EVIDENCE OF THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT
The Lord’s apostle Peter said: “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). However, some believers still seem to wonder when and what is the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit. The biblical Word of God “thoroughly equips” and answers questions of believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17)—The Word tells believers to study, and carefully examine scriptures, as some early Christians did, for right understanding of what inspired men of God wrote (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11).
LOVE AS EVIDENCE
The biblical Word Of God shows that when someone has the Holy Spirit they produce fruit of the Spirit—the main fruit being love (Galatians 5:22).
- The Lord said: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).
- “Whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20).
- The Word indicates that when you have the Holy Spirit: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke10:27). Jesus said: “if you love me, you will keep my commandments” John 14:15). And you will “love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
LOVE vs GIFTS AS EVIDENCE
The Bible also says: “If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
- “Tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers” (1 Corinthians 14:22).
- Jesus told his disciples: “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). On the holy day of Pentecost, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
- Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Acts 2:4-12)
Peter replied, “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… 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:38-47).
- Nevertheless, Peter did not believe that the gospel message was for non-Jews; but God persuaded him to go the house of a Gentile named Cornelius to share the gospel with him. While Peter was preaching to people of Cornelius’ household, “the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” (Acts 10:44-48).
The Jews from all nations who gathered in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost were unbelievers in Jesus Christ as God’s promised Messianic Savior. Peter himself did not believe the gospel was meant for the salvation of Gentiles. However, the Lord used the gift of tongues as part of convincing Peter and several unbelieving Jews that Jesus Christ is the Savior of whoever believes in him (1Corinthian 14:22; John 3:16).
Yet, the apostle Paul learned more about manifestation of the Holy Spirit, perhaps when he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4). In his writing to believers–which writings we have today–Paul endeavored to “show a more excellent way” than demonstrations of gifts as evidence of the indwelling of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:31). He said all the outward manifestations of gifts “shall cease;” but “a more excellent way” is love, for “love never ends.” Paul said, love is the “greatest” evidence of the indwelling Spirit of God. (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).
GOD IS LOVE
God—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit–is love (1 John 4:8; Matthew 28:19).
Whoever loves God with all their heart, and their brothers and sisters as the Lord has loved them, evidently has the Spirit of God dwelling in them (Romans 8:9).
