I remember being initially put off by talk of being "baptised with the Holy Spirit" in my youth. Frankly, I wasn't interested. I was fine to repent and trust in Jesus to be born again, pray, and meet with other believers. But I was not ready to submit to being baptised with the Holy Spirit because I saw it as unnecessary, not understanding that such a baptism is necessary to become the Spirit-fueled Christian God desired and intended me to be. In retrospect I can see clearly I secretly scoffed at various spiritual gifts because I did not have them, and therefore I did not want them. Ah, that Christ would graciously open the eyes of a blind believer such as myself is beyond me!
God used the scripture to open my eyes to my need - yes need - to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said of Christ in Matthew 3:11, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." I was happy to be baptised with water as a child in identification and obedience to Christ, but why the hesitancy to seek the baptism with the Spirit? I started asking myself: if Jesus is the one who does the baptising, why should I remain skeptical and aloof? I discovered the promise of this "coming upon," this filling to overflowing of the Holy Spirit was for me through Peter's address on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:38-39 reads, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." This is significant because Peter and other disciples had already received the Holy Spirit after Christ's resurrection (John 20:22), so Peter spoke concerning the power of the Spirit coming upon them promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8.
I thought, OK: Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Ghost and fire, and the promise is for me as I am one who was afar off and called to salvation in Jesus. But how could I know if I had been baptised with the Spirit or not? Was I to seek a particular experience? Would there be a feeling? Thankfully, the scripture again came to my aid. In his missionary travels, Paul met with believers in Jesus Christ and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit "since they believed" (Acts 19:2). They did not even know if there was a Holy Spirit! Acts 19:4-6 says, "Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied." Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. These disciples had repented and believed, but had not yet been filled to overflowing with the Spirit. Paul believed it necessary for Christians to be filled with the Spirit, and as they humbled themselves before God in obedience, the Holy Spirit came upon them and miraculous power followed. For any interested, more particulars of being filled with the Spirit can be found in a previous post.
It took some convincing, but ultimately I was positive I had never been baptised with the Holy Spirit, it was God's will I be baptised with the Spirit, and I strongly desired to be baptised with the Holy Spirit (a fervent desire I believe God provided), I asked God, and I was. It is that simple. Jesus compared the working of the Holy Spirit to the wind: we can see the effects of the wind in the trees, but we do not know where the wind came from or where it is going. The same is true of the Spirit. We can see His impact, but we can't explain how He does His wonders. Throughout the Old and New Testament we see people filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for God's glory. There is no magic formula, and no explanation I can give will satisfy your intellect. Even as we trusted in God for salvation, we are called to seek and trust God and the truth of His Word for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I cannot convince you of your need to be baptised with the Holy Spirit or that God has spiritual gifts for you to operate in. But are you willing to believe God's Word? Has your will been entirely laid down? If God has additional gifts for you to receive and exercise for His glory and the edification of the church, are you intent on receiving them? Do you thirst for a closer walk with Jesus? Are you willing to present yourself as a living sacrifice by faith, obey, and ask for this baptism and subsequent fillings of the Holy Spirit? We are told to earnestly desire spiritual gifts operated in love (1 Cor. 12:31): do you? Luke 11:13 says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
A word of caution: it is important our seeking of the baptism with the Holy Spirit spring from continually seeking Jesus Christ first and foremost. If you are looking for power for yourself, testing God for proof of the Holy Spirit within you, desiring outward signs of spirituality to impress others, or a cool party trick, your heart is not right before God. We are not to look to feelings or experiences to validate our faith, but to seek and obey Jesus according to God's Word. When we do this, feelings and experiences will surely follow! Read the book of Acts and see for yourself the indispensable power and influence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early church. His power and guidance is just as critical now as ever. Place your entire being at God's disposal, allowing God to fill and empower your life completely for His purposes. Once you have been baptised with the Holy Spirit, keep being filled with the Holy Spirit as you deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. He is the One who supplies us with Living Water!
God used the scripture to open my eyes to my need - yes need - to be baptised with the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist said of Christ in Matthew 3:11, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." I was happy to be baptised with water as a child in identification and obedience to Christ, but why the hesitancy to seek the baptism with the Spirit? I started asking myself: if Jesus is the one who does the baptising, why should I remain skeptical and aloof? I discovered the promise of this "coming upon," this filling to overflowing of the Holy Spirit was for me through Peter's address on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:38-39 reads, "Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." This is significant because Peter and other disciples had already received the Holy Spirit after Christ's resurrection (John 20:22), so Peter spoke concerning the power of the Spirit coming upon them promised by Jesus in Acts 1:8.
I thought, OK: Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Ghost and fire, and the promise is for me as I am one who was afar off and called to salvation in Jesus. But how could I know if I had been baptised with the Spirit or not? Was I to seek a particular experience? Would there be a feeling? Thankfully, the scripture again came to my aid. In his missionary travels, Paul met with believers in Jesus Christ and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit "since they believed" (Acts 19:2). They did not even know if there was a Holy Spirit! Acts 19:4-6 says, "Then Paul said, "John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus." 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied." Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. These disciples had repented and believed, but had not yet been filled to overflowing with the Spirit. Paul believed it necessary for Christians to be filled with the Spirit, and as they humbled themselves before God in obedience, the Holy Spirit came upon them and miraculous power followed. For any interested, more particulars of being filled with the Spirit can be found in a previous post.
It took some convincing, but ultimately I was positive I had never been baptised with the Holy Spirit, it was God's will I be baptised with the Spirit, and I strongly desired to be baptised with the Holy Spirit (a fervent desire I believe God provided), I asked God, and I was. It is that simple. Jesus compared the working of the Holy Spirit to the wind: we can see the effects of the wind in the trees, but we do not know where the wind came from or where it is going. The same is true of the Spirit. We can see His impact, but we can't explain how He does His wonders. Throughout the Old and New Testament we see people filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered for God's glory. There is no magic formula, and no explanation I can give will satisfy your intellect. Even as we trusted in God for salvation, we are called to seek and trust God and the truth of His Word for the baptism with the Holy Spirit. I cannot convince you of your need to be baptised with the Holy Spirit or that God has spiritual gifts for you to operate in. But are you willing to believe God's Word? Has your will been entirely laid down? If God has additional gifts for you to receive and exercise for His glory and the edification of the church, are you intent on receiving them? Do you thirst for a closer walk with Jesus? Are you willing to present yourself as a living sacrifice by faith, obey, and ask for this baptism and subsequent fillings of the Holy Spirit? We are told to earnestly desire spiritual gifts operated in love (1 Cor. 12:31): do you? Luke 11:13 says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
A word of caution: it is important our seeking of the baptism with the Holy Spirit spring from continually seeking Jesus Christ first and foremost. If you are looking for power for yourself, testing God for proof of the Holy Spirit within you, desiring outward signs of spirituality to impress others, or a cool party trick, your heart is not right before God. We are not to look to feelings or experiences to validate our faith, but to seek and obey Jesus according to God's Word. When we do this, feelings and experiences will surely follow! Read the book of Acts and see for yourself the indispensable power and influence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the early church. His power and guidance is just as critical now as ever. Place your entire being at God's disposal, allowing God to fill and empower your life completely for His purposes. Once you have been baptised with the Holy Spirit, keep being filled with the Holy Spirit as you deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Jesus. He is the One who supplies us with Living Water!
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