Part 11 of our Holy Spirit series focuses on baptism in the Holy Spirit. We believe this will be an 18-Part Series in which you’ll discover who The Holy Spirit is and what He does. Many attributes are given to The Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. He is not a force. He is a person. He is a member of the Trinity, a part of YHWH. He is referred to as a “he”. In Parts 1-10 of this series, we featured His part in creating, recreating, convicting, teaching, bringing us peace through hope, witnessing Jesus as God in the flesh, creating a clean heart, connecting the church, dwelling inside you, how He grieves, and how He gives you spiritual senses. Now, let’s talk about His part in our spiritual baptism.
Let’s read from Acts 10:34-48
Gentiles Hear the Good News
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
The Holy Spirit Falls on the Gentiles
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Remember, Jesus said, Let Him Who Has Ears, Let Him Hear. All those who HEARD The Word, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and believed, received the baptism of the Holy Spirit!
We need to try and wrap our heads around some things. Jesus said:
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The LORD said that Israel is His firstborn and He brought them “out of Egypt” through a narrow path, a birth canal, by the way of The Red Sea.
Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
This is why you must be born of water. One, you are human. Two, you are chosen.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
1 Chronicles 16:13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Mark 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
and there are so many more!
Jesus said:
John 6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.
Once your meet that criteria: 1. Human, 2. Chosen, now you must believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins in true repentance – Then, you will be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Ask and You Shall Receive. The LORD gives good gifts to His children when they ask correctly!
Matthew 7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Then, your soul will be on fire for the LORD!
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh 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:
Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist, foretold of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Ghost and fire. Although, I believe Jesus physically only baptized his apostles, when Jesus ascended, the prayed the Father to send us the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. The Holy Spirit arrived on Pentecost.
Acts 1:1-5
The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
Wait for the Holy Spirit
And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Acts 2:1-4
The Holy Spirit at Pentecost
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now, the FREE Gift of the Holy Spirit is available for all.
1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.