Theme: Why Should I Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Text: Various text
The purpose of these lessons are to lead the believer to an understanding of the function and purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and to experience the baptism in the Spirit. We looked at what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is NOT and what The Baptism of the Holy Spirit IS. We also looked at six different places in the book of Acts which describe the believer being “baptized” or “filled” with the Spirit.
Being “Born” of the Spirit and Being “Baptized” With the Spirit
The Bible makes a distinction between the Holy Spirit’s dwelling within the believer and the Holy Spirit overflowing the believer. Let’s examine two words concerning the Holy Spirit. The first word is fountain as seen in John 4:13-14.”…but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain (or well) of water springing up into everlasting life.” The first work of the Holy Spirit is to satisfy the thirst in our life and come in to dwell. The next word is river as we read in John 7:36-37. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, for Jesus was not yet glorified.” The second work of the Holy Spirit is to so overflow our lives that we become tributaries of His life to satisfy other people’s thirst.
Why Should I Receive The Baptism With the Spirit?
In obedience to the command of Christ, Luke 24:49. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit gives the believer power for Christian service, Acts 1:8. Also, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit enhances the Christian life, Eph. 5:18-19.
Five Aspects of the Baptism With the Holy Spirit P-I-L-O-T
The first word is power.
There are two Greek words that can be translated power. Exousia: meaning right, authority, privilege Dunamis: meaning power, might, ability to perform Every believer has certain authority (exousia) that has been given to him by virtue of his position in Christ. Yet often without the power (dunamis) of the Spirit, the effective use of our authority is not possible. That is why Jesus commanded that the disciples tarry in Jerusalem to receive the power of the Spirit before exercising the authority he had given them, (See Luke 24:49).
Thie second word is Instantanious‘
The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an experience that happens at a definite moment in time. In the five instances in Acts where we see people receiving the baptism with the Spirit (Acts 2,8,9,10,19) we observe that the experience took place at a definite moment. This is an instantaneous experience.
The third word is link.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a specific link in the chain of experiences that unite the believer to Christ. In the New Testament it was not considered “normal” to be saved and not be filled with the Holy Spirit. The three links are found in Acts 2:38-39 – Salvation by faith and repentance, Water baptism and Spirit baptism The baptism with the Spirit is not something that is vague or nebulous.
The fourth word is objective.
It is an objective experience. A person can know that they have been filled with the Spirit and those around him know that he has received the baptism in the Spirit.
The third word is tongues.
Speaking in tongues always accompanies the baptism in the Holy Spirit as the immediate consequence of the in-filling of the Spirit. In each of the five cases in the book of Acts, speaking in tongues is specifically stated or highly implied to have occurred when people received the Holy Spirit baptism. Tongues is an indication, not a qualification of the Spirit. Qualification is something a person has to do to get into a club, meet certain standards to be accepted, to qualify. Whereas indication is a sign that something is so. For example, a high temperature or fever indicates an infection in the body. The fever is a sign of some infection within the body. Speaking in tongues is a sign that the believer has been baptized or in-filled with the Holy Ghost.