Why is there talk about convincing ourselves of that fact we’ve received the Spirit, whereas with the Corinthians Paul just accepted it as the norm?

This text is from a transcript of a talk by David Gooding, entitled ‘The Conduct and Activity of the Church’ (1969).

Well, as you rightly observe, it is the fact that for the Corinthians in particular the coming of the Holy Spirit was accompanied with external signs which everybody could see—speaking in tongues and so forth. And of course, Paul could appeal to that. There was no doubt that these things happened. What I would suggest to you is that you should perhaps be just a little bit careful about the deduction you make from that. Are we given to expect that this will be the invariable sign or the invariable accompaniment—the only way we can know that we have the Holy Spirit? The other thing I think you've got to be careful about is to interpret the actual incidents in the light of the plain statements of the theological explanation. Obviously, the right interpretation of the incidents is the one that was square with the theological interpretation. To quote Romans 8:9: 'If anybody hasn't the Holy Spirit, he isn't a Christian.' If you, therefore, were to posit from this example that there are some Christians who haven't got the Holy Spirit, you come to a contradiction of the plain, straightforward theological saying. In the second place, I wonder if it's quite true that, say, speaking in tongues as they did on these occasions, is the only way you will know that you've received the Holy Spirit.

Let's take the other statements about his ministry, so that you may know. Romans 8:9 says 'Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.' Well, how do I know I've got the Spirit?

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. (Romans 8:16)

I only want to say that it is very genuine and real and, in fact, continuing. Whatever the accompaniments of my initial reception of the Holy Spirit, the reason I know I've got the Holy Spirit as I stand before you now, honestly before God, is that the Spirit witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God. Personally I would put much more store by that than I would by miracle workings, because Matthew tells you that miracle workings are not an invariable sign that a man is a believer: a man could cast out demons and not be a believer. So I would put much more store by this inner spiritual testimony of the Holy Spirit.

And then, if you look at Galatians, we read that,

The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other. (Galatians 5:17)

Well, certainly if I knew nothing about that, I ought to question whether I am a believer. This, in everyday life, is the reality—the Holy Spirit in my life striving against the flesh to perfect my Christian holiness. This I should count, and I'm not saying it irreverently, to be equally important, I nearly said more important, than speaking in tongues, say. As valuable as that is, it can coincide with a good deal of carnality. The reality of the Holy Spirit is witnessed to by his struggle against the flesh in my life.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' (Galatians 4:6)

These, I would have thought, are the things that the Apostle Paul quotes as evidences of the Holy Spirit in our lives.