Baptism with the Holy Spirit
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7. Is it right to ask the Holy Spirit for the gift of the Holy Spirit?
In other words, is it correct to call upon the Holy Spirit in order to
receive the Holy Spirit? |
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No, it isn’t. Because the One who gives the Holy Spirit is the Father,
as it is written that God the Father “hath also given unto us his holy
Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 4:8) and that Peter, referring to the outpouring of
the Holy Spirit upon the house of Cornelius, said to those who were of the
circumcision: “Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto
us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand
God?” (Acts |
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Therefore Christians ought to call upon God the Father – and not the
Holy Spirit – in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is what
Jesus Christ taught when He said: “If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13). |