Acts 5:32 (NKJV)

32Ā 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 says God has given the Holy Spirit to ā€those who obey Him.ā€ Some Christians say this verse implies that if you stop obeying God, the Holy Spirit will be taken away and you will lose your salvation. However, what is true obedience to God in the New Testament? Itā€™s not obedience to the Law, but rather obedience to the faith (or obedience of faith), based on Romans 1:5:

Romans 1:5 (NKJV)

5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.

That means the obedience that precedes the receiving of the Holy Spirit is the obedience of faith in Jesus Christ. This is the new birth in Christ. The verse doesnā€™t say one can lose the Holy Spirit or his salvation through an act of disobedience. If this were true, no one would ever be saved. Moreover, if anyone could obey God first before receiving the Holy Spirit, why would anyone need the Holy Spirit in the first place? One of the Holy Spiritā€™s primary roles is to help believers walk in holiness and godliness.

 

Listen / Watch / Download

You can listen to the audio message of this article, watch the video message or download it in different formats (mp3 / mp4 / pdf) from the following link:

Session 8 – Abiding in the Vine (Saved for Eternity) ā€“ December 4th, 2023

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x
We use cookies in order to give you the best possible experience on our website. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies.
Accept
Reject
Privacy Policy