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CHAPTER FIVE - PART ONEHAVE YOU RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YOU BELIEVED?PART ONE Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth... But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" -John 14:15-17,26. The Apostle Paul wrote "...They that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" -Romans 8:8-9. Question # 5.1 - Was the GIFT OF the Holy Ghost given before, or after Christ's ascension? "...It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you" -John 16:7. "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)" -John 7:38-39. Paul explains- "And for this cause He is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force AFTER men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth" -Hebrews 9:15-17. "...That Holy Spirit...is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession..." -Ephesians 1:13-14. Question # 5.2 - After the book of Acts, to whom do we find the epistles written? Are they written to the unconverted, new converts, or established saints? "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints..." -Romans 1:7. "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord..." 1 Corinthians 1:2. 2 Cor.l:l, Gal.1:2, Eph.l:l, Phil.l:l, Col.1:2, 1 Thess.l:l, & etc. "...Wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith He, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence... Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem... and unto the uttermost part of the earth... "...They went into an upper room... (the number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty)... "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. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews... out of every nation under heaven... And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said... Hearken to my words: For these are not drunken... But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh... hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth... having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear... "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and 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 1:4-2:39. "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people... believed...concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized... Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they... prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power..." -Acts 8:5-22. "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision... an angel of God...saying unto him, Cornelius...call for one Simon...Peter... he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do... "...Peter...said... Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all)... "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord... "And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him... But Peter rehearsed the matter... saying... as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" -Acts 10:1-11:18. "And... Paul... came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve" -Acts 19:1-7. "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ... written not... in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart... 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... which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?... Much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory..." -2 Corinthians 3:3-9. "For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire... "And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God... And mount Sinai was altogether in a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire... 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... and Moses went up" -Exodus 19:17-20. "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" -Deuteronomy 4:36. "Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestous round about Him. He shall call... that He may judge His people" -Psalm 50:3-4. "...From His right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words" -Deuteronomy 33:3. "But ye are come unto mount Sion... And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant... That speaketh better things... "And when... they were all with one accord in one place... 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 in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance... the promise of the Holy Ghost... this which ye now see and hear" -Acts 2:1-4, 33. "...Whom shall He teach knowledge?... and doctrine?... With stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people. To whom He said, This is the rest... and this is the refreshing..." -Isaiah 28:9-12. "...Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth... and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:7-8. "See that ye refuse not Him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused Him that spaketh on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn from Him that speaketh on earth... For our God is a consuming fire" -Hebrews 12:18-29. Question # 5.5 - Can't a person be assured that they have received the gift of the Holy Ghost because they "feel Him near in their heart", or because God has done many wonderful things in their life? "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many shall say unto me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not...in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me..." -Matthew 7:21-23. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? -Jeremiah 17:9. "...Seek the Lord... and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in Him we live, and move, and have our being..." -Acts 17:27-28. "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven... The wind bloweth... and thou hearest the sound thereof... so is everyone that is born of the Spirit" -John 3:5-8. "There was a certain man... a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave alms to the people, and prayed to God alway... And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said... call for Simon...Peter; who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that He said... ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost..." -Acts 10:1-11:17. Question # 5.6 - Does a person receive the gift of the Holy Ghost at the time they first believe? "...The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake... they believed...the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus... Peter and John...prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet He was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost" -Acts 8:5-17. "Paul...finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?..." -Acts 19:1-6. "...After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" -Ephesians 1:13. Question # 5.7 - Does the Bible say that we receive the Holy Ghost uneventfully by faith the moment we "accept Jesus into our heart" as some believe? "Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done... Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased..." -Acts 8:13-20- "...If the ministration of death... was glorious... How shall not the ministration of the Spirit be rather glorious?... For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious" -2 Corinthians 3:3-11. "...Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you..." -Acts 1:8. "For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance..." -1 Thess.1:5. "Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of His goodness, and the work of faith with power...according to the grace of our God..." -2 Thess.1:11-12. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be... Having a form of godliness, but denying (disavow, reject, abnegate, deny, refuse -Strong's) the power thereof: from such turn away" -2 Timothy 3:1-5. Question # 5.8 - Besides, the Bible says devils "believe" and confess Christ, have they received the gift of the Holy Ghost?...Of course not- "...A Spirit of an unclean devil...cried out...Jesus of Nazareth... I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him... Devils also came out of many, crying out... Thou art Christ the Son of God..." -Luke 4:33-35,41. "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" -James 2:19. End of Chapter Five, Part One. To Be Continued in Part Two. Tom Raddatz
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