Excerpt from my book, How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit.

CHAPTER FIVE

What Is The Visible Evidence That You Are Filled With The Holy Spirit?

When you get filled with the Spirit, there is usually accompanied evidence that you are filled. Virtually everyone that got filled with the Holy Spirit in the Bible days spoke in other tongues. So, why should your experience be different?

There are a few people I have met who claim they are filled but do not speak in other tongues. This is inconsistence with the scriptures. Let’s take a memory lane through all the scriptures that gives an account of those that received the Holy Spirit;

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.…” (Acts 10:44-46)

This was the experience in the house of Cornelius when God sent Peter to his household to preach the gospel to him. Notice the underlined sentence. The Jews were surprised that the Gentiles also could receive the Holy Spirit. The only way they knew was that, ‘they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God’. That was the proof that they were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Another good example is recorded in Acts 19:1-6;

“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 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. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” (Acts 19:1-6)

This is another proof that speaking in tongues is the sign that follows the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

Even the experience on the day of Pentecost revealed the same consistency;

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

There are only two incidences of people that received the Holy Spirit but there was no immediate record to show that they spoke in other tongues but it is implied;

“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money” (Acts 8:14-18)

In this record, there was no mention of anyone that spoke in tongues but Simon saw something that made he realized that they had received. What did he see? He certainly would have heard them speak in tongues like in other cases. If you disagree on this point, the next record will prove it;

God send Ananias to Paul was just got converted to lay hands on him to receive back his sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

“And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” (Acts 9:17-20)

Here again, there is no record to show that Paul spoke in tongues but through the letters of Paul, we all know that he even spoke in tongues more than everyone in his generation;
“I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all” (1 Corinthians 14:18)

When did he receive the ability to speak in tongues? It was certainly when Ananias lay hands on him. This I believe confirms that the experience in Acts 8:14-18 we cited above could not have been different.

There is one scripture that I would love to bring our attention to. It was an occasion when Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit on his disciples even before the day of Pentecost. Those who claim they have the Holy Spirit but do not speak in tongues use this passage to buttress their point.

“And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (John 20:22)

Here, the passage could not have been talking about the baptism of the Holy Ghost which he had told them they should wait for. If they already got baptized here, why would he tell them to wait for it? The Holy Spirit could not be poured out until Jesus was glorified.

Notice he breathed on them before he said receive ye the Holy Spirit. What Jesus did here was to impact them with the new life. This experience was the birth of the new creation that began with the Apostles. Remember when God created Adam, he breathed on them before they became a living soul. The Holy Spirit has a role to play in imparting the new life hence he said receive ye the Holy Ghost.

The process of creation always involves the Holy Spirit hence Job wrote;
“The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.” (Job 33:4)

In the same way, God breathed into the first man Adam who was the beginning of creation of mankind, Jesus also breathed into his disciples who also were the beginning of the new creation.

So, this scripture cannot be used to make a claim that you can have the Holy Spirit without speaking in other tongues.

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