The Gift of the Holy Spirit!

Acts 11:13-18  He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
As Peter came back to tell the Jewish believers about what happened at Cornelius' house, they were skeptical and asked him why he went into the house of the "uncircumcised"?  Peter tells the story about his vision and then the men who came from Cornelius' house which confirmed his vision from the Lord.  And then Peter recounts that when he shared the Good News with them, the Holy Spirit came upon them.  And it happened in the same way it did with the apostles at Pentecost.  So obviously there were some physical manifestations that showed the Holy Spirt was at work.  At Pentecost, the apostles starting speaking in tongues so that other believers who were gathered for the festival heard the gospel in their own language.  
This fulfilled what Jesus said to the disciples in Acts 1, "John baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." So what does it mean to be "baptized with the Holy Spirit"?  Some translations read, "baptized in the Holy Spirit." The word baptized means to be "completely covered."  Whereas the baptism of water prepared them to meet Jesus in repentance, the baptism of the Spirit filled them with God's very presence.  John 3 tells the disciples, "You will be born again, not just of water, but of the Spirit."  Meaning when the Holy Spirit takes residence in your body and soul, you are a completely new person.  Paul says you are a "new creation in Christ".  
So when Peter saw the Gentile believers receive the Holy Spirit, he knew they had experienced the same conversion they had on Pentecost.  There have been a lot of arguments regarding how one receives the Spirit, and what are the physical effects of receiving it.  I think we do a disservice to the experience of the Holy Spirit when we say for instance, "If you have received the Holy Spirit you must "speak in tongues". Speaking in tongues becomes the lithmus test of the reception of the Holy Spirit. While that might be a manifestation in any new believer, another may experience an amazing sense of peace and joy.  Another a deep experience of knowing they are now in God's holy family and assurance of their eternal destiny.   
Bottom line when we come to faith in Jesus, we receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit assures us of our faith in Christ and guides and leads our lives. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts to serve in the Church. Additionally when we are living in concert with the Holy Spirit we exhibit the fruits of the Spirit which are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness and self control.  Let's celebrate the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit which unites us in our faith with people all over the world.  

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