I recently celebrated the 45th anniversary of being baptized in the Holy Spirit (February 9, 1977) which was and still is such an important event in my life and ministry that I celebrate the event each year as I do my born again day (November 9, 1976).

Jesus speaks to His born again disciples reminding them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. These men had already received the Holy Spirit who was living within them as they were born again (John 20:22).

Luke 24:49 NET “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

He reminds them again on the day He ascended into Heaven

Acts 1:4-5 NET “While he was with them, he declared, ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

The experience and future encounter was again mentioned shortly thereafter stating the purpose of the empowering experience…

Acts 1:8 NET “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”

This encounter took place in Acts 2:1-4.

So, let’s look at the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Next time we will look at “The Filling of the Holy Spirit”…

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

1> It happens once to those who are already born again and followers of Jesus.

2> The Holy Spirit comes upon the believer like we would put on clothes – “clothed with power from on high.”

3> It is a command from Jesus – “Stay in Jerusalem until you receive the gift…” 

4> It empowers the believer to be a witness to those who are not believers in Jesus

Acts 1:8 NET “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.”

5> It releases the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit in the believer and enables the believer to minister supernaturally as Jesus did.

John 14:12 NET “I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.”

6> The nine gifts of the Holy Spirit baptism are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11

“Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different results, but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the benefit of all. For one person is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, and another the message of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another performance of miracles, to another prophecy, and to another discernment of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. It is one and the same Spirit, distributing as he decides to each person, who produces all these things.

7> This experience is given to the believer when they ask for the encounter and is received by faith

Luke 11:13 NET “If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

8> It is a single act of empowering usually followed by speaking in tongues. However, a sign is not needed as it is received by faith and Jesus reminds us that “an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign” (Matthew 16:4) and we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and thus we don’t seek signs.

Every true disciple and follower of Jesus should be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that they can accomplish what Jesus, the Head of the Church, calls them to do which is seeking and saving the lost as He did (Luke 19:10) and thus fulfil the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20).