WHO CAN RECEIVE THE HOLY GHOST?
I came into a personal knowledge of Christ as my Lord and Saviour in the year 1973. At the time, I was about rounding off my A-Level studies, preparatory to going into the university through Direct Entry.
Evangelical christianity, so-called, at that time, was mostly limited to "Scripture Union" groups in secondary schools, and "Christian Union" groups on the university campuses of Lagos, Ibadan, Ife, Benin, Nsukka and ABU (Zaria) - - the only universities in Nigeria at the time. The country was yet to experience the great revivals that were to later sweep multitudes of people into the Kingdom, as evidenced all over the landscape of Nigeria today.
One major contention in those days, was, whether there was indeed any experience called "The Baptism of the Holy Ghost;" and, if at all there was/is, whether such baptism of the Holy Ghost was an "additional" experience apart from that of salvation, and, also, whether that "additional" experience - - if at all it exists - - must be compulsorily accompanied by the evidence of speaking in "unknown tongues," or not.
It might surprise today's generation of believers that such a contention ever existed.
There was (still is) a particular christian ministry in this country at that time, whose belief-system was rather very much averse to the idea of a Holy Ghost Baptism, or, concomitantly, to that of "speaking in tongues." However, that particular gospel organisation believed in (I suppose they still do) in an experience of "sanctification," which, according to them, meant that you could kind of "attain" to a state of "sinless perfection." While I am not in any way opposed to the "belief" of sanctification (I suppose sometime in the future I would do a treatise on that subject), I, nevertheless, want to say that there was a lot of "pros" and "cons" concerning that particular denomination's idea of sanctification.
Somewhere along the line, some people started saying that, yes, there is an experience of "Holy Ghost Baptism" indeed, but that you will have to, first of all, be sanctified before you could receive that Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
A "mellower" version of the above-stated belief has also, in more recent times, evolved. That is the idea that says that even if there is no specific "experience" of sanctification (as a "definite" milestone in a believer's life), there should, at least, be a life of "holiness" already evident and "established" in a believer's life before such a believer could legitimately seek for the ("greater") experience of the Holy Ghost.
I am sufficiently experienced enough in spiritual matters, and more so as they relate to the development of the church in Nigeria, to know that, worldwide (and more so in this country), a number of "logical" reasonings have been adduced in the process of "pushing" certain supposed 'doctrines,' but which "logical reasonings" are actually nothing more than what they are - - the "reasonings" of men.
I was actually listening (just incidentally, though) to a television broadcast a few years ago, and in which broadcast a very well respected "man of God" in this country "reasoned" that you cannot, and should not even attempt to, seek the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, unless and until you are ALREADY living a life of HOLINESS!
In fact, that "preacher" argued that, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with its concomitant speaking in tongues, can be likened to the "roof" of a building: and, according to him, just as you cannot install the roof of a building except you had first brought up the walls (the block-work) and pillars, so also (according to him) you cannot and should not be thinking of receiving or seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit unless and until you have first of all established a life of holiness and you have lived in that life of holiness, until a time when "God" would now deem it fit to "crown" your successful "holy" life with the "reward" of Holy Ghost Baptism, evidenced in speaking in tongues! He presented his argument in such a way that he made the Baptism of the Holy Ghost look like a kind of "reward" or "payment," or, if you like, the "icing on the cake" for having been consistently and successfully living a "holy" life over a certain period of time.
His "reason" for that "logical argument" was that, the Holy Spirit cannot, and WILL NOT, come into a DIRTY VESSEL! So, according to him, you have to make your life (the vessel) CLEAN and HOLY (and that over a reasonable length of time), after which the Holy Spirit, knowing that the place is CLEAN, would now come in! Because, according to the man, the Holy Spirit cannot and will not come into a DIRTY place.
It sounds logical, isn't it?
But, there's a problem!!!!!!! A very big problem!!!!!!! And the problem is this: If I could live CLEAN, and live HOLY, before I can begin to seek and pray and ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit; if I can be 'HOLY' before I receive the Holy Spirit, then what do I need Him for?
Brethren, there's a whole lot of "doctrines" out there in christendom, that have got no Biblical or divine basis. They are based on the LOGIC and REASONING of men! When those men happen to be the ones that we respect and hold as our opinion leaders, then we are really in hot soup!
Brethren, the truth is this: (1) You can NEVER be holy without the Holy Spirit. Yes, there's a measure of the work of the Spirit in getting you saved; but, also, the full River of the Holy Spirit (called Holy Spirit Baptism) is something you can never be "holy" enough to receive. Let me repeat it: you can NEVER be HOLY without the Holy Spirit. So, trying to be "holy" (so-called) before seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is an exercise in futility!
(2) Secondly, I've got BAD NEWS for those who believe that you have to be HOLY first, before the Holy Spirit can fill you in Baptism, because, according to them, the Holy Spirit will not go into a DIRTY place! The BAD NEWS is this: THE HOLY SPIRIT goes into DIRTY places! Why? To make them CLEAN! He's the ONLY ONE who can make you clean and help you to remain CLEAN. You cannot be clean or holy on your own before you have received the Holy Spirit.
One of the things that surprised a lot of people in the 1990's - - the decade of pentecostal revival in the present Ondo and Ekiti States, and generally across Nigeria, was that a lot of people, upon giving their lives to CHRIST, automatically and on-the-spot also received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues in the process. Those who knew a lot of these people as having lived "bad" lives, were surprised! What they didn't know was that the Holy Ghost came into them partly to make them CLEAN and partly also to EMPOWER them for exploits!
Without doubt, it's the Blood of CHRIST that cleanses us; but, also, there's a work of the Holy Spirit by which the Spirit employs that BLOOD to cleanse us; secondly, there is something called the WASHING OF REGENERATION and THE RENEWING of the Holy Ghost. Both that washing of REGENERATION, as well as the RENEWING, are the work of the Holy Ghost. Similarly, every other work of "holiness" that needs to be done in your life, can only be done BY THE HOLY GHOST, or, through the ENABLING of the Holy Ghost. Trying to be "holy" first, before receiving the Holy Spirit, is an exercise in futility. Only the Holy Ghost can make you holy and help you to walk in holiness. So, are you a DIRTY person? If your answer is Yes, then you are a good candidate to RECEIVE the Holy Spirit! That's why He's called the Holy Spirit - - the Spirit that makes "holy." He does not require you to be "holy" before asking Him to come in - - for the simple reason that He knows there's no way you can be holy by yourself, except He makes you holy! So, He's waiting for you to invite Him into your DIRTY vessel, so He can make you HOLY! Just be willing to be made HOLY - - that's all! Don't ever again believe those who say you must be "HOLY" by yourself before the Holy Spirit can come into you! You'll never be holy by yourself. Their reasoning seems "logical" (to human reasoning), but it's a complete insult on the Holy Spirit to think that you can be HOLY by yourself when you are yet to receive the Holy Ghost! Be wise! Be wary of human doctrines that sound "logical" but not Biblical!
I came into a personal knowledge of Christ as my Lord and Saviour in the year 1973. At the time, I was about rounding off my A-Level studies, preparatory to going into the university through Direct Entry.
Evangelical christianity, so-called, at that time, was mostly limited to "Scripture Union" groups in secondary schools, and "Christian Union" groups on the university campuses of Lagos, Ibadan, Ife, Benin, Nsukka and ABU (Zaria) - - the only universities in Nigeria at the time. The country was yet to experience the great revivals that were to later sweep multitudes of people into the Kingdom, as evidenced all over the landscape of Nigeria today.
One major contention in those days, was, whether there was indeed any experience called "The Baptism of the Holy Ghost;" and, if at all there was/is, whether such baptism of the Holy Ghost was an "additional" experience apart from that of salvation, and, also, whether that "additional" experience - - if at all it exists - - must be compulsorily accompanied by the evidence of speaking in "unknown tongues," or not.
It might surprise today's generation of believers that such a contention ever existed.
There was (still is) a particular christian ministry in this country at that time, whose belief-system was rather very much averse to the idea of a Holy Ghost Baptism, or, concomitantly, to that of "speaking in tongues." However, that particular gospel organisation believed in (I suppose they still do) in an experience of "sanctification," which, according to them, meant that you could kind of "attain" to a state of "sinless perfection." While I am not in any way opposed to the "belief" of sanctification (I suppose sometime in the future I would do a treatise on that subject), I, nevertheless, want to say that there was a lot of "pros" and "cons" concerning that particular denomination's idea of sanctification.
Somewhere along the line, some people started saying that, yes, there is an experience of "Holy Ghost Baptism" indeed, but that you will have to, first of all, be sanctified before you could receive that Baptism of the Holy Ghost.
A "mellower" version of the above-stated belief has also, in more recent times, evolved. That is the idea that says that even if there is no specific "experience" of sanctification (as a "definite" milestone in a believer's life), there should, at least, be a life of "holiness" already evident and "established" in a believer's life before such a believer could legitimately seek for the ("greater") experience of the Holy Ghost.
I am sufficiently experienced enough in spiritual matters, and more so as they relate to the development of the church in Nigeria, to know that, worldwide (and more so in this country), a number of "logical" reasonings have been adduced in the process of "pushing" certain supposed 'doctrines,' but which "logical reasonings" are actually nothing more than what they are - - the "reasonings" of men.
I was actually listening (just incidentally, though) to a television broadcast a few years ago, and in which broadcast a very well respected "man of God" in this country "reasoned" that you cannot, and should not even attempt to, seek the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, unless and until you are ALREADY living a life of HOLINESS!
In fact, that "preacher" argued that, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, with its concomitant speaking in tongues, can be likened to the "roof" of a building: and, according to him, just as you cannot install the roof of a building except you had first brought up the walls (the block-work) and pillars, so also (according to him) you cannot and should not be thinking of receiving or seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit unless and until you have first of all established a life of holiness and you have lived in that life of holiness, until a time when "God" would now deem it fit to "crown" your successful "holy" life with the "reward" of Holy Ghost Baptism, evidenced in speaking in tongues! He presented his argument in such a way that he made the Baptism of the Holy Ghost look like a kind of "reward" or "payment," or, if you like, the "icing on the cake" for having been consistently and successfully living a "holy" life over a certain period of time.
His "reason" for that "logical argument" was that, the Holy Spirit cannot, and WILL NOT, come into a DIRTY VESSEL! So, according to him, you have to make your life (the vessel) CLEAN and HOLY (and that over a reasonable length of time), after which the Holy Spirit, knowing that the place is CLEAN, would now come in! Because, according to the man, the Holy Spirit cannot and will not come into a DIRTY place.
It sounds logical, isn't it?
But, there's a problem!!!!!!! A very big problem!!!!!!! And the problem is this: If I could live CLEAN, and live HOLY, before I can begin to seek and pray and ask God for the gift of the Holy Spirit; if I can be 'HOLY' before I receive the Holy Spirit, then what do I need Him for?
Brethren, there's a whole lot of "doctrines" out there in christendom, that have got no Biblical or divine basis. They are based on the LOGIC and REASONING of men! When those men happen to be the ones that we respect and hold as our opinion leaders, then we are really in hot soup!
Brethren, the truth is this: (1) You can NEVER be holy without the Holy Spirit. Yes, there's a measure of the work of the Spirit in getting you saved; but, also, the full River of the Holy Spirit (called Holy Spirit Baptism) is something you can never be "holy" enough to receive. Let me repeat it: you can NEVER be HOLY without the Holy Spirit. So, trying to be "holy" (so-called) before seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is an exercise in futility!
(2) Secondly, I've got BAD NEWS for those who believe that you have to be HOLY first, before the Holy Spirit can fill you in Baptism, because, according to them, the Holy Spirit will not go into a DIRTY place! The BAD NEWS is this: THE HOLY SPIRIT goes into DIRTY places! Why? To make them CLEAN! He's the ONLY ONE who can make you clean and help you to remain CLEAN. You cannot be clean or holy on your own before you have received the Holy Spirit.
One of the things that surprised a lot of people in the 1990's - - the decade of pentecostal revival in the present Ondo and Ekiti States, and generally across Nigeria, was that a lot of people, upon giving their lives to CHRIST, automatically and on-the-spot also received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues in the process. Those who knew a lot of these people as having lived "bad" lives, were surprised! What they didn't know was that the Holy Ghost came into them partly to make them CLEAN and partly also to EMPOWER them for exploits!
Without doubt, it's the Blood of CHRIST that cleanses us; but, also, there's a work of the Holy Spirit by which the Spirit employs that BLOOD to cleanse us; secondly, there is something called the WASHING OF REGENERATION and THE RENEWING of the Holy Ghost. Both that washing of REGENERATION, as well as the RENEWING, are the work of the Holy Ghost. Similarly, every other work of "holiness" that needs to be done in your life, can only be done BY THE HOLY GHOST, or, through the ENABLING of the Holy Ghost. Trying to be "holy" first, before receiving the Holy Spirit, is an exercise in futility. Only the Holy Ghost can make you holy and help you to walk in holiness. So, are you a DIRTY person? If your answer is Yes, then you are a good candidate to RECEIVE the Holy Spirit! That's why He's called the Holy Spirit - - the Spirit that makes "holy." He does not require you to be "holy" before asking Him to come in - - for the simple reason that He knows there's no way you can be holy by yourself, except He makes you holy! So, He's waiting for you to invite Him into your DIRTY vessel, so He can make you HOLY! Just be willing to be made HOLY - - that's all! Don't ever again believe those who say you must be "HOLY" by yourself before the Holy Spirit can come into you! You'll never be holy by yourself. Their reasoning seems "logical" (to human reasoning), but it's a complete insult on the Holy Spirit to think that you can be HOLY by yourself when you are yet to receive the Holy Ghost! Be wise! Be wary of human doctrines that sound "logical" but not Biblical!
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