Spirit Baptism

Don’t sell yourself short on your experience with God; the baptism of the Holy Ghost is just as real today as it was in the bible. In this study, there will be a scripture referenced and then some comments about it. These comments are intended to be leading, but it is left to the reader to determine if they make sense. You are encouraged to get out your Bible, read the surrounding scriptures, and see for yourself if my comments are appropriate.

Matthew 3:11, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and [with] fire:”

John’s baptism was a baptism of water. Jesus’ baptism is a baptism of the Holy Ghost (and fire!)

John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; [Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”

John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Jesus was going to send the Comforter (the Spirit of Truth) after he was risen, which would be the guide for further understanding.

Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”

The Holy Ghost is what the kingdom of God is all about.

Galatians 5:16-25, “[This] I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

A person’s lifestyle will be changed by the Spirit.

Titus 3:4-7, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

Ephesians 1:10-14, “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; [even] in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

This Holy Ghost is the “earnest of our inheritance.” It’s the down payment. If we have this, we know that when Jesus comes again for the “redemption” of His “purchased possession” (purchased by His blood) we will be taken back with Him.

John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet [given]; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Luke 24:49, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Jesus told the apostles not to go straight out and start preaching, but rather wait for the promise, the promise of the Holy Ghost, which was the power to do what they were going to do: evangelize the whole world. This is vitally important. They weren’t ready. They weren’t equipped to begin preaching without it. Jesus had to die, rise from the dead, and send the Holy Ghost before any work could be done.

Romans 8:2,9, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. … But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

These scriptures and the others around them in Romans let us know that the Holy Ghost is not optional. If you don’t have it, you aren’t one of His.

John 3:1-8, “There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

So a person must be born again to enter into the Kingdom. What does that mean? Jesus explains that being born again consists of a being born of water and of Spirit. What does that mean? We will see how the Apostles interpreted these two things in later scriptures. Look carefully at the reference to the wind blowing where it will. The analogy that Jesus was using is that you cannot see the Spirit coming and going, but there will be a sound associated with it. What is that sound? Again, we will see in later scriptures.

1 Corinthians 15:45-50, “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam [was made] a quickening spirit. Howbeit that [was] not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven. As [is] the earthy, such [are] they also that are earthy: and as [is] the heavenly, such [are] they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.”

This is a little deeper explanation as to what being born again really means. The first Adam was flesh. The second Adam (Jesus) was spiritual. In the same way, our redemption must proceed along the same lines. First we are born, then we must be born again. The first birth is carnal, the second birth is spiritual.

Now we must take a different tack for a moment.

Ephesians 2:19-20, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];”

Point: Jesus is the head of everything about the Church, the Bible, etc.

Matthew 16:17-19, “And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Point: Jesus appointed Peter as the chief of this new movement, this infant church.

Acts 2:1-13, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.”

Here then is the first record of what it is like to be baptized by the Spirit. This was the big event that Jesus had told them was coming, the big event that they had been waiting and praying for. Did you notice the sound associated with it? What did the others hear from outside? They heard them speaking in tongues. Indeed, how did the Apostles themselves know that the waiting Jesus had told them to do was over, that the “promise of the Father” had been given, and that Holy Ghost had indeed been poured out? Because they spoke in tongues when they were filled. Not as though they did it themselves, but “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” They were not just sitting together in a room when all of the sudden someone had enough faith to say, “Hey I’ve been filled with the spirit. I’ve been born again. See? Look at the fruit of the Spirit I have in my life.” And that is the same reason that it happens this way today. So that a person can know for sure that he has been baptized by the Spirit.

Acts 2:14-21, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Peter goes on to preach about who Jesus really was and why He came. The people became convicted in their hearts when they learned that they had crucified their Savior. They responded to this message by asking what to do with this knowledge.

Acts 2:37-39, “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? 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. 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.”

Notice that this is the very first sermon that is ever preached under the new testament of Jesus’ sacrifice. Notice who preached it: Peter, the man that Jesus chose to lead this new church. The man that was one of the first disciples called. One of the three men who was with Jesus at every important event in His ministry. Note that these two previous scriptures were given in direct response to the question: “What shall we do?” Peter simply says repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Notice that this is the fulfillment of the two steps of being born again of water and Spirit. Notice also that this wasn’t just for this time period because he specifically states in the next verse that this experience is for all generations.

Acts 8:9-20, “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.”

Notice here that baptism by water in the name of Jesus is a completely separate thing from being baptized by the Spirit. The Apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to these new disciples that they would receive the Holy Ghost after they had been baptized by Philip. It must have taken at least a few days for word to travel back and even more days for the other apostles to come and pray for them. So there was a definite time period between these two events. Notice also that, though it doesn’t say that they spoke in tongues when they received the Holy Ghost, there was some kind of outward showing of what happened on the inside because Simon the sorcerer noticed that something had happened and offered money in order to have the ability to cause it to happen to other people.

Acts 10:34-48, “Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. The word which [God] sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) That word, [I say], ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, [even] to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God [to be] the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.”

There is a lot of background that needs to be given to fully understand this passage of scripture. Peter had a vision in which God informed him that the Levitical dietary laws have been lifted. The point of the vision was that God was opening this new salvation through spiritual rebirth to all people, including the Gentiles. God then tells Peter to go with a man to a stranger’s house. It turns out that this stranger is a Roman centurion (a gentile) named Cornelius, a righteous man that had a definite relationship with God. That’s why He sent Peter to him.

However, there was more for Cornelius to experience in God besides giving alms and praying. That experience was the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Notice that – again – we see that this experience is marked by speaking in tongues. Ask yourself this question: if this sign did not accompany the experience, how would the Apostles have known that this experience – the exact same one they had on the day of Pentecost – had been given to the Gentiles as well as the Jews?

Acts 19:1-7, “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard [this], they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid [his] hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.”

Again, speaking in tongues is the common denominator of the new spiritual birth. (Here we see that they also “prophesied.” The Bible uses the phrase “to prophesy” to mean worship and praise as well as to actually give a prophetic utterance about future events.)

Matthew 5:17, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

This new birth experience was God’s plan all along: to allow all peoples access to the spiritual “Holy of Holies.” This is the significant thing. Under the law, only the high priest of Israel could enter into the presence of God in the tabernacle or the temple. God’s holiness prevented just anyone from approaching Him. Now, praise God, He Himself has paid the price of our atonement, allowing us to be presented as though we were holy so that that anyone might enter into His presence in order to have a personal relationship with Him. One that is fully realized only when we are filled by His Spirit.

Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

The baptism of the Spirit is freely available to all who ask.