How do i get baptized in the Holy Spirit?

  BY Argie Simonis 

~ How do i get baptized in the Holy Spirit? ~

There is ignorance that confuses many believers regarding the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We have received many questions from brothers who wonder:

"If I don't speak in tongues nor prophesy, does that mean I haven't received the Holy Spirit?"

This is what I am going to explain in this message.

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"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free..." (1Cor. 12:13)

---- THE THREE BAPTISMS

1. -- THE HOLY SPIRIT BAPTIZES US INTO CHRIST, that is, in His Body.

2. -- THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS ​​BAPTIZE IN WATER.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, BAPTIZING them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matt. 28:19)

This baptism is done in water. Water baptism is not the responsibility of just a pastor, but EVERY disciple of Jesus.

3. -- JESUS ​​BAPTIZES US WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

This baptism I will focus on the whole message. That is, the baptism IN the Holy Spirit. The reason I will do this is because it is very important to understand the difference between the first baptism, which is the Holy Spirit baptizing us into Jesus and the second baptism, when Jesus isbaptizing us with the Holy Spirit.

~~ The first baptism is the baptism OF the Holy Spirit, while the second is the baptism WITH or IN the Holy Spirit. ~~

To the question

"Did you receive the baptism OF the Holy Spirit, or did you receive the Holy Spirit?"

the answer is

"YES, when I was born again and received salvation."

When we receive salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ. But the Scriptures specifically speak to us also about the baptism WITH or INTO the Holy Spirit.

"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but Ηe that cometh after me (Jesus) is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:" (Matt. 3:11)

Remember what we read at the beginning:

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free..." (1Cor. 12:13)

In Matt. 3 we read that Jesus baptizes WITH/IN the Holy Spirit. You know, these two baptisms cannot be theologically or even grammatically the same!

~~ In the first case the subject is the Holy Spirit, i.e. the baptizer is the Holy Spirit who baptizes us into the Body of Christ, while in the second case the subject is Jesus. He is the baptizer who baptizes us WITH/IN the Holy Spirit. ~~

That is, Jesus baptizes us (= immerses us), overflows us WITH the Holy Spirit.

Notice this too: The first baptism, that is, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, where the Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ, is found in ALL the gospels.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke are called synoptic, because they all record the story of Jesus AFTER the beheading of John the Baptist. They record the third year of Jesus' ministry. But the gospel of John which was written in AD 70 is not synoptic, because it records the life of Jesus in the first two years of His ministry. That is why in John we find information that is not found in the other 3 gospels:

- The wedding at Cana, (John 2)

- Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus (John 3)

- The Samaritan woman at the well (John 4)

- The adulteress (John 8)

- The blind man (John 9)

- The resurrection of Lazarus (John 11)

- Jesus' conversation with His disciples at the Last Supper (John 14, 15, 16). Nowhere are these mentioned in the other 3 gospels.

The reason I say this is to emphasize with certainty what is mentioned in ALL 4 gospels:

- The death, burial and Resurrection of our Lord,

- The baptism WITH/IN the Holy Spirit

Watch this:

"I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." (Mark 1:8)

"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:" (Luke 3:16)

John is mentioned a little differently:

"And I knew Ηim 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." (John 1:33)

This is very important because never before has the Holy Spirit come down and remained with someone. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came down and visited people, but did not remain.

Remember when the Holy Spirit came upon King Saul, it left him when he offered sacrifices without waiting for the prophet Samuel.

The same thing happened to King David when the Spirit left him the moment he committed adultery with Bathsheba.

Look at what David says in Psalm 51, where he repents:

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me." (Ps. 51:11)

"Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." (Ps. 51:12)

David repented and the Spirit of God returned to him.

So when did John the Baptist see the Spirit of God descending and remaining on Jesus? When he baptized Him in water.

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened," (Luke 3:21)

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke  3:22)

Notice that the subject here is the Holy Spirit, who descended LIKE a dove upon Jesus. It doesn't say that a dove descended like the Holy Spirit.

~~ If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, to be baptized WITH the Holy Spirit, how much more do we? ~~

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---- 3 BASIC CONCEPTS

SALVATION - WATER - SPIRIT

1. At our salvation, the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ and we are now IN CHRIST. Here the baptizer is the Holy Spirit. And when that happens

"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John  10:28)

"My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John  10:29)

"I and my Father are one." (John 10:30)

2. In water baptism, which is a COMMANDMENT of the Lord, a public confession of our faith in Jesus addressed both to the physical and to the spiritual world, our old man dies, we leave him behind, and we emerge as a new man.

3. And then we are also baptized WITH/IN the Spirit.

Jesus is the role model for us all.

Did he need to be saved? No, because He is the One who saves. In other words, Jesus did not need to be born again, because he was born right from the beginning. But we were born with sin from the beginning. That is why we had to be born again to be perfect in our spirit. And this is not done by our works, but by the Grace of God. (see the conversation with Jesus-Nicodemus in John 3)

In our spiritual birth we receive salvation and come into perfect standing before God. We are justified by grace (Eph. 2:8-9).

This does not mean that we are perfected in our behavior or in our works. This is something we all want, but let's not forget that in this area, until we go to Heaven, we are in the process of being perfected.

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil. 2:12)

 

Paul here is not saying to work FOR our salvation, but FROM our salvation. In other words, we are working on something we ALREADY have and not something we don't have!

So Jesus, who did not need to be born again, was baptized in water and then in the Spirit.

In Acts we see the last words spoken by Jesus just before he ascended into heaven:

"And, being assembled together with them, COMMANDED them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the PROMISE of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." (Acts 1:4)

"For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized WITH the Holy Ghost not many days hence." (Acts 1:5)

 

Watch what Peter says next:

"Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37)

Watch here the three baptisms:

"Then Peter said unto them, 

1. -- Repent, (salvation, receive the Holy Spirit)

and 

2. -- be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, (water baptism)

and 

3. -- ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (baptism in the Holy Spirit)" (Acts 2:38)

~~ The gift of the Holy Spirit is not a specific spiritual gift. It's not just tongues or prophecy. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit himself, the Paraclete, given to us as a gift, who Himself gives us spiritual gifts. ~~

"But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will." (1Cor. 12:11)

-- IS THIS GIFT ONLY FOR THE 120 STUDENTS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST?

Peter answers this in the very next verse:

"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 2:39)

This is us! We also receive this gift. So what must we do to receive it?

1. -- Repent, (salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit),

2. -- Get baptized in water

and

3. -- we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; (baptism WITH/IN the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38)

Now see this in action. In Acts chapter 8, Philip goes to Samaria, preaches the gospel, the people repent, get saved, are baptized in water, and then are baptized in the Spirit:

"But when they BELIEVED (=salvation) Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were BAPTIZED (=in water), both men and women." (Acts 8:12)

"Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:" (Acts 8:14)

"Who, when they were come down, PRAYED for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:" (Acts 8:15)

"(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" (Acts 8:16)

"Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.(=baptism IN the holy Spirit)" (Acts 8:17)

I want you to think about this now. Why did Peter and John have to go and pray for people who have believed and have been saved to receive the Holy Spirit?

I have already explained that we receive the Holy Spirit at our salvation. When we receive Christ into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us:

"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?" (1Cor. 6:19)

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1Cor. 3:16)

And here comes the best part:

"... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Rom. 8:9)

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness." (Rom. 8:10)

"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 your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." (Rom. 8:11)

So why did Peter and John have to pray over people to receive the Holy Spirit? Had they not already received it when they received salvation?

The answer is here:

"(For as yet He WAS FALLEN UPON NONE of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)" (Acts 8:16)

Once you accept Jesus into your life and His Spirit dwells in you, why not also accept the gift of the Spirit? Who does not want the Holy Spirit that lives within him to FALL UPON him? So that the One who lives inside you be revealed and manifest on the outside of you as well? Who does not want Jesus, who is the baptizer, to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire?

"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," (Acts 19:1)

"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." (Acts 19:2)

Watch this: Paul wrote about 1/3 of the New Testament. He was the greatest of the apostles, who even said that some of the revelations he received he was not allowed to speak.

"And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." (Acts 19:2)

So are many people. They do not know. If anyone knew how to interpret the Scriptures, that was Paul!

"And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism." (Acts 19:3)

"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." (Acts 19:4)

"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 19:5)

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

The baptizer here is not the apostle Paul but Jesus Christ Himself, who dwelt in them when the disciples repented, accepted Him and received salvation.

Can you see the order that things take place here? People first believe in Jesus, then they are baptized in water, and then they receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Let's see what John writes to us:

"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." (1John 5:7)

Do you wonder what it is that they bear witness to? For the supernatural. That there is God, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and that these three are one!

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)

"And He (Jesus) was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God." (Rev. 19:13)

"The Revelation of JESUS CHRIST, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:" (Rev. 1:1)

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Many times salvation in the Scriptures is also referred to as blood.

"And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of BLOOD is no remission." (Heb. 9:22)

Jesus with His blood cleansed us from all sin. Watch in the next verse the three types of baptism:

"And there are three that bear witness IN EARTH, the SPIRIT, and the WATER, and the BLOOD: and these three agree in one." (1John 5:8)

~~ The Spirit, the water and the blood testify here on earth that there is a God in heaven who has the power to supernaturally change people's lives! ~~

See practicaly what these 3 baptisms do in our lives:

-- When we are saved we become new creatures, because the Spirit of God comes and dwells in us.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2Cor. 5:17)

-- When we are baptized in water, we are cut off from our old man,

-- And when we are baptized WITH/IN the Holy Spirit, we get power to walk in the new.

This is how the work of God in us is completed.

In order to go to Heaven it is enough to be saved. This is how the thief on the cross was saved:

"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." (Luke  23:42)

"And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43)

The thief was neither baptized in water nor in the Holy Spirit, but he was saved. There are believers who, while not having believed in Christ, were baptized when they were children. Later in life they come to the Lord and feel they don't need to be baptized because they once were baptized as children. And yet, water baptism takes place AFTER one believes and receives salvation.

There is also a case in which salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit takes place together, followed by water baptism:

"While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word." (Acts 10:44)

"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." (Acts 10:45)

"For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter," (Acts 10:46)

"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Acts 10:47)

"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days." (Acts 10:48)

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The Old Testament was given to us as an example and admonition:

"Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." (1Cor. 10:6)

"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (1Cor. 10:11)

Also, in the same chapter we read:

"Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;" (1Cor. 10:1)

Moses was then the mediator between God and people, their liberator, a symbol of Christ.

The Holy Spirit in the Scriptures is sometimes referred to as oil, as the cloud, and as fire. Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and fire. Remember that the people of Israel were led by the cloud by day and by the pillar of fire by night. That was the Holy Spirit.

We said that we must be baptized in Jesus, in water and in the Spirit. Now look at the analogy for the three baptisms in the Old Testament:

"And were all BAPTIZED unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;" (1Cor. 10:2)

1. Moses = symbol of Christ,

2. Sea = water

3. Cloud = Holy Spirit

Watch another analogy:

When people entered the Temple through the one and only gate (=Jesus), they had to do three specific things before they could enter the presence of God.

1. They had to offer the blood of a lamb as a sacrifice  (=salvation),

Jesus offered salvation as the spotless Lamb of God,

2. Then you had to wash with water (=baptism in water),

3. The third step before entering the presence of the Lord was to be anointed with oil (=the baptism in the Holy Spirit).

Some people after being saved, try to enter the presence of God by skipping the next two steps. Don't forget what happened back then when someone tried to enter God's presence without following these steps. We do not enter God's presence by our own rules!

All these analogies that I read to you are certainly not mere coincidences. Blood, water and oil.

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The power of the Holy Spirit was what made the 12 disciples of Jesus turn the world upside down! And in the same way that you receive Jesus Christ, that is, by faith, so you also receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Amen!