Saturday, September 12, 2015

indwelling and annointing of the Holy Spirit

This passage made me think about how we receive and experience the Holy Spirit:

ACTS 19:1 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them.
"No," they replied, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3 "Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked.
And they replied, "The baptism of John."
4 Paul said, "John's baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus."
5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.

It is my understanding that, upon faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit regenerates the spirit of the believer and indwells their spirit (e.g., what Paul wrote to these same folks in Eph. 1:13).  Until recently, I haven't thought much about the annointing/manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but it seems to me that in Acts 19, the Holy Spirit manifested himself to confirm their receiving Him.  It doesn't seem to me that all believers should expect to experience the Holy Spirit in such a way upon belief or water baptism.

I have wondered about the purpose or value of such manifestations, but I think Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:

 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.

By God's power, He spoke the universe into existence.  By His power, He rose Christ from the grave.  This same power is at work in us and through us to convince others of God's great love for them.

Heavenly Father, please use me to communicate your incredible love demonstrated in the good news of Jesus Christ. And please show your power through me to provide evidence for people to experience and believe.  I love you, and I ask in the name of Jesus.

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