Speaking in Tongues
Question: I am saved and was baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues, but it seems like I have lost it. I haven’t spoken in my prayer language in a long time, and I’m wondering if I am still filled with the Holy Spirit. Does the Holy Spirit leave us if we grieve Him when we sin?
Answer: Thanks so much for your questions about the Holy Spirit. They are excellent.
From the viewpoint of Scripture, the gift of tongues is exactly that–a spiritual gift. If you read 1 Corinthians 12 carefully, you will see that the Holy Spirit gives different people different gifts. In fact, the apostle Paul mentions the gift of tongues specifically as one of the “lesser” gifts. It’s listed last (see 1 Cor. 12:27-28), and Paul encourages us to desire the “greater gifts” (1 Cor. 12:29).
So, what this means is that not everyone speaks in tongues, and just because you spoke in tongues at a certain time in your life doesn’t mean that you always will. Here’s what we think about what happened to you. We think that when you were first saved, God gave you the gift as evidence of your salvation. But it wasn’t the only evidence. Your changed heart and your desire to serve Jesus were also evidences of God indwelling you through the Holy Spirit.
Now that you are maturing as a believer, you don’t necessarily need to speak in tongues. But what you do need to do is allow the Holy Spirit to “fill” you. Read Ephesians 5:18. Here you will find that as Christians, we are commanded to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us. Paul says that this filling is the same as allowing the Holy Spirit to control our lives. That means that we need to do the things that please the Holy Spirit, and refrain from doing those things that displease Him. Read Galatians 5:16-26 for a description of what happens when we live “by the Spirit” compared to living in order to gratify “the desires of the sinful nature.”
Because you were saved by the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5-8 and 1 Cor. 12:13), it is impossible for the Holy Spirit to leave you. The Scriptures say:
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory?” (Eph. 1:13b-14).
You belong to God, and the Holy Spirit is your guarantee. God does not go back on His promises.
May the Lord give you comfort and wisdom with these words!
When a person recieves the Holy Spirit they are ‘born-again’ by faith in Jesus Christ,
They are sealed by the Spirit into the body of Christ, the Church.
That day of salvation brings many people a very special experience. Salvation is forever but the new birth experience of estatic joy may come and go.
I find it peculiar that no one has claimed to speak in “tongues’ at salvation except those attending churches or in a group where they teach it as necessary as evidence.
We are saved by faith and not by works or ‘feelings’.
I have been in the holiness church all of my life. I have been taught that in order to know that you have the holy spirit you have to speak in tongues. I haven’t had that experience, but I have had the experience of the spiritual guidance to to me concerning decisions in my life. I want to know if that is the holy spirit?
Yes, I would definitely say that the Holy Spirit guides you. In fact, it’s one of the reasons the Holy Spirit came (see John 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit guides you and also gives you an understanding of God’s word (see 1 Corinthians 1:9-16).