Part III: Questions about Salvation

106. Q. How can you receive the Holy Spirit?
         A. God has told us that we must pray to him for the Holy Spirit; but the evidence of His presence is seen most clearly in our trusting and loving the Lord Jesus Christ. 

(Click through to read scriptural proof.)

• Luke 11:9-13

  And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. [11] What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; [12] or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

• John 4:10

  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
• John 16:24

  Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
• Luke 12:8-10

  And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, [9] but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God. [10] And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven….

•  John 3:3-5, 16, 20, 21

  Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [4] Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” [5] Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God….and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.

• John 14:17-21

  …even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

  [18] “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. [20] In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. [21] Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”

•  1 Corinthians 12:3

  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

•  1 Peter 1:2

  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood … .

Scripture quoted from the English Standard Version.