April 12, 2026 | www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog | River Wilde
Welcome back. We learned yesterday the importance of becoming Born Again, and what that means through scripture. I also mentioned that I would share something very exciting with all of you relating to another gift that comes to those who accept Jesus Christ into their life….One of my very most prized possessions. Let me share that with you right now.
The Holy Spirit
All of those people who are followers of Jesus Christ are given the Holy Ghost. Here are key scriptures that show this truth:
1. The Holy Spirit is given when we believe the gospel
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” — Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)
This shows that after hearing and believing the gospel, a person is immediately sealed with the Holy Spirit. That sealing means you belong to God.
2. The Holy Spirit comes by faith—not works
“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” — Galatians 3:14 (KJV)
The Spirit is received through faith, not by rituals, church ordinances, or good works.
3. God gives the Spirit to those who obey (believe) the gospel
“And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” — Acts 5:32 (KJV)
In the New Testament, “obeying God” begins with believing in Jesus Christ (John 6:29).
4. The Spirit enters and dwells within the believer
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” — 1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV)
When someone is born again, God’s Spirit lives inside them, not just around them.
5. If you have not the Spirit, you are not His
“Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” — Romans 8:9 (KJV)
This makes it very clear: receiving the Holy Spirit is not optional—it is part of truly belonging to Christ.
6. Being born again is being born of the Spirit
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” — John 3:6 (KJV)
Jesus Himself taught that the new birth is a spiritual birth, brought about by the Holy Spirit.
7. The Spirit is given when we believe from the heart
“But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive…” — John 7:38–39 (KJV)
Again, belief in Christ is the condition for receiving the Spirit.
But wait a minute. I was taught that the Holy Spirit is only given through the laying on of hands by those in authority to do so. Didn’t Jesus do this with His disciples? And is it required?
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ did lay His hands upon His apostles, giving them power and commissioning them for His work (Luke 24:50; Acts 1:8 KJV), and the apostles at times laid hands on others to confer spiritual gifts or set them apart for ministry (Acts 8:17; 2 Timothy 1:6 KJV); however, this outward act is not necessary for salvation or for receiving the Holy Spirit today.
The KJV clearly teaches that a person is born again and receives the Spirit the moment they believe the gospel by faith: “that ye, being dead in your sins… hath he quickened together with him” (Ephesians 2:5 KJV), and “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13 KJV), showing that it is faith in Jesus Christ—not a physical laying on of hands—that brings new birth and the indwelling of the Holy Ghost.
And the authority from where this comes from… Jesus Christ Himself! Not through a mortal man by laying on of hands, it comes directly from Jesus Christ Himself, and He does this personally.
The Holy Spirit’s Remarkable Gift – What it does for us.
I will never be able to express my thanks to the Savior for His atonement, NOR will I be able to fully express how much I appreciate having the gift of the Holy Spirit. Let me teach you the blessings that will come into your life as a result of having the Holy Spirit.
Gives new spiritual life and assurance of salvation.
John 3:5, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Romans 8:16
The Holy Spirit gives you reassurance that you actually belong to God. You are His, and He is your Father. You are a part of “royalty” in a sense that you belong to the most powerful, loving, protective entity…GOD HIMSELF.
The spirit helps you feel valued, and part of something greater than yourself. It gives you HOPE in eternal life, which through his teachings you can know the truthfulness of all spiritual things.
Teaches and guides you into truth
John 14:26, Romans 8:14,
I have often joked that I feel that the Holy Spirit resides in my shower. I say this because when I am in a quiet place all by myself, my mind is open to ponder the things that I am struggling with. AND it is at this time when thoughts and teachings are brought into my mind to be able to work through these challenges.
I used to think that I was just “brilliant” as so many answers would come, but have since realized that it was the Holy Spirit teaching me regarding the things that I had been praying about.
God communicates with us through the Holy Spirit. I like to think of the Holy Spirit as my own personal tutor in life. I cannot even begin to tell you the things that I have been taught as a result of this power.
And think about this… How is a person supposed to know spiritual things? How are we to know that God is real; there is a life after death; the importance of the atonement; heaven, and so many other things that fall under a spiritual category?
God gave us a great deal of information in the Bible, but He also gave many of us the Holy Spirit, to be able to understand His teachings, and more importantly, what is true and what is false.
As we take information to God and ask Him if it is true, it is the Holy Spirit that will confirm the truth to us. I’m certain that you have experienced this. You have special feelings of comfort when the Holy Spirit confirms these truths.
I have shared this story with all of you before, but when I was lost in the snowy mountains of Utah while on a hunt, I was feeling that death was imminent. After a long- long time of being so lost, I knelt down and asked God for His help. Then, In the darkness of the nights sky, I began to trudge through the snow…no trail, no tracks. But I just walked, guided by the Holy Spirit… directly back to our camp. God was showing me the way using the promptings of the Holy Spirit. This is How He works.
Having the Holy Spirit means you are no longer walking blindly—the Spirit directs your thoughts, decisions, and understanding of God’s Word.
Comforts you and helps in your weakness
John 14:16, Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter for a reason, and I can so testify of this being the case.
Just like many of you, I have had some very traumatic things happen in my life. Things that I thought would be impossible to navigate through. The death of my son; the suicide of my mom; health issues.
But with each earth-shattering event, the holy spirit was with me to comfort me. My wife shares a very sacred experience. When our son died, she said that she actually felt two sets of arms around her body, embracing her and supporting her and giving her comfort in such a challenging time.
All example of giving comfort as well as continued strength, when we have absolutely nothing to give, and even the immediate feeling of losing all hope.
Scriptures teach us this process:
“The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 (KJV)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — Matthew 11:28 (KJV)
“He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3 (KJV)
“Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee…” — Psalm 55:22 (KJV)
“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation…” — 2 Corinthians 1:4 (KJV)
I invite you all, to ask for the comfort of the Holy Spirit in the times when you need a “spiritual hug,” or the additional strength to carry on. Sometimes He’s just there even if we don’t ask, but you can ALWAYS ask for Him to be with you when you need the Holy Spirit in your day. Remember, it is actually GOD being these but communicating through His spirit, the “Holy Spirit.”
Changes your heart and helps you overcome sin.
Galatians 5:16, Galatians 5:22
It has taken me a lifetime to understand this aspect of the Holy Spirit. I began to understand it when I was studying the Rapture. Briefly, the antichrist can not be revealed to the world until God removes “The Restrainer” which is His spirit. And, as we are learning, His spirit dwells in all of those who belong to Jesus Christ. So, this is why the rapture must happen before the antichrist is revealed, to remove God’s spirit from the earth, because of the power to fight evil that it contains.
In studying this, I realized the “restraining power” that the Holy spirit is in our own lives. The more spiritual we become, the greater this spiritual force is. The desire to sin decreases…WHY is that? The reason that I’ve learned is that the Holy Spirit is suppressing evil from its tempting powers that it had over me.
You will notice this very thing in your own lives. Yes, we still make mistakes and sin, but my desire to sin is certainly diminished due to the increase of the Holy Spirit in my life “restraining” satan. By belonging to Jesus Christ, He is “protecting” me from sin. I so testify of this!!!
Gives power to live for God and be a witness
Acts1:18
After I retired, I drove UBER for a year. Over the course of this time, I would give rides to many people who had been in prison. I would always ask, “Are you that same person that went to prison?” Most every time, they would reply with a resounding NO, and want to tell me all about it.
They had found Jesus Christ while in prison, and He had changed their life, (born again). They expressed becoming a new person, DIFFERENT from who they were, and had this strong desire to tell everyone about Him, because of the positive change that they had experienced.
There is no better way for me to explain this than to use these men and women’s personal testimonies that they had shared with me of what had actually happened to them. They had all been a part of God’s miracle of a rebirth. A chance to start over, and to have been forgiven of their past sins through repentance, and having faith in His atoning sacrifice.
In short, the Holy Spirit gives life, assurance, teaching, guidance, transformation, power, and comfort. He is the evidence that a person truly belongs to Christ and is the One who carries them forward in faith—not by their own strength, but by God working in them.
On a personal note. The more time that you spend in recognizing the Holy Spirit in your life, the more powerful this spirit will become. When you realize that your thoughts, regarding a matter, were sent from the Holy Spirit, let God know that you have made this connection, and understand that it is through Him and not just of yourself. By doing so, He will enhance this gift for you.
If you choose to give yourself the glory of being so intelligent, smart, or gifted for having such thoughts, or being able to endure such difficult times by yourself, that spirit will become less profound in your life. This one thing has made such a big difference in my life. Give the credit and GLORY to God, and stop thinking that it is all you, and you will see tremendous things happen in your life.
I am SO very excited to share tomorrow’s writing with you. I simply cannot wait. I will teach you, (KJV), how you can know exactly where you will go when you die.
Do you know for 100% certainty where you will go? If not, be sure to come back to www.gospelofjesuschrist.blog to find out. (Did I mention how excited I am to share this with you?) =) There is so much comfort in understand this teaching from Christ.
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