Written on February 28th, 2005 - 3:22PM Last Updated: February 28th, 2005 - 3:22PM
The primary evidence of receiving the Promise of the HolySpirit that the Father has shown us in His revelation is that of speaking in a new language by the inspiration of the Spirit.
ChristJesus prophesied of this experience of speaking in new languages in His name and that it would follow His believers:
These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new languages; (Mark 16:17)
This ability is not something natural, or the mere learning of a new language through education. It is the supernatural ability that the HolySpirit supplies to the child of God who has been baptized into Him. The Spirit gives the believer the new words of the language of His choosing, which speak the perfect will of the Father.
1Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4They were all filled with the HolySpirit, and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. (Acts 2:1-4)
In this first recording of the Promise being received by God's people, we see its fruit was to confirm the work of the Father in His Son (Acts 2:11). This testimony given through the languages spoken by the Spirit through the disciples led to the apostle Peter leading over 3000 people into the Kingdom of Yahweh through trust in His Son.
Peter connected this experience of speaking in languages to the prophecy of Joel made numerous centuries before, through the inspiration of the HolySpirit.
12They were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, "What does this mean?" 13Others, mocking, said, "They are filled with new wine." 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, "You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15For these aren't drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day{about 9:00 AM}. 16But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17'It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. (Acts 2:12-18)
This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the HolySpirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear. (Acts 2:32, 33)
This same fruit of praise of God in a new language continued to be Yahweh's proof to His people of the infilling of the HolySpirit. Not many years later, the first time that newly believing, non-proselyte Gentiles (i.e., those who had not previously converted to Judaism, observing the Law of Moses) received the HolySpirit, the same evidence followed:
45They of the circumcision who believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the HolySpirit was also poured out on the nations. 46For they heard them speaking in other languages and magnifying God. Then Peter answered, 47"Can any man forbid the water, that these who have received the HolySpirit as well as we should not be baptized?" (Acts 10:45-47)
The Jewish believers had come to recognize this as the proof that the Spirit had fallen upon a believer (Acts 15:8-9).
The Progression of Belief to Infilling
The apostle Paul used this evidence when preaching the Gospel to non-Jews. The Promise of the Father was the HolySpirit given to those who trusted in God's Christ, Jesus:
It happened that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper country, came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples. He said to them, "Did you receive the HolySpirit when you believed?" They said to him, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a HolySpirit." (Acts 19:1, 2)
It is necessary to be sure that a person has entered covenant with Yahweh through His Son, and does not remain under the Old Covenant, or remain yet in total ignorance of God. The answer of these disciples was very telling. They had only had the message of John the Baptizer preached to them: to expect the coming of Christ, the Son of God. But they had yet to realize who He was and that He had already come.
He said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." (Acts 19:3)
Paul then explains the point of John's prepartion ministry, to clear a path for Yahweh in the flesh, the Lord JesusChrist.
Paul said, "John indeed baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus." (Acts 19:4)
They had been prepared by the ministry of God's final prophet of the Old Covenant, John, who had operated by the spirit of Elijah. Now they were ready to receive God's gift of eternal life through trusting in His only Son:
When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:5)
Following this, the apostle did not leave them unconfirmed in their new faith, but immediately led them into the Promise of the Father to His called people. Now that they had come to be new creations in Christ they were eligible to receive the Promise of their Father:
When Paul had laid his hands on them, the HolySpirit came on them, and they spoke with other languages and prophesied. (Acts 19:6)
Again, Yahweh gave proof of their experience by His Spirit giving them words of a new language with which to praise and worship Him, as well as leading them to prophesy of His greatness in their native language.
Fulfillment of Prophecy
In his first letter to the Corinthian Assembly, Paul sums it all up, connecting this experience of speaking in other languages after having the HolySpirit fall, to the "sign" spoken of by Isaiah. Speaking in other languages, after being baptized into the HolySpirit, is the sign to the unbelievers spoken of by Isaiah! It accompanies being filled with the HolySpirit, and is promised to all people, both small and great, everywhere, and forever. It also is the refreshing, and the mean to rest ourselves, as we will see later. Praise the Living God!
But he will speak to this nation with stammering lips and in another language; to whom he said, "This is the resting place. Give rest to weary;" and "This is the refreshing;" yet they would not hear. (Isaiah 28:11, 12)
Therefore other languages are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to the unbelieving; but prophesying is for a sign, not to the unbelieving, but to those who believe. (1 Corinthians 14:22)
This experience of speaking in a new language as the HolySpirit is giving you the ability, is a biblical sign of both your belief in Christ, and your redemption from believing; and also that you have received the promise of the Father, the gift of the HolySpirit! There is yet much more to this wonderful gift! Thank your Father in heaven for this wonderful blessing, and Jesus for giving you the ability to receive it, through His obedience!
As you read this site, you will hopefully come to know Yahweh more fully.
But all of this continuing knowledge is useless unless and until you come into union with Him. I use the word union because it is truly a marriage. It is that deep connection we all seek, for which we most often look in other people. However, the truth is that our hearts will only be fulfilled when we enter that union in fullness with the One Who made us.
This is the grace of God, that He has not stayed distant for us only to worship as Creator. But He has come unto us, even become one of us—in His Son, ChristJesus—in order to share an intimate union with us. He desires such closeness that it truly will envelope our entire life, transforming us into something new and wonderful.
You may have already entered this union with Him and only seek to know Him better through reading here. But if you have not, as you do read, let this Gospel sink into your heart as you read it now.
God loves you, and has cast your sins into the sea. He has sent His only Son as the Savior of the world—that includes you.
That Son, JesusChrist, was born as a man through a virgin who had given her life to Yahweh; He lived without sin, reflected the glory of His Father, God, in all His words and deeds, and was persecuted even unto death because of it.
His death upon a cross was the powerful explosion that separated you from your life of death. It remains for you, now, to enter into that death with Him. As you die to the one you are now, a person separated from God from your many sins, you will be born anew, with a nature predisposed to live rightly. This gift is free to you, with nothing you can do to earn it. It is the mercy of God to offer it to you, as He loves you so much! All you must do is receive it by trusting Him to have delivered you. Simply place your life in His hands and embrace the freedom that came through that death on the cross.
The Gospel is that Jesus did not remain dead, but rose again on the third day after His crucifixion! Death could not hold Him, as He was without sin. And so death will not be able to hold you, as you identify with Him fully through your trust in Him. Let go of yourself and confess Him as Lord of your life. The power of His death and resurrection will work in you all that your Creator has destined for you. You will truly enter a new life and experience that intimate union you have been seeking all of your life.
So ponder these words as you read here of this great God—Yahweh—and all that He has revealed to His creation. Let His Spirit testify to your heart that these words are true, that God is Love, and that He sent His Son so that you might receive the life that is unbound by time and space. As you feel that witness in your heart, simply believe and receive what He is offering to you, even now, and begin your new life as a child of God.
Please write to me and let me know when you take this step, as I will be your brother in Christ—we will be one in Him!
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