"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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:38-39)
Part 1
Repent, be baptized, and "we shall receive".
Action in motion moves us to another level. The action verbs in this passage of scripture require active participation, not speculation or observation on our parts "if" we are receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. We must "turn away" from lifestyles that keep from us receiving God's best for us--everything that God says is sin--stop, drop, and roll away from it.
Be baptized--immersed in the water as a symbolic gesture that you are buried with Christ, and rise up again (resurrected) with a changed heart, a changed mind, and a determination to change what you do. You are a new creation in Him, so act like it.
We shall receive--notice that in this part of the scripture, it does not say, you have to do anything further to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost other than repent and being baptized. There is no need to sputter, cough, sneeze, throw up, redundantly say any certain words, stay on your knees for 40 days, lay on the floor for hours, go in the "upper room" of any building, or any other thing that people say do and God did not. We simply receive and we are in a better position to receive when we are open to hearing God's voice and doing what He says. For some people the infilling of the Holy Ghost is immediate and for some there is a delay. I do not know why things happen differently for different people, but I'm sure God knows what He's doing.
Read The Word for yourself, know what God has said, and don't let anyone keep you in bondage to legalism when The Son has set us free!
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