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PART II: THE WILL OF GOD AND PRAYER
CHAPTER 12
THE WILL OF GOD
CONCERNING THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the Administrator of God's plan of
redemption on earth. He inspired the writers of the Bible to
record specific revelations, history, etc. He insured that the
scriptures were accurately transmitted down through history. He
led in the process of translating the scriptures into various
languages of people down through history.
Christ through the Holy Spirit called apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers to declare the Good News of
Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts sinners when they hear the
Gospel preached. When people accept Christ as Savior, the Holy
Spirit gives them the new birth. He then indwells each believer
in a unique way. (God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent, and as
such we and everything else lives in God. However, not every
person is not filled with the Holy Spirit or under the control of
the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit indwells every believer:
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up
Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make
alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that
dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11).
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
(1 Corinthians 3:16).
What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).
And what agreement hath the temple of God
with idols? for ye are the temple of the
living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in
them, and walk in them; and I will be their
God, and they shall be my people. (2
Corinthians 6:16).
That good thing which was committed unto thee
keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
(2 Timothy 1:14).
However, the scriptures tell of an experience subsequent to the
new birth called the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD
TESTAMENT. The prophet Joel writes,
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 2:28-29).
THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
This event was initially fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost
following Jesus' resurrection:
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. And there were
dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out
of every nation under heaven. Now when this
was noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded, because that
every man heard them speak in his own
language. And they were all amazed and
marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are
not all these which speak Galilaeans? And
how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes,
and Elamites, and the dwellers in
Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia,
in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia,
in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about
Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and
proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear
them speak in our tongues the wonderful works
of God. And they were all amazed, and were
in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth
this? Others mocking said, These men are
full of new wine. But Peter, standing up
with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and
said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye
that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto
you, and hearken to my words: For these are
not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but
the third hour of the day. But this is that
which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I
will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and
they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders
in heaven above, and signs in the earth
beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of
smoke: The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the
great and notable day of the Lord come: And
it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall
call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(Acts 2:1-21)
Jesus had also prophesied the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
In the last day, that great day of the feast,
Jesus stood and cried, 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. (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.) (John 7:37-39).
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with
you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth
him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know
him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be
in you. (John 14:16-17).
LUKE ALSO RECORDS FOUR MORE INCIDENTS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS WHERE
BELIEVERS WERE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. The second incident
was the filling of the Samaritans eight years after the Day of
Pentecost:
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria,
and preached Christ unto them. And the
people with one accord gave heed unto those
things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing
the miracles which he did. For unclean
spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of
many that were possessed with them: and many
taken with palsies, and that were lame, were
healed. And there was great joy in that
city. But there was a certain man, called
Simon, which beforetime in the same city used
sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria,
giving out that himself was some great one:
To whom they all gave heed, from the least to
the greatest, saying, This man is the great
power of God. And to him they had regard,
because that of long time he had bewitched
them with sorceries. But when they believed
Philip preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized, both men and women. Then
Simon himself believed also: and when he was
baptized, he continued with Philip, and
wondered, beholding the miracles and signs
which were done. 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. (Acts 8:5-17).
Notice that the Samaritans were believers and were baptized in
water before they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.
The third incident was the house of Cornelius, ten years
after the Day of Pentecost:
And he commanded us to preach unto the
people, and to testify that it is he which
was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick
and dead. To him give all the prophets
witness, that through his name whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of
sins. 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. Then answered Peter, Can any
man forbid water, that these should not be
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost
as well as we? And he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed
they him to tarry certain days. (Acts 10:42-
48).
Notice that Cornelius was a Roman centurion, who corresponds to a
captain in our Army today. He was also a Gentile or a non-Jew.
Notice that he and his household were baptized in the Holy Spirit
before they were baptized in water.
The fourth group of people to receive the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts was that of the Ephesians, twenty
years after the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day
of Pentecost:
And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was
at Corinth, Paul having passed through the
upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding
certain disciples, 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.
And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the
people, that they should believe on him which
should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus. When they heard this, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And
when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with
tongues, and prophesied. (Acts 19:1-6).
The last recorded incident of someone receiving the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit was the Apostle Paul:
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus,
named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a
vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am
here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him,
Arise, and go into the street which is called
Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas
for one called Saul [Paul], of Tarsus: for,
behold, he prayeth, And hath seen in a
vision a man named Ananias coming in, and
putting his hand on him, that he might
receive his sight. Then Ananias answered,
Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how
much evil he hath done to thy saints at
Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from
the chief priests to bind all that call on
thy name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy
way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings,
and the children of Israel: For I will shew
him how great things he must suffer for my
name's sake. And Ananias went his way, and
entered into the house; and putting his hands
on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even
Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as
thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest
receive thy sight, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost. And immediately there fell from
his eyes as it had been scales: and he
received sight forthwith, and arose, and was
baptized. And when he had received meat, he
was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days
with the disciples which were at Damascus.
(Acts 10:10-19).
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more
than ye all: (Words of Paul)(1 Corinthians
14:18).
The Apostle Peter declares that the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit is not only for those who were alive during the times of
the Apostles, but for every believer from the Day of Pentecost
forward:
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.
(Acts 2:38-39).
Please note that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is more than
an experience associated with love, joy, the fruits of the
Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit and speaking in tongues. It is
being filled with God himself!
NOT ONLY IS IT GOD'S WILL THAT WE BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY
SPIRIT, BUT THE LORD COMMANDS US TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY
SPIRIT:
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is
excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing and making
melody in your heart to the Lord; (Ephesians
5:18-19).
END
