Can you get to heaven without the Holy Spirit?

Answer Request:
Can you get to heaven without the Holy Spirit?

In the Kingdom program (for the Jews under the Mosaic Law), receiving the the Holy Spirit was a very necessary step within the salvation process. Peter in his Acts sermon to the Jewish crowds, said the following,

Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The order of this observation was also of great importance. Without going into great detail, the ordaining of a priest (according to Mosaic Law in the Old Testament) was for a person to be (1) from the tribe of Levi. Then (2) they had to be washed with water for the cleansing of their sins. Then (3) they were anointed with oil being poured out over their heads. The salvation process for Jews in the Kingdom program simulated this ordaining of a priest. Why you might ask? It's because God has called Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation 

Exodus 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. 

This calling is for the Jews to fulfil a duty in the Millennial Kingdom when Christ rules for a 1000-years on earth after the tribulation. 

So, when Peter preached to the Jews at Pentecost, he told them that they must repent, then be water baptized for the forgiveness of sins (notice, it's not the blood of Christ at this time, unlike for us today), then only would the Holy Spirit come upon them as the final step to confirm them into a national priesthood. None of this process is applicable for us today under the grace program. We, as the Body of Christ, were never called by God to be priests. So there is not need for us to be anointed by receiving the Holy Spirit. (Another interesting point to note is that the Holy Spirit, like with the oil of anointing poured out over priests, kings and prophets in the O.T., only came upon them! Not resided within them.)

Luke 24:49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father UPON you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued [clothed] with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come UPON you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Now, with this background, you will be able to answer your question, "Can you get to heaven without the Holy Spirit?"

You see, the Holy Spirit does play a part in our salvation by grace today, but it's a completely different role. We do not receive the Holy Spirit after water baptism as a confirmation of priesthood. No! Today the Holy Spirit (Himself) baptizes us into the Body of Christ.

1 Cor.12:13 For BY one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, ...

When we respond in faith to the grace gospel and get saved, in that instant (as part of the salvation work of God), the Holy Spirit immerses us into the Body of Christ. Our spirit is regenerated and the Spirit of Life indwells us. This is the work of God. It is not in our control. God saves us and seals us with the Holy Spirit in that moment of salvation.

So, salvation is not dependent on whether you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit automatically and immediately dwells within our spirit at the moment of salvation. The reverse is also true, that if you do not have the Spirit of Life indwelling you, ie: you have not been regenerated by the grace gospel and are not saved, then you will not go to heaven because you do not have the indwelling Spirit as a seal of redemption.