Baptism with the Holy Spirit | You Can Be Filled with the Holy Spirit Today!
- Summary: Every genuine Christian is born again by the Holy Spirit. But not all Christians are baptized with the Holy Spirit. Let's look at the difference and see how you can receive both.
Matthew 3:11
- • Jesus is the One who baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. All four Gospels say the same thing — that Jesus is the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit.
- • But first Jesus gave His disciples the Holy Spirit in an entirely different way (see next).
- • New birth…born again by the Spirit. Recall
John 3:6-7 — “Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’.” - • This occasion was after Christ’s resurrection, but before the Day of Pentecost. Before His crucifixion, Jesus had made a promise to His disciples: “The [Holy] Spirit … lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). So here Jesus is fulfilling that promise, breathing upon them and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” There is broad agreement among bible scholars that this is the moment when they were born again by the Spirit.
- • But some days later, according to Jesus, these same disciples were to receive another impartation of the Holy Spirit, something in addition to the new birth that they already had.
- • In John 20:22, after His resurrection from the grave, Jesus had breathed the Holy Spirit into them, and they were born again.
- • Then immediately before returning to heaven, Jesus tells the same disciples that “in a few days [they] will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Then (verse 9) Jesus ascended back to heaven.
- • This is not the new birth by the Spirit. They had received that already (John 20:22). And this is not water baptism — [Jesus said] “John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
- • And (vs. 8) the purpose of this Holy Spirit anointing in their lives (and ours) was to give them heaven-sent power to be Christ’s witnesses. As T.L. Osborn said in his book by the same name, that is “the Purpose of Pentecost” — to empower us to go beyond our human abilities and to be effective, supernaturally-enabled witnesses to Jesus Christ.
- • Remember the apostle Peter. On the night before Jesus was crucified, he denied Jesus three times! After receiving Holy Spirit power at Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:4), the former Christ-denier stood and preached a bold message (2:14-38) that led to the salvation of thousands that very day! (2:41).
- • Jesus’ promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit was fulfilled! They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And what immediate evidence occurred? — speaking in tongues.
This act of speaking in tongues is the consistent evidence in Scripture that a person is baptized with the Spirit. Some more examples:
- • At the Gentile Cornelius’s house (Acts 10:44-47): While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” Those who had come with Peter knew that the Gentiles had received their personal Pentecost “for they heard them speaking in tongues.” Peter certified that they had received the same baptism with the Spirit that Peter and the others (Acts 2) had received at Pentecost — “They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
- • The Christians in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-6): [
vs. 6 ] When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
So we see clear examples in Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19 where the believers were baptized with the Holy Spirit and immediately spoke in tongues. This seemed to open the door to additional supernatural manifestations, for example:
- •
Acts 2:4; 3:1-8 Peter and John, newly baptized with the Spirit, ministered a miraculous healing to the lame man near the temple. - •
Acts 4:31-33a After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly… [33a] With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. - •
Acts 19:6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. The newly Spirit-filled believers began immediately to be used in the gift of prophecy.
This same pattern occurred in the ministry of Jesus Himself.
- • We are commanded to repent and be water baptized. We are promised the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is a “promise for you” today. It is “for all.” Come to Jesus and receive.
In closing, let me offer a few thoughts from Scripture as you prepare to receive:
- • When you speak in tongues, you will be “speaking to God.” You won’t understand it. You’re speaking “by the Spirit.”
Today is your day! Look up to Jesus, the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and power. And begin to speak to God in a Holy Spirit-given language. You will be blessed, and Jesus will be delighted!
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©2016, James H. Feeney.
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Pentecostal Sermons and Bible Studies
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.