When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
This idea caused me many sleepless nights and inner turmoil when I was in college. There was a select group of students who firmly argued that there was a difference between salvation and the "second baptism of the Holy Spirit." For me, it was something I had never heard taught in any church or Christian event in my entire life. As such, I figured that if it were an actual requirement for Christians... someone would have said something to me earlier. Scripture has been around too long for something claimed to be this crucial to be left out.
These verses stir up the memories of debates and passionate pleadings from those years of confusion with close friends in college. Why couldn't we agree on this topic? Why did they insist that a person only receives a fraction of the Holy Spirit at salvation, and to receive the rest you have to have another separate experience? My belief, and it has taken me six years to work it out, is that there is not an "step two" to becoming a Christian. You believe, you're a believer. Plain and simple. God isn't a God of complication or confusion, He made things just right for our human-sized brains.
That said, I believe that when we become Christians we immediately "receive" the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that we know what that means as soon as we understand what Jesus did. I know from personal experience that the Holy Spirit immediately becomes an active part of your life whether you are aware of it or not. In time and through study you may comprehend more of what that really means, and the power that the Holy Spirit has and can manifest in and through you. The Holy Spirit is a part of God and, just like with any relationship, you come to understand more about it and fall more in love with it and appreciate it more as you go through life together.
I can't explain the verses above to you the way a seminary student or seasoned pastor might be able to, but I can explain what I wrote above... the meager offering I have of what I've learned in my years as a humble Christ follower.
1 comments:
You are right in line with me in your thinking, Katie. I also believe that you receive all of the Holy Spirit at your salvation. Thanks for working through the tough stuff and making this your belief instead of just accepting or denying something based on what some group is doing (which can not really be supported by Scripture). Love you very much - Dad
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