The passage discusses how Christians receive the Holy Spirit. It states that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we believe in and accept Jesus Christ as our savior. The Holy Spirit is God's gift that allows us to have spiritual power and understanding to become more like Christ. Several Bible passages are cited that indicate the Holy Spirit is received at salvation, including Ephesians 1:13-14 which refers to the Holy Spirit as the "seal" or guarantee of salvation. While some aspects like the filling of the Spirit are ongoing, the receiving and indwelling of the Spirit occurs at the point of salvation according to Scripture.

1. How do we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?" – 7th
September2017
“And you also wereincluded in Christwhen you heard themessageoftruth,thegospel ofyoursalvation.
When you believed,you weremarkedin him with a seal,thepromised Holy Spirit.”(Ephesians1:13).
The Holy Spiritisone of God’s greatestgiftsthatprovide alifeline toGodbywhichHe givesmanyof His
otherwonderful gifts.The HolySpiritgivesaChristianspiritual powerandunderstandingandmakesit
possible forustobecome more like Christandeventuallyinheriteternal life.Soitisimportantto know
howto receive the HolySpirit,howtostirit upand how to be assuredthatwe have it.
We can learnfromwhere Apostle Paul statesinEphesians1that the HolySpiritisthe seal of salvation
for all those whobelieve: “Andyoualsowere includedinChristwhen you heard the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation. Whenyoubelieved, you were marked in himwith a seal,the promised
Holy Spirit, 14
whois a depositguaranteeingour inheritanceuntil the redemptionof those whoare
God’spossession—tothepraiseof hisglory.”(Ephesians1:13-14).The bible teachesus thatwe receive
the HolySpiritthe momentwe receive JesusChristasourSavior.Inadditionwe can learnin 1
Corinthians12:13 , “Forwe were all baptizedby one Spiritinto one body—whetherJews or Greeks,
slave or free—andwe were all given the one Spirit to drink.” But the bible alsotellsusthat if a person
doesnotpossessthe HolySpirit,he or she doesnotbelongtoChristas we can readin Romans8:9,
“You,however, are not in the realm ofthe fleshbut are in the realm of the Spirit,if indeed the Spiritof
Godlives inyou. And ifanyonedoes not have the Spirit ofChrist, they do notbelong to Christ.”
The above stated passagesmake itclear thatthe HolySpiritisreceivedatthe time one receives
salvation.Paul couldnotsaythat we all were baptizedbyone Spiritandall givenone Spirittodrinkif
not all of the Corinthianbelievers towhomhe waswritingto possess the HolySpirit. Romans8:9 iseven
stronger,statingthatif a persondoesnothave the Spirit,he doesnotbelongtoChrist.Therefore,the
possessionof the Spiritisanidentifyingfactorof the possessionof salvation.Further,the HolySpirit
couldnot be the “seal of salvation” asstatedin Ephesians1:13-14 if He isnot receivedatthe momentof
salvation.Manyscripturesmake itabundantlyclearthatour salvationissecuredthe momentwe receive
Christas Savior.
Thisdiscussioniscontroversialbecause the ministriesof the HolySpiritare oftenconfused byeven
some Christians.The receiving/indwellingof the Spiritoccursat the momentof salvation.The fillingof
the Spiritisan ongoingprocess inthe Christianlife.While we holdthatthe baptismof the Spirit also
occurs at the momentof salvation, butsome Christiansdonot.Thissometimesresultsinthe baptismof
the Spiritbeingconfusedwith“receivingthe Spirit”asanact subsequenttosalvation. AsChristianswe
needtounderstandthat receivingthe Holyspiritisanall importantgiftof God. We can learnfrom
where Jesussaidasstatedin John 14:26, “Butthe Advocate,the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send
in my name,will teach you all thingsand will remind youof everything I have saidto you.”

2. So howdo we can receive the HolySpirit isthe all importantquestionformany. The Bible tellsusthat
we receive the HolySpiritby havingfaithand receivingthe LordJesusChristas one’sSavior.Itisonly
throughHim that humanitycanbe saved that availsusthe possibility toenterthe kingdomof God.
Throughour faithand belief inJesusChristandby seekingsalvation,we thenbelongtoHimandwe
receive GodsHolySpirit. The bible tellsusthat JesusChristtoldHisdisciplesthattheywouldreceivethe
HolySpiritafterHisdeath.On the Day of Pentecost,the beginningof the Churchof God was announced
withpowerful miracles,andPeterpreachedaninspiredsermondescribinghow we canreceive the Holy
Spiritas we can learnfrom Acts 2:38, “Peter replied,“Repent and be baptized,every one ofyou, inthe
name of JesusChristfor the forgivenessofyour sins.And you will receive the giftof the Holy Spirit.”
There are otherpassages thatshow tellsus the Spiritisusuallygiventothe repentantbelieverafter
baptismwhenaministerlayshishandsonthe personand he or she asks God to give the HolySpirit.We
can understandthiswhenwe read Acts8:14-17, “Whenthe apostlesin Jerusalemheard that Samaria
had accepted the word of God,they sent Peter andJohn to Samaria. 15
Whenthey arrived,they prayed
for the new believers there that they mightreceive the Holy Spirit, 16
because the Holy Spirithad not
yet come onany of them; they had simplybeen baptizedinthe name ofthe Lord Jesus.17
Then Peter
and Johnplacedtheir hands onthem, and they received the Holy Spirit.” Therefore we canlearnthat
repentance,belief,baptismandthe layingonof hands and onessteadfastpursuance forreceivingthe
HolySpiritare the stepsGodasks us to follow before He givesHisHolySpirit.Therefore, if apersonhas
not followedthesesteps,he orshe doesnothave the HolySpiritinhimor heryet.Whenone receives
the HolySpiritHe becomesourpermanentpossessionfromthe momentwe faithfully believethathe or
she needsJesusChristasonessaviour.