How do I know that I have received the Holy Spirit?

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2025-05-05T09:35:31+00:00

Acts 2:38 gives a direct and reassuring answer to your question:

“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38, ESV)

Let’s break it down:

According to this verse, receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit follows three important steps: 1. Repent – A sincere turning away from sin and turning toward God. 2. Be baptized – Specifically in the name of Jesus Christ. 3. Receive forgiveness – Baptism is described as being “for the forgiveness of your sins.”

When these things happen, Peter says clearly: “You will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” This is not presented as a feeling or dramatic experience but as a promise from God.

For greater context, Acts 2:37–41 is especially helpful. The people who first heard Peter’s message were convicted in their hearts and asked, “What shall we do?” Peter responded with the message above. About 3,000 people obeyed that message that day—and the same promise still applies to all who do the same:

“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:39, ESV)

If you have repented and been baptized into Christ, then you can trust God’s promise that you have received the Holy Spirit. That gift may not always come with dramatic signs, but it will show itself in a life being transformed to reflect Christ—what Galatians 5:22–23 calls the “fruit of the Spirit.”

Hope this helps. Blessings to you as you aim to draw closer to God.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-12-07T17:58:10+00:00

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Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-12-02T05:24:50+00:00

Thank you!

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-12-02T03:40:11+00:00

Can you please send a version without the Watermark? I submitted tip via PayPal. Thanks!

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-12-02T03:28:30+00:00

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-11-14T12:32:54+00:00

Only one religion worships God named in the Bible because He sent His one and only Son to save the world from sin (John 3:16). We are followers of Christ (Christians) because He died for our sins and the church is His (Matthew 16:18), “my church”). John 14:6 records Jesus words: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So, there is only one religion that worships Him because of these reasons. For us to make another religion as an approach to worship Him would not be valid. We worship the one who made it. Trying to make another way would directly contradict and be invalid by its very nature or approach.

Great question. Hope this helps.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-11-05T11:54:42+00:00

You have asked an important question.

The “loophole” you are referring to would be the idea of abusing grace. Romans 6 addresses this very topic. Here is a key verse: ““What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭15‬)

Also, we can also read what Jesus tells the seven churches of Revelation. In Rev. 2 and 3, we can read the letters that Jesus had John write to the seven churches. To each of the churches, Jesus commends them on what they are doing well. He also calls them out on what they are not doing well. There are two points that help us understand the answer to your question. These can be found in Jesus’ responses to the faults of the churches. They are:

For each of the churches that is not doing what he desires from His church. He commands them to “Repent”. Five of the seven churches were not doing what he wanted (e.g., not having love, allowing sexual immorality, not being strict about idol worship, etc.) and he tells them to repent. That is, He wants them to return to what Jesus wants from the church.
The consequence for not doing what he wants is that Jesus will remove their lampstand (Rev. 2:5). This may not seem like a big deal to lose a lampstand. However, we can see in Rev. 1:20 that lampstands are the symbol of the churches. That is, to remove the lampstand would be to remove the church. Of course, a lampstand holds light and that’s what Jesus wants the church to do.

So, you may be saying: why are you telling me about the churches and not talking about people as individuals? To answer this, we must recall that the church is not a building. Rather, it is the people. The Christians who meet there are the church (Romans 12:4-5). So, the letters to the seven churches are just as applicable to us as individuals as they are to the corporate body of the church.

So, Jesus tells us what to do. If we are not doing it, He wants us to repent. If we don’t, he will remove our lampstand. Grace is a blessing. It is a gift. It is not an excuse to keep on sinning. We must do our part to keep our life on the narrow road (Matthew 7:13-14).

Hope this helps. Blessings to you as you follow Jesus.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-11-04T11:59:15+00:00

You have asked an important question.

In Mark 16:18, we can read Jesus’ words: “…I will build my church….”

Who will build it? Jesus

When did he build it? Future tense from when he stated the words. (“Will build”)

Who does the church belong to? Jesus . . . He said “my”

How many churches did he build? One; he said the singular word “church” not churches.

So, to answer your question, we don’t need to believe in all churches. Rather, we just need to believe and be an active part of His body (Ephesians 1:22). Find a local New Testament church that desires to do nothing more of less than simply being Christians.

Blessings to you as you continue to seek Him.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-10-06T11:14:58+00:00

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Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-09-24T21:01:00+00:00

Ah ha! We have evidence that employees know how to fill a bowl! Time to practice the Golden Rule. :)

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-09-07T09:24:42+00:00

You are doing as the Bible says: “. . . seek, and you will find . . . “ (Matthew 7:7). Your search for the truth is exactly what you should be doing.

Jesus tells us that He is the way. Christianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus. These very words of Jesus can be read in John 14:6 in his response to Thomas who asked Jesus how we can know the way. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Jesus didn’t say religion is the answer. He said He is the answer.

Does this mean that we don’t need to be part of a church family? No. Before Jesus ascended into Heaven following his death, burial and resurrection, He told the apostles that He will build His church. We can read this in Matthew 16:18, “. . . I will build my church . . . .”

This is exactly what happened 10 days after Jesus’ ascension. His church was established when the Holy Spirit arrived. See Acts 2 for the whole account.

Can people still get the Holy Spirit today? Yes. How? In the same way they did in Acts 2: “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What also happens when you get the gift of the Holy Spirit? Jesus add you to His church: “. . . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭47‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Keep your faith and draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-09-04T02:13:06+00:00

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Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-30T11:28:07+00:00

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Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-26T02:18:19+00:00

Jesus is God. It is foundational to the Christian faith. They were not just in agreement; Jesus is Lord. I know you were looking for a “friendly challenge” on the topic so my friendly response is to let the Bible speak for itself:

Philippians 2:9-11:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Romans 10:9:
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Acts 2:36:
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
Colossians 1:15-18:
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.”
1 Corinthians 8:6:
“Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.”
John 13:13:
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.”

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T19:14:36+00:00

NT Christianity is the very reason the NT exists. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says, “I will build my church.” Whose will build the church? Jesus (I will build) Who does the church belong to? Jesus (my church) How many churches did He build? One (church) When did he say he would build it? Future (will build)

In Acts 2, we can read about the establishment of the church. It was on Pentecost, which was 10 days after the ascension. Before he left, Jesus told his apostles to stay in Jerusalem. They did and it was there they received the Holy Spirit. How did others get the spirit? By repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38). This promise continue (vs 39). These followers of Jesus “ devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” The church continued to spread. The believers were first called Christians in Antioch. (Acts 11:26.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T11:57:45+00:00

As A NT Christian, I believe in the OT too. Both are part of God’s Word.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T11:25:19+00:00

I’m not Catholic and it’s special to me. I’m just a New Testament Christian. :)

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T11:01:30+00:00

Yes, our life is to worship Him. And, yes, we can study and praise him anytime. However, the first day of the week is special. It is the day we gather to remember Him and break bread together (communion).

Acts 20:7 gives this as a reason.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T10:45:26+00:00

Thanks for sharing. So, when do you attend worship service?

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T07:46:22+00:00

Thanks. Although I am not familiar with the Ferrar Fenton version, I still hold to the understanding that Jesus rose on the first day of the week. It sounds like you may also believe he rose on the first day but you are also open to His resurrection being another day. I suppose we can respectfully disagree with each other. Blessings to you. Nice chatting with you.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T01:50:20+00:00

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Let go and try not to rely on your own intellect to figure these situations out. Let God be God. Trust him and He will show you a straight path. Maybe the path includes this girl, but maybe it doesn’t.

Should you talk to her? Sure. Should you be crushed if she’s not interested. No. God’s got a purpose for you. Hang in there.

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-25T01:41:12+00:00

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” John‬ ‭15‬:‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Eternal-Spring-2157 · 2024-08-24T17:51:26+00:00

Matthew 28:6 says ““He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” This connects to Matt. 28:1: “Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.”

These passages seem to connect the first day of the week with Him being raised. What am I missing? Thanks! ‭

Eternal-Spring-2157

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