THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE !

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE (1 Corinthians 14:14). "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful." Your body is the temple our house of you who is a spirit. You are in the same class as God who is a Spirit. (John 4:24). And Jesus said, "it Is the Spirit who gives life [He is the life giver]; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever [there is no profit in it]. The words [truths that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life." (John 6:63 ). The amplified Bible. When you become born again, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in your spirit. Therefore, your body then becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience subsequent To the New Birth. Receiving this baptism of the Holy Spirit is a spiritual experience, not a mental or a physical experience. You cannot contact God with your mind. God is not a mind. (Numbers 23:19) says, "God is not a man. . ." This means God is not a physical being. He is a Spirit. Notice that He is not "spirit," but He is "a Spirit." The word "spirit" too many people means and influence or and atmosphere. But God is not spirit. Again, Jesus said, "God is a Spirit . . ." (John 4:24). He is a divine personality. We cannot contact God with our minds; We Cannot Contact Him with our bodies. We contact God with our spirit, because He is a Spirit. This is where many people have difficulty in trying to receive the Holy Spirit. As I have said in a previous lesson many people think that when they get born again they have the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is he that does the regenerating of you who is spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is altogether a different experience. They try to receive the Holy Spirit mentally or physically. They want a physical experience, but it is a spiritual experience. The only physical part of it is the actual speaking in tongues. He will give you utterance, but that utterance comes out of your who is spirit, and you speak the words. The apostle Paul said, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 first Corinthians 14:14). The amplified Bible reads, "My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays." In other words, it is the Holy Spirit within you who gives you the ability to speak with other tongues. Jesus said, "And I will pray the Father or I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (John 14:16). He comes in to live and dwell in you who is spirit, that dwells in a body, and possesses a soul. And you must learn to respond to Him. He will give you the utterance. Many people fail are here because they rely on their natural senses--- what they can see, hear, or feel. They will not believe they have the Holy Spirit until they speak with tongues. However, you believe and receive the Holy Spirit first; then you speak with tongues as a result of having received. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost . . ." (Acts 2:4). Notice this scripture says they were filled. Then, after they were filled. They began to speak with other tongues. This is the very thing that many people stumble over they want to talking in tongues first and then believe that they have the Holy Spirit. But you have to believe first. In order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit just as to receive anything from God, you have to step out in the God kind of faith, putting your faith to work. Then you will have the God kind of faith in action !