How do I receive the Holy Spirit?
The Spirit is a gift, received through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by works or by feelings. When you trust Christ, you are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit; and as you walk with Him, you are filled again and again.
This question arose from studying Who is the Holy Spirit?.
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Go into the Word
Not a summary of these passages: the passages themselves. Read them, then come back to the study below.
The study
What the Scripture says
The Spirit is received through faith, not works
Paul's question to the Galatians is the key: 'Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?' The Spirit comes by believing the gospel, the same way salvation itself comes.
I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
He therefore who supplies the Spirit to you, and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
He is the gift promised to all who repent and believe
Peter's answer to 'What must we do?' was: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins: 'and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' The promise is not for a select few; it is for everyone the Lord calls.
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
He comes the moment we come to Christ
Paul writes that having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise: the seal, the down payment of the inheritance. Jesus described the Spirit as rivers of living water flowing from within the believer.
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
Now on the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink! He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water.” But he said this about the Spirit, which those believing in him were to receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus wasn’t yet glorified.
He makes us cry 'Abba, Father'
The Spirit of adoption replaces the spirit of fear. Through Him we call God our Father with the intimate confidence of a child, and He Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if it is so that the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if any man doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his.
We are filled as we walk with Him
Receiving the Spirit is the beginning; being filled is the ongoing life. We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, and to walk by Him, and not to grieve Him. The filling is not one dramatic moment, but a continual surrender.
Don’t be drunken with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you won’t fulfill the lust of the flesh.
If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit.
Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
As you read, you may wonder…
Scripture raises the next question
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We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Verses to meditate on
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
in whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
For you didn’t receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God;
I just want to learn this from you. Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing of faith?
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