How do you know you have the Holy Spirit?

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Chris Tucker

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How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? This question kept coming up at a Bible study. What are your thoughts? How do you recognize the Holy Spirit in your own lives? God bless.

 

Webers_Home

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Rom 8:9 . . If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not
belong to Christ.

While reading that verse back around 1972, it occurred to me that if my
body really was hosting something as amazing as Christ's spirit, then I
should somehow be aware of it.

When I shared my concern with a trusted pastor, he pointed out that it's
futile to look for empirical evidence of the Spirit's presence in my body; the
only evidence is located in the Bible; which of course would be accepted in a
court of law and/or the halls of science with little more readiness than the
Koran or the Vedas.

1Cor 3:16 . . Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and
that God's Spirit lives in you?

God's spirit is supernatural; viz: it cannot be detected by scientific
instruments like X-rays, CatScans, or MRIs, etc. So then, how are Christians
supposed to "know" the Spirit is inside their bodies? Only by their holy book
saying so; which of course to sensible, critical thinkers, is about as useful as
a séance for detecting paranormal activity.

Faith is believin' what you know ain't so.

(Mark Twain)
_
 

amadeus

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How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? This question kept coming up at a Bible study. What are your thoughts? How do you recognize the Holy Spirit in your own lives? God bless.
Do we know the difference between God's voice and the voice of strangers? Are we His sheep?

"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." John 10:3-5

The proof is in your own heart. If you are uncertain, keep seeking the right things first continuously until there is no doubt in mind or heart:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33
 

Pearl

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At one of the group meetings we used to go to as new Christians we were talking about the baptism of the Spirit and my husband asked, "How will you know when you are filled with the Spirit?" and was told, "Oh, you'll know." And you just do.
 

amigo de christo

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Do we know the difference between God's voice and the voice of strangers? Are we His sheep?

"To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." John 10:3-5

The proof is in your own heart. If you are uncertain, keep seeking the right things first continuously until there is no doubt in mind or heart:

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33
Amadeus. you have read the bible my friend . its so true that The lambs hear ONLY the voice of Christ and wont heed a stranger .
The bible also tells us we must examine to see if we indeed do walk in the faith .
For as we know many can and do say , OH I Follow Christ , i hear only his voice , and i flee strangers .
AND YET many support sin , many do great evil and justify it as well .
SO the question that is truly needed to be asked , IS HOW DO WE KNOW we are truly following the VOICE o CHRIST
and not rather the voice of strangers .
ITS real simple my friend . SO simple even a wee child can grasp it .
Amadeus , if you or I , needed a plumber and we were told JOSE RODRIGUEZ is your man .
SO we open the phone book to dial his number , and yet in my phone book we have many with that name .
IS every jose rodriguez therefore the plumber i would need . NO . The other names are not that same guy .
AND IF i need a plumber , i dont need those who might have the same name , I NEED THE REAL ONE .
THE ANSWER THUS is , WE NEED TO KNOW THE BIBLICAL JESUS , not a phone book name , BUT THE REAL ONE .
THERE IS THE ANSWER . Yet many know not that one . THEY KNOW only a jesus that feeds their own fleshly desires .
AND we both know , THAT AINT JESUS My friend . WE got so many other jesus s getting preached and many are running
NOT TO THE JESUS WHO CREATED all that is , but rather to a jesus of their own creation . You gotta KNOW that IS TRUTH .
 

amigo de christo

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At one of the group meetings we used to go to as new Christians we were talking about the baptism of the Spirit and my husband asked, "How will you know when you are filled with the Spirit?" and was told, "Oh, you'll know." And you just do.
What you said is truth . And yet i have to bring another reminder up as well .
For many say , I HAVE BEEN FILLED with the SPIRIT . But their fruits prove otherwise .
SO the key is , HOW DO WE KNOW we are filled with the HOLY SPIRIT or just another spirit . As even john said , TEST those spirits
for many decievers abound .
The answer is in one simple word . How do we know that its the HOLY Spirit one is filled with .
ITS real simple . IF they follow the HOLY SPIRIT , THEY WALK HOLY . ISNT that just beautiful .
BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY . IF we FOLLOW the HOLY SPIRIT our walk proves IT .
 

amigo de christo

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For the FRUIT of THE SPIRIT , THE HOLY SPIRIT , is in all GOODNESS , RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUTH
PROVING what is acceptable to GOD , not to man , not to the generation we live in , BUT TO GOD .
BE YE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY . What SPIRIT are we following . THE FRUIT PROVES WHAT SPIRIT IT IS .
And as proverbs make very clear , the fruit of the WICKED , is to SIN . NOT BE HOLY , but SIN .
 

FHII

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The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. I believe the Bible is the word of God and is the only truth I can rely on. It is proven in my life never to be wrong. Though everything else around me may fail, the Bible or Word of God always comes out to be true.

The Holy Spirit is also the comforter. Things may fall around me, but I have a promise that all things work together for my good. I have a promise that the Lord will not lay on me more than I can bear.

Well, I am still here with food, rainment and shelter. The Holy spirit has kept his promise.
 

Hidden In Him

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How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? This question kept coming up at a Bible study. What are your thoughts? How do you recognize the Holy Spirit in your own lives? God bless.



Wonderful posts in this thread.

For my part, I think the answer is that the more the Holy Spirit manifests in your life, the more holy you yourself will be in your words, your theology, and your conduct and lifestyle. One cannot be "holy" without the Holy Spirit. It is not possible, as it is not natural to man. But when the Spirit comes upon us and we learn to abide more and more in His will and in His Presence, the Holiness that characterizes His life becomes more and more made manifest in ours.

Blessings,
- H
 

Pearl

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Wonderful posts in this thread.

For my part, I think the answer is that the more the Holy Spirit manifests in your life, the more holy you yourself will be in your words, your theology, and your conduct and lifestyle. One cannot be "holy" without the Holy Spirit. It is not possible, as it is not natural to man. But when the Spirit comes upon us and we learn to abide more and more in His will and in His Presence, the Holiness that characterizes His life becomes more and more made manifest in ours.

Blessings,
- H
Amen. We all need more of the Holy Spirit. Without him we can't function properly as born again Christians.
 

Amazed@grace

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For me the question becomes personal. Not that which is handed off simply and by quoting a scriptural reference.

I was young when Jesus called my name.

Being brought to church wasn't it. As a child I went to where my parents led me. Trusting them without question. That wasn't it either.

What was "it", happened when I one day while also in church Sunday school had these feelings well up inside me, filling me to my whole heart and swelling in my chest.

This fullness and deep peace wherein I knew I was not alone. I felt filled up from my insides and just to the inner barriers where my skin began.

Contentment and happiness, fullness and heart swell. My mind cleared of all thought and senses awareness of where I was at in that moment, there in that chrch basement room listening to the bible story being recited by the lady at the front.

It was a slow coming into the awareness of all that was happening there. First I was overjoyed hearing her preach the story from the bible.

Pictures on the walls, all from different stories in the bible but rendered in their art to appeal to the imagination of a child. My favorite room in the whole church.

Then, as I am listening to her voice, it slowly started to fade. And as I looked around the room the pictures became more defined, more brilliant in their colors and illustrations.

The smell in the room became something that wasn't like a scent or perfume, but was more like breathing in a deeply penetrating blanket of security and comfort that filled and warmed me at the same time and from the inside.

I felt a presence settle inside me. Like when someone gets into their favorite chair and then moves about gently, finding that right comfy spot.

When it was time to go I didn't know that until I came to the awareness that the lady was with her hand on my shoulder, softly calling my name. "Time to go dear."
I was so happy.
I went upstairs to the full church auditorium where my parents were seated in the pew and slid in beside them as the adult service was just drawing to a close.
I felt I never wanted to leave. I would just like to live there.

Ever since that day, I hear his voice and know even where he is standing, his presence, when here at home.
He leads me to share his wisdom to strangers when I'm out running errands or at work.

He puts me in the right place at what is the right time when someone, even an animal, is in need so that it ends up that I am there at just that right time in order to serve.

Even, like today when the GPS on my map system took me wayyyyy out of the travel path I should have been on, and saved nearly an hour of driving to boot, disgusted, road weary, hungry, and a little mad, I pull into this giant service area. Gas, no attendants just self-serve, and food shops.

I'm there getting ready to get gas and fill up, thinking best to be prepared for more GPS chekanery and not run out of gas to boot, when this big pickup truck pulls to the curb and near the fuel pumps.
Of all the vehicles getting gas there, the driver comes to mine.

"Hi, would you have a flat edged screw driver I could borrow by chance?"

Sure did.And right there in the cubby nook below my dashboard.
That fix helped him and his family continue driving safely to their destination.

Because they needed a screwdriver to make it safely on their way. And thanks to what I thought was a wonky GPS, I was there.

I'd filled up and was just making my way to the entrance ramp to get back on the road when that hit me. I was there, thinking I had been lost driving all over creation out of my way in a strange city, and perturbed at the huge waste of time and gas.

And turned out moments after pulling up to those gas pumps, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to help a family out.

With something as simple and yet not that common for folks to have.in their cars. A flat head screwdriver.

I pulled into the main highway thankful. No longer upset at that loss of time and upset with the GPS.

Turned out I was exactly where God needed me to be for a family that needed someonen with a flathead screwdriver to be there. :)
All my life since that day in Sunday school that has been my relationship with and to what I believe as God's indwelling holy spirit.
Speaking to me, leading me where he wills me to be. And me learning more and more to let go of my thoughts and trust and follow where he leads.

That is my answer and testimony for the OP question. Thank you for reading what turned out to be a really long post.

God is GOOD all the time.
 
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Taodeching

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How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? This question kept coming up at a Bible study. What are your thoughts? How do you recognize the Holy Spirit in your own lives? God bless.

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Gal 5:22-23

We may not do these perfectly all the time but there is a consistency but even when we don't do these all the time we confess and God will set us right again.
 

Pearl

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For me the question becomes personal. Not that which is handed off simply and by quoting a scriptural reference.

I was young when Jesus called my name.

Being brought to church wasn't it. As a child I went to where my parents led me. Trusting them without question. That wasn't it either.

What was "it", happened when I one day while also in church Sunday school had these feelings well up inside me, filling me to my whole heart and swelling in my chest.

This fullness and deep peace wherein I knew I was not alone. I felt filled up from my insides and just to the inner barriers where my skin began.

Contentment and happiness, fullness and heart swell. My mind cleared of all thought and senses awareness of where I was at in that moment, there in that chrch basement room listening to the bible story being recited by the lady at the front.

It was a slow coming into the awareness of all that was happening there. First I was overjoyed hearing her preach the story from the bible.

Pictures on the walls, all from different stories in the bible but rendered in their art to appeal to the imagination of a child. My favorite room in the whole church.

Then, as I am listening to her voice, it slowly started to fade. And as I looked around the room the pictures became more defined, more brilliant in their colors and illustrations.

The smell in the room became something that wasn't like a scent or perfume, but was more like breathing in a deeply penetrating blanket of security and comfort that filled and warmed me at the same time and from the inside.

I felt a presence settle inside me. Like when someone gets into their favorite chair and then moves about gently, finding that right comfy spot.

When it was time to go I didn't know that until I came to the awareness that the lady was with her hand on my shoulder, softly calling my name. "Time to go dear."
I was so happy.
I went upstairs to the full church auditorium where my parents were seated in the pew and slid in beside them as the adult service was just drawing to a close.
I felt I never wanted to leave. I would just like to live there.

Ever since that day, I hear his voice and know even where he is standing, his presence, when here at home.
He leads me to share his wisdom to strangers when I'm out running errands or at work.

He puts me in the right place at what is the right time when someone, even an animal, is in need so that it ends up that I am there at just that right time in order to serve.

Even, like today when the GPS on my map system took me wayyyyy out of the travel path I should have been on, and saved nearly an hour of driving to boot, disgusted, road weary, hungry, and a little mad, I pull into this giant service area. Gas, no attendants just self-serve, and food shops.

I'm there getting ready to get gas and fill up, thinking best to be prepared for more GPS chekanery and not run out of gas to boot, when this big pickup truck pulls to the curb and near the fuel pumps.
Of all the vehicles getting gas there, the driver comes to mine.

"Hi, would you have a flat edged screw driver I could borrow by chance?"

Sure did.And right there in the cubby nook below my dashboard.
That fix helped him and his family continue driving safely to their destination.

Because they needed a screwdriver to make it safely on their way. And thanks to what I thought was a wonky GPS, I was there.

I'd filled up and was just making my way to the entrance ramp to get back on the road when that hit me. I was there, thinking I had been lost driving all over creation out of my way in a strange city, and perturbed at the huge waste of time and gas.

And turned out moments after pulling up to those gas pumps, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to help a family out.

With something as simple and yet not that common for folks to have.in their cars. A flat head screwdriver.

I pulled into the main highway thankful. No longer upset at that loss of time and upset with the GPS.

Turned out I was exactly where God needed me to be for a family that needed someonen with a flathead screwdriver to be there. :)
All my life since that day in Sunday school that has been my relationship with and to what I believe as God's indwelling holy spirit.
Speaking to me, leading me where he wills me to be. And me learning more and more to let go of my thoughts and trust and follow where he leads.

That is my answer and testimony for the OP question. Thank you for reading what turned out to be a really long post.

God is GOOD all the time.


Some story! And once we've received him We need to keep ourselves only unto him and be faithful in good times and troubled times. No mixture - just Jesus.
 

amadeus

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Wonderful posts in this thread.

For my part, I think the answer is that the more the Holy Spirit manifests in your life, the more holy you yourself will be in your words, your theology, and your conduct and lifestyle. One cannot be "holy" without the Holy Spirit. It is not possible, as it is not natural to man. But when the Spirit comes upon us and we learn to abide more and more in His will and in His Presence, the Holiness that characterizes His life becomes more and more made manifest in ours.

Blessings,
- H
Indeed and to be holy or sanctified simply means to be set apart. Set apart from the what? From man and his ways, the ways of the flesh. We will stand out more and more as we continue to lean on the Lord and He via the Holy Spirit then sets apart... making us holy. We cannot make ourselves holy, but if we learn to surrender and then continue surrender to Him, He will continuing doing His work in us. People will love us or they will hate us. We shall indeed be set apart and holy because of Him!

Give God the glory!
 

Robert Gwin

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How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? This question kept coming up at a Bible study. What are your thoughts? How do you recognize the Holy Spirit in your own lives? God bless.


The Bible says this Chris: (Romans 8:16, 17) . . .The spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 If, then, we are children, we are also heirs—heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ—provided we suffer together so that we may also be glorified together.

Those anointed ones know beyond a reasonable doubt that they have been anointed. It has been presented to us that if there is any doubt, then we are not one of the holy ones redeemed from the earth.