For those that left the UPC...

[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Godsdrummer

It has become my personal experiance in the last several years that speaking in tongues is not the initial evidince of the Holy Ghost that some seem to imply. When one truely hears the Gospel and calls on Christ in a true spirit of repentance the Holy ghost comes into our live at that time. To go on and say one must speak in tongues negates the promise that it is a gift.

Peter did not say you had to speak in tongues in Acts 2, he said repent and be baptized and you will recive "the gift of the holy ghost".

We are to try the spirits to see if they are of God.

1Jn 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
1Jn 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

John did not say check if they speak in tongues! To see if the have the spirit.

I used to ask if some one spoke in tongues when they said they had the spirit of God. If they did not then I passed judgement that they did not have the spirit of God and that they had to get saved as I had. When I left UPC and attended demominal churches I saw and tried the spirits for myself and found the Holy Ghost dwelt in those that had not spoke in tongues. I found more of the spirit of God in those that did not profess to have spoken in tongues than those that did speak in tongues every Sunday.

I think you are confusing the change of lifestyle that comes with repentance with fruit of the Spirit. God is with those who believe in Christ and turn from sin but He is not in them until they have received the Spirit " as on us at the beginning" Acts 11:15, that is with the evidence of speaking with other tongues.

I changed immensely after I believed and repented but I was not filled with the Holy Spirit. I didn't have the same experience the early disciples did to confirm and know without a doubt that Christ had come to take up residence within me. Receiving the Spirit at faith is not taught in the book of Acts. Receiving the Spirit by faith is taught but not at faith.