The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the infilling of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. He comes to bring us power:
- power to witness for Christ (Acts 1:8)
- power to live holy lives (Galatians 5:16)
- and power to display God’s gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
Steps to Receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
1. You must be born again.
Acts 2:38 “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.”
2. You must receive it as a gift.
Luke 11:13 “If you then, being evil, give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
3. You must ask for it and seek it.
Luke 9:9-10 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
4. You must obey God.
Acts 5:32 “And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
5. You must believe.
Galatians 3:2 “Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?”
6. You have to exercise what God has given to you.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
- What is Speaking in Tongues?
Speaking in tongues is the initial sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. All the people who received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament spoke in tongues. The tongues were not languages they had learned, for 1 Corinthians 14:2 tells us “For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.”
Speaking in tongues is done by the believer as the Holy Spirit gives him or her utterance.
Acts 2:4 “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
- Can someone receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit more than once?
YES! In Acts 4:23-31 we are told that the same disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost were filled again.