About Holy Spirit

[14iv19]

I would like to clarify my understanding what a Holy Spirit is.
Because I heard so many different way people received the Holy Spirit.
So what is it to be baptized in Holy Spirit?
I am not talking about baptism in water.

Thank you for sharing!  

[thetikignat hozergnat]

Well I think the majority of religions preach that baptism by water is somehow related to how you receive the holy spirit smile but as for the "baptism by the holy spirit" is synonymous to "confirmation" and "baptism by fire" in other religions. It's believed, in some religions, that baptism by water is only the first half of baptism, and that you recieve the actual gift of the holy ghost once somebody with the proper authority lays their hands upon your head (similar to how the priests with proper authority did in the old testament in temple and kingship rites). If this is what you were talking about, then keep reading and i'll reference some scripture passages and more detailed explanation of what SOME churches teach. smile

1) Baptism by Fire
The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. For those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin. Thus it is often spoken of as “fire”. One scripture that may allude to this is Matthew Chapter 3 Verse 11 in the New testament:

Quote:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

2)Confirmation by the "laying on of hands"
The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism and is conferred by the laying on of hands, as in Acts 8:12-25: (I'll give you the full context and bold the verses I thought the most relevant- but you can reference your personal bible if you want to read the whole chapter smile )

Quote:

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not aright in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

 

[14iv19]

thetikignat hozergnat

Well I think the majority of religions preach that baptism by water is somehow related to how you receive the holy spirit smile but as for the "baptism by the holy spirit" is synonymous to "confirmation" and "baptism by fire" in other religions. It's believed, in some religions, that baptism by water is only the first half of baptism, and that you recieve the actual gift of the holy ghost once somebody with the proper authority lays their hands upon your head (similar to how the priests with proper authority did in the old testament in temple and kingship rites). If this is what you were talking about, then keep reading and i'll reference some scripture passages and more detailed explanation of what SOME churches teach. smile

1) Baptism by Fire
The gift of the Holy Ghost is the right to have, whenever one is worthy, the companionship of the Holy Ghost. For those who receive this gift, the Holy Ghost acts as a cleansing agent to purify them and sanctify them from all sin. Thus it is often spoken of as “fire”. One scripture that may allude to this is Matthew Chapter 3 Verse 11 in the New testament:

Quote:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

2)Confirmation by the "laying on of hands"
The gift can come only after proper and authorized baptism and is conferred by the laying on of hands, as in Acts 8:12-25: (I'll give you the full context and bold the verses I thought the most relevant- but you can reference your personal bible if you want to read the whole chapter smile )

Quote:

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not aright in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Hmmm... which mean.. how do I know if I received Holy Spirit or not?  

[thetikignat hozergnat]

Quote:

Hmmm... which mean.. how do I know if I received Holy Spirit or not?

Depends on which religion you believe in I think. In some religions they say you have it when you receive baptism by water. Some say you have it just by believing in Christ and being a good follower. Some say that you receive it after you have a baptism by water and by fire(the spirit). The latter varies greatly just because religions preach the nature of baptism differently.

I'm of the belief that you receive the spirit after baptism by water (immersion, done by someone in authority, and received by somebody who willingly accepts it) which is followed by baptism by the spirit (laying on of hands by somebody who has the priesthood authority of Christ). WE believe its like that scripture I gave you- that people were walking around after receiving baptism by water till they realized somebody had to lay hands on their heads and give them the gift of the holy spirit.

So we believe you get it after completing both steps of baptism- the last step being baptism by fire (when somebody lays their hands on your head and gives a special prayer in the name of christ) and that you keep its companionship by striving to follow in christs teachings.  

[Aquatic_blue]

I remember when I was baptized in water - I felt the Holy Spirit had given me peace because God had taken off the sinful load off my shoulders and I felt so light. So I do believe water baptism can be related to the Holy Spirit because baptism is confessing with our lips that Jesus is God's son whom he sent on the cross to die for our sins.

When a person is saved (I'm not saying that water baptism = saved) - they can ask for the Holy Spirit to be more active in their life and it dwells in every believer.

For many years I felt empty, went to a church filled with the Holy Spirit and I felt on fire for the Lord again because the church would invite the Holy Spirit in. I had felt the Holy Spirit before after I had confessed Jesus is Lord and perhaps not too long after that my faith was waning or I wasn't diving into God's word like I should. So when I went to this church and it was so filled with the Holy Spirit - I simply asked, "God, I have witnessed the things people can do through you in the Holy Spirit. I do want that in my life dear Lord!"

You know, I felt a lot different from then on. Once you have the Holy Spirit working in you and you know it - your life will change and you won't be the same. Once it's active in you, you just know. I'm not sure how to explain it other than that.

For instance, there will be times not in my life where I feel like I've been hit by a brick because something is not right or I will feel within myself that I am craving God's word! I will literally feel when my soul is starved and notice my actions and words will represent that, too, because I won't be filled with the love of the Lord. I can feel when I need God's word and if I go a day skipping God's word - it's like I can feel myself dry up inside because God's word satisfies the soul and it makes us whole!

I used to be able to watch gruesome horror stuff, whether it was a movie or a show on tv and wasn't influenced by it at all. Now, I can't tolerate horror films - I just can't. It may sound weird, but I can't. If I even see a trailer, I sometimes freak out and can't watch. I have become so sensitive because I know that spiritual warfare exists and don't find horror films as a source of positive entertainment on the soul. I feel that this is the Holy Spirit working in me.

I also feel that if I am around people that constantly swear that I'm taking a stab wound to the soul. It just hurts spiritually to hear people talking in such filthy language. Before I accepted The Holy Spirit more into my life, I could ignore the language and get past it and eventually ignore it because I had heard so much of it. Now a days, if people are cursing and swearing, it hurts me because it hurts God.

(Edit)When I am praising God, reading His word, or praying - I tend to cry when The Holy Spirit touches my soul. I am not sure why I cry whenever I feel my heart being softened and my soul being filled with the spirit. I used to be ashamed to cry in front of people and when I visited a church that invited The Holy Spirit in and believed in The Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the laying of hands, and things pertaining to that - I cried like a baby. I had never experienced such light, such truth, such fullness in my soul although at first I was battling myself and telling God, "What is going on in this church? I do not understand! I have never seen this! I have never felt this way! What is this?! Forgive me for not understanding and praising as these people are praising." I grew up a church girl that never had this experience before. The feeling of having The Holy Spirit was so amazing and there was so much I did not understand about The Holy Spirit so I asked for the Holy Spirit more in my life and so that I may understand more about The Holy Spirit.(End Edit)

I also believe that the gifts from the Holy Spirit are incredibly active to this day. Some churches do not believe this and believe that the gifts died with the apostles, but I've seen too much to know that this is not so. God gifts us gifts through the Holy Spirit to prepare us on our walk and in order to complete the purpose that God has for our lives.

I know my view is more of a testimony rather than with scripture, but perhaps there will be something there that can answer your questions =)  

[Blaise-Ingram]

Hmmm you bring up some interesting questions and points...

I don't have much to say on the Holy Spirit right now, but I know it's a tricky concept to grasp in concrete terms... Basically a part of God that is spirit, and it often is sent to provide wisdom, knowledge, making the right decisions, and guidance in general. That's the best I can describe the Holy Spirit for now...  

[emorhconom esor]

14iv19

"Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11:9-13
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory." Ephesians 1:3-14

There are more verses but no one likes to read super long post.

We receive the Holy Spirit once we saved, the baptism by water follows it because it is commanded of us to do. Being baptized by water doesn't make the Holy Spirit indwell within us, it is our choice to make God the Lord of our life that does. Every time someone comes to Christ in scripture a baptism by water follows immediately. It is important due to the fact that it is our first proclamation of our faith and first time we witness to others. Some of the information given is very off due to the fact that Christianity is the only religion that believes in the Holy Spirit.


“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." Matthew 7:15-20
Though this scripture talks about false teachers and prophets it can also be applied in the opposite way as well. The way you can tell a person has the Holy Spirit is by two things; the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is the easiest way to tell especially if you are dealing with children.

I would have more but I'm tired due to coming back from a mission trip. If that leaves you with any questions or if you want more scripture just ask. I'm happy to answer any questions that I can since I'm used to it, though there will be historical background stuff.  

[Krystalle Rose Cairn]

Personally, I believe that the Spirit indwells in us at the moment of salvation, when you confess and cry out to God.
My testimony, that leads me to think this, besides preaching I have heard..
The night after I became a believer, I heard Papa's voice, I still don't know if I was asleep or awake for the experience, but I think I was able to hear Him b/c the Spirit was there.
I was baptized by immersion two years later, because my pastor does not like to baptize young children, he thinks that they may not truly understand what they are doing.
There have been times where I have felt the Spirit, at camps in particular (and I usually end up in tears). Sometimes when I am having a horrid day and am just feeling down in the dumps, I will feel arms around me.
I am not as receptive to the Spirit as I would like to be. I know there is spiritual warfare and I believe that every believer is given spiritual gifts at the time of salvation.
I really don't know very much about the Holy Spirit, and I am learning along with everyone else, but I do hope this helped a little...  

[14iv19]

Thanks for all your reply! I will consider all of your sharing and try to understand better for myself.