The Baptism in the Holy Spirit – 7 Questions
□ Who is the Holy Spirit?
□ What is the Day of Pentecost?
□ What Happens When One Receives the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
□ When Does One Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
□ What is the Gift of Speaking in Unknown Tongues?
□ How Can One Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
□ How Does One Grow in the Spirit?
□ Who is the Holy Spirit?
God is a Trinity: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit—Three equal and distinct Persons, yet perfectly united as One. The Holy Spirit is not a mere power, force, or in any way less than God. He is the Third Person of the Triune God (Mat. 28:19; 1 John 5:7; 2 Cor. 13:14). The Bible clearly points this out by revealing how the Holy Spirit moves, speaks, and has His own will (Gen 1:2, 26; John 14:16, 26; 16:13; Acts 8:9; 10:19-20; 13:2; 1 Cor 12:11; Eph. 4:20).
Throughout the Old Testament, God spoke about a future outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This could only occur after Jesus would die to pay the price for man’s redemption and then be glorified by being resurrected from the dead, and seated at the right hand of the Father (Eze 36:27; Jer 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-29; John 7:37-39; John 16:7; Acts 2:33; Eph 1:20-22).
□ What is the Day of Pentecost?
Pentecost is a Jewish feast celebrated fifty days after the feast of Passover. It was on the day of Pentecost, fifty days after Christ’s resurrection – a perfect fulfillment of Scripture – that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon believers waiting in Jerusalem. Jesus had told them of this experience, referring to it as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-20; Mark 16:17; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8). John the Baptist also spoke of this, saying that Jesus “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Mat 3:11; Luke 3:16).
It is important to state that prior to the day of Pentecost, no one had ever experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Before Pentecost, some people had individual experiences of being filled. There was Bazalel (Exo 31:3; Exo 35:31), Samson (Judges 13:25; Judges 14:6), and even John the Baptist (Luke 1:15). However, this “filling” was always for a specific purpose and only for certain individuals at a time. Even the disciples knew the Holy Spirit’s working and even performed healings and works of power (Luke 10:9,17), but Jesus explained that something different was about to happen:
John 14:16-17
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells WITH you and WILL BE IN you.
In John’s Gospel, Jesus talks about “rivers of living water” –
John 7:37-39 (NASB)
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “ If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”
But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; FOR THE SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
Notice how John immediately explains exactly what experience Jesus was speaking about. He clarifies that Jesus specifically referred to an experience of receiving the Holy Spirit that could only happen after Jesus was glorified at His ascension to the right hand of God the Father.
So it was that on the very day of Pentecost, 120 believers (including the 11 disciples) were together in one place waiting for this experience. The Holy Spirit was poured out upon this whole group. They were baptized in the Holy Spirit. Scripture explains that they were “filled” with the Holy Spirit and began to “speak with other tongues [i.e., languages], as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4). This, indeed, was something never before experienced!
On the Day of Pentecost, Peter understood that they had received the Holy Spirit just as the prophets had foretold (Acts 2:12-21,33). He then told the curious onlookers that Jesus, now glorified at God’s right hand, had poured out the “Promise of the Father”—the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:22-36). Peter explained that this “gift” of the Holy Spirit was for ALL of God’s children – those who have been born again into God’s family by believing and obeying the Gospel (Acts 2:38-39).
□ What Happens When One Receives the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Jesus is the One who baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit (Mat 3:11; Luke 3:16; Acts 2:33). The word “baptism” means to submerge completely under water or some other liquid. At that very moment of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the believer is fully submerged, filled, and saturated within and without by the Holy Spirit who now indwells and abides within the believer forever (John 14:16-20; 1 Cor 3:16; 1 Cor 6:19-20).
John 14:16
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.
The Holy Spirit, now dwelling within the born-again child of God, supernaturally enables their spirit to communicate directly with God in a language completely unknown to that person’s intellect.
□ When Does One Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Some Christians teach that everything – including the Baptism in the Holy Spirit – takes place at the moment of conversion (the New Birth), but a quick look at the Acts reveals that it is a separate and distinct experience which can only occur after a person has become a child of God by being born again.
- Acts 2:1-4 – The disciples and the 120 waiting in Jerusalem were believers, but they did not receive the Holy Spirit until the Day of Pentecost.
- Acts 8:12-17 – Philip preached in Samaria, and many were saved and obeyed in water baptism. However, they did not receive the Holy Spirit until Peter and John came from Jerusalem to pray for them.
- Acts 10:44-49 – Cornelius and his household first heard and received the Word that Peter preached to them. Then they began speaking in tongues when they received the Holy Spirit.
- Acts 19:1-6 – Paul meets some disciples of John the Baptist. It is evident that they were already saved by the question Paul asks them: “Have you received the Holy Spirit when you believed?” It is also clear that Paul acknowledged that it is very possible to believe and yet still have not received the Holy Spirit. When they answered that they had not received the Holy Spirit, Paul baptized them in water, and when he laid his hands on them, “the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.”
Therefore, as we see in Acts, it is evident that the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is NOT automatically received at the New Birth. Rather, it is a separate and distinct experience that is available for the born-again child of God who only needs to ask the Heavenly Father to give him that experience.
□ What is the Gift of Speaking in Unknown Tongues?
Look at the clear explanations about the Gift of Speaking in Unknown Tongues that Paul gave to the churches:
Speaking in Unknown Tongues is one of the “nine gifts” given by the Holy Spirit, which are also referred to as “manifestations of the Spirit” (1 Cor 12:4-11).
The Gift of Speaking in Tongues is a prayer language because the person speaking in Unknown Tongues is NOT talking to men, but to God. No one (not even the speaker) understands what he saying (1 Cor 14:2).
The Holy Spirit bypasses the believer’s intellect and gives the words to speak directly to the believer’s spirit. Paul says, “If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful” (1 Cor 14:14-15; Acts 2:4).
A person speaking in Unknown Tongues is edifying himself, or as Jude puts it, they are building themselves up on their “most holy faith” (1 Cor 14:4; Jude 1:20).
The believer who speaks, or even sings, in an Unknown Tongue is making intercession for others in prayer, or blessing God in praise and worship, and giving God thanks very well (1 Cor 14:15-18; Rom 8:26-27).
Speaking in Unknown Tongues enables the believer to enter an intimate communion with God, experiencing spiritual edification. Praise, worship, prayer, and intercession become more effective and enriching when the believer speaks to God in this wonderful heavenly language (1 Corinthians 14:2; 1 Corinthians 14:14-15; Rom 8:26-27; Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20).
Once we truly grasp and embrace the astounding, life-changing benefits of speaking in Unknown Tongues, we’ll undoubtedly want to shout from the rooftops just like Paul. Look at how, in a wonderfully humble and overflowing joy, Paul exclaims these words to the Corinthians!
1 Corinthians 14:18
I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all.
Paul was igniting a fire in their hearts, urging them to dive even deeper and more frequently into using this precious prayer language of Speaking in Tongues!
□ How Does One Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Using God’s Word as our guide, we can discover at least 5 Vital Steps for the born-again child of God to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
♦ Understand!
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is so important for the child of God! It is the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual growth and inner transformation, and it also gives power to be an effective witness for Christ. Jesus told His disciples that they had to stop all ministry and wait in Jerusalem until they received the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; John 14:17-21; Acts 1:4-8).
♦ Believe!
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is called the “Promise of the Father”. As a Heavenly Father, God cannot be partial. He earnestly desires for ALL His children to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Acts 2:38-39).
♦ Ask!
Two things are important when asking:
(1) a clear conscience (1 John 3:20-22); and
(2) persistence — ask, seek, and knock (Luke 11:5-13).
♦ Receive!
Those who are thirsty only need to come to Jesus and drink (John 7:37-39). After asking, the child of God must act in faith. Open the mouth wide and let God fill it (Psalm 81:10)!
♦ Speak!
Speaking in Tongues bypasses the intellect — “…as the Spirit gave them utterance [words]” (Acts 2:4; 1 Cor 14:2; 1 Cor 14:14-15). As the tongue and body are yielded to the Lord (James 3:2-8), it is the Holy Spirit who will put the words in the believer’s spirit, and that person only needs to choose to speak, sing, or shout out those words – no other “thinking” is necessary! It will be just like Jesus said: “from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38 NASB).
□ How Does One Grow Spiritually?
Get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! Every Spirit-filled, born-again child of God is on an incredible pilgrimage, navigating this earthly life with all its twists, turns, and even perils. Our ultimate destination? Seeing our Savior face-to-face in Heaven! This isn’t just any journey; it’s an adventure that demands daily spiritual growth. The Bible offers us countless insights on how to mature spiritually, and we’ve pinpointed Four Essential Keys to unlock that powerful growth!
♦ Praying in the Spirit – be edified by using the Gift of Speaking in Tongues daily for prayer, praise, and worship (1 Cor 14:2,4,15-18; Jude 1:20-21).
♦ Walking in the Spirit – be led by the Spirit, set the mind on the things of the Spirit, and focus on the development of the Fruit of the Spirit (Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:15-25).
♦ Equipped and Empowered by the Spirit – Take time each day to be equipped with God’s Word, and empowered by the Spirit to function as a member of the Body of Christ, which is the Church (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 3:4-6; 1 Cor 12:1-13).
♦ Fellowship in the Spirit – Gathering together regularly with other Spirit-filled Christians is VERY Necessary (1 Cor 12:1-31; 1 Cor 14:26; Eph 5:18-20; Col 3:16; Heb 10:25)
