146 – Anna – “I joined a church where everyone speaks in tongues. Are they all in delusion?”
“Brother Michael, I have a question for you, if you answer it, with the grace of our Lord, I would be grateful to you. About a year ago, in my desire to join a church that follows the Holy Scriptures, I joined a Pentecostal church. Here in Greece 90% of us are orthodox Christians...so I joined a “heretical” church. These people claim that all, with a few exceptions, are baptized with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. I have heard them, others speak something that sounds like French, Italian, Chinese, I don’t understand these languages and others saying gibberish...Are they all in a group delusion? I don’t understand... I am very tormented by the subject...I ask with a free heart...I only want to find the truth.
Thank you in advance!
Anna’s 2nd Email:
Thank you so much my dear brother. First of all for the immediacy of your answer. Most of what you say are my thoughts all this time, but it was the only church where I could do a baptism of repentance because I was baptized as an infant in the orthodox church... I certainly made it clear to them from the beginning that the only thing I’m looking for is Jesus Christ and I’m not interested in doctrines. So, do I have to leave again? I’m very worried... of course I believe that the only sign of the Holy Spirit is holiness, but they say that we all struggle with sin until the end and that no one is sinless. Oh, what can I say...
I’ll pray to our Lord for enlightenment...can I have a clear answer?
Michael’s email back:
James Smith (1860) - “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” Acts 19:2 What are the evidences of having received the Holy Spirit? If we have received the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus stands high in our estimation, and our views of ourselves are very humbling. And just in proportion to the power and depth of the Spirit’s work, will be our conceptions of the glory, grandeur, and excellency of the Savior; and our discoveries of the depravity, pollution, weakness, and misery of our own hearts. If, therefore, we have heart-affecting views of the glory of Christ and His finished work, and if we lie low in the dust under a sense of our weakness and worthlessness, so that we are brought to depend wholly on Christ, and on Christ alone—we have surely received the Holy Spirit. Also, if we have received the Holy Spirit, there is in us a deep-rooted, abiding hatred to sin, all sin, especially sin in ourselves. What was once our darling sin, has become the object of our hatred, and against that sin we set a double guard. For nothing do we sigh so often, for nothing do we desire so ardently—as holiness. The Holy Spirit always sets the whole soul against sin, and longing for perfect holiness. True, our old desires toward sin will sometimes revive, but then we loath ourselves on account of it, mourn over it, and confess it before God. The cry of the soul is, “Holiness Lord, more holiness! Deep, penetrating, all-pervading holiness!” Now, if we hate sin everywhere, all sin, and especially the sin that dwells in us; and if we love holiness, admire holiness, pray for holiness, pant for holiness, and strive for holiness—then there is no doubt that we have received the Holy Spirit. Once more, if we have received the Holy Spirit, then we are ruled by God’s Word; we do not follow custom, or allow our desires or prejudices to dictate our course. In all times of difficulty, when in any perplexity, something seems to say within us, “To the law and to the testimony,” and to the precepts of the New Testament, we turn. The Word of Christ is the law of the true believer. Everything short of it, or beyond it, or beside it, or contrary to it—is sin! “Only what Jesus commands, all that Jesus commands, and because Jesus commands!” is the language of the soul. And while we thus make the Word of Jesus our rule, we deny ourselves. We deny our own wills, our own passions, our own desires, our likes and dislikes. We are before Him, as He was before His Father, when He cried out, “Not My will, but may Your will be done.” If, then, we make the Word of God our guide, and habitually deny ourselves for Christ’s sake—we may rest assured that we have received the Holy Spirit. Reader, “Have you received the Holy Spirit?” Remember, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him!” Romans 8:9”
The Quiet Whisper of Holiness
In a world obsessed with the spectacular, it's easy to be misled by flashy displays of supposed spiritual power. For many years, millions of people followed Todd White’s “signs and wonders” ministry, which I warned against over 10 years ago. Now, in 2025, those closest to him came out with a public letter, exposing that he was a habitual or pathalogical liar, and money loving hypocrite. We crave the dramatic, the tangible, the seen. But what if the true power of the Holy Spirit is found not in the boisterous, but in the quiet whisper of holiness?
The Apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, addressed a church captivated by the gift of tongues. He didn't deny its validity, but he cautioned against its elevation above other gifts, particularly prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:1-11). He reminded them, "But you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?" (1 Corinthians 3:3). Their focus on outward displays revealed a heart still tethered to worldly desires, not the transforming power of the Spirit.
True evidence of the Holy Spirit is not found in a specific experience, but in a transformed life. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control," (Galatians 5:22-23). These are the hallmarks of a Spirit-filled life, the quiet whispers of holiness that resonate far deeper than any outward display.
Holiness is about being set apart, distinct from the world. It's a reflection of God's own nature, described by the angels as "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty," (Revelation 4:8). This holiness isn't about perfect behavior, but a heart posture surrendered to God, a life increasingly molded into the image of Christ.
So, let us not be deceived by counterfeit displays. Instead, let us seek the true power of the Holy Spirit, the quiet transformation that leads to a life of holiness, reflecting the very heart of God.
