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FAQ on the Christian Faith

Subject 2: The Holy Spirit

2-7. Did Jesus’ disciples receive the Holy Spirit by being delivered from their sins through the forgiveness of sin, or was it a separate experience without regard to the forgiveness of sin?

Receiving the Holy Spirit is not a separate experience from redemption. We can see in the Bible that Jesus’ disciples already knew and believed that Jesus took all the sins of the world through His baptism by John even before they received the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 3:21 – There is also an antitype which now saves us – baptism). 
The forgiveness of sins means salvation from sin, in other words it means all the sins in our hearts are washed away and gone. Nowadays, many Christians are often confused about the meaning of the forgiveness of sin that Jesus gave us. People do not know how they can receive the forgiveness of sin. They think they have been delivered from their sins simply because they believe in Jesus as their Lord.
Those who have received forgiveness for their sins have the witness in themselves. However, if someone doesn’t have the witnessing word of his redemption, then he has not received the Holy Spirit nor was forgiven for all his sins. If he has spirit-filled feelings, it is only the result of being deceived by his own emotions. Satan transforms himself into an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Galatians 1:7-9), deceiving him into straying from the truth (Matthew 7:21-23). 
Those who are forgiven for their sins have the witness in them because they believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. In 1 John 5:4-12, God bears witness to Jesus Christ who came by water and blood. Furthermore, He says if one preaches about a different spirit or a different gospel (2 Corinthians 11:4), then he has not received the forgiveness of sin nor the Holy Spirit. People can receive the forgiveness of sin only when they believe in Jesus Christ, who came by the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
 

Receiving the Holy Spirit is crucial to the forgiveness of sin.

The forgiveness of sin is crucial to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.