For this week’s next step we turn to Acts 8:12-17. The Apostle Philip had traveled to Samaria to present the Good News to the people. A sorcerer, named Simon, lived among them.  Eventually, “the people” perhaps the whole village or town where Philip was BELIEVED Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Many of them were baptized.  Interestingly, they were only baptized in the name of Jesus. Thus, they didn’t receive the Holy Spirit.  Read the text below:   

¹²But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. ¹³Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. ¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. ¹⁵As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.   Acts 8:12-17 NLT

                                

We may wonder why Philip would baptize the Samaritans only in the name of Jesus, when Jesus specifically told the apostles to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, but whatever the reason, these early believers received the Holy Spirit as Peter and John laid their hands on them. They were already believers, but now they were Spirit-filled believers. As we know from other Scriptures, salvation comes ONCE through Jesus, while receiving the Holy Spirit also comes once, but being FILLED with the Holy Spirit is ongoing.  I point this out simply to remind us that all believers need to receive the Holy Spirit in order to experience the fullness of God’s presence and work in our lives. The key is not to focus on the initial experience, but to LIVE OUT the Spirit’s presence in our lives day by day. As we’ll see next week in our second look at Acts 8, the Holy Spirit is not a “commodity” to be purchased, but the REALITY of God in us! May we live that reality 24/7 to God’s glory and honor.