"He (Jesus) breathed on them, and said to them,
'Receive the Holy Spirit."
John 20:22
A woman said to her pastor, "I don't know if I have received the Holy Spirit or not. How can I know for sure?" The pastor responded, "You have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. When you did, the Holy Spirit came into your heart and life." He then shared with her the Bible teaching on receiving the Holy Spirit. He read to her from Ephesians 1:13. "In Him (Christ) you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise."
After the resurrection of Jesus, He met with the disciples, breathing upon them, He said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." It is a reminder of the creation story in Genesis. God breathed upon man and he became a living soul. God in Christ breathed new life into the disciples. He does the same for us as believers in Jesus our Lord. We become a new creation in Christ through conversion. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17).
We have received the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:2, 5). The Holy Spirit is the covenant promise of God to every believer. "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them" (Ezekiel 36:26). Receive the Holy Spirit as your Guide, Counselor, Helper and Comforter. He is here for you.
Jesus, we thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
