The Baptism And Gifts Of The Holy Spirit

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< > Chapter One The baptism in the Holy Spirit The gift of tongues and the baptism in the Spirit In Acts2v4. 10v45,46. 11v17. and 19v6., when Christians received the baptism in the Spirit, they all spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. With the exception of the outpouring at Ephesus, we do not read of any other manifestations of the gifts, and at Ephesus, they prophesied in addition to speaking in tongues. From humble housewives to mighty apostles, the initial and conclusive evidence of their baptism in the Spirit was speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit did not give various gifts as the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit; He gave the gifts of tongues to all. Peter did not say that the household of Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit because they had believed the Gospel message and had accepted Christ, or were filled with joy, or were living sanctified lives, desirable and essential as all these are. Peter said that they were unmistakably filled with the Holy Spirit, because they had spoken with tongues, like the 120 on the day of Pentecost. Acts.11v17,18. There are two more instances in Acts, where it states that Christians received the baptism in the Spirit. In the case of the Samaritans in Acts.8v14-20., even commentators who are not Pentecostal agree that what Simon saw in v18, was the Samaritan Christians speaking with tongues. When we read of Paul's baptism in the Spirit in Acts.9v17.; we know from 1Cor.14v5,18., that Paul spoke in tongues, and esteemed the gift of tongues very highly in private prayer, for he thanked God that he spoke in tongues even more than the verbose Corinthians, and desired every Christian to speak in tongues, and this must have been the will of God, or Paul would not have dared to say such a thing. The baptism in the Spirit is an overwhelming experience to the prepared heart; indeed, speaking with tongues by the Holy Spirit's direct inspiration, is the only thing that enables us to express what Charles Finney called the “unutterable gushings” of praise, adoration, and worship of God, that fill the soul when one receives a mighty baptism in the Spirit. The apostolic band did not quibble about the gift of tongues, or God's choice of it as the initial evidence of their baptism in the Spirit, they joyfully accepted it and rejoiced that the Holy Spirit had lifted them above the limitations of their own vocabulary and spiritual perception, and had given them the ability to pray and worship as they ought. Let us take these New Testament Christians as the pattern of our baptism in the Spirit, others, even the good and the best, may lead us far astray. Always seek an encounter with God, more than His gifts. Here I want to give a very necessary warning! Remember, that though the gift of tongues is a wonderful and lovely gift from God, when you are seeking the baptism in the Spirit, you are seeking an encounter with Jesus, not just seeking tongues. The gift of tongues is the outflow of an encounter with Christ our baptising Lord; it is the effect of the baptism in the Spirit, not the cause. We should not try to get Christians to speak in tongues at any cost, so that they can be told, “You have received your baptism.” Our whole emphasis should be on an encounter with Christ. In the New Testament, the filling of the Spirit preceded the speaking with tongues. The baptism in the Spirit does not come through physical or soulish techniques; it comes through a living communion with Christ. We should not be satisfied by how many “tongue statistics” we can quote, but in how many Christians have received a new revelation of Christ, which has come with transforming power at their baptism in the Spirit. It does not satisfy the soul of the seeker, if they speak in tongues without feeling a fullness of the Spirit, and a heightened perception of the closeness and preciousness of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is an absence of soul-searching, consecration, and a thirsting after God in His Word and in prayer, Christians may well have an experience that does not reach or satisfy the deep yearnings of the inner depths of the soul, even though they may have spoken with tongues. This can cause Christians to doubt their baptism and gifts, when Satan comes to attack their experience. We should not be satisfied until Christians have received a soul-satisfying baptism in the Spirit, that brings an overwhelming experience of the nearness and preciousness of our dear Lord Jesus and our heavenly Father. God desires the baptism in the Spirit to be the gateway to the regular manifestations of His gifts; He wants us to be the channels of Christ's life, love, knowledge and power. It is only possible to convey this life, love and power to others, when we have a deep personal experience of them through the Holy Spirit's ministrations. Even our Lord, who was “full of grace and truth,” did no public signs or miracles until He was empowered by the Holy Spirit at Jordan. Jn.1v14. 2v11. 3v34,35. 5v19,20. Lk.3v21,22. 4v1,14-23. God desires to give the baptism in the Spirit to all Christians; “the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call;” and again, “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” Acts.2v39. Lk.11v13. If we are seeking the baptism in the Spirit, and are finding difficulty in receiving it, we should remember that we are God's dear children, and that He loves us with a love that passeth knowledge. We must leave our anxiety, perplexity, struggles and disappointment, in our Father's tender care, and not allow ourselves to listen to the lies of Satan and get dejected and depressed. We are safe in the arms of Jesus, and in our heavenly Father's tender care; take heart struggling Christian, you are tenderly loved by God. The Father, Son and Spirit are wholly on your side. Jn.16v26,27. N.B. v12-15. WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT? The unconverted cannot receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit; He is “the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive.” Jn.14v16,17. While it is true that Peter in Acts.2., used the promise of the Holy Spirit as part of his message; we must remember that the majority of his hearers were “devout men from every nation under heaven;” we have to be careful not to cast our heavenly pearls before those who cannot appreciate them. Mt.7v6. Acts.2v5,38,39. Peter clearly told these devout Jews, that repentance and faith in Christ as Saviour, were the essential pre-requisites for receiving the baptism in the Spirit. These simple conditions make it possible for all truly converted Christians to receive the baptism in the Spirit. However, we will find that real spiritual effort and earnest seeking of God are required, if we are to keep a real fullness of the Spirit and a God-glorifying life. Ps.24v1-6. 1Cor.9v24 to 10v15. The promises for retaining blessing in the Old Testament were always conditional; see Gen.17v1-8. and Deut.28v1-68.; the New Testament promises also carry with them a strong conditional “if.” Jn.15v6,7,10,14. Acts.8v37. Rom.8v17. 1Cor.15v1,2. 2Tim.2v11,12. Heb.3v6,14. 4v1,7. 10v26,38. Repentance starts, and carries us along the path of spiritual safety and blessing. The careless, prayerless, and unconsecrated Christian is always in grave spiritual danger. In the final reckoning, the attitudes of heart and mind that bring spiritual victory and safety, will also bring joy and blessing, for they are sustained by exactly the same means of grace. Though we can never earn or merit blessing from God, there are attitudes of mind and heart that will preserve us from spiritual danger, and will open our hearts and lives to God, so that He can bless us more freely. We do not have to be perfect before we can experience the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Ps.68v18. and Eph.4v8., we are told that God gives gifts and ministries to rebellious imperfect people, so that they might improve us, and “that the Lord God might dwell among them.” This is why the faulty Corinthians “came behind in no gift.” 1Cor.1v7. No one would receive either baptism or gifts of the Holy Spirit, if we needed to be perfect before we received them. However, if a church lacks Christian love, it can, like the Corinthian church, be anything but a happy place, or a good testimony for the Lord. We should always seek the fruit of the Spirit as well as the gifts of the Spirit, and the giver more than His gifts. The balanced Christian is one who manifests both fruit and gifts of the Spirit. 1Cor.13. < >
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Chapter One

The baptism in the Holy Spirit

The gift of tongues and the baptism in the Spirit

In Acts2v4. 10v45,46. 11v17. and 19v6., when Christians received the baptism in the Spirit, they all spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. With the exception of the outpouring at Ephesus, we do not read of any other manifestations of the gifts, and at Ephesus, they prophesied in addition to speaking in tongues. From humble housewives to mighty apostles, the initial and conclusive evidence of their baptism in the Spirit was speaking in tongues. The Holy Spirit did not give various gifts as the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit; He gave the gifts of tongues to all. Peter did not say that the household of Cornelius had received the Holy Spirit because they had believed the Gospel message and had accepted Christ, or were filled with joy, or were living sanctified lives, desirable and essential as all these are. Peter said that they were unmistakably filled with the Holy Spirit, because they had spoken with tongues, like the 120 on the day of Pentecost. Acts.11v17,18. There are two more instances in Acts, where it states that Christians received the baptism in the Spirit. In the case of the Samaritans in Acts.8v14-20., even commentators who are not Pentecostal agree that what Simon saw in v18, was the Samaritan Christians speaking with tongues. When we read of Paul's baptism in the Spirit in Acts.9v17.; we know from 1Cor.14v5,18., that Paul spoke in tongues, and esteemed the gift of tongues very highly in private prayer, for he thanked God that he spoke in tongues even more than the verbose Corinthians, and desired every Christian to speak in tongues, and this must have been the will of God, or Paul would not have dared to say such a thing.

The baptism in the Spirit is an overwhelming experience to the prepared heart; indeed, speaking with tongues by the Holy Spirit's direct inspiration, is the only thing that enables us to express what Charles Finney called the “unutterable gushings” of praise, adoration, and worship of God, that fill the soul when one receives a mighty baptism in the Spirit. The apostolic band did not quibble about the gift of tongues, or God's choice of it as the initial evidence of their baptism in the Spirit, they joyfully accepted it and rejoiced that the Holy Spirit had lifted them above the limitations of their own vocabulary and spiritual perception, and had given them the ability to pray and worship as they ought. Let us take these New Testament Christians as the pattern of our baptism in the Spirit, others, even the good and the best, may lead us far astray.

Always seek an encounter with God, more than His gifts.
Here I want to give a very necessary warning! Remember, that though the gift of tongues is a wonderful and lovely gift from God, when you are seeking the baptism in the Spirit, you are seeking an encounter with Jesus, not just seeking tongues. The gift of tongues is the outflow of an encounter with Christ our baptising Lord; it is the effect of the baptism in the Spirit, not the cause. We should not try to get Christians to speak in tongues at any cost, so that they can be told, “You have received your baptism.” Our whole emphasis should be on an encounter with Christ. In the New Testament, the filling of the Spirit preceded the speaking with tongues. The baptism in the Spirit does not come through physical or soulish techniques; it comes through a living communion with Christ. We should not be satisfied by how many “tongue statistics” we can quote, but in how many Christians have received a new revelation of Christ, which has come with transforming power at their baptism in the Spirit. It does not satisfy the soul of the seeker, if they speak in tongues without feeling a fullness of the Spirit, and a heightened perception of the closeness and preciousness of God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

If there is an absence of soul-searching, consecration, and a thirsting after God in His Word and in prayer, Christians may well have an experience that does not reach or satisfy the deep yearnings of the inner depths of the soul, even though they may have spoken with tongues. This can cause Christians to doubt their baptism and gifts, when Satan comes to attack their experience. We should not be satisfied until Christians have received a soul-satisfying baptism in the Spirit, that brings an overwhelming experience of the nearness and preciousness of our dear Lord Jesus and our heavenly Father.

God desires the baptism in the Spirit to be the gateway to the regular manifestations of His gifts; He wants us to be the channels of Christ's life, love, knowledge and power. It is only possible to convey this life, love and power to others, when we have a deep personal experience of them through the Holy Spirit's ministrations. Even our Lord, who was “full of grace and truth,” did no public signs or miracles until He was empowered by the Holy Spirit at Jordan. Jn.1v14. 2v11. 3v34,35. 5v19,20. Lk.3v21,22. 4v1,14-23. God desires to give the baptism in the Spirit to all Christians; “the promise is unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call;” and again, “how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” Acts.2v39. Lk.11v13.

If we are seeking the baptism in the Spirit, and are finding difficulty in receiving it, we should remember that we are God's dear children, and that He loves us with a love that passeth knowledge. We must leave our anxiety, perplexity, struggles and disappointment, in our Father's tender care, and not allow ourselves to listen to the lies of Satan and get dejected and depressed. We are safe in the arms of Jesus, and in our heavenly Father's tender care; take heart struggling Christian, you are tenderly loved by God. The Father, Son and Spirit are wholly on your side. Jn.16v26,27. N.B. v12-15.

WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS FOR RECEIVING THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The unconverted cannot receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit; He is “the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive.” Jn.14v16,17. While it is true that Peter in Acts.2., used the promise of the Holy Spirit as part of his message; we must remember that the majority of his hearers were “devout men from every nation under heaven;” we have to be careful not to cast our heavenly pearls before those who cannot appreciate them. Mt.7v6. Acts.2v5,38,39. Peter clearly told these devout Jews, that repentance and faith in Christ as Saviour, were the essential pre-requisites for receiving the baptism in the Spirit. These simple conditions make it possible for all truly converted Christians to receive the baptism in the Spirit. However, we will find that real spiritual effort and earnest seeking of God are required, if we are to keep a real fullness of the Spirit and a God-glorifying life. Ps.24v1-6. 1Cor.9v24 to 10v15. The promises for retaining blessing in the Old Testament were always conditional; see Gen.17v1-8. and Deut.28v1-68.; the New Testament promises also carry with them a strong conditional “if.” Jn.15v6,7,10,14. Acts.8v37. Rom.8v17. 1Cor.15v1,2. 2Tim.2v11,12. Heb.3v6,14. 4v1,7. 10v26,38. Repentance starts, and carries us along the path of spiritual safety and blessing. The careless, prayerless, and unconsecrated Christian is always in grave spiritual danger. In the final reckoning, the attitudes of heart and mind that bring spiritual victory and safety, will also bring joy and blessing, for they are sustained by exactly the same means of grace. Though we can never earn or merit blessing from God, there are attitudes of mind and heart that will preserve us from spiritual danger, and will open our hearts and lives to God, so that He can bless us more freely.

We do not have to be perfect before we can experience the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Ps.68v18. and Eph.4v8., we are told that God gives gifts and ministries to rebellious imperfect people, so that they might improve us, and “that the Lord God might dwell among them.” This is why the faulty Corinthians “came behind in no gift.” 1Cor.1v7. No one would receive either baptism or gifts of the Holy Spirit, if we needed to be perfect before we received them. However, if a church lacks Christian love, it can, like the Corinthian church, be anything but a happy place, or a good testimony for the Lord. We should always seek the fruit of the Spirit as well as the gifts of the Spirit, and the giver more than His gifts. The balanced Christian is one who manifests both fruit and gifts of the Spirit. 1Cor.13.

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