Receiving The Holy Spirit

Acts 19:4

"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"

        
        In Ephesus Paul met some men who were incomplete Christians. They had received the baptism of John but they did not even know of the Holy Spirit in the Christian sense of the term. What was the difference between the baptism of John and baptism in the name of Jesus? 

        John's preaching was a necessary stage for all people to be awaken to our own inadequacy and our deserving of condemnation at the hand of God. When we try do do things on our own, to do better that eventually fails because we try in our own strength. There is a time in one's life when they  come to see; that through the grace of Jesus Christ their condemnation may be taken away. That my friend is the time when we find that all our efforts to do better are strengthened by the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom we can do what we could never do ourselves.

        When will I receive the Holy Spirit?  Many people have pointed out that Paul asked these people if they have received the Holy Spirit "since" they "believed" (verse two). Their purpose was to show that Paul accepted the idea that some do not receive the Spirit until after Salvation. A literal rendering of the Greek would be: "Did you receive the Holy Spirit, having believed?" 

        It is plain in verses four and five that In Ephesus some had not believed in Jesus Christ, but in the repentance that John The Baptist had preached. Thus we have it! There is no conflict about when someone receives the Holy Spirit. All believers receive the Holy Spirit at Salvation (when saved). Translation without the Holy Spirit! There can be no such thing as complete Christianity. Even when we see the error of our ways and repent and determine to change them we can never make the change, without the help which the Spirit alone can give.

        Amen!!

Reading:

(Acts 19:1-10)

(Matt. 3:11)

(Acts 8:16) 

May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry