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Chuck Smith :: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Part 1)

We are studying the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This will be part one of three parts that we will examine on the subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

In Luke 3:16 , we read concerning John the Baptist that,

John answered saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

In John 1:33 , again John the Baptist is speaking his testimony concerning Jesus. He said,

And I knew Him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

So John was prophesying of the one who was coming after him, who was mightier than he was, and who would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. And John now testifies of Jesus, declaring that he really did not know that Jesus was the one until he saw this Spirit of God descending and remaining upon Him. For the one who sent him to baptize, told him that the one upon whom he saw the Spirit descend and remain was the one that would baptize with the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 1:4 , Jesus was assembled together with His disciples and He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, of which, He said,

Ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. ( Acts 1:4-5 )

What do we learn from these verses? First of all, that there is an experience that is properly called the baptism with the Holy Spirit. John said, "There is One coming after me, mightier than I am. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" ( Luke 3:16 ) And he testified that Jesus was that one. It teaches us that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is separate and distinct from regeneration. It is one thing to be born of the Spirit, and yet another thing to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

In John 20:22 , we read that Jesus breathed on His disciples and He said unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." It was at this point that the disciples did receive that indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Now I know that there are those who would object and say that the action of Jesus in breathing on them and saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit," was only symbolic. I would like to suggest that their declaration, that it is only symbolic, is their interpretation of the experience. But they are totally without scriptural warrant in making that interpretation. There is nothing in the Scripture that would indicate that they did not receive the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit. In fact, it is sort of hard for me to believe that Jesus could breathe on you and say, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit," and you not receive it. But the reason why they say it was only a symbolic action is because of their presupposition position, that regeneration and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are one and the selfsame experience.

But from the time that Jesus breathed on them, the Holy Spirit indwelt them. However, in Acts 1:4 , Jesus told His disciples that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father. For He said, "John indeed baptized with water unto repentance, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days." And Jesus here speaks of and acknowledges two different baptisms. He acknowledges the baptism with John in water and the subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit that they were to receive in just a few days.

Now in 1 Corinthians 12:13 , Paul the Apostle declares that we were all baptized by the Spirit into one body. Note that it is baptism, by the one Spirit, into the body. In that case, it is the Spirit who is the one who is baptizing you into the body of Christ. But Jesus is the one who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit baptizes you into the body of Christ. Jesus baptizes you with the Holy Spirit.

Those who seek to deny that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is separate from regeneration, usually quote from Ephesians 4:3-5 , where Paul is encouraging the church to keep the unity of the Spirit. "For," he declares, "there is one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism." Now what they usually do is put these two passages together. One baptism- "And you were all baptized by the one Spirit into the body of Christ" ( 1 Corinthians 12:13 ). When Paul is telling the Ephesian church to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit and speaks about one Lord, one faith, one baptism, what he is referring to is that there is only one baptism into the body of Christ. There is only one body of Christ.

I believe that Paul was warning about the things that we see happening today, in that we have built up denominational barriers. And each denomination sort of claims its own exclusivity, as far as spiritual things are concerned. So, if you want to join the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church and they ask you if you have been baptized and you say, "Oh yes. I was down at Corona del Mar and I was baptized." They will say, "Well no, we cannot accept that. Unless you have been baptized as a Lutheran, you cannot really join the church and so you will have to go through your classes and then be baptized by the Lutherans." They will not accept baptism from Baptist churches or other churches, only their own.

The same is true of the Church of Christ. You may have been baptized by the Lutherans, but the Church of Christ will not accept that, nor will they accept Presbyterians or Baptists. They will only accept baptism by the Church of Christ. But then, if you want to change and you want to be a member of a Jesus Only fellowship, they will not accept that either. They say that a baptism is not valid unless you were baptized into the name of Jesus Only.

So this is just the very thing that Paul was warning about and seeking to guard against, the fact that everyone establishes their own parameters and you have to be baptized by us and into our church. Paul is saying, "No, no. There is only one body-the body of Christ. There is only one baptism." Do not go around to be baptized by all of the different groups who require baptism by their group in order to be accepted into their fellowships. That is dividing the body of Christ and that is what Paul was speaking against.

We know that there is baptism in water. And the one who baptizes you in water is usually the pastor of the church. He is the one who is baptizing and the water is the element in which you are being baptized.

There is the baptism with the Holy Spirit and Jesus is the baptizer. John said, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit" ( John 1:33 ). And the Holy Spirit is the element in which you are immersed, even as you have been immersed in water. So, to be immersed in the Holy Spirit is the thought and the idea behind the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Now in the Greek language, there are three prepositions that signify relationship with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was talking to His disciples the night on which He was betrayed, in John 14 , He is encouraging them. Their hearts are discouraged. He is talking about going away and where He is was going they cannot come and they are upset. He seeks to encourage them and comfort them, promising that He would pray the Father who would give to them another Comforter, even the Spirit of truth, that He might abide with them forever. And speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said,

Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye knoweth him; [Jesus said], for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. ( John 14:17 , emphasis added)

So the Holy Spirit, Christ said, is dwelling with you. He is there alongside of you. The Greek preposition is para, but He is also going to dwell in you. He is going to come in and He will indwell you. And I believe that is what transpired in the twentieth chapter of John, when Jesus breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit." I believe that the Holy Spirit began to indwell them at that time.

Now prior to your conversion, it was the Holy Spirit who convicted you of your sin. It was the Holy Spirit who revealed Jesus Christ to you as the One who could take care of your sins. It was the Holy Spirit that convinced you to accept Jesus as your Lord. And the minute you accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life, the Holy Spirit came into your life and began to indwell you. But that is not the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

As the Holy Spirit is dwelling in you, He begins that marvelous work of conforming you into the image of Jesus Christ. And we will talk about this in a subsequent lesson, when we are dealing with the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer-conforming him into the image of Jesus Christ. But there is that working of God's Spirit within me and within every child of God. No man can call Jesus Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you." The Holy Spirit is in every child of God. You are not your own. You have been bought with a price. "If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" ( Romans 8:9 ). The Holy Spirit indwells every born again believer. You are born again by the Spirit into the body of Jesus Christ.

However, not every believer has the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And in our next lesson we will look at many instances of believers who were not baptized with the Holy Spirit upon their believing in Jesus Christ. But the baptism of the Holy Spirit was a subsequent experience to their believing, which occurred sometimes days later, sometimes weeks later, and sometimes even perhaps years later. We will be looking at these instances in our next lesson.

But we have two prepositions to look at now. He is with you. He shall be in you. And every one of you tonight, who have been born again, have had both experiences. You had the Holy Spirit with you to convict you and to bring you to Jesus Christ. And the moment He came, He began to in dwell you. In Acts 1 again, where Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem-not to depart, but wait there for the promise of the Father-He then said to them, "For you shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." And here He uses the third Greek preposition, which is epi . He comes upon you or He comes over you. And I personally prefer when He overflows you.

And this epi baptism of the Holy Spirit is the empowering of the believer for service. Dwelling within me, He empowers me to be like Jesus. It is an inward work. It is a subjective work of the Holy Spirit within the believer, but the baptism is an outward working of the Spirit. It is the flowing forth from my life in the dynamis (the dynamic)-the power of God's Spirit working through my life in touching those around me. It is one thing to have the Holy Spirit with you- para . It is another thing to have the Holy Spirit in you, but even more to have the Holy Spirit upon you, or over you.

Now, if I should have an empty glass up here on the pulpit, and next to it a large pitcher of water, and the pitcher of water was setting here and the empty glass next to it here, this pitcher of water would be para - with the glass. If I start pouring the water from the pitcher into the glass, then the water is now in this glass-this vessel. Now, as the glass gets filled with water and I continue to pour water out of the pitcher, it now begins to overflow. It now is upon , or overflowing from, the glass and it is the epi at this point. So, you started out with the para , as it is setting beside it. Then it is in it. And now it is overflowing it. And so it is with the Holy Spirit. Our life is like a vessel. The Holy Spirit is with us. He begins to dwell in us. But then the Lord continues to pour into us, until the Holy Spirit flows from us-the epi, or overflowing experience of the Holy Spirit.

Many Christians have the Holy Spirit in them, but the Holy Spirit is not flowing forth out of their lives. In John 7:37-38 -and we will be covering this also in a subsequent lesson-Jesus, on the last day of the feast, stood and cried to the people saying,

If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

And John tells us that this He was speaking of the Spirit. He is speaking of this third relationship, the overflow or gushing forth from their lives like torrents of living water- that overflowing of the Spirit manifesting the real dynamic of the Spirit through your life.

Certainly, God wants us to be filled with the Spirit. In fact, that is a command of the Scripture. When Paul was writing to the Ephesians, he said, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be ye [and he uses the present perfect tense] being filled with the Spirit" ( Ephesians 5:18 )-or be continually filled with the Spirit.

But God also wants us to be overflowing with the Spirit. So many people have the Spirit just all bottled up inside and there is no flowing forth of the Spirit from their life. They are content to just be nominal Christians, just participating but never to overflowing. But it is God's desire, God's purpose, and God's will that your life be overflowing with the Spirit.

On the Day of Pentecost, the people gathered because of the supernatural phenomena, and Peter stood up and preached that message of Jesus Christ to them. The Holy Spirit brought conviction to the hearts of the people who were listening to Peter's message. And in Acts 2:37-39 , they cried out and said, "Men and brethren, what shall we do, seeing that we have crucified the Lord of glory?" They recognized their sin-what they had done wrong. "What shall we do?" And Peter said, "Repent first. Secondly, be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins." You see, the Holy Spirit was with them. They were convicted under the conviction of the Holy Spirit and they were crying out, "What shall we do?" Peter said, "Repent and be baptized." That is when the Holy Spirit will come in to your life and begin His in dwelling.

And then thirdly, he went on to say, "And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." That would be the epi, the overflowing, this glorious gift of God's power for service. And then Peter said,

For this promise is unto you and to your children and to those who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ( Acts 2:39 )

So, there is no thought or indication that this gift of the Holy Spirit would cease at the close of the apostolic age, with the death of the last of the apostles. No thought of that at all; in fact, the opposite is indicated. This promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit is to you, to your children, and then to those that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. So in reality the promise is for us today, in this day.

I am convinced that the greatest need in the church today is a renewal of the teaching on the subject of the Holy Spirit, in order that the church might come into the fullness of the Spirit. We need a renewal of teaching on the baptism with the Holy Spirit, where your life will be empowered to go into this world in which we live and be a witness for Jesus Christ. I believe that the only hope for our nation today is a spiritual awakening that will begin in the church with a fresh movement of the Holy Spirit upon the lives and the hearts of the church, who is seeking, who is thirsting, who is asking.

Jesus said,

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? ( Luke 11:13 )

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. ( Matthew 5:6 )

Now, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the end all of all experiences that God has for you. It is just the opening of the door into this vast new dimension of power. After the baptism of the Holy Spirit, there is then the necessity for the walk in the Spirit. There is the need to be led by the Spirit, and to be constantly being filled with the Spirit, being controlled by the Spirit, and being empowered by the Spirit. And we will see as we go through and look at the examples of the apostles in the Book of Acts, how they were directed, guided, led, and warned by the Spirit as they were walking in the Spirit and after the Spirit.

Oh, how desperately we need that today! We need it for survival. We are living in those perilous days that the Scripture said would come. We are living in those days when the love of many is waxing cold. We are living in a day when, you can hardly dare to watch TV because of the filth and the smut that is aired, that can be planted into your mind. How we so desperately need to just wait upon God, to be overflowing with the Spirit of God, that the church might be a powerful witness and turn back the tide of evil that is engulfing our society and our community.

I am praying that as we study the subject of the Holy Spirit, God will give you such a hunger and such a thirst, that this series will end with the whole church waiting on God and being empowered by the Spirit of God. I am praying that there would be a fresh, new outpouring of God's Spirit upon His church and upon His people. If this does not happen, it is only a matter of time until we will find ourselves crushed by the degraded world around us.

Let us pray.

Father, we thank You for the promise of the Holy Spirit, this wonderful gift of Your Holy Spirit, Lord. The promise that is to us, far off down the centuries from those first days, yet we are called of Thee. Lord, when we read of the power of the early church, we recognize, Lord, that we are very weak. But Lord, we also recognize how desperately we need that power of Your Holy Spirit tonight. Lord, how our hearts long to just be empowered by Your Spirit. And so, Lord, whatever it is that is holding back our lives from Your fullness, we pray that Your Spirit will reveal it. And Lord, we pray that we might see that sovereign work of Your Holy Spirit, dividing to each man severally at He wills, of the gifts of the Spirit, that Your church might be empowered, Lord, to be Your witness in these last days. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

[Unless otherwise noted, all Biblical references are quoted from King James Version.]

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What Is Baptism of the Holy Spirit? Its Meaning and Importance in Scripture

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Dr. Roger Barrier describes the biblical doctrine of the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" as the following:

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion ( 1 Corinthians 12:13 ; 6:19). It is not necessarily accompanied by the gift of speaking in tongues. It would be fair to say that most Christians do not speak in tongues when they receive Christ.

The word, “baptism” means to “dip in” or to “immerse” For example, in the "Odyssey", Odysseus escaped from the Cyclops by sticking (the Greek word is “baptized”) a stake into his eye. Odysseus did not sprinkle it in. He immersed it deeply. In the Bible “baptize” never means “to sprinkle” as some teach today. When we receive Christ, we are immersed (“baptized”) fully by the Holy Spirit into Christ and into the family of God (for example, read Romans 6:1-10 ).

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is received by simple faith in Christ.  The Baptism follows automatically, positioning us in Christ and cementing us securely into the family of God. Paul taught these “position in Christ” concepts in Colossians 2:12 .

Peter also enunciated them in 1 John 4:15 . The baptism of the Spirit refers to the new Believer’s incorporation into the body of Christ by a spiritual-organic union effected by the Holy Spirit. Peter declared the same in his sermon in Acts 2:28 . The new Christian is now "in Christ".

The Baptism in the Spirit is permanent and is bestowed at conversion. It is not to be repeated ( Acts 2:38 ). There is no Scripture text urging believers today to seek for the Spirit's Baptism.

The point is that it is not possible to receive what we already have!

On the other hand, what the Bible does urge us to seek and receive is the filling of the Holy Spirit. The key verse here is Ephesians 5:18 : "Do not get drunk on wine … Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” The term “be filled” is often translated in Greek as “keep on being filled” with the Spirit. It is a continual present tense.

From this, we deduce that the filling of the Spirit is not permanent, but is to be repeated again and again. As a drunk is saturated and under the direct influence of alcohol, so we are to live saturated and under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit.

When Does the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" Occur in the Life of a Believer?

Christianity.com: When does the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occur? from christianitydotcom2 on GodTube .

Transcribed from the video above, Sam Storms talks about when the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs in the life of a Christian:

Yeah, that's a very good question which, unfortunately, as you know, has divided Evangelicals from Pentecostals. I personally believe that spirit baptism happens at the point of conversion for all Christians. 

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I think when you're born again , you put your faith in Christ, Jesus immerses you in the Holy Spirit and you receive the fullness of the spirits' presence. He indwells you from that point on forever. That I think is what the New Testaments talking about when it uses the language of baptism in the spirit. 

Now I also believe that there is biblical justification for what we call post-conversion encounters with the spirit. So some Christians would simply want to call this the filling of the spirit or some might want to call it an anointing of the spirit. Philippians 1 , Paul talks about the provision of the spirit. I'm thinking of Galatians 3 and 1 Thessalonians 4 , Paul talks about God continually giving the spirit. 

So I would want to stand with my Pentecostal charismatic brothers and sisters and say, "You're right. There are multiple encounters with the spirit of God after we get saved throughout the course of our Christian life. Maybe through the impartation of a spiritual gift or empowerment for evangelism or deepened intimacy with Christ. 

But let's not call those spirit baptism." And I want to agree with my Evangelical brother and sisters and say, "You're right, spirit baptism happens for every Christian at the moment of their conversion. But let's not lose sight of the fact that there are multiple post conversion encounters and experiences with the spirit of God."

Let me just give a quick illustration that might help. I use this example in the Chapter. It's like if you have a headache and you said, "Sam, do you have some Tylenol?" I say, "Yeah." And I pull out and I give you a little bottle and you take a couple of pills and your headache goes away. 

And then later I discover that what I really gave you was Aspirin, and I said, "You know what? I got to apologize, I called this Tylenol. In fact, it was Aspirin." And your response is, "I don't care what you call it, it worked. It had medicinal power and my headache's gone." 

So my point is this, the question is, "Did you have a real experience with the spirit of God? Did you have an encounter that was life-changing and is it justified in scripture?" That's the issue. Whether you call it spirit baptism or I call it spirit filling, really, in the final analysis, does it matter? 

The question is, "Did we really have an encounter with the spirit of God that is biblically warranted and actually results in a transformed life?" And I think if Christians can embrace that, maybe some of this division between the Pentecostal charismatics and Evangelicals would begin to go away. 

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The baptism of the holy ghost (in depth).

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is the experience of the Holy Spirit coming into a person’s life to give power for God’s service. Thus, a study of this experience must begin with an exploration of the Person and nature of the Holy Spirit.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The terms Holy Ghost and Holy Spirit are interchangeable in Scripture; they are both translated from the same Greek word in the original texts. The Holy Ghost is not an abstract identity or a remote influence, but a distinct personality of the Godhead. He is God Himself, part of the Trinity that is comprised of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He has personality and all the attributes of Deity.

The Holy Spirit was present at Creation. In Genesis 1:2 we read, “The Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” From Creation and on through the Bible, we see evidence of Him, but in the New Testament, we find a fuller revelation of the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Every believer is influenced by the Spirit of God. It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates the heart of man (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5). The Holy Spirit sanctifies the believer (Romans 15:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11). However, the filling of the Spirit, or the baptism of the Holy Ghost, is an experience beyond regeneration (salvation) and sanctification.

Although the baptism of the Holy Spirit was typified in the Old Testament, and alluded to by Old Testament prophets, it was not until after the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus that the Holy Ghost was poured out upon believers. When Jesus completed His work on earth and returned to the Father, the Holy Spirit came as the promised Comforter.

What is the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

There is much to be heard and read today about the baptism of the Holy Ghost. There are various theological understandings and opinions. Some say that this experience was only for the Early Church and not for believers today. Others teach that a person receives all God has for him at the point of conversion. Some think that the baptism is about speaking in tongues. However, we must base our beliefs on Scripture. What does the Bible have to say about the baptism of the Holy Ghost?

John the Baptist prophesied that Jesus, the One of whom he spoke, would baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire. In Matthew 3:11 we read: “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire.” The word that is translated baptism means “to be immersed; to be totally covered” and can be understood by looking at the physical demonstration of water baptism. When we come to be baptized in water after we have been saved, we go down into the water and the water completely covers us. We are immersed, totally under the water. When we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, we are totally immersed and covered and filled with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus also used the word baptism in connection with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. He explained to His disciples that just as John had baptized with water, they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost. The word baptize gave His followers an idea of what they were to expect—that they would be immersed in the Holy Ghost.

Prophecy of the outpouring

Some eight hundred years before Christ came to earth, the prophet Joel wrote of the baptism of the Holy Ghost. His account prophesies events we have seen fulfilled within the past century. In Joel 2:23,28-29 we read, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. . . . And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”

Joel may not have fully understood the prophecy that he gave, but God moved upon him and those words were spoken by inspiration of the Holy Ghost, to let us know that there would be an outpouring of the Spirit of God. The Former Rain pertained to the outpouring on the Day of Pentecost; the Latter Rain pertains to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost that began in the early 20th century.

The outpouring on the Day of Pentecost

Just before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He told the disciples that the Holy Ghost would come. He instructed them to tarry in Jerusalem until they received the “promise of the Father,” which was the infilling of the Holy Spirit. We read that a group of 120 people gathered in an upper room in the city of Jerusalem, and they prayed. They had gathered in the Upper Room with one purpose in mind: the Lord had promised He would send power upon them and they were determined to receive it.

Scripture tells us that something happened in that upper room that they had never seen or experienced before—the power of God descended upon them and they were filled with the Holy Ghost. We read, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:1-4).

God made His presence known to this group of believers in an outstanding way in this initial outpouring of the Holy Ghost. The coming of the Spirit was accompanied by two manifestations: the sound of “a rushing mighty wind,” and the appearance of “cloven tongues like as of fire.” John the Baptist had foretold One who would baptize “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16), and the two physical manifestations made a graphic picture of the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The evidence of this amazing event was that those who had been filled began to speak in “other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Those from faraway countries who were in the city for the Day of Pentecost recognized the languages that were spoken and were amazed to hear the believers speaking in languages they had never learned. Peter stood and declared that this was what had been prophesied by the prophet Joel—the Holy Ghost had descended. Peter’s sermon that day resulted in the salvation of three thousand souls. The Holy Ghost, or Pentecostal, dispensation began then and continues until now. In fact, this event marked the birth of the Church.

Other recipients recorded in Scripture

In the years following the Day of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Ghost continued to be poured out upon believers. Scripture records some of those instances. The Holy Ghost was given about eight years later to Gentiles in the household of Cornelius. Those with Peter immediately recognized that the believers gathered at the house of this Roman centurion had received the gift of the Holy Ghost, for they “heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:46). In Acts 19:6 we read of the Holy Ghost falling on a group of believers at Ephesus, and when that occurred, “they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” All received the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues—a previously unlearned, distinguishable language.

Pentecostal outpouring on Azusa Street

In periods prior to the 20th century, God poured out His Spirit on individuals here and there. However, those were only “sprinklings” of the “latter rain” prophesied by Joel. In April of 1906, a small group of people from several Christian organizations arranged for prayer meetings in a home located on Bonnie Brae Street in Los Angeles, California. Their purpose was to seek for the infilling of the Holy Ghost, having heard of this experience being received by believers in the Midwest. These people were born-again Christians, subsequently sanctified, and all in one accord, as were those in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost.

Upon this group on Bonnie Brae Street, God poured out His Spirit and baptized them with the Holy Ghost. They experienced the same outward evidence of having received the baptism as did the disciples on the Day of Pentecost, and spoke in other languages “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” When a number received this experience, the word spread, and shortly the meetings were transferred to larger quarters on Azusa Street.

As time went on, the power of the Holy Spirit continued to fall, and thousands received the baptism. People flocked from the four corners of the earth to kindle their torches, and went forth to spread the flame, which began to set fire to the world. Those attending the services compiled the accounts of the meetings into a paper called The Apostolic Faith , and the headlines of the first edition blazed out the news, “Pentecost Has Come.” It proclaimed that “many [are] being converted and sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues as they did on the day of Pentecost.”

What are the qualifications?

In order to be filled with the Holy Ghost, essential steps must be taken. A person must first be born again, justified by faith. Scripture is clear that the Holy Ghost is not given to the unconverted. We read in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

A second step, entire sanctification, occurs when the saved person goes deeper in consecration and God purges the heart. Believers are not only forgiven for committed acts of sin, but they also need to be delivered from the inherited nature of sin through entire sanctification. The old sinful nature must be crucified so that the new nature of Christ can be fully expressed (Romans 8:2). Then the heart is ready for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The 120 who gathered in the Upper Room at the time of the initial outpouring were saved individuals; they were the close followers of Christ, and were obviously committed to following His instructions. They had gathered in the Upper Room and had continued in prayer and supplication. When the Day of Pentecost came, ten days after Jesus’ ascension, they were all “with one accord, in one place.” Jesus had prayed for them to experience the unity described by that phrase. In John 17:9 we read His words, “I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me.” This prayer was not for the lost but for those who were already His followers, and He prayed for God to sanctify them (John 17:17). When the Holy Ghost fell upon them, they were in one accord—evidence that they had been sanctified.

Salvation and sanctification accomplish the forgiveness of sins and the removal of the sin nature. Then the condemnation for committed sins and the nature of sin are gone, and the heart is a suitable dwelling place for the Holy Ghost. The God who wants to live within us is a holy God. The place where He dwells must be a holy place. So we must get the sin taken care of and the heart cleansed. When the habitation is made holy, we are ready to receive the infilling of the Spirit of God.

Pentecostal leaders at the turn of the 20th century were firm advocates of salvation and of sanctification as a second work of grace. These included William Seymour, the leader at the Azusa Street revival; Charles Parham, Seymour’s teacher; and Florence Crawford, one of the key early Azusa Street workers. They understood and taught that the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, was an experience for those who had been saved and subsequently sanctified. The controversy over whether it was necessary to be sanctified prior to receiving the Holy Ghost began when W. H. Durham, who had visited Azusa and had initially embraced the teachings, preached at a Chicago Pentecostal convention in 1910 and sought to nullify the experience of sanctification as a second definite work of grace, calling his new doctrine “the Finished Work.” This was a departure from what Parham, Seymour, and Florence Crawford taught when the movement began. The Azusa leaders denounced Durham’s doctrine, saying that it made an opening for “spiritualistic counterfeits” of the genuine Pentecostal experience. They held that the Bible clearly teaches that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is for those who have been truly converted, sanctified wholly, and are living a victorious life without sin.

Receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit

How do we receive this experience? The answer is not complicated: it comes through prayer and consecration. When the heart and life are pure before God, the believer should then ask God for the baptism of the Holy Ghost. It is God’s desire and intention to bestow this gift on hearts that are prepared to receive it. In Luke 11:9-10 we read, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” The writer goes on to describe how earthly fathers give to their children, and then asks, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Luke 11:13).

Although many consecrations were made when we sought for sanctification, there may yet be something that God is drawing out of our lives when we seek for the Spirit’s infilling. God requires a further submission of soul, mind, body, and spirit. He wants to control every thought and plan, and sometimes it takes fervent prayer to let Him completely direct every area of life. Obedience goes hand in hand with submission: Peter proclaimed that the Holy Ghost is given to those who are obedient (Acts 5:32).

We cannot improve on the way the 120 received the baptism on the Day of Pentecost. They prayed and prayed with one purpose in mind, and that was to do what Jesus had said for them to do. You, too, must set yourself to one purpose and pray until you receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Faith is vital in obtaining this experience, just as it is in receiving salvation and sanctification. When a sanctified believer comes to God and asks for the baptism of the Holy Ghost, he must then believe that God’s promise is true and reach out in faith to accept the promised gift. Since it is clear that this gift is available (Acts 2:39), and indeed, that we are commanded to receive the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), faith must simply rest on these promises and commands, and step forward to claim the blessing.

The Holy Ghost is a gift, but a gift must be received. As we seek God for the Holy Ghost, we do not have to beg God. He wants to give this experience to us! That fact is an assurance that should bring great praise and rejoicing, and praise opens up a channel directly into the very presence of God. Many have testified that it was when they forgot all about themselves and simply rejoiced and praised God that the witness came.

The evidence of the Holy Spirit

Speaking with other tongues is the external evidence that was chosen as a sign that the Holy Ghost has descended. That evidence is uniform and consistent among all Spirit-filled Christians in all cultures and languages. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is not about tongues, but the Scriptural evidence of receiving the baptism is that the recipient speaks in an unlearned language.

The expression, “speaking in tongues,” comes from a compound Greek word from glossa (tongue) and lalia (speaking). It refers to a language uttered by the human tongue, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. The language spoken through the anointing of the Holy Spirit will not be gibberish, but a definite language. When the power fell on the Early Church at Pentecost, their hearers “were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:6).

We do not need to be overly concerned with how we will speak in tongues. Any true manifestation of the Spirit of God will be accomplished in a manner that will glorify God. The gift of the Holy Ghost is what is being received, and when He comes, He will speak through our voices. As we yield ourselves to Him and allow Him complete freedom to do or say what He wills, He will take control. Our spirit will be enraptured by His presence, and we will glorify Him. The evidence of infilling may be just a few brief words or many hours of words. God knows and He will send the evidence in a manner that we will know. The presence of His Holy Spirit is unmistakable!

The purpose of the baptism

Scripture clearly indicates the purpose for the Holy Ghost being given. Acts 1:8 tells us, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” That power was not provided for the disciples’ personal glorification, but for the benefit of others. It would enable them to be witnesses for Christ throughout all the world—to testify of Jesus’ resurrection.

These 120 had been with the Lord since His crucifixion, and thus they were eyewitnesses to the fact that He had risen from the dead. The Great Commission instructed them to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. The known world at that point in history was not as big as it is now, but the disciples did not have the means of transportation we have today. When they heard the instruction to go into the entire world, they no doubt felt much the same as we would today: How are we going to do that? How are we going to let the whole world know that Jesus is alive?

The infilling of the Holy Ghost was what met that need. Power from the Spirit of God provided courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority. The disciples needed all these to fulfill their commission from God.

We have the same need today, and the same provision is available. People are still receiving power in their lives through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and it is still power for service. The one who receives the Holy Ghost will have anointing and ability to witness or testify of Christ.

The commission He gave to the disciples is the same commission given to us today. We have a responsibility to tell the world that we know Jesus has risen from the dead, that He has changed our lives, and that we have had an encounter with Him. The experience we have with Him is not to be kept to ourselves. The command is to be witnesses of what we have experienced and seen. We will need help from Heaven, so the Lord has promised to send the power we need—the baptism of the Holy Ghost.

The Divine influence of the Holy Spirit

The Greek word that is translated “Comforter” is Parakleetos , which means “Helper” or “Companion.” When the Spirit of God fills a person with His fullness, He is present within to accomplish His ministry of enlightening, guiding, empowering, anointing, and teaching.

When we have been baptized with the Holy Ghost, He guides us into all truth. There will be times when we need to know what the truth of God’s Word is, or what God’s will is in our lives. The Holy Ghost will lead us into an understanding. There will be times when we need divine help to accomplish a task for the Lord. We know our own ability is insufficient. In looking at the original meaning of the word translated “power,” we find it could have been translated “ability.” We will receive ability, abundance, might, and strength when we are filled with the Holy Ghost.

Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would abide in us. As soon as we begin our Christian walk, He is with us all along the way, but after we are baptized with the Holy Ghost, He will be within us.

The Holy Spirit will bring all things to our remembrance, “whatsoever I have said unto you.” Perhaps we find ourselves conversing with someone and feel that we should speak a word for God. We may think, I really do not know what is going on inside this person. How can I say the right thing? In such a time, the Spirit of God will direct us and will provide the words for us to speak. He will do a better job of this than we could ever do, even if we gave it much consideration ahead of time. He alone knows the thoughts and intents of the heart! As we simply live for the Lord, the Spirit of God will provide opportunities and help us to be clear and effective witnesses of what we know is the truth.

The Holy Spirit gives life, energy, help, and hope. He will also give us boldness. The religious leaders in the time of the Apostles marveled at the speaking of Peter, John, and the others, because they had not been formally trained in the manner that the religious leaders had been trained. They called Peter and John “unlearned and ignorant men,” but Peter and John had been taught by the Spirit of God and spoke with evident authority. They were told to not preach in the name of Jesus anymore, but they were true to the commission Jesus had left them and went right on proclaiming the truth. They obeyed God rather than man.

For believers today

God baptizes today with the Holy Ghost just as He did in the time of the Early Church. In Acts 2:39, we find Peter’s words after he had received this experience: “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” If you are saved and sanctified today, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is for you. There are no exceptions! God is not selective in His promise. He did not say that some could have it but that others could not. God has this experience for everyone who meets His requirements.

Notice that it was not optional with the disciples whether or not to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Jesus commanded them to wait for the promised power. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is not an option today either. This experience is a necessity for every person who wants his life to be used and blessed by God.

We thank God for those who continue to pray through and receive this experience in our day. If you have not received it, you can. Are you saved? Are you sanctified? If so, the Lord wants to fill you with the Holy Ghost. He wants to put something within you that will charge you. He wants to enable you to live a life revolving around being a witness of the resurrection of Jesus. He wants to give you boldness and authority. He wants to empower you to promote the Gospel that tells men and women they can be saved, that they can know it, and that it can change their lives.

Seek and receive this experience in your life!

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What Is The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

By: Author Michael Bradley

Posted on Last updated: June 9, 2023

In this article, I will show you exactly what this gift of Baptism of the Holy Spirit is and how to properly receive it. Many have tried to receive this gift at an altar call at their local churches, but they have failed to receive it.

They then walk away thinking that maybe there was something wrong with them or they were not worthy enough to receive this gift from the Lord.

I believe the number one reason why some Christians do not properly receive this gift when they try the above approach is because they have not been properly prepared to receive it .

To really receive this gift the first time you try asking and pressing in for it, you have to know exactly what it is you are receiving, and then you have to properly prepare yourself to receive it. Once those two things have been properly done, then it becomes very easy to receive this gift the first time you ask and press in for it.

This is a gift that God wants all of His children to have, just like His gift of eternal salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

I will first start off by explaining exactly what this gift is, and then I will show you how to properly prepare yourself to receive it. Once those two things have been done, I will then show you exactly how to receive it once you are ready for it.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The first thing that you will need to know is exactly what this gift is. The Bible tells us that we will all receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation with the Lord. The Bible also tells us that we are “sealed” with the Holy Spirit the minute we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

So if we have already received the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation with the Lord, then what is this “second” baptism of the Holy Spirit that the charismatics are talking about? The Bible tells us that there is only one baptism.

To fully understand what is meant by the baptism of the Holy Spirit – you have to know what the difference is between your body, soul, and spirit. The Bible tells us that we have three distinct parts to our being – body, soul, and spirit. Here is the verse specifically telling us this:

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

Your body is your natural, physical, flesh body. Your soul is located on the inside of your body. Your soul is who you really are. It is your total personality – it is your mind, will, emotions, and intellect. Your soul is spirit in form, which means it cannot be seen by any natural means. It is completely invisible to the naked eye.

On the inside of your soul is your spirit. The Bible refers to our human spirit as being our “innermost being.” I believe another word for our human spirit is “heart.” When people refer to having had a broken heart in a romantic relationship that has been dissolved, a broken heart is really a “wounded spirit.”

I also believe Jesus gives us a clue as to where our human spirits may be located at in our beings in the following verse. The New King James Version uses the word “heart” , but the Original King James Version uses the word “ belly.”

“He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart (BELLY) 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, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:38)

When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes and enters into our human spirits. Our spirits are thus baptized with His actual presence at the exact moment of our salvation with the Lord. This is the baptism that the Bible is talking about when it says that there is only one baptism.

However, what the charismatics are referring to is a second experience where the Holy Spirit now comes up and enters into your soul.

Your spirit has already been baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of your salvation with the Lord, but now God wants to take it one step further. He now wants to baptize your soul with his Holy Spirit.

Another word that can be used for the “ baptism” of the Holy Spirit where He will now enter your soul area is the “release” of the Holy Spirit into your soul. The Holy Spirit will release from your spirit to come up and enter into your soul.

I believe this is what Paul was referring to when he commands us to be “filled with the Spirit.” If our spirits are already filled up with the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation with the Lord, then what else needs to be filled up? It is our souls.

When you have received the second gift of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you are now considered “Spirit-filled.” Both your spirit and your soul are now filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus tells us in the above verse that out of our “belly” will flow rivers of living water, I believe that He may be telling us that our human spirits are located in our belly areas.

For those of you who have ever felt any kind of heart pain in a broken love relationship – if you will recall, the pain you were feeling was in your belly area. It feels like there is a knife on the inside of your belly area just tearing you up. Again, a broken heart is really a wounded spirit, and when your heart or spirit has been wounded and hurt, you will literally feel physical pain in your belly area.

1. The House Analogy

Another way to try to understand all of the above is what I call the house analogy. When you buy a house, you will get two things – the house, and the front and back yards. The analogy is that your house is your soul, and your front yard is your spirit.

When you receive God’s free gift of salvation through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes and enters into your front and back yards, which is your human spirit. However, He now wants to go one step further and come into your actual house, which is your soul area.

Why? Because this is where you really live at. You spend most of your time in the house as versus being outside in the front and back yards. Jesus says in the following verse:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

I believe Jesus is not only telling us that He is literally going to come into our human spirits at the moment of our salvation with Him, but that He can also enter into our souls through the Holy Spirit. Even though Jesus is in heaven, He now lives on the inside of us “through” the Holy Spirit.

Just as Jesus is living on the inside of us and making contact with us through the Holy Spirit, we likewise can make direct contact with both Him and God the Father through the Holy Spirit. It is “by, in, and through” the Holy Spirit that we have direct access to both God and Jesus who live and dwell in heaven. Here are several good Scripture verses proving the above points:

a) This first verse tells us that the Holy Spirit literally lives on the inside of each of us.

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16)

b) Now that we know that the Holy Spirit lives on the inside of each of us, and that both God and Jesus live in heaven – watch how we make direct contact with both God and Jesus in heaven, which is through the Holy Spirit:

“For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.” (Ephesians 2:18) “And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)

These two verses specifically tell us that we can make direct contact with both God and Jesus who live in heaven “by the Spirit.” The second verse tells us that Jesus literally lives and abides in us “by the Spirit.”

2. The Telephone Cord Analogy

Another analogy to fully understand how we can make direct contact with God and Jesus in heaven through the Holy Spirit is what I call the telephone cord analogy. We can pick up a telephone and call someone 800 miles away.

Even though that person is physically far away from us, we can still hear their voice as if they were only two inches from our ears. It’s as if that person is literally in our actual presence.

It is the same way with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.Even though God and Jesus dwell in heaven and do not live on this earth, we can still make direct contact with the both of Them through the Holy Spirit.

It is by, in, and through the Holy Spirit that we can make direct contact with the both of Them – the same way we can make direct contact and talk to someone else 800 miles away because of the telephone wires that will connect us to the person that we are talking to.

The Holy Spirit is like the telephone wire that enables us to connect to and make contact with both God and Jesus in heaven. We can talk directly to God and Jesus as a result of having the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us, and both God and Jesus can also talk directly to us through the Holy Spirit as well.

Once the Holy Spirit comes up and enters into your soul as a result of having received this gift – you will be able to hear God much better and much clearer because the Holy Spirit has now moved up into where you really live at – your soul. This is why this gift is so important for all Christians to have.

I will end this article with all of the incredible benefits and blessings that you can expect to receive if you decide you want to receive this gift.

These benefits and blessings are extremely powerful and life changing, and they will all completely change and transform the quality of your life.

3. Final Note

If you have not been able to receive this gift at an altar call at your church, here is a very simple 5 step process that you can take that will help you to be able to properly receive this gift from the Lord. However, before I go into each one of these five steps and exactly what they will entail, I would like to state one more thing before leading you into this gift.

In my opinion, this gift is the second greatest gift that you can receive this side of heaven. The first greatest gift is the gift of eternal salvation – where you accept and receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior .

There is no greater gift than this one. With this gift you are truly born again into the kingdom of God and you will go straight to heaven when you die and cross over. This gift now gives you true eternal life with the Lord.

However, I believe that receiving the baptism or release of the Holy Spirit to come into your soul is the second greatest gift that anyone can receive while living down here on this earth. Just stop and think for a minute what is really happening when you do receive this gift.

You receive the Holy Spirit into your human spirit when you get saved. However, this gift will now take you one step further.

This gift will now allow the Holy Spirit to release from your spirit to come up and enter into your soul. Your soul is who you really are. The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead. He is God and Lord Himself.

Once the Holy Spirit releases to come up into your soul, you are going to be as close to Him, God, and Jesus as you possibly can get while living down here on this earth.

Through the Holy Spirit, you will have direct access, a direct connection to both God and Jesus in heaven.

This gift is just going to bring you that much closer to the Three of Them due to the fact that He will now be residing with you up in your soul area.

You will be truly Spirit-filled when this happens.

For some Christians, this may be a bit too scary. Many Christians are afraid of God and they would prefer to keep Him at a safe distance. This gift is really only for the true seekers.

This gift is only for the those who are willing to completely lay down and fully surrender every area of their lives over to God the Father for whatever His purposes and plans are going to be for their lives.

For those of you who do have this fear of God for whatever reason, I can tell you without any shadow of a doubt, that there is absolutely nothing to fear about either God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit.

Once you really make direct contact with the three of Them, once you really feel Their perfect and unconditional love that They really have for you, any fears that you may have had in the past will completely melt away.

God will perfectly and gently handle you at your present level of spiritual development with Him if you decide that you do want to take this bold step and receive this gift. God will gradually work Himself and all of His ways into you so as not to scare you or overwhelm you.

Remember – since God is totally perfect in His very nature and in all of His ways, this means you can completely and totally trust Him to perfectly handle you in your own personal relationship with Him. He has nothing but your best interests at heart.

This article has been divided into 4 sections:

Wednesday 11th of January 2023

which verse supports the second baptism, which is of the soul? Also which verse supports the "more" closeness to God once the soul is baptised.

Monday 21st of June 2021

i was reading your words ,and i read about weeping,i may have clicked on a high lighted portion on readiong all.can you direct me to where i read that.thanks.i also received on three seperate occasions.physically received.when i was 20 years old,when i was 33 years old and recently when i was 63 years of age.each one was different in its own way,i'm sure it is the trinity i am now 68 and acquiring wisdom,through the holy spirit.i wanted to tell you this,but my reason and question was about the section on weeping.thanks from alan.

Joseph Bissinger

Monday 31st of May 2021

Hello Michael,I have been struggling with being "filled" with the Holy Spirit for years! Yes I had hands laid upon me, nothing, Baptized, nothing,asked God to fill me with the Holy Spirit,Nothing. I currently have been "flat lined"meaning I don't feel like reading the Bible,don't feel like praying,I feel forsaking.I prayed for understanding (Bible)my prayers are lackluster and seem like a waste of time.Sorry for the long e mail but this has been most of my life! I'm 62.And the strange thing is my son is going through the exact same thing!Actually he went through it first I tried to encourage him and now I know what he was talking about!I have been an ineffective Christian. I even tried years ago to just give up, but like Peter said "Lord where am I to go..?" Embarrassingly,I have talked to about 20 Pastors and Christian Counselors,but they basically said the same thing."sounds like you love the Lord and are on the right track keep praying about it".I haven't tried what you said yet quite frankly I'm afraid,because if i do and nothing changes,well I'm not sure how much more my faith can take!Thanks for listening.And if your right, Thanks for saving my walk.

Helene Mitchley

Thursday 28th of January 2021

Michael I am confused, In Acts 19:2 Paul asked did you receive the Holy Spirit....they said no, whereas he described when baptised with water (John the Baptist) you show your desire to turn from your sin to God, but to be baptised in the Name of Jesus and hands laid on you you receive the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. Now my questions why did Paul tell them to be rebaptised to receive the Holy Spirit? Even Paul was baptised (when he was Roman soldier) and when he converted he was baptise to receive the Holy Spirit? Please give me more clearance on this subject Kind regards

Gary L Riedl

Wednesday 10th of February 2021

Although it was common practice to baptize with water, water doesn’t guarantee that the Holy Spirit will dwell in us. When people say they have been baptized, we have to probe a little to find out just what they mean by that. If they say that water was poured on them, it was the ceremony; however, if they say they had an experience in them that was life changing, it was the Holy Spirit (this, however, is very subjective). Therefore, while water was used to baptize people, there is a secondary baptism that takes place through the Holy Spirit. Peter explains this in a very straight forward way in 1 Peter 3:21 when he says, “Water symbolizes baptism that now saves you...not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God through the resurrection.”

Katrina Barber

Friday 25th of December 2020

I’ve already been baptized in the Holy Spirit and it was a wonderful experience..like one you can never imagine. He searched my heart then too and gave me the gift of prophecy. But I never prepared for it, I didn’t know I was going to even get baptized this way with the Lord. I thought water baptism was the only way and I did that at 12, but no the Lord did this Himself and said He chose me so I don’t think being mentally prepared is important just spiritually. Anyhow my question I was searching for is with all this being said am I still able to have an unclean spirit? Someone mentioned this and I wanted answers..if anyone can help please and thank you.

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The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Introduction.

We believe the need for the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in a believer’s life is as critical today as it was in the day of the Apostles. We do not teach a dispensational view of the Holy Spirit’s power and the expression of gifts. Rather we hold the position, supported by Scripture, that the Holy Spirit’s presence and power are for every believer until Jesus returns.

We recognize that the families and members of Gateway Church come from varied and diverse backgrounds. As such, we extend the opportunity for people to grow in their understanding of the person and power of the Holy Spirit as well as their understanding of His work in their lives. Everyone at Gateway is encouraged to seek the power, presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit for themselves in a manner with which they are comfortable. No one will ever be forced to receive the Holy Spirit or any of His gifts, but all are taught the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit from Scripture and encouraged to grow in love and intimacy with God.

As we minister to individuals, we will use all the gifts available to us from God to see healing, deliverance and freedom developed in a person’s life. Public expressions of the gifts of the Spirit will be demonstrated in an orderly manner as directed by church leadership. Appropriate expression of a gift of the Holy Spirit in a corporate setting includes submission to pastoral authority and involves expression of the gifts with dignity and order so that it can be received by all.

Jesus promised His Church that they would receive a powerful encounter with the Holy Spirit after Jesus’ own death and resurrection. It is our view that God desires every Christian to experience this same encounter with the Holy Spirit’s power. In Luke 11:13 , Jesus explains that it is our heavenly Father’s pleasure to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. Just like salvation, the Holy Spirit is a free gift from the Father which is received by faith.

Issues of Concern and Practice

Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, God extends His power and the blessing of His presence to all believers. Our role is to receive. This baptism is marked by an initial act of receiving and continues as a daily response of receiving what God has made available for our service and relationship with Him. Through this process of receiving, we choose to accept His good gifts and all His provision for our lives.

While we acknowledge that emotionalism has often been associated with expressions of the Holy Spirit and at times there has been failure in the church universal to properly administrate the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, we do not think these are sufficient reasons to limit the work or expression of the Holy Spirit at Gateway Church. The Pastors and Elders of Gateway Church are committed to teach biblical truth and uphold a biblical standard of order in our corporate worship while at the same time allowing and encouraging an atmosphere for the Holy Spirit’s work among us. We believe this is a better solution to past abuses and excesses in the church related to the Holy Spirit and His gifts.

At Gateway, there are opportunities to experience the different ways that God manifests His power as we draw closer to Him. We encourage individuals to seek the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 . These gifts are not a reflection of spiritual maturity; they are a response of openness and faith to God. Spiritual maturity combines obedience, faith and character in a process that molds us into the likeness of God.

We believe the gift of tongues has a dual purpose as outlined in the Scriptures. When coupled with the gift of interpretation, it provides encouragement, comfort and exhortation to the congregation of believers. When used in prayer, it also provides personal edification for the believer and heavenly unction for prayer concerns that we lack words to adequately express ( 1 Corinthians 14 ). As a prayer force, it adds a new dimension to our partnership with God.

We believe a person receives the Holy Spirit when they receive Christ according to Ephesians 1:13. However, as demonstrated in numerous accounts throughout the New Testament, a believer must receive the Holy Spirit in a manner that accepts the full measure of His work in order for it to be activated in his life. Many believers have been taught that the Holy Spirit’s role in our day and time is to function as the seal of the promise of salvation. This teaching is true and right according to Scriptures, but it is only one aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work in the believer’s life. Receiving the Holy Spirit after conversion is based on a dawning awareness that His role is more than was understood or explained at conversion. This act of receiving is accepting the broadened biblical role of the Holy Spirit by faith.

Major Points and Scriptural References

The following scriptures refer specifically to the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit and are the basis from which we draw our position as stated below.

• Ephesians 1:13
• 1 Corinthians 12:4–11
• Matthew 7:7–11
• John 1:32–33
• Acts 2:1–4

How Do You Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

You receive the Holy Spirit by faith based on the truth of Scripture and the desire of your heart to accept the promise of God for yourself. The acceptance of the promise of God’s power is by faith—the same faith used to receive Christ as Savior. To receive the Holy Spirit, you simply approach God in an attitude of faith, because according to Luke 11:13 , it is His good pleasure to give His Spirit to those who ask.

What Can You Expect?

You can expect things to be different in your life. As demonstrated in Scripture, when a person receives the Holy Spirit, there may be a manifestation associated with the encounter. Some become emotional or express a gift of the Holy Spirit such as tongues, while others notice a change in their insight on Scripture or boldness to witness. While manifestations are not required to receive the Holy Spirit, they are common.

What About the Gifts of the Spirit?

The Holy Spirit brings the experience of the life of Jesus into our lives. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are divided into three categories ( 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 ):

• Vocal Gifts —tongues, prophecy and the interpretation of tongues
• Knowledge Gifts —word of knowledge, word of wisdom and the discerning of spirits
• Power Gifts —healing, faith and miracles

The Apostle Paul encouraged us to earnestly desire spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 14:1 . Although the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to every person who receives the Holy Spirit, they are only activated by faith. If you do not want to demonstrate a gift, God will not make you. If you desire His gifts but don’t understand them completely, He may bypass your mind and give you a gift, but it will always be based on your desire.

• The Holy Spirit Revealed (a sermon series by Robert Morris)
• The Promise of the Father (Cindy Rowley)
• Living the Spirit-Formed Life (Jack Hayford)

God’s purpose is for every one of His children to be filled with the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus’ own life. We cannot reduce this experience to a simple formula. In fact, we are talking about the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. To receive, we simply go to our heavenly Father in an attitude of faith and ask.

Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit, and He wants to fill His children. Through experiencing the nine gifts and the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit, we can effectively share the love and power of Jesus Christ to many people. We can also find the power to overcome many temptations, trials and tests in this life.

Emotional Healing

Deliverance ministry, the end times, physical healing, gospel of grace, spiritual gifts, the christian life, spiritual warfare, baptism of the holy spirit.

Mark 1:8, “I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is something that the early church was so accustomed to, that it was fit to tell everybody to pray in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20)! When the early church found believers who hadn’t yet received the gift of the Holy Ghost, they made it a priority to get them baptized in the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-17, “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”).

The early church was full of healings, deliverances, people being raised from the dead, even people being transported from one location to another (Acts 8:39-40)! Many of us wonder why today’s churches are so dry and lifeless… many of them lack POWER… the power that we receive when we are baptized in the Holy Ghost!! This baptism is SO important, Jesus waited His entire lifetime to receive the Holy Ghost because He entered the ministry! And He told His disciples to wait until they received it too before entering their ministries: Luke 24:49, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry (wait) ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

I believe it’s pretty clear that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is essential to receiving the other gifts of the Spirit. How many people do you know who don’t pray in tongues, yet are manifesting the gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy, interpretation of tongues, gifts of healing, etc.?

Why the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The purpose of the baptism of the Holy Ghost is to be empowered with power from on high. NOT the remission of your sins. Jesus blood was shed for your sins. The baptism of the Holy Ghost is a completely different subject.

Acts 1:5, 8, “For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence… But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” John 7:38-39, “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” Luke 24:49, “And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”

It’s beyond the gift of salvation

It is possible for people to receive this gift at the time of salvation, or at the time of their water baptism, but it’s not always automatic. In most cases it doesn’t take place at the time of salvation.

It’s beyond what you automatically receive when you believe upon Jesus and accept Him as your Lord and savior. John 3:16 tells us that if we believe upon Jesus, we will be saved. Acts 2:38 tells us that if we repent and be baptized, we can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. There are several good reasons to believe this is an additional experience beyond salvation.

– Jesus said to ‘ask’ for the Holy Ghost in Luke 11:13. This was said back when the Holy Ghost was not yet given (John 7:39), therefore it is obvious that He was referring to those of us believers who were around after the Holy Spirit had been given. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize people with the Holy Ghost, which didn’t happen while He was here on earth. So it’s clear that He was speaking of the time after the Holy Ghost had been given.

– If the gift of the Holy Ghost was automatically received at the time of salvation, then why is the Holy Ghost known to be given through the laying on of hands? Acts 8:18, “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money.” Also look at 1 Timothy 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”

– The Bible speaks of different times when people were clearly marked believers, but didn’t receive the Holy Ghost until somebody laid hands on them. Acts 19:2, “He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.” Obviously they were believers, but had not yet received the Holy Ghost. In verse 6, it tells us when they received the Holy Ghost, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

– Another good story can be found in Acts 8:16, “The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” They were baptized in Jesus’ name, so they were obviously believers! But they had not received the Holy Ghost until verse 17, “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” Verse 14 says that they received (believed) the Word of God, which means they were believers!

– Why did Jesus breath on His disciples and tell them to receive the Holy Ghost before the day of Pentecost (John 20:22), then tell them to terry until they were endued with power on high (Luke 24:49)? They obviously received it then, because it gave them the ability to remit or retain sins right afterwards in verse 23, and Jesus didn’t breathe on them for no reason. In Genesis, God ‘breathed’ His Spirit into man. That was the moment where man became alive! So if they already received it, then why would they have to receive it again? Notice too, that the tongues did not come fourth until the actual baptism took place on the day of Pentecost, so they clearly did not receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost until Pentecost!

– If all believers automatically receive all there is to receive of the Holy Ghost, then why are we told to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)? If we have “all we can get”, then why are we told to be filled? Apparently, some of God’s people can have more of the Holy Spirit then others, therefore, it’s not the same with every believer.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues is for today!

The big argument that tongues have ceased, is based upon 1 Corinthians 13:8, “Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” However, if you continue to read down into the context of this passage, in verse 10 it tells us that when these things will seize is when that which is perfect (Jesus!) comes. Some argue that that which is perfect is the Bible, therefore now that we have the Bible, we no longer need to prophecy or speak in tongues. One of the indications that this is a false teaching, is found in verse 12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” There are other places in the Bible that clearly show that this is speaking of the return of Jesus. Are we seeing ‘face to face’ right now? No! Do we know as we are known? No!

Besides, Jude 1:20 tells us to be building ourselves up praying in the Holy Ghost. Do we no longer need to be built up? Prophecy is meant to edify the church (1 Corinthians 14:4, “…he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”). Does the church no longer need edifying? I’ve found that those who believe that tongues and prophecy have ceased, also believe that gifts of healings (1 Corinthians 12:7, 9, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal…to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;”). So let me ask you this; has the need for healing ceased? A golden question nobody wants to answer is explaining to me why gifts of healings would have ceased.

Another good point is that those who believe that tongues has ceased, almost always believe that prophecy has ceased as well. They don’t believe in the gifts of the Spirit for today. But in Acts 2:17, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:” How much more “end” do these days have to get? This is clear proof that the gift of prophecy has NOT ended with the early church! If prophecy hasn’t ceased, why would tongues seize?

I could provide a long list of reasons why tongues and prophecy have not ceased, but I think I will do that in another future teaching.

The baptism of the Holy Ghost is for everybody

Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Everybody who comes to Jesus has been called by God (John 6:65), and the promise of the baptism of the Holy Ghost is unto all those who believe (John 7:38, 39)!

Why pray in tongues?

I must first say that there are more then one type of tongues. There’s a tongues that is used in a group for the group’s edification (1 Corinthians 14:26), which is followed up by an interpretation of the tongue given (1 Corinthians 14:27). This is known as the gift of tongues and is not for everybody (1 Corinthians 12:30). The gift of tongues is also used as a sign for unbelievers, whereas prophecy is used as a sign for believers (1 Corinthians 14:22). I won’t cover the gift of tongues in this teaching, but I will address the personal prayer language, which is available to all who are baptized in the Holy Ghost.

The personal prayer language which is given to everybody whom has received the Holy Ghost is meant for your personal edification (1 Corinthians 14;4, “He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”). Sometimes we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for, but in Romans 8:26, it tells us that, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities (the Spirit helps us with our weaknesses and shortcomings and what we don’t understand): for we know not what we should pray for as we ought (we don’t always know what to pray for): but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered (but the Spirit helps us by giving us the words which we cannot speak on our own).” This is also evident in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries (things we don’t understand or know).”

It is not the Holy Spirit forcing you to speak or moving your lips, but rather the Holy Spirit is giving you the ability to speak in an unknown language (Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”). Therefore, you can choose when and how much you want to pray in the Holy Ghost. Jude 1:20 makes it clear that we have the ability to choose when and how often we are to pray in tongues (Jude 1:20, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost…”). Ephesians 6:18 also makes it clear we are to be praying in the Holy Ghost, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” I’d also like to point out that this verse in Ephesians 6 is speaking of our spiritual armor!

Praying in tongues is for everybody

Mark 16:17, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues.” Jude 1:20, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” Ephesians 6:18 also makes it clear we are to be praying in the Holy Ghost, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…” These letters were written to believers, and if we are told to pray in the Holy Ghost, then that means we will have the ability to do so, once we receive the Holy Spirit that is. Praying in tongues and praying in the Holy Ghost are the same thing, and the link is made obvious in 1 Cor 14:14-15.

There were the gifts of the Spirit which were given to every man, but not every man had every one of the gifts. They were rather distributed throughout the body of Christ for group edification and to bring unity in the church. That’s understanding why God hasn’t given everybody a complete set of all of the spiritual gifts. But with the personal prayer language, it is not meant for group edification, but rather for personal edification. There is no reason to believe that it is not for everybody. Why would God tell us to be building ourselves up by praying in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20), if not everybody is given the ability to pray in tongues? Also, if praying in tongues builds us up spiritually, then why would God withhold something that would personally edify you? The Bible says that nothing good is withheld from them who are righteous (Psalms 84:11).

This is a recent reply I gave concerning tongues being for everybody. I believe in two (or more) types of tongues. There’s the gift of tongues, which the Bible tells us is not given to everybody (1 Cor 12:10), and then there’s the prayer language, where the Bible tells us that the man speaketh not unto men, but unto God and he is personally edified (1 Cor 14:2-4). The gift of tongues is meant to build up and edify the body, and therefore it is not given to everybody. That is why the spiritual gifts outlined in 1 Cor 12:4-11 are divided, so that they might bring unity among the body. If I am gifted with prophecy, and Joe is gifted with Word of Wisdom, then there’s going to be times when I need him, and he needs me. That distribution of the gifts is intended to bring unity in the body. Some of us are arms, others are legs, and some are eyes and so forth, but unified together, we make up the body. That is why the public edification type of tongues is not intended for everybody. Now the personal edification is another story. It is not intended to edify the body, but to be for our own edification and communication with God. Therefore, I see no reason for it to be given only to some and not others. Why would God want some of us personally edified and not others? But I can see some of us contributing to the body through operating in our gift of prophecy, or interpretation of tongues, etc. That makes sense. Some gifts of ministry are available to every believer. For example, the casting out of demons is not available to some not others. Same with healing. We are all seated with Christ in the heavenly places, therefore we have the authority over these things. Jesus told us that those who believe in Him will cast out demons, heal the sick, and speak with new tongues. Mark 16:15-18, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” Jesus didn’t say that some will speak in tongues, and others will cast out demons. He said that these things will follow those who believe. But what about the gifts of healing that not everybody receives? The gifts of healing are beyond the standard authority that we all possess over sickness and disease. Many of us are not to the point of being able to pray for everybody and see results, but somebody who is gifted in healing, say, dental problems (my dad knew somebody with a gifting in this area… WOW), can lay their hands on people with that particular type of ailment, and see results about every time. But should an average believer come into the faith needed to bring about that healing, they can also see amazing results. When Jesus sent forth His disciples (which includes us), He gave them authority over ALL sickness and diseases, but it takes our faith to access and exercise that authority. It is my belief that the gifts of healing will work even when the faith isn’t always capable of doing the job. This brings us to another point. What about the gift of faith, which not everybody receives? Does that mean that only those with the gift can exercise faith? Not at all, but you might think of it as a special gifting or the ability to go farther with less effort. A natural example of this is drawing. Some are truly gifted in drawing, and are very good at it. The rest of us are happy to make stickmen. If we all were to work hard at it, we could all make some nice drawings, but somebody who is gifted in that area will get there faster with less effort. With all that said, I have no doubt that the things which Jesus listed in Mark 16 are available to every believer. We’re all seated with Christ, therefore we all have authority over demons, sickness, and disease. We, through faith, can all be immune (God’s protection) from poison should we happen to drink some unaware. I don’t really consider God’s divine protection a “gifting” that is meant to edify and bring unity to the body. It is meant for our personal protection, and I see no reason why God would give it to some and not others.

Is tongues the initial sign of a person receiving the Holy Ghost?

Acts 2:4, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Notice that ALL were filled with the Spirit AND spoke in tongues!

Acts 10:44-46, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God…” How did they know that they received the Holy Ghost? They heard them speaking in tongues!

Acts 19:6, “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

Some argue that not every time somebody in the Bible was baptized in the Holy Ghost, they are said to have spoken in tongues. One of the stories where somebody received the Holy Ghost, but it didn’t necessarily say that they spoke in tongues is when Paul himself received the Holy Ghost. Later on though, it is obvious that he did speak in tongues (1 Cor 14:18). So even if the Bible doesn’t say that they spoke in tongues, doesn’t mean that they didn’t. The Bible makes it clear that when somebody received the Holy Ghost, it was a known fact. How did the people know if somebody has received the Holy Ghost? In Acts 10:45-46, they knew the Holy Ghost had been received, because they spoke in tongues.

I believe that the personal prayer tongues is received as the first manifestation when a person receives the baptism of the Holy Ghost. I’ve never seen anybody manifesting any of the nine spiritual gifts without being able to pray in tongues. There are some people who believe that the proof of a person receiving the Holy Ghost is when they produce the fruit of the Spirit. However, the Bible says that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man (1 Corinthians 12:7), and you rarely see those people operating in ANY of the gifts (manifestations) of the Spirit that are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11.

It may be possible for somebody to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and not actually pray in tongues simply because they aren’t using their new ability to pray in tongues. I believe that all those who are baptized have the ability to pray in tongues, but some people may not be using it.

Mark 16:17 comes right out and says that those who believe will speak in tongues, “And these signs shall follow them that believe… they shall speak with new tongues…”

How do you receive the Holy Spirit?

Repent and believe on Jesus for the remission of your sins: Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

Ask: Luke 11:13, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?”

Believe: Galatians 3:14, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Also, Acts 19:2, “He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?”

Galatians 3:2, “This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Laying on of hands: 1 Timothy 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.” and Acts 8:17, “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”

Hearing the gospel: Acts 10:44, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” (Remember, faith comes by hearing, and hearing of the Word of God (Romans 10:17). When you believe, you can receive (Galatians 3:14).)

Act of God: Acts 11:15, “And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.”

Not everybody receives the gift the same way. Some people don’t even have to ask, and God comes down and blesses them with it. Others may receive it when another believer (who is Spirit-filled) lays hands on them. Others may ask for it and thereby receive it.

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In the early chruch, miracles were commonplace. The blind were seeing, the deaf were hearing, demons were being cast out, and even the dead were being raised! There are no Biblical reasons as to why such miracles should cease to exist today!