February 19, 2023: Did You Receive The Holy Spirit?

"And he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2, ESV)

I have always found the response of the God followers in Acts 19:2 to be somewhat comical. "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." The scripture closely ties together belief in Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit. Answer this: "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" If you answered 'No,' the next question is, "Why not?" Seriously, why not? In Paul's mind, believing in Jesus and receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not the same, but they are so close you do not want to separate them. If you are going to believe in Jesus, then go all the way and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Don't cut yourself short. Don't miss the gift given to us. It is as if Paul is saying to these new disciples of Jesus, "Get the whole package!"

Why buy a car with no tires? Why buy a truck with no engine? The two go together if you are going to go anywhere or get anything accomplished. If you read on, in Acts 19, these twelve men helped the Apostle Paul destroy the chains of darkness imprisoning a city. Christians cannot underestimate the power of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life.  "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”