In the Apostolic church, we place much emphasis on the need for every believer to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Unlike many other Christian denominations, receiving the Holy Ghost is at the core of the Apostolic doctrine. We believe it is an integral part of the Christian life as well as salvation. But why do we believe this? Why do we so often teach, preach, and speak on this subject with such passion and enthusiasm?
It is in part due to all receiving the Holy Spirit brings into the life of the believer. It allows us to experience all that we read about in the scriptures but often can’t be understood until we have received it. Offering us the true change needed to live in this world boldly for Christ.
What the Holy Spirit brings with it can be seen through the lives of the Apostles. The day of Pentecost brought an abrupt and major change in each of their lives. Before the spirit fell upon them in the upper room they were timid, fearful, doubtful, and full of questions. Jesus even referred to them as having little faith on multiple occasions. Those statements were made even after they had been witnesses to many miracles.
Matthew 8:23–26 (ESV)
23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Matthew 17:14–20 (ESV)
14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and, kneeling before him, 15 said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
John 20:24–29 (ESV)
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Mark 14:48–50 (ESV)
48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 And they all left him and fled.
But once they received God’s spirit everything changed. Their faith grew exponentially and they became bolder than ever. Unwavering and willing to preach the Gospel regardless of the consequences. Their questions were replaced with answers that came from the knowledge of God. Sorrow became a thing of the past as they faced even the toughest situations with unexplainable peace and joy.
Acts 2:14–16 (ESV)
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
Acts 3:6–8 (ESV)
6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Acts 4:18–20 (ESV)
18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 5:40–42 (ESV)
40 and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. 42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.
All of that came not through faith or even spending those three amazing years with Christ. No they had a foundation of faith but still were wavering until they received the Holy Spirit. All that God gave to them is still available to us if we will only seek His Spirit. In the Apostolic church we emphasize the Spirit because it is a great blessing from God available to every believer. Ultimately empowering those who receive it to better live everyday in service to the Lord.
These attributes are not just seen in the life of the Apostles either. They were all promised to accompany the Spirit. We are shown through scripture all that God gives us through His Holy Spirit. Such as the fact that the Bible states that the Spirit leads and guides the believer. Showing us what is right as well as what is wrong. Helping us to make the right decisions at every one of life’s intersections. That is of course if we make the choice to follow after the Spirit.
Galatians 5:16–23 (ESV)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
The Bible also teaches that receiving the Holy Spirit brings knowledge to the believer. Jesus said when the spirit comes He will guide you into all truth. As someone who has received the gift of the Holy Ghost, I can attest to this fact. It completely changed my ability to read and understand scripture. Providing revelation and illuminating connections I missed many times in God’s word before.
John 14:26 (ESV)
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 16:13 (ESV)
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
I must also point out the other key in that verse. Jesus referred to the Spirit as the comforter. Which is another great attribute of the Holy Ghost. Who allows us to face any situation with joy and peace. Just as we saw the Apostles did after they received God’s Spirit. The Bible talks of God’s peace but without God’s spirit in us, we can never fully experience or understand it. Because we don’t have the comfort or security that comes from God living within us. The Holy Ghost truly is the rest comforter we all need.
John 14:16 (ESV)
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
John 15:26 (ESV)
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.
John 16:7 (ESV)
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
We also know that the Bible says God knows our needs before we even begin to think or speak. As well as the fact that God cares for our needs and hears our prayers. But for those who have received the Holy Spirit, this goes even deeper. As the Bible says the Spirit prays for our needs with groans that cannot be utter. Meaning that God through His spirit makes intercession for those who had received the Spirit. A gift that is far greater than we deserve.
Romans 8:26 (ESV)
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
The Apostle Paul wrote do you not realize you are the temple of the living God? But that statement doesn’t apply to those who have not yet received God’s Spirit. As God does not live in them even though they may have all the faith in the world. In order to be on the same level of faith and understanding of the first church, we must share in receiving the Holy Ghost. So we will not simply have the promise that God is near to us but that He is within us. Which in turn opens us to receive all the attributes of the Spirit listed above.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
But receiving the Holy Spirit is not only important because of the effects it has on this life but also those it has the next. As scripture indicates that we must be born again of the water, baptism, and of the Spirit, receiving the Holy Ghost. Jesus did not present such things as optional but stated they must be done. Paul even goes on to clarify that the Spirit must be present within us in order to raise to new life after death. Receiving the Holy Spirit is important because of the role it plays in receiving salvation.
John 3:3–7 (ESV)
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 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.’
Romans 8:11 (ESV)
11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
Paul even wrote in another place stating that those who don’t have God’s Spirit do not belong to Him. Placing even more importance on receiving the Holy Ghost. Because if you do not belong to God then you will not be an heir to all of His promises. Such as salvation and eternity spent in Heaven.
Romans 8:9 (ESV)
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
Romans 8:14 (ESV)
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
You have just read some of the many Biblical reasons why it is so important to receive the Holy Spirit. But they do not fully explain why we in the Apostolic church place such an emphasis on it. Of course, it is in part due to the fact that it is a crucial biblical truth. Yet, we also feel as though we must emphasize the Holy Spirit because so many other churches neglect it. Failing to teach on the subject altogether or doing so incorrectly. Relying more on church tradition than on the Bible itself. We in the Apostolic church do all we can to share the truth of the Holy Ghost because so many people have never heard it taught properly.
I ask you the very question that the Apostle Paul asked the disciples of John. Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? If you answered a quick yes to that question why do you believe that to be so? Did you experience a complete life change as we saw in the life of the Apostles? Or did something happen at that moment that caused you to know with certainty you had? Such as the evidence of speaking in new tongues as seen throughout the book of Acts when individuals received the Holy Spirit?
Acts 19:1–2 (ESV)
1 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 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.”
Acts 19:5–7 (ESV)
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. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
Acts 2:1–4 (ESV)
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 10:44–46 (ESV)
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. Then Peter declared,
Acts 11:15–18 (ESV)
15 As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. 16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
If your answer is still yes then I hope you are able to see how blessed you are to have received such a great and important gift from God. If your answer changed or you answered no from the first question then that’s okay. You are still able to receive God’s spirit and you should start seeking it today. Offer true praise to God, pray asking to receive God’s spirit, find an Apostolic church to attend, seek other Spirit-filled believers to pray for you, and if you haven’t been then get baptized the Biblical way in the matchless name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. We see people receive the Holy Spirit in all these ways in God’s word. Just remember the promise is unto you and that those who seek shall find.
Acts 2:38–39 (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Matthew 7:7 (ESV)
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Receiving the Holy Spirit isn’t something we cling to because it makes us different. Or because of the way it makes us feel. In the Apostolic church, we proudly proclaim the Spirit because it is biblical, makes us the temple of the living God, and strengthens us to fully fill the calling God has placed on our lives. Don’t keep neglecting the Holy Spirit or falsely believe it doesn’t matter. Instead, study it out in the word of God and see for yourself why it is so important that you receive God’s spirit.
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