Receive the Holy Spirit

(Acts 8:14-25 – Receive the Holy Spirit)

One of the most frequent questions I receive by email has to do with receiving the Holy Spirit. The questions usually go along the lines of how do you know if you have the Holy Spirit? Or, how do you receive this gift of God?

There is a lot of information in the New Testament in relation to this subject. The book of Acts has many example of this in the early church. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit was one of the important promises of God. So, it is important to understand these things.

This section of scripture is an excellent introduction to answer these questions. It also provides understanding how you will know if you have received the Spirit. So let us look at what the scripture has to say about this important matter.

Myths about receiving the Holy Spirit?

Philip, who was one of the seven appointed by the apostles to serve the church, was in Samaria preaching the word. He did many signs and many people believed and were baptised in water in the name of Jesus Christ. But at that time they did not receive the Holy Spirit.

This fact alone destroys one of the first myths about receiving the Holy Spirit. Some people believe that they automatically received the Spirit. They think this happens either when they first believe and accept Jesus Christ, or when they are baptised in water. But the bible shows in this scripture that this is incorrect. Note the following words and in particular verse 16.

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 8:14-16)

The word is quite clear here that the people had not yet received the Holy Spirit. That’s why the apostles and elders sent Peter and John to pray for the people to receive the Holy Spirit.

How to receive the Holy Spirit

This now shows us the first requirement to receiving the Holy Spirit. First the people needed to have spirit filled people, typically the elders of the church, come down and pray that they would receive the Holy Spirit. Thus, Peter and John were sent to pray for the people of Samaria to receive this gift of God.

The second requirement to receive the Holy Spirit follows in the next few verses 17-19.

17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

So, the second key is that after the elders had prayed for the people they laid their hands on them for the receiving of the Holy Spirit.

A third key, not mentioned in this section of scripture, is in Luke 11:13, which says,

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The third key is that the person seeking to receive the Holy Spirit should pray to God for this gift.

Three Keys to receiving the Holy Spirit

And that is all that is required to be able to receive the Holy Spirit. The three key requirements once again are:

1. The elders of the church should pray for the person to,receive the Holy Spirit
2. The elders should lay their hands on the person to receive the Holy Spirit
3. The person seeking the Holy Spirit should pray and ask God to give them this gift

When God just gives the Holy Spirit

There is still another way that a person can also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This was the method that occurred both at Pentecost and also when the Gentiles first received the Holy Spirit. God just gave it to them without any of the conditions above taking place.

The difference between these approaches is that at Pentecost the giving of the Holy Spirit was initiated by God. But in the other approach as discussed in this section of Acts 8 it is the person seeking to receive the Holy Spirit who initiates the process.

It is the laying on of hands process that is most common today. And it is my opinion that every person who receives the Holy Spirit should go through this process. Doing so shows obedience to the word of God even if they believe they have already received the Holy Spirit. But as I say, that is just my opinion.

How do you know you have received the Holy Spirit?

And this brings us to the next question. There will always be something that proves that a person has received the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:7,

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Every person who receives the Holy Spirit is given the manifestation of the spirit. They receive the manifestation to show that they have received the Holy Spirit. Note that this verse says they will be given “THE” manifestation of the Spirit. It does not say “A” manifestation, but “THE” manifestation. I have also checked this in the original Greek and it is quite definitely “THE” manifestation. This refers to one specific manifestation that will be given to those who receive the Holy Spirit.

What is THE manifestation of the Spirit?

The most common and most important manifestation of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues. And we see this manifestation of the Holy Spirit in nearly every instance where the Holy Spirit was received or given in the New Testament. Look at these scriptures as examples when the various people received the Holy Spirit.

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
(Acts 2:4 at Pentecost when the apostles received the Holy Spirit)

“44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
45 And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
(Acts 10:44-46 when the Gentiles first received the Holy Spirit)

“2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”
5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
(Acts 19:2-6 when the Ephesian church first received the Holy Spirit)

The last of these examples is also interesting. It shows that these disciples did not receive Spirit when they first believed. Nor did they receive the Spirit when they were baptised in water by Paul. They had to have hands laid on them in order to receive the Holy Spirit and then the manifestation of the Holy Spirit through speaking in tongues occurred.

Jesus also made the point that you would recognise that a person who was born of the Holy Spirit by hearing the “sound” of the spirit. Speaking in tongues is a vocal or voice gift that can be heard. Note the words of Jesus regarding this in John 3:6-8.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

How did Jesus say you would know if you or someone else was born again of the spirit? You would hear the “sound” of the spirit just as we hear the sound of the wind even though we cannot see the wind.

Why do you need to receive the Holy Spirit?

Finally it is critical for every Christian to receive the Holy Spirit. The work of the Holy Spirit is to teach, guide, counsel, comfort, intercede and pray for the person who has received the Holy Spirit. The purpose of all this work of the spirit is seen in the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

It is the primary work of the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of The Lord one degree or one step at a time. We are on a journey as Christians as we walk with The Lord and the Holy Spirit is guiding us individually along the pathway to life, transforming us into the image of Christ as we go.

That is why it is critical for all Christians to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in accordance with what the bible tells us to do. For if we do not receive the Holy Spirit, we do not have the gift that will guide us into the fullness of the maturity of Jesus Christ. And that is not a place we want to be.

Please feel free to ask any questions either in email or the comments section of this post if you would like to know more as this is just a brief overview of this critical topic.

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Ask And It Will Be Given You
Just Ask
You Shall Receive Power
Pentecost And Receiving The Holy Spirit
Have You Drunk The Living Water
Bearing Witness To Jesus
Speaking In Tongues
Promise Of Salvation