Originally posted by Hope of Glory:
We are filled with the Holy Spirit as we are obedient.
Acts 5:32
And we are his witnesses of these things; and [so is] also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
"Obey" is a present active; "obeying".
If you look at the context, the apostles were healing all who came to them. The high priest had the apostles thrown into prison. An angel freed them. They were confronted again and Peter made the statement, "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” - Acts 5:32
How was the Holy Spirit a witness? By the miracles that they were performing. An inward dwelling with no manifestations is not a "witness".
There is much confusion on the indwelling Holy Spirit. There are numerous passages that say the Christian has the Holy Spirit.
Here are a few slam dunk verses I have found, and there are many others that agree, yet maybe not a forceful or convincing as these:
Rom 5:3-5
Rom 8:9-11
I Cor 2:12
I Cor 3:16
I Cor 6:16-20
II Cor 1:21-22
II Cor 5:5
II Cor 6:16
II Cor 13:5
Gal 3:13-14
Gal 4:6
Eph 1:13-14
Eph 2:19-22
Eph 3:14-19
I Thess 4:8
II Tim 1:14
Titus 3:4-7
Jas 4:5
I Jn 3:24
I Jn 4:13
Yet, in the New Testament times, the Apostles could lay their hands on people and they would receive various gifts the Holy Spirit, outward manifestations, i.e., visible.
This was necessary to confirm the spoken word, until the written word was complete. Matt 16:20 states, "And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs."
And Heb 2:3-4 states, "how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and
was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?"
Therefore, it was confirmed, past tense. It no longer needs confirming once it has been confirmed. When the church was in it's infancy, it needed this temporary thing, but when it had the complete word, it put away that childish thing. That is what Paul is talking about in I Cor 13:8-11.
Philip could perform miracles but he could not pass that to others. Acts 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
The people of Samaria believed and were baptized (Acts 8:12), yet they had not received the ability to perform miracles by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:14-19 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent
Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the
Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that
through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon could
"see" that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the Apostles' hands and wanted that power also. This was an outward manifestation.
From the passages above, I think the people of Samaria, who believed and were baptized, had the same indwelling Spirit that God has promised Christians today, yet when the Apostles laid their hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit in a way that we cannot, since we don't have any Apostles to impart it or a need since we have God's written word that is already confirmed and all sufficient (II Tim 3:16-17, II Pet 1:3).
