Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? (4)
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Ac 10:38
Satan does not want you to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You will become a threat to the kingdom of darkness when you are baptised by the Holy Ghost. Satan will therefore create hindrances to prevent your being baptised by the Holy Spirit.
Some of the hindrances to receiving Holy Ghost baptism are explained below:
1. Ignorance
“He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” Ac 19:2. These disciples haven’t heard about the baptism of the Holy Ghost for one reason or the other. That is pure ignorance. What you don’t know about cannot profit you.
2. Unconfessed sin
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me]:” Ps 66:18. God does not listen to the prayers of a sinner, unless the sinner is praying a prayer of repentance. “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.” Pr 28:13. An unconfessed sin acts as an hindrance to receiving the Holy Ghost baptism.
3. Wrong motive
Some people want the Holy Ghost baptism for the wrong reason. They want to commercialize the gift of God. God can read their hearts. “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.” Ac 8:18-20
4. Blasphemy
Some people had in the past openly mocked the Holy Spirit and jested about speaking in tongues, turning many away from the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. The anointing that you had insulted can never work for you. “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men…” Mt 12:31-32
What shall we do?
The same question was asked by the Israelites on the day of Pentecost. The same answer Apostle Peter gave is sufficient for us today. “Now when they heard [this], they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men [and] brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Ac 2:37-3
