Study 9
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - POWER TO SERVE
Let us begin our study with prayer,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
I come to You in the Name of Your only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Father God, please bless this time with You and Your Word. Help me to understand the things You are telling me. Help me to truly comprehend the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit. For Your Holy Name’s sake I ask.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Lord willing, as we study the Scriptures, we will see that in addition to our new birth, that is the forgiveness of our sins, our transfer to His Kingdom and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, God also extends to us the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts are given to each and every believer to be used for the building up of the body of Christ. To see this, we will,
1. Discover the difference between Jesus' disciple’s new birth and their baptism in the Holy Spirit.
2. Review some of the many occurrences of the Holy Spirit baptism.
3. Discover that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for all true born believers in Jesus Christ.
4. Discover the differences between the fruits and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
5. Review examples of how the baptism in the Holy Spirit occurred.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NEW BIRTH AND THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
To discover this difference, we begin our study by reading about,
THE DISCIPLE’S NEW BIRTH
This event is recorded for us in,
John 20:19-22
"[19] On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" [20] After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. [21] Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." [22] And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."
In reflecting upon the above event, two important points must be emphasized.
1. This occurred after Jesus rose from the dead but before Jesus ascended into Heaven.
2. This is when the disciples became born again of the Holy Spirit. To see this, let us remember that up until now they had already repented of their sins, knew who Jesus was, and confessed Him as Lord. However, now for the first time they see Him raised from the dead, that is the living Christ; thus, fulfilling the requirements of,
Romans 10:9-10
"[9] That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."
Now all the conditions necessary for the disciple’s new birth are present. Consequently, as we read in John 20:22, in His mercy Jesus gave the disciples the Holy Spirit and they are born again.
Is this the baptism with the Holy Spirit? No! To see this let us read what Jesus once said to His disciples after His resurrection but just before He ascended into Heaven.
Acts 1:4-9
"[4] On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. [5] For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." [6] So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" [7] He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. [8] But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." [9] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … The disciples were not to leave Jerusalem. They were to wait for the promised gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
8 … They were to receive power when the Holy Spirit came on them and would be witnesses to Jesus Christ. In other words, Jesus was telling them that even though they were born again, that is they had the Holy Spirit living within them, they needed the power or anointing of the Holy Spirit to be an effective witness for Him. Consequently, they were to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit arrived to anoint them.
9 … After Jesus finished talking with His disciples, He ascended into Heaven.
With the above conversation in mind, let us now go to Jerusalem and read about,
THE DISIPLE'S BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
This event occurred during the Feast of Pentecost and is recorded in,
Acts 2:1-21
"[1] When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. [2] Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. [3] They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. [4] All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. [5] Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. [6] When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. [7] Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? [8] Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? [9] Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [10] Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome [11] (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" [12] Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" [13] Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." [14] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. [15] These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! [16] No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: [17] "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. [18] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. [19] I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. [20] The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. [21] And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … They spoke in tongues as the Holy Spirit enabled them.
6 … The God fearing Jews from the various nations heard the disciples speaking in their own language.
7-13 … The Jews were amazed. The reason for their amazement was because they knew that the disciples were not well educated men. Thus, they were surprised when the disciples spoke with different languages. Some made fun of it and said they were drunk with wine.
14-18 … The Apostle Peter stood up to explain what happened. He did this by quoting from the prophet Joel. Peter explained that it was foretold that in the last days the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which they were now witnessing, would occur. He then proceeded to explain that when the Holy Spirit comes upon the people they will prophesy, dream dreams and see visions.
21 … Peter reminded the people that all who call on the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.
The Apostle Peter continued his discourse and explained to the people who Jesus Christ is and what He did. Peter then called the people who were listening to repent and be baptized in Jesus Christ. As a result, three thousand people received the new birth.
Thus, after he received the promised baptism in the Holy Spirit Peter was filled with power to bear witness to the saving Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In reflecting upon the above, we must remember that this event took place during the Feast of Pentecost after Jesus ascended into Heaven. Thus, it was different from the disciple's new birth that occurred prior to Jesus' ascension (John 20:19-22). In other words, we find that the new birth and baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate events.
Now some may say that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was to only occur at this time of Pentecost and it was only for the apostles. As we read the Scriptures, we will find that not only did the baptism of the Holy Spirit occur many times after the Feast of Pentecost but it is also for all born again believers. As with the new birth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a free gift from God. Hence, God chooses the manner and circumstances through which He bestows His gift. To see this, let us review some examples of the,
VARIOUS OCCURANCES OF BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
For the purposes of this chapter we will review the following three occurrences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit: (1) the believers in Samaria, (2) Cornelius and his household and (3) the believers in Ephesus.
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM OF THE BELIVERS IN SAMARIA
In the case of the believers who resided in Samaria the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred after the people believed and were water baptized. In addition, the baptism of the Holy Spirit came through the prayer and the laying of hands by the Apostles Peter and John. To see this we go to,
Acts 8:9-17
"[9] Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, [10] and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." [11] They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. [12] But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. [13] Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. [14] When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. [15] When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, [16] because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."
Let us notice the following verses,
9-11 … In the city of Samaria, a man named Simon practiced sorcery, which means witchcraft. Simon was so good at this craft that the people believed him to be divine, which means a god.
12 … However, when the disciple Philip preached, the people believed the Gospel of Jesus and were baptized.
13 … Even Simon believed and was baptized. It is noted that Phillip was not an apostle but was a deacon (Acts 6:1-6).
14 … After hearing that Samaria accepted God’s Word the apostles sent Peter and John to Samaria.
15-17 … Since the baptism of the Holy Spirit had not yet occurred; Peter and John prayed and laid their hands upon the new born again believers. As a result, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM OF CORNELIUS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD
In our second example, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the new birth occurred simultaneously. This time it happened while Cornelius and his household were listening to Peter’s presentation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:44-48
"[44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. [45] The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. [46] For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, [47] "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." [48] So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days."
Let us notice the following verses,
44 … While listening to Peter; the Holy Spirit came upon them. It is important to note that Cornelius and his household were not Jewish.
46 … Peter and his Jewish companions heard them praising God and speaking in tongues. As we will see later, speaking in a tongues is one of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit.
47-48 … The new believers were water baptized.
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM OF THE BELIEVERS IN EPHESUS
In our last example, we will see that the Apostle Paul made a clear distinction between the baptism of John (which is the baptism of repentance), the baptism into Jesus Christ (which is the believer’s baptism) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive spiritual power. To see this let us read from,
Acts 19:1-7
"[1] while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples [2] and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." [3] So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they replied. [4] Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." [5] On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. [7] There were about twelve men in all."
Let us notice the following verses,
2 … Paul asked the people if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed. They responded no. In fact, they never heard of the Holy Spirit.
3 … Paul asked them; “what baptism did they receive.” They responded and said, “John’s.”
4 … Paul told them that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.
5 … Paul baptized them into the Name of Jesus Christ, which is the believer’s water baptism. Now their new birth was confirmed.
6 … Following the believer’s baptism Paul laid his hands on them. The Holy Spirit came upon them and some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (tongues and prophecy) were present. They were now baptized in the Holy Spirit.
This incident in Ephesus also reveals two important points: (1) the importance of correctly understanding God’s Word; and (2) God will honor an honest heart.
As we reflect upon this incident, it becomes clear on how important it is for us to know, understand and obey the teachings of the Bible. Notice that before the Apostle Paul arrived at Ephesus, the twelve men thought all was well. However, their belief was incomplete. They did not know that the Holy Spirit existed and believed that the baptism of John was sufficient. Thus, they missed the blessings of the believer’s baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The second point to be made is that even though the men of Ephesus did not have the full knowledge of the Gospel, they were sincere in their longing for God. God in His tremendous Mercy and Grace sent Paul to teach them. They listened and obeyed. Consequently they were born again into God’s Kingdom, water baptized and given gifts of the Holy Spirit.
From the above survey, we find that,
BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS FOR ALL BORN AGAIN BELIEVERS
This is exactly what the Apostle Peter said to those who, on that day of Pentecost, witnessed the results of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples of Jesus Christ. To see this, let us return to Jerusalem and read what happened after Peter explained to the people of what had just occurred.
Acts 2:37-39
"[37] When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" [38] Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.""
Let us notice the following verse,
39 … The promise is for:
a. You … those at the time of Pentecost.
b. Their children
c. Those far off, that is those in other places and in other generations.
d. All whom the Lord will call.
In some circles of Christianity there is considerable confusion with respect to the difference between the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which is the new birth, and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, which is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To help clarify the distinction between the two, let us review some of the functions that He, the Holy Spirit, will perform in and through us.
EXAMPLES OF FRUITS AND GIFTS FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT
In our previous studies we saw that once we are born again, we have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling within us. Once this happens, we become a child of God and are transferred into His Kingdom. This is clearly taught in,
Colossians 1:13-14
"[13] For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."
In earlier studies we also saw that with the Holy Spirit living within us, He helps us to live a life pleasing to God. He does this by: (1) teaching us the things of God and (2) providing His fruits to be manifested in and through us.
THE HOLY SPIRIT TEACHES US THE THINGS OF GOD
To see this, let us consider the following excerpt from the letter of correction written to the church in Corinth,
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
"[9] However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- [10] but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [11] For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. [12] We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."
Let us notice the following verses,
10 … God has, through the Holy Spirit, revealed the things that He has prepared for us.
11 … Only the Holy Spirit knows the things of God. Thus, without the Holy Spirit teaching us we can never know the things of God.
12 … You and I, as born again believers, have the Holy Spirit living within us; thus, we can know what God has freely given us.
One of the most glorious gifts that each and every born again believer can begin to experience in their new life is,
THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
So we can live a life pleasing to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, living within the born again believer will subdue the desires of our sinful nature and bring forth His fruits from within us. To see this, let us read the instruction written to the church in Galatia about living a life under the control of the Holy Spirit. This instruction is provided in,
Galatians 5:16-24
"[16] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. [17] For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. [18] But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. [19] The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; [20] idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions [21] and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. [22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."
Let us notice the following verses.
16 … If we live by the Spirit, which means under His control, we will not gratify the desires of our sinful nature.
17 … This is the conflict within the Christian, the Holy Spirit versus our sinful nature.
19-21 … These are some examples of the fruits of our sinful nature. When we see these present in our life we know we are obeying our sinful nature and not the Holy Spirit. Also note that those who live this way will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22-23 … These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Thus when these are present in our lives, we are now living under the control of the Holy Spirit.
24 … If we belong to Christ, we must learn to keep our old sinful nature dead so that the fruits of the Holy Spirit will be seen in our daily living.
It must be pointed out, as we previously read in 2 Corinthians 2:12, all the fruits of the Holy Spirit are freely available to us. We do not earn or purchase these fruits; they belong to the Holy Spirit. In other words, they come with the Holy Spirit who now lives within the born again believer.
Let us now move on to review,
SOME OF THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Just as Jesus told His disciples they were to receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them, it is the same with us. Namely, when the Christian is baptized in the Holy Spirit, He empowers the Christian to serve. The Holy Spirit does this by providing the born again believer with spiritual gifts. It must be emphasized that these are not our natural gifts or talents but spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. To see this, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … There are different gifts, but all of them come from the Holy Spirit.
5 … There are different kinds of service, that is some may teach, some may evangelize, some may prophesy, etc.
6 … There are different kinds of working, that is spiritual gifts will take on various forms and manifestations.
7 … The Holy Spirit will give each member of the body of Christ a spiritual gift. Also notice these gifts are given for the common good, not for selfish ambition. (The operation or the activities of the members of the body of Christ, which is the church, is a separate study.)
8-10 … The above is only a partial list of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
HOW THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES ABOUT
It is noteworthy to discover that after Jesus ascended into Heaven His disciples followed His command for them to return to Jerusalem and prayed while waiting for the promised Holy Spirit, which was His baptism. To see this let us read from,
Acts 1:12-14
[12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. [13] And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. [14] These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
As we saw earlier, there were also times when the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred through prayer and the laying hands upon the person or persons who were to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. As a review, let us recall that it was through Philip that the people in Samaria heard the Gospel and were born again. However, it was through prayer and the laying on of Peter and John's hands that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred. This is recorded in,
Acts 8:15-17
"[15] When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, [16] because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. [17] Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."
We also saw that it occurred while hearing the Gospel. This happened in the non Jewish household of Cornelius. It is noteworthy to know that before Peter was told by the Holy Spirit to go and present the Gospel to Cornelius and his household, Cornelius had prayed. To see this let us read from,
Acts 10:30-33
"[30] Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me [31] and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. [32] Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' [33] So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.""
Let us notice the following verse,
31-32 … God heard Cornelius' prayer and sent an angel to instruct him to send for Peter.
33 … Cornelius obeyed and Peter also obeyed God and went to Cornelius’ household.
With this background, let us read now what happened while Peter was presenting the Gospel.
Acts 10:44
"[44] While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message."
In reflecting upon the above accounts, one notices that a common denominator was prayer. Thus, we find that even though our Lord decides the time and method for our baptism in the Holy Spirit,
WE ARE TO PRAY AND ASK HIM FOR THIS GIFT
To encourage us, let us read an excerpt from one of our Lord Jesus Christ’s teaching about prayer.
Luke 11:9-13
"[9] "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. [10] For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. [11] "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? [12] Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [13] If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!""
CONCLUSION
What is the message of this study? What is the point to be made? Actually it is twofold. The first point to be made is that to adequately serve God we must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. To refresh our memory let us read what Jesus said to His disciples as recorded in,
Acts 1:4b
[4b] … wait for the Promise of the Father,
And
Acts 1:8a
[8a] … you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
The second point is summarized by the words of instruction the Apostle Peter gave to those on that day of Pentecost, as recorded in,
Acts 2:39
“[39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.""
Blessed be the Lord forever!
AMEN and AMEN
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