L13 – "What Will it be Like When I Receive?" Part 01.

Act 19:2a

(2) He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"..."

Please Note: Please read the Book of Acts as a prerequisite for Lessons 9 trough 14.

Remembering that the promise of the Holy Spirit's Baptism is for all believers for all time, we all need to do our waiting for this promise to be given to us in compliance with Jesus' command to wait to be given our filling as we are Baptized in the Holy Spirit. We need to be as open to this as we were to the salvation message. We need to seek it as earnestly as we did salvation. Jesus has made it mandatory that we all receive this gift before we are to be His witnesses. When we receive, what might it be like? Let's take a look at the written record of the times that it records those who received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit to see how God did it then. It must be noted here that we do not have a written record of all the times of receiving, but those that are recorded will give us some idea of how the first believers received and what we might expect. Please keep in mind that God is Sovereign and can do things any way He wants and this is not intended to put Him "in a box", but look at the way He has done it in the past.

The First Recorded Receiving - Act_2:1-4

We have already seen the first event, but for this study let's look at it one more time to make a comparison to the other events that took place to see what we can learn about how God has done the Baptizing.

Things we observe:

1. Number of People:
   120

2. External Manifestations:
   Sound of wind
   Tongues of fire

3. Internal Manifestations:
   Tongues were yielded to the Holy Spirit and they spoke in unknown languages as the Spirit gave it to them. (Holy Spirit spoke through them)

4. Visible Signs in the Life of the Believer:
   Peter definitely showed evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the life long evidence of the power of God for he and many others are recorded over the rest of the New Testament. (Act_4:33 )

5. Subsequent to and separate from Salvation:
   Yes

6. Duration between salvation and the filling of the Holy Spirit:
   Many days

7. Before or After baptism in water:
   After

The Second Recorded Receiving - Act_8:14-19

This event took place in Samaria. The place and people hated by the Jews, but none the less of the Tribes of Israel, God's chosen. Philip, one of the first six deacons selected in the newly formed church (Act_6:1-6 ), had been led by the Spirit into Samaria to preach the Word of God. Interesting how, after laying on of hands by the apostles for service to the believers waiting on tables ( Act_6:6 ), that he went to an assignment of preaching the Word! Again an evidence of the Holy Spirit taking ordinary men to do His tasks! The Samaritans heard the Word of God gladly and were baptized in the name of Jesus. The Apostles heard that they had believed and sent Peter and John down to Samaria to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit, because as of yet, they had not yet received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is notable to observe here that they were believers and had not yet received. This indicates another account where the receiving of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit can be separate from and subsequent to the new birth experience. It is also notable to observe that the Apostles wanted to make certain that all the believers receive this gift from God, as Jesus had commanded. It is obvious that their interpretation was that every believer was to receive this gift. It was intended to be a part of the life of every believer as Jesus and John the Baptist had said. Things we observe:

1. Number of People:
   Unknown

2. External Manifestations:
   Peter and John laid their hands on them

3. Internal Manifestations:
   There was a visual sign seen by Simon ( Act_8:18-19 ) beyond this, there was no evidence of any other in the record.

4. Visible Signs in the Life of the Believer:
   Unknown

5. Subsequent to and separate from Salvation:
   Yes

6. Duration between salvation and the filling of the Holy Spirit:
   Unknown, but possibly many days.

7. Before or After baptism in water:
   After

The Third Recorded Receiving - Act_9:1-22

Saul, who is known as Paul, was a vehement opposer of the Way. He was an enemy of the cause of Christ until he met Jesus, personally. It is common belief that Saul was converted on the road to Damascus. When he arrived at Damascus, the Lord Jesus sent a disciple called Ananias to lay hands on him to receive his sight and be filed with the Holy Spirit ( Act_9:9-18 ). There are some notable things here. He was filled with the Holy Spirit after he was converted, but before he was baptized in water, through the laying on of hands, at the direction of the Lord.

Things we observe:

1. Number of People:
   One

2. External Manifestations:
   Ananias laid his hands on Saul

3. Internal Manifestations:
   None noted, however, we know by his own testimony that if not then, at some time he too spoke in unknown tongues, very frequently. ( 1Co_14:18 )

4. Visible Signs in the Life of the Believer:
   Immediate, powerful witness of Jesus Christ ( Act_9:19-22 ). The rest of the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit is found in the many writings of the New Testament.

5. Subsequent to and separate from Salvation:
   Yes

6. Duration between salvation and the filling of the Holy Spirit:
   Three days

7. Before or After baptism in water:
   Before

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Previous Lesson: L12 – This Promise is for All God's Children

Next Lesson: L14 – “What Will it be Like When I Receive?" Part 02.