The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter One The baptism in the Holy Spirit Introduction The Church is Christ's body and continues His ministry on earth. When the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He fulfilled the promise in Is.53v10., to continue the work that He had started, and “prolong His days,” and ministry through the Church. The Church is, therefore, spoken of as “the body of Christ,” that is, the means whereby Christ acts upon earth. Eph.1v22,23. 5v29,30. 1Cor.12v27. God desires every member of the body of Christ to be baptised in the Holy Spirit and manifest His spiritual gifts. These gifts are intended to enrich and empower the whole Church of Christ, not just a part of it. We should not, therefore, seek the baptism and gifts of the Spirit, merely for personal profit, but so that the whole body of Christ can be blessed by them, through the demonstration of the power and love of God. There are no redundant members of the body of Christ, every member is essential, and He has a work for all. God desires to manifest Himself through every member of the body of Christ, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone to profit all.” 1Cor.12v7. Paul states that God often blesses the least talented and less prominent members of the local church with greater gifts than those members who seem to be more important, so that all may realise their need of each other. 1Cor.12v20-26. Eph.4v15,16. The fact that some dear souls are less prominent in the Church does not mean that they are less spiritual or godly than others who are more prominent. I have found that many of these less prominent members of the body of Christ, often have a deeper life of prayer, more love, and greater spiritual gifts, than those who take a lead in preaching and teaching. It was the Lord Jesus Himself who said that on judgement day, “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Mt.19v30. 20v16. Lk.13v30. The Lord does not count our actions, He weighs them. 1Sam.2v3. Dan.5v27. Is.26v7. It is the quality of our service that counts with God, not the quantity; and our motives for serving God, not the manifestation of His gifts through us, or our position of leadership. The fire will try every man's work to test its quality. 1Cor.3v10-15. 13v1-13. Human plans and ideas make void God's plans for His Church. It is common practice for almost all churches to make their plans, and then ask the Lord to bless them: this is a tragedy, for plans based on human ability and human endeavour can never meet this world's great need. This reliance on human plans frustrates our Lord's beautiful plans and desires. The solemn and appalling truth is that God seldom gets His perfect will done on earth, He is nearly always asked to bless human plans and ideas that He can take little pleasure in. Lk.19v41-48. Mt.23v37-39. The Lord still wants to do the same lovely things that He did while He was on earth, and nothing short of this will satisfy His great and loving heart. Obedience to the Holy Spirit's leadings, will enable God to get His will done on earth as it is in heaven. The Holy Spirit comes as Lord and we should obey His orders; lack of obedience to Him will cause failure, defeat, disappointment, depression and a feeling of frustration. Josh.5v14. 2Sam.5v22-25. Amos.3v3. Acts.16v6-10. 2Cor.3v17. 1Sam.13v12-14. 15v22-35. 16v14-23. 1Jn.1v5-7. The only way that we will be able to find the will of God and have the strength to perform it, is by earnestly seeking God together in prayer. Christ longs to do the most wonderful things through His Church; He is, however, limited by our spiritual desire, faith, love and lack of prayer. If we have the faith, prayer, and spiritual capacity to manifest all the gifts of the Spirit, on the higher levels of power, then the Lord Jesus can do all the lovely things that He desires. However, if there is only little desire for spiritual gifts and little faith, we can, like Israel, limit our gracious almighty Lord. Ps.78v41. Spiritual gifts are the armoury of Divine love, and should not be used in any other way. No church can thrive, unless it is filled with the love of God, and is subordinate to the Lordship and leadership of Christ. God is love, therefore, every manifestation and activity of the Holy Spirit will be the manifestation of Divine love. The motives of the Holy Spirit in manifesting His gifts will always be perfect, and we should make sure that our motives are the same as His. This can only take place as we abide in Christ and earnestly seek His face together in prayer. The gifts of the Spirit should never be used for financial profit, self-glory, self-pleasing, or as weapons of antagonism, animosity, or bitterness of spirit, for this can bring disaster. Numb.22v4-41. 31-8. Rev.2v14. Judges.16v1-31. 2Kings.5v10-27. 1Tim.1v18-20. 2Tim.2v16-19. 3Jn.v.9-11. Rev.2v20-23. The gifts of the Spirit are the armoury of love, and should not be used in any other than a perfectly loving spirit. 1Cor.13v1-13. The Lord Jesus has the most wonderful plans for His Church. It is up to us to earnestly seek the Lord together, to find out what they are, and then fulfil them. We all have a lot to learn but, the Holy Spirit is our Friend and Teacher. The Holy Spirit is certainly no stranger to us; He is responsible, with the Father and Son, for our creation and redemption, and for our human and spiritual natures. Gen.1v1,2,26-28. Is.57v16. He convicted us of our sin and brought us to know Jesus as the Lamb of God and our Saviour. Jn.1v29-34. 16v7-11. Through His gracious intervention in our lives, we are rejoicing in the glorious Trinity, and the wonderful kingdom and family to which they have called us. Rom.5v1,2. Eph.2v1-22. 2Cor.4v4-6,17,18. Our spirit that we had killed by persistent sin was “born again,” and “quickened” by the Holy Spirit, and we received the spirit of adoption, and the right and authority to be called the sons of God and the brethren of Christ. Rom.7v9-11. James.1v15-18. Eph.2v1-9. Jn.1v12. 3v1-21. 3v6-8. Heb.2v11,12. All who accept the atoning death of the Lord Jesus, have the Holy Spirit as their very dear and close friend, and receive His blessed ministrations, even if they have not experienced His mighty baptism. All Christians, particularly “babes in Christ,” have a great amount to learn about God and His ways; and the ministry of the Holy Spirit is by far the most important of all the ministries that the Father has set in the Church to educate and care for His family. The Holy Spirit, who brought us to Christ, is with us to teach us about spiritual realities, to illuminate God's Word, and to comfort, bless, counsel, intercede, strengthen and assist in every possible way. Eph.4v8-13. 1Cor.3v1,2. Heb.5v11-6v3. 1Pet.2v2. 1Jn.2v27. Jn.16v13. 14v26. Rom.8v26,27. All Christians experience the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, even if they have not experienced the baptism in the Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is not content merely to be with us, as blessed as this may be; He longs to be in us, and desires to manifest His love and power through us in an even greater way. The time when the Holy Spirit enters the body of the Christian, and permanently submerges and infuses the soul, spirit and body of the Christian, is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Immersion in the Spirit is a glorious reality, not just a theological exercise. In Lk.24v49. and Acts.1v4,5., Jesus called this baptism “the promise of the Father,” and instructed His disciples to tarry until they received it. In Acts.2v38,39., Peter said that this baptism in the Spirit was promised to every Christian. The Samaritans, Paul, Cornelius and his friends, are definitely stated to have received the Holy Spirit after the initial outpouring on the day of Pentecost. Acts.2v1-16. 8v14-17. 9v17,18. 10v44-48. 19v1-6. The reception of the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a “baptism” six times in the New Testament; four times in the Gospels, by John the Baptist, and twice in Acts. Mt.3v11. Mk.1v8. Lk.3v16. Jn.1v33. Acts.1v5. 11v16. The phrases “filled with the Holy Spirit,” Acts.2v4. 9v17., “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Acts2v38. 10v45. 5v32. Rom.5v5.; “received the Holy Spirit,” Acts.10v47. 19v2. 8v14-21. 1Cor.2v12. Gal.3v2.; “the promise of the Spirit,” Gal.3v14.; “the seal of the Spirit,” Eph.1v13. 4v30.; are all used to speak of the baptism in the Spirit. The words “anointing” and “dwell in” are also used to speak of the result of the baptism in the Spirit. 1Jn.2v20,27. 3v24. 4v13. Rom.8v9,23. 1Cor.6v19,20. Jn.14v16,17. The phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit,” is used to speak of other operations of the Holy Spirit's work, as well as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Lk.1v15,41,67. Acts.2v4. 4v31,8. 13v9. In the Old Testament men and women of God were filled with the Holy Spirit just to fulfil a mission; however, in Jn.7v35-37., we are told that they were not baptised in the Holy Spirit, this is a New Testament experience, given to the Church by our glorified Lord. God's New Testament children receive the permanent filling of the Spirit, “He shall abide with you forever.” Jn.14v16,17. Some think, and I feel correctly, that 1Cor.12v13., “For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body,” is referring to water baptism and not to the baptism in the Spirit, as O. M. Norlie translates it, “And by one Spirit we have through baptism been made members of one body.” The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration, the baptism in water is the outward sign and ordinance of regeneration. The second part of this verse, “were made to drink into one Spirit,” clearly gives the picture of the baptism in the Spirit; for the Greek word for “drink” is “potizo,” which is used in the Septuagint in Is.43v20., to speak of a wilderness flooded by abundant waters. “Potizo,” truly conveys the thought of Is.44v3., “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and FLOODS upon the dry ground.” This Spirit-flooded life, is the Spirit-baptised life. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), “potizo” is used to speak of the abundance of water that brings abundant fruitfulness. In Gen.2v6., it is used of the heavy dew that God used to water the ground before the flood; in Gen.2v10., of the river that watered the garden of Eden into abundant fruitfulness. In Gen.13v10,11., we read that before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the land around them was “well watered,” and like the garden of God; Lot greedily chose this area for himself, and spiritually ruined his life. In Gen.21v19., it is used of the well of water that God provided for Hagar in the desert; and in Gen.24v14,17,18,43,45,46., of the drink that Rebekah drew from the well for Abraham's servant, Eliezer. This Spirit-flooded abundantly fruitful life, is the Spirit-baptised life. Immersed in the transforming, sanctifying and miracle-working Holy Spirit. The Greek word for baptism, “baptizo,” is used for both baptism in water and the baptism in the Spirit. The basic word of this Greek root, “bapto,” “to dip,” only occurs three times in the New Testament, Lk.16v24. Jn.13v26. and Rev.19v13. In Rev.19v13., “bapto” is used in its secondary sense, “to dye or stain.” It is also necessary to note both the primary and secondary meanings of “baptizo.” Though the primary meaning of “baptizo,” is “to immerse,” or “to submerge,” its secondary meaning, which is derived and developed from its primary meaning, can refer to the influence which one thing exercises over another. “Baptizo,” then, can speak, like “bapto,” not only of an immersion, but also of an impregnation and infusion of the element of immersion, as in dyeing and staining. It speaks of a bringing into complete subjection to an influence, and an imbibing of the virtues and nature of that influence. We should also note that in many cases, though not in every case, the same distinction occurs between “bapto” and “baptizo,” as between their English equivalents, “to dip” and to “immerse;” “dipping” speaking of a momentary or temporary covering, “immersion” usually implying a prolonged or permanent covering. To be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire, should mean that our whole personality is permanently influenced by, and deliberately submitted to, and stained and dyed, by the transforming influence, presence, power, and sanctifying purity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to transfigure us into Christ's likeness, and conform us to His image, as well as to empower us. Rom.8v28,29. 12v1,2. 2Cor.3v17,18. In the New Testament, “baptizo” is used in the sense of permanent immersion and infusion, in regard to baptism for repentance and remission of sins, baptism in the name of Trinity, or baptism into the body of Christ, or baptism in the Holy Spirit. Mt.3v11. 28v19. Mk.1v4. Lk.3v16. 1Cor.12v13, These baptisms do not speak of a temporary dipping in an element, they speak of a permanent immersion under the influence of the thing suggested. Though “baptizo,” “to immerse,” is used in the weaker sense of “bapto,” “to dip,” in water baptism, (otherwise all who are baptised would be drowned); the actual spiritual realities connected with baptism, abide and continue. To be baptised unto repentance and remission of sins, means being brought under the power and influence of repentance and remission of sins, not for a moment, but for all time. To be baptised into Christ's death and resurrection, is to be permanently identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, not for a moment, but for ever. Rom.6v9-11. To be baptised into the body of Christ, is the permanent placing of ourselves under the influence and power of Christ and His body, the Church. To be baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is not just a mere baptismal formula, it is to come under the power and influence of the Trinity, not for a moment, but eternally and permanently. Baptism, then, is more than an outward sign of allegiance to Christ, it is the deliberate placing of oneself, under His influence and headship. The important thing is not a baptismal formula, or even the actual baptism in water; the essential thing is the total submission of our whole personality to Christ; to be imbued, stained, impregnated and influenced, abidingly and permanently, with the presence and power of our dear Lord Jesus, and to experience all the benefits of His death and resurrection life. In the same way, to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire, means that our whole personality is deliberately submitted to, and permanently influenced by the presence, power, and sanctifying purity of the Holy Spirit. Our personality is still our own, but the Holy Spirit comes to transfigure our lives by His presence, and to imbue us with His virtues, abilities, life and love. 2Cor.3v18. However, I do not want to give the impression that we cannot fall from a state of grace, we can, let us be careful not to grieve or resist our gracious guest. 1Thes.5v19-22. Eph.4v30. < >
The Disastrous Effects Of The Doctrine Of Original Sin \| By His Stripes We Are Healed \| The Book Of Revelation \| The Second Coming Of Christ \| The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit \| The Comforter Is Come

Chapter One

The baptism in the Holy Spirit

Introduction

The Church is Christ's body and continues His ministry on earth.
When the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He fulfilled the promise in Is.53v10., to continue the work that He had started, and “prolong His days,” and ministry through the Church. The Church is, therefore, spoken of as “the body of Christ,” that is, the means whereby Christ acts upon earth. Eph.1v22,23. 5v29,30. 1Cor.12v27. God desires every member of the body of Christ to be baptised in the Holy Spirit and manifest His spiritual gifts. These gifts are intended to enrich and empower the whole Church of Christ, not just a part of it. We should not, therefore, seek the baptism and gifts of the Spirit, merely for personal profit, but so that the whole body of Christ can be blessed by them, through the demonstration of the power and love of God.

There are no redundant members of the body of Christ, every member is essential, and He has a work for all. God desires to manifest Himself through every member of the body of Christ, “The manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone to profit all.” 1Cor.12v7. Paul states that God often blesses the least talented and less prominent members of the local church with greater gifts than those members who seem to be more important, so that all may realise their need of each other. 1Cor.12v20-26. Eph.4v15,16. The fact that some dear souls are less prominent in the Church does not mean that they are less spiritual or godly than others who are more prominent. I have found that many of these less prominent members of the body of Christ, often have a deeper life of prayer, more love, and greater spiritual gifts, than those who take a lead in preaching and teaching. It was the Lord Jesus Himself who said that on judgement day, “Many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” Mt.19v30. 20v16. Lk.13v30. The Lord does not count our actions, He weighs them. 1Sam.2v3. Dan.5v27. Is.26v7. It is the quality of our service that counts with God, not the quantity; and our motives for serving God, not the manifestation of His gifts through us, or our position of leadership. The fire will try every man's work to test its quality. 1Cor.3v10-15. 13v1-13.

Human plans and ideas make void God's plans for His Church.
It is common practice for almost all churches to make their plans, and then ask the Lord to bless them: this is a tragedy, for plans based on human ability and human endeavour can never meet this world's great need. This reliance on human plans frustrates our Lord's beautiful plans and desires. The solemn and appalling truth is that God seldom gets His perfect will done on earth, He is nearly always asked to bless human plans and ideas that He can take little pleasure in. Lk.19v41-48. Mt.23v37-39. The Lord still wants to do the same lovely things that He did while He was on earth, and nothing short of this will satisfy His great and loving heart. Obedience to the Holy Spirit's leadings, will enable God to get His will done on earth as it is in heaven. The Holy Spirit comes as Lord and we should obey His orders; lack of obedience to Him will cause failure, defeat, disappointment, depression and a feeling of frustration. Josh.5v14. 2Sam.5v22-25. Amos.3v3. Acts.16v6-10. 2Cor.3v17. 1Sam.13v12-14. 15v22-35. 16v14-23. 1Jn.1v5-7. The only way that we will be able to find the will of God and have the strength to perform it, is by earnestly seeking God together in prayer. Christ longs to do the most wonderful things through His Church; He is, however, limited by our spiritual desire, faith, love and lack of prayer. If we have the faith, prayer, and spiritual capacity to manifest all the gifts of the Spirit, on the higher levels of power, then the Lord Jesus can do all the lovely things that He desires. However, if there is only little desire for spiritual gifts and little faith, we can, like Israel, limit our gracious almighty Lord. Ps.78v41.

Spiritual gifts are the armoury of Divine love, and should not be used in any other way.
No church can thrive, unless it is filled with the love of God, and is subordinate to the Lordship and leadership of Christ. God is love, therefore, every manifestation and activity of the Holy Spirit will be the manifestation of Divine love. The motives of the Holy Spirit in manifesting His gifts will always be perfect, and we should make sure that our motives are the same as His. This can only take place as we abide in Christ and earnestly seek His face together in prayer. The gifts of the Spirit should never be used for financial profit, self-glory, self-pleasing, or as weapons of antagonism, animosity, or bitterness of spirit, for this can bring disaster. Numb.22v4-41. 31-8. Rev.2v14. Judges.16v1-31. 2Kings.5v10-27. 1Tim.1v18-20. 2Tim.2v16-19. 3Jn.v.9-11. Rev.2v20-23. The gifts of the Spirit are the armoury of love, and should not be used in any other than a perfectly loving spirit. 1Cor.13v1-13. The Lord Jesus has the most wonderful plans for His Church. It is up to us to earnestly seek the Lord together, to find out what they are, and then fulfil them.

We all have a lot to learn but, the Holy Spirit is our Friend and Teacher.
The Holy Spirit is certainly no stranger to us; He is responsible, with the Father and Son, for our creation and redemption, and for our human and spiritual natures. Gen.1v1,2,26-28. Is.57v16. He convicted us of our sin and brought us to know Jesus as the Lamb of God and our Saviour. Jn.1v29-34. 16v7-11. Through His gracious intervention in our lives, we are rejoicing in the glorious Trinity, and the wonderful kingdom and family to which they have called us. Rom.5v1,2. Eph.2v1-22. 2Cor.4v4-6,17,18. Our spirit that we had killed by persistent sin was “born again,” and “quickened” by the Holy Spirit, and we received the spirit of adoption, and the right and authority to be called the sons of God and the brethren of Christ. Rom.7v9-11. James.1v15-18. Eph.2v1-9. Jn.1v12. 3v1-21. 3v6-8. Heb.2v11,12. All who accept the atoning death of the Lord Jesus, have the Holy Spirit as their very dear and close friend, and receive His blessed ministrations, even if they have not experienced His mighty baptism.

All Christians, particularly “babes in Christ,” have a great amount to learn about God and His ways; and the ministry of the Holy Spirit is by far the most important of all the ministries that the Father has set in the Church to educate and care for His family. The Holy Spirit, who brought us to Christ, is with us to teach us about spiritual realities, to illuminate God's Word, and to comfort, bless, counsel, intercede, strengthen and assist in every possible way. Eph.4v8-13. 1Cor.3v1,2. Heb.5v11-6v3. 1Pet.2v2. 1Jn.2v27. Jn.16v13. 14v26. Rom.8v26,27. All Christians experience the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, even if they have not experienced the baptism in the Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is not content merely to be with us, as blessed as this may be; He longs to be in us, and desires to manifest His love and power through us in an even greater way. The time when the Holy Spirit enters the body of the Christian, and permanently submerges and infuses the soul, spirit and body of the Christian, is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Immersion in the Spirit is a glorious reality, not just a theological exercise.
In Lk.24v49. and Acts.1v4,5., Jesus called this baptism “the promise of the Father,” and instructed His disciples to tarry until they received it. In Acts.2v38,39., Peter said that this baptism in the Spirit was promised to every Christian. The Samaritans, Paul, Cornelius and his friends, are definitely stated to have received the Holy Spirit after the initial outpouring on the day of Pentecost. Acts.2v1-16. 8v14-17. 9v17,18. 10v44-48. 19v1-6. The reception of the Holy Spirit is spoken of as a “baptism” six times in the New Testament; four times in the Gospels, by John the Baptist, and twice in Acts. Mt.3v11. Mk.1v8. Lk.3v16. Jn.1v33. Acts.1v5. 11v16. The phrases “filled with the Holy Spirit,” Acts.2v4. 9v17., “the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Acts2v38. 10v45. 5v32. Rom.5v5.; “received the Holy Spirit,” Acts.10v47. 19v2. 8v14-21. 1Cor.2v12. Gal.3v2.; “the promise of the Spirit,” Gal.3v14.; “the seal of the Spirit,” Eph.1v13. 4v30.; are all used to speak of the baptism in the Spirit. The words “anointing” and “dwell in” are also used to speak of the result of the baptism in the Spirit. 1Jn.2v20,27. 3v24. 4v13. Rom.8v9,23. 1Cor.6v19,20. Jn.14v16,17. The phrase “filled with the Holy Spirit,” is used to speak of other operations of the Holy Spirit's work, as well as the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Lk.1v15,41,67. Acts.2v4. 4v31,8. 13v9. In the Old Testament men and women of God were filled with the Holy Spirit just to fulfil a mission; however, in Jn.7v35-37., we are told that they were not baptised in the Holy Spirit, this is a New Testament experience, given to the Church by our glorified Lord. God's New Testament children receive the permanent filling of the Spirit, “He shall abide with you forever.” Jn.14v16,17.

Some think, and I feel correctly, that 1Cor.12v13., “For by one Spirit we were all baptised into one body,” is referring to water baptism and not to the baptism in the Spirit, as O. M. Norlie translates it, “And by one Spirit we have through baptism been made members of one body.” The Holy Spirit is the agent of regeneration, the baptism in water is the outward sign and ordinance of regeneration. The second part of this verse, “were made to drink into one Spirit,” clearly gives the picture of the baptism in the Spirit; for the Greek word for “drink” is “potizo,” which is used in the Septuagint in Is.43v20., to speak of a wilderness flooded by abundant waters. “Potizo,” truly conveys the thought of Is.44v3., “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and FLOODS upon the dry ground.” This Spirit-flooded life, is the Spirit-baptised life. In the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament), “potizo” is used to speak of the abundance of water that brings abundant fruitfulness. In Gen.2v6., it is used of the heavy dew that God used to water the ground before the flood; in Gen.2v10., of the river that watered the garden of Eden into abundant fruitfulness. In Gen.13v10,11., we read that before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, the land around them was “well watered,” and like the garden of God; Lot greedily chose this area for himself, and spiritually ruined his life. In Gen.21v19., it is used of the well of water that God provided for Hagar in the desert; and in Gen.24v14,17,18,43,45,46., of the drink that Rebekah drew from the well for Abraham's servant, Eliezer. This Spirit-flooded abundantly fruitful life, is the Spirit-baptised life.

Immersed in the transforming, sanctifying and miracle-working Holy Spirit.
The Greek word for baptism, “baptizo,” is used for both baptism in water and the baptism in the Spirit. The basic word of this Greek root, “bapto,” “to dip,” only occurs three times in the New Testament, Lk.16v24. Jn.13v26. and Rev.19v13. In Rev.19v13., “bapto” is used in its secondary sense, “to dye or stain.” It is also necessary to note both the primary and secondary meanings of “baptizo.” Though the primary meaning of “baptizo,” is “to immerse,” or “to submerge,” its secondary meaning, which is derived and developed from its primary meaning, can refer to the influence which one thing exercises over another. “Baptizo,” then, can speak, like “bapto,” not only of an immersion, but also of an impregnation and infusion of the element of immersion, as in dyeing and staining. It speaks of a bringing into complete subjection to an influence, and an imbibing of the virtues and nature of that influence. We should also note that in many cases, though not in every case, the same distinction occurs between “bapto” and “baptizo,” as between their English equivalents, “to dip” and to “immerse;” “dipping” speaking of a momentary or temporary covering, “immersion” usually implying a prolonged or permanent covering. To be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire, should mean that our whole personality is permanently influenced by, and deliberately submitted to, and stained and dyed, by the transforming influence, presence, power, and sanctifying purity of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes to transfigure us into Christ's likeness, and conform us to His image, as well as to empower us. Rom.8v28,29. 12v1,2. 2Cor.3v17,18.

In the New Testament, “baptizo” is used in the sense of permanent immersion and infusion, in regard to baptism for repentance and remission of sins, baptism in the name of Trinity, or baptism into the body of Christ, or baptism in the Holy Spirit. Mt.3v11. 28v19. Mk.1v4. Lk.3v16. 1Cor.12v13, These baptisms do not speak of a temporary dipping in an element, they speak of a permanent immersion under the influence of the thing suggested. Though “baptizo,” “to immerse,” is used in the weaker sense of “bapto,” “to dip,” in water baptism, (otherwise all who are baptised would be drowned); the actual spiritual realities connected with baptism, abide and continue. To be baptised unto repentance and remission of sins, means being brought under the power and influence of repentance and remission of sins, not for a moment, but for all time. To be baptised into Christ's death and resurrection, is to be permanently identified with Christ in His death and resurrection, not for a moment, but for ever. Rom.6v9-11. To be baptised into the body of Christ, is the permanent placing of ourselves under the influence and power of Christ and His body, the Church. To be baptised into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is not just a mere baptismal formula, it is to come under the power and influence of the Trinity, not for a moment, but eternally and permanently.

Baptism, then, is more than an outward sign of allegiance to Christ, it is the deliberate placing of oneself, under His influence and headship. The important thing is not a baptismal formula, or even the actual baptism in water; the essential thing is the total submission of our whole personality to Christ; to be imbued, stained, impregnated and influenced, abidingly and permanently, with the presence and power of our dear Lord Jesus, and to experience all the benefits of His death and resurrection life. In the same way, to be baptised with the Holy Spirit and fire, means that our whole personality is deliberately submitted to, and permanently influenced by the presence, power, and sanctifying purity of the Holy Spirit. Our personality is still our own, but the Holy Spirit comes to transfigure our lives by His presence, and to imbue us with His virtues, abilities, life and love. 2Cor.3v18. However, I do not want to give the impression that we cannot fall from a state of grace, we can, let us be careful not to grieve or resist our gracious guest. 1Thes.5v19-22. Eph.4v30.

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