What Commandments Are We To Keep To Receive The Holy Ghost?

[poorinspirit]

John 14:¹⁵ If ye love me, keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; ¹⁷ Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The commandments cannot be everything Jesus has taught becaise we need Him in us to have power to be the sons of God in living the christian life by faith in the Son of God.

So what commandments is Jesus talking about that by keeping them, we would receive the promise of the Holy Ghost? For something this important, you would think Jesus would list them clearly in leading up to that promise of the receiving of the permenant indwelling Holy Ghost.

So lets' read what was stated as the commandments from Him.

John 14:1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. ² In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. ⁴ And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ⁵ Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ⁶ Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ⁷ If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. ⁸ Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. ⁹ Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? ¹⁰ Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ¹¹ Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. ¹² Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. ¹³ And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Believe? Just believe Him to be God, and that He is the only way to God and to know God personally?

Ephesians 1:¹² That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. ¹³ In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. ¹⁵ Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

Yep. Just believe Him. That's the commandments that He was referring to when He stated over and over again to believe Him that led up to the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Ghost.

Galatians 3:¹⁴ That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith....²⁶ For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

That's why His yoke is easy and His burden is light wherein we can find rest for our souls in Him.

Matthew 11:²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Having believed in Him is the response of a good conscience towards God in having received the Holy Spirit to be saved. Since then, when we live by faith in the Son of God in living this reconciled relationship with God through Jesus Christ, we get to know Him and the power of His resurrection when we see ourselves following Him in what we think we could not do in the flesh, to love our enemies as we love others as He is supplying us with the love we need with guidance to forgive when we are angry.

1 John 3:²² And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. ²⁴ And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

So the commandments to receive the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Spirit is to believe in Jesus Christ: and because He is in us, we have power to live as sons of God by faith in the Son of God to love others to abide in Him in bearing fruit so that our joy may be full.

[jesse]

I can think of no other way. A realistic means of salvation available to all who hear the message.

[Boo]

Maybe a thorough search of all that Jesus commanded in scriptures would answer that question. He gave a lot more commands than "believe."

[BroRog]

Christians often debate the following passage, which is relevant to the issue here.

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard [this], they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.

Here Peter seems to imply a verbal contract which specifies the form of compensation two parties will exchange. God really likes belief; he really digs it when we believe him. So he has agreed to give the Holy Spirit in exchange to anyone who will step forward and believe Peter's message. Just come right up; step forward; say you believe, and God will give you the Holy Spirit.

Is that right? Am I being bribed or bought? Shouldn't I believe the truth because it IS true, regardless of any form of reward? Do we really think that Peter is selling the gospel?

[markedward]

Peter isn't so much selling the Gospel as he is telling his fellow Israelites to follow their King. It isn't a 'Buy today and get the holy spirit freeeeeee!' offer, but rather a 'Follow your King, join the renewed Israel, and be blessed with God's presence dwelling within you'. In the context of the prophecy from Joel that Peter had just paraphrased, his listeners would not have understood 'receive the gift of the holy spirit' as a bribe, but rather as a tool.

I liken it to that scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where Father Christmas gives a sword to Peter (ahem), and tells him, 'these are tools, not toys'. It is a gift, but it has a serious purpose that must be obligated upon receiving it.

[BroRog]

Peter isn't so much selling the Gospel as he is telling his fellow Israelites to follow their King. It isn't a 'Buy today and get the holy spirit freeeeeee!' offer, but rather a 'Follow your King, join the renewed Israel, and be blessed with God's presence dwelling within you'. In the context of the prophecy from Joel that Peter had just paraphrased, his listeners would not have understood 'receive the gift of the holy spirit' as a bribe, but rather as a tool.

I liken it to that scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where Father Christmas gives a sword to Peter (ahem), and tells him, 'these are tools, not toys'. It is a gift, but it has a serious purpose that must be obligated upon receiving it.

True, but unlike a sword, which is under the control of the one who holds it, the Holy Spirit is not under the control of anyone. Can you explain your point using an analogy that gives the Holy Spirit a will of his own and active role in the life of the believer?

[Boo]

After repentance and commitment via baptism to Jesus, God provides the Holy Spirit to us. It is not a reward nor is It a payoff, It is a helper for us. It is a luxury that the Old Covenant people did not have. Paul will argue that a person can know that they are truly a Christian by the fact that they have received the Spirit (Romans 8:9). With this response to our commitment to God, the process of Christian initiation is completed. We are then a full part of the church and accordingly equipped for all that God will call us to do - though we still have a lengthy process of learning and maturing to go through.

We can be under the control of the Holy Spirit, but we can also deny It. It does not turn us into robots.

[Nobunaga]

The soul, in firmly believing the promises of God, holds Him to be true and righteous; and it can attribute to God no higher glory than the credit of being so. The highest worship of God is to ascribe to Him truth, righteousness, and whatever qualities we must ascribe to one in whom we believe. In doing this the soul shows itself prepared to do His whole will; in doing this it hallows His name, and gives itself up to be dealt with as it may please God. For it cleaves to His promises, and never doubts that He is true, just, and wise, and will do, dispose, and provide for all things in the best way. Is not such a soul, in this its faith, most obedient to God in all things? What commandment does there remain which has not been amply fulfilled by such an obedience? What fulfilment can be more full than universal obedience? Now this is not accomplished by works, but by faith alone.

On the other hand, what greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God can there be, than not to believe His promises? What else is this, than either to make God a liar, or to doubt His truth--that is, to attribute truth to ourselves, but to God falsehood and levity? In doing this, is not a man denying God and setting himself up as an idol in his own heart? What then can works, done in such a state of impiety, profit us, were they even angelic or apostolic works? Rightly hath God shut up all, not in wrath nor in lust, but in unbelief, in order that those who pretend that they are fulfilling the law by works of purity and benevolence (which are social and human virtues) may not presume that they will therefore be saved, but, being included in the sin of unbelief, may either seek mercy, or be justly condemned.

But when God sees that truth is ascribed to Him, and that in the faith of our hearts He is honoured with all the honour of which He is worthy, then in return He honours us on account of that faith, attributing to us truth and righteousness. For faith does truth and righteousness in rendering to God what is His; and therefore in return God gives glory to our righteousness. It is true and righteous that God is true and righteous; and to confess this and ascribe these attributes to Him, this it is to be true and righteous. Thus He says, "Them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. ii. 30). And so Paul says that Abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness, because by it he gave glory to God; and that to us also, for the same reason, it shall be imputed for righteousness, if we believe (Rom. iv.).

Martin Luther. Freedom of a Christian.

[poorinspirit]

I can think of no other way. A realistic means of salvation available to all who hear the message.

Amen. The answer of a good conscience towards God is to believe Him, trusting the Saviour that He is able to save us. Having received the promise of the Holy Ghost proves that we are saved and thus why we can go forth as true witnesses that Jesus is teh Saviour because we are saved by believing in Him as Our Saviour. That is why "He" is the Good News to man.

[poorinspirit]

Maybe a thorough search of all that Jesus commanded in scriptures would answer that question. He gave a lot more commands than "believe."

Yes, He did, but these commandments to believe was given with the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Ghost.

Those other commandments in how to follow Him as His disciples: we need Him in us in order to have power to be and live as sons of God.

[poorinspirit]

Christians often debate the following passage, which is relevant to the issue here.

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard [this], they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 Peter [said] to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.

Here Peter seems to imply a verbal contract which specifies the form of compensation two parties will exchange. God really likes belief; he really digs it when we believe him. So he has agreed to give the Holy Spirit in exchange to anyone who will step forward and believe Peter's message. Just come right up; step forward; say you believe, and God will give you the Holy Spirit.

Is that right? Am I being bribed or bought? Shouldn't I believe the truth because it IS true, regardless of any form of reward? Do we really think that Peter is selling the gospel?

Not sure why you were using the analogy of Peter in selling the gospel: he was just sharing a promise from God.

In Acts 10:34-48, Gentile believers had heard the words of Peter and before they got baptized with water in His name, before they came forward, and even before they confessed Him with their mouths, they had believed the very words of Peter and had received the promise of the permanent indwelling Holy Ghost.

Here God kept His promise before Peter told them about that promise of the Holy Ghost for all those that believe. So Peter was just sharing a promise from God in Acts 2:37-39, but if he had not when they had believed and be baptized in His name, they would have received the promise anyway because the condition of that promise was to believe in Him as Our Saviour.

[poorinspirit]

Peter isn't so much selling the Gospel as he is telling his fellow Israelites to follow their King. It isn't a 'Buy today and get the holy spirit freeeeeee!' offer, but rather a 'Follow your King, join the renewed Israel, and be blessed with God's presence dwelling within you'. In the context of the prophecy from Joel that Peter had just paraphrased, his listeners would not have understood 'receive the gift of the holy spirit' as a bribe, but rather as a tool.

I liken it to that scene in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe where Father Christmas gives a sword to Peter (ahem), and tells him, 'these are tools, not toys'. It is a gift, but it has a serious purpose that must be obligated upon receiving it.

Not sure why you would use that analogy. It does not do Him justice as testifying of Him being a Person of the Triune God. It can also be used by errant believers that see the Holy Spirit as not a Person but a "force" which can be applied to your analogy as a tool to be used by believers.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

One cannot grieve a force or a tool, but a Person. Since Jesus referred to the Person of the Holy Spirit by "he" and "him" and "himself", and the Holy Spirit serves in His role as the Divine Witness: John 16:13-14 by Whom He leads us to bear witness as He witnesses through us: John 15:26-27 and as singular witnesses for God, the Holy Spirit has to count as Person to be a witness with us for any individual believer to bear witness as Philip did to the Ethopian eunuch in Acts:

John 8:17It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true.

Then the Holy Spirit is more than just a force or a tool, but the third Person of the Triune God. He dwells in us to lead us to point sinners to Christ, and to lead us to keep pointing believers to relate to God the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ, so as to avoid false spirits as well as false prophets. So as a combined witness: our witness is true regarding the Son as we seek His glory and thereby the glory of God the Father.

[poorinspirit]

After repentance and commitment via baptism to Jesus, God provides the Holy Spirit to us.

God has provided the Holy Spirit without water baptism first: Acts 10:34-48 Belief is the only requirment as that is the power of God in salvation to save.

1 Corinthians 1:¹² Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. ¹³ Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul? ¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius; ¹⁵ Lest any should say that I had baptized in mine own name. ¹⁶ And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other. ¹⁷ For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. ¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

It is not a reward nor is It a payoff, It is a helper for us.

I'm hope you meant "He is a Helper for us".

It is a luxury that the Old Covenant people did not have. Paul will argue that a person can know that they are truly a Christian by the fact that they have received the Spirit (Romans 8:9). With this response to our commitment to God, the process of Christian initiation is completed. We are then a full part of the church and accordingly equipped for all that God will call us to do - though we still have a lengthy process of learning and maturing to go through.

There is no commitment to God. There is too much of a danger of "I will" as opposing our faith in the Son of God in saying "He will". To speak of one's commitment is to speak of oneself and thus a false witness: John 5:31. To speak of keeping that commitment to God or to Christ is to seek one's own glory which a true witness cannot do either: John 7:18-19 For our witness of Him to be seen and glorified, we have to decrease in speaking of ourselves and our commitments in order for Him to increase of His Covenant to us John 3:28-30. By testifying of our commitment to Him, religious people will take up that calling to make such commitments, but sinners will walk away because they are honoest with themselves and to God that they cannot see it in themselves nor in their willpower to make such a commitment to Him when sin has dominion over their lives. By testifying of our faith in Him, sinners will see how hopes in Christ, not only for eternal life but for living the christian life in following Him and thus they may be converted to Him.

We can be under the control of the Holy Spirit, but we can also deny It. It does not turn us into robots.

There's that word "It" again. I keep hoping that this is a typo, but.... just in case:

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

One cannot grieve a force or a tool, but a Person, therefore the Holy Spirit should be addressed as Jesus has addressed the Holy Spirit: by the pronoun of "he" and "him" and "himself".

[poorinspirit]

The soul, in firmly believing the promises of God, holds Him to be true and righteous; and it can attribute to God no higher glory than the credit of being so. The highest worship of God is to ascribe to Him truth, righteousness, and whatever qualities we must ascribe to one in whom we believe. In doing this the soul shows itself prepared to do His whole will; in doing this it hallows His name, and gives itself up to be dealt with as it may please God. For it cleaves to His promises, and never doubts that He is true, just, and wise, and will do, dispose, and provide for all things in the best way. Is not such a soul, in this its faith, most obedient to God in all things? What commandment does there remain which has not been amply fulfilled by such an obedience? What fulfilment can be more full than universal obedience? Now this is not accomplished by works, but by faith alone.

On the other hand, what greater rebellion, impiety, or insult to God can there be, than not to believe His promises? What else is this, than either to make God a liar, or to doubt His truth--that is, to attribute truth to ourselves, but to God falsehood and levity? In doing this, is not a man denying God and setting himself up as an idol in his own heart? What then can works, done in such a state of impiety, profit us, were they even angelic or apostolic works? Rightly hath God shut up all, not in wrath nor in lust, but in unbelief, in order that those who pretend that they are fulfilling the law by works of purity and benevolence (which are social and human virtues) may not presume that they will therefore be saved, but, being included in the sin of unbelief, may either seek mercy, or be justly condemned.

But when God sees that truth is ascribed to Him, and that in the faith of our hearts He is honoured with all the honour of which He is worthy, then in return He honours us on account of that faith, attributing to us truth and righteousness. For faith does truth and righteousness in rendering to God what is His; and therefore in return God gives glory to our righteousness. It is true and righteous that God is true and righteous; and to confess this and ascribe these attributes to Him, this it is to be true and righteous. Thus He says, "Them that honour Me I will honour, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" (1 Sam. ii. 30). And so Paul says that Abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness, because by it he gave glory to God; and that to us also, for the same reason, it shall be imputed for righteousness, if we believe (Rom. iv.).

Martin Luther. Freedom of a Christian.

Although Martin Luther did not finish pruning the words like sacrament and Eucharist of the works of catholicism so that faith in Jesus Christ can be clearly seen with His help and by His grace as standing apart from the works of catholicism, his words above seems to be simplified by Peter's words below.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

The water is used for the putting away the filth of the flesh so Peter was not referring to water baptism, but the promise of the Holy Spirit by what? The answer of a good conscience towards God which is to believe in Jesus Christ.

This is probably why believers needed to be reminded of that truth below.

Titus 3:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

[Nobunaga]

It simply ignorance to say "Martin Luther did not finish pruning the words like sacrament and Eucharist of the works of catholicism so that faith in Jesus Christ can be clearly seen".

What do you think the Reformation was about ? How can you read what i posted and reply with this comment ?

second thoughts...why bother.