The Baptism of The Holy Spirit
Luke 3:16 (Audio Only)
Message #1
I’ve decided to teach a series on the Holy Spirit after we have spent a year and a half in the Gospel of John. I believe what we need most right now, is to settle into a study on the Holy Spirit. My primary source for this study is a book by Pastor Chuck Smith called “Living Water” which is a fabulous book on the subject of the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to read it. Pastor Jim Hesterly, who has a ministry called “Acts 1:8 Ministries” also provides some information. You can find them at: acts-one-eight.com.
Let me start with a quote from Pastor Chuck Smith out of the book, “Living Water.”
I am convinced that the greatest need (not one of, not possibly) in the church today is a renewal of teaching on the subject of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer is that we would come to know the Holy Spirit in an equal way as we know the Father and the Son. That the Holy Spirit would not get left out of that, that we would not be “unknowing” (this is the politically correct word for “ignorant”) of the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. But that we would know him as we desire to know the Father and the Son.
Let me give you one more quote from Chuck Smith’s book. In his preface he says, The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today.
The Holy Spirit is the primary member of the Godhead at work in the world today. And so, if you let that sink into your heart, you may come up with the same question I came up with. And that is, “If the Holy Spirit is the primary member of the Godhead at work in the world today, why is it that we talk about him the least?” Why is he the subject of our teaching the least if, in fact, he is the primary member at work in the world today?
And I believe it’s primarily because of misunderstanding, of misinformation that has been put out there, and from misuse of this entire subject. And so, my prayer is that I can clear up some of those things, at least to some extent, in this study and create in the Body a desire to know the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. And I pray today, you would begin to understand how critical of a statement that is.
The purpose today is to answer three questions before we get into the study. The three most often asked questions about the Holy Spirit, at least in my interpretation.
1). Is there an event properly called “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit”?
2). Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit a separate event from salvation?
3). Is there a certain sign that is the evidence of receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit?
My prayer is that if we can answer these most common questions today, then you can set them aside in your mind. Because if we struggle with these questions, we can’t get on to what the Lord really wants, and that is a deeper understanding, a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit.
So, we are going to be spending eight to ten weeks talking about the Holy Spirit, and I’m very excited about that. It means I don’t have to teach everything in one morning, you don’t have to understand everything in one morning. We’re going to spend some time finding out who the Holy Spirit is, what his role is, and why we need him so badly.
1). Is there a certain event properly called “The Baptism of The Holy Spirit?”
Luke 3:16 (NKJV)
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize (immerse) you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize (immerse) you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
One of my favorite words is BAPTIZO. It is such a powerful word. It means “to be immersed in to bring about a permanent change” and that is the word used here in the Greek in both these places where it says baptize. BAPTIZO. To immerse, to saturate. And so, just as John’s baptism immersed people, saturated people in water, so Jesus Christ’s baptism of the Holy Spirit immerses us, saturates us in the Holy Spirit to bring about a permanent change.
Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV)
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon (Greek = Epi) Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
I could teach three or four messages on these two verses, but the critical thing for us to understand here, today, is number one, that Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit descend upon him. We’ll talk about that word “upon” in just a minute. The most critical thing I want you to know is when this occurred in Christ’s life. It occurred prior to any public ministry. The Father God in Heaven would not allow Jesus Christ, himself, to begin a public ministry until he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, until the Holy Spirit had come upon him.
So, what do we see in Luke Chapter 4, verse 1? Immediately after the Holy Spirit came upon Christ, we read the following.
Luke 4:1 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
These are keywords for old Holy Spirit folks in the Body. Jesus was “filled” with the Holy Spirit and he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. Why? Because after his temptation, he was going to begin his public ministry. And before the Father would allow him to go through those things, he said you must be baptized in the Holy Spirit – Jesus Christ, himself.
Luke 4:14(a) (NKJV)
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…
So, we see the Spirit descended upon him (Epi = upon). He was filled with the Spirit. He was led by the Spirit and he came in the power of the Spirit.
Luke 4:14 (NKJV)
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
In verse 18 of Luke Chapter 4, Jesus begins his Sabbath teaching ministry. How does Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begin his teaching ministry?
Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon (Epi) Me,…
Jesus Christ, himself, would not be allowed by the Father to go into ministry until the Holy Spirit had descended upon him; until he was filled with the Spirit; led by the Spirit, moving in the power of the Spirit. And then, when he first began his teaching ministry the first words in his teaching ministry are “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,” Epi.
18 …Because He has anointed Me…
Anointed is another keyword for Baptism of the Holy Spirit teachings. He has anointed Me… What does it mean? It means “endued with power” He has “endued me with power”
18 …to preach the gospel to the poor;…
And he goes on with all that he’s been called to do.
But in four events we see the example set for us by Jesus Christ, himself. Like everything else in the Christian life, Jesus Christ sets the example.
The Holy Spirit descended upon him. He was baptized in the Spirit, he was filled with the Spirit, he was led by the Spirit (Luke 4 verse 1), he came in the power of the Spirit (verse 14), he was anointed by the Spirit (verse 18). All as a result of the Holy Spirit descending upon him, saturating him, immersing him in the Holy Spirit. This is critical to understand the process that Jesus Christ himself took prior to beginning any ministry.
Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
4 (Jesus) And being assembled together with them (Disciples), He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,…
What’s about to happen here? The New Testament Church is about to be birthed. And Jesus Christ says to the group that is going to start the entire change of the entire world, he says – don’t go anywhere. Don’t start the ministry, just go to Jerusalem. Do not depart from Jerusalem
4 …but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized (immersed) with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power (dunamis, dynamic, dynamite) when the Holy Spirit has come upon (Epi) you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
What’s going on with Jesus and the Disciples? The exact same thing that went on between the Father and Jesus. The Father told Jesus do not start your ministry until the Holy Spirit descends upon (Epi) you (saturates you, immerses you), then he will fill you, he will lead you, you will go in his power, he will anoint you. Jesus Christ, himself, had to wait and then he turns around to his Disciples and says, no – don’t go into the ministry. Do not start the New Testament Church. Just go wait. Because you can’t do it unless the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The dynamic, dunamis power from God will come upon you, and then you can begin the ministry.
Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon (Epi – to saturate) you; but tarry (wait, do not go into the ministry) in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
The endued literally means “to be clothed with” or “to be clothed in.” And so, here Jesus is saying, do not go into the ministry until you are clothed with the Holy Spirit, endued with power from on high. The same manner in both situations. The Father says to Jesus, don’t go into the ministry until you’re bathed, endued, clothed, immersed, saturated with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says the same thing to the Disciples.
Acts 9:3-6 (NKJV)
3 As he (Saul) journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (That is the moment of conversion – Lord, yes.) Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Now, I guarantee you, at this moment, Paul believed in Jesus Christ. I guarantee it. Because he is standing there in front of him. So, what does Jesus tell him to do? He says, go into the city and wait. AND Jesus leaves him blind. Why? Well, the scriptures don’t really say, but I personally believe, it’s because Paul would have gone right off into the ministry. And so, Jesus blinded him and sent him into the city to wait.
To wait for what? To wait until Ananias decided to obey God. And in verse 17, after a conversation between Ananias and the Lord, says,
Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV)
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him (Saul) he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
And what immediately happens to Paul when he receives the Holy Spirit?
Acts 9:20 (NKJV)
20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
Guys, Paul went through the exact same process as the Disciples did, who went through the exact same process that Jesus Christ, himself, did. Do not begin your ministry. In fact, Christ blinded Saul, so that he could not begin his ministry until he received the power of the Holy Spirit, until he was filled with the Holy Spirit. All three were very critical events. All happened the same way, where the ministers were kept from the ministry by God until they were ready, meaning clothed with the Holy Spirit. Critical.
And I can assure you that these people all believed in Christ. Starting with Christ, himself. They believed. Jesus didn’t tell the Disciples, go wait in Jerusalem until you believe in me. Trust me, they believed in him. He was standing there, risen from the dead. He didn’t tell Paul and decide if you believe what you’ve seen. He just said, go wait. Wait in anticipation and expectation because the power you need to minister is coming – don’t go into the ministry until you receive the power.
Baptized in the Spirit – why? To bring supernatural power for the ministry. Because without the supernatural enduing of power from the Holy Spirit, we are in it on our own. And there’s not enough “try” in us. We are taken out very, very easily. We need to be saturated, immersed, filled, empowered with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus, himself, needed before he began his ministry, that the Disciples needed before they began the Church, and that Paul needed before he began his great missionary work. Do you see that? It is such a clear, clear teaching there.
Let’s go over these words. There are three Greek words that I’ll use the first couple of weeks here, that describe the relationship that the Holy Spirit has with us.
The Greek Words are these:
PARA
EN
EPI
In English the words are:
WITH
IN
UPON
You’ve heard me say epi a number of times. That’s the “upon.” Let’s start with the “with.”
First of all, I don’t have time today, but I just want you to know (you’ll get the scripture references later), the Bible makes it very clear that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin. Prior to believing, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. The Bible also says it’s the Holy Spirit who reveals Jesus Christ to us, prior to our believing. It is also the Holy Spirit’s role that enables us to believe, to commit our lives to Christ prior to our believing. It is the vehicle of the Holy Spirit that gives us the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. That is PARA. That is “with.” The Holy Spirit is with you. You need to understand, critically, Romans 8:29-30, and you have to understand the very first word before you read the second because the first one is: Foreknew. For whom he foreknew… I won’t get into it, but the Holy Spirit is with you before you are saved. That’s PARA.
Then, throughout the New Testament, we learn that the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit is in you. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you the moment that you are saved. We would say to our kids, “Where’s Jesus?” And they’d say, “In my heart” as they pointed to their heart. Now, Jesus is in our hearts in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Right? Because Hebrews tells us where Jesus really is. He’s sitting at the right hand of the Father where he ever lives to make intercession for us as our great High Priest, where he controls everything in the universe by the word of his power. Who is really living inside our hearts from a theologically correct standpoint? It’s the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit’s role to live in us, to dwell in us.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,…
In John Chapter 14, Jesus is giving the Disciples comfort and encouragement as he prepares to leave.
John 14:16-17 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Allos Parakletos), that He may abide with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with (PARA) you and will be in (EN) you.
2 Corinthians 6:16 (NKJV)
16 …For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
We know that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We know that he is with us prior to believing. But in the three examples we just looked at, we know the Holy Spirit was with these, including Christ, himself. We know that he was in them because we know that he comes in when we believe, and certainly, the Disciples believed and certainly, Saul believed.
But there was another word used. That word is EPI – upon. And they were held back from ministry, prevented from mistering until they had the upon experience. Now, to me, that signals a great, great importance. God, himself, would not allow his Son to begin ministering until the Holy Spirit came upon him, Jesus wouldn’t allow the Disciples to begin the New Testament Church until the Holy Spirit came upon them, Jesus wouldn’t allow Paul to be the great missionary until the Holy Spirit came upon him – all after they believed. This is a great, great teaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Guys, we need the EPI experience. The immersion in the Holy Spirit. The saturation of the Holy Spirit. We need to be clothed with the Holy Spirit or we will be taken out. That’s why these ministers that I just described weren’t allowed to go into the ministry. Maybe not Jesus, but he did it as an example. But trust me, I know from experience, without the supernatural power of the enduing, the clothing of the Holy Spirit, you will not make it in the ministry, I promise you.
2). Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit a separate event from salvation?
Well, you can just look at the last three examples I gave you, and answer the question, right? The answer is yes. The Bible clearly shows that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate event from salvation. Does it occur after salvation? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. So, we’re not saying when it occurs, we’re saying it is a separate event. Absolutely, yes.
Paul is probably the best example of that because his salvation occurred after Pentecost. And so, even after Pentecost, his salvation and his baptism in the Holy Spirit were separate events, both required before God would allow him to go become a great missionary.
Turn to Acts Chapter 8. There’s a revival breaking out in Samaria through the preaching of Philip. We pick up the story in Acts 8, verse 14.
Acts 8:14-17 (NKJV)
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 (Epi) none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Clearly indicating salvation.)
So, they had been saved, but they had not received that Epi experience. And so, Peter and John left Jerusalem and went to Samaria. Why? Because there were believers over there who haven’t received the Holy Spirit. So, they leave Jerusalem to go because that is how important it is that the Holy Spirit falls upon the believers.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The promise of the Father to enable the Christian life. You can’t do it on your own. This is such a powerful event that we see in verse 18 that Simon the Sorcerer asks if he can buy this same power. The answer is obviously, “No.”
One more example is in Acts Chapter 10. This is a neat example because it shows the opposite end. It’s really important that you understand this. Peter is preaching in the house of Cornelius, a gentile’s house. The Holy Spirit had sent him up the coast there. We pick it up in verse 44.
Acts 10:44-48 (NKJV)
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon (Epi, saturated, immersed) all those who heard the word.
No indication that they had been saved, yet. Clear indication, here in a minute, that they had not been baptized. And yet, they received the Epi, the upon experience.
45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Guys, apparently here, the evidence of salvation was the receiving of the Holy Spirit. The epi, the upon experience. Before they had been baptized, possibly at the simultaneous moment of salvation. What’s the point? The point is there is no “magic formula.” The Holy Spirit is not some magic force that you get by doing a certain thing. He, as a Person, is a gift from God that is a requirement for anyone in the New Testament to even be in the ministry. Forbidden, including Jesus Christ, himself, from being in the ministry without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All throughout the New Testament, we see that.
But it is not a one, two, three-step recipe, and bam! You get it, and you have to do this, and you have to do that. God will not be put in a box, especially by us. So, God does it as he sees fit. It’s critical to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Person that desires an intimate relationship with you.
And not only will we see that this need for this initial epi, upon experience of the baptism is required, but a continual refilling of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I’ve seen this happen to people. I just look in their eyes and I say, “They’ve got it!” And it’s nothing you can describe. It’s just this power that comes down from heaven.
3). Is there a certain sign indicating that you have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: No. No. No. The Bible makes it very clear that the same thing does not always happen when the Holy Spirit falls on people. In fact, the purpose, in my opinion, that there are all these different experiences recorded, is so that we will not try to encapsulate it, and recipe it, and sell it. There’s never an indication that one certain evidence indicates the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
But here’s what’s probably more important to understand. The emotional or mental state of the people in the Bible who receive the Holy Spirit is never altered. Follow me on this. There is clarity of mind. There is “awakeness”, and alertness, sobriety (if you will). There is a waiting and an anticipating, but there is never any type of an emotional charge or any type of an altered mental condition in the Bible. It doesn’t exist. The teachers say you need it. The people believe, ask for it, they receive it – and that’s when the supernatural stuff starts happening. But there is never any indication that people have to reach some certain emotional, or mental, or spiritual level before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Cornelius House experience in Acts Chapter 10 confirms that.
So, let me give you a quick definition of the gift of tongues because that question is related to the gift of tongues. Is there a certain sign indicating you’ve received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? No. Is the gift of tongues real? Yes. Is it an excellent gift? Yes. Paul says it is, we’ll get to that in a couple of weeks.
Let me give you a definition of it. This is Jim Hesterly’s definition, it’s a good one. The gift of tongues is a supernatural gift of communicating with God unhindered by human intellect.
That’s what it is. It’s a great gift. Is it an evidence gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter. Why is it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we demand some type of physical evidence? We don’t demand physical evidence of salvation. If someone says, “I know that I’m a sinner. I repent of my sins. I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life,” we don’t watch that person to see what they are going to do. We just trust that Jesus said that if a sinner repents and asks for forgiveness, that God will forgive him and that his eternity is changed. It’s called faith. The evidence of things unseen. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. There is no need for initial evidence.
Now, let me tell you something very critical to understand, and I’m going to encourage for the next few weeks. If there is an evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it comes over time, just like the evidence of salvation. What is it? Two things, primarily.
1). The supernatural power to serve Christ. That is evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I know when someone has truly been baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit because you can’t get them to stop serving Christ. If something goes bad, they don’t just run away. They serve anyway. They are driven to serve because it is the power of the Holy Spirit in them that’s driving them to serve. It’s a supernatural power. That’s evidence.
There is a far greater evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we are going to spend a lot of time on it when we get to 1 Corinthians Chapter 12.
2). Supernatural agape love. That is the number one evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It’s loving your enemies. It’s loving those who hate you, who despitefully use you. It’s praying for those who are persecuting you. And when people say, “Whoa! That’s not even natural” that’s when you know the Holy Spirit is at work because we don’t do that in our flesh.
And so, when you see that supernatural love, that supernatural forgiveness, especially coupled with a supernatural power to serve Christ, then you’re looking at the evidence of the “falling upon” – the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
How is it received? It’s received just like salvation is received. By asking, believing, and receiving. It’s as simple as that. The Holy Spirit is not given to give you the “holy tingles.” The Holy Spirit is not given so that we can have an emotional experience. The Holy Spirit is given for two things: to empower us to serve, and to empower us to love. Because, in ourselves, we can’t do it. We don’t have enough “try” in us. We need the power of God.
I want you to hear this because it is a very difficult statement. First of all, you’ve got to recognize that the devil’s primary workplace is inside the church. The devil is not down in the bars getting people to drink. He doesn’t have to be… the alcohol is going to kill them. The devil works in the church, and that’s something the church needs to be aware of.
Secondly, I believe that the enemy has at least some level of success, at making the conservative Christian Church shy away from the power of the Holy Spirit that they need by bringing up some kind of other experience that we shy away from. We say, “Oh! That’s wild, that’s crazy. I don’t want any of that!” And the devil is saying, “Yeah! They’ll remain cold and fruitless. All I have to do is get them offended by the power of the Holy Spirit. And they’ll be weak and serving in their own strength. And everybody knows they can’t do that.” Do you understand me? I’m telling you that you cannot serve the Lord without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You cannot love with agape love without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it is proven throughout scripture.
If there is a lack of supernatural power in your Christian walk, you need the infilling, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If there is a lack of witness in your Christian walk, you need the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And just in case you still think, “That’s not for me. I’m not into all that emotional stuff” turn over to Acts Chapter 2. Here’s what I really want you to see, today.
Peter is in the midst of the first Spirit-filled message of the New Testament Church. Three thousand souls are about to get saved. And here’s what it says.
Acts 2:37-39 (NKJV)
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 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.
39 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.”
What’s the promise he is talking about? The gift. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a promise from God. Why? Because we can’t live for Christ without him, that’s why. And that promise to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call (again, refer back to Romans 8:29), that includes you. If you’re a believer this morning, the gift of the Holy Spirit is for you. You need him. It’s a requirement. You shouldn’t be in the ministry without him.
The only way you’ll stay in the ministry is saturated in the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, the ministry will take you out. That’s the truth. You can’t be a godly husband without being baptized in the Holy Spirit because you can’t be godly on your own! You don’t have it in you. You can’t be a godly wife. You can’t be a godly mother or a godly father. You cannot live a godly life. You can be religious, you can pretend. You can go through the motions. But the supernatural power that God has poured out, you cannot live for him without. Period. That is the truth.
If God has called you to be a believer, he wants to empower you with the enduing, the clothing, the saturation, the immersing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Turn to Luke Chapter 11, verse 11. HOW do you receive it? Another phenomenal lie of the enemy is that somehow you have to earn the power of the Holy Spirit. That somehow this person who has been around awhile and always talks about the Holy Spirit, “Oh, they’ve earned it. They’ve grown so much in the Lord.” Listen, Paul was persecuting Christians one day, preaching for Christ at least some days later. He spent a few days with the Disciples. Guys, the power of the Holy Spirit is available as a gift.
Luke 11:11-13 (NKJV)
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Jim Hesterly says that there is a picture here of asking, seeking, knocking. Of continually coming to ask until you are filled to overflowing. And if a son continues to come to ask, you, as a father, for food, will you not give it to him? The answer is yes. Inference.
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
In this same section in Matthew Chapter 7, this is ask – and it will be given. Seek – and you will find. Knock – and the door will be opened to you. The power of the Holy Spirit is given by believing, asking, and receiving just like salvation. The evidence comes as you live out your life for Christ. And you see supernatural power to serve. You see supernatural love that you would never on your own have. You say, “Whoa! That’s the Holy Spirit living in me! That’s not me! That’s some power beyond me!” Exactly. That’s exactly right.
Asking, believing, receiving. If you’ve never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, ask, receive, believe. If you’re waiting, or you don’t think you need it, you’re being lied to by the enemy because Jesus Christ, himself, would not enter the ministry without it. Neither should you.
Let me start with a quote from Pastor Chuck Smith out of the book, “Living Water.”
I am convinced that the greatest need (not one of, not possibly) in the church today is a renewal of teaching on the subject of the Holy Spirit.
My prayer is that we would come to know the Holy Spirit in an equal way as we know the Father and the Son. That the Holy Spirit would not get left out of that, that we would not be “unknowing” (this is the politically correct word for “ignorant”) of the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. But that we would know him as we desire to know the Father and the Son.
Let me give you one more quote from Chuck Smith’s book. In his preface he says, The Holy Spirit is the primary agent of the Godhead working in the world today.
The Holy Spirit is the primary member of the Godhead at work in the world today. And so, if you let that sink into your heart, you may come up with the same question I came up with. And that is, “If the Holy Spirit is the primary member of the Godhead at work in the world today, why is it that we talk about him the least?” Why is he the subject of our teaching the least if, in fact, he is the primary member at work in the world today?
And I believe it’s primarily because of misunderstanding, of misinformation that has been put out there, and from misuse of this entire subject. And so, my prayer is that I can clear up some of those things, at least to some extent, in this study and create in the Body a desire to know the Person and the work of the Holy Spirit. And I pray today, you would begin to understand how critical of a statement that is.
The purpose today is to answer three questions before we get into the study. The three most often asked questions about the Holy Spirit, at least in my interpretation.
1). Is there an event properly called “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit”?
2). Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit a separate event from salvation?
3). Is there a certain sign that is the evidence of receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit?
My prayer is that if we can answer these most common questions today, then you can set them aside in your mind. Because if we struggle with these questions, we can’t get on to what the Lord really wants, and that is a deeper understanding, a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit.
So, we are going to be spending eight to ten weeks talking about the Holy Spirit, and I’m very excited about that. It means I don’t have to teach everything in one morning, you don’t have to understand everything in one morning. We’re going to spend some time finding out who the Holy Spirit is, what his role is, and why we need him so badly.
1). Is there a certain event properly called “The Baptism of The Holy Spirit?”
Luke 3:16 (NKJV)
16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize (immerse) you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize (immerse) you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
One of my favorite words is BAPTIZO. It is such a powerful word. It means “to be immersed in to bring about a permanent change” and that is the word used here in the Greek in both these places where it says baptize. BAPTIZO. To immerse, to saturate. And so, just as John’s baptism immersed people, saturated people in water, so Jesus Christ’s baptism of the Holy Spirit immerses us, saturates us in the Holy Spirit to bring about a permanent change.
Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV)
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon (Greek = Epi) Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
I could teach three or four messages on these two verses, but the critical thing for us to understand here, today, is number one, that Jesus Christ had the Holy Spirit descend upon him. We’ll talk about that word “upon” in just a minute. The most critical thing I want you to know is when this occurred in Christ’s life. It occurred prior to any public ministry. The Father God in Heaven would not allow Jesus Christ, himself, to begin a public ministry until he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, until the Holy Spirit had come upon him.
So, what do we see in Luke Chapter 4, verse 1? Immediately after the Holy Spirit came upon Christ, we read the following.
Luke 4:1 (NKJV)
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
These are keywords for old Holy Spirit folks in the Body. Jesus was “filled” with the Holy Spirit and he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. Why? Because after his temptation, he was going to begin his public ministry. And before the Father would allow him to go through those things, he said you must be baptized in the Holy Spirit – Jesus Christ, himself.
Luke 4:14(a) (NKJV)
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit…
So, we see the Spirit descended upon him (Epi = upon). He was filled with the Spirit. He was led by the Spirit and he came in the power of the Spirit.
Luke 4:14 (NKJV)
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
In verse 18 of Luke Chapter 4, Jesus begins his Sabbath teaching ministry. How does Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begin his teaching ministry?
Luke 4:18 (NKJV)
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon (Epi) Me,…
Jesus Christ, himself, would not be allowed by the Father to go into ministry until the Holy Spirit had descended upon him; until he was filled with the Spirit; led by the Spirit, moving in the power of the Spirit. And then, when he first began his teaching ministry the first words in his teaching ministry are “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,” Epi.
18 …Because He has anointed Me…
Anointed is another keyword for Baptism of the Holy Spirit teachings. He has anointed Me… What does it mean? It means “endued with power” He has “endued me with power”
18 …to preach the gospel to the poor;…
And he goes on with all that he’s been called to do.
But in four events we see the example set for us by Jesus Christ, himself. Like everything else in the Christian life, Jesus Christ sets the example.
The Holy Spirit descended upon him. He was baptized in the Spirit, he was filled with the Spirit, he was led by the Spirit (Luke 4 verse 1), he came in the power of the Spirit (verse 14), he was anointed by the Spirit (verse 18). All as a result of the Holy Spirit descending upon him, saturating him, immersing him in the Holy Spirit. This is critical to understand the process that Jesus Christ himself took prior to beginning any ministry.
Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
4 (Jesus) And being assembled together with them (Disciples), He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem,…
What’s about to happen here? The New Testament Church is about to be birthed. And Jesus Christ says to the group that is going to start the entire change of the entire world, he says – don’t go anywhere. Don’t start the ministry, just go to Jerusalem. Do not depart from Jerusalem
4 …but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized (immersed) with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?
7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
8 But you shall receive power (dunamis, dynamic, dynamite) when the Holy Spirit has come upon (Epi) you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
What’s going on with Jesus and the Disciples? The exact same thing that went on between the Father and Jesus. The Father told Jesus do not start your ministry until the Holy Spirit descends upon (Epi) you (saturates you, immerses you), then he will fill you, he will lead you, you will go in his power, he will anoint you. Jesus Christ, himself, had to wait and then he turns around to his Disciples and says, no – don’t go into the ministry. Do not start the New Testament Church. Just go wait. Because you can’t do it unless the Holy Spirit comes upon you. The dynamic, dunamis power from God will come upon you, and then you can begin the ministry.
Luke 24:49 (NKJV)
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon (Epi – to saturate) you; but tarry (wait, do not go into the ministry) in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
The endued literally means “to be clothed with” or “to be clothed in.” And so, here Jesus is saying, do not go into the ministry until you are clothed with the Holy Spirit, endued with power from on high. The same manner in both situations. The Father says to Jesus, don’t go into the ministry until you’re bathed, endued, clothed, immersed, saturated with the Holy Spirit. Jesus says the same thing to the Disciples.
Acts 9:3-6 (NKJV)
3 As he (Saul) journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (That is the moment of conversion – Lord, yes.) Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
Now, I guarantee you, at this moment, Paul believed in Jesus Christ. I guarantee it. Because he is standing there in front of him. So, what does Jesus tell him to do? He says, go into the city and wait. AND Jesus leaves him blind. Why? Well, the scriptures don’t really say, but I personally believe, it’s because Paul would have gone right off into the ministry. And so, Jesus blinded him and sent him into the city to wait.
To wait for what? To wait until Ananias decided to obey God. And in verse 17, after a conversation between Ananias and the Lord, says,
Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV)
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him (Saul) he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
And what immediately happens to Paul when he receives the Holy Spirit?
Acts 9:20 (NKJV)
20 Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
Guys, Paul went through the exact same process as the Disciples did, who went through the exact same process that Jesus Christ, himself, did. Do not begin your ministry. In fact, Christ blinded Saul, so that he could not begin his ministry until he received the power of the Holy Spirit, until he was filled with the Holy Spirit. All three were very critical events. All happened the same way, where the ministers were kept from the ministry by God until they were ready, meaning clothed with the Holy Spirit. Critical.
And I can assure you that these people all believed in Christ. Starting with Christ, himself. They believed. Jesus didn’t tell the Disciples, go wait in Jerusalem until you believe in me. Trust me, they believed in him. He was standing there, risen from the dead. He didn’t tell Paul and decide if you believe what you’ve seen. He just said, go wait. Wait in anticipation and expectation because the power you need to minister is coming – don’t go into the ministry until you receive the power.
Baptized in the Spirit – why? To bring supernatural power for the ministry. Because without the supernatural enduing of power from the Holy Spirit, we are in it on our own. And there’s not enough “try” in us. We are taken out very, very easily. We need to be saturated, immersed, filled, empowered with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus, himself, needed before he began his ministry, that the Disciples needed before they began the Church, and that Paul needed before he began his great missionary work. Do you see that? It is such a clear, clear teaching there.
Let’s go over these words. There are three Greek words that I’ll use the first couple of weeks here, that describe the relationship that the Holy Spirit has with us.
The Greek Words are these:
PARA
EN
EPI
In English the words are:
WITH
IN
UPON
You’ve heard me say epi a number of times. That’s the “upon.” Let’s start with the “with.”
First of all, I don’t have time today, but I just want you to know (you’ll get the scripture references later), the Bible makes it very clear that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts us of sin. Prior to believing, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. The Bible also says it’s the Holy Spirit who reveals Jesus Christ to us, prior to our believing. It is also the Holy Spirit’s role that enables us to believe, to commit our lives to Christ prior to our believing. It is the vehicle of the Holy Spirit that gives us the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. That is PARA. That is “with.” The Holy Spirit is with you. You need to understand, critically, Romans 8:29-30, and you have to understand the very first word before you read the second because the first one is: Foreknew. For whom he foreknew… I won’t get into it, but the Holy Spirit is with you before you are saved. That’s PARA.
Then, throughout the New Testament, we learn that the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit is in you. The Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you the moment that you are saved. We would say to our kids, “Where’s Jesus?” And they’d say, “In my heart” as they pointed to their heart. Now, Jesus is in our hearts in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Right? Because Hebrews tells us where Jesus really is. He’s sitting at the right hand of the Father where he ever lives to make intercession for us as our great High Priest, where he controls everything in the universe by the word of his power. Who is really living inside our hearts from a theologically correct standpoint? It’s the Holy Spirit. It’s the Holy Spirit’s role to live in us, to dwell in us.
1 Corinthians 6:19 (NKJV)
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God,…
In John Chapter 14, Jesus is giving the Disciples comfort and encouragement as he prepares to leave.
John 14:16-17 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Allos Parakletos), that He may abide with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with (PARA) you and will be in (EN) you.
2 Corinthians 6:16 (NKJV)
16 …For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.”
We know that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. We know that he is with us prior to believing. But in the three examples we just looked at, we know the Holy Spirit was with these, including Christ, himself. We know that he was in them because we know that he comes in when we believe, and certainly, the Disciples believed and certainly, Saul believed.
But there was another word used. That word is EPI – upon. And they were held back from ministry, prevented from mistering until they had the upon experience. Now, to me, that signals a great, great importance. God, himself, would not allow his Son to begin ministering until the Holy Spirit came upon him, Jesus wouldn’t allow the Disciples to begin the New Testament Church until the Holy Spirit came upon them, Jesus wouldn’t allow Paul to be the great missionary until the Holy Spirit came upon him – all after they believed. This is a great, great teaching about the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Guys, we need the EPI experience. The immersion in the Holy Spirit. The saturation of the Holy Spirit. We need to be clothed with the Holy Spirit or we will be taken out. That’s why these ministers that I just described weren’t allowed to go into the ministry. Maybe not Jesus, but he did it as an example. But trust me, I know from experience, without the supernatural power of the enduing, the clothing of the Holy Spirit, you will not make it in the ministry, I promise you.
2). Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit a separate event from salvation?
Well, you can just look at the last three examples I gave you, and answer the question, right? The answer is yes. The Bible clearly shows that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a separate event from salvation. Does it occur after salvation? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. So, we’re not saying when it occurs, we’re saying it is a separate event. Absolutely, yes.
Paul is probably the best example of that because his salvation occurred after Pentecost. And so, even after Pentecost, his salvation and his baptism in the Holy Spirit were separate events, both required before God would allow him to go become a great missionary.
Turn to Acts Chapter 8. There’s a revival breaking out in Samaria through the preaching of Philip. We pick up the story in Acts 8, verse 14.
Acts 8:14-17 (NKJV)
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 (Epi) none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Clearly indicating salvation.)
So, they had been saved, but they had not received that Epi experience. And so, Peter and John left Jerusalem and went to Samaria. Why? Because there were believers over there who haven’t received the Holy Spirit. So, they leave Jerusalem to go because that is how important it is that the Holy Spirit falls upon the believers.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
The promise of the Father to enable the Christian life. You can’t do it on your own. This is such a powerful event that we see in verse 18 that Simon the Sorcerer asks if he can buy this same power. The answer is obviously, “No.”
One more example is in Acts Chapter 10. This is a neat example because it shows the opposite end. It’s really important that you understand this. Peter is preaching in the house of Cornelius, a gentile’s house. The Holy Spirit had sent him up the coast there. We pick it up in verse 44.
Acts 10:44-48 (NKJV)
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon (Epi, saturated, immersed) all those who heard the word.
No indication that they had been saved, yet. Clear indication, here in a minute, that they had not been baptized. And yet, they received the Epi, the upon experience.
45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
47 “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.
Guys, apparently here, the evidence of salvation was the receiving of the Holy Spirit. The epi, the upon experience. Before they had been baptized, possibly at the simultaneous moment of salvation. What’s the point? The point is there is no “magic formula.” The Holy Spirit is not some magic force that you get by doing a certain thing. He, as a Person, is a gift from God that is a requirement for anyone in the New Testament to even be in the ministry. Forbidden, including Jesus Christ, himself, from being in the ministry without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. All throughout the New Testament, we see that.
But it is not a one, two, three-step recipe, and bam! You get it, and you have to do this, and you have to do that. God will not be put in a box, especially by us. So, God does it as he sees fit. It’s critical to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Person that desires an intimate relationship with you.
And not only will we see that this need for this initial epi, upon experience of the baptism is required, but a continual refilling of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I’ve seen this happen to people. I just look in their eyes and I say, “They’ve got it!” And it’s nothing you can describe. It’s just this power that comes down from heaven.
3). Is there a certain sign indicating that you have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: No. No. No. The Bible makes it very clear that the same thing does not always happen when the Holy Spirit falls on people. In fact, the purpose, in my opinion, that there are all these different experiences recorded, is so that we will not try to encapsulate it, and recipe it, and sell it. There’s never an indication that one certain evidence indicates the receiving of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
But here’s what’s probably more important to understand. The emotional or mental state of the people in the Bible who receive the Holy Spirit is never altered. Follow me on this. There is clarity of mind. There is “awakeness”, and alertness, sobriety (if you will). There is a waiting and an anticipating, but there is never any type of an emotional charge or any type of an altered mental condition in the Bible. It doesn’t exist. The teachers say you need it. The people believe, ask for it, they receive it – and that’s when the supernatural stuff starts happening. But there is never any indication that people have to reach some certain emotional, or mental, or spiritual level before receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Cornelius House experience in Acts Chapter 10 confirms that.
So, let me give you a quick definition of the gift of tongues because that question is related to the gift of tongues. Is there a certain sign indicating you’ve received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? No. Is the gift of tongues real? Yes. Is it an excellent gift? Yes. Paul says it is, we’ll get to that in a couple of weeks.
Let me give you a definition of it. This is Jim Hesterly’s definition, it’s a good one. The gift of tongues is a supernatural gift of communicating with God unhindered by human intellect.
That’s what it is. It’s a great gift. Is it an evidence gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Maybe. Maybe not. It doesn’t matter. Why is it with the baptism of the Holy Spirit that we demand some type of physical evidence? We don’t demand physical evidence of salvation. If someone says, “I know that I’m a sinner. I repent of my sins. I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life,” we don’t watch that person to see what they are going to do. We just trust that Jesus said that if a sinner repents and asks for forgiveness, that God will forgive him and that his eternity is changed. It’s called faith. The evidence of things unseen. It’s the same with the Holy Spirit. There is no need for initial evidence.
Now, let me tell you something very critical to understand, and I’m going to encourage for the next few weeks. If there is an evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it comes over time, just like the evidence of salvation. What is it? Two things, primarily.
1). The supernatural power to serve Christ. That is evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I know when someone has truly been baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit because you can’t get them to stop serving Christ. If something goes bad, they don’t just run away. They serve anyway. They are driven to serve because it is the power of the Holy Spirit in them that’s driving them to serve. It’s a supernatural power. That’s evidence.
There is a far greater evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and we are going to spend a lot of time on it when we get to 1 Corinthians Chapter 12.
2). Supernatural agape love. That is the number one evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It’s loving your enemies. It’s loving those who hate you, who despitefully use you. It’s praying for those who are persecuting you. And when people say, “Whoa! That’s not even natural” that’s when you know the Holy Spirit is at work because we don’t do that in our flesh.
And so, when you see that supernatural love, that supernatural forgiveness, especially coupled with a supernatural power to serve Christ, then you’re looking at the evidence of the “falling upon” – the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
How is it received? It’s received just like salvation is received. By asking, believing, and receiving. It’s as simple as that. The Holy Spirit is not given to give you the “holy tingles.” The Holy Spirit is not given so that we can have an emotional experience. The Holy Spirit is given for two things: to empower us to serve, and to empower us to love. Because, in ourselves, we can’t do it. We don’t have enough “try” in us. We need the power of God.
I want you to hear this because it is a very difficult statement. First of all, you’ve got to recognize that the devil’s primary workplace is inside the church. The devil is not down in the bars getting people to drink. He doesn’t have to be… the alcohol is going to kill them. The devil works in the church, and that’s something the church needs to be aware of.
Secondly, I believe that the enemy has at least some level of success, at making the conservative Christian Church shy away from the power of the Holy Spirit that they need by bringing up some kind of other experience that we shy away from. We say, “Oh! That’s wild, that’s crazy. I don’t want any of that!” And the devil is saying, “Yeah! They’ll remain cold and fruitless. All I have to do is get them offended by the power of the Holy Spirit. And they’ll be weak and serving in their own strength. And everybody knows they can’t do that.” Do you understand me? I’m telling you that you cannot serve the Lord without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You cannot love with agape love without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it is proven throughout scripture.
If there is a lack of supernatural power in your Christian walk, you need the infilling, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If there is a lack of witness in your Christian walk, you need the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And just in case you still think, “That’s not for me. I’m not into all that emotional stuff” turn over to Acts Chapter 2. Here’s what I really want you to see, today.
Peter is in the midst of the first Spirit-filled message of the New Testament Church. Three thousand souls are about to get saved. And here’s what it says.
Acts 2:37-39 (NKJV)
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38 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.
39 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.”
What’s the promise he is talking about? The gift. The gift of the Holy Spirit is a promise from God. Why? Because we can’t live for Christ without him, that’s why. And that promise to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call (again, refer back to Romans 8:29), that includes you. If you’re a believer this morning, the gift of the Holy Spirit is for you. You need him. It’s a requirement. You shouldn’t be in the ministry without him.
The only way you’ll stay in the ministry is saturated in the power of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, the ministry will take you out. That’s the truth. You can’t be a godly husband without being baptized in the Holy Spirit because you can’t be godly on your own! You don’t have it in you. You can’t be a godly wife. You can’t be a godly mother or a godly father. You cannot live a godly life. You can be religious, you can pretend. You can go through the motions. But the supernatural power that God has poured out, you cannot live for him without. Period. That is the truth.
If God has called you to be a believer, he wants to empower you with the enduing, the clothing, the saturation, the immersing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Turn to Luke Chapter 11, verse 11. HOW do you receive it? Another phenomenal lie of the enemy is that somehow you have to earn the power of the Holy Spirit. That somehow this person who has been around awhile and always talks about the Holy Spirit, “Oh, they’ve earned it. They’ve grown so much in the Lord.” Listen, Paul was persecuting Christians one day, preaching for Christ at least some days later. He spent a few days with the Disciples. Guys, the power of the Holy Spirit is available as a gift.
Luke 11:11-13 (NKJV)
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
Jim Hesterly says that there is a picture here of asking, seeking, knocking. Of continually coming to ask until you are filled to overflowing. And if a son continues to come to ask, you, as a father, for food, will you not give it to him? The answer is yes. Inference.
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
In this same section in Matthew Chapter 7, this is ask – and it will be given. Seek – and you will find. Knock – and the door will be opened to you. The power of the Holy Spirit is given by believing, asking, and receiving just like salvation. The evidence comes as you live out your life for Christ. And you see supernatural power to serve. You see supernatural love that you would never on your own have. You say, “Whoa! That’s the Holy Spirit living in me! That’s not me! That’s some power beyond me!” Exactly. That’s exactly right.
Asking, believing, receiving. If you’ve never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, ask, receive, believe. If you’re waiting, or you don’t think you need it, you’re being lied to by the enemy because Jesus Christ, himself, would not enter the ministry without it. Neither should you.