Is the Holy Spirit in everyone?

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Hi, I saw this question somewhere, and I’m not sure what the answer is. My understanding is that the Holy Spirit is in everyone, whether the person has accepted Jesus or not, since we’re all His creations. The other opinion was that the Holy Spirit resides only in those who have accepted Jesus. I’m not sure which is right. I’m mainly looking for Scripture verses that would either support or refute either point of view.

Thanks in advance!
 
catechumen08 said:
Hi, I saw this question somewhere, and I’m not sure what the answer is. My understanding is that the Holy Spirit is in everyone, whether the person has accepted Jesus or not, since we’re all His creations. The other opinion was that the Holy Spirit resides only in those who have accepted Jesus. I’m not sure which is right. I’m mainly looking for Scripture verses that would either support or refute either point of view.

Thanks in advance!
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Good question. I think that the holy spirit resides in everyone who has been baptized.

But I think, and am not sure, that you have to remain in a state of grace to have the holy spirit in you, or maybe that is just for the full benefit of hte holy spirit.

I am very much interested in what people have to say on this topic.
 
It’s good to think of the Holy Spirit as the soul of the Church. When we are living members of the Church (which we become through baptism) we receive the Holy Spirit. However, when we become dead members through mortal sin, He does not dwell within us anymore.
catechumen08 said:
What of people who have never heard of the Word of God?
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It’s possible. If they love God above all things and have the implicit desire for Baptism. Here, St. Alphonsus Liguori explains:

“But baptism of desire is perfect conversion to God by contrition or love of God above all things accompanied by anexplicit or implicit desire for true Baptism of water, the place of which it takes as to the remission of guilt, but not as to the impression of the [baptismal] character or as to the removal of all debt of punishment. It is called ‘of wind’ ‘flaminis’] because it takes place by the impulse of the Holy Ghost Who is called a wind ‘flamen’]. Now it is de fide that men are also saved by Baptism of desire, by virtue of the Canon ‘Apostolicam De Presbytero Non Baptizato’ and the Council of Trent, Session 6, Chapter 4, where it is said that no one can be saved ‘without the laver of regeneration or the desire for it.’”

That is why we say such individuals are united to the soul of the Church, while not being full members of the visible Body of the Church.
 
Hmm interesting question.

In a case where a person is possessed by an evil spirit… does that mean that that person did not have the Holy Spirit…

I am guessing that both cannot coexist in a body…?
 
To what degree are we talking about the word “in”

I mean doesn’t God have an omnipressence that puts Him everywhere but Hell (by definition of Hell)? from this respect the Holy Spirit touches everyone to some degree except those that are “there”
 
This has been a question I have been meaning to ask too. Mother Teresa says she saw Jesus in everyone. “Whatever you do to the least of these you do unto me.” I always thought this meant that we do it unto Him because He dwells in them. But then I always got caught on the fact that Baptism is what confers, on all who receive it worthily, sanctifying grace. Those that Mother Teresa served were not always Christians who had been baptised, but rather a number were Hindu, Muslim, etc.

“Do penance, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2:38

Fr. Laux writes: There is sanctifying grace which is a supernatural state of being infused by God into our soul that gives us participation in the divine life. The participation in the divine life is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.

So, those who are not baptised do not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps even if this is so we should still see Christ in them because they are made in His image and likeness and He has said that whatever we do to them we do to Him. And if we see Christ we also see the other two persons of the Trinity.

:confused:
 
daughterofmary said:
“Do penance, and be baptized every one of you for the remission of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” Acts 2:38

Fr. Laux writes: There is sanctifying grace which is a supernatural state of being infused by God into our soul that gives us participation in the divine life. The participation in the divine life is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.
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Maybe we all get the Holy Spirit but we don’t get the gifts that it can give us unless we are close to God. So in other words we have the holy spirit but it doesn’t give us the gift of discernment, prophesy and so forth unless we are in a state of grace.

What do you think?
 
catechumen08 said:
Hi, I saw this question somewhere, and I’m not sure what the answer is. My understanding is that the Holy Spirit is in everyone, whether the person has accepted Jesus or not, since we’re all His creations. The other opinion was that the Holy Spirit resides only in those who have accepted Jesus. I’m not sure which is right. I’m mainly looking for Scripture verses that would either support or refute either point of view.

Thanks in advance!
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Check out: Romans 6 vs 9-11…Galatians 4 vs 6-7…I Cor.3 vs 16-17…Titus 3 vs 3-8…etc…🙂
 
The Holy Spirit is in everyone, but the extent depends on how much we accept Him.

Even the fullest atheist who denies the existance of God and wants nothing to do with God if he does exist, relies on the Holy Spirit to sustain his life.

The more open we are to the Holy Spirit, the more He can work in us and through us.
 
Thank you all for your (name removed by moderator)ut!
Laserus said:
Check out: Romans 6 vs 9-11…Galatians 4 vs 6-7…I Cor.3 vs 16-17…Titus 3 vs 3-8…etc…🙂
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I’ll be sure to check these out when I get home. Thanks!
 
If you ponder the references to the Holy Spirit or simply “spirit” you get a clear – or not-so-clear – picture of His grace. The spirit descends and is received in different ways, producing or conveying different gifts.

It is clear that the Holy Spirit is not in everyone in the way the Bible (both testaments) mean it. We believe that the operation of the Holy Spirit gives “actual” grace which prompts the heart to conversion. When we act on this grace, and enter into the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit gives “sanctifying” grace.

You could write volumes on what it means to be “filled” with the Holy Spirit.
 
I asked my priest this question last night, and the answer I got was that we just don’t know. My RCIA instructor was under the impression that yes indeed the Holy Spirit is in everyone, even if you’re not baptized. I believe she learned this from another priest when she was taking a class. So, I’m still not sure, as I’m getting conflicting answers. I actually felt kind of bad, because I asked my priest a question for which he didn’t have a good answer.
 
catechumen08 said:
I asked my priest this question last night, and the answer I got was that we just don’t know. My RCIA instructor was under the impression that yes indeed the Holy Spirit is in everyone, even if you’re not baptized. I believe she learned this from another priest when she was taking a class. So, I’m still not sure, as I’m getting conflicting answers. I actually felt kind of bad, because I asked my priest a question for which he didn’t have a good answer.
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I’m not sure there is a single answer because of the manifold ways in which the Holy Spirit enters our lives.

“The spirit bloweth where it listeth.” One Pentecostal I know prays for the “infilling” of the Holy Spirit all the time. When one of his Pentecostal buddies challenged him and asked him why he did that, since he had certainly “received the Holy Spirit”, he said, “Yes, I know. But I LEAK!”

There are many gifts. Many charisms. Many operations of the Spirit. My own view would be that the Spirit dwells in us for salvation only after Baptism but that he “visits” often. Made in the image and likeness of God, we are creatures who have a “spiritual organ” ordered to reception/response to the Holy Spirit.

I guess that’s not a real answer tp the question.
 
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