First and the Last
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- Joined
- Apr 13, 2024
- Messages
- 412
Few subjects ignite Christian conversation like the question of spiritual gifts—especially the gift of tongues. From the day of Pentecost until now, believers have wrestled with what it truly means to be “filled with the Holy Ghost.” Is speaking in tongues still the evidence of that infilling, or was it only for the early church?
Some say that the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with tongues as the initial sign, is essential to salvation—a divine seal of sonship and the same experience the apostles received in Acts 2. Others argue that salvation is by faith alone, and tongues are simply one of many gifts distributed at God’s discretion, not a universal proof of redemption.
The debate touches the very core of what it means to be born again. If the Spirit is the seal of salvation (Ephesians 1:13), does the absence of the gifts indicate an incomplete conversion? Or is the Spirit’s presence measured not by manifestation but by transformation—the fruits of the Spirit rather than the gifts?
This tension between evidence and experience, faith and manifestation, has divided denominations and stirred countless testimonies. Some believers speak of heavenly languages that strengthen their spirit, while others caution against emotionalism and counterfeit expressions.
So the question stands:
“If the Holy Ghost was poured out on the day of Pentecost as the sign of the new covenant, can anyone truly claim salvation without the same experience?”
Let’s talk about it —
Are tongues and other gifts still operating in the church today?
Does the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of tongues mark salvation, or simply empower the already saved?
And if the early church needed those gifts to demonstrate divine power, what does it say about the church today if we operate without them?
Some say that the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with tongues as the initial sign, is essential to salvation—a divine seal of sonship and the same experience the apostles received in Acts 2. Others argue that salvation is by faith alone, and tongues are simply one of many gifts distributed at God’s discretion, not a universal proof of redemption.
The debate touches the very core of what it means to be born again. If the Spirit is the seal of salvation (Ephesians 1:13), does the absence of the gifts indicate an incomplete conversion? Or is the Spirit’s presence measured not by manifestation but by transformation—the fruits of the Spirit rather than the gifts?
This tension between evidence and experience, faith and manifestation, has divided denominations and stirred countless testimonies. Some believers speak of heavenly languages that strengthen their spirit, while others caution against emotionalism and counterfeit expressions.
So the question stands:
“If the Holy Ghost was poured out on the day of Pentecost as the sign of the new covenant, can anyone truly claim salvation without the same experience?”
Let’s talk about it —
Are tongues and other gifts still operating in the church today?
Does the baptism of the Holy Ghost with evidence of tongues mark salvation, or simply empower the already saved?
And if the early church needed those gifts to demonstrate divine power, what does it say about the church today if we operate without them?
