Ceuti67's Blog

I always have found that exchange quite funny…but in its simplest that is the correct answer…Hamlet is looking and reading Words.

In Acts 2, a multitude of people had gathered. Peter preached a powerful sermon, and when they heard his words, they were “cut to the heart” and asked how they should respond. Peter answered with verse 38: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

I believe the church…spends far too much time in needless debate about when the Spirit becomes a part of someone’s life. We can easily fall into the trap of fixating on such questions, and miss the crux of Peter’s message. And what is that message…..Is it clear to you that you’re supposed to repent, be baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit? If so, have you done it? If not, then do it?

I read the following recently and I think it sums up the simplicity I speak of very well.

A preacher was preaching on Acts 2, after the service he was approached by a 7 year-old child. This little one understood the point perfectly in all its power and all its simplicity. She came to the preacher afterward and said, “I want to repent of my sins and be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” I love the simplicity and greatness of her faith. She just wanted to obey the passage to the best of her ability.

Why do we sometimes feel that we need to debate this endlessly, running through every possible hypothetical situation and answering every theological question first? When will we simply respond to the truth we have heard and then work through our questions from there?

I urge myself and urge all of us to not pray for more of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity and is not in pieces. Every child of God has all of him, the real question, however, is does he have all of us?