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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.
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.
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.
Some 800 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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
How do we receive this experience? The answer
is not complicated: it comes through prayer and consecration.
When the heart and life is 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 Him (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.
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 another 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 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!
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 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 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.
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 has 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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