Have you received the Holy Spirit?

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians in Turkey, was very clear about the priority of receiving the Holy Spirit.

To the Believers in Galatians 3:2, NIV, “I would like to learn just one thing from you:”

Picture a scenario where a Theological Professor addressed his Students with, “Firstly, I want to find out one thing from you”. Everyone would assume that whatever it was, the matter what of prime importance to the Theologian.

Yet, the great Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament, can raise this vital Question, and it is largely ignored in many Theological Seminaries.

Why? Because it does not fit the narrative of Religious Formalism and Disciplined Ritualism that has overtaken many of our Theological Institutions.

What Primary Question did Paul ask the Turkish Believers?

Galatians 3:2 cont,”Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by Believing what you heard?”

Picture again our Theological Professor asking his Bachelor of Divinity Students, “I don’t want to know about how many hours you have spent in Transcendental Meditation, or your Theory of Reincarnation, or your morning Prayer Bead Rituals, or your defence of Universalism, or your Occult practices, or how many Candles and Incense you have offered to idols, I just want to know ONE THING from you, did you receive the Holy Spirit from any of these practices or by Faith from hearing the Word of God taught to you?”

The only way that you could not understand this Primary Question raised by Paul, would be by having an Agnostic Theologian confuse you.

Paul is asking, “How did you receive the Holy Spirit, by Faith or by Works of the Religious Law?”

Paul knows how they received the Holy Spirit because he founded the Church in Galatia, Turkey.

Nowadays, many Seminaries don’t even ask this Question about receiving the Holy Spirit, let alone Teach the Gospel of Grace.

Paul continues with his Questions to the Believers, Galatians 3:3, “Are you so foolish?”

Today Paul would definitely not be awarded his PC Certification by the Thought Police.

Paul asks, “After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?”

It would help us to have no doubt about what Paul is referring to if we were to use the word Ego instead of flesh.

“After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the Ego?”

What is translated as flesh in this context obviously has a greater meaning than just our bodies.

Religious Formulas appeal to our Ego.

The Ego wants to be the best at the Self Disciplined daily routine of repeating the same prayers over and over again, at certain times of the day, to try to please God.

Our Egos want to proudly proclaim the strict regimented routine of the Works of the Law.

The Ego declares, “To become a Spiritual Master you must accept your dual nature, by following the Works of the Law precisely, and only then will you finally be accepted by our Creator”

Paul cuts through all this nonsense, by asking the Galatian Believers, “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the Ego?”

V4 “Have you experienced so much in vain?”

The problem that we have now is that many of our Theological Students have not experienced the Holy Spirit, because receiving the Spirit has never been taught to them. As a result, all they know about is egotistical ritualism.”

Are you ready to receive the Holy Spirit?

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Craig Holme 2021/2022/2023/2024/2025