www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology How does one receive the Holy Spirit? What must they do?

Galatians 3:1-12
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain. He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.


John 14:15-17
If you love me, keep my commandments. I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever: the Spirit of truth, whom the world can’t receive; for it doesn’t see him and doesn’t know him. You know him, for he lives with you, and will be in you.

John 14:23-24
Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him. He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


Acts 5:32
We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.

1 John 3:24
He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

1 John 5:1-3
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.

Christ is in our midst!!

We do not "do" anything to receive the Holy Spirit, as if He were some object we could claim or obtain. He comes to contrite and humble hearts in His own good time. Pray the invocation prayer and be humble and patient.

O Heavenly King, O Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, that art present everywhere and fillest all things. Treasury of Good Things and Bountiful Giver of Life, come and abide in us and cleanse us from every stain, Good Lord, and save our souls.

Christ is in our midst!!

You will know that you have received the Holy Spirit when other people recognize Him in you. In the meantime, stop trying to force the issue and go about your reading and study, your prayer life under the direction of a sound, orthodox/Orthodox spiritual father, your regular reception of the Mysteries of Confession and Holy Communion, your regular examination of your conscience and actions in light of the Gospel and yor spiritual father's direction. And just maybe you will take a step in that direction. There are no guarantees; there is no forcing the issue. Remember with fear and trembling those whom the Lord says will argue at the Last Judgment "we fed at Your table," meaning that they regularly partook of Holy Communion, yet He tells them He does not "know" (have an intimate relationship with) them.

Christ is in our midst!!

I lifted some thoughts about the Holy Spirit how He relates to Christ, and how He relates to us. If you want to know how you have received the Holy Spirit, take a look and compare this to your life.

Christ prayed when He merged from His baptism in the Jordan, making it clear that this was a special moment in his life. The Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove at Theophany. This is similar to how the Spirit empowered the disciples at Pentecost for their mission. Jesus’ baptism prepared him to spread the good news, heal broken hearts, and set people free. He was gentle, kind, and always ready to help those in need. Our baptism prepares us to share in the work of Jesus. We are called to care for one another, to help those in need, to show mercy and love, and to guide others toward God’s goodness. We have a mission to share God’s love with others. Just as Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are also given the strength to do good in our lives. We can bring hope to those who are sad, help those who are struggling, and show kindness to everyone we meet. Through our actions, we can show the love of God in the world.