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Does the Holy Spirit really come upon a person only if he is born
again of water and the Spirit?
Yes, this is true. Everyone needs to
have his sins forgiven by believing in the gospel of the water and
the Spirit in order to receive the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells
us that "water" is the antitype of salvation (1 Peter
3:21). Here the water stands for the baptism Jesus received from
John (Matthew 3:15).
First of all, everyone needs to be
forgiven for all his sins by knowing the meaning of the baptism
of Jesus in order to receive the Holy Spirit. Galatians 3:27 says,
"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on
Christ." Here "being baptized into Christ" doesn't
indicate our water baptism, but means receiving the forgiveness
of sins by understanding and believing in the reason for Jesus'
baptism by John.
Everyone is born in a sinful body.
Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered
the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men,
because all sinned." All the people in this world are born
sinners, inheriting sin from Adam and Eve.
Therefore in Psalms 51:5 it is written, "Behold, I was brought
forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." In Isaiah
1:4 it's written, "Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with
iniquity, a brood of evildoers, children who are corrupters!"
People have the seeds of sin starting from the day they are born.
All the people in this world inherit sins from their parents and
are born into this world as sinners. In other words, our flesh is
bound to bear the fruits of sin during our lifetime.
That is why thinking that if both of
someone's physical parents are born again Christians, then their
children will also receive the Holy Spirit, is merely a credulous
and superstitious faith. He who has this kind of faith tries to
receive the Holy Spirit through his own thoughts and the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit cannot occur with this kind of faith.
Therefore, everyone should believe
in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that Jesus gave us. This
is the only way to receive the Holy Spirit, because He is a gift
from God. Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, took on all
the sins of the world by being baptized by John, then was judged
on the Cross and thereby made all believers of the truth righteous.
This is God's plan and will toward mankind, and He has given the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those who have faith in it according
to His will.
Every one in this world is born with
his own sin into this world. Therefore, he can receive the Holy
Spirit as a gift only if he receives the forgiveness of sins and
becomes sanctified by believing in the gospel of the water and the
Spirit. Therefore everyone should keep it in mind and also believe
that the Holy Spirit comes upon him only when he is born again of
water and the Spirit.
He does not come upon us depending
on some kind of condition or effort we make, but His indwelling
is entirely up to the faithfulness of the One who made the promise.
In other words, He doesn't come to dwell according to any human
or spiritual achievement. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit can
be received by faith according to God's will.
His will was to send Jesus Christ,
His only begotten Son into this world in order to save all mankind
from the sins of the world by having Him baptized by John, and having
Him die on the Cross; thereby allowing the Holy Spirit to dwell
in the hearts of believers. The righteous who are delivered from
all their sins by obeying His will and by believing in the gospel
of the water and the Spirit can receive the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit.
Therefore, believing that one has received
the Holy Spirit just because he was born of born again parents is
a superstitious and credulous faith. This is just like trying to
receive the Holy Spirit according to his own will regardless of
God's will. There is no other way but to believe in the gospel of
the water and the Spirit if one wants to receive the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit.
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