What's the Difference?

INTRODUCTION
The world is full of religions. Virtually every tribe and culture that has ever existed has developed some sort of religious belief. Of course in our time, the push is to accept all religions as equally valid. We call that religious pluralism, and what it simply means is that all religious seeking leads to God. All Paths lead to heaven, right? Sounds good, doesn’t it? But if this is true, then disciples of any religion, be it Hindu, or Muslim, or Shinto, or Christian can all come into contact with the mysterious “other”, using whatever name you want to call it. We simply use the term God.
Of course most Christians, especially Evangelical Christians adamantly deny this possibility. But how do we know there is something different in our religion than in others? What is it that sets us apart? Is it the way we worship, or the rituals we follow? Of course not, for our religion is not based on rituals, but on a relationship with the one and only incarnate God, Jesus Christ. The one through whom all things were made and without whom nothing was made that has been made. The creator God who became flesh and dwelt among men. The eternal Logos and only Savior of the world! [But how does that show up in our lives?]

Paul understood there was something special about Christians that allowed him to spot a true believer. Something different that sets us apart. This is evidenced in his question to some disciples he encountered in Ephesus as we see in Acts 19, starting in verse 1.While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the interior regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. [2] He said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

The Non-Christian does not have the Holy Spirit.
You see, this is what sets Christians apart, the Holy Spirit! This is what separates us from merely religious people. We don’t simply try to work to get closer to God, we have God in us.
How he knew they hadn’t received the Holy Spirit is open to speculation, but sometimes it may be obvious! It was to Paul. Perhaps he noticed that they had the form of godliness without the power, perhaps he noticed ritual without the fruit of the spirit, whatever he noticed, he knew something was missing. [He knew that being a disciple without the Holy Spirit is not the same as being a Christian so he asked them in verse 3…]
[3] Then he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."

There are Different Types of Religious Disciples.
Well that explains it. John certainly had a productive ministry encouraging people to repent of their sins and to live holy lives. That may be what attracted Paul to them in the first place. They acted sort of Christian. They probably lived moral, upright lives, were faithful in worship, kind and generous, yet lost without Christ. This is the same condition that so many lost souls around the world are in. Those who follow their devotion, saying their prayers, and doing their penance, trying to live a life of good moral character and trying to do enough to please God. This is the state of the disciples of Islam, and Hindu and many other religions. They have a form of godliness, yet they “have never even heard of the Holy Spirit.” They are doing exactly what they have been taught, just like John’s disciples, isn’t that enough. [Isn’t it enough to do the religion you have been taught? In our age of religious pluralism, isn’t that enough! … No. ]

The True Disciple will want to Know the Truth about God. All Truth is Found in Jesus.
If there is any truth to any of the other religions, it must point to Jesus. One of my professors at Seminary, Dr. Ragsdale talks about how missionaries use the Koran to point to Muslims to Jesus, because He is in there and revered as a prophet. If anyone is serious about what the Koran says about Jesus, they must become curious about who he really is. In verse 4, Paul reminded the disciples of John that they needed to listen to what John said.
[4] Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus."
Paul reminds John’s disciples what they had probably already heard and known, that John was the precursor to Jesus. He was just the forerunner of the real thing. John was leading people to Jesus, so his followers were supposed to become believers in Christ. That was the point. You see it didn’t matter how sincere they were about what they believed, what mattered is the substance of what they believed. Sincerity is not the issue, truth is the issue. Jesus has declares that He is the truth, the way and the life. He is the issue. He is what must be believed.
[This news was refreshing to John’s disciples for…]
[5] On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied-- [7] altogether there were about twelve of them.

Everything Changes Through Faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the Difference.
This changed everything! These men had been trying to do what wass right yet had been missing the most important part. It’s like trying to drive a car without an engine, or trying to write a book without words, or trying to breathe without air. It’s impossible. They could not be godly or righteous or holy without the Holy Spirit, which only comes through belief in Jesus Christ. But once they believed in Jesus, once Paul baptized them in water and by the laying on of hands, which was a part of the baptismal ritual, then the Holy Spirit came on them with power! It was almost like another Pentecost, for the Holy Spirit came and many were given the gift of tongues and the gift of prophecy. God was revealing himself with power. He was showing the difference. You see there is a huge difference between a disciple of a religion and a Christian in a relationship; it is the power of God through the Holy Spirit. This is what they were lacking, the Holy Spirit, for all true believers in Jesus have the power of the Holy Spirit.
CONCLUSION
Now the question comes, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Many of you may say “Sure, I think so.” Some of you may be more assured, “Absolutely!” Yet some of you may say, “I don’t know. How can I tell?” Well let me assure you that Scripture teaches, that those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and believe the truth about his life death and resurrection have the Holy Spirit. You may say, “Well, I have never spoken in tongues, so how do I know?” Paul says in Romans that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Not every Christian has the gift of tongues, but every Christian has the Holy Spirit. And that Holy Spirit works in you to convict you of sin, to encourage you to do right, and to remind you of the words of Christ. According to Paul’s words from Romans 8, you should know in your spirit that you have the Holy Spirit living within you. If you question this, then this is your opportunity to make it right. Perhaps you have been doing everything you have known to do, you have been going through all the motions, yet you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. Well just like the disciples of John, it only takes one opportunity to make it right.
John Wesley was like this. Although he was an Anglican Priest, and had served as a missionary, he still felt that he was missing the assurance of faith that comes with the Holy Spirit. Until one night, at Aldersgate chapel he felt his heart strangely warmed. If you want to believe in Jesus tonight, if you feel a warming in your heart, then you can have an assurance of eternal life and the Holy Spirit. If that is you tonight, and you sense Jesus calling out to you, come and see me after the break and we can discuss it. Jesus has been waiting for this time.
However, for most of us, we know we have the Holy Spirit and have a relationship with Jesus. But I want to ask you, do you experience the power of the Holy Spirit? Do you know what that feels like? I am reminded of a story that Mike Breen relates in his book A Passionate Life. He tells the story of he and his family going to a spa while in England. His daughters had encouraged him to try this “Sun Spa” which supposedly was a tanning room where you could stand on what seemed like the beaches of South Carolina. He reluctantly went into this small dark closet, followed the instructions, put the required goggles on and money in, shut his eyes, then just stood there for the three minutes, hearing the sounds of some motor, but seeing and feeling nothing other than boredom and the disappointment of wasting money. When he came out his daughters were disappointed that he didn’t enjoy it as much as they did and assured him that he just didn’t spend enough time in there to get the full effect. So they coaxed him in there again. This time he spent twice as much money and spent twice as much time enjoying nothing. Nevertheless his daughters persuaded him to give it one more try, with even more time. This time, with more time to waste, he decided to open his eyes. Upon looking around he saw a doorknob, and with a twist of the knob he was out into the glorious light and radiant heat of the South Carolina Beaches. He finally could see and experience what he was supposed to have experienced all the while. All this time he had been standing in the changing room.
Here he thought he was having the experience he was supposed to be having, yet he was missing out on the real thing. Is that how your Christian life is? Have you been missing out on the power of the Holy Spirit? Have you been standing in the changing room, so close to the true Christianity, yet not experiencing the Power that you are to have? Perhaps your Christianity is more like the disciples of John than you care to admit. Although you know who to believe in, putting your faith and trust in him is as hard as finding a doorknob in the dark. Put your trust in Jesus, open the door, and let the power of the Holy Spirit transform your life. Let it be today.