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What is the Significance of Receiving the Holy Ghost?

(or- Is the Law Written on YOUR Heart?)

What is the significance of receiving the Holy Ghost?

"...Ye are manifestly declared to be THE EPISTLE OF CHRIST... WRITTEN NOT WITH INK, BUT WITH THE SPIRIT of the living God; not in tables of stone, BUT IN FLESHY TABLES OF THE HEART" -2 Corinthians 3:3.

"For THIS IS THE COVENANT that I will make with the house of Israel AFTER THOSE DAYS, saith the Lord; I WILL PUT MY LAWS into their mind, and write them IN THEIR HEARTS: and I will be TO THEM a God, and THEY SHALL BE TO ME A PEOPLE" -Hebrews 8:10.

Can anyone then actually be of "His people" if His laws are not written in their heart? How was the original law written?

"And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD DESCENDED upon it IN FIRE: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and GOD ANSWERED HIM BY A VOICE. And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up... And God spake all these words (the 10 commandments)..." -Exodus 19:17-20, 20:1.

See also-

"Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him... that he may judge his people. Gather my saints together unto me..." -Psalm 50:3-5, and

"Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire" -Deut. 4:36.

Now read Acts 2:1-4 again-
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" -Acts 2:1-4.

Now compare the sequences of events (from the above)-
A. God brings the people before Him- "Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God" compared with "they were all with one accord in one place" and "Gather my saints together unto me"
B. There are physical manifestations- "The whole mount quaked greatly" compared with "there came a sound from heaven AS OF (i.e. descriptive, not actual) a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting" and "it shall be very tempestuous round about him"
C. There is the presence of fire- "the LORD descended upon it in fire" compared with "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues LIKE AS of fire, and it sat upon each of them", "a fire shall devour before him", and "upon earth he shewed thee his great fire"
D. God speaks- "Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice" compared with "they... began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit (God IS a Spirit!) gave them utterance," "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence," and "thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire"
E. The law is written on tables of stone/flesh- "And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai... and Moses went up" compared with "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost," "Our God shall come... that he may judge his people" "that he might instruct thee"

Now look at these passages in Acts, in light of the above-
"Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, WHICH YE NOW SEE AND HEAR" -Acts 2:33.

"...On the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. FOR THEY HEARD THEM speak with tongues..." -Acts 10:45-46.

"Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and THOU HEAREST THE SOUND thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: SO IS EVERY ONE THAT IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT" -John 3:7-8.

"...The Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues..." -Acts 19:6.

"For with stammering lips (tongues LIKE AS of fire!!!) and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, THIS IS THE REST wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing" -Isaiah 28:11-12.

"In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues ARE for a sign..." -1 Corinthians 14:21-22.

In light of the above scriptures, in addition to asking you the scriptural question (Acts 19:2)- "have you received the Holy Ghost," allow me to ask you this-

Have you had the law written on your heart?

Don't be decieved, this Law being written on the heart is to be a GLORIOUS experience in the heart and soul, (of which, as the scripture says, the outwardly tongues is only the sign)-

"But if the ministration of death, WRITTEN AND ENGRAVEN IN STONES, WAS GLORIOUS, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: HOW SHALL NOT THE MINISTRATION OF THE SPIRIT BE RATHER GLORIOUS? 9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, MUCH MORE DOTH THE MINISTRATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS EXCEED IN GLORY. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." -2 Cor. 3:7-11

My friend, if you haven't received this glorious gift from God, you are falling far short in your promises from God!

"...ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." -Acts 2:38-39

"Let us therefore FEAR, LEST, A PROMISE BEING LEFT US OF ENTERING INTO HIS REST, ANY OF YOU SHOULD SEEM TO COME SHORT OF IT... There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God... Let us LABOUR THEREFORE TO ENTER INTO THAT REST, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." Hebrews 4:1-11