The Baptism & Filling with The Holy Spirit
(I Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 5:18-22)
We learned how Jesus died in our place on the Cross to save us from the penalty of sins. He saves us from a guilty conscience & eternal damnation. We also learned that we died on the Cross “in Christ” so that He could save us from the power of sin. He saves us from our fallen sin nature that dwells in our flesh (Rom. 7:18-20). Both these life changing works of Christ become our experience through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. So it is essential that we have a clear understanding of the Holy Spirit and His work in & through us.
- We Must Know that the Holy Spirit is the 3rd Member of the Holy Trinity (Matt. 28:19; Eph. 2:18; Gal. 4:6; I Pet. 1:2)
We have a unique revelation of the Holy Trinity in Ephesians 1:
The Work of God the Father (1:3-6): Predestination; salvation planned
The Work of God the Son (1:7-12): Redemption; salvation provided.
The Work of God Spirit (1:13-14,17) Transformation; Salvation applied.
The one true Sovereign Creator God has revealed Himself as three persons: God the Father; God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is God. He has all the attributes of God: The Holy Spirit is Eternal (Heb. 9:14); The Holy Spirit is Sovereign (I Cor. 12:11); The Holy Spirit is self existent (The Spirit of Life – Rom. 8:2); The Holy Spirit is Omnipotent (Creator – Job 33:4; Zech. 4:6); The Holy Spirit is Omniscient (I Cor. 2:10-12); and Omnipresent (Ps. 139:7-12).
God is Spirit (John 4:24) & Jesus is Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17).
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit Saves the Lost Person
This Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the “1” Baptism of Ephesians 4:4-6, Performed by the “1” LORD, with the “1” Spirit, that places us “in” the “1” Body of Christ [the Church], because we have believed the “1” Faith of the Gospel. This is the eternal plan of the “1” true God & Father of us all. It comes with genuine Conversion (Acts 2:38; 10:44-45)
PROPHESIES OF THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:
In John 1:32-33, John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus would be the one “baptizing us with the Holy Spirit.” In John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7 Jesus prophesies that He will send the Holy Spirit after His death & resurrection. After His resurrection Jesus told His disciples: “behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye [Greek is literally “sit”] in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The Greek word “Endued” is used for putting on clothes. To be “clothed” in the Holy Spirit is the same as “putting on the LORD Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14; Gal. 3:27). God clothes us “with the garments of salvation” (Isa. 61:10). This fulfills Joel 2:28-29.
THE HISTORY OF THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Acts 2 (The History of what actually happened; fulfilled prophesy).
They were sitting (2:2). Notice that when they are all Jews & all Baptized & simultaneously “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4). They speak with understandable known languages (Acts 2:6-11).
In Acts 4:31 (History) the Disciples are filled (not baptized) with the Holy Spirit again after they prayed. The evidence of being filled was speaking the word of God with boldness.
Acts 8:14-17 records the (History) of the God saving, and Baptizing with the Holy Spirit, the half Jew half Gentile Samaritans. This is a unique transition time in the History of the Church and should not be used to determine the permanent Doctrine of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44-47 is also an important Historic transition time in the History of the Church (Act 1:8). This is the first time that full Gentiles were saved through the preaching of the Gospel & received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. This (History) reveals the pattern for Gentiles to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. They hear the Word of God. They Believe in Jesus as LORD & Savior. They are saved by faith & receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. (see Ephesians 1:13).
THE DOCTRINE OF THE BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Historical pattern of the Book of Acts is ultimately finalized and clarified in the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit taught in the Epistles. Every believer in Corinth was Baptized with the Holy Spirit & “made to drink into one Spirit” (I Cor. 12:13). Galatians 3:1-4 teaches the same Doctrinal truth, that we receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit when we hear the Gospel of Christ and believe.
Conditions for Being Baptized with the Spirit
They are the same conditions of salvation: Hear the Gospel, Repent of all sins [bring forth fruits of repentance]; Trust (Believe in) Jesus as both LORD & Christ to save you from your sins (Matt 3:2, 11; Gal 3:2, 14)
WE ARE NEVER COMMANDED TO BE BAPTIZED WITH THE SPIRIT because it is not something we have any control over.
Our Baptism in Water by immersion is a visible picture of the invisible spiritual truth that every believer has been Baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus (Lk. 24:49; Acts 2:4-5). This Baptism places us “in the Spirit” (Rom. 8:9-11).
Acts 2 was the beginning of the Age of the Spirit in which we live:
Your relationship with the Holy Spirit is a matter of life & 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” (Rom. 8:9). Look for the Fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-25).
The accompanying Chart allows you to study the Doctrinal differences between the Baptism with the Holy Spirit & the Fullness of the Holy Spirit. Study it well to experience more of the Spirit’s glory!
Being filled with the fullness of God is like a bottle in the ocean. You take the cork out of the bottle and sink it in the ocean, and you have the bottle completely full of ocean. The bottle is in the ocean (Baptized) and the ocean is in the bottle (Filled). The ocean contains the bottle, but the bottle contains only a little bit of ocean. So it is with the Christian. We are filled unto the fullness of God, but, of course, we cannot contain all of God because God contains us. But we have all of God that we can contain. You can enlarge your heart to experience more of God (2 Cor. 6:11-13; I Kings 4:29).
III. The Fullness of the Holy is for the Sanctification of the Believer
THE COMMAND TO BE FULL & THE CONDITIONS TO STAY FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT are found in Ephesians 5:18-21
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (19) Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; (5:20) Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (21) Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
“Be not drunk with wine” – Are you going to try to fill your life with meaning, purpose and joy with temporary worldly things? Or with eternal spiritual & Divine realities (Ps. 16:11)? As the drunkard hands himself over, body & soul, and becomes the slave of strong drink, so we are to hand our lives over to the Holy Spirit and become His servants.
The Holy Spirit is not a power or substance that we are somehow to get hold of and use for our purpose. The Holy Spirit is God. To be filled with the Spirit is to allow the Spirit to occupy, guide, and control every area of our lives. We don’t get more or Him – He gets more of us!
“Be filled with the Spirit” is a present tense command meaning “Be ye constantly being filled.” By Being filled with the Holy Spirit, Christ actually lives in us (Col. 1:27). It is a continuing responsibility. It is not a once and for all act. There are 4 participles that explain what we must do to be filled as well as being the evidence that we are filled.
1.) SPEAKING – to yourselves in Psalms & hymns & spiritual songs (5:19). We must be a spiritual minded & focused people.
A.) This concerns our relationship to each other & to our self.
B.) You must memorize a lot of scripture to do this (Col. 3:16) The Word of God must be the center of fellowship in the Church
2.) SINGING – and making melody in your hearts to the Lord. Notice the audience is God! We must be a worshipful & joyful people.
A.) This concerns our relationship to God. Make sure you don’t miss the Singing part of Sunday Worship! It is essential to prepare to hear God’s Word filled with the Spirit.
3.) GIVING – thanks always for all things unto God the Father. Maintain THE ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
A.) This concerns our relationship to circumstances (Act 16:22-5).
We must get our eyes off today’s sorrows and fix them on the eternal joys waiting for us in Heaven (Psalm 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:17-18)
When Matthew Henry was robbed by thieves he wrote in his diary: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; 2nd because, although they took my money they did not take my life; 3rd because although they took my all, it was not much; and 4th because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
4.) SUBMITTING – to one another in the fear of God. (5:21)
We must be humble with a servant heart (James 4:6; I Pet. 5:5)
A.) This concerns our relationship to God given authority.
We have no authority to do anything for God if we are not under authority (Matt. 8:5-10). Submitting requires us to be humble, helpful servants. Mutual submission is always necessary in a busy church.
Being filled with the Spirit manifests first in the Home. Wives submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22); Husbands submit by loving their wives (5:25); Children by obeying their parents (Eph. 6:1); Servants or employees by faithfully serving their Master/Boss (Eph. 6:5-9).
If you are filled with the Spirit you will manifest the Fruit of the Spirit in your daily life: “Love, joy, peace, patience, Gentleness, self control, etc.” (Galatians 5:22-26). But God doesn’t care if you are doing mighty works for Him, if your home is in a mess & you are not loving your family. God wants you to be a good witness for Him at work
The only way to secure the manifestation of an electric current is by supplying the conductor which its nature requires. The conductor the Holy Spirit needs to light up our lives with the Glory of God is found in these 4 participles: Speaking, Singing, Giving, & Submitting. Are you ready to make contact with the greatest power in the Universe?