BAPTISM AND FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit
By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
© God’s Breath Publications
1 Corinthians 12:13
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
Ephesians 5:18
“Be filled with the Spirit.”
Christians are often confused over the terms “baptized in the Spirit” and “filling of the Spirit.” In various Christian circles there are several possible definitions as to what these terms mean. There is no way to cover the full spectrum of such a controversy in a short homily, but I do want to try to cover some basic beliefs in regards to this topic as best I can. Before I begin, may I suggest we read some quotes from various Christians who have commented on this subject first.
“We must be very careful neither to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by attributing His work to the devil, nor to quench the Holy Spirit by resolving to contain Him within our own safe, traditional patterns. On the other hand, we should also not manifest a sinful discontent with His more normal and usual operations in us. Abnormal experiences are not necessary to Christian maturity….I beg you not to seek to stereotype everybody’s spiritual experience, or even to imagine that the Holy Spirit necessarily purposes to give to others what He has given to you. In a word, let your experience lead you to worship and praise; but let your exhortation to others be grounded not upon your experiences but upon Scripture. Whatever our spiritual condition may be. Let us constantly seek to be filled with the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to walk in the Spirit.”
John Stott
“The baptism of the Spirit is a metaphor that includes various dimensions of the Spirit’s blessing and cannot be reduced to simply one kind of experience. Its hallmarks are wholehearted trust in Christ alone, a burning love for God and neighbor, indefatigable power to witness to others and deep-seated conviction of sin. Its constituent elements are endowment with power, initiation into the community of faith, loving concern for our neighbor in need and repentance of sin. If any of these elements is lacking in our life and witness we need to pray for a new filling of the Spirit, for a new anointing that will enable us to fulfill our vocation and mission as heralds and ambassadors of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Donald G. Bloesch
Let me share some of my own thoughts in a nutshell;
“If Christians spent more time in prayer asking to be filled with the Spirit rather than arguing over the baptism of the Spirit, God’s Church would be more unified and His Kingdom would have a more radical impact on the world. If we were as more concerned about whether we were expressing the fruits of the Spirit as we were about whether we had specific gifts of the Spirit, the world would see Christ more clearly in our lives.”
Michael K. Farrar, O.D.
Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit when we accept Him as our Savior. This baptism with the Spirit seals us as His own and establishes our position before God as redeemed. Lets read some scripture passages that tell us who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
John 1:32-33
“‘I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”
Acts 1:4-5
“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’”
Acts 11:15-17
“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
Living the Christian life is living life in the Spirit. There is no possible way for you to live the life of a Christian without having His Spirit living within you. Many people attempt to live a religious life and give the appearance of being Christian, but without the Holy Spirit living within them it is simply religious ritual. This is just one of the reasons that God baptizes all believers with His Spirit when they accept Jesus as their Savior. Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus in John 3:3-8 tells us that in order to become a child of God we must be born again and this means receiving God’s Spirit at conversion. This baptism of the Spirit establishes us as a child of God and seals our adoption into the family of God.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit fulfills the promise God made to give us His Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a critical part of the process of salvation for each person. Once saved and baptized in the Spirit, the Christian has a constant companion who instructs in the ways of God. The Holy Spirit will convict of sin, give instruction in how to live a holy life and comfort us in times of struggle. He will even intercede for us in our prayers when we have no idea how to voice our needs. Again let’s read some quotes from Christians regarding what this spiritual baptism means.
“Every Christian believer has an experience of the Holy Spirit from the very first moments of his Christian life.”
John Stott
“Every Christian receives the gift of the Spirit at the time of conversion.”
R.A. Torrey
Baptize means to place into a different relationship or position. It means to submerge. It means that when we become a follower of Christ we have a new relationship with Him than we had before. Our position before our Heavenly Father is also changed. We are no longer condemned but declared righteous in His sight because of the payment for the debt of sin by Jesus Christ His Son.
But being filled with the Holy Spirit is different than being baptized in the Spirit.
Differences between the “Baptism” of the Spirit and being “Filled” with the Spirit.
- Nowhere in scripture are we commanded to be baptized in the Spirit, but we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has to do with our position before God as saved sinners. The Filling with the Holy Spirit has to do with provision for service by the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
- The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has to do with our relationship with God and His Son. The Filling with the Holy Spirit has to do with our behavior as servants of God when we are used to minister in His name.
- We are baptized with the Holy Spirit when we accept Christ as our Savior. To be filled we must desire for Him to fill us, seek to be cleansed for service, yield to His direction and guidance, ask for Him to fill us and believe that He will fill us.
- Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place once at the point of salvation. Filling with the Holy Spirit can occur at the moment salvation is granted or it can occur later at another time. Filling with the Holy Spirit can take place many times, over and over again.
- Baptism of the Holy Spirit is done to us when we accept Christ as our Savior. Filling with the Holy Spirit requires us to make a choice to allow it to happen.
In summary, when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit at our conversion. We receive the Holy Spirit as a gift who then lives within us as a Believer. He seals us as belonging to Christ. His work in us is to sanctify us and grow us spiritually so that we take on the mind of Christ. The filling of the Spirit is something that can take place over and over again to prepare us for service for God and is never meant for selfish personal feelings or experiences. This filling empowers us to serve and minister to others, preach the gospel, witness to others and overcome temptation. As we are sanctified through our lives as Christians, the Holy Spirit participates in this holy spiritual process in our lives. Paul speaks of this in Romans 15:16 and it is also spoken of in 1 Corinthians 6:11;
“But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
As we are filled with the Spirit, He manifests the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. These fruits are as follows;
Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
“The Holy Spirit, in His indwelling, His influence and fruits, is the sum of all grace, holiness, comfort and joy.”
Jonathan Edwards