Ten Facts About Baptism With The Holy Spirit

The period between the resurrection and Pentecost is a period of spiritual intensity. It requires an intense spiritual response from us. For us Christians, that intensity does not come from ourselves for we can of ourselves do nothing. We need to depend on the Lord and avail ourselves for Him to visit us in a unique way. Without Christ, we can do nothing. The period after the resurrection was followed by His appearances over a period of 40 days before He ascended into heaven (see Acts 1:1-11). During that period, He had different kinds of interactions with the disciples, taught them specific things, gave them the Great Commission, and then gave them a charge to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father. According to Acts 1:12-14, they returned to Jerusalem and waited for what Jesus had promised. And they were in total unity. These are the events that led to the Day of Pentecost. Pentecost is about the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:11 "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." This anchor verse was repeated by the Lord Jesus Himself in Acts 1:5. Peter in Acts 11:16 referred to the statement as being said by the Lord. In this verse, we see a few things:

a. There is not only one type of baptism

b. There are different types of baptism and they are done by different personalities. There is baptism WITH water, there is baptism WITH the Holy Spirit and there is baptism WITH fire. See Matt 3:11 in the New American Standard version also. Three types of baptism referred to in one verse. The Bible talked about other types of baptism but we shall limit this discussion to those mentioned in Matt 3:11.

c. John said he baptises with water.

d. Man baptises with water. Pastors and church leaders who are born again baptize with water. This is work to be done by man - we believers.

The concept of baptism, no matter which form it takes, requires preparation. We prepare candidates for water baptism. Baptism WITH the Holy Spirit also requires waiting and preparation. You can wait alone and you can wait with other believers as the apostles and the others did. Jesus Himself was baptized in water to show how important it is to do so.

FACTS ABOUT BAPTISM WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Below, I want to share ten facts about the baptism with the Holy Spirit with you briefly.

1. Baptism with the Holy Spirit happens only to people who are born again, people who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and personal Saviour. Once you are born again, you are a candidate for this great blessing.

2. It is only Jesus Himself who baptises with the Holy Spirit. It is not the work of man (Matthew 3:11). Man baptises with water. But as for the baptism with the Holy Spirit, it is something Jesus does.

3. You can receive it when someone full of the Holy Spirit lays hands on you. That does not mean the person baptised you. It only means that the power of God flowed through them to touch you. They are channels only. It is still Jesus who did the baptism, even if someone placed their hand on you. In the days of the apostles, in the book of Acts, many people received the gift of the Holy Spirit when they laid their hands on them. Examples are Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 19:6.

4. You can receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit when no one has laid hands on you. It can happen to you in a worship service or when you are all by yourself alone. On the Day of Pentecost, no one laid hands on them (Acts 2:1-4). There was wind, then flames of fire, and they were ALL filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke in tongues.

5. When you receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, turns you from doubt to faith, from timidity to great boldness, from fearfulness to fearlessness, and from being impulsive to becoming stable and collected. Peter is a classic example. You can study Peter before Pentecost and Peter after Pentecost. The Spirit of God enables us in very dynamic ways.

6. Baptism with the Holy Spirit revolutionalises your prayer life and turns it around. You receive stamina in prayer and given a language that enables you to pray extensively. Peter and the other disciples slept while Jesus prayed in the garden. In Acts 4:23-31, these same people, after the baptism with the Holy Spirit, prayed and the place was shaken! They could now spend time praying at midnight. They were constantly in prayer...at the sixth hour when Peter saw a vision in Acts 10:9, and so on.