IS THE HOLY SPIRIT RESIDENT IN ME EVEN THOUGH I DO NOT SPEAK IN TONGUES?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Is die Heilige Gees inwonend in my alhoewel ek nie in tale praat nie?”
Following on from what I think is sometimes wrong, in fact I can even say the false proclamation by people and even by some denominations, of how the Holy Spirit manifest Himself in our lives, this person writes to me more or less as follows:
"I have accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, but I do not speak in tongues.
How do I know if I have His Holy Spirit dwelling in me?”
I have no doubt that you do have the Holy Spirit in you.
You have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour.
Well, the Word says of people who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour among others the following:
JOHN 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, who believed in his Name, He gave the right to become children of God,
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, well then you are one of our Lord's children and about our Lord's children are written amongst other:
ROMANS 8:15-17
15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"
16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit (assuring us) that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
Furthermore, even if another proof isn’t really necessary to assure you that our Lord’s Spirit is dwelling in you, I’d like to share this wonderful truth in God’s Word with you:
1COR 12:3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" (or speak blasphemously or blasphemously of Him, or bear such conduct in company) and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit. (With the same certainty that you know you're alive, you can witness also Jesus rose from the grave and as I testify: "Jesus is alive and He is my Lord and my Saviour.")
As for the different ways in which our Lord’s Spirit works in and through us –
Our Lord works as He desire:
1 Corinthians 12:7-11
7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, (for example, how to deal with different situations in your life in this complex society in which we live)
and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, (this includes your help in the congregation spiritually and if you can, also your knowledge of the skills our Lord has given you to serve.)
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, (for example also the kind of faith that people see in your way of life and then are encouraged to live in the same way)
to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, (some by laying on of hands, some just to stand by the sick and pray for them, some serve because of the direction they were trained in medicine and some only in assistance which they physically give with their beautiful spirit with their assistance and support until the person is healthy)
10 to another the working of miracles, (as so many of us have experienced, praying for someone’s circumstances and the their situations then change dramatically.)
to another prophecy, (such as all the prophecies about Jesus Christ in the Bible that we know, which have already been fulfilled – so as to prophesy in true sincerity)
to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, (for example, addiction and mental states are not an evil spirit and someone who has the ability to help you with problems with the Word as the basis of God has the Spirit of God)
to another various kinds of tongues, (because many people put speaking in tongues out of order at the top of the list of gifts in their proclamation of the Gospel, it gives satan, who is the greatest imitator on earth, the opportunity to manifests himself in worship services.) to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.
Another interesting thing I want to share with you is the following:
While there are people as well as some denominations, who have the speaking in tongues high, even at the top of their list of importance of how the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in our lives, it is in Paul's list at the very bottom and Paul is the man to whom our Lord has entrusted with most of the New Testament. If you perhaps supposed the order in which the list is given were just random – read the following:
1COR 12:28-30
28 And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.
29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
30 Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?
My experience over many years is that people sometimes concentrate more on one or the other clearly visible manifestation of our Lord's Spirit and encouraged by satan many people then abuse it.
For example, I've had numerous people say to me:
"I was at a service where the Pastor prayed for people and then they fell over. When he prayed for me and I did not want to fall, he tried to push me over."
Then there was also one of the worst personal experiences my wife and I had.
A woman in the congregation where we worshiped came to us one morning and showed my wife how her husband abused her, by, among other things, sitting on her and burning her everywhere with cigarette stumps.
He was a deacon in the congregation and in a service many times one of the first to jump up, his hands with which he abused his wife during the week, lifted and in what he wanted us to believe, spoken a holy language.
I have received the gift of speaking in tongues but I know of many Christians who, in my opinion, are far better Christians than I am – who do not speak in tongues.
After Paul mention in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 a list of ways in which our Lord works through His Spirit in and through us, he concludes chapter 12 as follows:
1COR 12:31 But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
Then he goes on to 1 Corinthians 13 and gives us the most beautiful explanation / description of the love I as a Christian have ever heard from a human being. Please go read it again.
Let me and you strive to bear the fruit of the Spirit and also remember my two examples above of satanic false imitation of the working of our Lord's Holy Spirit if you are now going to read what Jesus says in this regard:
MAT 7:15-17
15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
What do these good fruits of the Holy Spirit that you and I and every other good tree should bear according to Jesus, look like?
GAL 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Come, let you and I strive to bear the right fruit so that all – even those who do not read the Bible – can see that the Lord, Creator of the Universe, lives in us and leave the rest to our Lord – Because you see:
1COR 12:11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.
Greetings,
Sakkie