Receiving power from Heaven:The baptism of the Holly Spirit - Spiritual gifts

Receiving power from Heaven:The baptism of the Holly Spirit - Spiritual gifts

BY Argie Simonis     

I encourage you to first read the posts on eternal life and spiritual birth (birth from above) to have a better and more complete understanding of this topic. Here I will deal with Acts 1:8:

"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." 

The power to live a Christian life is directly related to the Holy Spirit. Living a Christian life is not just difficult. It's impossible! The Lord did not create us to live for Him through our own strength, but to be dependent on Him. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you receive a special anointing from God, a power that enables you to live in a way beyond your power:

 - to turn your other cheek

 - to bless instead of cursing those who persecute you

 - to feed your enemy

This is not normal. You can not live like this with your own strength:

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, said the LORD of hosts." Zach. 4:6

Only through the Spirit can we move and experience victories. If you do not experience all of this in your life, it means that you need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, a separate experience from being born again, where these two events do not have to be very far apart from each other.

You see, there is a difference between having the Holy Spirit with you when you are born again (when you also receive salvation) and being baptized in the Holy Spirit as Jesus mentions in the first chapter of the book of Acts.

In the second chapter of Acts comes the fulfillment of the promise:

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, you have heard of me.

For John truly baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Acts 1:4-5

This does not mean "wait until the Father decides when to give you the Holy Spirit." This is why many live a life of inactivity when in fact the Lord is ready to give it to them. If we take this verse literally, then we will have to go to Jerusalem and wait!

In Acts 2:39 we read:

"For the promise is to 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 refers to you and me. After Pentecost we do not have to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. The Holy Spirit wants to fill you more than you want to get filled! You do not need to ask or wait. All you need is to want it! If you have been born again you can be baptized with the Holy Spirit at any time, because Jesus is the One who gives it:

"I indeed baptize you with water to repentance. but he that comes 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:" Μatt. 3:11

Let's look at some things regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

"Follow after love, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy." 1Cor. 14:1

If you ask you will receive them. If you do not ask, you will not receive them. And if you just wait, then nothing will change.

Can you move on to spiritual gifts at any time? Like opening and closing the Holy Spirit like a switch?

The Holy Spirit is constantly in a state of operation. He does not sleep or need rest. I am the one who opens and shuts. The Holy Spirit constantly gives you the inspiration and the desire to move in the spiritual gifts. It's up to you whether you will respond or not. The Holy Spirit is like a machine, a dynamo that works constantly and all you need is to connect with Him. Then His anointing and His gifts will flow.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 Paul talks about spiritual gifts. In the next chapter he talks about " a more excellent way."

The Bible does not tell us that love is superior to spiritual gifts, but moving on to spiritual gifts motivated by love is superior to doing so in the flesh. This means that it is possible to move in spiritual gifts in the flesh, e.g. to prophesy and condemn someone in the name of the Lord.

You can move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and not do it with pure motives!

The Lord can also give you a word but by the time you speak this word you have turned it into a whole paragraph! In other words, you had a word from God and you added something of your own. God speaks through us but we do not always deliver this word perfectly. Inspiration comes from God, but is going through our personality (our mind, our character, our voice).

That's why in 1Cor. 14:29 we see that we must discern the prophecies. It is possible to say something wrong, but it does not mean that it is not from God. In John 11: 49-51 we see Caiaphas prophesying that Jesus would die for the sake of the people:

"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, You know nothing at all,

Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

And this spoke he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;" John 11:49-51

In Numbers 22: 28-30 we see that the donkey was not spiritual, but nevertheless God spoke through it. In 1 Corinthians 12:31, love is not superior to spiritual gifts. What the Word tells us is that spiritual gifts exercised with love are superior to those exercised in the flesh.

I would like to point out one more thing about 1 Corinthians 13: 8:

"Love never fails: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." 1Cor. 13:8

Based on this, many believe that prophecy and tongues have already ceased, but if we continue reading it says that knowledge will also cease. But  has knowledge really ceased?

"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." 1Cor. 13:9-10

They say that this perfection mentioned here is the Word of God. Indeed, the Word of God is perfect:

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." Psalm. 19:7

We continue reading and let the Bible explain itself:

"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1Cor. 13:11-12

- Have you ever seen God face to face? This has not been done yet.

- Do you know everything? Can your little brain understand everything?

- Can you score 100/100 in each test?

- Can you remember everything? No one can claim that.

But when we receive our glorious body, then we will know everything. 

"We shall know even as also we are known". 

None of this has happened yet. But they will when Jesus comes again and we will receive our glorious bodies:

"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." 1Cor. 15:49

So the perfect that is mentioned here is either the second coming of Jesus or our glorious bodies.

Both will be done at the same time. Then we will not need to speak in tongues nor will we need prophecy because we will understand everything. All this human knowledge will cease and we will have the supernatural knowledge of God. We will see Him face to face.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Rom. 8:26

When you receive your glorious body and become perfect, you will no longer need the intercession of the Holy Spirit. But in this life, even if the Word of God is perfect, you continue to need the spiritual gifts.

"But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come on you: and you shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost part of the earth." Acts. 1:8

The Bible will come alive in you! You will perceive the things of God from a completely different angle.

Not having the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the cause of this lack of power that you experience in your life.

Yes, you will go to heaven even if you have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit and probably much faster, because you will not have the power that Jesus is talking about, and you will probably die without fulfilling God's plan in your life, because you will not have the power to walk with victory! It's like trying to attack the devil with a water pistol!

Those who do not believe in spiritual gifts can not move in them.

They experience the supernatural power of God in their lives not as a norm but only as an exception.

"And hope makes not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us." Rom. 5:5

The Holy Spirit baptizes you in love. He will make you love Jesus more than ever. He will transform you and strengthen you!

Amen!