In these days, there are many believers who are confused on the doctrine of receiving the Holy Spirit. The Bible gives clear teaching on this doctrine. Let us study the Scriptures to find out what the Bible teaches on this important doctrine of receiving the Holy Spirit.
1. Believers Receive the Holy Spirit at Salvation as a Guarantee
Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit at salvation and receive the Holy Spirit as a guarantee or deposit when they put their trust in God. “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise”
(Eph. 1:13).
This is a direct and clear teaching on when a believer receives the Holy Spirit. This verse says that believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit when they hear ‘the word of truth’ and ‘believed in Christ. How can a person be sealed with the Holy Spirit without the Holy Spirit? The Bible says that at the time of sealing believers receive the Holy Spirit as a deposit (2 Cor. 1:22) and the Holy Spirit
becomes their guarantee of inheritance (Eph. 1:14).
2. The Holy Spirit Indwells in all Believers
All those who belong to Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit. “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9). In this verse the Holy Spirit is called as ‘the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ.”
This verse clearly says that if one does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that all those who believe on Him become children of God and belong to Jesus Christ (John 1:12). So those who belong to Jesus Christ have the Holy Spirit and those who do not have the Holy
Spirit do not belong to Him. 3. Salvation is only by the Work of the Holy Spirit
People are saved only by the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts a person of his sin and lives within him forever: “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more, of judgment, because the ruler of this world in judged” (John 16:8-11). “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16).
This is a clear teaching of Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit brings about salvation by conviction of sin, and the Helper abides in believers forever from salvation. So there is no need for believers to receive again and again the One who abides in them forever.
4. Believers Receive the Holy Spirit when they Put their Trust in God
The Galatians received the Holy Spirit when they put their faith on God: “I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” (Gal. 3:2, NIV) This verse clearly teaches that the Galatian believers received the Holy Spirit when they heard Jesus Christ as crucified’ (Gal. 3:1) and put their trust in Him. The Bible says that we are saved only when we believe in our heart that God has raised Jesus Christ from the dead (Rom. 10:9-11). Hence we receive the Holy Spirit at the time of salvation.
5. The Gentiles Received the Holy Spirit when they Believed
The Bible says that the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit when they believed. “He redeemed us in order that that the blessings given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Gal. 3:14; NIV). This verse teaches that the Gentiles were redeemed through Christ Jesus and they received the Holy Spirit by faith. This is in accordance with what Paul wrote in Galatians 3:2 that they received the Holy Spirit when they believed on Jesus Christ.
6. God Gives the Holy Spirit to His Children
God sends the Holy Spirit into the hearts of all his children and He intercedes to the Father. “And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”” (Gal. 4:6). Paul asserts in this verse that the Galatian believers are the sons of God because they have received ‘the
adoption as sons (Gal. 45), and God has sent His Spirit into all their hearts to enable them to call Him Abba, Father
7. Believers Receive the Holy Spirit at Adoption
All believers in the Church of Rome had received the Holy Spirit at the time of their adoption. “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father”” (Rom. 8:15). Here the Holy Spirit is described as the Spirit of adoption. This is to teach that the Spirit is given to believers at the time of adoption. The Christians in Rome received this Spirit at the time of their adoption and it enabled them to call the Father, “Abba, Father.”
8. The Holy Spirit was Given to all Believers
The Holy Spirit was given to all believers in the Roman church. “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5). This verse says that the Romans received the love of God through the Holy Spirit. All believers experience the love of God at salvation (John 3:16) and so the Romans received the Holy Spirit at salvation.
9. The Holy Spirit Leads all God’s Children
All God’s children are lead by the Holy Spirit. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). Here is a clear statement by Paul that all sons of God (believers) are led by the Spirit. So it can be inferred that all believers have the Holy Spirit because they are the sons of God and the Holy
Spirit leads them. 10. The Holy Spirit gives Inner Witness to all Believers
All believers know that they have the Holy Spirit because of the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). This verse says that the Holy Spirit bears witness to believers that they are God’s children. So each believer can know definitely that he has received the Holy Spirit by the inner witness of the Holy
Spirit. This gives the assurance of salvation to believers. 11. All believers are the Temple of God where the Holy Spirit Indwells
