The speaker argues that every Christian receives the full Holy Spirit at salvation, not as a reward for spiritual growth. The same Spirit that empowered the first disciples dwells completely in all believers from the moment they're born again, though closer fellowship requires deeper surrender, not more of the Spirit.
When is the Holy Spirit received? At salvation. When did they receive him? At salvation, and in John 20:22, and in Acts chapter 2, and in Acts chapter 4. What is being described here is no contradiction, my friend, because at salvation you receive him, and the rest of your life is the release of him. When the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, he comes to dwell in the fullness of his power. There is no portion of the Holy Spirit There is no spiritually elite. You get the same Holy Spirit that the disciples had, that Jesus carried when he walked upon this earth. The same Holy Spirit in them is the same Holy Spirit in you. The Holy Spirit is not a reward for being spiritual. He's your only hope of being spiritual. Many believers think that when they make a mistake, the Holy Spirit leaves. No. Ephesians 4:30. When you make a mistake, the Holy Spirit doesn't leave. He grieves. He abides to convict and help you get it right. What sense would it make for God to remove from you. Your only chance of being holy is a punishment for you not being holy. So save, not save, save, not save, save, not save— every mistake you make? No. The Holy Spirit abides and he remains and he helps you to get it right. My friend, all power, all love, all peace, all boldness, all righteousness, holiness, and love— all of it dwells in you in fullness and in completion the very moment you are born again. So then, my friend, when you ask, how do I get closer to the Holy Spirit? Good news is you cannot. He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. When you say, how do I get the Holy Spirit to come? My friend, you cannot. He hasn't left. So then, it's not a matter of you getting more of the Holy Spirit. It's a matter of the Holy Holy Spirit getting more of you. That's what we're seeing here. As you progress to the greater measures of surrender, you gain greater access to power. It's like if you have a bank account and you lose your debit card. You didn't lose your balance, you just lost your access. That's— that debit card is surrender. So the Holy Spirit abides in you in fullness. I don't have more of the Holy Spirit than you do. You don't have less of the Holy Spirit than I. We all We all share in the same union. We all share in the same fellowship. The difference is some surrender to that influence within while others ignore his voice. To learn more about the Holy Spirit, get Holy Spirit: God Within You at encounterthespirit.com.
