How does a person receive the Holy Spirit?

[Paulus59]

Something to watch on the Holy Spirit if you like:

 

[Paulus59]

I'm looking to receive the Holy Spirit. What should I do?

Come to know who Christ is through his Gospels as it's HIS righteousness that will save you, open your heart to him as you read his word, love him and accept him as your saviour, be baptized and receive his Holy Spirit!

I pray that you receive the Holy Spirit through God's grace in Christ Jesus.........Amen!

****************************************

“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:36)

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

In my view, and I think supported by Scripture, is that being born again is exactly the same as being baptised with the Spirit.

No

 

[truefiction1]

I'd ask Seraphim of Sarov:

On the Acquisition of the Holy Spirit

 

[Dave L]

At Pentecost all believers received the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you believe in the true sense, you have the Holy Spirit. The fulness of the Spirit comes through repentance.

But only few received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Twice in the outpourings. And other times through the laying on of an Apostle's hands. These spoke in tongues and prophesied. Also worked miracles. These gifts ended with the last apostle.

 

[Tobyan]

.

 

[Andrewn]

Therefore, there is strong support in the New Testament that genuine conversion to Christ and the baptism with the Spirit are one and the same thing. But I need to add that just walking up to the front and saying a short prayer is not conversion to Christ. It may be the starting point, but true conversion to Christ involves a total transformation of heart and spirit and only the Holy Spirit can do that in a person, and that is what the baptism with the Spirit is all about.

Therefore, the initial evidence of the baptism with the Spirit is not the gift of tongues, but that of a totally transformed heart and spirit, an intense love for Christ, and a strong desire for personal holiness to live a life glorifying to Christ.

Anyone can put on the Christian badge, and say they are converted and filled with the Spirit, but unless they demonstrate the fruit of a transformed heart and spirit, they are just pretending, and have no more than just outward religion.

I completely agree. The problem I have is pastors teaching that people are filled with the Holy Spirit bec they're converted and baptized and without showing interest in Godly living.

I believe in the 3rd blessing taught by Pentecostals / Charismatics, keeping in mind that it could happen at conversion and / or Baptism. I call it 3rd for emphasis rather than sequence. You call it "genuine conversion." But only Pentecostals teach about this! Perhaps even not all Pentecostals!

 

[Andrewn]

Paul, in Acts 19:2, is quite clear that Christians receive the Holy Spirit when they believe. Read it for yourself - "While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

Notice that Paul does not say if they received the Holy Spirit after they believed, but when they believed.

Note that they were considered "disciples." They were believers who had not received the HS. One can play with words and say they were not real disciples and not genuinely converted. But the play on words doesn't solve the problem that many believers in church are told from the pulpit that they have the HS, when they might not.

 

[hopego]

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for the one more powerful than you the one you called the Counsellor, the one that proceeds from you and the Father and who is worshipped and glorfied. The one that is the giver of life. The one that loves and guides us.
I think that there can be confusion between the spirit and the Holy Spirit and that sometimes is used interchangeably. Perhaps it should mean the same thing. But a spirit descended like a dove when Jesus was Baptised. a spirit floated over the waters when the world was created, but the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost and people began speaking in different languages and the Holy Spirit came when Jesus despatched him as the Holy Spirit is more powerful. At the Church I went to we were told that the Holy Spirit just needs to be asked to give us the wisdom for speaking in tongues. It is the Holy Spirit that guides us into all truth and knowledge and it is the Holy Spirit that can convict people of their sin and need for Jesus. When two or more are gathered Jesus is there listening. Waiting for us to avail ourselves to his spirit, open our hearts to faith and let him in.

 

[Goodhuman]

No

To be born again is the highest thing christian can receive. To be baptized in fire and Holy Spirit happen before born again.

 

[Chris V++]

.

 

[hopego]

Matthew 3:11

 

[Andrewn]

So, they can believe on the bare written word that they are saved when they receive Christ, but expect some type of experience before they will believe that they are baptised with the Spirit.

I can see that Calvinistic inclination affects your view. I'm not a Calvinist and believe that salvation is both justification and sanctification. The latter cannot be accomplished without baptism of the HS. Most Pentecostals do not think like Calvinists.

 

[Andrewn]

Paul believed that conversion to Christ and the baptism with the Spirit were one and the same.

This may very well be true. It's the ideal situation. But it's not everyone's experience. I think you conceded there are different experiences in the Bible.

 

[Eha]

I'm looking to receive the Holy Spirit. What should I do?

did you not read - how much more Heavenly Father gives Holy Spirit to those, who ask?
so - ask
i did ask a year, before get it. but i get it, even though i was worse then Thomas - i could not believe anything, if i couldn't touch or see or feel it...

 

[bcbsr]

Please give examples from the bible of people receiving the Holy Spirit. Preferably the new testament.

I would argue that one simply believes the gospel. God then given them the Holy Spirit.

Gal 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

Take the example of Cornelius. Peter was preaching the gospel to him, then this suddenly happened:

Acts 10:42-44 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

 

[dqhall]

Acts 2 is Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to indwell those in the upper room.

In Acts 2 they were all gathered together in one place and the Holy Spirit visited them, including not only those from Jerusalem, but those from foreign nations speaking foreign languages all understanding each other by the efforts of the Holy Spirit. It does not mention them being in an upper room.

 

[HTacianas]

I would argue that one simply believes the gospel. God then given them the Holy Spirit.

Gal 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

Take the example of Cornelius. Peter was preaching the gospel to him, then this suddenly happened:

Acts 10:42-44 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

Paul's question to the Galatians doesn't answer the question of this thread. Of course they didn't receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law. They had been keeping the law all their lives but didn't receive the Spirit until after they believed the gospel. They believed the gospel, they were baptized, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Your other example doesn't answer the question either and I'll show you why.

Act 19:2 - 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.”

Acts 19:2 poses the same question, and then answers it. "Did you receive...when you believed?" And the answer is no. They hadn't even heard of the Holy Spirit. Certainly they believed, but had not been baptized.

Then there's the case of the men and women of Samaria who believed and were properly baptized but did not receive the Spirit because Philip was unable to do it. He had to send for Peter and John. I had someone else say in this thread that anyone can baptize a person with the Spirit but that is obviously not true.

Now, to your first example. It was Peter who was preaching to the group when they received the Holy Spirit. Just as it was Peter who was called on to chrismate the Samaritans.

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

To be born again is the highest thing christian can receive. To be baptized in fire and Holy Spirit happen before born again.

None of that is in Scripture.

 

[NBB]

Being filled like in the bible with the Holy spirit its not the same as when believing/converting, like in the bible we must ask or someone can pray for us or something, and we can receive this, is like being filled by the person of the HS like a vessel, there can be varying degrees of this 'filling' i talk about this because i have experienced it.

People that say you are filled with the HS at believing always, are preventing themselves from receiving this and others when they teach about this.