The Requirements to Receiving the Holy Spirit:
The Bible clearly spells out the simple requirements to receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit:
1-Ask: We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept and follow the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:5-16). To be “born of water and of the Spirit” is equivalent to being “born again,” that is, “from above” (John 3:3). After receiving salvation, we may ask the Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit and believe that we receive it for Jesus promised, “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).
2-Obey God: The Bible declares, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32). Obedience to the Creator is the basis to a right relation with Him. Obedience is better than any sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Believers are to obey: the truth (Romans 2:8), the doctrines (Romans 6:17), and the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). And eternal redemption, offered by grace and received by faith (Ephesians 2:5, 8), is assured for those who obey the will of God (Hebrews 5:9).
Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:15, 16, 17). Those who are born from above have God as their Father and resemble Him in character (1 John 3:1–3; John 8:39, 44). They aspire, by the grace of Christ, to live above sin (Romans 6:12–16) and do not yield their wills to commit sin (1 John 3:9; 5:18).
3-Witness: The Lord says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me” (Acts 1:8). Christians, today, are also called to give their personal witness to the works and teachings of Christ, in order to save the world. Without personal testimony, there can be no true Christian witness.
How to Get Filled with the Holy Spirit?
The Bible speaks of the experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit in Ephesians 5:18; Acts 6:5; 11:24; 13:9; Luke 4:1… etc. While the “receiving/indwelling” of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation, the “filling” of the Spirit is an ongoing process in the Christian life that takes place as the believers submit daily to His leading.
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me” (John 15:4). To abide in Christ means that the believer must be in daily, continual communion with the Lord, and must live His life (Galatians 2:20). This is the secret of a life filled with the Spirit. In this life, the love of Christ enfolds the believer (2 Corinthians 5:14), and His righteousness becomes a reality in the daily actions (Romans 8:3, 4).
Also, the infilling of the Holy Spirit means receiving special gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy and others. But apart from such gifts the infilling of the Spirit without a doubt proves a power to the spiritual life and also a realized joy (Romans 14:17; Acts 2:4; 15:9). Luke records, “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 15:32).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
