God graciously gives us all things to richly enjoy. As Christians mature in faith, we enter into new territory God granted us from the beginning we couldn't be bothered to explore for years. In the church I grew up in, in my younger years I cannot recall any talk of being "baptised with the Holy Spirit." There was no explanation of how children or youth as born again believers could be filled and gifted with the Holy Spirit for God's service. In retrospect, there seemed to be a disconnect between various operations of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit was often spoke of, but specific gifts of the Spirit were not a point of discussion.
As my faith in Christ became increasingly my own in adulthood, my curiosity and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit also grew. Searching the scriptures illuminated my lack of this baptism with the Holy Spirit, a specific "coming upon" of the Spirit that can coincide with justification or be received later. I remember my pastor saying something from the pulpit like, "If God has a gift for you, don't you desire it? Would you turn down a gift God offered to you?" Of course I would want God's gift for me, I thought. God had gifted me with salvation, and only a fool would turn good gifts from God down. Should I deny for myself gifts God selected purposefully and freely offered to me? I became convinced through the scripture my risen Saviour Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). I was also convinced the promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39). I took honest stock of my life and recognised I had never asked for and thus never received this baptism with the Holy Spirit: I had not because I had not asked in faith (James 4:2, Galatians 3:2). I admittedly always bristled with the suggestion there was more God had for me I had not yet received! Finally, I recognised I fervently desired this baptism, for every gift offered by Jesus through the Spirit is for His glory and the edification of the church - something I could not do alone.
God be praised, for He was true to His Word in Luke 11:13: "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!" I believed the promise, asked, and received. During a time of prayer a brother laid hands and prayed with me that I might receive the baptism with the Spirit, and it is that simple. Now unfortunately, the baptism with the Holy Spirit - possibly because many like me had quite a long journey before we willingly entered in and received this baptism - is often approached as only for the more seasoned or worthy disciples. This is untrue. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a fundamental, most basic inheritance of every single follower of Jesus Christ. When Paul went into a new area, one of the first things he inquired was concerning was whether Christians had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. There was no catechism, classes, or six-month vetting process. It may have been a complex process for me to be humbled before God, a long road with many pitfalls and sidetracks, but the promise of the Holy Spirit was offered to me by Christ from the first. I just didn't realise it! Having had such an outpouring of the Spirit, should I be content others to trudge through the wilderness for years until they attain some arbitrary amount of knowledge before I lead them to be baptised with the Spirit? Baptism with the Spirit is the starting point towards exponential growth and spiritual maturity, not the end.
Consider the simplicity of this example in Acts 19:1-7: "And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 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. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all." Paul did not bother to quiz these believers on their grasp of various doctrines but went straight to the point. The baptism with the Spirit was not something to work up to but God's work within them. There is no set formula for this baptism. See for yourself by reading through the book of Acts. The order and manner of this baptism was greatly varied, but the outcome was always the same: supernatural gifting in various ways, empowerment was provided for serving God, people walked in boldness and wisdom, the church was built up, and God was glorified.
Isn't this a description of what you desire in your life and for all those who comprise the church purchased with Christ's blood? May the Holy Spirit come upon all God's people with power so we can enter fully into the inheritance God has for us. Let's not make confusing the simple promise of the Father, or withhold this knowledge because we were late bloomers. In these last days the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all who ask believing. If you are thirsty, come to Jesus and drink. He is the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire, "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." (Acts 2:39)
As my faith in Christ became increasingly my own in adulthood, my curiosity and desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit also grew. Searching the scriptures illuminated my lack of this baptism with the Holy Spirit, a specific "coming upon" of the Spirit that can coincide with justification or be received later. I remember my pastor saying something from the pulpit like, "If God has a gift for you, don't you desire it? Would you turn down a gift God offered to you?" Of course I would want God's gift for me, I thought. God had gifted me with salvation, and only a fool would turn good gifts from God down. Should I deny for myself gifts God selected purposefully and freely offered to me? I became convinced through the scripture my risen Saviour Jesus is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). I was also convinced the promise of baptism with the Holy Spirit is for as many as our LORD will call (Acts 2:38-39). I took honest stock of my life and recognised I had never asked for and thus never received this baptism with the Holy Spirit: I had not because I had not asked in faith (James 4:2, Galatians 3:2). I admittedly always bristled with the suggestion there was more God had for me I had not yet received! Finally, I recognised I fervently desired this baptism, for every gift offered by Jesus through the Spirit is for His glory and the edification of the church - something I could not do alone.
God be praised, for He was true to His Word in Luke 11:13: "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!" I believed the promise, asked, and received. During a time of prayer a brother laid hands and prayed with me that I might receive the baptism with the Spirit, and it is that simple. Now unfortunately, the baptism with the Holy Spirit - possibly because many like me had quite a long journey before we willingly entered in and received this baptism - is often approached as only for the more seasoned or worthy disciples. This is untrue. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a fundamental, most basic inheritance of every single follower of Jesus Christ. When Paul went into a new area, one of the first things he inquired was concerning was whether Christians had been baptised with the Holy Spirit. There was no catechism, classes, or six-month vetting process. It may have been a complex process for me to be humbled before God, a long road with many pitfalls and sidetracks, but the promise of the Holy Spirit was offered to me by Christ from the first. I just didn't realise it! Having had such an outpouring of the Spirit, should I be content others to trudge through the wilderness for years until they attain some arbitrary amount of knowledge before I lead them to be baptised with the Spirit? Baptism with the Spirit is the starting point towards exponential growth and spiritual maturity, not the end.
Consider the simplicity of this example in Acts 19:1-7: "And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" So they said to him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism." 4 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. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all." Paul did not bother to quiz these believers on their grasp of various doctrines but went straight to the point. The baptism with the Spirit was not something to work up to but God's work within them. There is no set formula for this baptism. See for yourself by reading through the book of Acts. The order and manner of this baptism was greatly varied, but the outcome was always the same: supernatural gifting in various ways, empowerment was provided for serving God, people walked in boldness and wisdom, the church was built up, and God was glorified.
Isn't this a description of what you desire in your life and for all those who comprise the church purchased with Christ's blood? May the Holy Spirit come upon all God's people with power so we can enter fully into the inheritance God has for us. Let's not make confusing the simple promise of the Father, or withhold this knowledge because we were late bloomers. In these last days the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all who ask believing. If you are thirsty, come to Jesus and drink. He is the One who baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire, "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." (Acts 2:39)
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