Lesson 4 – The Evidence of the Experience
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Key Verse – Acts 2:4
If you have been with us in the last few lessons, you are aware that there are several things that have become evident. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is an experience that the New Testament Church enjoys that the Old Testament people did not have.
It is also clear that if all we do today is believe, than we do not have anything different than the Old Testament saints had. The main difference in our salvation and theirs is the experience of the Holy Ghost. Something has happened to and in us! We have had an experience with God that has changed us and made us “new creatures.”
So if the Holy Ghost is something that we are to be filledwith, or to receive, how do we know we have received it? This is a very important question. The matter of our soul’s salvation is too important to us to leave to speculation. God has given us a way in which we can know we have received the Holy Ghost.
It is also made clear in the last lesson, that we are NOT filled with the Holy Ghost when we believe. This is something we receive after we believe.
FIRST, WHAT / WHO IS THE HOLY GHOST?
The Holy Ghost is nothing less than the Spirit of God. Some people prefer to call it Holy Spirit. However, the term “Holy Ghost’ is used in the Bible. We do know that God’s Spirit is supposed to live in us and that we become the habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit ” I Corinthians 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
I Thessalonians 4:8, “He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:17, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I Willpour out of my Spirit upon all flesh… ” Our body becomes the receptacle to receive the Spirit of God. Paul said, “…we have this treasure in earthen vessels…” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
John 4:24, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
IS IT NECESSARY TO RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST?
Obviously, the answer is yes! Why would God take millions of years to bring to us a salvation that we can refuse if we wish to? If Jesus had to die, so he could go away and send the Comforter to us, then it is necessary to receive it.
Some people ask if it is necessary to receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues to be saved. The answer is yes. This lesson will deal the reasons, though, the essentiality of receiving the Holy Ghost should not be the problem. The Holy Ghost is a gift God has for us! Who would turn down a gift from God? How could we turn down such a precious gift and not offend God?
Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; ” This is a commandment.
Romans 8:9-1 1, “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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ”
We also know that Jesus “commanded” His followers to go to Jerusalem to receive the “Promise of the Father.” (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4)
SO HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST?
In a previous lesson, we learned that the book of Acts is a history of the beginning of the first Church. The Apostles took the commandments of Jesus (Acts 1:1-8) concerning the Church and went into a world previously untouched by this wonderful Gospel. So we find in the book of Acts the only record of what the Apostles taught concerning salvation.
We must follow the pattern established by the Apostles. Acts 2:42, “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” In order to keep the Church the same as it was in the beginning, we must continue to use the same pattern as used in the original Church.
Remember also in the last lesson that we took Ephesians 2:19-20 and saw that the New Testament Church is built on the “…foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief comer stone.”
We follow the Apostles steps from Jerusalem, where the Holy Ghost first fell, to Samaria, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, and other cities scattered around. Remember that the book of Acts tells us how to get “saved.” The Epistles are letters written back to these Churches started in the book of Acts. The Epistles tell us how to stay “saved”, how to order the affairs of the Church, about the Spiritual Gifts, to name a few.
The Apostles would not have written back to Churches that they preached the plan of salvation to in the beginning, with a different plan. The letters do not tell them again how to get saved — they took care of that in the beginning.
THE JEWS RECEIVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE HOLY GHOST.
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. Andthey were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
This fulfilled the prophecy of Joel. Joel 2:28-29, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
This event caused such a stir in the city that it drew the attention of many people. Some people were amazed, some mocked, others thought they were drunk (Acts 2:5-13).
Since Peter had the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 16:16) he was the one selected by God to preach the first message to those gathered in Jerusalem. Peter said…
Acts 2:14-18, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:”
We can see that what has happened so far is the work of God as foretold by the Prophets and reaffirmed by the Apostles.
Acts 2:33, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hathshed forth this, which ye now see and hear.”This was the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophesy in Luke 24:49, John 20:22.
Acts 2:37-39, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, 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.”
Acts 2:41-42, “Then they thatgladly received hisword were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continuedstedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”
Acts 2:46-47, “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved ”
It was not said that they were, “…added to the Church…” until after they received the Holy Ghost. If you are not added to the Church, that means you are excluded from the Church. Mary, the mother of Jesus, His brothers, the Apostles, about 120 in all were followers of Jesus before Pentecost. They were believers, but they still needed the Holy Ghost to be added to the Church. When God brings in a new dispensation, we must obey the light He gives us at that time.
How did they know they had received the Holy Ghost? Whathappened that gave themevidence? There must be some kind of sign given them so they would know. We cannot know our own heart, or the heart of another. We cannot know for sure what goes on inside the heart and soul. Therefore, God must be able to give us some outward sign, so we can know.
As you will see in each example of Salvation, the common denominator is speaking in tongues. In some cases it says they also prophesied or glorified God. But the one thing common to all, is that they spoke in tongues.
Consider this, if we are not Spirit filled when we believe or by simply saying a prayer, how would believing or praying again do it? If all we do is pray to God, or believe in Him, we do not have anything more than the Old Testament Church had. Something has to happen to give us a sign that the Spirit has come into our heart.
How did they know to “add” these new converts to the Church? What was different about their experience? They were filled with the Holy Ghost!
THE HOLY GHOST EXPERIENCE COMES TO SAMARIA:
Acts 8:5-8, “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.”
They believed, miracles happened, but they still needed something else! Read on…
Acts 8:14-15, “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John – Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost.”
They have received the Word of God from Philip and believed. But they are not filled with the Holy Ghost yet. Evidently, we do not automatically receive the Holy Ghost when we believe.
We do know that before Peter and John got to Samaria, they had already been baptized in Jesus name. Acts 8:16, “For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ”
Acts 8:17, “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”
It does not specifically say that they spoke in tongues. But how else would they have known? Something had to happen to let the Apostles know that they had received the Holy Ghost. I believe Peter heard the same sign as he had seen when Cornelius received the Holy Ghost (Acts 10:46). Something evidently happened that was miraculous because Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy the power to replicate it (Acts 8:18-20)!
In each case we see that believers received the Holy Ghost afterthey believed. So we know that receiving the Holy Ghost is not just praying or believing a second time. It is more than just making a confession of faith. Something different had to happen so the Apostles would knowthey had received the Holy Ghost.
The Apostle Peter said, “…that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost — For they heard them speak with tongues… ” Acts 10:45-46).
We also know what happened because we know the pattern that was established in Acts 2:38. The pattern does not change. Once we have an example of the pattern used, we do not need to wonder if it has changed, each time we use it.
THE GENTILES RECEIVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE HOLY GHOST
Thirty-three years after the day of Pentecost, God brought Peter and Cornelius together in a miraculous manner. We read about that in Acts 10. Here again, it was Peter that God sent to open the door of the Kingdom of God to the Gentiles–because he had the keys!
First, let’s look at the spiritual condition of Cornelius…
Acts 10: 1-2, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.”
Cornelius was a believer by any standard. He was a good man who loved and feared God. He was a moral and a just man. He was doing all he knew to do. But we are not saved or lost because of our works. Just being good does not equal salvation. Good people need to be born again. We all need to experience salvation.
Even though Cornelius was a good man that loved and feared God, he was a lost man!We know this because God said he was lost…
Peter explains what happened to Cornelius, “And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved ” (Acts 11:13 -14) If he was not saved, then he was lost!
What happened to move Cornelius’ name from the lost to the saved column? He received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. Tongues is the only thing different from before.
Acts 10:44-45, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision (Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Acts 10:46-47, “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?”
How did Peter knowthey had received the Holy Ghost? It had to be more than the fact that they believed again, confessed again or that they simply said another prayer. He knew because he heard them speak in tongues!
Peter knew the Gentiles had received the same experience as the Jews (Acts 11:15). The only difference between before and after was that they spoke in tongues. If they had not spoken with tongues, they would not have received anything different than they had to start with.
PETER GIVES EVIDENCE TO THE ELDERS IN JERUSALEM THAT THE GENTILES HAD RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST
On the day of Pentecost, only Jews had received the Holy Ghost. There was some contention as to whether the Gentiles would also be included in this outpouring of the Holy Spirit for the last days. We know that that is part of the mystery that God had revealed to Paul (Ephesians 3:5-6).
The Jews despised the Gentiles and considered them less than dogs. It is also good to note that when the elders saw this prejudice in themselves and realized it was going against the workings of God’s Spirit, they accepted what God was doing.
So Peter goes to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the elders in Jerusalem. He tells them how God had brought him and Cornelius together and what had happened.
Acts 11:1-4, “And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them, But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them…”
Acts 11:13 -14, “And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house,. which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.”
Then note what Peter says next. When he saw Cornelius receive the Holy Ghost and heard him speak in tongues, he said..
Acts 11:16-17, “Then remembered I the word of the Lord (Jesus), how that he (Jesus) said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?”
Peter plainly tells us that what happened to Cornelius fulfilled the prophecy of Jesus Christ Himself! How could receiving the Holy Ghost be bad or evil? It is the work of God!
Peter also said that God gave the Gentiles the “like gift” as he had given to the Jews. What gift? The gift of the Holy Ghost! Here again, they received the Holy Ghost after they believed. It was an experience separate and apart from believing.
Peter said this was God’s work and that he could not stand against it. When the elders heard this, they accepted it as the work of God.
Acts 11:18, “When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life- ”
That is another reason we know the Holy Ghost is essential to salvation. It was not until after the Gentiles received the Holy Ghost that it was said God granted to them, “…repentance unto life. ” They did not have spiritual life until after receiving the Holy Ghost, so we know that before they were spiritually dead!
Ask yourself this question again: What happened that took Cornelius’ name off the “lost” column and put it into the “saved” column? He received the Holy Ghost!
In Acts 15, we find that this same subject is being discussed again…
Acts 15:5-9, “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
Here again we note that God selected the Apostle Peter to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. Remember that Peter had the keys. Also note that what Peter preached, he called the Gospel, We are saved by obeying the Gospel.
Then James got into the act…
Acts 15:13-14, “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. ”
Acts 15:15, “And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written…” Remember that we are built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets. The words of the Apostles, the Prophets,. and Jesus have to agree!
Acts 15:16-17, “After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.” When is the name of Jesus called over us? At baptism! (Acts 2:38, 22:16)
We would see an example of this in the life of the Apostle Paul when he was first saved.
Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” The phrase “calling on” means to “invoke.”
THE PHILLIPIAN JAILER GETS SAVED
Acts chapter 16 tells us about Paul and Silas being put into prison for preaching the name of Jesus. A jailer has been put in charge of them. In that day, to let a prisoner escape would result in the death of the jailer.
So the jailer was greatly upset when Paul and Silas prayed and sang at midnight and an earthquake came and opened the prison doors.
Acts 16:3 0-3 1, “And (the jailer) brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” But that did not settle the issue. They did not declare him saved and go on.
Acts 16:32-34, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and he was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.”
So we see that Paul and Silas went home with them and preached the “word of the Lord” to them. As a result, they were baptized. So we know they did more than just believe.
We can also know that they received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues. How can we know that? Because we know the pattern that the Apostles followed.
For example, if a minister pastors a Church in a certain city, and the parishioners have heard him preach the plan of salvation, they know what he believes. He does not have to announce this every week. They already know what he preaches! If he goes to another city to preach a revival and his own parishioners at home hear that a certain number of people got saved, they do not have to wonder how they got saved. They already know what he preaches.
The same is true with the Apostles. We have the plan specifically laid out by the Apostles in Acts 2, 8, 10, & 19. One example of it not being spelled out, does not mean the plan has changed! We can be sure that the plan stays true to pattern.
Paul would preach the same message everywhere he preached. He would not change it to fit a certain location of people.
SO WHAT DID PAUL PREACH?
Acts 19:1-2, “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 (believers), 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.”
Nowhere does anyone in the Bible ask, “Have you accepted the Lord as your personal savior?” That is not a valid Biblical question concerning salvation. But what Paul asked them is. “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” If Paul were here today, he would ask us the same question.
These believers had not received the Holy Ghost because they had not heard that it had come. But, as followers of John the Baptist they knew the Holy Ghost had been promised. In fact, they were waiting on these prophesies to be fulfilled.
Acts 19:3 -6, “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.”
Would the Apostles preach the same message today as they did back then? Why wouldn’t they? We have to wonder why so many people today do not baptize in Jesus’ Name nor receive the Holy Ghost like the Apostles preached. Where, when, why, and who changed it?
Paul sums it up very well … Galatians 1:8-9, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed ”
Jesus got it all started. The Apostles took commandments straight from Jesus and established the Church. They went everywhere preaching repentance, baptism in Jesus Name, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost.
No where in the Bible do we read that the infilling of the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, is not for the Church today. In fact, Peter said in Acts 2:39, “For the PROMISE is unto you and to your children, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
It took the death of Jesus Christ to bring into being such a wonderful experience. In the beginning, God was a Spirit, but He was not a “ghost” until after He rose again. After He ascended on high, he came back in Spirit form to live in our hearts. Since Jesus has come into our heart by the Holy Ghost, we are the temple of the Holy Ghost!
Now, ask yourself this question: “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?
WHY DID GOD CHOOSE TONGUES?
IT IS THE SOUND OF THE NEWBORN.
When a child is born, the doctor must hear the baby cry. If the baby does not cry, they know there is a problem. When a child is born into God’s family, the Church, which is the Mother of us all (Galatians 4:26), hears the sound of a baby speaking in a heavenly language.
In John 3, we find Jesus talking to Nicodemus about the New Birth.
John 3:1-2, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
John 3:3-4, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”
John 3:5-7, “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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh- and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” Jesus was talking about a spiritual birth, not a natural one.
John 3:8, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
In the Bible, wind is a type of the Holy Spirit. Like the wind, the Spirit blows. You do not know where it came from nor where it is going, but you feel, see, and hear the effects of it.
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- ”
Note the word “utterance” in the Acts 1:4, It is a word listed in Strong’s Greek Concordance (from 575 and 5350) meaning… “to enunciate plainly, i.e. declare–say, to speak forth.”
When they received the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost, God put the cry of the Newborn into their mouths. The Spirit gave them utterance. You cannot speak in tongues with human ability. The Spirit must give the utterance.
GOD HAS ABSOLUTE CONTROL OF THE BODY
James 3:2-8, “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.”
It is a truth that no man can tame the tongue. It takes the Spirit of God to control the tongue. When God controls you to the point you speak in a language you have not learned, you are completely surrendered to God’s Spirit. The spirit that controls the tongue, controls the body.
A SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRES A SUPERNATURAL SIGN
The salvation of our soul is the most important matter on the face of the earth. When God breathed the breath of life into us, we became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). After death, the soul will be at peace with God, or go to a place of eternal torment (Matthew 22:13, 24:51).
God needed some way to let us know, that without a doubt, we have been filled with His Spirit. He did not want us to have any doubt. He also wanted a way to confirm to the believer and to the Church, that a person has received the Holy Ghost.
The work of God’s Spirit is a work of the heart. This happens in the unseen part of man. Unless there is some outward sign, how could we know what happened inside the person?
What other method could God have chosen that everyone has the capability of doing, and which cannot be controlled by human ability? The tongue is a human organ that comes under control of God’s supernatural power.
Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues… ”
Why do we think it strange or weird that God could take control of a person’s tongue and speak through him? It is God that made the tongue and gave us the ability to speak any language at all. Speaking in tongues is simply God speaking through us.
For everything God has that is real, the devil has a counterfeit. Some people have misused tongues, or simply do not understand it. There is an experience with God that you and I can have that will allow the Spirit of God to totally take over our bodies, and speak through us in a heavenly language.
Nothing God does is ever embarrassing, unseemly, or out of order. When God is in control, everything will be right.
We should be thankful to God for giving us a way to know without a doubt, that we have been filled with His Spirit!
Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ”
Acts 10:46, “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God…”
Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”
The Evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost is more than a feeling!
It is so important for us to receive the Holy Ghost, that God wanted us to have a sign so we would KNOW we have received it. This would be a sign, not only to us, but to the Church, that we have received the Holy Ghost. The Church is the mother of us all (Galatians 4:26), and she should also know when a child has been born to her.
We cannot tell what goes on inside of a person, even if we are ministers. When we hear someone speak in other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Acts 2:4), it gives us the assurance that they have been filled with the Holy Ghost.
Many people think they have received the Holy Ghost when they believed or repented, because they “felt good”. However, feelings are not a reliable sign to us, that we have been filled with God’s Spirit. We can have good feelings, or even weep and rejoice, over many things that happen to us.
We do not need to be saved in order to have good feelings, cry, feel like jumping or running. We can do all of that in the natural, without the help of God’s Spirit.
When Philip took the Gospel to Samaria we read that they had “great Joy” (Acts 8:8). However, verses 15-17 reveal to us that they were later baptized in Jesus name and filled with the Holy Ghost.
The Apostle Peter said that he knew the Gentiles had received the Holy Ghost, “For they heard them speak with tongues…” (Acts 10:45-46).
Why is it important to know that we have received the Holy Ghost?
Romans 8:9-1 1, “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. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. ”
According to these verses, we MUSThave the Spirit of Christ IN us in order to belong to Him, and to be resurrected from the dead. This in filling of God’s Spirit is too important to leave to a feeling or a mental exercise.
God wanted to give us a sign that was so miraculous, that we could not doubt that we have been filled with the Holy Ghost!