Q

LIFE APPLICATION. Paul says God gave us “the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13) and that “God’s Spirit in us guarantees that we’re in his family and we’ve got the family inheritance waiting for us.” (1:14). How do you think people can know that God’s Spirit is in them? Is there a way to know for sure that the Spirit is with us, guiding us?

A

Some Christians in Pentecostal churches teach that we can know the Holy Spirit is in us when we speak in tongues, also known as unknown languages or angelic languages. But most Christians say you don’t have to speak in what sounds like gibberish before the Holy Spirit comes into your life.

A few weeks after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, Peter, leader of the apostles, launched the Christian movement with an energizing sermon in Jerusalem. There he declared that a promise God delivered centuries earlier through one of the prophets had just been fulfilled: “I’m going to throw open the floodgates of heaven and let the Holy Spirit pour out on all people” (Acts 2:17).

Many Christians say that means everyone has access to God’s Spirit, and that his Spirit communicates to our own spirit that lives inside our physical body. Many would argue that it is this Spirit who talks to us in a way that some would identify as our conscience talking to us. For example, we see someone who needs a little help, and we get a nudge that feels like someone inside our head is telling us to do the right thing.

From Leader’s Guide & Atlas for Ephesians

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