There are so many different teachings on the Holy Spirit that we must get something straight. You need it and you have to know the truth! Jesus doesn’t cut corners when he tells Nicodemus, a leading religious leader, concerning the Spirit this, Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5 NKJV)

Wow! Without the Holy Spirit, you cannot enter the kingdom of God! So, let’s talk about how to receive this important gift and clear up some really bad teaching.

IS IT AT BELIEF? AT BAPTISM? OR BOTH?

Many denominations believe that a person receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit when they believe on Christ as savior. This is the teaching prominent here in the south where I live. If I were to walk down the street and ask every Christian that I met this would be a common answer. Another belief that is popular is that at baptism, a believer will receive the infilling of God’s Spirit. In fact, as a child growing up in the churches of Christ this was the belief. However, let’s see what Philip the evangelist in encounters on his missionary journey.

Acts 8:12-18 NLT

¹² But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. ¹⁵ As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. ¹⁹ “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

We see here that those who heard Philip’s gospel preaching believed on Jesus Christ and was immediately baptized. In fact, the writer of Acts records in detail that they were baptized in the name of the Lord (Jesus) (vs. 16) and not in the titles of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is continuing in the command of Jesus to baptize in the name (Matthew 28:19) and Peter’s preaching in on the Day of Pentecost to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission/forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). Yet, after believing and baptism, no one had received the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8 shows that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a separate process.

RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A SEPERATE PROCESS

The apostles Peter and John laid their hands on these new believers and something happened! I want to share with you three occurrences from three different Christian faith’s that I have witnessed when it comes to the infilling of the Holy Spirit. I want to note that I’m not calling these groups out because I don’t like them. I’m simply sharing my experience and hope to unveil truth as a minister of the gospel.

1. The Baptist way – My dad’s side of the family is Baptist, so I participated in my fair share of good ole country Baptist church. They believe that the infilling happens at believing, and yet, nothing at that moment outwardly happens that would cause a person like Simon in Acts 8 to say, “Let me have this power…”
   
2. The church of Christ way – My mom’s side of the family are dedicated members of the church of Christ. They believe that the infilling happens at baptism, and yet, in the same manner above we don’t see anything that would cause a person like Simon in Acts 8 to say, “Let me have this power…”
   
3. The Mormon way – Two of my closest friends growing up were Mormon. They were my neighbors for years and we spent almost every day together from 3rd grade through High School graduation. They believed that at the laying on of hands a believer, who has been baptized, will receive the infilling of the Spirit. Amazingly, nothing happens during the laying on of hands outwardly that would cause a person like Simon to say, “Let me have this power…”

So, every believer in every church should ask themselves that if receiving the Holy Spirit is so important to salvation, then what happened outwardly that would cause Peter and John to walk 118.8 miles to lay hands on new believers and for Simon to offensively say, “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

THE INITIAL SIGN OF RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

The good news is that the initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit is found all through the Acts of the Apostles. But, it’s also found in the gospels of John and Mark with Jesus himself speaking.

John 7:37-39 ³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”³⁹ (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)

Rivers of living water will flow from his heart or from inside of the person. Also, notice below what Jesus tells the disciples before he goes to heaven.

Mark 16:17 And these signs will follow those who believe: … they will speak with new tongues…

Mark 16:20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

So, let’s turn to the events in the Book of Acts concerning the infilling of the Spirit. Remember, we’re looking for a consistent event that takes place that would cause Simon to ask for the power.

Acts 2:1-4 NKJV When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. ³ Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Would randomly speaking in tongues cause someone like Simon to ask for this power? I think so! In fact, Acts 2:12-13 records the reacation of those unbelievers that heard the tongues.

So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” ¹³ Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

Amazed! Perplexed! Mocking! Drunk! This is how they described speaking in tongues. This is without a doubt an outward experience that people can see taking place. I believe that Simon in Acts 8 saw this happened and desired the ability. I believe that Peter and John knew that these new believers in Acts 8 had to have this same experience. Let’s look at a couple of more examples from apostle Peter and Paul.

On the Gentiles: Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

What was the salvation sign that God gave to both the Jews and Gentiles? The gift of the Holy Spirit! How did they know they had received it? They heard them speak in tongues and magnify God.

On 12 new believers: Acts 19:1-7 (NKJV) And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples ² he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”

³ And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”

So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”

⁴ Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”

⁵ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. ⁷ Now the men were about twelve in all.

The apostle Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit. A separate event not related to believing and baptism. What was they sign that they received the Spirit? They spoke with tongues and prophesied.

LET’S CLEAR UP SOME BAD TEACHING

When I received the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in tongues in an Apostolic Pentecostal church in August 2000 I knew without a doubt that I had received something powerful. I also knew that what I was taught growing up in both the Baptist and church of Christ faith was bad theology. There are so many teachings depending on where you go to church on the Holy Spirit, and yet, the scripture is so plain about this experience. And you need to experience this life changing event!

I want to clear up some bad teaching. Acts 2 is not about receiving a gift to help the apostles evangelize by speaking another language. In Acts 2 they heard 120 in the upper room (more than just the apostles) speaking in tongues and the hearers described it this way, “we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God. (vs. 11)” These tongue speakers were not preaching Jesus to the Jews that heard them. They were worshipping God! And many mocked them and called them drunk!

This is something that happens in Apostolic Pentecostal churches. We’ve had folks from other nations hear someone speaking in tongues in their native language and every time it’s worship to God. In fact, an embarrassing situation happened at the Azusa Street Revival in 1906-1915 when missionaries received the Holy Spirit and hit the mission field hoping to preach in this new tongue. They had believed this bad teaching and were embarrassed to find it not true.

The last bad teaching I want to clear up is that tongues has ceased or stopped. This bad theology comes from the scriptures found in 1 Corinthians 13.

8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

It’s so vitally important to not confuse the gift of tongues found in 1 Corinthians 12 with the initial sign of tongues at receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. There is the gift of the Holy Spirit for salvation and then out of that gift comes 9 other gifts that a believer can receive, which includes tongues for private prayer (1 Corinthians 14:2 & 14). If the gift of tongues is displayed outside of private prayer in a church service it is to be followed by the gift of interpretation to edify the church. We see this often in Apostolic Pentecostal churches and it’s an incredibly powerful experience knowing God is speaking to the church.

Now, what does it mean that tongues will cease? Contrary to John McArthur’s teaching at his Strange Fire Conference that the gifts have stopped once the Bible was compiled, they have not ceased. I grew up around two faiths that believed the gifts have ceased, and yet, 20 years later I’m writing to you to inform you it’s all a lie! I spoke in tongues. I have seen the dead raised and cancer healed. I’ve heard prophecies. I’ve seen countless displays of tongues and the interpretation (last Sunday for example). The gifts are alive and well in the church! We must not quench the Spirit! Many forget Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.

So, when will tongues actually cease? The same time all gifts cease. Not when the Bible is compiled, but at the end of the age when Christ returns for his bride, the church.

HAVE YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT?

In conclusion, like the apostle Paul I must ask you, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” If not, “how were you baptized?” You need to be baptized in Jesus name and when you receive the Spirit you’ll know it when you hear yourself speak in tongues. This experience is for everyone.

In Christ,

Hank

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sbgPWbz5wI