Receiving the Holy Spirit is an important part of the Christian faith. When we receive the Holy Spirit, God comes to live inside us and empower us to live the Christian life. There are different beliefs on exactly how and when a person receives the Holy Spirit, but all Christians agree that receiving the Spirit is essential.
What is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity along with God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. The Holy Spirit is a divine person, not just an impersonal force or power. The Bible gives the Holy Spirit attributes like intellect, emotions and will. The Holy Spirit is also described in the Bible as having divine nature and qualities like omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence.
The Holy Spirit has been active throughout Scripture, beginning in Genesis 1. However, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit took on a new role. Jesus told his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit to them after his ascension. The Holy Spirit came in power on the Day of Pentecost, the beginning of the church age.
Why do we need the Holy Spirit?
We need the Holy Spirit because we cannot live the Christian life in our own strength. Galatians 5:22-23 describes the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in believers: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This kind of life is only possible through the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit also gives spiritual gifts to believers which equip them to serve God and build up the church. Gifts like teaching, prophecy, healing and discernment are supernatural abilities enabled by the Spirit. Every Christian receives spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit when they are saved.
In addition, the Holy Spirit guides believers into truth and convicts them of sin. Jesus told the disciples that when the Spirit of truth comes “he will guide you into all the truth.” The Holy Spirit shows people their need for God and applies the truths of Scripture to their hearts. He points people to Jesus and the gospel.
When do people receive the Holy Spirit?
There are differing viewpoints on when believers receive the Holy Spirit. Some believe it occurs at conversion when someone repents of their sins and puts their faith in Christ. Others believe it is a subsequent experience that happens sometime after conversion.
View 1: Conversion
Those who believe people receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion point to verses like Romans 8:9:
“You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
This verse indicates that all Christians have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If someone does not have the Spirit, they do not belong to Christ. Therefore, receiving the Spirit must happen when someone becomes a believer.
1 Corinthians 12:13 also says, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” This “baptism” of the Holy Spirit happens to all believers at conversion.
View 2: Subsequent experience
Other Christians believe receiving the Spirit is an experience distinct from and subsequent to salvation. They point to passages like Acts 8:
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
Though these Samaritans had believed the preaching of Philip, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit until Peter and John prayed for them. This passage seems to separate belief and receiving the Spirit.
Another example is Paul’s encounter with some disciples in Acts 19:
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at 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.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. (Acts 19:1-6)
Though these disciples were already believers, they still needed to receive the Holy Spirit subsequently through the laying on of hands. This is the basis for the belief that baptism of the Spirit happens after conversion.
Synthesis and conclusion
Both sides make valid points backed by Scripture. A synthesis of the two views is that all Christians receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at conversion, but there may also be subsequent encounters, baptisms and fillings of the Holy Spirit after conversion that lead to greater empowerment and gifts.
The key is that all Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside them. This begins when someone repents of sin and receives Christ as Savior by faith. However, the work of the Spirit matures and develops over the course of the Christian life. There are often defining moments of encountering the Spirit’s power in a new way after conversion.
How do you receive the Holy Spirit?
If you are not yet a Christian, the way to receive the Holy Spirit is by repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ. This means confessing your sinfulness, asking for forgiveness and trusting that Jesus’ death on the cross paid for your sins. At the point of saving faith, the Holy Spirit then comes to dwell in you.
For Christians who want to experience more of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment, there are some biblical steps to take:
- Desire Him. God desires to give us the Spirit even more than we desire to receive Him (Luke 11:13). Seek after the Spirit and His power in your life.
- Ask in prayer. We receive the Spirit by faith, so sincerely ask God in prayer for the fullness and gifts of the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13).
- Yield every area of your life. The Holy Spirit wants to fill our entire being, so we must offer to Him every part of ourselves – relationships, priorities, money, time, talents.
- Have faith. When we ask according to God’s will in faith, we will receive what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). Believe that God will fill you with His Spirit.
- Be empowered to witness. The power of the Spirit is for ministry and mission. Share your faith and look for opportunities to be used by God.
In addition, other believers can pray with you or lay hands on you to receive the Spirit’s empowering. This happened in the early church and still happens today.
How do you know you have the Holy Spirit?
There are a few key signs that you have received the Holy Spirit, or that the Holy Spirit is active in your life as a believer:
- Spiritual transformation – There is evidence of the Spirit’s work in your life such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). These spiritual fruits are proof of the Spirit’s indwelling.
- Power to witness – You have a boldness to share your faith with others and see the gospel impact lives. The primary work of the Spirit is evangelism (Acts 1:8).
- Use of spiritual gifts – The Holy Spirit equips believers with supernatural gifts and abilities for ministry (1 Corinthians 12:8-10). The presence of spiritual gifts shows the Spirit’s work in and through you.
- Answered prayer – God responds to the prayers that you pray according to His will (1 John 5:14-15). This is the work of the Spirit interceding on your behalf.
- Understanding Scripture – The Holy Spirit illumines God’s word and applies it to your life (John 14:26, 16:13). An ability to discern and grasp spiritual truth is from the Spirit.
While subjective feelings or experiences can vary, the evidence of the Spirit’s work will be clear in a transformed life aligned with Scripture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to speak in tongues when you receive the Holy Spirit?
No, speaking in tongues is not a requirement or proof of receiving the Holy Spirit. While tongues was a common occurrence in the book of Acts during Spirit baptisms, it was not universal. There were also other evidences of Spirit reception like prophecy, boldness and praise. Speaking in tongues can be one manifestation of the Spirit’s work today, but the Spirit gives different gifts as He determines.
Can you receive too much of the Holy Spirit?
No, there is no limit to what the Holy Spirit wants to do in our lives. We cannot receive “too much” of Him. We should continually seek to surrender more of ourselves to the control and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. As we yield to Him, He will continue to have more freedom to work in and through us.
Do I need to be baptized in water to receive the Holy Spirit?
Water baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit are often related, but one does not cause the other. Baptism pictures our union with Christ, while the Holy Spirit makes that spiritual reality efficacious in our lives. The Spirit’s reception is by faith, not any ritual. However, water baptism is still an important step of obedience for believers.
How do I feel the Holy Spirit’s presence?
We cannot depend on feelings. The Spirit’s presence is evidenced by His spiritual fruits in our lives, not fleeting emotions. That said, we may experience sensations like heat, energy, trembling, tears, or other reactions at times when the Holy Spirit is doing a deep work in us. But the focus should be on surrendering to Him, not chasing feelings.
Conclusion
Receiving the Holy Spirit is a cornerstone of the Christian life. At conversion, the Spirit comes to indwell believers and empower them for ministry. This is just the beginning of the Spirit’s work, as He continues to fill Christians and endue them with spiritual gifts over the course of their spiritual growth. While the timing and manifestations may differ, all Christians have the privilege of being the temple of the Holy Spirit.