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Subject 8 : The Holy Spirit
[8-2] Can the Holy Spirit Indeed Be Bought with Human Effort? (Acts 8:14-24)
(Acts 8:14-24)
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’
20 But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.’
24 Then Simon answered and said, ‘Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.’
Can you receive the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands? |
No. The Holy Spirit can only be received through faith in the gospel of water and the Spirit. |
I would like to deliver the answer to whether the Holy Spirit’s indwelling can be received through human effort based on this scripture.
The apostles of the early Church were empowered by God and sent to various parts of the world by Him.
The Acts of the Apostles records a few unusual events, one of which is that the Holy Spirit came upon people when the apostles laid hands on them.
Therefore, the Bible records that “the apostles enabled those who believed in God but had not yet received the Holy Spirit to receive it through the laying on of hands.”
How then did they receive the Holy Spirit through laying on of hands?
During the apostolic era, as the Word of God was still being written and was not yet complete, God endowed the apostles with special powers to perform His works.
The Holy Spirit worked alongside the apostles, allowing many signs and miracles to be manifested through them. This was a time when God specially worked through the apostles to produce visible signs and miracles to make people believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior. It was necessary to manifest the work of the Holy Spirit powerfully among the disciples to show that Jesus Christ is God and the Son of God, the Savior.
If the Holy Spirit had not worked powerfully through signs and wonders in the early church, no one would have believed Jesus to be the Savior.
However, now that the prophecies of the Bible have been fulfilled, people no longer need to receive the Holy Spirit through visible signs and miracles. Now, the Holy Spirit can be received through faith in the gospel of truth about the Holy Spirit’s indwelling given by God.
God grants the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in the Word of truth—the Word of water and Spirit—through which He works.
This truth declares that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit occurs only for those who believe in the Word of salvation through the removal of sin, accomplished by the baptism and bloodshed Jesus received when He came to this earth.
However, today many pastors see the phenomena of visible miracles and tell their congregations that this is what receiving the Holy Spirit looks like.
These pastors attempt to make their congregants receive the Holy Spirit in the same way. They deceive people by making them think they have received the Holy Spirit when strange tongues erupt due to the laying on of hands they perform. These pastors try to elevate themselves as if they were apostles performing great powers and miracles.
Particularly, such pastors have become more notable among the fanatics within Christianity who seek emotional and experiential Christianity.
Eventually, this frenzied work has spread among all those who believe in Jesus in the world, and many who have inherited their faith have received evil spirits through what are called shaking experiences and intense emotions.
Even now, those influenced by such teachings believe they can impart the Holy Spirit to others through their own laying on of hands.
However, their actual nature is exactly like that of Simon the magician mentioned in the scripture. They are indulged in self-intoxication and the desires of their flesh, causing confusion among people.
Such a belief before God is a profoundly incorrect faith that is completely detached from receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Even today, many false prophets within Christianity spread Satan’s work through mystical experiences, disguising it as the work of the Holy Spirit.
We must focus on God’s Word, which grants the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, using our reason. Faith in that Word is the only path to receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Those who advocate for so-called ‘experiential gifts of the Spirit’ must quickly abandon their vain beliefs and return to the Word to believe in the truth that brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The person named Simon in the scripture was a famous magician at the time. This magician saw the apostles’ work of indwelling the Holy Spirit in people and wanted to buy the Holy Spirit with money.
Such believers later became the servants of Satan, used for Satan’s work.
Simon was amazed by the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated by Philip and desired to receive it himself. However, his desire stemmed from human greed and fleshly desires. This kind of faith was not genuine faith for receiving the true Holy Spirit.
Simon sought to buy the Holy Spirit with money, which led him to be severely rebuked by God’s servant Peter.
Although Simon professed faith in Jesus, he had not truly received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through faith in the gospel of water and the Spirit, which removes sin.
In other words, Simon thought he could receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by offering something worldly he possessed.
His outward appearance seemed like someone who believed in Jesus, but in reality, his heart had nothing to do with the word of truth given by Jesus. Instead, his heart was filled only with the desires of the flesh.
However, Peter knew his heart and rebuked him for trying to buy the Holy Spirit, a gift from God, with worldly money, saying that Simon would perish along with his silver.
Today’s false prophets are captivated by evil spirits, and they deceive people by presenting the signs and miracles that occur through them as the work of the Holy Spirit.
Additionally, we often see people who admire these powers and earnestly pray to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
However, one must understand that the Holy Spirit cannot be received through prayers made from fleshly desires.
Are there such Charismatics around you? You must be cautious of them.
These individuals approach others with fanatical faith and claim that receiving their laying on of hands can cast out demons and impart the Holy Spirit. Such people are not empowered by the Holy Spirit but by evil spirits.
Those who receive their prayers often pass on these gifts from evil spirits to others, spreading false spiritual experiences.
The true indwelling of the Holy Spirit given by God occurs in those who believe in the recorded words of the Bible about water, blood, and the Spirit (1 John 5:3-7).
Despite the clear biblical recording of the gospel of water and the Spirit, people believe in Jesus but have sin in their hearts, do not have the Holy Spirit, and thus they seek to receive shaking, tongues, clairvoyance, exorcism, and supernatural things through their own zeal.
Therefore, the false ones show the vain things they have received to others, making them believe as well and leading them into false faith.
Peter rebuked Simon, saying,
“Your heart is not right before God. You have no part or share in this ministry because you thought you could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money. You will perish with your money because I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin. You are a child of the devil.”
Today, we must lament that many pastors within Christianity are just like this. These people are generally Charismatics who demand money from others.
We must distance ourselves from such faith and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by believing in the recorded truth of the gospel of water and the Spirit (Matthew 3:15, 1 Peter 3:21, John 1:29, John 19:21-23).
Charismatics Who Rely on the Laying on of Hands!
We must be cautious of such beliefs.
Some people today hold the false belief that they can receive the Holy Spirit by receiving the laying on of hands from individuals who claim to have special powers, just as the apostles laid hands on people in the early church, and the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Additionally, certain false prophets believe that they can impart the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to others through their own laying on of hands. We need to recognize that such individuals exist.
However, the faith of these pastors today differs greatly from the faith of the apostles in the early church.
The biggest problem for those who claim to believe in Jesus today is that they have no faith in the truth of the Word of water and the Spirit. They claim to believe in God but do not revere His Word; instead, they deceive themselves and others.
A sinner with sin in their heart cannot receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, nor can God give His Spirit to a sinner.
If there is a spirit that comes upon a sinner, it is not the Holy Spirit but an evil spirit disguised as the Holy Spirit.
Today, we see that many Christians have irrational and fanatical faith.
The apostles in the early church believed and understood that Jesus Christ was baptized by John and shed His blood on the cross to take upon Himself all the sins of humanity as our Savior.
The disciples of Jesus Christ were able to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because they believed in the baptism Jesus received and His blood shed on the cross. Through this faith, they preached the gospel of water and the Spirit to others, enabling them to truly receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
However, today, can a sinner with sin in their heart impart the Holy Spirit to another sinner through laying on of hands? This is an absurd and laughable false belief.
Even if someone appears to be a beautiful shepherd in the eyes of others, if they have sin in their heart, they cannot impart the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to anyone.
Yet many people follow such beliefs, leading false prophets to guide them toward destruction. You must recognize that prophets holding such beliefs are false prophets.
Some claim that despite having sin in their hearts, they have received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit regardless of their sins. However, you must understand that these individuals are already under Satan’s dominion.
Is the Spirit that has come upon you truly holy? Can the Holy Spirit dwell within a person whose heart is stained with sin? No.
Then can a person with sin in their heart impart the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to someone else? No.
What power are Charismatics within Christianity operating under today when they perform many powerful works while still in a sinful state? They are acting under the influence of evil spirits.
The Holy Spirit cannot dwell within a sinner. The Holy Spirit can only indwell those who believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit and have hearts free from sin.
In John 3:5, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
This shows that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can only be received by believing in the Word of water and the Spirit.
The belief that one can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit by being prayed over by sinners is one of the greatest errors today, and it is a faith that could lead Christianity to ruin.
However, many believers and pastors today hold the mistaken belief and conviction that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can be received through laying on of hands.
What Is the Meaning of “Laying on of Hands” as Ordained by God?
‘Laying on of hands’ is a medium for transferring one’s power to another person. For example, just as speaking into a microphone sends the sound through a cable to an amplifier and then out through large speakers to be heard by everyone.
In the Old Testament, when a sinner laid hands on the head of a sacrificial animal, the sinner’s sins were transferred to the sacrifice, and the sinner received remission of sins.
Likewise, when a reborn servant of God laid hands on people, God’s power could be transferred. Thus, the common meaning of laying on of hands is ‘to transfer, to pass on.’
In this era, those who have received great power from evil spirits lay hands on people not to indwell the Holy Spirit but rather to indwell evil spirits.
You must understand that those who perform powers other than the Holy Spirit transfer evil spirits to people through the laying on of hands. Since Satan works through sinners, when a person who has sin and carries an evil spirit lays hands on another, that evil spirit is transferred to the other person.
Therefore, to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, one must believe in the recorded Word of the gospel of water and the Spirit.
Those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior but have not received the removal of sins—remaining with sin in their hearts—are under Satan’s dominion.
Such individuals are captive to demons, and if they lay hands on others, those recipients will receive evil spirits and perform false miracles. This happens because demons transfer through the laying on of hands by a demon-possessed person. Demons indwell others through the medium of laying on of hands, while the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given by God, is received solely through faith in the gospel of water and the Spirit.
Laying on of hands, as ordained by God, is a method to transfer what one possesses to another. However, Satan also uses this act to make many people receive evil spirits.
Moreover, the greater problem today is that many, like Simon, seek to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit with money.
The Common Misunderstanding Among Christians About the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
If you ask people today, “How can one receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?” many will surprisingly answer that it can be received through fervent prayer.
However, believing that one can receive the Holy Spirit by engaging in extensive fasting prayers or repentance prayers is not the correct faith. Can the Holy Spirit come upon someone simply because they offer special supplication prayers or repentance prayers? No.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is absolutely not granted to those who do not believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit.
Because God is a God of truth, He has established the law through which people can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Can the Holy Spirit dwell within a person with sin? Absolutely not. The Holy Spirit cannot be received through laying on of hands either. Attending revival meetings and fervently seeking God does not cause the Holy Spirit to dwell through human desires.
A sinner with sin in their heart can never receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
First, a sinner must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and receive the remission of their sins in order to be gifted with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Anyone who does not know or believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit cannot receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Today, the gospel of water and the Spirit is being testified all over the world through sermons in churches, books, e-books on the internet, and audio formats. Therefore, anyone who seeks can find it and by believing, can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
If anyone does not receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit because they do not know the gospel of water and the Spirit, it should be understood that they have not received it because they did not believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit.
The Reality of False Faith!
When you look at the symptoms of those who receive a false Holy Spirit today, it is evident that demons are working astonishingly.
‘Holy Spirit Revival Meetings’ are gatherings where people who earnestly desire to receive the Holy Spirit come together to ask the Lord for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. At such meetings, you see people clapping, praying repentantly, shedding tears and snot, fasting, and praying.
Some speakers insist that the Holy Spirit is received only through prayer, urging many people to pray fervently. Then, people pray frantically, crying out ‘Lord’ as if their lives depended on it.
But does the Holy Spirit indwell them just because they do so? No. Instead, you can see strange phenomena occurring.
People might scream bizarrely and fall backward, shaking violently and making strange noises. People claim these symptoms as evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
This is how the work of demons manifests. One person falls back and shakes violently, and suddenly, the person next to them also falls, and another person starts screaming and speaking in a disturbing, strange tongue.
As this situation progresses, screams and such phenomena overwhelm the audience. Many people show symptoms of convulsions and speak in tongues, but this is not the true work of the Holy Spirit.
Many Christians Deceived by Satan
Today, many Christians are living a life of faith that Satan desires.
Satan deceives people by telling them that the way to receive the Holy Spirit is by receiving the laying on of hands from someone who has been endowed with power. We can see that many Christians officially believe this.
Moreover, Satan instills in people the belief that if they fervently strive in prayer, they can receive the Holy Spirit. He is fueling this belief through revival movements. As a result, many people not only do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit spoken of in the Bible, but also show no interest in knowing it.
Now, you must break free from the thoughts given by Satan and come to know and believe in the Word of the water and the Spirit.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit comes only to those who believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. You must believe this.
Misunderstandings of Christians About Receiving the Holy Spirit
First, there is a great misunderstanding in the faith of those who pursue and follow such fanatical beliefs.
They try to receive the Holy Spirit while still having sin in their hearts. With human thoughts, they believe that although there is sin in their hearts, because God is love, if they just try hard enough, they can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
However, those who do not have the faith of the water and the Spirit cannot be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Second, human pride prevents people from receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Then does it mean that if a person is not proud, they can receive the Holy Spirit? Is there anyone in this world who is not proud?
But the kind of pride that cannot be washed away before God is adding one’s own thoughts to the Word of God.
People are trying to receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in their own way, apart from the gospel of the water and the Spirit. However, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can be received only when one believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Third, it must be understood that confessing one’s sins does not bring about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Today, people strongly desire and fervently pray for the indwelling and fullness of the Holy Spirit while still having sin in their hearts. As a result, they end up experiencing emotional sensations. Such prayers lead them to be captured by evil spirits.
Fourth, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not received by supplication. The misunderstanding that one can receive it through supplication is human thinking.
Fifth, even if one casts out demons in the name of Jesus, it does not mean that the Holy Spirit dwells in that person’s heart.
Sin belongs to Satan. If a person who has sin casts out demons, can we say that the Holy Spirit dwells in their heart? You must understand that this is actually a greater deception of the devil.
Sixth, the only true gospel that enables the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the gospel of the water and the Spirit that Jesus gave.
Do you still think that apart from the gospel of the water and the Spirit, there is another way to receive the Holy Spirit of God and the washing away of sins? If so, then you are trapped in an irreversible delusion.
Escape from these fleshly thoughts given by Satan, and have spiritual thoughts and faith based on the Word.
It is not an exaggeration to say that today’s Christianity is full of people who are demon-possessed. Many Christians around the world, through special revival meetings or by receiving the laying on of hands from specific individuals, desire the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and thus become possessed by evil spirits.
They go to prayer retreat leaders, deaconesses, revival speakers, or pastors who claim to have received power, striving to receive the laying on of hands for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
However, with such faith, no matter how earnestly one believes in Jesus, they can never receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit given by God. In other words, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit cannot be received through the laying on of hands from any specific individual.
Even today, many people, like Simon, try to buy the Holy Spirit with money. They are trying to obtain the Holy Spirit not through the Word, but through something of the world. The majority of Christians around the world are fixed in this way of thinking.
The Holy Spirit comes only to those who are qualified to receive Him.
The true formula for receiving the Holy Spirit is that when a sinner hears the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit and believes it in their heart, they reach the answer to this truth (Acts 2:38).
The Holy Spirit coming through the laying on of hands occurred only briefly during the Early Church period.
After that, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place when one comes to know and believe in the written gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, apart from the work of the Holy Spirit that comes by faith in the Word of God, all other spiritual manifestations are works of evil spirits.
God called evil spirits the servants of Satan, and this Satan subtly deceives people within Christianity so that although they believe in Jesus, they do not receive the removal of their sins.
Satan has long deceived people, saying, “If you believe in Jesus and receive the laying on of hands, I will give you the Holy Spirit in your heart.” In this way, Satan has been expanding his territory throughout the world through false works.
Let us look at the symptoms that appear when an evil spirit indwells a person within Christianity.
First, if we look at the symptoms of spirit possession that occur in shamans or fortune tellers, we can see their bodies suddenly trembling violently like a leaf and even bouncing up and down. They begin to speak strange words or speak in another person’s voice.
In other words, when a demon descends upon a person, it causes trembling and speaking in tongues.
Also, if we look at the symptoms of demon possession through laying on of hands in Christianity, we see that an unknown power comes from the person’s body, and they experience vibrations caused by a force pressing down from above.
They also say they experience their body floating upward. Their body cannot remain still, trembles severely, and sometimes they fall backward.
From that moment, regardless of their own will, their tongue twists and strange words come out.
People who have no right knowledge of the Word see this and say that it is the tongues given by God.
As a Christian, those who experience phenomena such as speaking in tongues, trembling, or fainting after receiving the laying on of hands are undergoing the same demonic activity experienced by shamans.
Some revival preachers grab the microphone and shout, “Fire, fire, fire!” causing the audience to become emotionally excited and lose reason. Those who particularly desire to receive the laying on of hands come forward and, upon receiving it, experience trembling in their bodies, crying, or uncontrollably uttering what is called “tongues,” such as “lalalala lululala,” without their own will.
These symptoms are simply evil spirits working under the borrowed name of Jesus, and this is the same demonic work that comes upon shamans.
The symptoms that occur when spirits descend upon shamans or fortune-tellers—such as violent trembling and uncontrollable bodily movements—are identical to those seen in Christians when demons enter through the laying on of hands.
However, people misunderstand these occurrences. Many Christians mistakenly believe that such symptoms indicate they have received the Holy Spirit, leading them into deep confusion.
Satan Works Like a Fortune Teller Through Christians
Satan enables demon-possessed people to give prophetic prayers.
They might say, “You are someone who will become a precious leader. Before you, thousands of sheep are grazing. God will train and refine you, and make you someone who will be used preciously.”
Or to another person, they say things like, “You will become a precious servant of God. You will become a servant of the Most High God,” using deceptive words to make people believe and follow them, leading them to live their entire lives as servants of evil spirits.
Fortune tellers also say similar things to people. “Be careful around water.” “You will earn a lot of money.” “A noble person will appear from the East to help you.”
The common symptoms that appear in demon-possessed people are: first, false prophecies; second, speaking in tongues that they themselves cannot understand; third, experiencing vibrations; and fourth, destroying personality. When you observe shamans or fortune tellers, you will see that even when elderly people come to them, they speak to them rudely without any respect.
However, those who have truly received the Holy Spirit of God have received Him by believing in the written Word of truth that says Jesus Christ took away all the sins of the world through His baptism and the Cross.
These people proclaim and teach others the gospel of the water and the Spirit, leading them to receive the remission of sins and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
When you look at the character of the righteous who have received the remission of sins, they teach others what kind of faith they should have to receive God’s blessings and what kind of life God desires. They also strive to live the kind of life that God desires themselves.
At times, they also wield the rod of the Word when people begin to head toward the world governed by the devil, contrary to the Lord’s Word, giving admonishing words of rebuke.
The righteous who have received the remission of sins are clearly different from those whose personalities have been destroyed.
When one receives the remission of sins given by Jesus Christ and receives the Holy Spirit, true character is revived by God.
Therefore, the righteous deeply consider what situation others are currently facing, think about what is needed according to the Word, pray for them, and offer practical help.
On the other hand, when people receive the indwelling of an evil spirit through the laying on of hands by someone possessed by a demon, we can see that their personalities are all destroyed.
Because they believe that only trembling, prophesying, and speaking in tongues are gifts of the Holy Spirit, Satan is able to take control of their personalities, and they end up living the life that Satan wants. However, such experiences are not gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Even if someone claims to be a servant of God, prophesies in the name of God, causes trembling, and performs many powerful acts such as speaking in tongues, if there is sin in their heart, that power itself is clear evidence that the person is possessed by a demon.
Therefore, these people cause others to receive evil spirits, not the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Also, because Satan is not truthful, the power they perform will soon run dry and come to an end.
However, there is a clear difference between the work of the Holy Spirit and that of evil spirits.
The work of the Holy Spirit may at first appear to have no experiences or gifts, but as time passes, the power of God is revealed, and it shines forth like the rising sun.
People Who Became Demon-Possessed While Believing in Jesus
Why is it that, despite trying so hard to receive the Holy Spirit, so many people end up being possessed by evil spirits? |
The reason is that they receive evil spirits through the laying on of hands by false prophets. |
Today, among many Christians, we can surprisingly see many who have accepted evil spirits through the laying on of hands from false prophets and end up destroyed both spiritually and physically.
Because their faith is not based on hearing and believing the Word of the Bible, they are people who have nothing to do with God and possess strange powers and characteristics that come from Satan.
One characteristic is that the powers they receive disappear if not used, so they diligently utilize these powers to turn many people into servants of Satan. For this reason, they become even busier.
They constantly pray and constantly work in the name of Jesus. Those who say, “I have received the gift of evangelism,” must constantly evangelize, and if they don’t, their joy disappears.
Furthermore, if they fail to be loyal to Satan’s work with the gifts they received—such as speaking in tongues, healing diseases, or prophesying—Satan afflicts their bodies with illness. This is similar to how fortune-tellers suffer when they neglect serving demons.
So they must keep using the gifts they received from evil spirits, and once they use them all up, in the end, we see that they are miserably cast aside.
There was someone I used to know. This person appeared to be someone who earnestly believed in God and seemed to have received great power.
He led many revival meetings shouting for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and through these meetings, many people received the laying on of hands from him, cast out demons, spoke in tongues, and were healed of diseases—receiving astonishing powers. Because of these amazing manifestations, this person I knew became an object of admiration and respect for many people.
But not long after, he began to deny Jesus and blasphemed Jesus Christ, saying, “Jesus Christ is a failure. He is not the Son of God.”
Eventually, he claimed that he himself was God and ended up killing Jesus Christ from his own heart and the hearts of others.
Because these people are under Satan’s control, they end up rejecting the truth of the water and the Spirit.
In the beginning, they see that when they lay hands on people, manifestations such as trembling, speaking in tongues, or casting out demons occur. So they mistakenly believe that the same authority given to the apostles has come upon them, and they become convinced that the Holy Spirit dwells within them.
As a result, they teach others that the way to receive the Holy Spirit is by praying prayers of repentance or by earnestly longing for the Holy Spirit.
However, the way they believe and teach others to receive the Holy Spirit is based on a belief they themselves have created, not the faith based on the written Word of God that is acknowledged by God.
Nevertheless, they say that believing in Jesus and speaking in tongues or prophesying are evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit.
Also, many people, because they do not understand the indwelling of the Holy Spirit through the Word, are misled by the abilities and teachings of such people and wrongly believe that this is how one receives the Holy Spirit.
As a result, these individuals are able to spread evil spirits among Christians and take positions of authority over them. All of these methods are schemes of Satan.
Right now, around the world, countless people are possessed by evil spirits due to the teachings of these false individuals.
Ordinary people who believe in Jesus live a typical religious life, but those who are possessed by evil spirits demonstrate the power of demons.
What kind of power do they exhibit? They heal diseases in the name of Jesus, speak in tongues, and use the laying on of hands to impart evil spirits to those who believe in Jesus.
The laying on of hands acts as a medium for transferring what is within oneself to another person.
We must recognize that because of this medium of laying on of hands, the kingdom of evil spirits has greatly expanded in this world.
Satan Works Through Human Desires!
Looking at Satan’s history so far, Satan works through people like Simon. They claim that receiving the Holy Spirit comes through laying on of hands, unrelated to faith in Jesus’ gospel of water and the Spirit.
Even today, many people are deceived by Satan, longing only for such power before God, attempting to receive the Holy Spirit through fasting prayers, laying on of hands, or their own efforts and sacrifices. However, such individuals end up receiving an evil spirit and ultimately live a cursed life.
We must realize the truth that this medium of the laying on of hands, widely practiced by many Christians around the world today, is actually aiding the works of demons.
These people have hearts like Simon and must be recognized as false prophets before God.
Although people claim to believe in Jesus, because they still have sin in their hearts, demons can dwell within them and grant them power and perform miracles through them.
However, until now, there have been few who rightly discern the work of demons and rebuke it before things reach such a point. Therefore, demons, through their servants, lay hands on people’s souls, causing evil spirits to dwell in their hearts, and are building a kingdom of demons across the world.
Today, within global Christianity, such charismatic gatherings are officially recognized as churches. We can see that there are many such people even around us.
This world is now heading toward the end. In order to be truly born again in these last days, we must clearly understand how Satan works, resist his schemes, believe in the Word of the water and the Spirit as recorded in the Bible, receive salvation from all sins once and for all, and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as a gift.
We must have the correct knowledge of how the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in a person’s heart and return to the Word of truth.
Among God’s Words, it is written, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).
In the same way, even today, many people who believe in Jesus are perishing because they have no correct knowledge, and the whole world is being ruined by fanatics—that is, the Charismatics—who lead many people seeking God to destruction.
People say, ‘Even if a fanatical Charismatic church were built in the desert, people would still gather there’. Why is that?
Because they confuse people through visible powers, make them demon-possessed through the laying on of hands, and compel their obedience, which leads to church growth.
One of their characteristics is that once a person receives an evil spirit through the laying on of hands, their zeal becomes extreme.
A hallmark of those possessed by this fanatical Charismatic movement is that they give large offerings to the church and blindly become fervent and zealous, like religious extremists.
Even now, countless people believe in Jesus and, receiving power from demons, evangelize with great confidence—but they are very clearly headed to hell.
These people believed in Jesus with fervor, and they believe that the power they received from demons is evidence of their salvation. They live expecting Heaven without the slightest doubt. But in their hearts, there is still sin.
If you ask these fanatical charismatics, “Do you have sin in your heart even though you believe in Jesus?” they react with confusion, replying, “Of course!”—for they assume no believer could ever be sinless.
Such people, even though they have sin in their hearts, believe in Jesus and thus hold on to the hope that they can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
But how foolish is such a hope? They are convinced because some kind of power is manifesting through them.
Many who believe in Jesus experience things like speaking in tongues, being slain in the spirit, or seeing visions, and they believe these experiences to be the work of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, because of these experiences, they are firmly convinced that they are saved and that they have the Holy Spirit.
However, if no visible power appears to them, they cannot have assurance of salvation because they lack the knowledge of the Word that speaks of salvation from sin.
So, in order to obtain some visible sign of assurance, they strive for it—and in the end, they become instruments used by Satan.
These people do not try to resolve the problem of their sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit through the Word, but rather seek answers through prayer, repentance, or sacrifice. As a result, they end up receiving an evil spirit instead of the Holy Spirit.
The devil, being the accuser, whispers to people, “You sinned, didn’t you? You sinned, didn’t you?” causing them to condemn themselves.
I know someone who now believes in the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit, has received the remission of sins, and has received the Holy Spirit.
But before being born again, he fervently believed in Jesus with great zeal. At that time, he spoke in tongues fluently, saw visions, and performed many wonders.
Yet even then, he had sin in his heart. He clung only to the blood of Jesus and believed in the crucified Jesus on the Cross, weeping and praying prayers of repentance all night long, but the sin still remained and tormented him.
To such a person, the whisper of Satan began: “You sinned, didn’t you? With a life like that, you should just die.”
These thoughts would come to him constantly, reminding him of his sins, condemning and tormenting him.
Satan led him to judge and punish himself in his own body. But though he acknowledged the sin in his heart, he had no way to resolve it.
In the same way, you must know that if you do not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit given by the Lord, demons will make you their friend. If a demon asks to be friends, how can someone who has not received the removal of their sins through faith in the Word resist the demon?
Unless every person holds onto the true gospel of salvation—the Word of salvation of the water and the Spirit—they will be seized and tormented by demons.
The gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit given by God is the absolute faith needed to defeat Satan. Therefore, everyone who believes in Jesus must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, must preach it to all mankind, and those who hear it must believe by obeying.
The Mystery of Lawlessness Is Already Covering the World!
Today, the entire world has become a place covered by Satan.
In order to preach the gospel through which the Holy Spirit dwells in such a world, we must first remove the deep misunderstandings about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
We must reveal that receiving the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands is false. We must clearly testify through the Word that experiences such as ‘receiving the laying on of hands, speaking in tongues from that point on, praying prayers of repentance, fasting and feeling something hot come upon oneself, and hearing Jesus speak from within’ are the works of demons.
Only then can people be freed from such deception. Only then can they receive salvation not through experiences and emotions, but through the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit given by God.
We must confront and overcome the works of demons—the king of lies—by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Many people around the world are captured by Satan and his demons, but we must use this truth to reveal that their experiences and emotions are works of Satan and demons. By doing so, we can lead them to turn back and believe in this truth.
People like Simon, who sought to buy the Holy Spirit with money, are now leading churches in this era.
They deceive those who believe in God without proper understanding through overnight prayers, repentance prayers, or laying on of hands, thereby embedding Satan within them.
As a result, people are genuinely possessed by demons. To turn them back, believers must possess the correct knowledge of water and the Spirit and recognize and break the works of demons within them.
Without understanding Satan’s strategies, people will inevitably fall victim without resistance.
You must understand that when people receive the laying on of hands and begin speaking in tongues or prophesying, all these abilities are works of demons.
In other words, the faith and abilities of fanatical charismatics are entirely works of demons.
It is essential to teach them this truth: ‘What is working within you is the work of demons. Do you have sin in your heart? If there is sin in your heart, can the Holy Spirit work within you? You have been deceived.’
The faith of the early apostles and those who received the laying on of hands was based on knowing and believing in the truth of Jesus Christ’s gospel of water and the Spirit. This is entirely different from today’s fanatical charismatic practices of laying on of hands.
So, does this mean that even today, if someone who has received the indwelling Holy Spirit through faith lays hands on another person, that person will receive the Holy Spirit? No.
The Bible says that the Holy Spirit moves over the waters (Genesis 1:2). This means that in order to receive the Holy Spirit, one must first hear and believe in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit, and receive the removal of sin in their heart—then the Holy Spirit comes into that heart.
The Holy Spirit is the gift of God, given as the final confirmation and completion of salvation to those who are born again by believing in the Word of the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
If today, ministers or those who have gone before us lay hands on everyone’s head and tell them to receive the Holy Spirit, we must clearly understand that this would be rejecting the gospel of water and the Spirit, which the Lord gave to save sinners from their sins.
The belief that a person can give the Holy Spirit to another is an act of opposing and blaspheming God, and holding such faith leads one into Satan’s deception. This must never be done.
When we believed in the gospel of water and the Spirit, our hearts were cleansed of sin, and the Holy Spirit confirmed this.
Those who believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit may be imperfect, but their hearts are free from sin—not because they do not commit sins, but because they believe in the power of this gospel. It is because they have believed in their hearts in the power of the gospel of water and the Spirit given by God.
The gospel of water and the Spirit proves that your heart is free from sin, and the Holy Spirit also testifies to this.
Therefore, as stated in 1 Corinthians 12:3, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.”
People possessed by demons neither know nor mention the gospel of water and the Spirit. They cannot understand it nor discern the truth of God’s Word.
Demon-possessed people always say that the Holy Spirit came upon them when they laid hands on others or received the laying on of hands. However, the true Holy Spirit does not come upon someone through laying on of hands.
You must recognize that currently, within churches worldwide, demonic works are rampant.
We must believe in the gospel of water and the Spirit given by the Lord to receive the true indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.
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