Speaking in tongues can accompany the Holy Spirit’s work but is not a universal sign that someone has received Him. True evidence of the Spirit is seen in heart transformation, obedience, and the fruit of the Spirit, not in miraculous displays.
Speaking in tongues was associated with receiving the Holy Spirit in three specific New Testament instances—Pentecost, the Gentiles in Caesarea, and the twelve disciples in Ephesus—but these cases involved a small number of people and were not normative for all believers. The Bible never presents speaking in tongues as a universal sign of salvation or the Spirit’s presence.
Not every believer has all spiritual gifts, including tongues, and many early Christians received the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues. Tongues are a spiritual gift, not a requirement or evidence of salvation. All believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the moment of faith in Christ. The Spirit’s work is best seen in heart transformation, obedience to God, and the fruit of the Spirit. Assurance of the Holy Spirit comes through faith and His ongoing presence, not through outward displays of miraculous ability. Therefore, while tongues may occur for some, they are not a universal or necessary sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence.
Is is the norm for all people who receive the Holy Spirit at salvation to speak in tongues? No. Paul noted that no one has every spiritual gift, meaning not everyone would speak in tongues (1 Corinthians 12). Second, many people came to faith in the New Testament without speaking in tongues. If God intended every believer to show evidence of the Holy Spirit through the speaking of tongues, much more emphasis would have been placed on this practice in Scripture.
Further, speaking in tongues would then not be a spiritual gift, but something available to every believer. Because it is listed as a spiritual gift, not every believer could have that ability, meaning it could and should not be used to evaluate a person's salvation or whether a person has the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Bible teaches every believer has God's Spirit at work within them from the point of salvation: "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13).
Ultimately, the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is evidenced not by a single miraculous sign but by the transformation of the heart, a growing desire to obey God, and the fruit of the Spirit in daily life (Galatians 5:22–23). While tongues may be a gift for some, the assurance of the Spirit comes through faith in Christ and the ongoing work of God within us, not through outward demonstrations.