The Holy Spirit Baptism – A Separate Experience
The purpose of this post is to show that getting “baptized with the Holy Spirit” is not the same thing as “getting saved and having the Holy Spirit come to live inside of you.”
I get a lot of questions about this when I talk to people about it. For a long time it was one of my biggest areas of confusion. But once I received the Holy Spirit baptism, that confusion was gone. I had already been a Christian for around 30 years when I finally received it, so I knew immediately that it was a separate experience.
However, I would never ask anyone to base their doctrine on my own personal experience. So, I will not use my experience as part of this teaching. Instead, I will rely on the Bible. It just so happens that the Bible matches my experience.
Let’s begin with this fact: there are a lot of different things that the Holy Spirit does with us. There are a lot of different roles He plays in our lives. For example:
- He makes us look more like Jesus over time (2 Cor 3:18)
- He teaches us and helps us remember things (John 14:26)
- He tells us things that are going to happen in the future (John 16:13)
- He convicts us of righteousness (John 16:8-10)
- He helps us to be confident of our position as God’s children (Romans 8:16)
That is just a short list, but in this short list there is such great variety. And even though many of these are related to each other, there is a different purpose for each one.
There is a purpose for believing in Jesus, getting saved, and having the Holy Spirit live inside of you. There is a different purpose for receiving the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct work of the Holy Spirit, with its own distinct purpose and effects.
When a non-believer hears the message of the gospel and chooses to believe in Jesus and receive salvation, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of that person at that very instant. The theological term for this is “the indwelling.” It means the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you. This truth is found in many places in the Bible (Romans 8:8-11 for example).
Once a person has the Holy Spirit living inside of him (indwelling), he is now eligible for some other experiences that the Holy Spirit brings, the greatest of which is known as “The Baptism with the Holy Spirit.”
When a Christian receives the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, then he/she receives power (Acts 1:8) to represent Jesus in a way that he/she was not able to previously. This power is available for every Christian to receive, but unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, there are a lot of Christians that never receive it.
These are two separate experiences, and two separate works of the Holy Spirit. The “indwelling” is when He comes to live inside of you. The “Baptism with the Holy Spirit” is when He equips you with power. These are both important, but they are not the same thing. They produce different effects and are given for different purposes.
To illustrate this point, we will look at two examples in the Bible.
Acts 8:4-16
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
In this passage, Philip is preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in Samaria, and demonstrating the power of God. In verse 12, people believe his message and get baptized with water.
Acts 8:12 – But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
According to Jesus, this means these people have been saved (Mark 16:16). They have received salvation. They are born again. They are Christians now. They have Holy Spirit living inside of them.
Then, word gets back to the apostles in Jerusalem (approximately 40 miles away) that these people in Samaria have believed the gospel and received salvation. So they send Peter and John to them so that they can be baptized with the Holy Spirit and receive the power that comes with it.
Acts 8:14-17 – Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
It took some time for the news of the Samaritan’s situation to travel from Samaria to Jerusalem. Then it also took some time for Peter and John to travel to Samaria, find the people, and lay hands on them to get baptized with the Holy Spirit. Based on the geographical facts alone, we can assume that there was at least a day or two in between the time that the Samaritans got saved and got baptized with the Holy Spirit.
If “getting saved” and “getting baptized with the Holy Spirit” are the same event, then this passage makes no sense at all.
But they are not the same event. They are different. It is absolutely clear beyond any possible argument. There is no way around this fact. “Getting saved” and “getting baptized with the Holy Spirit” are two separate events.
But, just to establish this truth from another story, let’s look at another passage in Acts where the difference is made plain again.
Acts 19:1-7
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?”
So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
In this passage, Paul meets some people whom he (incorrectly) believes are Christians. He asks them this question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
(Before we go any further, the simple fact that Paul would ask a question like this is proof that he believed that these were two separate experiences. His question shows that he believed a person could be “saved” but not baptized with the Holy Spirit).
When he says “when you first believed,” he is making an assumption that they believe in Jesus. He is thinking that they are Christians…followers of Jesus. They answer him, and they have a short conversation. Paul finds out that they were not Christians after all….they were actually disciples of John the Baptist.
So he immediately tells them about Jesus. They believe and get baptized in water…which (again) according to Jesus means that they are saved at this point (Mark 16:16). After this takes place, Paul places his hands on them and they get baptized with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues.
First, they hear about Jesus, then they believe and get baptized in water. This is “getting saved.”
After they get saved and get baptized in water, Paul ministers the baptism with the Holy Spirit to them and they receive it and speak in tongues.
These are two different events, even though they events are only separated by a few minutes or more.
This is what Paul was asking them about in verse 2 when he asked if they “received the Holy Spirit when they believed.” He was assuming they were Christians, and he wanted to make sure that they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit also.
If “getting saved” and “getting baptized with the Holy Spirit” are the same thing, then again this passage makes no sense at all. Why would Paul even ask such a question if he didn’t believe there was a difference?
Now, to summarize, I want to make some statements that I hope will bring some additional clarity to you as you read them.
- When a man (or woman) chooses to believe in Jesus, he is at that point “born again.” The Holy Spirit takes up residence inside of him. He is a Christian. He has the Holy Spirit dwelling within him. He is a child of God, a member of His family, and a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Immediately, from this moment on, that person becomes eligible to get baptized with the Holy Spirit and receive power to help him represent Jesus better. The person can receive this Holy Spirit baptism immediately, or he can wait many years to receive it, or he may even go to the grave never having received it.
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not the same as “getting saved.” It is a separate event, with a different purpose.
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is not a requirement to go to heaven. It a tool to help Christians be more effective at representing Jesus while they are alive on the earth.
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit does not make you better than other Christians. It makes you more effective than you were.
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit does not put you at a higher rank. You have already been seated with Jesus at the highest point possible in the universe the moment you got saved (Ephesians 2:4-6).
- The Baptism with the Holy Spirit doesn’t make God love you any more. God loves you the same whether you choose to receive it or not.
That brings us to the end of this post. Use the links below to continue, or to go back the series homepage.
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Do you believe the separate experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit ( even though we are saved ) should be encouraged in the church to receive and not limited to just personal choice.
Great question. Yes, absolutely. This is something all of us need. It would help every last one of us. So yes, I believe it should be encouraged. I believe that people should be taught about it, and encouraged to receive it. But it should never be forced on anyone though. People should not be pressured. That is my opinion.
Thanks! I knew that getting saved and getting baptized in Holy Spirit are 2 separate things but I didn’t know how to explain it based on Bible. Thank You, this helps a lot.:D
Thank you! I’m so glad this was helpful! Be blessed
I believe you are confused when it comes to being baptized as separate events. There is baptism of water and baptism of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 4:4-6. You do not receive the Holy Ghost the moment you believe on Christ. Mark 16:16 states will or shall. This acn happen at the moment but not necessarily. Acys 19. They believed on Jesus because of John but had not receiev the Holy Ghost. Receiving the Spirit of GOD is a one time event. One indwelling and baptism. The manifestation of power is and event that happens by the Holy Ghost. This is not a baptism.
Hi Nate. Thank you for your post.
I have heard people teach the concept you have mentioned, but I have always had reservations accepting that view.
In my opinion, there are multiple places in scripture that show that when you come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to live in you.
Here are a few examples. I am not attempting to change your mind, but I am letting you know the reasons I believe the things I believe.
[Eph 1:13-14 NET] And when you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ – you were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit, who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.
This tells us that when someone believes in Christ, they have an interaction with the Holy Spirit that changes them. Here it is called being marked with a seal when you first believe. While that is not conclusive evidence that the indwelling takes place here, it shows that something involving the Holy Spirit takes place the moment you believe.
[1Co 6:17 NKJV] But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit [with Him].
This tells us that the person who belongs to Christ is also combined with His Spirit…the spirit of the human is combined together with the Spirit of God, effectively creating a brand new creature (2 Cor 5:17). This happens to everyone that is joined to the Lord, not just those who have received the Holy Spirit baptism.
[Rom 8:9 NKJV] But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
This tells us that you do not belong to Jesus unless the Spirit dwells in you. Everyone that belongs to Jesus has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them.
Note: I am aware that there are people that make a distinction between the Spirit of Christ, and the Holy Spirit, saying that they are different. But I am not of that opinion. I believe that the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit are one and the same.
I want to know that if you don’t receive the holy spirit baptism but you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior, if you die will you go to heaven?
Great question William. Yes you will, absolutely go to heaven. John 3:16, Romans 10:9, and MANY other scriptures tell us that if you put our faith in Christ, you will be saved. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit is an empowerment to help you while you are on the earth (Acts 1:4-8), but it has nothing to do with whether or not you go to heaven.
Thanks so much I am able to understand the HOLYSPIRIT ” being in us ” when saved and ” to do in us ” as to equip us more effectively
Thank you! That is great to hear! God bless!
So I understand that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a required for salvation but is being baptized in water required for salvation?
Thank you in advance
Being baptized in water is not required for salvation. The only thing required is faith in Christ (John 3:16-18).
Water baptism can be viewed as an outward sign of what has already taken place. You have died to your old ways and risen to a new life. You have been washed clean and made brand new.
Do you have a scripture for that?
Thank you for your question.
Yes, there are a great many of scriptures for that. The first is John 3:16-18 as quoted above. Baptism is not mentioned by Jesus as part of process of receiving eternal life. The only condition or requirement is faith in Christ. The same thing is true in all the passages like Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 10:9, and so many others. The only “requirement” listed for salvation and eternal life is faith in Christ…willingly receiving the free gift that God has provided through Christ.
Additionally, you can look at examples in scripture like these two:
Baptism in water is very important, and has its own purpose and effects. It was important to Jesus, and to the early church in the New Testament. It should not be ignored or overlooked.
But all that being said, water baptism not a requirement for eternal life and salvation. There are people that disagree with this, but to me the point is exceedingly clear in scripture over and over.
Mark 16:15-16 —->”…….he that believeth AND is babtized shall be saved…..”
plus Jn3:5 plus 1peter3:21
Hi Celestine. I am not sure I understand your question, and I don’t want to make any assumptions. Is there something specific you wanted to ask about?
Thank you for showing me through the scriptures about the difference in confessing in believing in Jesus and having being baptized with water brings power in my life
Thank you Celeste!
So thorough and true, thanks so much
Thank you Nyari! Be blessed!
Help me understand if there are 2 baptism how do you explain one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. Ephesians 4:5
Hi Contrell. Great question.
There are multiple baptisms mentioned in the New Testament. Here are a few of them:
– the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11)
– the baptism of fire (Matthew 3:11)
– the baptism of John (Matthew 3:16)
– the baptism unto Moses (1 Corinthians 10:2)
– the baptism of suffering (Luke 15:30)
– the baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29)
– the baptism of the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
In Ephesians 4:5, Paul is talking about unity. So when he says “one faith, one baptism, one God..” I believe he is saying in effect “we are all in this together, we are not on different teams.” I believe that is the point he is trying to make. I don’t believe he is making a point about how many different baptisms there are in the Christian walk. I think that his point is that we are all on the same page.
Is baptism in the Holy Spirit a one off event? Or can you be baptized in the Holy Spirit more than once? Thank you
Hi Heidi. Thank you for your question.
There is no mention in scripture of someone being Baptized with the Holy Spirit more than once. I believe that is is a one-time event with permanent effects.
There is mention of the Holy Spirit temporarily empowering people for specific actions throughout the Old and New Testaments, but those events are different than the Holy Spirit Baptism that Jesus announced in Acts 1:4-8.
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
This has been such a God sent article. Perfect timing for me on my journey. Thank you so much for being obedient to Christ because it’s truly helped me, and others. Great questions in the comments to. All questions I also had that have been answered so thank you again.
Only thing I still question slightly is the last question which was, can you be baptised by the Holy Spirit more than once. See I was thinking that as humans some of us have backsliding before and some of us have received the power of the Holy Spirit through this baptism. But then for whatever reason, have probably ended up sinning and turning from God for a season.
In this case I would imagine that God will also send the Holy Spirit once again to baptise you to give you back the power of the Holy Spirit. The same way he can give it, is the same way he can take it. That in itself is another example of the extent of his mercy for us.
It’s also saying that if we are baptised and for whatever happened you retuned to a life of sin that you would still have the power of the Holy Spirit to continue to speak in tongues and heal, etc. So I do think it could be given and taken away, the way God sees fit, depending on that individuals walk.
I was thinking however that people only tend to be water baptised once. But as this is just a symbolism, an outward act for an internal change, there would be no need to do it more than once. Hmm
Just my opinion though guys, not claiming to be right, would just love to hear your thoughts on this as we go a little bit deeper. But great great article.
God bless you all
Hope to see you all in the Kingdom very soon
Hi Nathan. Thank you very much for the kind words! I am very glad the article was helpful!
As to your question, I will share some statements related how I see things, and then I will provide my answer.
– Jesus accomplished all cleansing for sins 2000 years ago, and then he sat down at the right had of God because that “task” has been accomplished (Heb 1:3). There are no more sins to be paid for or forgiven because Jesus paid it all. As Christians, we are supposed to believe that.
– This means that all of your sins have already been paid for and forgiven, past present and future.
– God promised us that he will “remember our sins no more” (Heb 8:12). Again, as Christians, we are supposed to believe that promise rather than question it. We are supposed to believe that God is not keeping record of our sins.
– Gal 3:2 says “The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?”. The power of God is a free gift that you cannot earn. You can only receive it by faith. There are no behavior requirements. It does not depend on whether or not you are living in sin. Sin does not disqualify you for any of God’s gifts, otherwise they wouldn’t be called “gifts.”
– Romans 11:29 says that “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” You cannot “lose” the baptism with the Holy Spirit since you did not earn it in the first place. It was a gift that God gave you. And from God’s point of view, he is not going to take it from you. It is irrevocable.
The main issue, in my opinion, is unbelief. But this is not the kind of unbelief that people normally think of. Even though the Bible says that all our sins are forgiven, that God will not remember our sins, and that the Holy Spirit is a free gift when you believe…instead of believing those truths…many Christians believe something close to the opposite. People believe that you have to live at a certain level of “holiness” or else God won’t use you. That is basically saying that God was not being truthful in Hebrews 8:12, and that Jesus didn’t actually pay it all. That kind of thinking is called unbelief. And that kind of unbelief can stop you if you falsely believe you lost something.
There is no need for someone to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit more than once. Once God gives it, he doesn’t take it back. And since you didn’t earn it by your behavior, you cannot “lose” it by your behavior. It is not based on your behavior. The only problem would be if you somehow began to believe that you lost it when you actually didn’t. That would cause you think and act like it was gone, and you would let it lie dormant and never take advantage of what God freely gave you.
I hope that helps! Be blessed!
Nathan and Neal,
It’s been on my heart heavy to write out my testimony lately (I’ll share a piece of it). Reading Neal’s experience and the Bible, my experience aligns with the Scripture shared and with his experience. I do believe there are 2 separate experiences: (1) getting saved and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (this is the initial, one-time, and irrevocable filling of the Holy Spirit where we join the body of Christ; can be referred to as receiving the Holy Spirit or being baptized with the Holy Spirit) (2) Filled with the Holy Spirit (outside of the initial filling that makes you part of Christ’s body, this filling can happen more than once and serves a different purpose, which is to empower you to make you more effective for Christ)
Once I had my own understanding, I came to Christ as a teenager around 2011-2012 when I was 15. At that point, I was saved and the Holy Spirit dwelt within me. A few weeks later, I went with my youth group from my church to a local Pentecostal church. I experienced being filled with the Holy Spirit (outside of the initial, one-time, irrevocable filling) with evidence of speaking in tongues. After that powerful moment, we started meeting up during the summer to go evangelize with an older minster at our church and to look for more ways to serve God. The filling, after the initial filling that sealed me, empowered me to do more for Christ. As I got older, I headed off to college, away from the community where I first found my fire. During college, it was like the fire started dying down as I strayed away. I definitely wasn’t as effective as I was when I was around 15. I was in college from 2014-2018.
Fast forward to 2021, I experienced the Holy Spirit in way that left me with a lot of questions but empowered me in a way that changed my life. I remember there being an alter call for receiving your heavenly language. I felt a tug to go to the alter, so I went and poured everything out to God. I felt there were a lot of mistakes and things that I had been holding onto that were blocking God from moving in me and through me. As I cried out and lifted my hands, I felt this fire move inside of me. After I while, my body started shaking and I started speaking in tongues. I was experiencing a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit. This moment felt somewhat similar to the moment I had when I was around 15, but something more was happening. I fell to the ground and kept letting everything out. It felt like everything that had been holding me back had been released. From that moment on, I have been empowered to pray and lay hands on others and speak the Gospel with a new found boldness.
I had so many questions about this. When I found these scriptures, a revelation came to me:
Ephesians 4:30 NIV – “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
1 Thessalonians 5:19 NIV – “Do not quench the Spirit.”
Ephesians 5:18 NIV – “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,”
Though I had already received the Holy Spirit when I came to the faith and experienced being filled when I was 15, I had grieved and quenched the Holy Spirit within me to a point to where I was ineffective as a Christian. My decisions I made in college and the way I lived as a Christian hindered the Holy Spirit from moving in me and through me. 2021 is when I was freed from everything that was hindering the Holy Spirit.
So I believe that once you receive the Holy Spirit, God won’t take it away. I believe, according to Scripture, that Christians can grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. We should continually be filled with the Spirit and live by the Spirit, and not live in the flesh. As far as receiving multiple “fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit” after being sealed with the Holy Spirit during salvation, this Scripture helps me understand what happened.
Acts 2:4 NIV – “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
Acts 4:31 NIV – “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”
They had already been filled with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. They were filled again in Acts 4. This tells me that it is possible to receive a fresh filling of the Spirit that empowers you to do more for Christ.
I hope this helps!
I thank you for the article very enlightening. How would you explain Romans 8:9 which says in the b-clause that if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his
Hi Bernard. Thank you for your question.
Romans 8:9 is referring to anyone that has believed in Christ, received salvation, and been born again. When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of that person from that day forward. Every true believer has the Holy Spirit living on the inside. But that is different from the Holy Spirit baptism that Jesus talked about in Acts 1:4-8. The Holy Spirit baptism is separate experience that happens for a different purpose, and it has different results.
Do people who are baptized with the Holy Spirit have more responsibility to lead others to Christ?
Hi Audra. Thank you for your question. It is a very good question. Here is my opinion.
I don’t think that people baptized with the Holy Spirit have more responsibility to lead others to Christ. I think it is better to look at leading others to Christ as a privilege rather than a responsibility. Although we all have the privilege of doing it, I know that God has given a special calling and ability to some people to be very effective at it. And I believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit will add to that effectiveness.
Thank you for the wonderful article! So how doe speaking in tongues fit the framework of Salvation, and baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Thank you Immanuel. When you believe in Jesus and receive him as your savior, you receive salvation and you are born again. You have eternal life.
At that instant, you become eligible to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the ability to speak in tongues that comes with it. This is separate from salvation and eternal life.
I hope that answers your question. Thank you, and be blessed!
Is the laying on of hands vital to receiving Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Hi Doug. Thank you for your question.
In Acts 8 and Acts 19, the baptism with the Holy Spirit was received by the laying on of Hands.
In Acts 2 and Acts 10, the baptism with the Holy Spirit was received without the laying on of hands.
That tells me that the laying on of hands is not a requirement, but it can be part of it.
As a side note, I have led hundreds of people to receive it by laying on of hands, and I have also led many large groups to receive it without laying on of hands. I have had multiple testimonies from people that received it just by listening to my teaching video and audio on the topic, and participating in the prayer and exercise to receive it at the end of the recording. I offer that as a first-hand example that you can receive it either with or without being prayed for and without anyone laying hands on you. The laying on of hands is not a requirement.
Be blessed!
Just wondering your thoughts on people who believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is/was real but think it was only meant for that specific time frame to spread the word of Christ faster. And has since “died out” when all the apostles died.
Someone once told me that there is not promise of it for later generations.
Hi Nicole. Great question.
In Acts 2 we see the day of Pentecost, the first time anyone received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The event caused a disturbance and people gathered around trying to understand what was going on. Some people were saying that the apostles and the rest of the 120 were drunk. In response to this, Peter comes forward and gives them the correct explanation for what is happening. He quotes from Joel 2:28 and says the following: And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
Peter says that what the people are witnessing….the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, including the ability to speak in tongues…s for the last days. Since we are still in the last days, then this empowerment is still valid, available, and needed. This will be the case as long as we are in the last days. AFter the last days, and a new era has begun, things like knowledge, tongues, and prophecy are no longer needed because we no longer see God dimly, but we will see him face to face (1 Cor 13:8-12).
I hope that helps. Be blessed!
I love how everything was explained with scripture as a reference. Very easy to understand. I do have a question that I’ve been wrestling with. A few weeks ago, at the tugging from the Lord, I went forward to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I got my happy back and a desire to spend more time in prayer and Gods Word but I haven’t experienced speaking in tongues. I know the Baptism is a gift and we just have to receive it in faith so I’m wondering if I should just keep expecting this gift to manifest? Would be interested in your thoughts. Thanks in advance.
Hi Crystal. Thank you for your kind words. That is a great question. Tongues is a gift that comes with the baptism with the Holy Spirit. If you have receive the baptism, then you have the ability now and you can begin to use it whenever you are ready. It is not something that you have to wait for God to do, it is something he is waiting for you to do. If you need help getting started, I walk everyone through the process in several of my classes. I would encourage you to listen and follow along if that seems good to you. Here is a link to one of them:
https://bornofspirit.net/the-promise-of-the-father-video/
The exercise begins at about the 45 minute mark, but the whole sermon is all about speaking in tongues and the Holy Spirit Baptsim.
Water baptism was necessary in Judaism. Christianity took this ritual and it has caused so much confusion and debates. The Apostle Paul said there’s only one baptism, not two, for the Church and it’s the baptism of the Holy Spirit. No water.
This year I had the great pleasure of a very good bible study with some very sweet ladies, while doing the study which was by the way authority of the believer. I have been a Christian for 40 years. but recently changed churches. during this study I believe that I received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. There has just been a big change, the word is illuminated, and it is hard to explain, more bold and confident with my Christian walk and witnessing. there is a deeper love there. And I did ask for it and did want it, but I did not speak in tongues, Is it possible to have received the Baptism and not the tongues as of yet? Some are telling me yes and that it will come eventually. But all the passages of the Bible I read about it, the gift of tongues came right after.
Hi Patsy. If you have received the Holy Spirit Baptism, then you can speak in tongues whenever you are ready. It is included. If you would like help getting started, I strongly encourage you to watch the end of my sermon on it. I lead the congregation in an exercise. Here is a link to the point where we do the exercise: https://youtu.be/HoXe9vaSpME?si=1zWQqEaAkQdT5_mu&t=2695
You are welcome to watch the whole sermon if you like, but the link above goes straight to the part where I help people get started.
God bless you and congratulations in advance!
Hi…I love the above article and conversations! Very enlightening. My concern, though, is that the Holy Spirit throughout all of the conversations and article is constantly referred to as ‘it’. The Holy Spirit is the third PERSON of the Trinity. He is not an ‘it’ or a ‘force’. I tend to believe that He is being constantly grieved by this reference.
Hi Dave. I agree with you. I always refer to the Holy Spirit as “He” and not “it.” He is not an impersonal force. Rather, he is a “person” in the same way the the Father and Jesus are “persons.”
I do refer to things like salvation, baptism in water, baptism with the Holy Spirit, etc, as “it” because those are events brought about by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Be blessed!
I know i am saved becuse i believe in Jesus Christ and that Holy spirit is dwelling in me and teaching me, guiding me and encouraging me everyday. I have been asking the baptism of Holyspirit since many years and I often feel discouraged that I haven’t received it yet. I am sometimes afraid that I would end up in that category in which christians who never get to experience the baptism of holyspirit till they die. I know I can’t earn it and it is a gift that God gives. But i really really long for it. I truly wanna be used effectively for His work. But I have never experienced that. Should I keep asking till I receive it?
HI Jeslia. Thank you for your comment. To answer your question, I absolutely recommend that you continue pursuing the Holy Spirit Baptism until you receive it. It is worth all of the energy and everything.
I have had multiple people contact me and tell me that they followed along with one of my sermons and received the baptism by participating and the prayer and the exercise at the end. IF you are willing, I would recommend that you try that yourself.
Here is a link to the sermon: https://bornofspirit.net/the-promise-of-the-father-video/
The prayer and exercise portion begins at around 45 minute mark in that video. I encourage to to follow along and participate in the prayer and the exercise by faith, and I believe you will receive it.
Be blessed.
You said “for a variety of reasons” some Christians never receive this power. Can you provide some of those reasons?
HI Karri. Thank you for your question.
Here are some reasons that Christians do not receive the Holy Spirit Baptism. These are based on my experience of helping people receive it over the last 15 years or so.
– they have not heard of it, or have not been told about it
– someone told them it was not available to them, or that it passed away
– someone told them it was bad or evil
– they wrongly believe they are not qualified to receive it, or that they are not “good enough”
– they believe there is something they have to do to earn or deserve it
– they believe that they have to wait for God’s timing before they can receive it
– they believe that they would already have it if it really was God’s will
– they are expecting God to take over their body and force them to speak in tongues
– they are unwilling to take the step of faith to receive it
I am sure there are lots of other reasons as well, but those are some of the ones I can remember from my conversations with people over the years.
I hope that helps! Be blessed!
Hello,
I’m not sure why my message isn’t showing up but I’ll try again. Can you elaborate on why some Christians don’t believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit? You said there are a variety of reasons. I’m curious as to what those reasons might be.
Hi Karri, thank you for this question as well.
Here are some of the reasons Christians don’t believe in the Holy Spirit baptism, based on my various interactions and research. This list will have a lot of overlap with your previous question.
– they have never heard of it before
– someone incorrectly told them it was wrong or bad
– they have incorrectly been told that it was only for the early church, but it is not for today
– they have incorrectly been told that we no longer need it because we have the Bible now
– they witnessed some behavior in a church or group setting that they did not understand and then decided to reject it
– they witnessed some behavior in a church or group setting that was wrong, and they assumed from this experience that it was fake or evil or demonic
– they believe that when you receive salvation and the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, that this is all that you ever get…they believe that there are no subsequent experiences with the Holy Spirit available to us
Personally, I was in a denomination that did not believe in it. I assumed that my denomination was correct, and that caused me to go many years without receiving the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Once I knew for sure that it was real, I began to pursue it, but I still had a lot of other wrong beliefs that were hindering me. This is one of the main reasons I have written these articles…to help others that are in that same position.
I hope this answers you question. Be blessed!
Why is my question being deleted?
Hi Karri. Because of spam and other issues, my website does not automatically post questions and comments. I have to review them first so that nothing inappropriate appears on my site.
I try to review and answer questions often, but my schedule does not always permit me to answer questions the same day they are submitted.
Thanks for making your heading clear.
I personally don’t like “clickbait” where they pose a question.
I was clearly born again in 1980 at age 20. Absolutely no doubt in my mind.
It was not until 1999 that I heard and it was proven that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was separate.
So I asked God to baptize him with his holy spirit for the glory of his name and I was changed super radically with extreme boldness and witnessing the gospel.
At that moment he also gave me the gift known as Discerning of spirits…
Absolutely no doubt in my mind that being born again and being baptized of the Holy Spirit are two different things.
Thank you Doug. Be blessed!