This morning, I’m going to have us look at something called “Holy Spirit baptism.” This is a subject that when mishandled can lead to a lot of confusion; not to mention, feelings of condemnation. The very first time I encountered this term was when I was in college and I attended an Assemblies of God church. I attended there on occasion because I enjoyed the lively and uplifting worship, and because my neighbor was the pastor and he invited me. Well, one day I was approached by a member of the church who asked me if I spoke in tongues. When I told him “No,” he said that I was not filled with the Holy Spirit; and therefore, I was not saved. Needless to say, I stopped attending there. In today’s message I’m going to share what I believe about Holy Spirit baptism based on my own study of the Scripture, and you could call this a Baptist’s perspective on Holy Spirit baptism. So, we’re going to get started by reading Acts 1:4-5 and verse 8; and also Acts 2:1-4.
Viewed as a Second Work of Grace (Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4)
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, 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 with the Holy Spirit not many days from now . . . 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Right here, in Acts 1:5, we see where Jesus declared, “You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit,” and then in Acts 2:4, we are told how on the Day of Pentecost “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” In Matthew 3:11, John the Baptist prophesied, “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” What we see mentioned here in the book of Acts, and proclaimed by John the Baptist, is something referred to as “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Like I said in the introduction to this message, there can be a lot of confusion on this subject; so, I want to share some misconceptions and then look for the truth.
Some denominations believe that Holy Spirit baptism is a second work of grace occurring at a later moment. Listen as I share from a book entitled A Handbook of Holy Spirit Baptism. Don Basham says there are two experiences with God. He tells us, “The first is conversion; the sinner’s acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior which brings salvation . . . But the Lord is not satisfied with our conversion alone . . . So, a second time we are confronted with the power of God; this time in the baptism in the Holy Spirit through which the Christian is brought into a deeper relationship with Christ and the Holy Spirit for the purpose of making him – not an object – but an instrument of redemption.”(1) He also states that, “The New Testament makes it plain that baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second work of grace which follows conversion.”(2) Allow me to take a moment and discuss how Holy Spirit baptism is not a second work of grace.
In Acts 1:4, Jesus told His followers “to wait for the Promise of the Father which you have heard from Me.” That promise is seen in John 7:37-39, which says this: “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be given to those who believed in Him, but the time and place in which the Spirit would be given had to occur later on, as Jesus had not yet been “glorified,” meaning that He had not yet ascended to be with His Father in heaven.
In John 16:5-7, Jesus told His disciples, “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” While Jesus was still alive in the world, those who believed in Him did not have need of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, because they had Jesus right there with them in the flesh. After Jesus departed, they needed a Helper – the Holy Spirit – and that’s who Jesus promised would come. Pentecost was the grand entrance of the Holy Spirit. It was the day when the promised Helper arrived to permanently indwell believers.
Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, says concerning Pentecost, that “just as there was one point in history when Christ was born and another point in history when He was raised from the dead, there was also one unrepeatable moment in time when the Holy Spirit came in fulfillment of the long-anticipated promises.”(3) “Pentecost is as unrepeatable as the creation of the world and of man; as once-and-for-all as the incarnation and the death, the resurrection, and the ascension.”(4) Pentecost was the Holy Spirit’s entrance into the world to declare that He was present to assist all who believe in Jesus Christ, and to reveal that His power is available to all of Christ’s followers. This event was a moment in history that cannot be repeated, nor does it need to be.
Before Pentecost, there were believers in Christ; but they did not have the Holy Spirit abiding within them, because Jesus was still alive on the earth and it wasn’t necessary. The Holy Spirit would arrive after Jesus ascended to be with his Father. This fact accounts for the delay between believing in Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit among those first believers. The delay existed not because Jesus was requiring a second experience for believers; the delay was because of a necessary and pre-planned sequence of events, which were Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and then Pentecost. The Holy Spirit came into world at Pentecost, and He is available to all those who believe in Christ today, abiding in their hearts at the very moment they believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Now, concerning this “second work of grace,” the Scripture declares that there is one, and only one, work of grace that is needed. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift [the charis, or the “grace”] of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The “grace” that covers our sins is found in Jesus Christ and Him alone. Ephesians 2:8 tells us, “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” Faith in what? The answer is faith in Jesus Christ. Our faith in Christ alone provides the grace, or unmerited favor, that we need to be in right standing with God the Father.
If we say we need a second work of grace in our lives, we are stating that what Christ did on the cross was not enough. 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit.” Jesus “suffered once for sins,” which means that nothing else needs to be done. There is only one work of grace, which was brought about by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins, and as soon as we believe in and receive that all-sufficient sacrifice, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and no second work is needed. Let’s now turn to our next passage, which is Mark 16:17-18.
Tongues Supposedly Prove Baptism (Mark 16:17-18)
17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.
Not only do some denominations believe that Holy Spirit baptism is a second work of grace; they also believe you must prove that you have the Spirit by speaking in tongues. Right here is one of the passages used to justify this belief. In A Handbook on Holy Spirit Baptism, Basham says, “According to the Scripture, the identifying evidence or sign of receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit is that of speaking in tongues.”(5) He also states, “Something is missing in your spiritual life if you have received the Holy Spirit, yet have not spoken in tongues.”(6) I’m sure you can see how this notion can cause people to feel condemned, and to feel as though they are not good enough in the eyes of God.
If we are to utilize Mark 16:17-18 as proof that all Christians must speak in tongues, then we would also have to conclude that all Christians must cast out demons, take up serpents, drink poison, and lay hands on the sick, or else something is wrong with their spiritual life. It is this same abuse of the Scripture that has led some denominations to handling snakes or drinking poison Kool-Aid in order to prove their holiness. I do not deny the supernatural power of God in the lives of believers, but I do have to ask, “Must each believer do each of these things, or are some of these demonstrations of the Spirit’s power particular spiritual gifts allotted to believers as the Spirit wills (1 Corinthians 12:11)?
Acts 9:17-18 is another passage used to demonstrate Holy Spirit baptism in something called “being filled with the Spirit” – which I will discuss further in a moment. But listen as I read these verses: “And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him 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.’ Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.” Basham says, “Paul received the Holy Spirit when Ananias laid hands on him and prayed, and, while tongues are not mentioned at that point, we know they were a part of Paul’s spiritual experience.”(7) The Scripture does not mention Paul speaking in tongues in correlation with this “being filled with the Spirit,” so we cannot just assume that it happened.
For some reason there is a belief that a person has to demonstrate speaking in tongues as a sign that he or she has the Holy Spirit. For example, Reinhard Bonnke, who is the founder of Christ for All Nations, states, “What better sign could God give to make us confident that the Holy Spirit is within and upon us as we go out to preach the gospel? When we feel weak and fearful as Paul did, the wonder of tongues assures us. Without some outward manifestation we could pray forever without being sure.”(8) My response to this belief that we must have a sign is to quote Matthew 12:39, in which Jesus stated, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And what is the sign of Jonah? It is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The only sign that we need is that of the resurrection where Jesus conquered sin and death on our behalf.
I wish to point out a passage that is used to justify both the second work of grace idea and tongues as proof of Holy Spirit baptism. In Acts 19:1-6, we read, “And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 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.' And he said to them, 'Into what then were you baptized?' So they said, 'Into John’s baptism.' 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.' When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied."
This passage does not show that Holy Spirit baptism is a separate experience from conversion. Paul did not ask the Ephesian disciples about the Holy Spirit to emphasize that they were lacking the Spirit; but he asked the question in order to open their eyes to the fact that they had an incorrect faith and baptism, for they had been baptized into John instead of Jesus. When they confessed Jesus as Savior and Lord and were baptized into Christ, it was at that moment – the moment of faith and conversion in Jesus – that they received the Holy Spirit. And yes, they spoke in tongues. There were times that this occurred, but this in no way implies that people must speak in tongues at every conversion experience. Turn with me now to just one verse, which is Acts 4:31.
Being Filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:31)
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
In this verse, we see how a boldness to speak the Word of God accompanied this event, not speaking in tongues. In trying to prove that Holy Spirit baptism is a second work of grace, or a later experience, some will refer to the phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit,” which we see right here. Being filled with the Holy Spirit is different than being baptized with the Spirit. Robert Jeffress states that “the Bible uses the words ‘filled with the Spirit’ to describe the process of being ‘controlled by the Holy Spirit.’ The Bible often uses the Greek word pleroo to describe the filling of the Holy Spirit. The word is a nautical term referring to the filling of a ship’s sails that results in the vessel being carried along. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are being controlled by the Holy Spirit. He is carrying us to His intended destination.”(9) For example, Luke 4:1 states, “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.”
Jeffress shares that “while the Bible describes the baptism with the Spirit as a one-time event that occurs at the moment of salvation, there is no once-and-forever filling with the Holy Spirit. Instead, yielding to the Holy Spirit’s control and guidance is a day-by-day, moment-by-moment choice on our part.”(10) You see, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us at the moment of our birth in Christ, and He is constantly speaking to us each and every day; and as we yield to His guidance we are filled with, or controlled by, Him. In Acts 5:32, we are told that the Holy Spirit has been given to those who “obey” God.
Being “filled with the Spirit” brings with it an empowering, as seen in Acts 4:31, where “they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Discerning the Holy Spirit’s guidance can be done personally through prayer and Bible study; but His guidance can also be discerned through the Body of Christ, and then affirmed publicly through prayer and the laying on of hands. For example, in Acts 6:1-7, when the twelve had selected seven men to take care of the widows and the daily distribution of bread, we read that “they set [them] before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them” (v. 6); and the Scripture says that after this blessing and empowering, “the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem” (v. 7).(11)
If we have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then we already have the Holy Spirit abiding within. We do not have to demonstrate speaking in tongues before He will guide us, and we do not have to speak in tongues as a “sign” that we are “baptized with the Spirit.” When we listen to Holy Spirit’s voice, and respond in obedience then we are filled with, or controlled, by the Spirit and empowered for service. Turn with me now to our final passage, which is Colossians 2:8-10.
We Are Already Complete (Colossians 2:8-10)
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Do you see what this passage says? In verse 9, we are told not to be cheated or deceived according to the tradition of men. Tradition, or rather “religion,” seeks to write its own rules by which to live, usually to the glory or exaltation of the ones who drafted and imposed the regulations. The only thing we need to know is that we have all we need in Jesus. Verse 9 says, “You are complete in Him.” So, everything we need for salvation and our walk with God – including the Holy Spirit – is in Jesus!
1 Corinthians 12:3 says, “No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” It is the Holy Spirit that draws us unto Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes to live inside us when we receive Christ as Savior and Lord. All who confess Jesus are baptized with the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” Jeffress says that “in 1 Corinthians 12:13, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is experienced by every Christian, not just a select few . . . [It] occurs one time, not many times – Paul wrote that there is ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’ (Ephesians 4:5); and [it] results in our total possession of God’s Spirit, not just a partial possession. The Greek word for baptized means ‘immersed,’ not merely sprinkled.”(12)
The Scripture is replete with examples of receiving the Holy Spirit at the very moment of salvation. Listen, as I share one of them in Acts 2:38-41: “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.’ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation.’ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”
When we speak about “baptism of the Holy Spirit” we are actually ascribing more power to the Holy Spirit than the Scripture actually says He has. Jeffress says, “Many Christians freely speak of the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit,’ a phrase never found in the Bible. Instead, the Scriptures always speak of the baptism with the Holy Spirit or the baptism by the Holy Spirit . . . The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ, not the Holy Spirit, is our spiritual baptizer. Jesus baptizes us with or by means of the Holy Spirit.”(13) The Holy Spirit is not the “baptizer,” Jesus is. In Matthew 3:11, John prophesied of Jesus, saying, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So, Jesus does the baptizing, and He does it at the moment we receive Him as Savior and Lord.
Time of Reflection
So, let me summarize what we’ve learned. Each of us who have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are baptized with the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. We do not have to demonstrate speaking in tongues to prove that we are saved and that the Holy Spirit lives within. We already have the Holy Spirit; however, we can always listen to Him more and become more obedient to Him. This time of knowing Him closer, living in obedience, and walking in His empowering is known as being “filled with the Spirit.” I want to encourage you to rest at ease in knowing that you are absolutely complete in Jesus, and remember, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). So, don’t allow anyone to question your salvation or your baptism with the Holy Spirit. Let no one cheat you of your victory!
The amazing thing about the Holy Spirit is that He can speak to people who aren’t even yet saved. In John 6:44, Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him,” and God draws the lost by the convicting voice of the Spirit. Right now, He could be speaking to one of you here today. The Lord says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). When we receive Jesus as Savior and Lord, we also receive the Holy Spirit. In the book of Luke, Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you . . . 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!” (Luke 11:9, 13). Just ask the Lord, and you will receive salvation in Christ and be baptized with the Spirit.
NOTES
(1) Don Basham, A Handbook on Holy Spirit Baptism (New Kensignton, PA: Whitaker House, 1969), pp. 22-23.
(2) Ibid., p. 28.
(3) Robert Jeffress, I Want More (Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2003), p. 27.
(4) Ibid., pp. 27-28.
(5) Basham, p. 82.
(6) Ibid., p. 84.
(7) Ibid., p. 30.
(8) Reinhard Bonnke, The Holy Spirit Baptism (Frankfurt, Germany: Full Flame GmbH, 2001), p. 24.
(9) Jeffress, p. 45.
(10) Ibid., p. 47.
(11) In Acts 8:14-17, some Samaritans had been saved and baptized in Jesus’ name; and then later, Peter and John prayed for them to receive the Spirit. Based on this passage, some note that they had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but not yet with the Holy Spirit. But notice that these verses never use the phrase “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” They only speak of “receiving the Holy Spirit.” We have the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, so what Peter and John prayed for was not baptism with the Spirit; but rather, to be filled with and empowered by the Spirit. Also, Jeffress says they had to wait for Peter and John to pray for them because God was demonstrating that they were under the authority of Peter, John, and the other leaders of the church in Jerusalem (p. 28).
(12) Jeffress, p. 41.
(13) Ibid., p. 25.
