Acts 11:15-16
"And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'"
Peter continues to explain how Cornelius and came to faith through the preaching of the word. Through Cornelius, God showed he holds no partiality, equally giving grace to every believer, regardless of nationality or other factors. With the gospel of Jesus Christ, there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, male or female, young or old, or between nations. The salvation of God has come to all peoples, given freely without favoritism.
The proof salvation for both Jew and Gentile was the same. Peter sees the Spirit fall upon Cornelius in just the same way the Spirit came upon the Church at Jerusalem. Just as John baptized with water, so every believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit of God, Jews and Gentiles alike. With the witness of the Spirit, there could be no doubt. The apostles cast aside their prejudices and believed in God at his word.
While the witness of the Spirit was made in a physical way for Peter's sake, this is not always the case. Most times, God doesn't work a physical miracle in our lives so that others in the Church can know for sure a person has become a believer. But still, the proof of salvation is the indwelling Holy Spirit. In fact, without the Spirit, there is no salvation at all.
So how does one know for sure the Spirit has fallen on you for salvation? The first question to ask is this: "Is there some evidence of the Spirit within me?" Jesus put a lot of emphasis on the fruits of the Spirit, for where the Spirit abides, there comes a change unto righteous living. The Bible lists a few of these fruits as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control (hope that is all, since I wrote from memory). Still, if you see some of these fruits in your life, you need to determine if these are of the new nature in Christ or something you're trying to do to purchase God's love. The latter will never work.
Another proof of the Spirit's presence is the internal voice of God. The Father speaks to those who are his own. The question to ask is this: "Does the Spirit commune with my spirit?" Do I sense the Lord leading me to be obedient to the word, or to share my faith, or to worship? These are evidences of the Spirit within and mark one as a believer.
Even the sorrow we feel over sin, knowing we've let our Lord down can be an evidence of the Spirit within.
Finally, the proof I hold to the most is the truth of God's word. Simply put, every believer is promised the Holy Spirit. God's word is where every believer can place their claim, even without a physical manifestation of the Spirit like that seen by Peter. I'll believe even without seeing a miracle, for I am the miracle of new birth!
LORD JESUS
Lord, I thank you for your indwelling Spirit. Today, I reaffirm the truth of your word, believing and seeking to know your abiding presence. Amen.
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