. Consider that even Jesus did no miracles until after the Holy Spirit came upon Him. His first miracle was turning the water into wine.
Matthew 12:24 – But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.
Jesus’ response was a dire warning that needs to be heeded even today.
Matthew 12:31-32 – Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.
Why is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit the unpardonable sin? I sought the Lord for the answer and He showed me that the Holy Spirit is like the very tender heart of God. When a person calls the heart of God evil, you hurt Him deeply, and His Spirit will depart from you. If the Spirit of God departs from you there can be no revelation of Him, nor a conviction of sin.
John 16:7-11 – Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
He won’t deal with such a person anymore: He will not convict of their sins: no leading to repentance; thus it is the sin that cannot be forgiven. It gets even deeper than this! To reject the Holy Spirit is to reject Christ. Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit that reveals Christ, and the Word of God. Without the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ and the Word of God, you cannot know Him. (These may be the kind of preachers that Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21-23.)
John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Without the Holy Spirit teaching and revealing things to you, you cannot know the deep things of God because they are only revealed by the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2:10-14 – But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us to live the Christ filled life. It is the Holy Spirit that equips us with divine power and spiritual gifts to properly represent Him and be His witnesses in this corrupt world.
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.
Here is an example from a personal experience. In 1979 an evangelist friend and I went to South Korea for a preaching and teaching tour. My evangelist friend was from a Baptist church, but He was baptized in the Holy Spirit and did speak in tongues. We began our ministry in Seoul, the capital city, which had the largest single church congregation in the world at that time. The pulpit platform in this church that I was on was larger than my entire church where I pastored.
Across the street from this huge church was the headquarters of the Baptist Mission to South Korea. Two of their missionaries followed us around to observe what and how we did. They were amazed at the results we were getting because of the power of the Holy Spirit that was working in and through us. All the years they were working in Korea they never saw such results. It was because they did not have the power to be His witnesses as the Holy Spirit was with us.
At that time the South Koreans were a very humble people. They would not draw attention to themselves. When we gave the invitation those who accepted Jesus as Savior were asked to stand to show their acceptance. Those Baptist ministers said they just never do that, these people do not show themselves like that for any reason. We had over forty-two thousand accept Jesus in two weeks; and most of them were in their high schools with the young people.
In addition to being a witness, as a pastor, the Holy Spirit would use me, and speak through me words and revelations that I could not possibly know. I’m talking about divine Words of Knowledge that help in counseling those in need; discerning of spirits needed to do the miracle of casting out demons, and so much more.
The miraculous power of the Holy Spirit is also demonstrated in the nine Gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-14.
Without these gifts in operation the church is powerless. Then there is another problem, the lack of the Fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
God the Father expects this Fruit in His children.
John 15:1-5 – I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. ( Note: this fruit is not man’s works.) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
The Holy Spirit provided the Fruit of the Spirit which is the character and nature of God that is to be formed in us. Without this Fruit we don’t look like, act like, or talk like God’s children, because His image is not being formed in us.
Matthew 7:15-16 & 20 – Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Note: this Fruit is not man’s works or abilities!)
If you are a believer is Jesus Christ, you need the power of the Holy Spirit, not only to live victoriously, but to be His witness on earth as a child of God functioning with His ability, and not relying on your own strength. It is Jesus that will baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luke 3:16 – John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
The fire of the Spirit is a light that we receive; the divine knowledge of Him and His will. The Holy Spirit is also the fuel that keeps that divine fire burning and the light shining in and through these mortal bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
When you are born-again, you received the Spirit of Christ, which is also Holy. This is the Holy Spirit that the Baptists, and other churches claim to have received, but this is not the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, the divine power to be His witnesses promised in Acts 1:8.
John 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost (His Spirit).
The Spirit of Christ is what dwells in the believer, and is also called the Spirit of adoption that makes you a child of God.
Romans 8:14-16 – For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
The Spirit of Christ that He yielded up to the Father, when He died on the cross, was His own Spirit that is also holy. Receiving His Spirit is when we are born-again.
John 20:21-22 – Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost (Spirit).
Does the Baptism in the Holy Spirit have a role to play in these last days prior to the return of Christ. According to scripture it most certainly does, and it is referred to as the latter day rain, or outpouring of the Spirit.
James 5:7 – Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Note that the prophecy of Joel 2:23-32 has not been completely fulfilled; it only began at Pentecost, as referred to by Peter in Acts 2, and continues unto Christ’s return. Note also that the last days refer to the last two millennial days, or two thousand years, since the church began. We are coming to the end of the two thousand years by the 2030’s.
Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed; the power to be a true witness? If not just ask and believe that you shall receive.
Luke 11:11-13 – If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 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?
As we enter into these last days before Christ’s return, we must have the power of the Holy Spirit upon us enabling us to be His witnesses in this corrupt and morally polluted world. Thus we are to prepare; getting His church ready for His return. We will need the Holy Spirit to accomplish this work as the world appears to be going deeper and deeper into darkness. We are called by Jesus to be His light in this world, and that can only be accomplished by the power of the Holy Spirit working in, on, and through us.
Zechariah 4:7 – Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.
As the early church was filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to preach the gospel, the Spirit equipped them with power for signs and wonders.
Mark 16:15-20 – And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 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. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
The same Holy Spirit is to equip us for the same purpose; giving His true church the same ability and power to be His witnesses!
