THE IN-FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (II)
“Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:4-6 NKJV
Yesterday, we talked about the reality of receiving the Holy Spirit upon confessing Christ as Lord and Savior of one’s life.
In our theme scripture, however, Paul expands our understanding by showing us that God is sovereign and free to use what or whom He chooses to demonstrate the liberty that comes through His Spirit. While faith is always the ultimate ingredient to receiving anything from God, it also enables ordinary people to take part in His extraordinary works.
We see this in Acts 19, where the empowering of the Holy Spirit for service and witness happened through the laying on of hands and prayer by the Apostle. This laying on of hands did not make these disciples Christians; rather, it was a visible moment of empowerment, where the Spirit’s presence overflowed in tongues and prophecy.
At other times, such empowerment came without hands being laid, as in Acts 10:44–46. God is sovereign in how He manifests His Spirit, but the pattern remains: salvation brings the Spirit’s indwelling, and continued surrender invites His filling and empowering.
For us today, this means we don’t wait for an elder to lay hands on us to “receive” the Spirit. We already have Him if we belong to Christ. Child of God, let this truth dwell richly in you, as it was in Christ, enabling you to move in faith and with the authority of a son and priest. Hallelujah.
Prayer: My Father, I thank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit who lives in me. Thank You that I don’t have to strive to earn Your presence, for You freely gave Him when I believed in Christ. Help me to walk daily in surrender, allowing Your Spirit to fill, empower, and guide me in all things. May my life testify to Your grace and power, bringing glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
CI.
RELATED RESOURCES
• Acts 1:8
• Ephesians 5:18
• Galatians 3:2
