For indeed if one comes proclaiming a different Jesus whom we did not proclaim, or you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel that you have not accepted – 2 Corinthians 11:4
Experiencing the Holy Spirit is a logical response from us as we identify and seek to fulfill the desires He gives us to live out who we are in Christ. This type of relationship is new, that is, it did not exist between God and humans prior to the creation of the Church. It requires us to pay attention to our desires and understand where they come from and their outcomes so we can discern what is God’s way, and stop being manipulated by our flesh and Satan.
The Spirit of the Truth Who the world does not have the ability to receive because it cannot watch Him, nor experientially know Him, but you experientially know Him because He abides alongside you and will be in you – John 14:17
Unfortunately, there are many today that teach contrary to this, trying to make our relationship with the Holy Spirit an emotional experience that is not based upon the truth. Remember, truth is not relative. There is only one truth, and it is not based upon how we feel or is changed because we don’t like it. As we read through Scripture, we see God interacting with people in ways that sometimes we would like to experience. He spoke with them, showed them signs, performed incredible miracles, raised the dead, healed the sick, and so many other direct, visible manifestations of who He is. However, this is not the type of relationship we have with God today, ours is far more genuine and we have a closeness with God that no others have ever been able to experience. When we fail to understand this, we can be manipulated by false teachers who want to take advantage of us and teach another spirit.
We see this manifested today in those saying they are prophets, act as though they can speak in tongues and are healers, saying they received a message from God, or any other experience that is contrary to Scripture in relation to the Holy Spirit. There are even those who teach that there are two baptisms, one by water and one by fire. Stating that one who simply believes the gospel for salvation is not fully saved until they also receive the Holy Spirit. This is contrary to Scripture and is based upon a lie.
One body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one Spirit, one baptism (Immersion) – Ephesians 4:4,5
God does not speak to us in a still quiet voice today. God does not give us dreams or visions. God does not do signs and wonders among us so that we know it is God. But do not think that God does not interact with us today in a way that we know it is Him. What God actually does today is impact our very core, our heart. He gives us desires to do what is right. He gave us the ability to understand Spiritual things by giving us a new mind so that we can discern His desires. These are not desires we should think little of because remember our human nature does not seek to do what is right, it continually all day long seeks to perform what is wrong – there are none that seek God, none that do kindness, all have gone astray (Romans 3:12). He teaches us how to abide in the salvation we have, living a life that is free from bondage and able to live righteously before Him. Not a life relying upon sight or feeling, but one that is out from faith (Romans 1:17 the just will live out from faith). This type of life brings peace, an unruffledness of mind. This type of life understands because it sees things as they really are. This type of life experiences God through the relationship we have with Him by walking in the light. This is the type of life we have in Christ.
Do you want to experience the Holy Spirit? Listen to the good desires you have. Listen and obey and you will experience God in every aspect of your life. We really do not need God to speak to us, show us miracles, do signs and wonders, or anything else He has done to show humans that He is God. Because we can see from history humans still did not follow Him even after experiencing Him in these ways. We abide in Christ and Christ abides in us; therefore, we experience God in a completely different way than from what we read of in the Old Testament. We now have a connection to God in our rational part. He now guides us through knowing the truth and teaching us how to discern each situation to do what is right. We are able to mature and not be garrisoned around by laws; rather, because of our relationship with God we are able to live a life of righteousness by using the renewed mind we have, through which we truly can understand what God’s desirous will is in any situation. This is experiencing the Holy Spirit.
