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You Can Receive the Holy Spirit. You Must:
1) "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." (Acts 2:38).
2) "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 2:39).
3) "Ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." (Eph. 1:13).
4) "In my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:24).
5) "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." (John 16:23).
6) "Much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" (Luke 11:13).
7) "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 21:22).
8) "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24).
9) "If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." (John 14:14).
10) "The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him." (Acts 5:32).
From (John 20:22) we get the impression and can conclude that the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit at salvation is different than being Baptized by the Holy Spirit. We read in the text, "He (Jesus) breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit."" (John 20:22).
But in (Acts 1:4-5) we read in the text, "He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ......., you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:4:5). So what was the purpose of Jesus breathing on the disciples and saying to them, "Received the Holy Spirit" when the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was to follow not many days later? Was this to get them by until then? Or are there two receptions of the Holy Spirit one at the moment of salvation and the other (Baptism of the Holy Spirit) when you ask for the Holy Spirit as Jesus suggests in (Luke 11:13)?
Since Jesus suggests that we will received the Holy Spirit from the Father when we ask Him, then we must have to ask to receive the Holy Spirit or Jesus would not say that we will receive the Holy Spirit when we ask the Father. We can conclude that we are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit when we are saved but the Baptism of the Holy Spirit must be sought after by asking the Father. (Luke 11:13).
"Rest Your Faith In God's Promises"
We are introduced to the Spirit Baptism in the declaration, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but .... he (Christ) shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Matt. 3:11). Christ refers to the same event in (Acts 1:5). From such references we gather the thought that while man baptizes with water, God baptizes with the Holy Ghost.
We look upon the Baptism with the Holy Ghost as very important because, "out of his (your) belly shall flow rivers of living water." (John 7:38-39). We look upon the baptism with the Holy Ghost as important also for, "by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1Cor. 12:13). Its importance is evident: (1) because it is by the Spirit that we are "all baptized into one body;" (2) because of its frequent mention in the activities of the apostolic Church; (3) because of the prominence given it by the disciples in their work.
"By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1Cor. 12:13). "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Read also (Ezek. 36:25-27; John 6:63; Heb. 12:14).
Hell is for Eternity! Will You Be There? and Why?
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