The Gift of the Holy Spirit which is possessing and having received the very Holy Spirit of God inside of you, is often confused with the gift of tongues. The gift of tongues is a manifestation of a spiritual gift that a believer receives from the Holy Spirit...AFTER they have first received HIM. Below I would like to first establish with the very word of God, the idea of first receiving the Holy Spirit. (I am NOT talking about the gifts that the Spirit of God gives and can be received after possessing him.)
ACTS 8:15-17 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:15-17 connects with 1 Timothy 4:14 "Do not neglect your gift, (Having the Very Spirit of God in you) which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you."
So here it is...these people received the message of the Gospel, yet DID NOT HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEM! This very Holy Spirit of God is a SEAL and stamp of approval, a conformation of God's approval.
Again lets recap, so how do we REALLY know when someone has received the Holy Spirit according to the Bible? Now in order to answer this question, we have to search the scriptures some more. We find our answer in Acts 10:45-47. Now these verses really fill in the gaps and complete what we put together in Acts 8:15-17.
Acts 10:45-47 reads: 45 And they of the circumcision (Jews) which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 "Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
Now when did Peter and the disciples receive the very Holy Spirit of God? In Acts 2:4
"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
So now one can clearly see, that when a person is REALLY are filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues is EVIDENT! This is why some people ask the question, "Do you have the Holy Spirit, with evidence of speaking in tongues?" It is without a doubt, Biblically clear that when people receive the Holly Spirit in the Bible, they speak in tongues. Speaking in tongues again, is how people KNOW that someone received the very Spirit of God inside them. In fact, Peter in Acts 10:47 makes this idea obvious when he says: "They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
The evidence of speaking in tongues is most definitely a sign or as Ephesians 1:13 says, "A SEAL." In fact, a "seal" is nothing more than a sign of approval that was used to mark OWNERSHIP. It is used to show that something is genuine and AUTHENTIC, not counterfeit! Unfortunately the false shepherds have been at work, LYING to the flock and scattering them into 1000's of different denominations. They are actively trying to destroy God's credibility and SEAL of ownership by promoting their secular theology and pagan rooted traditions of men.
The SEAL of having the very Holy Spirit of Jesus (revelation of the one God) inside of us, is a confirmation. Having the Holy is NOT a sign for non-believers, but for believers. This is the exact opposite with the "diverse gift" of speaking in tongues which is for the edification of the church and requires an interpretation. (We will analyze this in Part II.) Skeptics who are looking for a sign are not fit for the Kingdom of God. In fact, when God himself walked the earth he stated in Matthew 12:39 that, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah."
Once we walk in faith, God will provide the substance that will hold us. We must be faithful and follow HIS WORD and His very Spirit will lead us into ALL truth. Note that John 16:13 says that "He will guide you into ALL truth." Scripture doesn't say that the spirit will lead us into "some truth." Do you believe God at his word?
Stay tuned for Part II...