Word of Life
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The Holy Ghost: God's Spirit Inside of You
John 3:5
"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Being born again of the Spirit means being baptized by the Spirit.
John the Baptist said...
Mark 1:8
I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus said...
Acts 1:4-5
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Jesus ascended into heaven soon after he told this to his apostles. A few days passed by as people were waiting for this promise that Jesus made. Finally...
Acts 2:1-4
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.
This is still happening today.
In 1997, Life Magazine's Millennial Edition stated that 500 million people have experienced this same baptism of the Spirit.
Acts 2:16-17
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:
That's why there are so many people who have experienced this new birth.
If you have not been baptized in the Spirit, this experience is for you.
Acts 2:39
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.
some may say that you receive the Holy Ghost the moment you believe
There is no scripture that says this.
Paul asked some believers...
Acts 19:2
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.
There would be no reason for Paul to ask this question if people received the Holy Ghost the moment they believed.
Jesus said...
John 7:38-39
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
These verses make it plain that believing does not automatically give someone the Holy Ghost. Receiving the Holy Ghost is only a part of the full experience of being born again, which is built on belief, repentance, and water baptism.
Jesus described what happens when someone gets the Spirit...
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
So you can't tell where the Spirit comes or goes, but you'll be able to hear the sound of the Spirit.
There is a distinct sound that happens every time someone gets born of the Spirit.
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Tongues is the proof that someone has received God's Spirit.
When people speak with other tongues, it simply means that they are speaking another language that they don't know. It could be a language from another country, or a heavenly language that is not spoken on Earth.
When you yield yourself completely to God, and He gives you His Spirit, He will miraculously give you another language to speak in.
People noticed this the first time the Holy Ghost was poured out.
Acts 2:5,7-8
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven...Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?"
Look again at John 3:8
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Isaiah 28:11
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.
Why does God use tongues as the evidence of getting the Holy Ghost?
James 3:6-8
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The tongue is the most untamable part of the body.
Only God can tame the tongue. It is the last member of our bodies we can yield to God.
Giving God control of your tongue is a sign of complete submission to him.
That is why God chose the tongue as evidence of getting the Holy Ghost.
some religious leaders today don't understand this new birth experience
Nicodemus was a religious leader during his time, and he did not understand the new birth, even though he was knowledgeable in the scriptures...
John 3:9-10
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?"
Jesus wants everyone to experience being born again.
You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God
What does the Holy Ghost do for us?
John 16:13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth:
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Romans 8:11
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.
The Holy Ghost will guide you into all truth; lead you into righteousness, peace, and joy; give you the power to overcome sin; and quicken your body when Jesus comes back for his church.
And that's only the beginning of what God will do in your life.
John 3:5
"Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Being born again of the Spirit means being baptized by the Spirit.
John the Baptist said...
Mark 1:8
I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
And Jesus said...
Acts 1:4-5
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Jesus ascended into heaven soon after he told this to his apostles. A few days passed by as people were waiting for this promise that Jesus made. Finally...
Acts 2:1-4
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.
This is still happening today.
In 1997, Life Magazine's Millennial Edition stated that 500 million people have experienced this same baptism of the Spirit.
Acts 2:16-17
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:
That's why there are so many people who have experienced this new birth.
If you have not been baptized in the Spirit, this experience is for you.
Acts 2:39
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.
some may say that you receive the Holy Ghost the moment you believe
There is no scripture that says this.
Paul asked some believers...
Acts 19:2
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.
There would be no reason for Paul to ask this question if people received the Holy Ghost the moment they believed.
Jesus said...
John 7:38-39
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
These verses make it plain that believing does not automatically give someone the Holy Ghost. Receiving the Holy Ghost is only a part of the full experience of being born again, which is built on belief, repentance, and water baptism.
Jesus described what happens when someone gets the Spirit...
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
So you can't tell where the Spirit comes or goes, but you'll be able to hear the sound of the Spirit.
There is a distinct sound that happens every time someone gets born of the Spirit.
Acts 2:4
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Tongues is the proof that someone has received God's Spirit.
When people speak with other tongues, it simply means that they are speaking another language that they don't know. It could be a language from another country, or a heavenly language that is not spoken on Earth.
When you yield yourself completely to God, and He gives you His Spirit, He will miraculously give you another language to speak in.
People noticed this the first time the Holy Ghost was poured out.
Acts 2:5,7-8
And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven...Then they were all amazed and marvelled, saying to one another, "Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?"
Look again at John 3:8
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
Isaiah 28:11
For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people.
Why does God use tongues as the evidence of getting the Holy Ghost?
James 3:6-8
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
The tongue is the most untamable part of the body.
Only God can tame the tongue. It is the last member of our bodies we can yield to God.
Giving God control of your tongue is a sign of complete submission to him.
That is why God chose the tongue as evidence of getting the Holy Ghost.
some religious leaders today don't understand this new birth experience
Nicodemus was a religious leader during his time, and he did not understand the new birth, even though he was knowledgeable in the scriptures...
John 3:9-10
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?"
Jesus wants everyone to experience being born again.
You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God
What does the Holy Ghost do for us?
John 16:13
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth:
Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Romans 8:11
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.
The Holy Ghost will guide you into all truth; lead you into righteousness, peace, and joy; give you the power to overcome sin; and quicken your body when Jesus comes back for his church.
And that's only the beginning of what God will do in your life.
