Baptism of the Holy Spirit

​The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of the most misunderstood subjects of the Bible in the church today. The enemy understandably attempts to influence our understanding of this the most because of its effectiveness in the believer’s walk. The Body of Christ around the world is split on the matter because of this. Therefore, we will provide you with the Scripture and you can accept or reject for yourself what the Word of God plainly says. Spirit-baptism is a promise from the glorified Christ and is commanded for all believers who are looking to experience new levels of clarity and spiritual maturity in their walk with the Lord.

Acts 1:4-8  —  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

As we are endued with power from on high, we are set free from the power of sin and equipped with supernatural gifts that enable us to do greater works than Jesus did while he was on earth.

So now that we agree that Spirit-baptism is for every believer, you may ask how you can obtain it. Firstly, we must establish that Spirit-baptism is a separate act from salvation. Without the Holy Spirit, no one can experience salvation. Samaria had accepted Jesus as Lord at the preaching of Phillip and were saved, sealed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:12  —  But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Once they received salvation, it was vitally important to the apostles and to Christ that they then receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Peter and John had to take a three day journey on foot to reach the Christians in Samaria. Do you see how important it was to the early church? This tells us that the Spirit-baptism is a separate act from salvation and is vitally important.

Acts 8:14  —  Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit, no one can experience salvation, and without salvation no one can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Salvation speaks to position, Spirit-baptism speaks to the empowerment of that position, and both are the work of the Holy Spirit.

The same thing happened when Paul encountered some believers in Ephesus.

Acts 19:1-2 —  And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 

Once Paul knew they were professed Christians, he knew that it was important that they received the power from on high.

Acts 19:6-7  —  And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.  There were about twelve men in all.

John the Baptist preached of the importance of the Holy Spirit baptism before Christ had even started His ministry.

Matthew 3:11  —  “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

Mark 1:8  —  “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 3:16  —  John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John 1:32-33  —  And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

We must understand that it is a commandment of Jesus that all believers be baptized in the Holy Spirit for the works ahead.

Acts 1:4-5  —  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

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What the Baptism in the Spirit is Not

Spirit-Baptism is not the “filling” or “measure” of the Spirit in and around a person. It is not the gifts of the Spirit, or the experience of salvation, sanctification, justification, or any of the spiritual blessings mentioned in the Old Testament. There is a major difference between being “filled” or given a “measure” of the Spirit, and being baptized in the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit without measure.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is for EVERY believer!

John 3:34

For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

The other blessings of the Spirit are simply different measures of the Spirit and are only a part of the fullness of God. 

Jesus plainly taught during His ministry that the Holy Spirit baptism had not been given because He hadn’t been glorified yet. In other words, the perfect sacrifice Jesus made on the cross had not yet happened.

John 7:37-39

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Peter confirmed this on the day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:33

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Acts 2:1-4, 33, 38-39

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

And Peter said to them, “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.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.

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What the Baptism in the Spirit Is

The Spirit-baptism is the immersion or burial of the believer in the Spirit at which time the believer receives the Spirit in all fullness, without measure, and is endued with power from on high to do the works of Christ. It is the exact anointing of the Spirit that Christ received. It is the Spirit coming in, upon, filling, overwhelming, infusing, anointing, and enduing with power. It’s the Spirit taking full possession of the believer to live, speak, and work through them in the same degree that was manifested through Christ and the apostles. It’s the fulness of what the saints had in part before the day of Pentecost. 

The purpose of the Spirit-baptism is not to save the soul, sanctify one, or make them a child of God, or to qualify one for the rapture. The sole purpose of the baptism is to endue believers with power to do the mighty works of God. Christ plainly taught that such an enduement of power was necessary to confirm the Word of God.

So how do you get this baptism? The answer is quite simply to ask in faith and believe what the Word of God says. In the next class we will discuss tongues and how speaking in tongues, or praying in the Spirit, ties into the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Going forward

Imagine what the Body of Christ could accomplish if all the members were endued with the power of God to do mightier works than Jesus Christ  while He walked the earth! Think of the effectiveness! If you have received salvation and have publicly declared that Jesus is Lord by being baptized in water, the next step in your spiritual walk is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit! As you continually learn to live a holy life, God’s Word tells us that the Holy Spirit works in the hearts of the people around us so they will hear the life words we speak to them. We willingly abandon our responsibility as redeemed man if we don’t carry out this incredibly important work. 

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2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” The deeper we study and the more time we spend building our relationship with Him, the more that flame will spread in our spirits until it can no longer be contained inside us. This is when the power to witness by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit is manifested. Jesus said in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” You will become a wildfire of wisdom and discipling those around you will come naturally.

The mission of Convergent City Church, along with the worldwide Body of Christ, is to equip our people for the spreading of this knowledge, which has the power to rip the chains of sin and death off the people around us and igniting that same flame in them!