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. (Matthew 3:11 KJV)
And he (Paul) said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John's baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (Acts 19:2-6 ESV)
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for He had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17 ESV)
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4 ESV)
There are some that teach that you receive the Holy Spirit when you are saved. The Holy Spirit is involved in our salvation by drawing us to Jesus, but that is not the FULL work of the Spirit that God has for us. There is also a baptism in the Holy Ghost, where you will be FILLED with His power. Think of it this way, salvation is the emptying of ourselves (getting rid of our sins) and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the filling of ourselves (being filled with His Spirit). [The Holy Ghost is involved in salvation and Jesus baptizes us in the Holy Ghost.]
It was once said by a preacher in the 1800's, “I used to think the disciples spent 10 days in Jerusalem getting filled; but I now believe they were there 10 days getting emptied.”
In Luke 24:49, Jesus states, “Behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
Acts 1:8 says, “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.”
The Greek word for power in Acts 1:8 is dunamis. Its meaning is “power, might, strength.” It is the ability to perform; the power to achieve mighty deeds and works through God's abilities.
It is often interpreted as explosive power. It is best described as “the power of God that renders you effective.” (Think of it as Holy Ghost Fire-power!) Dunamis starts with an explosion of boldness and confidence, but it goes on to instill in you gifts to use in your life.
There are three features of dunamis (Holy Ghost fire-power) which render you effective.
- The thrill to act (Holy Ghost explosion).
- The skill to act (gifts of the Spirit).
- The will to sustain action (endurance).
Let's take a look at each one.
1. The Thrill To Act (An explosion of Holy Ghost confidence, boldness and certainty about your mission in life.)
“But you will receive power [dunamis] when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
This immersion of Holy Ghost fire gives your system the shock necessary to jump start action within your life. Whether you need the Baptism in the Holy Ghost for the very first time, or whether you need a refilling of fresh enduement of power, this explosion is a prerequisite to beginning an undertaking for God. A soul baptized with Holy Ghost fire will be a person on fire for Jesus!
Acts 4:31, says: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
2. The Skill To Act (Holy Spirit imparted gifts to accomplish great things)
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NKJV)
There is an absolute fact of the Bible. All who receive power, also receive gifts. The empowered become the enabled. How? By the fire of the Holy Ghost that has been placed inside of you after your baptism in the Holy Spirit.
For instance, I can hardly speak proper English, but yet God has used me in the past to speak in the different kinds of tongues mentioned in 1 Corinthians to be a sign to others. I have been heard speaking in other tongues by people who speak the languages, such as Spanish, Korean, Russian, Hebrew, Mandarin, Apache, Sioux, Cherokee and other native American languages. I didn't do that! It was the Holy Spirit!
“On the last day, the climax of the holidays, Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water shall flow from the inmost being (belly) of anyone who believes in me. (He was speaking of the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him; but the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet returned to his glory in heaven.)” (John 7:37-39 TLB)
The Lord described the Holy Ghost as a river of fire, welling up inside of you, coming out of your innermost being (belly, heart) and rolling over your tongue in rivers of living water. Many think of being baptized in the Holy Ghost as only speaking in tongues, but tongues is NOT what we are seeking! We are seeking the giver of tongues—the Holy Ghost! Tongues just come naturally once we are filled with the Holy Spirit.
If you think about it, your tongue couldn't possibly be the source of your speech any more than a fire hydrant or a sprinkler in your yard is where the water begins its flow. The water begins to flow when the pressure coming from the source of the water builds up behind the hydrant, and then is released when you turn the hydrant on. BUT YOU HAVE TO TURN IT ON!
Once the Holy Spirit comes inside you there will be a river flowing deep within you. It may start off as just a little bubbling trickle at first, something you feel way down in the pit of your stomach. Then it will start to well up within you, and when you yield to it, it becomes that river of living fire-water rolling across your tongue, giving you the power to speak in tongues.
Just like the hydrant released the flow of the water when you turned the hydrant on, you must also open your mouth and let the river flow out of you. The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:15, “I will pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also.” You must will to do it!
3. The Will to Sustain Action (endurance through refillings)
“For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV)
“That is why I would remind you to stir up (rekindle the embers of, fan the flame of, and keep burning) the [gracious] gift of God, [the inner fire] that is in you by means of the laying on of my hands.” (AMPC)
“That is why I want you to remember the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on you. Now I want you to use that gift and let it grow more and more, like a small flame grows into a fire.” (ERV)
It is clearly evident in Scripture that God seeks to refill us with Holy Ghost power on a regular basis:
After Jesus rose from the grave, He appeared to His disciples. “And when He (Jesus) had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 20:22) They received a partial blessing from the Holy Ghost at this time, but the full blessing could not be given until Jesus ascended to the Father. Up until this point in time, the disciples were only “technically” true believers, according to the Old Covenant. They were not yet regenerated (spiritually renewed and recreated). When Jesus breathed on them, the Holy Spirit regenerated them, or as we would say it, they were “saved/born again.” (As you can see, the Holy Spirit was involved in the salvation process just like I mentioned previously.)
Then, a few days later, in Acts 2:4, it says: ”And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Then yet, just a few weeks later, in Acts 4:31, it says: “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
In the space of just a few months they received Holy Ghost power three times!!!
Why Receive The Baptism Of The Holy Ghost?
Because we are living in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. John 16:7 says, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].” (AMP)
To be baptized in the Spirit means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The word baptize means to be immersed or dipped into. But since the Holy Spirit works from the inside of a person outward, in this case it means that there is an overflowing of the Spirit. It is like pouring more water into a glass of water that is already full – it will overflow onto everything outside of the glass. Thus, a person who is baptized in the Holy Ghost is literally saturated to the point of overflowing outwardly onto the lives of others around them.
Why Must The Initial Evidence Of The Holy Ghost Be Speaking In Tongues?
It is the physical proof of the Holy Spirit's manifestation in you. On the Day of Pentecost both the disciples and the crowd knew something had happened because there was visible evidence that God had done a mighty work within them. It was positive proof! If there was proof then, there should be proof today. God never changes.
What Must I Do To Have This Wonderful Experience Of The Baptism Of The Holy Ghost?
- You must hunger and thirst for it. You must want it. You must desire it with all of your being. The Psalmist David wrote in Psalm 63:1, “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land. Where there is no water.” (NKJV)
- Believe the Scriptures. We must base our walk with the Lord on what the Word says, and not what our feelings are. Believe God's Word promises you the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38-39 says, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (NKJV)
- Recognize your need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. As long as you are satisfied and content with just being saved, you'll never see His power working in your life. Yes, it only takes salvation to make it into heaven, but you are NOT there yet! There are real devils that need to be fought; there are struggles you will have to face; there are wars that need to be won – and without the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit, you will be hard pressed to see a victory.
Just remember, receiving the Holy Spirit is just as much an act of faith as receiving salvation through Jesus Christ. Just as you believed in your need for a Savior to come and save you from your sins, you also must believe by faith to receive the Holy Spirit. So, RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST! Receive His power in your life! You just have to ask Him.