Look for Evidence

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

“Then with what baptism were you baptized?” he asked them.

“With John’s baptism,” they replied.

Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak with other languages and to prophesy. Now there were about 12 men in all.
(Acts 19:1-7 Holman Christian Standard Bible® ©)

An error in the classic doctrines of both Charismatics and Pentecostals is the idea that the only evidence we should expect as proof that a believer has been submerged in the Holy Spirit is that they would speak in tongues. This has caused many people who fear persecution from religious leaders in these groups to pretend to speak in tongues. In other cases, it has caused confusion because some people who have been baptized in the Spirit have not spoken in tongues.

In your life, look for evidence that you have been held under the Spirit’s power and filled with His influence. Maybe tongues is what that evidence would be, and maybe prophecy or some other gift He imparted to you is the proof.

No matter what the spiritual work is that has or hasn’t manifested Him yet, it is hard to fake the fruit of the Spirit. If you don’t see love, joy, peace, and the rest of the fruit named in Galatians 5:22&23 flowing through your heart and mind as you encounter difficult situations, ask Him for more of Himself until you are filled with who He is.