It is clearly stated in various parts of the New Testament that the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More dwells in believers. This incredible blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More is exclusively for those who have faith. The Spirit actively worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More in the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More to convict individuals of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). He leads people to repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More and facilitates their spiritual rebirth (John 3:5-8). However, there is no indication that the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More resides in those who do not believe. It is important to distinguish between the Spirit's work in the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More and His dwelling in believers. Jesus Himself stated that the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More cannot accept the Spirit of truth because it neither sees nor knows Him (John 14:17). Therefore, the worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More is blind and ignorant concerning the Spirit. The gift of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More is meant solely for believers (cf. also John 7:39).

How and When Does a Believer Receive the Holy Spirit?

To address this question, we start with Ephesians 1:13, which says, “…after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More of promise.”

Two Important Requirements

This verse emphasizes two essential prerequisites for receiving the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More:

1. Hearing the word of truth and the gospel of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More.
2. Having faith in what we have heard from God.

Without these two elements, a person cannot possess the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More.

Understanding the Word of Truth

What do we mean by the "word of truth"? It does not imply that an individual must hear every detail revealed in the Bible to receive the Holy Spirit. Instead, the "word of truth" refers to the fundamental truths about God and humanity.

1. The Truth About God: Many people hold misconceptions about God, even in predominantly Christian countries. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to hear the divine truth about Him. The Word of God reveals that He is a holy God who cannot tolerate sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More and must judge it. This holy God will judge and condemn sinners because of His holinessIt generally denotes something separate from the ordinary or even evil. Holiness is, above all, an attribute of God; He is glorious in holiness, He sits on his throne of... More.
2. The Truth About Man: While the truth about God may be uncomfortable, the truth about humanity is equally challenging. Many opinions differ from what the Bible teaches about us. In this era where some people elevate themselves to the status of God, we need the divine truth about humanity: we are incorrigible sinners. SinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More resides within us, and our evil actions stem from it. God's judgment is clear: “There is none righteous, no, not one; … They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable” (Romans 3:10,12).

Consequently, the "word of truth" can initially be unsettling. We must acknowledge how far we have strayed from God, accept our true nature, and recognize that we cannot save ourselves; thus, we ultimately face God's judgment.

The Gospel of Salvation

Fortunately, God not only allows us to hear the word of truth but also the gospel of His salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More. Those who have collapsed under the weight of this truth can be lifted again by the gospel of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More. It is a good and joyful message from a holy God who does not desire for sinners to perish. The Savior God wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4), which is why He has proclaimed the gospel of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More. In this message, He shows us the way out.

The holy and righteous God has established a just foundation on which He can justify sinners. This foundation is found in the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, where He took the punishment we deserved upon Himself. Because of this, God does not punish those who believe in His Son. The details of this can be found in the early chapters of the Letter to the Romans.

The gospel is now God's power for the salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More of every believer. In this gospel, God reveals His righteousness by justifying those who believe in the Lord Jesus (Romans 1:17; 3:26).

Thus, the gospel of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More provides us with a secure foundation on which we can stand. It speaks to our positionThe Christian position cannot be separated from Christian practice, but a distinction must be made. "Position" means how God sees us now. In the eyes of God, we are "in... More in the Lord Jesus. Moreover, the gospel gives us a glimpse into the heart of a God who is light and love. God's love devised this plan of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More, and His love sent His only begotten"Only begotten" is an honorary title. It does not necessarily have to do with birth. The word describes a person who is unique and cannot be compared to anyone else.... More Son to this earth and to the cross.

The Hand of Faith

Hearing the word of truth and the gospel of salvation alone is not enough. Many people have heard or read these facts without ever receiving the Holy Spirit. Hearing must be accompanied by faith. Faith is like a hand that reaches out to grasp what God offers us. It is the childlike, simple acceptance of what God says. As W. Kelly puts it, "The gift of the Holy Spirit is based on the fact that we are sons through faith in Christ, believers who have found rest in His accomplished work of redemption." God reveals this work of redemptionRedemption is part of God's plan of salvation. Redemption means that someone is freed from bondage. The redemption of Israel from the power of Pharaoh is an example of this.... More in the Gospel; those who accept it in faith and claim it for themselves will receive the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More.

A crucial prerequisite for this is that a person must be born again. The new birthThe new birth is a unique experience at conversion. God gives new (eternal) life to people who were dead in their sins. This makes them children of God (John 1:12,... More results from the work of the Spirit, but it should not be confused with the gift of the Spirit itself. The Spirit worksAnother word for deeds or actions. God's works are perfect (Gen 1:31), men's can be good works (Matt 5:16) or dead (Heb 6:1). On the basis of his works, unbelieving... More within a person to lead him to repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More and to accept the Lord Jesus in faith. However, only after this acceptance does the Spirit take personal possession of the believer and dwell within him.

Let us highlight two important dangers:

1. Believing is not just recognizing: We can thank God that He does not say that only those who hear and understand the word of truth and the gospel of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More will receive the Spirit. Believing does not require full understanding. While God desires His children to grow in knowledge, understanding the message of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More is not a prerequisite for having the Spirit. Who can claim to understand everything? God speaks of faith, which involves accepting what He says, even when we do not fully comprehend it.
2. Faith is not feeling: We do not receive the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More based on our feelings. Faith is never rooted in emotions but is solely based on what God says. Only those who rely on God's word in faith will receive the Spirit. Our feelings can be set aside; we depend solely on the work of Golgotha and nothing else.

In summary, the gift of the Holy Spirit is a result of hearing the truth about God, understanding the truth about ourselves," and accepting God's message of salvationSalvation is part of God's plan of saving people. Those who are in danger and cannot help themselves need salvation. We owe our salvation to our Savior, who went to... More in faith. Only in this way can a person today receive the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More as a personal blessingA blessing is something good, in the Old Testament, usually associated with possessions, prosperity, and health, and is usually pronounced over someone. In principle, the lesser is blessed by the... More and gift from God.