Communication is the key to all of our lives. It is the basis that determines a good relationship or a not-so-good relationship.  It all begins when learning to talk as babies.  One or two words, then a few more; then actual sentences.  And of course, for some young ones, the never-ending questions of “why”!  It’s no different in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  It’s imperative that we learn to talk to Him, and of course, listen to Him too.  We learn from the Bible how important and how unity is built with speaking the same language.

We find a lesson in the Old Testament where all the people of the earth spoke one language.  It may be hard for us to imagine that since we are so used to hearing different languages from different countries. But we all know that there must be a common language between people to understand each other well.

In Genesis 11:1-4 we read that the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.  The people came together to build a tower to reach heaven and said, “Let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth”.  In verses 5-6 God enters the scene and says, “behold the people is one, and they have all one language; and this that they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do”.  (Notice that the speaking the same language brought unity to all the people but the problem was they didn’t use their oneness of language to be in unity with God.)  So, the Lord confounded their language so they could not understand each other’s speech; which scattered them upon all the earth, and they left the city, which is called Babel.

This first endowment of different languages by God was to separate the people from doing things from their evil and sinful hearts; from doing things on their own without Him, as they were not building the tower to bring glory to God but to themselves. Not to make His Name known but their own.  Exodus 34:14 tells us that God is a jealous God and we are to worship no other god; not even ourselves.

The second time we see God intervene in giving different languages is on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  Now this is a whole different ballgame, as some might say. This is after the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. The disciples and other believers had gathered in the Upper Room waiting on the Promise of the Father that Jesus said He would send.  (Luke 24:49) This also is what John the Baptist spoke of in Matthew 3:11 when he said that he baptized with water unto repentance, but the one coming after him (Jesus) would baptize them with the Holy Ghost and with fire.  Peter states in Acts 2:32-33 that God raised Jesus up; and being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he (Jesus) has poured out this blessing which the people were hearing.  Acts 2:23 tells us this promise was not just for the disciples and those new believers in the beginning of the Church, but also for their children and all that are afar off, which includes you and me.

The Promise of the Holy Ghost is sent to be our comforter, counselor, teacher, and helper; giving us power to live the Christian life. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-14; Romans 8:26-27; Acts 1:8)

Think of it this way: Salvation is received by faith and so is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.  The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is subsequent to Salvation. (Acts 8:5;12, 14-17; 10:44-46; 19:1-6) It is by faith we receive this Promise of the Holy Spirit (Ghost) and it is by faith we speak the heavenly language He gives to each of us.  Though the languages sound different to our natural ears, they are one in the Spirit realm because these heavenly languages are always in agreement with God, and in direct unity with the Father’s will; speaking mysteries to Him.

First Corinthians 14:14-15 teaches that we are to pray with our natural understanding and with the spirit (tongues); meaning that our natural mind does not comprehend the tongues that we speak but our spirit does.  Sometimes we do get the interpretation of what we have spoken in the tongues as the Holy Spirit reveals it to us through our spirit to our mind.  Nevertheless, we are assured that the Holy Spirit speaks through us in prayers that are always in line with the Word of God.  This is very important when we don’t know how to pray for a situation or for a person.  This is when our heavenly prayer language will pray perfectly for the situation or person, and our prayers will then not be biased by our own ideas of how the situation should be resolved.  All in all, it is important to pray.  The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a benefit offered to all believers and it is up to each whether they want to receive this gift from God.

Another wonderful benefit of this glorious gift is that according to First Corinthians 14:4 and Jude 20, speaking in tongues edifies us and builds us up; giving us strength to live the Christian life.

One lesson I learned while writing this article, that I hadn’t seen before, was that the first set of languages, at the Tower of Babel, was a result of the people not acknowledging God, and the second set of languages, in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, is a result of believers acknowledging God.  Now if you feel upset with this article, let me assure you that it is not to suggest that a person is not saved if they don’t speak in tongues; this article is to help clarify that the Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a gift of God; and it is up to each saved person to determine for themselves whether they want this gift.

I do pray this information gives you the desire and hunger to search the Scriptures for God’s truth.