Why people cannot receive the Holy Spirit

Unbelievers cannot receive the Holy Spirit and many believers also do not receive the Holy Spirit. The reason is that they do not really believe. They have not accepted Jesus Christ and they do not OBEY Him. Jesus Christ promised the Holy Spirit to all those who believe in Him and who OBEY Him.

I read from John 14:12 Jesus said:“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."

Jesus Christ Himself is the SPIRIT and those who have accepted Him and who have received the Holy Spirit have the Spirit of Christ in them. Jesus was speaking to His disciples and He was explaining to them that He was there with them and that He would be IN them once He had departed, ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to be IN them. That happened on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1,2) when the Holy Spirit was given.

I read further from verse 18“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19“After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20“In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you."

Those who have received the Holy Spirit know that Jesus Christ and the Father are ONE. They can SEE Him. They are of the same Spirit because He is also IN them. Those who have not received the Holy Spirit neither hear Him nor do they see Him. They cannot receive Him because they do not believe Him  and they do not obey Him, they have not accepted Him.

We read from verse 21:“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”

Those who have accepted Jesus Christ OBEY Him and He gives His Holy Spirit IN them. He reveals Himself IN them and TO them, He DISCLOSES Himself to them and that is why they KNOW Him. That is why the world does not know Him, because they reject Him, they have not accepted Him. They do not OBEY Him. Many believers also do not obey Him and that is why they do not KNOW Him. They do not know His VOICE and they do not follow Him.

 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?”

23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24“He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me."



Those who love Jesus Christ OBEY His words, the words that He taught, that He spoke, the gospel of Jesus Christ that which was recorded in the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Those who truly believe in Him and who have accepted Him live according to those words and Jesus Christ reveals Himself to them. Him and the Father come and abide with them. His Spirit comes and lives IN them, the Holy Spirit. God is with them and God is IN them, His Spirit dwells IN them.

We read from verse  25“These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, AND BRING TO YOUR REMEMBRANCE ALL THAT I SAID TO YOU."

Jesus Christ was physically leaving His disciples. He would be crucified, resurrected and leave their presence when He ascended to heaven but He promised His Holy Spirit to be IN and with them, His very own presence, not only to them but to all those who would believe after hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Those who would accept Him and obey Him, He would give His Spirit IN them . He would reveal Himself to them, disclose Himself to them. The would HEAR Him, they would SEE Him and they would be able to FOLLOW Him, they would be His DISCIPLES, His BODY, the Body of Christ who are ONE with Jesus Christ. They would be lead by the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ IN them.

Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Him, even though they have a Bible, even though they belong to a church, even though they believe that they are saved, even though they believe they have eternal life. If you do not have the Spirit of Christ and if you are not lead by the Spirit of Christ then you are not one of His sheep, you do not belong to Him. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:14 "those who are being lead by the Spirit of God they are the children of God" they are the sons of God. Not just those who believe but those who HAVE the Spirit and who are LEAD by the Spirit, they are the Body of Christ, they are of the kingdom of God. The obey Jesus Christ and they follow Him every day. They are in communion, in relationship with Him.

Do you have the Spirit of Christ? Have you received the Holy Spirit? Do you follow and obey Him? Are you of Him? Are you a child of God?

May Jesus bless you.