Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 7/3/2010

Question
Hello. How can I know and be sure that I have the Holy spirit and salvation as well?

Answer
Hello Cloey,
Thank you for your question. Salvation is not something that we earn but is God's gift to us through His grace and we take advantage of this grace through faith (trust in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us. The first 8 chapters of Romans describe in detail how this comes about. When we put our trust in Jesus God's Holy Spirit enters our spirit and we are made alive spiritually for the first time. This is why in John 3 Jesus told Nicodemus he had to be born again. He was talking about being made regenerate through the Holy Spirit coming into our lives. So it is not possible to have salvation without having the Holy Spirit within. It is all part of the same transaction.This is why Paul describes the Christian as a 'new creation'.
Many Christians disagree from here on in about the theology of how the Holy Spirit operates in us but all are agreed that we need to go on being filled with the Holy Spirit and live by and keep in step with the Holy Spirit. (See Eph 5:18, Gal 5:16 and 25). However, this is about God increasing the scope of the ministry of the Holy Spirit who already lives in us.
In short if you have trusted your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord and master then the Holy Spirit has entered your life and made you regenerate which is what it is to be saved. However, the rest of life is about learning to live by the Spirit and being continually filled with the Holy Spirit.
I hope these comments are helpful and pray that God will bless you.
Stuart Woodward.