Have You Received The Holy Ghost?

Have you received the Holy Ghost?
How do you know?  Let's look together at what the Bible says....
To follow along with the Live Teaching on YouTube... https://youtu.be/GBjB50g1qgc

Jesus said in John 3:5…

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit,
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Peter’s response on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2:38-39 when asked “What shall we do?”…

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 
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.”

Paul said in Romans 8:9…

“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit,
if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.
Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of  His.”

According to this Scripture, if you do not have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within you, you don’t belong to Him.  You are not a part of His family/His church/His bride.  So receiving the Holy Ghost is necessary!

Most denominations believe in receiving the Holy Ghost, but many believe you receive it when you confess Jesus as your personal Savior and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

We’re going to look to the Bible to see what God’s Word defines as the evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost.

Read Acts 2:1-4

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,

they were all with one accord in one place.

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind,

And it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,

And it sat upon each of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,

And began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

In reading this we see as the Holy Ghost came on the Day of Pentecost that…

1. There was a sound as of a rushing mighty wind which filled the house

2. There appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire that sat upon each of them

3. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and

4. Began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

So, what is the evidence of the Holy Ghost?  How do we know if someone has truly received the gift of the Holy Ghost?

Read Acts 2:5-12

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men,

out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad,

the multitude came together and were confounded,

because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another,

Behold, are not these which speak Galileans?

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia,

and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia,

in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,

Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians,

We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another,

What meaneth this?

After the Holy Ghost was poured out, a crowd began to gather.

          *The crowd was comprised of those who lived in Jerusalem or had made
             the Pilgrimage from other parts of the world to celebrate the Harvest.

          *They were amazed because they heard those who were in the Upper
             Room (the ones who received the Holy Ghost and were speaking in a
             language other than their native language) speak the wonderful works                 of God in a language they did not and should not be able to speak in.

The word Galilean was used as a name of contempt – when they called them that, they were speaking in a derogatory way against them.

*Refers to the Jews and Gentiles who inhabited the region of Palestine

*Majority of the population composed of lower class tenant farmers &
             laborers (herders or fishermen)

*Thought of as backward and unsophisticated

In Acts 4:13 – Peter and John were looked upon as ignorant and unlearned which caused the priests in the Temple to marvel at their teachings.

This is why they were amazed to hear them praising God in their native tongue.  They were considered to be too uneducated to be able to speak their language.

But does that prove that’s the evidence of the Holy Ghost? 

Some believe “Joy” is the evidence of the Holy Ghost.

          You can have joy when a new baby is born, but that’s not the Holy Ghost

          You can have joy when you get a new car or new house, but that’s not the
                   Holy Ghost

Acts 13:52 says “and the disciples were filled with joy AND with the Holy Ghost” showing there is a difference.

Isaiah 28:11-12

“For with stammering lips and another tongue

will He speak to this people.

To whom He said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest;

and this is the refreshing: ….”

Read Acts 8:5-19
          Vs 5-8 ….Phillip evangelized the city of Samaria.  Many mighty miracles                         took place and people were converted because of it.
          Vs 9-13 ….Everyone was baptized after they believed.
                      Even Simon the scorcerer believed what Phillip was preaching and                        was baptized as well.

          Vs 14-18  …..Peter and John came to Samaria after they heard the people
                     were receiving and obeying the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

          They then prayed for them to receive the Holy Ghost.

The people:

                   Believed

                   Baptized

                   But hadn’t received the Holy Ghost yet (vs 16)

They received the Holy Ghost when they laid their hands on them and prayed

          Simon SAW some tangible, undeniable evidence that proved to
                    him they received the Holy Ghost

           

Read Acts 10:44-48

          Gentiles received the Holy Ghost (Corneilius and his household)

          The Jews were astonished…how did they know they received the Holy                        Ghost?

          Vs 46…for they HEARD them SPEAK WITH TONGUES

          Vs 47…Peter confirmed they received the same Holy Ghost as those                           present with him had received on the Day of Pentecost – they spoke                     with tongues
           Vs 48…commanded them to be baptized in the Name of the Lord.

Read Acts 19:1-6

          Paul found certain DISCIPLES at Ephesus

          Have ye received the Holy Ghost SINCE ye believed?

                   Shows Holy Ghost is not immediately received as soon as you believe

                   Vs 2….Disciples of Jesus yet had never heard of the Holy Ghost

                   Vs 3-5….Re-baptized in Jesus Name

                   Vs 6…Holy Ghost came on them and they spake with tongues

Consistently throughout the Book of Acts, we find where those who received the Holy Ghost SPOKE in OTHER TONGUES.

In Mark 16:17-18, Jesus said there are signs that are to be following a believer…

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.

If you’re a Believer, these signs should be following you.  You SHALL speak with NEW TONGUES!

1 Cor 14:18, Paul said…. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all;

In 1 Cor 14:39, He also instructed that no one is to forbid anyone from speaking in tongues.

Tongues is the evidence of the Holy Ghost.  When a person instructs another that they don’t need to speak in tongues, they are forbidding the Holy Ghost.

**A pastor may do that on a rare occasion when they discern that it is not of God.  The devil will mimic tongues**

There is a difference between speaking in tongues as the evidence of the Holy Ghost and the gift of divers kinds of tongues.

When you receive the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues for the first time, it is evidence that God now has control of your tongue and has bridled your tongue as we learned in the previous lesson about the tongue. 

Keeping the tongue bridled afterward takes work on the part of the Believer – it takes staying prayed up and full of the Holy Ghost and self control.  Zip the lips!

The gift of divers kinds of tongues is an additional gift (AFTER receiving the Holy Ghost) given to some to be used for the edification of the Church body.

1 Cor 12:4-11

Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit.

And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

And there are diversities of operations, 

but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit whithal.

For to one is given by the Spirit

The word of wisdom;

To another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit.

To another faith by the same Spirit;

To another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

To another the working of miracles;

To another prophecy;

To another discerning of spirits;

To another divers kinds of tongues;

To another the interpretation of tongues:

But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit,

dividing to every man severally as he will.

Divers kinds of tongues are usually (but not always) followed by the interpretation of tongues. A message will be given in tongues followed by someone being used by the Spirit to interpret that message.

Divers (Different) kinds of tongues can also be a prayer tongue which is used by a person fighting spiritual warfare.

Speaking in tongues as the evidence of the Holy Ghost can often be understood by a person of another nation.  But the Divers kinds of tongues can be a prayer tongue of intercession speaking mysteries that only God understands.

1 Cor 14:2

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the Spirit he speaking mysteries.

1 Cor 12:28

And God hath set some in the Church,

First apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers,

After that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,

diversities of tongues.

When Paul continued on in Vs 30 to ask, “do all speak with tongues?” he was not saying that not every believer would speak in tongues, otherwise, he would be contradicting the very words and teaching of Jesus in Mark 16:17-18 where He said that speaking in new tongues is a sign that SHALL follow a believer.

Paul is referencing the gift of divers kinds of tongues which will be dispersed for the edification of the Church as God decides and wills. 

And he encouraged the Believers to covet the best gifts (1 Cor 12:31) and to desire spiritual gifts that follow after salvations (1 Cor 14:1)

If we want to know HOW to be saved, we look to the Book of Acts – that is where the birth of the Church is recorded and we can find evidence of how the first believers came to be saved = They believed, repented, were baptized in Jesus Name, and were filled with the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in other tongues.

Then to grow as a Believer in Christ and learn how to be a Christian and what we need to continue to do AFTER we’re saved, we look to Romans through Jude = where we find instruction, correction, admonition, and inspiration. It is there that we learn how to operate in the Spirit and the 5 fold ministry that God has ordained for His Church.