Introduction

Receiving the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood teachings in the Bible. There is no reason why it should be, as the scriptures are quite clear on this matter.

If you ask most Christians whether they have indeed received the Holy Spirit, they will say, “Yes, I believe so,” or “I think so.” But if you then ask them, “How do you know?” most will not be able to say how they know. In fact, roughly seventy-five percent of Christians don’t really know if they have received the Holy Spirit or not.

And that’s a big number!

God’s promise to His people in this age was that He would pour His Spirit on all who come to Him. It’s written in the book of the prophet Joel, saying:

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days, I will pour out my spirit.” (Joel 2:28-29)

And;

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD shall be delivered…” (Joel 2:32a)

This was God’s promise to all who call upon the name of the Lord, and the only name we have been given to call upon is the name of Jesus (see Acts 4:8-12).

This is the promise to you and me today. This is the promise of the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and it is as valid today as it was two thousand years ago because the promises of God, the gifts, and the call of God are irrevocable.

And yet, at least seventy-five percent of Christians today have not or are not sure, that they have received the Holy Spirit. When a person does receive the Holy Spirit, there is no doubt. If they are asked those questions above, they will answer categorically and confidently, “Yes, I have received the Holy Spirit!”

Call to action

If you ask yourself the questions above and you are not sure whether you have indeed received the Holy Spirit, then read on and learn what the Bible says about this matter. Even if you know categorically that you have received the Holy Spirit, read on because you may learn some things you do not already know.