Living Water for Everyone!

Transforming Truth About the Holy Spirit

Richard L. Wilson

LIVING WATER FOR EVERYONE! TRANSFORMING TRUTH ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

Unless otherwise indicated,

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International VersionÓ, NIVÓ

Scriptures marked, “ESV,” are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright® 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scriptures marked, “Amp.”, or expressly identified, are Scripture quotations taken from The Amplified Bible. Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Preface III

Prologue IV

1. The Spirit in the Old Testament 1

Endnote A: Levels of the Spirit’s Administration 7

2. The Spirit in the Gospels 12

Endnote B: John 7:39—Perceptions 15

3. The Spirit Taught in John 14 18

4. The Spirit at Pentecost; in Acts 23

5. Why Two Works of the Spirit? 28

Endnote C: The Oil-Filled Hand 31

6. The Results of Spirit Baptism 32

7. Pentecost Means Harvest 36

8. Filled with the Spirit 43

9. Gifted by the Spirit 48

10. Speaking by the Spirit 53

Endnote D: When Let-Down Sneaks Up 74

Endnote E: Could Jesus Speak in Tongues? 77

Appendix: The Salvation-Enhancing

Features of Spirit Baptism 78

PREFACE

Salvation is God’s wonderful gift! Praise Him! When we trust Jesus He saves us, He redeems us through the infinite cost of His life-blood. We are born again by His Indwelling Holy Spirit. I pray that this is indeed your testimony. But there may still be a lingering sense of further quest… Do you seek a better understanding of what the Holy Spirit wants to accomplish in your life, and how you can become His channel for powerful outreach? Yes? Well, this study was prepared for you!

We’ll start with a survey of the Spirit’s working in the Old Testament—it is foundational for discerning His administration in the New Testament.

The Apostles and the Early Church formed their concept of the Holy Spirit through several sources. Foremost was Jesus’ teaching—He reinforced it by His own life-demonstration. They viewed all that input through the grid of their Old Testament experiences, rounding it out with dramatic New Testament experiences beginning on the Day of Pentecost. The viewpoint they held was the correct viewpoint, and it needs to be restored in the Church of today.

Specifically, I want us to put ourselves in the Upper Room with the Original 120. Let’s strive to see through their eyes, endeavor to understand the situation in terms of their background, recapturing their sense of what was happening. Where are we headed with this? I long to see a solid, scripturally authentic Personal Pentecost in the life of every believer, each experience individually tailored by the Lord. That’s the way it was in the New Testament. My prayer is that we recover the deep personal holiness, the dynamic of walking in victory, and the power for outreach that characterized those years of glorious adventure. These goals can only be achieved as we find and absorb the mainstream of Scripture about the work of the Holy Spirit.

We can all see the hostile pressure that is now building against people of faith. It has become imperative that we operate in the power of Pentecost. Jesus intends for us to be living and serving Him in that new dimension of power. But how do we correctly access and use such power? Again, the answers must arise out of the full scope of God’s Word. This study should help us find the answers.

As you begin, pray earnestly that God’s Spirit will open the windows of your mind.

PROLOGUE

This study is part of a project that has been in process since 1982. The beginning was totally unexpected—the Lord spoke to me, and with one brief sentence, brought me to the sudden awareness that I knew nothing about the Holy Spirit. Granted, I had been hearing, studying, teaching, and preaching about the Holy Spirit for over thirty years, but at that juncture, I knew I must start all over and let the Spirit reveal His truth to me. When He did, I was amazed to see how it brought together all related Scripture in complete agreement. Those original concepts have been in refinement and expanding since then. I’ve given out many copies of the book in earlier stages of development—for evaluation, input, review, and to help others grow in the Lord.

In recent years, I’ve been hearing quotes that I recognize from my earlier work, and it has increased my joy to know that some of the content has already begun to take root and spread in the thinking and practice of the Church. My prayer is that this latest revision will help to accelerate the diffusion. This condensation has been adapted from the much larger Study Edition originally titled, In Whom Is the Spirit. That work has not yet been published.

A personal appeal: I’m determined that my writing agree with Scripture. When I stand before the Judgment Seat, I don’t want to hear that I led anyone astray. I want no author-loyalty—if God’s Word proves me wrong at any point, no matter how minor, I’m eager to be corrected. Please read the entire book first—objections encountered may be answered in later chapters. If you still consider that I missed the full truth in some area, contact me at richardwilson5703@comcast.net , explaining your premise with a foundation of Scripture. Think of yourself as a faithful truth monitor, like a Berean (Acts 17:11), I’ll be eternally grateful. My prayer for you is “…that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18), that God will bless you abundantly, even as He has blessed me in the years I’ve worked on this.

My intention is not to profit from this book—if you would like to, that’s fine, contact me and I’ll help you any way I can. I encourage you to share this message with others—I’m convicted that God wants His people to hear it, and He will reward you for having a part in spreading it.

Let me know how God has used this book to work new things in you, new things around you. Email me, I’ll join you in prayer about challenges that can arise as God begins to move in this context which may be new to you. I want to rejoice with you in the blessings and victories; let us exalt His name together!

CHAPTER 1

The Spirit in the Old Testament

The memory is still vivid. It was about 1945 when my spirit reached out, tenuously trusting Jesus to forgive all my sins. He did it! He moved mightily, lifting my burden of guilt—I suddenly knew that now it was ok between God and me. My nagging fear of death vanished and peace flooded in bringing an awareness of living eternally in His Bright Presence. But there was another wonderful surprise: the realization that a measure of His Bright Presence had already begun to live in me! That’s a glorious part of being saved.

Soon we acquire a growing interest about our wonderful new Resident, the Holy Spirit. We have a strong sense that He’s always within us, yet questions persist. But these are sacred precincts—approach with reverence. The Holy Spirit is God, unsearchable, Sovereign God, and some of our questions may never be answered. By His divine wisdom and power He created and sustains the entire universe; His Presence fills everything in all of time and eternity—our limited minds are left stranded. We are treading on awesome, holy ground.

Still, there are things God wants us to know about His Holy Spirit: We need to have a working grasp of what the Spirit accomplished when we were saved. We need to know what He wants to do within us in our current situation; we need insight about His marvelous intentions for our spiritual progress. We need to ensure that the Spirit always controls our life. To aid in this learning process, let’s put ourselves back into the Garden of Eden and watch as the Spirit begins His work with humanity:

The First Indwelling

“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Picture this: God is down on His knees; His hands are dirty. He is busily forming Adam, the first human being. Now look…God is stooping down, breathing His own Spirit into the earthen man-form, and Adam comes to life! That divine life-breath is the beginning of the Spirit’s indwelling of humanity. When Eve is created from Adam, she too is given God’s Spirit-Life. That spiritual dimension elevates Adam and Eve to be more than top-of-the-line animals: spiritually, they are eternal beings. The Indwelling Presence gives them God-kinship and the ability to love, serve, please and glorify their Creator. They walk and talk in fellowship with the Almighty and their hearts overflow with joy.

The Indwelling Lost; Reinstated

Then, tragedy—The Fall! Adam and Eve disobeyed God and the deadly element of sin infected humanity. The Holy Spirit in them recoiled from their defilement, severing His indwelling relationship. The human spirit (their operating system up until that point) was the throne room crafted by God for His Bright Spirit, but when sin crashed in, their spirits went dark and empty. Sin also set them on the road to aging and physical death, but the death of their priority spirit, which carries eternal impact, was immediate, as God had warned, “…you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17). Shame flooded in and they suddenly dreaded their loving, faithful Maker (see Genesis 3:7–8). God’s first people could no longer glorify Him, properly love or serve Him—He was no longer pleased with them. His creation purpose seemed hopelessly frustrated.

But God already had a rescue plan: “…the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). God promised in Genesis 3:15 that someday a woman would give birth to a Unique Son who would offer Himself as the Ultimate Sacrifice that would pay the death penalty for every sin people would ever commit (see Romans 5: 19). At exactly the right time, Jesus became that Sacrifice (see Galatians 4: 4–5).

From Bloody Hands to a New Beginning

Initially, Adam simply called his wife, “Woman” (Genesis 2:23). But after their fall and restoration he renamed his wife, he called her, “Eve,” “…because she would become the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20). That renaming contained a statement of Adam’s faith: on one hand, faith that humanity—though fallen—would continue as the Lord God had indicated; on the other, faith that looked forward to Jesus, the Redeemer, the Child that God promised would be born through the line of Eve.

In response to Adam’s faith, and looking forward to the coming Redeemer, the Lord God evidently slew animals—which involved the “shedding of blood” (Hebrews 9:22). Since the penalty for sin is death, for sin to be forgiven, death must be displayed. Because the life of the flesh is in the blood, the shedding out of blood is the monumental evidence of death that God will accept (see Leviticus 17:11, Exodus 12:13).

In slaying those animals, God established the pattern for every proper atoning sacrifice that would follow: Abel, Noah, Abraham—indeed the entire Levitical system. The dying animals in Eden symbolized Jesus’ dying; they offered a tiny glimpse of how great is the cost of forgiving sins. Now God’s hands are bloody—like at Calvary. He prepares coats of skins, representing the righteousness of Christ. They accept the coats from God’s hands, and as they pull those skins around themselves the release of remission rushes into their guilt-sickened hearts. Their sins are covered! They are wearing the righteousness of Christ; they are believing God and accepting His atonement. The Lord can now forgive[1] their historic disobedience and credit them with Jesus’ holiness. The Indwelling Spirit returns, they are restored, and they are allowed to start life over—but in a much more difficult context.

The First New Births

The salvation experiences of Adam and Eve agree with what Jesus taught Nicodemus: “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). The Energizing Force for salvation/new birth can only be the Spirit of God—whether in Old Testament or New Testament. Adam and Eve were the first to repent and be ‘born again.’ (Though not actually baptized, they met the repentance/new birth-objective of John’s water baptism [See Acts 19:4].)

Jesus’ teaching on the new birth appears in John chapter three, in the part of our Bible entitled, The New Testament, but the Old Testament Era (the Old Covenant Era) was still in progress at that time. The Old Testament continued until Jesus was crucified and had fulfilled all that was promised concerning the provision of redemption—our eternal life (see Romans 6:23). When Messiah died, the veil of the Temple was torn from top to bottom (see Matthew 27:51) signaling the new access ushered in with the Changing of the Covenant Eras. At that point, when Jesus had shed His blood and died, the New Covenant Era/New Testament Era began, even as He indicated, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20).

People were being born again when Jesus told Nicodemus that he—along with everyone else—must be born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23), so all need to be “born again” (John 3:7). Jesus gave a new name to an ancient experience. Adam and Eve were saved and Spirit Born when they trusted God and put on the coats of skins. Ever since Adam, in many different ways, people have been taking that step of faith and putting on Jesus’ righteousness.

[1] There appears to be a sense in which life blood communicates with the life Creator, particularly when violently shed. In murder, or persecution for godly righteousness, faith and testimony, spilled blood cries for justice (see Genesis 4:10; Revelation 6:10). When shed in animal sacrifice prior to the cross, it seemed to say, “Temporary forgiveness, on credit.” But the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice, with finality and triumph, in response to saving faith, seems to speak the better word, “Permanent, continuous forgiveness, paid in full! (see Hebrews 10:8–10; 12:24; John 19:30; 1 John 1:7–10).” Jesus’ sacrificial death at Calvary made the deposit that validated all those prior sacrifices.

The Indwelling Continues

The line of those who were Spirit Born unto salvation continued from Adam and Eve to their son, Abel, whom the Lord accepted as righteous (see Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4). Enoch was another in the line of faith; “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:24). Noah gave evidence that the Spirit lived in him: Genesis 6:8–9 testifies that “…Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord…Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.” Noah obeyed God, built the Ark, saved his family “…and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith” (Hebrews 11:7 ESV).

Elihu described how the Spirit of God worked in ancient times, he stated that wisdom and understanding come from “…the spirit [footnote, Spirit] in a person, the breath of the Almighty that gives them understanding” (Job 32:8). Elihu spoke again of the Indwelling Spirit: “For I am full of words, and the spirit [footnote, Spirit] within me compels me” (Job 32:18). Elihu said that God’s Spirit created him and keeps him alive in both his body and his spirit, “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life” (Job 33:4). These words are very similar to Genesis 2:7: “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Elihu was a fallen sinner, even as we are, but he accounted himself God-approved with the Holy Spirit indwelling him—that was Adam’s condition when he was still in innocence. Elihu could claim such a position only because he was trusting God for forgiveness and salvation—because he was depending on the unearned holiness that God imputes to every justified, Spirit Indwelt believer.

Abraham Was Spirit Indwelt

As we consider Abraham, bear in mind Jesus’ teaching that obeying Him is an indicator that we truly love Him (see John 14:21; 1 John 5:3). Now, Abraham is honored for his obedience (see Hebrews 11:8; Genesis 12:4; 22:2–3)—his obedience proved his deep love for the Lord. His love for the Lord, in turn, meant that he had the Indwelling Spirit (see 1 John 3:24; 4:7, 16). All this being true, God was pleased with Abraham and his service as Genesis 15:6 tells us, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”

The Apostle Paul taught two things that agree with Abraham’s experience: (1) Love is a fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, if someone truly loves God, it means that the Holy Spirit lives in that person (see Galatians 5:22). (2) Anyone who does not know God cannot properly love at all; indeed, before we were saved we were God’s enemies (see Romans 5:10).

The Spirit’s Second Work—in Joshua

Let’s look at the lives of other believers from the Old Testament. The Bible indicates that these people were saved and born again by God’s Spirit. But the Bible also describes their having a second work of the Holy Spirit, another level of His Indwelling:

Joshua’s experience is an example of two works of the Spirit: “So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him’” (Numbers 27:18 ESV). Here is the Lord Himself (He knows!) presenting Joshua as Spirit Indwelt. But then, right in the same verse, the Lord tells Moses to lay his hand on Joshua. Why? Joshua needed to receive another measure of the Spirit to enable him to lead Israel when Moses died. “Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit [footnote, Spirit] of wisdom because Moses had laid his hands on him” (Deuteronomy 34:9). Notice this—in the Old Testament—two levels of the Spirit’s working![2]

[2] See “ENDNOTE A: Levels of the Spirit’s Administration,” at the end of this chapter.

The Spirit’s Second Work—in Gideon

“When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, ‘The Lord is with you, mighty warrior’” (Judges 6:12). The Angel who appeared to Gideon was the Son of God before He was born as Jesus, and, knowing Gideon’s heart, He declared, “The Lord is with you.” This phrase always describes a believer, one who is born again by the Spirit and serving God faithfully.

Now, in Judges 6:34 we read, “Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon.” The Lord had already stated that He was with Gideon, but suddenly, the Lord was with Gideon in a bold new way. This is another case of a second, special measure of the Spirit equipping God’s servant for a special assignment. Gideon led Israel to victory over the Midianites and then he became a judge over Israel.

The Spirit’s Second Work—in Saul

Before Saul reigned as king of Israel, 1 Samuel 10:9 tells about him when he was young and still humble before the Lord: “As Saul turned to leave Samuel, God changed Saul’s heart.” This is when Saul was saved, Spirit Born. If the Bible speaks about a change of heart, it means that the person has been saved, born again (see John 3:3–8), and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 18:31 affirms that truth: “Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.” Look also at Ezekiel 36:26–27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you...And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” So, Saul’s ‘changed heart’ meant that he received salvation and indwelling by the Spirit.

Now, let’s bring in 1 Samuel 10:10: “When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.” This was Saul’s second work of the Spirit, an outpouring of power even as Samuel had promised, “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person” (1 Samuel 10:6). This was a second life-changing experience given to him because he was soon to become the new king. Saul did not finish well. His life ends in a swirl of unanswerable questions, but it certainly was not the Lord’s fault. God had lavished upon Saul every spiritual advantage he needed.

Bringing Our Thoughts Together

Summarizing, we see that the Holy Spirit indwelt and brought new life/new birth to every believer in the Old Testament—we often see evidence of the fruit of the Spirit, much like it is with believers today.

But some had more—some experienced an extra working of the Spirit, another level of the Spirit’s Indwelling. This was true of Joshua, Gideon, and Saul. To attempt completeness would call for an extensive review of the entire Old Testament. We would have to include Enoch, Noah, Moses, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, and all the other prophets (see 1 Peter 1:10–11), priests, and a host of others who had key positions assigned by God. Although there were significant differences, the special measure of the Spirit imparted to them often had an effect similar to New Testament Spirit Baptism beginning at Pentecost in Acts 2 and following. Even in the Old Testament, there were miracles worked, people were healed, some were raised from the dead, great spiritual truths and words of knowledge were revealed, and there were those who prophesied.

Compared to the multitude of those in the Old Testament who were born again by the Spirit, there were not many who were given an extra measure of the Spirit. But for those few who did receive more of the Spirit, God was granting them a foreshadowing, a limited springing of what was later to become a torrent at Pentecost. That extra outpouring on a general scale, intended for every New Covenant believer, was awaiting Him who was the Water of Life, Jesus, the Spirit Baptizer (see John 1:33). It was Jesus who proclaimed, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38). From the glorious occasion of Pentecost until this present hour, Jesus has been offering that extravagance of living water for everyone!

ENDNOTE A: Levels of the Spirit’s Administration

As believers, when we ponder how the Holy Spirit relates to us now, in our mortal lifetime, clearly everything branches out from two channels of the Spirit’s administration, two levels of His indwelling. The first level of His indwelling is His regenerating salvation work, the New Birth. The second level of indwelling is Spirit Baptism, which can occur soon after salvation or at some time later. However, the total Administration of the Spirit is considerably wider; I have identified at least eight levels—there may be more.

Level One: The Spirit’s General Administration

God’s Spirit is always everywhere. It requires energy to hold every atomic particle in its miniscule orbit. He is thus holding the entire material universe together. Nuclear energy is the Spirit’s energy—unimaginable power that harnesses the atomic structure of all physical matter. Just six pounds of plutonium 239 becomes a fissionable mass, i.e., the atoms suddenly come apart and God’s energy that held them together is released. It can obliterate a city.

Without the Holy Spirit, nothing exists. He is the One who does the actual creating at the word of the Father or the Son. Then the Spirit actively and constantly maintains His Creation, steering and shaping its progress in accordance with God’s cosmic redemptive plan and His eternal Kingdom purposes. All nature synchronizes into a limitless, ever-developing display of the glory of God. The Spirit is in all things, particularly all living things. In that limited sense, He indwells every person. Paul told the pagan Athenians, “’For in him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:28). But Paul also knew that the general indwelling/working of the Spirit does not translate into individual redemption, so he preached Jesus, the Redeemer to the Athenians.

At this general level, the usual pattern is that the voice of nature or conscience will be as personally as God speaks. (See also Genesis 1:2; Psalm 104; Psalm 139:7–10; Romans 1:18–20; 2:14–15.)

Level Two: The Spirit’s Work of Prevenient Grace

With prevenient grace, the Spirit begins to move somewhat personally, quietly drawing individuals toward Jesus. They have a dim awareness of their Creator and His claim on them, they sense that eventually He will press that claim. God occasionally surprises them by intervening on their behalf—they scarcely know how to respond. They are being influenced by Jesus’ working as the Good Shepherd, “…the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). It is an action of prevenient grace.

God expresses prevenient grace in various ways. For example, in 1 Corinthians 7:14 Paul states that an unbelieving spouse is sanctified by a believing spouse. God extends covering over the entire household if even one has trusted Jesus and received the sanctifying work of salvation. Household sanctification is an early phase of God’s sanctifying work—one of several phases whereby He sets people apart for Himself.

Another limited, but highly important work of the Spirit falls in or near this second level of the Spirit’s administration. Jews feel this working, those in whom God has placed the unique call of their Jewishness. It ties them to their stewardship of His Land, of Jerusalem and the great revealed truths about God and redemption. It is definitely a work of the Holy Spirit, but again, even though God’s redemptive plan is being served, this is not an individually redeeming Spirit-work. Jews, like everyone else, need to trust Messiah Jesus and be born again (see John 14:6). (Find more on this subject in a separate article, “The Holy Spirit in Jewish Chosenness”.)

Level Three: The Spirit’s Work of Conviction

The Spirit’s conviction gets more personal. Conviction is the Father’s drawing of those intent on coming to Jesus for eternal life (see John 6:44). In John 6:45 Jesus identifies the elect ones: those who will believingly listen and learn from the Father (or, Jesus, the Father’s Spokesman). The principle: “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8, ESV). We choose Jesus—the Father’s Spirit can then respond with enabling grace and we can come to Jesus for redemption. He embraces us and whispers, “I chose you, I predestined you from eternity” (see Ephesians 1). Praise God, His mind is infinite, only He can put it all together—and He does, every day! The Spirit also convicts believers who harbor unforgiven sin. (See Genesis 6:3; John 16:7–11.)

Level Four: The Spirit’s Work of Repentance

Sinners are overwhelmed when repentance rushes in like a flash flood. Repentance leads to their total remorse and shock for being such reprobates that they could conjure and commit the sins of which they are guilty. This is distinctly personal, it is God’s Spirit revealing to sinners how they appear before the gaze of holiness. The publican’s prayer illustrates repentance: “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Believers are called to repentance (see 2 Corinthians 2:5–11; Isaiah 6:5–6). The Spirit also calls churches to repentance (see Revelation 2–3). The response God seeks at this level is for us to completely reverse the direction of our life and our conduct, trusting Him and His power to make our repentance authentic and permanent.

Level Five: The Spirit’s Indwelling at John 3 Level—New Birth/Salvation

If repentant sinners, through faith, accept the Person and provision of Messiah Jesus (either looking forward [Old Testament] or looking back [New Testament]), they are redeemed, saved by the grace of God, born again, regenerated, and granted positional sanctification and holiness—all by the work of the Holy Spirit.

The New Birth naturalizes us into citizenship in God’s Spiritual Kingdom, citizenship which carries over into King Jesus’ Millennial Kingdom and the final Eternal Kingdom. This redemptive, new creation relationship is fully personal, we become joint-heirs with Jesus, we become family with God Himself! The salvation-indwelling occurs only when one desires salvation from their sinful condition and trusts Jesus. (See Numbers 27:18; John 3:5.)

Level Six: The Spirit’s Indwelling at Acts 2 Level—Special Measure/The Baptism

In the Old Testament, the Spirit’s working at this level of special measure was restricted to just a few, to those with positions like kings (see 1 Samuel 10:10), priests (see John 11:49–52), prophets (see 2 Kings 2:9,15), judges (see Judges 6:34), or those assigned special duties (see Exodus 31:1–5). There were significant differences between the Old Testament anointing or filling and Church Age Spirit Baptism intended for every believer, but only to believers (see Matthew 3:11; Acts 2:38–39).

The Lord grants Spirit Baptism, the New Covenant special measure, in answer to our faith, desire and readiness for the Spirit’s indwelling at that more intense level. The Baptism intensifies our personal relationship with God, with Jesus in particular, to a powerful, intimate degree that liberates praise, worship and love for Him to an extent that exceeds our expectations.

Level Seven: The Spirit’s Work in our After-Life

When we leave this earthly tent, we will be “…away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). Talk about getting personal…we will be in His presence, seeing His face, sitting at His feet, hearing His word, laughing and talking with Him. That is a plateau of relationship with Jesus, with God, that we can only wistfully imagine—and it will assuredly happen for those who love Him.

We won’t be angels—angels are a different order of created beings—but we will live in a spirit-form comparable to angels. We will no longer be hindered by our mortal bodies, victimized as they are by sin’s dulling, deadening, defeating, distracting and cruel aging influence. The Holy Spirit will then be free to empower us for continuous, tireless worship, as we serve and praise our Triune God (Revelation 7:9–10, 14).

Level Eight: The Spirit’s Work in the Eternal Resurrection Body

In I Corinthians 15:35–54, the Apostle Paul tells of a wonderful day when each one who believes will be given our physical resurrection body. He describes it as a “spiritual body” (verse 44), patterned after Jesus’ glorious body. Our marvelous new bodies will be vibrantly energized, throbbing with the fullness of the Spirit of Jesus, perfectly equipped for living in God’s Millennial Kingdom, then His Eternal Kingdom. We will be feeling what Jesus feels, we will be in contact with reality as He contacts it. That will be the ultimate in personal relationship with Jesus—it can’t get any more intimate, it can’t go any higher. This is what God planned and longed for in eternity past and it will continue unending throughout eternity future. It was the ultimate goal of the whole Creation Project: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

As far as we have record, this will be the final and eternal level of the Spirit’s administration in our lives.

An observation: When we rise from one spiritual level into another, the Spirit continues to work in us as He did at previous levels. To a great extent it is cumulative—whatever our level of indwelling, whether Spirit Born or Spirit Baptized, the Spirit works in us at that level plus any needed feature from any previous level. New levels give the Spirit new means for molding us into Jesus’ image, enhancing our relationship with Him and promoting our growth in the fruit of the Spirit.

At the same time, first Corinthians 13 seems to indicate that some of our individual gifts of the Spirit may not transfer beyond this earth-life (from Level Six to Level Seven). Apparently some gifts for the empowering and growth of our outreach ministry expire when we expire and leave this earth. Think about it—our time for ministry will be over; in Heaven there is no need for us to be engaged in evangelism/outreach. If we speak in tongues, that will cease—language and communication will no longer be an issue. If we have gifts of knowledge or prophecy, they will cease—we will be right there with the Lord of all knowledge and prophecy and He will share with us everything He deems appropriate. Sickness will be gone, so gifts of healing and miracles will also expire, and maybe others—Scripture gives us scant detail about this point. But again, all that we have attained in our intimate, personal relationship with Jesus will transfer with us into eternity, into His Presence.

A final thought: The Spirit worked in our lives on several levels in the past before we were saved. He will work in our lives on yet other levels in the future. And, Scripture teaches that, beginning in Acts 2, God offers us two levels of experience in the present. Indeed, it is authenticated by the reality that God still works with us in this manner. Proper use of Scripture does not support any other viewpoint.

CHAPTER 2

The Spirit in the Gospels

Jesus was Spiritually Unique

At Creation, God breathed His Holy Spirit into Adam. But when the First Couple sinned, the Spirit fled, and could not reinstate His indwelling until they accepted the skin-coverings/salvation. Since then, every person has needed salvation “...because all sinned” (Romans 5:12)—everyone except Jesus; “He committed no sin…” (1 Peter 2:22). With no sin, Jesus did not need salvation or any forgiveness, and He never lost the Spirit’s indwelling. The Spirit was indwelling Jesus at conception, through birth, through His childhood, and was never lost in His youth or adulthood. (The Holy Spirit may have briefly left Jesus while He became sin and was bearing the wrath of God against our sins as He suffered on the cross. See Matthew 27:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

So, the Spirit lived continuously in Jesus. But then the Spirit came upon Jesus in power after He was water baptized in the Jordan River (see Luke 3:21–22). This new indwelling of the Spirit was in a different context from that which Jesus had always retained. This was additional—it was a special anointing/ Spirit Baptism given to Jesus because He was beginning His ministry. The titles, “Messiah” in Hebrew and “Christ” in Greek both mean, “The Anointed One.” When the Dove descended upon Jesus, it was God’s way of declaring that He was giving His Son a total anointing of His Holy Spirit. John explained, “For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit” (John 3:34).

Jesus as the New Adam

Jesus was the firstfruits, the Head of our new spiritual race—He is the “New Adam” (see 1 Corinthians 15:20–23; Romans 5:12–21). Jesus is our comprehensive life-pattern, even as He indicated in Matthew 10:25, “It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters.” He was water baptized, so we are to be water baptized. He was Spirit Baptized—He intends that we be Spirit Baptized. Jesus’ Spirit Baptism made changes in His life that were immediately evident, He was filled with the Spirit and He had power to return victorious after being tempted. That being true, He expects that we too shall be filled with His Spirit and live victoriously over sin.

The Disciples Were Spirit-Indwelt

Returning to the first work, the salvation-work of the Spirit, Jesus’ disciples were indwelt by the Spirit at the redemptive level of the new birth. We know this because Jesus told Nicodemus, “...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit…You must be born again” (see John 3:5, 7). It’s a timeless principle: No one goes to Heaven without a new birth by the Spirit. Now, Jesus assured the disciples that their names were written in Heaven (see Luke 10:20) and He promised to prepare a place for them in Heaven (see John 14:1–3). Furthermore, in John 17:6–18, Jesus emphatically claims His disciples as have been given to Him from the Father …”out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me…” Jesus, continuing in verse 24, requests that His disciples “…be with me where I am…” Jesus was soon to return to Heaven—where the entrance requirement is to be Spirit-indwelt. These verses are telling us that the disciples had the new birth indwelling of the Spirit.

New Birth Believers

Let’s look at the Spirit’s working in our life: Jesus described to the Samaritan woman what happens at salvation: we are given a spiritual “...spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). This spiritual flow is the Holy Spirit, the quiet Inner Presence who indwells us. He irrigates our life through daily Bible study and prayer, regular worship, fellowship, and similar means. Our personal spiritual Welling Up nurtures us and enables us to share with others, and the more we dip and share, the more we receive and the fresher it becomes. This is rich and real; it’s the basis for every spiritually good thing that will unfold for us.

New Birth Believers often see the Spirit direct and move in their lives in ways they can clearly identify. God radiates His love in them, blesses them, arranges events for them, and touches lives through them. As they witness, God wins others unto salvation. There are Christians who are born again by the Spirit who, in this life, never move beyond that entry level. They spend their whole time here faithfully serving the Lord in the gentle strength and resource of the salvation-work of the Spirit. Much is accomplished for the Kingdom by their quiet and persistent efforts. (Of course, with Spirit Baptism they could do much more!)

Jesus Teaches a Second Work

As Jesus’ ministry progressed, He began to teach that a second, special measure of the Spirit—the same type as He Himself had received and which was empowering His outreach—would soon be available to every believer. We see this with Jesus’ demonstration at the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem: “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit [“Spirit” in this context means the Spirit in the sense of Spirit Baptism that Jesus sent at Pentecost] had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:37–39)[3].

Soon after His demonstration at the Feast, Jesus gave another reminder about the coming Pentecost—it occurred when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (see Luke 11:1). Jesus launched His prayer-teaching with the Model Prayer (verses 2–4), then He told a parable exhorting them to persevere in prayer (verses 5–10). He assured them that the Heavenly Father will answer persistent praying because the Father always wants to give us what is good. Finally, Jesus recommended a specific prayer request to His disciples, He told them to pray for the Gift of the Father/the Paraclete of Pentecost/ Spirit Baptism: “...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

So, in John 7, through His demonstration at the Feast, Jesus taught that the Spirit would be poured out in a new sense. Then, in Luke 11, He led them to persistently ask for the Spirit of Pentecost to come. The disciples understood that the coming of the Spirit in power—and the right time to pray for Him to come—was soon, but not immediate. Later, when Jesus indicated that it was time to pray (see Acts 1:4–5), they prayed earnestly for 10 days until Pentecost. The Father answered in a dramatic and powerful way.

In these last two sections, John 7:37–39 and Luke 11:1–13, Jesus reveals how a believer receives the Baptism with the Holy Spirit: A Personal Pentecost is available to the Spirit Born child of the Father who (1) is spiritually thirsty enough to ask in faith, and (2) is serious enough to persevere in prayer.

ENDNOTE B: John 7:39—Perceptions

The Perception in Bible Times

Believers today have a perception of the operation of the Holy Spirit in people’s lives. Those living back in Bible times had their perception of the Spirit’s operation. In most cases there is a marked difference between those two perceptions.

The ‘Bible times perception’ was that the Holy Spirit worked in mighty, dramatic ways. Those who ‘had the Spirit’ spoke prophecy and words of knowledge; they performed miracles and healings. But only a relative few experienced the working of the Spirit in that special measure (Scripture grants extensive coverage and high profile to what they did, said, and wrote because it was so important, but numerically they constituted a splinter minority of the people of faith). Rank and file believers—even though they definitely were indwelt by the Spirit—would not regard themselves as those who ‘had the Spirit.’

This perception was reflected not only in Old Testament writings, it surfaces quite often in the New Testament. This is understandable because the majority of New Testament authors came out of the Old Testament Era. One example of the Bible times perception is in John 7:39: “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John took pains to let the reader know that Jesus was referring to the Spirit’s coming in the context of Spirit Baptism, the mighty outpouring at Pentecost and following.

Now, the Apostle John had been born again and was well aware that the new birth was a work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus had taught it and John had recorded it already in chapter 3 of his gospel. But to John and the readers of that time who understood the intent, their Spirit Birth experience was too quiet to qualify as ‘the coming of the Spirit.’ Pentecost, however, qualified dramatically! Suddenly they were empowered to thunder out the Word, heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and such like. That certainly fit their definition of one who had the Spirit.

Back in the Old Testament, the Lord on several occasions endeavored to widen their thinking on this issue. He encouraged them to give proper credit to His Spirit for their salvation-indwelling and His working in so many areas of their lives. As a youth, Joshua would have been commended by his peers as a promising young man of growing faith and commitment. But notice, when the Lord described him (even before Moses laid his hands on him for a powerful anointing) He called Joshua, “a man in whom is the Spirit” (Numbers 27:18 ESV).

Consider Elijah: After ripping the face off the mountain (and God was not in it in a personal, relational way), the Lord revealed Himself to Elijah in a “gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:12). Obviously, the Spirit performed the mighty deeds at Mount Carmel, but God wanted Elijah to realize that the Spirit also operated in quiet, intimate ways. The Spirit lived in the 7,000 humble but determined rank and file believers who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Nevertheless, the ‘Bible times perception’—which favored the recognition of the Spirit’s moving in the miraculous and dramatic—continued to show up occasionally even after Pentecost.

One post-Pentecost example of the Bible times perception appears in Acts 8 during Philip’s evangelism in Samaria. The salvation of those believers was accomplished by the entrance-indwelling of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5; Romans 8:9). One of several confirmations of that was the Spirit’s fruit of joy among them (see Acts 8:7). Even so, they did not regard themselves as those who ‘had the Spirit’ until they received His second indwelling work, the mighty Baptism with the Holy Spirit. That came with signs and evidences so dramatic that Simon the Sorcerer sought to bribe Peter into granting him the ability to share Spirit Baptism (see Acts 8:15–19).

Proper Response to the Biblical Perception

Concerning John 7:39 (“…the Spirit had not been given”) and Acts 8:16 (“…the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them”), two cautions emerge: (1) We ought not to interpret these passages in any comprehensive way, e.g., saying that the Holy Spirit does not appear at all before Pentecost. The vast body of Scripture describing the work of the Spirit in the Old Testament Era and up until Pentecost flatly disallows that viewpoint. (2) Don’t try to force these verses to apply to the Spirit’s new birth indwelling—that occurs automatically when one believes unto salvation and enters the spiritual Kingdom. The context of each verse shows that those verses are dealing with another level of the Spirit’s working, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

To properly understand any part of Scripture we must search for context clues; otherwise we will probably miss much of the truth. Furthermore, we need to involve ourselves in the author’s outlook and circumstances. Only then will his intentions become clear. Only then will we benefit fully from the truth God was inspiring him to convey.

Current Perceptions

Although some today still hold the powerful, spectacular Bible times view, the current perception can be quite the opposite. Some consider that when God’s Spirit works, He will do so only in a quiet manner. People are born again by the Spirit. The Spirit brings peace and a sense of assurance and relationship with God. He chides gently but persistently when sin is present. He guides believers by silent inner directives. Such people are now regarded as those who ‘have the Spirit.’ But, surprise, when believers begin to work in the dimension of miracles and healings, signs and wonders, prophetic utterances and words of knowledge, they are, in some circles, suspected of not having the Spirit. The perception is that demons still do things like that, but God no longer does. (God is trying to correct this current perception as well.)

So, which is right? The Bible times perception—which emphasizes the dramatic working of the Spirit? Or, the current perception—which emphasizes His quiet moving? Answer: God is not influenced by these perceptions. We likewise ought not to be swayed by them. The Spirit’s quiet working and His dramatic working are equally right. There is—or should be—no contest. Unfortunately, with both perceptions being incomplete and missing important aspects of the truth, sometimes people who adhere to them frame the issue in such a way that there seems to be a bit of a contest. Such bickering is not helpful to the Kingdom.

God’s truth is like a broad river that sweeps both banks. We gain proper perspective only when we find the main channel. Don’t be content to stay in the shallows at the edge.

CHAPTER 3

The Spirit Taught in John 14

Jesus’ Final Teaching

Jesus’ final teaching about how the Holy Spirit would begin a new way of working in the lives’ of His own starts here in John 14 and continues intermittently through Acts chapter one. In this regard, we need to pause here and stress that the Spirit’s redemptive, regenerating work of salvation, while always remaining as the indispensable, foundational assumption, is not the focus of this discussion. That ancient salvation-indwelling was already covered in John chapter three in the interview with Nicodemus. And we have already scanned clear evidence that the disciples were born again and the Spirit was indwelling them at the salvation level. So, moving on to John 14, Jesus’ Last Supper discourse on the Spirit is forward-looking—He is breaking new ground, He is preparing them for a new administration of the Spirit soon to begin.

This was the night before He was crucified, and Jesus devoted much of His teaching to the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, a glorious, second, additional indwelling of the Spirit. Jesus selected the word, “Paraclete,” to describe the role of the Holy Spirit’s working in these believers who would be Spirit Baptized at Pentecost. “Paraclete” is the Greek term for a defense attorney, one called alongside the defendant to bring help and comfort; a counselor, an advocate for the defendant’s cause.

The Coming Changes

In these chapters, Jesus tells His disciples about changes that Spirit Baptism will make in them. Jesus is explaining to His Spirit Born disciples what will happen to them when they become Spirit Baptized.

Also, Jesus is concerned that His disciples not feel orphaned when He returns to His Father. He promises to pray that the Spirit will live in them in a new way, as if Jesus Himself was being replicated within each one of them (see John 14:16). At Pentecost and thereafter, the Holy Spirit, in His role as Paraclete, will be Jesus-intensive; He will reveal Jesus personally, remind them of what Jesus taught, and mold their lives so that, ideally, each one begins to live a Jesus-life specially tailored to their calling. The powerful Paraclete will forever remain with them because, physically, Jesus cannot.

The Spirit “With” Them

In the last half of verse 17, Jesus said, “But you know him, for he lives with you.” Jesus states that they already know the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit who will come to them in His new context at Pentecost—He will be no stranger to them. As Jesus teaches, we learn about the ongoing relationship at that time between the disciples and the Holy Spirit as Paraclete. Jesus tells His disciples that the powerful Pentecost-Spirit is “with” them. Just how was the Spirit in this sense already living “with” the disciples? (Remember, this was still before Pentecost.)

The Paraclete was living “with” them as He was living with them in Jesus. The Spirit, in a total anointing, had remained upon Jesus since the Dove rested upon Him. From then on, Jesus lived and ministered in that power. The disciples had become familiar with Paraclete-power living and working in and through Jesus. Shortly after this teaching in John 14, at the day of Pentecost, the Spirit, in Paraclete-mode, will come upon them also, and they will recognize Him—indeed, they have been watching Him work in Jesus. So, the Paraclete was living “with” them.

The Preparatory Ministry

Now, relating to this discussion, we know that on several occasions Jesus sent His disciples out to prepare for His personal ministry (see Matthew 10:1–9; Luke 10:1–18). They were commissioned to minister with a full range of miracles that would look similar to Jesus’ ministry—it was obviously Spirit-empowered. But there were differences. We don’t get the sense of the remarkable life-changes that were immediately evident after Pentecost (as scanned at the end of this chapter), Jesus simply says that He has granted them “authority.” That authority entailed a measure of spiritual power in keeping with the Old Era special measure anointing, and even that was impressive to the disciples at the time. But later when Jesus was describing Pentecost to them He was very specific, “…you will receive power…” That indicated spiritual authority/power at a significantly higher level.

Judas Iscariot’s “Authority”

Another consideration: it is implied in Matthew 10:4 that Judas Iscariot was also granted “authority” along with the others. In John 6:70, Jesus labeled Judas a “devil.” So, Judas, an adept imposter and apparently never born again, could be enabled to speak and work by the Spirit. That fits with the Old Testament mode of the Spirit’s special measure where the anointing went with the duty assignment or office, even when faith was totally absent, as with death-plotting Caiaphas (see John 11:49–53). So, that “authority” does not resonate with what began in Acts 2, where an Indwelling New Birth experience is a prerequisite qualification for being Spirit Baptized.

Old Era Training for the New Era

Taken together, such factors indicate that those preparatory ministries were some of the closing actions of the Spirit’s Old Covenant administration. In view of that, it may be a bit improper to refer to happenings in those pre-Pentecost Old Era ministries as though we can learn something that applies to how the Spirit can be expected to work through us now in this New Era.

But—returning to our original thought line—in those preparatory ministries the disciples would get a sense of what it was like to minister with the miraculous power of the Spirit; it was practical training for what they would experience later in an expanded way from Pentecost going forward. It may have contributed to their sense of the Paraclete being “with” them and aided in their recognition of Him at Pentecost.

“Will Be in You”

The last phrase of verse 17 is translated in two ways; “...and will be in you,” or, “...and is in you” [emphasis mine]. First, view it from the reading, “...and will be in you” (John 14:17b, NIV text). Jesus promises that there will be a change in relationship between the Holy Spirit and the disciples. Again, after the Dove had rested on Him, Jesus was given a new type of special ministry power—it was the firstfruits of how the Spirit will come upon the disciples later at Pentecost. From that point the disciples will no longer need to be physically close to Jesus to sense that marvelous new power, indeed, they will be carrying it within themselves. That coming ‘Gift’ will be a permanent personal anointing for each one. Jesus described this higher-intensity relationship with the word, “in”; “...and will be in you.” The Spirit will soon be in them much like they were seeing the New Era empowering Spirit in Jesus! That was a startling revelation for the disciples—for us too!

“Is in You”

Now, let’s look again at the last phrase of John 14:17. This time we’ll use the alternate translation: “...is in you” (NIV footnote—main text of several other versions). This adds another reason why the disciples will recognize the Spirit in His coming as Paraclete: He will be the same One who is already indwelling them because they are trusting Messiah Jesus and are born again by the Spirit. But soon, at Pentecost, the Spirit will begin to indwell and empower them in an additional new way! Still, the Holy Spirit is God, and no matter how many ways He works in a person’s life, His character never changes. So, the disciples will find the Paraclete to be an enhancement of the same Divine Friend who is the light and life of their spirits. “But you know him, for he lives with you and is in you” (John 14:17b, footnote reading).

Jesus Teaches a Second Work

In verses 16 and 17, Jesus is saying, in effect, “You are about to receive the Spirit—you already have the Spirit living in you.” Think about it: A new and greater measure of the Spirit will soon energize these men who are already regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This was Jesus’ way of teaching a second crisis work of the Spirit.

Consider: We have two readings of John 14:17b, “...will be in you,” and, “...is in you.” Which one carries the most authority? Eminent translators don’t agree on this point; it appears that it cannot be firmly settled. But this should not concern us—either variation should be equally acceptable. Each version offers its share of the truth; they complement and strengthen each other—they support the total teaching of Scripture on the Holy Spirit. I like both versions.

The Second Work Symbolized—Water

So, Jesus taught two works of the Spirit in John 14:17. The same truth appears in other places: Jesus described to the Samaritan woman what happens when we trust Him for salvation and the Holy Spirit begins to indwell us: “Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). We picture a modest spring, enough to supply family needs. That is a marvelous provision.

Contrast this with the language of John 7:38: (John explains in verse 39 that he is describing Spirit Baptism—which would begin later at Pentecost.) “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” The Amplified reads, “...springs and rivers of living water.” Notice, “springs”—plural; “rivers”—plural. This describes an extravagant supply for a vast area, the headwaters of a river that will flow to the ocean. With Spirit Baptism, our soul-thirst becomes not just satisfied, indeed the Lord begins to pour through us, and we become a secondary source.

Now, the figures in John 4 and John 7 are the same: springing water. The basic meaning is the same: the Holy Spirit moving in believers. The scope, however, is radically different. What do we have here? Jesus is contrasting the two works of the Spirit in the life of a believer.

The Second Work Symbolized—Wind

It’s similar in John 3. Jesus is teaching Nicodemus about the mystical working of the Spirit in Spirit Born people. Verse 8 says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” The Amplified reads, “The wind blows (breathes).” Born again people quietly display evidences of the living breath of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Jesus’ words lead us to visualize a gentle breeze rustling leaves and whispering through the pines.

Again, contrast this with the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit baptized them: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (Acts 2:2). The Amplified reads, “...the rushing of a violent tempest blast.” This describes a hurricane! Once more, the symbol is the same: wind. Both have the same topic: the Holy Spirit moving in the life of a believer. But the scope is totally different. It lays out a comparison between the two levels of the Spirit’s work available to us.

The Big Difference

Scanning the difference in the Spirit’s two ways of working, what did it look like when translated into the lives of the disciples? We established that the Spirit was living in the disciples at the New Birth level. But Peter seemed unable to stand before an inquiring maid at the fireside, even with that strong, basic work of the Spirit within him—indeed all the disciples fled (see John 18:16–18; Matthew 26:56). Now, observe the radical change in their conduct and attitudes after being Fire-Touched on the Day of Pentecost: They stood unflinching before the glowering members of the powerful Sanhedrin who were trembling with murderous rage! Peter boldly exposed them as the ones who had crucified Jesus. Banding together, the disciples made it clear that they were rejecting the council’s injunction—they would continue to preach the resurrection and the new life in Jesus’ name (see Acts 5:25–42). They were unstoppable. They defied death and the gates of hell. They turned the world upside down.

CHAPTER 4

The Spirit at Pentecost; in Acts

The Working of the Spirit

Old Testament saints received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when they were saved. But if God assigned someone a special position, they were often granted an additional anointing, enabling, or prophetic ability by the Spirit for as long as the duty continued. At the same time, there were those among the faithful rank and file in the Old Era who hungered for more, and the restricted distribution of the special measure left them feeling excluded and jealous (see Numbers 11:29). Sometimes Mr. or Ms. Average Believer watched while spiritually gifted men like Samson and King Saul abused the anointing and lived unworthy lives. From the Old Testament view, a spiritual change like Pentecost needed to happen. No doubt some thought it long overdue when it finally arrived—but God’s timing is always perfect. So, again, the Spirit gave New Birth to every Old Era believer, but only a few were allowed to experience the Spirit’s power in a greater dimension.

That set the stage for what the Lord did at Pentecost: He granted that every believer can have a second level of Indwelling, a new, permanent empowering of the Spirit. That’s what Pentecost was and is all about. That inclusive availability of a second work is the greatest difference in the Spirit’s administration in the New Testament Era from the way He operated in the Old. Pentecost was the logical extension and expansion of the Spirit’s pattern of moving in the Old Testament.

Pentecost—the Original Viewpoint

Look at that curious, wide-eyed crowd! They heard wind-roaring like a cyclone and rushed together under the windows of the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost. Now, that crowd was born and raised in the Old Testament Era and they know by observation how the Holy Spirit has always moved and worked—up until now! Peter only briefly explains about the astounding manifestations they are witnessing, he cites just five verses from Joel 2, and then launches into his evangelistic appeal. Most seem to clearly understand and accept what they’re seeing and hearing on that Pentecost—it fits naturally as the next step in the Spirit’s administration and many are eager for it. Three thousand of them repent that same day, are Spirit Born and also receive Spirit Baptism.

Let’s begin to see Pentecost as the disciples and the 3,000 saw it. Let’s recapture their eagerness and their positive response, joining together to revive their Acts-style evangelistic offensive in our present world—for what little time we have left.

Pentecost and Jesus’ Glorification

John 7:39 speaks about God following His time-line. While living among us, Jesus accepted our limitations, meaning He needed to retain and operate in the new ministry power/Spirit Baptism He received at His Jordan water baptism. That special measure would not be released by the Father unto us until Jesus had ascended to Heaven and the infinity and glory of His full deity reinstated (see John 17:5). But there was more… The writer to the Hebrews describes Jesus as exalted to a status even greater than before. He was anointed for the dual position of eternal, universal King of kings and High Priest after the order of Melchizedek. (See Hebrews 5:6–10; 6:19–7:28; Revelation 17:14; 19:16.)

What does all that mean to us? When we trusted Jesus, we were adopted, Spirit Born into His royal priestly family. My friend, we are in Jesus’ line of royalty! We qualify for a share in His dual anointing to serve as kings and priests unto God.[4] Not just a few of us, like it was in the Old Testament when there relatively few prophets, one family of priests, and only one living king at a time over Judah—now every one of us qualifies!

Factor in the Hebrews-connection noted above: That awesome royal-priestly anointing for service under King-Priest Jesus was poured out at Pentecost and has been available to every member of His Family since then. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth” (Revelation 5:10; 1:6). Jesus expects us to thirst (see John 7:37), to ask (see Luke 11:13), and enter in.

Pentecost and Salvation

In New Testament times after Pentecost, the two works of the Spirit were treated as two of the major components of New Testament salvation. The person who was under conviction would repent, believe, and be Spirit Born. Then, usually, they would be baptized in water, and finally be Spirit Baptized, probably often employing laying on of hands (this process forms the background of Galatians 3:1–5, 14). But I sense that they had a lenient attitude about the sequence and timing of water baptism and Spirit Baptism, and once in Acts 10:44-48 the Lord combined Spirit Birth and Spirit Baptism into a double experience—on the surface it looked like one experience. Scanning those salvation events, we see no attempt by the Early Church to sort it all out precisely. They simply accepted the components of each salvation however the Lord was administering them, as all contributing to a complete salvation package.[5] That’s how we should treat salvation today.

New Testament authors seemed to consider that salvation had been improved with the addition of Spirit Baptism. Technically, it was not the case; practically, it was the case because every believer at that time had entered into a personal Pentecost. New Testament writers assumed that every new believer from then on would of course be Spirit Baptized, would have two works of the Spirit. Oh that it had remained so.

Experience at Pentecost, Samaria

Thus far, this chapter has been doctrine. However, doctrine must translate into the reality of experience to authenticate itself. So, let’s see what happened:

The disciples were indeed born again—Jesus Himself testified that the Holy Spirit was indwelling them (see John 14:17, NIV footnote). Then, at Pentecost, they received another life-changing experience, another level of Spirit-indwelling: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:3–4).

Observe Philip’s evangelism in Samaria (Acts 8:4–18). We know that the Samaritans were truly being saved and had the Spirit living in them. How do we know? We see “great joy” in verse 8. Paul tells us that joy is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22). So, there was the ‘joy’ factor; but verse 12 says, “they believed.” (John chapter 3 teaches that anyone who believes is Spirit Born. See also Romans 8:9.) Moreover, their professions of faith were convincing enough for Philip to baptize them (see Acts 8:12).

But, when Peter and John arrived we read that they “...prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them” (Acts 8:15–16). They were already born again by the Spirit, so these verses are speaking about the need for the Spirit’s coming in another context. “Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17). The Samaritan believers were Spirit Baptized, a second work of the Spirit.

Paul’s Experience

Observe the conversion of Saul of Tarsus: In Acts 9:5–9, we see convincing evidence of repentance and submission to the Lordship of Jesus. Once, as Paul recounted his conversion experience, he indicated that after Jesus had identified Himself, Paul asked Him, “What shall I do, Lord” (Acts 22:10)? This shows how quickly the Spirit regenerates and indwells someone who repents, because Paul wrote later, “…no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3). Paul was probably recalling his own salvation confession when he wrote Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Paul’s experience and confession prove that he was saved/Spirit Born, but let’s add the Lord’s witness: In Acts 9:15, Jesus claimed Paul as His own, His special evangelist, “...my chosen instrument.” “The Lord knows those who are his” (2 Timothy 2:19).

Three days later, when Ananias arrived, he did not witness to Paul to lead him to salvation. Instead, Acts 9:17 says that he immediately placed his hands upon him for restoration of sight and that Paul might be Spirit Baptized. (The unsaved cannot receive the Spirit in that context. Ananias treated Paul as a Spirit Born fellow-believer.) Verse 18 conveys that in this instance there was discernible evidence of Spirit Baptism: Paul’s sight was restored—it’s another case of two crisis works of the Spirit.

Experience at Ephesus

In Acts 19:1, Paul came to Ephesus and found “disciples.” They were not prospects for evangelism; indeed, he addressed them in verse 2 as those who had “believed.” Like Apollos in Acts 18:24–26, they traced their repentance, salvation, and Spirit Birth to the ministry of John the Baptist. But they were unaware that the new birth they had received when they believed was the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (see John 3:5–6). They missed the fact that Messiah Jesus had already come, or that the Church Age (with the new element of Spirit Baptism) was in progress.

Paul asked in verse 2, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when [footnote, after] you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (When believers lack information, they can inadvertently forfeit what God intends.)

Paul then updated their awareness and theology (Acts 19:4); he brought them into the New Testament Church by ordinance as well. Verse 5 tells of their water baptism[6] “...in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Note the emphasis on Jesus’ name: We derive from the text that their salvation stemmed from John’s early baptism-ministry, before he knew that the Messiah he was preaching about was Jesus. Paul made certain to include that now-necessary element, Jesus’ name, into the baptismal formula for them.

Verse 6 brings us to closure, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” This was obviously a new work of the Spirit in the context of Pentecost. Their receiving Spirit Baptism is another case of two spiritual experiences for New Testament believers.

A compelling pattern emerges: Those who trusted Jesus for salvation, from Acts 2 onward, received, lived and walked in the transforming power of two works of the Holy Spirit.

CHAPTER 5

Why Two Works of the Spirit?

You may be wondering, “If God intends for every believer to have more of the Spirit, why doesn’t He just give us everything when we are saved? Why do we need two spiritual experiences?” Apparently God chooses to do it this way. There may be several reasons; I can think of three:

(1) Our Free Will

The Lord offers two works of the Spirit to accommodate our free will. Now, Spirit Baptism is a marvelous blessing. That said, God may give us more blessing than we expect, but He won’t impose more blessing than we want. He spaces out new blessings for us—and new opportunities for service develop as He sees fit, and at each juncture we choose to go on, go back, or try to stay where we are. If we decline the blessings of Pentecost, we will be quietly passed over. Our Heavenly Father may feel slighted that we refused His Gift; the Spirit may be grieved that much of His best plan for us will be stymied, but God respects our will.

(2) Childhood Conversions

The Lord offers two works of the Spirit because of childhood conversions. When children come to Jesus at a tender age, they simply want their sins forgiven and a sense of peace, security, and acceptance. Generally speaking, that’s all they can properly deal with, and God in gracious wisdom usually grants only that much. As children mature they become better able to handle the power of the Spirit in a greater measure. Young believers often enter Spirit Baptism in their teen years at a time of recommitment to the Lord. The Baptism may come with an experience that is much more glorious and powerful[7] than when they were first saved as a child.

I am convinced that this often happens even when Spirit Baptism has not been taught. If Spirit Baptism occurs unexpectedly, and if it comes with no identifying manifestation, it can be misread as conversion—especially if the new experience is dramatic. They assume that their receiving Jesus when they were younger was only a childish emotional response and not real salvation. I have seen them request to be water baptized again. Now, rebaptism is fine if one desires it—or if there is serious doubt, but it’s unfortunate when doubt arises because they have not been taught and thus don’t understand their Spirit Baptism experience. In that setting it’s unlikely they will receive good follow-up, or develop the new spiritual resources available to them.

(3) The Old Testament Pattern

A second work of the Spirit follows the Old Testament pattern. It establishes a good measure of solidarity and continuity with the way the Spirit worked in the Old Era. On the Day of Pentecost, Jewish people knew they were witnessing a new outpouring; at the same time, there were familiar traits assuring them that it was the Lord’s doing. They saw people being given power like Elijah, but that power also displayed the character of Jesus.

The New Testament teaches that born again believers are heirs of the covenant promises given to Abraham (Galatians 3:6–9). Our circumcision is of the heart. Many of us are not privileged to be “natural branches” (see Romans 11:17–21), but we are grafted in and for that we praise God! We rejoice that the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the greater Son of David, loved us, and purchased us with the sacrifice of Himself. By knowing our ancient heritage we gain perspective to properly interpret the New Testament. It’s our joy to embrace the Old Testament pattern in this area.

Two Works Portrayed in Leviticus 14

Thinking of the Old Testament pattern, Leviticus 14:1–32 contains a foreshadowing of how salvation in the New Era was intended to be accompanied by Spirit Baptism. From the wealth of symbolism here, notice elements that depict our coming to Jesus, our Savior and High Priest: We desperately need His cleansing from the alienating leprosy of our sin. Focusing on verses 14–18, we see into this ritual that He applies to us His own blood—the blood of the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world (see John 1:29). But notice Leviticus 14:17: oil is applied over the blood, picturing the Spirit as He indwells us. This happens immediately when our sins are forgiven—that entry level of the Spirit provides the regenerating New Birth aspect of our salvation.

But that’s not the end of it, Jesus our Priest holds more oil for us in His hand[8]; the rest of the oil is then placed on our head. This pictures Spirit Baptism, the second, special anointing available to us that enables us to powerfully serve God and His Kingdom and enter into an enhanced relationship with Him. From the latter part of Leviticus 14:18 we observe that both works of the Spirit symbolized here are regarded as integral to the cleansing process. That was forward-looking and agrees with the tone of the Early Church writers that Spirit Baptism was viewed as a necessary component of New Testament salvation. The Book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament continue to present two spiritual levels in keeping with the Old Testament pattern. As Paul wrote his letters we can pick up on his assumption that all of his readers had entered into the second work of Spirit Baptism.

So, the Father usually imparts the Holy Spirit in two stages; that way He offers us every intended spiritual advantage—when we are emotionally ready—when we willingly choose. Viewing these elements, if it was my duty to direct the Spirit’s admin-istration, I wouldn’t change anything. “As for God, his way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30).

Personal Inquiry

This study may have kindled your desire for Spirit Baptism, but possibly this is all new to you and you’re unsure. You sincerely want to know the truth, but maybe you think that you don’t have enough Bible background for doctrinal matters, particularly a spiritual venture like this. You realize that either way you choose, it will have far-reaching effects on you and your eternity, and will most certainly affect many around you. You don’t want to go wrong.

For many, the first instinct will be to consult a pastor or someone considered well- grounded in Scripture and accept their word—that’s entirely understandable. At the same time, many even in Christian leadership have limited familiarity with the second work of the Spirit, and their protective reflex may be to discourage your quest. Now, what if Spirit Baptism is authentic and, following that advice, you miss out on it? As a spiritual mistake, that’s almost as tragic as embracing erroneous teaching.

How can you discern the right choice? You might prefer to go slower and study the Bible for yourself—I strongly encourage that. Study it honestly, praying that the Spirit, who inspired it and knows what it means, will reveal the truth to you. And He will—if you stay with it for however long it takes until the conviction of truth opens up.

A Garden of Rest

I appreciate those who treat eternal matters with caution and proper respect. After the Lord began to reveal these things to me, I pondered for about four years until the truth became compelling. The Lord continued to assure me that Spirit Baptism was His will and His way. Finally, I dismissed what people thought or what might happen and went public with my convictions. Some wrenching moves and changes followed. All has not been easy since then—the hurry and pressure of life continues. But in my spirit I have entered a garden of rest that surpasses anything I thought possible before meeting Jesus face to face. I pray that you too will arrive at a similar place of blessing.

If you enter this spiritual level, be prepared—some will take offense. In the spiritual realm, error divides and truth divides; error offends and truth offends. If you are struggling with Spirit Baptism and suspect that if you enter you may be met with resistance, take heart, there is sympathy and understanding directed your way. It comes from the loving Father, and from many brothers and sisters in the Lord who have climbed the same rough trail before you. You are not alone.

ENDNOTE C: The Oil-Filled Hand

The symbolic oil-filled hand in Leviticus 14:18 agrees with God’s directive to Moses to share his leadership-anointing by laying his hand on Joshua (see Numbers 27:18–23; Deuteronomy 34:9). The Lord often honors that ‘transfer’ of the special measure of the Spirit from the one who has it to the one who needs and wants to receive it. It might appear that Spirit Baptism can be ‘caught’ like a virus from one who is carrying it. This shows up repeatedly in the New Testament record, in Acts 8:14–17 at Samaria, in 9:15–17 at Saul/Paul’s Spirit Baptism, in 19:1–7 with the Ephesian 12, and in 2 Timothy 1:16 when Paul transferred a spiritual gift to Timothy.

The Samaritan Evangelism in Acts 8 and the Ephesian 12 in Acts 19 seem to represent the usual New Testament order: believing unto salvation, water baptism, then hands–on for the impartation of Spirit Baptism. Peter and the apostles probably combined the Leviticus text above and the Moses-to-Joshua precedent and initiated the New Testament pattern on the Day of Pentecost beginning with the 3,000 converts.

‘Laying on of hands’ is still practiced, but God is not at all limited to that ancient ritual of transfer. The Original 120 in the Upper Room had no human hands laid on them. The whole group with Cornelius in Acts 10:44–48 received The Baptism as Peter watched in shock! Probably most today are Spirit Baptized in private or in a group setting (as I was) without hands-on. We simply need to be like the Early Church—accepting of however God sovereignly imparts The Baptism in any given setting.

CHAPTER 6

The Results of Spirit Baptism

Pentecost Is Life-Changing

You may be asking, “If I receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, what will happen? What difference will it make? Where will it lead?”

My friend, the only way we can really know what it’s like to be Spirit Baptized is to be Spirit Baptized. Furthermore, not until Spirit Baptism brings us into the attendant new level of spiritual understanding will we fully grasp what the Church Age was intended to be. Pentecost is much more than a doctrine we can study and agree with, it should be life-changing.

And indeed, Spirit Baptism is well able to change our life, but we must be willing to do our part—spiritual laziness transforms nothing. The assumption behind all of the results of Spirit Baptism discussed in this chapter and throughout this study is that they are always conditional. It’s basic to spiritual growth that we determine to walk in the Spirit, in faith, in holiness and victory, and if sin does occur, we will quickly confess and forsake it (see 1 John 1:5–10). Then, we must choose—every day—to live, grow and develop in our new dimension. As we continue to function in the realm of Pentecost—as Pentecost reaches, changes, and empowers every area of our life, we will gain more insight into what the Baptism is all about and the positive differences it can produce.

Pentecost Is Power

Basically, Pentecost is Power—a new dimension of spiritual power. Jesus described it: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). Power! But the ways that God will display that power—the evidences of our Personal Pentecost—our Pentecost Package—will be unique in each one of us; every result, every testimony will be different. We can’t make an exhaustive study of the Baptism. But there are features we can always look for when a believer is Spirit Baptized. Let’s survey a few of those features:

Completed Joy

One distinctive attending Spirit Baptism is enhanced joy. Now, every Christian should have a measure of joy that the world pursues but cannot hold—joy because our sins have been forgiven and the Spirit lives within, and one of the fruits of the Spirit is joy. Now, believers who have not yet entered Spirit Baptism often assume they have all the joy that is available. But when they actually encounter the intensity of joy being expressed in someone who is Spirit Baptized, they are sometimes put off by the strong emotion or physical response they witness. You see, when we are Spirit Baptized, we receive a new level that Jesus described as joy that is complete—completed joy (see John 15:11; 16:24). This joy survives the joy-quenching assaults that come with living in this fallen world (see Acts 16:22–25).

Let’s look at this from the Old Testament viewpoint (that’s the view the Early Church would have taken): At the time of the Gospels, the Jews living then were in the line of those who had been waiting for the Messiah for many centuries—then He actually came! His name was Jesus! We are in the Jesus Era, and He personally should be our transcendent joy. He should constantly hold our attention. When Pentecost becomes our personal experience, our life becomes Jesus-focused—it happens naturally. We are suddenly able to give Jesus the place in our heart that He deserves. Joy and excitement about Jesus wells up and begs to be expressed—Spirit Baptized believers get thrilled like a three-year-old! About what? About Jesus! Our Heavenly Father wants Jesus to be more to us than our Savior, more than the Head of the Church. He wants us to be joyful about Jesus. Spirit Baptism grants us that new level of joy.

Deeper Love

The Baptism is an additional measure of the Spirit for us. It’s a portion, an extension of the Dove Anointing that descended and remained upon Jesus at the Jordan. It is a powerful outpouring of love and compassion for people and their needs—for all people, those in the Body and outside as well. It’s a sacrificial, resourceful love that carries with it whatever miraculous, creative power required to meet those needs.

But not only love for others, Spirit Baptism brings a new infusion of love for God Himself. To appreciate the value of this, let’s think about our situation if we are an entry level New Birth believer: We have trusted Jesus for salvation. We know that He is Lord of all and we have declared Him Lord of our lives. We believe that He is God, that He rose from the dead, and that we will live eternally with Him in Heaven. We know all of this is true, yet still we may find that to love Jesus totally, with no reservation (as we know we should) is a bit elusive for us. It is at this point—loving Jesus consumedly—that Pentecost makes a vast difference. When we are Baptized with the Holy Spirit, we fall exuberantly in love with Jesus—like we never dreamed possible. The Person of Jesus fills the horizon of our outlook. We want to talk about Him—talking about Jesus (without awkwardness!) becomes the normal thing to do.

When we are living fully in Pentecost, it will become the passion of our soul to obey Him and please Him, to worship Him and praise Him, to be near Him and see His face, to become just like Him. We’ll pour out ourselves in a constant, adoring, love offering to Jesus. Our deeper love for Him leads to an intensely practical—not merely creedal—submission to the lordship of Jesus. It energizes our commitment to crown Him King of every crevice of our being. That’s the total submission we see modeled in those who were Spirit Baptized after Acts 2. They defined the meaning of living under the lordship of Messiah Jesus. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit makes all this possible—more reasons why God wants every believer to be Spirit Baptized.

A New Sense of Acceptance

Without Spirit Baptism, many of us spend much of our lives under a vague cloud between us and the Lord. Eventually we assume that our clouded relationship is the normal Christian experience. Actually, it indicates a life of spiritual defeat. Thus the Spirit is always grieved and the spiritual relationship is always clouded. That’s not what the Lord wants. He yearns to be pleased with His own and to make us aware of His pleasure. After Spirit Baptism we may sense that we are now accepted by the Lord to an extent we had seldom felt before. We walk in a warm glow, conscious of the smile and favor of God. No doubt this happens because the Baptism enables us to walk in the Spirit, to love, serve and glorify the Lord more effectively. Loving, serving, and glorifying God make up much of God’s purpose for creating humanity. Those features are life-principles of the Kingdom in which and toward which all things are moving. When we are fulfilling those three elements, God conveys that He is pleased with us.

Extra Power—Use with Caution

The energy and advantage of the Baptism can be applied toward any area of our life. If we are teaching, we may be surprised by a new flow of spiritual insight. If we are witnessing, there can be a thrilling new effectiveness. Are we seeking a victorious walk? Many have, at last, experienced a consistent, overcoming power to banish defeat. Believers who had long sought for a deeper life have finally settled in the middle of Canaan, filled with joy in the Spirit, praising and loving Jesus in a way they thought could never happen this side of Heaven. Whatever the spiritual challenge, Extra Power can make a vast difference.

But, we may decide we want to use our Spirit Power to achieve something that is not what God intended for us. Maybe we fancy the idea of being rich. The Lord’s primary plan for our life may not have included wealth. He may want us to struggle and learn to live with less, like Jesus did. We can make the mistake of heeding those who would teach us to covet. Paul warned Timothy about “...people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain” (1Timothy 6:5). If we persistently beg, God just might relent and make us richer than we ever dared dream. But if being wealthy is not God’s best for us, both our spiritual life and our ministry will be the poorer for it.

The Case of King Hezekiah

When King Hezekiah was told that he would die, he prayed, begged and wept so bitterly that the Lord added fifteen years to his life (see 2 Kings 20–21). Two significant things happened in those fifteen years: (1) He disclosed the national wealth to the Babylonians. (2) He fathered Manasseh. After Hezekiah died, Manasseh took the throne at age twelve, and except for a final brief period of repentance (see 2 Chronicles 33:10–20), he brutalized the unfortunate people of Judah for fifty-five hellish years. His reign was so evil, idolatrous, and degenerate that the Lord specifically cited that case as the prime reason for delivering Judah into captivity at the hand of the Babylonians—who came to collect on their former intelligence (see 2 Kings 24:1–4; Jeremiah 15:4). In the long range interest of the nation, Hezekiah would have served far better had he merely accepted the Lord’s will as first indicated.

We need to be careful how we pray or how we use that extra measure of Spirit Power. Great power is released from the Lord—that is His part. Our part is to develop an awesome sense of holy responsibility and stewardship in its application. One of the first ways that we need to learn to use this power is to keep our desires centered in God’s perfect will. Let this be our prayer: “Lord, I don’t want to receive a dime more, or live a minute longer than best serves your Glory and your Kingdom! Amen.”

The Lord wants the results of Spirit Baptism to always be good. Let’s be cautious that we don’t, by any form of self-seeking, bring regret on ourselves or reproach on Jesus or His Kingdom or His Church.

CHAPTER 7

Pentecost Means Harvest

Believers who are Baptized with the Holy Spirit are blessed with an expanded revelation of Messiah Jesus. But, closely related and benefiting greatly from that expanded revelation of Jesus is powerful evangelism.

Jesus Is Our Focus—We Need Him

Jesus is the focus of everything. He is more than an important part of our faith, He is our faith—without Him we have nothing. Now, the Father remains on the throne in Heaven, and by His Spirit He controls the expanse of His creation. But if we did not have Jesus, the loving Father would be forced by our unforgiven sins to be an angry Judge before whom we would be called someday for sentencing. Jesus is our only appeal before the Holy Father in Heaven whom we have offended. Jesus bore in Himself the wrath of God against our sins; He died in our place—He is our peacemaker. He is the fulfillment of all that the Old Testament looked forward to. The signs and symbols, fasts and feasts, the prophecies and the priesthood, the Tabernacle and the Temple, and so much more—He covers it all! Jesus finished and fulfilled it at the cross, authenticated it by His resurrection, and is seated at the Father’s right hand as our Intercessor, Savior, and Spirit Baptizer. Now He is all we have. Jesus is all we need.

All this composes a major purpose of Pentecost: Spirit Baptism gives us more of what we really need: Jesus. The Spirit pours into us a greater revelation of Jesus, a deeper appreciation of who He is and all that He did for us, an overflowing joy at every thought of Jesus. The Spirit releases extra power to speed up our being molded into Jesus’ likeness—extra power to bring our practical conduct more into line with our positional perfection in Him. As we study God’s Word, Jesus is transfigured before us in a new radiance; our devotions become a time of restful intimacy with Him. Worship with others becomes exciting as we exalt Jesus. In His power, victory over sin becomes viable, not just a tantalizing mirage.

Pentecost Offers New Energy for Outreach

These realities inject a new vitality into our service and witness for Jesus. Outreach becomes a matter of sharing with others the same life of joy-in-Jesus that we treasure. We will see that so much of this world is bored and burdened by sin, disillusioned by the emptiness of even their highest achievements. We may be gifted with discernment to identify unsaved friends who are desperate to shed their sin-burden and their nagging fear of death, eager for reconciling forgiveness from their Creator, ripe for the reality we are experiencing. That’s why we need Pentecost—the dark, hopeless condition of the world begs for the vibrant life of the Spirit to shine within us. They need the deliverance that Jesus offers through us. So, Spirit Baptism starts with a greater revelation of Jesus, and then is expressed in a deeper cutting witness. The end result is more people being harvested to the glory of God.

Pentecost Offers Power for Harvest

It’s tempting to focus on the initial experience of Pentecost and its effect on the individual. But, even if it was a glorious event when we received it, Spirit Baptism is not an end in itself, it’s a means to an end. Picture an implement display at a county fair. The center of attention is a huge new combine. The sales representative extols its power and the many features lavished on the machine. But the combine is only a means to an end—the object is the harvest. The powerful equipment offers swift and efficient reaping. So it is with Pentecost. We are inclined to marvel at the gifts, the personal improvements, and the power; but Jesus is also intently concerned about the harvest of the world’s lost multitudes.

Speaking of the harvest, Pentecost was the Feast of Firstfruits of the wheat harvest. When fulfillment came on the Day of Pentecost, true to form, three thousand people were garnered into the Kingdom. It served to demonstrate another key purpose of Spirit Baptism: Power for harvest.

The Commission Linked to Pentecost

Jesus’ statement of the Great Commission appears in all four Gospels and the book of Acts. As we survey those statements, it becomes evident that the Commission is always linked to Spirit Baptism.

Let’s start with the Commission statement in Matthew 28:18–20: “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’” As part of the Commission, the baptismal formula invokes the blessing and authority of the Triune God. But at that point in time, when Jesus had so recently taught them in the Upper Room about the coming Paraclete, His naming the Holy Spirit here would lead the disciples to make a connection. After Pentecost and their Spirit Baptism that connection would be powerfully enhanced.

Mark 16:15; “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’” Then, in verses 17–18, Jesus links the Great Commission with manifestations that would happen among believers who had experienced a personal Pentecost.

In Luke 24:46–49 Jesus reminded His disciples that they would be His witnesses spreading the Good News to all nations. Then He told them to stay in Jerusalem “…until you have been clothed with power from on high...” i.e., had received the preparation of Pentecost, their Spirit Baptism.

In John 20:21–22, Jesus greeted them, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” How had the Father sent Jesus? Jesus was sent/commissioned with the power, spiritual impact and authority which came with His Spirit Baptism at the Jordan River. It’s the same power in which He sent them (and us), the Jesus-imprinted Special Measure in which He had ministered. “’And with that He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” Jesus began with the Great Commission, then He symbolically demonstrated the Great Outpouring/the Mighty Life-Breath of God/the Empowering for Commission-fulfilling evangelism—all to begin soon on the day of Pentecost.

Jesus said, “Wait.”

In His last exhortation to His disciples in Acts 1:4–8, Jesus explicitly linked Pentecost and the Commission. Think back over the calling and ministry of the disciples: They were soundly saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. They were trained and experienced in evangelism under Jesus’ personal leadership. They were passionately committed to Him. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples were the ones originally commissioned to be carriers of the gospel of the new birth, the salvation message of fulfilled redemption—it had just been completed before their very eyes! It was fresh on their minds and branded into their thinking. The good news that we now preach that’s bringing thousands into the Kingdom every day—as the disciples stood before Jesus in Acts 1, their hearts were full of the same evangelistic theme, but for them it was hot off the press!

Had we been there, we would have exploded with enthusiasm, “This is an evangelism dream team! They’re ready! Send them out!”

But what did Jesus say? “Wait…”

“Wait?! Whatever for?”

“Wait for the gift my Father promised...you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4–5). Survey the situation: The redemptive plan was finished and ready to share. Many in the world were ready to hear, believe and be saved. But the disciples were not yet ready to tell the world what they knew. Granted, they had the message, but it needed to become in them a burning message. That called for the Holy Spirit in His role as the Baptizing Spirit of Jesus. Only He could inflame their spirits and energize the message so they could deliver it with authority, impact, zeal and conviction. That part arrived ten days later.

Jesus added those details about the promised “gift” in verse 8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The Empowering was to come first, then the evangelism. That’s right, Jesus wants our outreach efforts to show the prominent trademarks of Pentecost. He prefers that His Kingdom be spread by those who have been Fire-touched with the Spirit’s power. He wants our evangelism to look like it looked when He did it—under the prototype Spirit Baptism anointing He received when the Dove rested upon Him.

Peter laid out the sequence again in Acts 10:38, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” Jesus Himself established the pattern: first the empowering/gifting, then the ministry/service. If we want empowered evangelism that carries the authority of Jesus, we too will need to be inflamed with the Baptism and full of the Spirit.

“Wait” Is Jesus’ Command to Be Spirit Baptized

Now, the command to “wait” was not an end in itself. By obvious extension it was Jesus’ command for them to be Baptized with the Holy Spirit. Furthermore, the disciples clearly understood that the directive wasn’t limited to them. Early on the Day of Pentecost they made sure that all in the believing body who could get there were there, all 120 of them. After the Fire fell, they extended the scope of the mandate to the 3,000, their children and down through the centuries to every believer who is joined to Jesus. We don’t get the indication from either Jesus or the New Testament writers that they viewed Spirit Baptism as optional. No, His command to be Spirit Baptized continues to us today. If we reject, that’s disobedience. We can expect the Spirit to be grieved and our relationship with Him to be clouded. As forgiven, redeemed believers, being Baptized with the Holy Spirit is one of the commands we accept, like being water baptized, loving one another, evangelizing and discipling the nations, walking in the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit—and the list goes on as you well know…

So, summing up the statements of the Great Commission, it’s clear that Jesus established a strong linkage between His Commission (the Call to witness), and His Gift of the Paraclete (the Power to witness). These are the two parallel rails upon which the plan of redemption reaches lost humanity. The Call and the Power must always be paired together for maximized outreach. Efforts to evangelize without Spirit Baptism can meet with disappointing results; the world is not much impressed with the appearance of spiritual weakness.

Pentecost Evokes Hatred and Persecution

Our witnessing in the power of Pentecost brings us into contact with the world. Up to now, we have talked about the effects of Spirit Baptism from our viewpoint toward the world. But there will also be counter effects in the unbelieving world when they see us operating as believers with the Baptism.

In John 15:18–27 Jesus deals with one counter effect: hatred from the world. The reasons for the world’s hatred relate to Jesus Himself. Verse 22 contains one reason: Jesus exposed and condemned sins that the world loves, coddles, and protects (see John 3:19–20). John 15:24 names the other reason: the miracles. Jesus’ miracles, performed by His Spirit Anointing, glorified God, and people knew that only the power of God could do such things. This enraged the God-hating powers of darkness.

Here is where it gets personal with us: When we are Spirit Baptized, the Person of Jesus becomes more real within us. But that’s not all. Outwardly, the lifestyle of Jesus as modeled by us becomes more visible to the world around. Unfortunately, the world has not at all changed its attitude toward Jesus, and when the world looks at us and sees Jesus more clearly, we become higher profile targets of their hatred.

In John 15:20 and 16:1–3, Jesus enlarged on a second counter effect: persecution (that’s assuming we become aggressive witnesses for Him). Persecution is the world’s hatred carried out to its logical conclusion. It is Satan seizing every chance to express how he feels about God. The world’s system and its people are Satan’s best platform for acting out his hatred. But in John 16:2, Jesus adds a disturbing element about this persecution: much of it may come from religious leaders who claim God’s name and profess to be serving Him. So, look for it to happen: the more you reveal Jesus, the quicker you get the attention of such persecutors.

Pentecost Enhances Fruit-bearing

However, Pentecost also produces positive effects in the world. Increased fruit-bearing is a powerfully positive effect; again, it’s one of the main reasons for Pentecost (see John 15:1–17). Fruit-bearing can refer to the fruit of the Spirit forming, growing and developing in our lives. But it also speaks about the process of cultivating and nurturing relationships among those who need salvation. The end in view, of course, is to gather in many from the world—and if the Lord calls us into evangelism we can expect many because Spirit Baptism enhances our effectiveness throughout the process. The world will feel threatened by our more potent outreach and will fight us more, but it will also lose more to us. In all of this we are fulfilling the Great Commission, and we are also rejoicing in the Great Victory. Jesus promised in John 15:8, “...much fruit.” Not only will many be saved, but also many will continue steadfast in their faith; Jesus described them as, “...fruit that will last” (John 15:16).

Summarizing Thoughts…

Three results and purposes of Pentecost can be summarized:

1. Personal—Pentecost grants us a new revelation of Jesus. It affects our relationship with Jesus. We receive a greater knowledge of Him and intense love for Him. Worship, praise, and commitment to Him are deepened. We become more aware of His presence, His personality, His Kingdom Project and our calling to serve in it.

2. The Body—Pentecost grants us a new revelation of unity. It affects our relationship with the Body of Christ. We experience a deeper love for our brothers and sisters in the Body; our support and commitment to each other becomes stronger. Pentecost should widen the distance between the world and us, but close any divisions within the fellowship. Pentecost knits us into a unified workforce for efficient harvest.

3. The World—Pentecost grants us a new revelation of need. It affects our relationship with the world. There is new power in our outreach—increased power to contact, convince, and win people out of the world as we love them more. In response, the world will hate us more—but they will also respect us more, even though they may not admit it.

All three of these areas interact so closely that a problem in any one area soon affects the other two. Our greater love for Jesus will prompt us to go out to win the world, but a problem in someone’s personal life and/or a division in the Body will immediately diminish outreach. In turn, if a church leaves its first love (see Revelation 2:4), and/or is no longer concerned about outreach, look for personal problems and fellowship problems to appear before long. For a church to be effective, we need to be contending and proactive on all fronts.

Spirit Baptism is our Heavenly Father’s extravagant provision for outreach. The Early Church ministered in that provision and we see explosive growth in the Book of Acts. In view of their example, the Father may regard any ministry results that don’t attain that level as substandard. Let’s properly channel God’s marvelous spiritual resources so as to bring glory to God, credit to the cause of Christ, unity in His Body, and an abundant ingathering into His Kingdom.

CHAPTER 8

Filled with the Spirit

What Is Spirit Fullness?

The filling of the Spirit is a glorious experience! It bursts in (or recurs) whenever God chooses. It is one evidence—a powerful evidence—that a believer has been Baptized with the Holy Spirit. The occurrence is highly discernible particularly to the one who experiences such a filling. Spiritual gifts (gifts available to the Spirit Baptized, like prophecy, or speaking in tongues) are often given and/or exercised in conjunction with the fullness of the Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit, several other manifestations may become stronger and more active: We can expect joyous energy and freedom to witness with unusual boldness.

After Pentecost, whenever we read about someone being filled with the Spirit, it was always a Spirit Baptized believer. Or, the Spirit filling was one of the first evidences of their having been Baptized with the Holy Spirit. In this Church Age, it seems that our capacity to be filled with the Spirit is one standard component of a Spirit Baptism package. As with several other areas of the Baptism, the filling of the Spirit is not easily delineated. If and when God chooses to pour His Spirit into us in this context, our continuing level of filling following that event is determined by our own choice to be and do whatever it takes to retain that fullness. Some of these points will be expanded as we continue into this chapter.

Distinguishing between the Baptism and the Fullness

Our study of the fullness of the Spirit can be furthered by reviewing some features of the Baptism with the Spirit that highlight distinctions between Spirit Baptism and Spirit fullness. We glean from all that Jesus taught about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, that we receive the Baptism only once, and the life-changes it makes are permanent. Jesus used the figure of rivers of living water to describe the Spirit’s administration in believers who have been Spirit Baptized. The language conveys that the flow will be continuous and permanent (see John 7:38–39). Jesus promised in John 14:16 that the Father would give the Paraclete “...to help you and be with you forever.” Spirit Baptism becomes a permanent feature of our life.

Those who are Baptized with the Holy Spirit can testify to the permanence of the Baptism. The greater revelation of Jesus and greater love for Him continues. Worship is richer after the Baptism; we are given a new freedom and aptitude for worship—praise becomes more spontaneous and exuberant. We have enhanced fruit of the Spirit and new power to witness and minister. All these features remain for life because Spirit Baptism is permanent.

Spirit Fullness Is Not Often Retained

On the other hand, Spirit fullness is rarely continuous. So, we conclude that Spirit Baptism is permanent and is much larger than any or all of its manifestations, even a major manifestation like a Spirit filling experience. If we study all related Scripture and observe how the Lord moves, what emerges is that Spirit filling serves primarily in the two ways already indicated: (1) It combines a manifold blessing with a powerful burst of service-enabling. (2) It is one of the major proofs that we have been Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

It is common for the Spirit to fill us at the point of our Spirit Baptism. But we should not interpret verses like John 7:38–39 and 14:16 as though Jesus was guaranteeing that the mighty filling will always continue at peak level. For example, on the Day of Pentecost the Original 120 were all Spirit filled—one of the dramatic evidences on that occasion that they had been Spirit Baptized (see Acts 1:5; 2:4). But the fillings were later repeated, showing that not all who were in the growing new Church had completely retained their first rush of fullness. This happened with Peter (See Acts 4:8) and then with the whole church (see Acts 4:31).

Testimonies about Spirit Fullness

However, it is possible to maintain a high level of Spirit fullness. Steven, for example, is always described as full of the Spirit, a continuing condition (see Acts 6:3–5; 7:55). He was not merely ‘filled,’ as though spiritually ‘topped off’ for the occasion, but full! That is godly living! Barnabas also had an impressive record at least through Acts 11:24; the same word, “full,” is used when he was chosen to visit Antioch. We can’t speak for his entire life; he lived much longer than Steven. Now consider Saul of Tarsus who became the Apostle Paul, the spiritual giant who penned a great share of the New Testament. He was filled with the Spirit at his Spirit Baptism (see Acts 9:17), but in Acts 13:9 it sounds like his fullness was replenished, indicating that even Paul’s Spirit fullness did not remain at initial strength.

Retaining Spirit Fullness

So, how do we retain Spirit fullness? In Ephesians 5:18 Paul exhorts us to “…be filled with the Spirit.” Notice the verb: it can read, “…be being filled.” It’s an open-ended, continuing process. Paul is indicating that if we want to retain our Spirit fullness, we need to keep asking the Spirit for more filling. And we must always live and walk in the Spirit, in complete unity with Jesus. Our intimacy with Him can never slacken. It will require that abiding in Jesus be the sole operating system of our life (see John 15). Remaining full of the Spirit calls for a completely unblocked flow from Jesus’ heart into ours. That kind of relational intensity with Jesus will lead to practical changes like cultivating an unwavering faith, an unceasing prayer life, and being resolute for holiness and discipline in accordance with God’s Word.

Now, God intends for there to be a continual Spirit-permeated ministry-outflow from us. We embrace that—we are eager to be a conduit of blessing and service; at the same time it puts forth the reality that retaining Spirit fullness will always be challenging. We have a problem: in our fallen condition we tend to be leaky vessels. Such factors call for the inflow of the Spirit to be constant, and the volume of the inflow to be so great that it exceeds the outflow and results in a joyous, powerful overflow. It takes committed discipline to retain fullness of the Spirit. Consider: God in His sovereignty sends the filling, but I see no evidence that He arbitrarily withdraws it; we allow self, pride, laxness, diversions, corrosive sins and disunity to creep in, narrow the flow and diminish it. We ourselves produce the need for the process to be renewed; and if we repent, and God so chooses, He may renew the filling.

Here’s the tough truth: The standard of living that will keep us ‘full’ is completely counter to the tendencies of our fallen nature. Most of us are unwilling to live the continuously-crucified life required for maintaining that blessed state-of-being, which unfortunately explains why it is unlikely that we will retain Spirit fullness (see Galatians 2:20).

Further Observations

Dovetailing from above, Paul’s admonition to “…be filled with the Spirit” prompts two thoughts: First, Ephesus was an early church where Paul had taught for two years (see Acts 19). Paul would have made sure that every believer was Spirit Baptized, because after Pentecost, Spirit Baptism was treated as a necessary component of New Testament salvation (see Acts 19:1–7). Now, assuming (as is often the case) that they had been filled with the Spirit when they were Spirit Baptized, for Paul to write later and counsel them to be completely Spirit filled reveals that he thought it unlikely that they had kept their initial fullness.

Second, if Paul thought that being Spirit filled was the same as being Spirit Baptized, his command was unnecessary. All of the Ephesian believers would have been automatically and permanently filled with the Spirit. Clearly that was not Paul’s understanding. His giving such an exhortation shows that he did not view Spirit Baptism and Spirit filling as synonymous.

The Effects of Spirit Fullness

The entire verse reads: “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). According to Paul, we ought to acquire some traits common to those who struggle with alcohol abuse. We need to develop a taste and a craving for being Spirit filled. We should be praying to be as filled as we can, as often as we can, and stay filled for as long as we can. But unlike alcohol abuse, the effects of Spirit filling are all positive and productive, not merely for this world, but for eternity. Being Spirit filled improves us, it can draw families together, and it results in contagious joy that spreads to others to the glory of God.

At each filling, we can expect the Spirit to occupy new areas and build new features into our lives, and maybe give us new spiritual gifts. A Spirit filling can flood in with such force that we might think we have been Spirit Baptized all over again. Although it’s quite understandable, it is a mistaken impression that doesn’t agree with reality or Scripture. But that’s not a major issue, not worth quibbling over, and if pointed out at the time it might dampen the joy of a momentous filling. We wouldn’t want that.

As the Lord leads, we can share a Spirit filling experience to edify others, and to indicate that we have received the Baptism. However, it may not be completely accurate to leave the impression that we always remain Spirit filled. (That goes for churches too.) We must carefully guard our integrity, especially in spiritual matters—but always respond to others with love and patience.

A Compelling Reason to Pray for Spirit Fullness

One of the strongest reasons to pray for the filling of the Spirit (and be striving to remain so) is that Spirit filling brings a resurgence of love for Jesus. Such a burst of loving Him places high on the list of manifold blessings that can come with wonderful fillings. Recall that in Revelation 2:4–5, Jesus later rebuked the same church in Ephesus for leaving their first love. Sadly, it appears they did not continue to heed Paul’s admonition to maintain Spirit fullness. As with the Ephesians, our love for Jesus does not remain static; it’s either growing or it’s wilting. Remember, much of our relationship with the Lord and our effectiveness in serving Him hinges on our loving Him.

Let’s assume that a physical marriage endures and is successful. The dazzle and excitement mellows over time, yielding to a richer, deeper bond of love. Now, we are spiritually married to Jesus. However, with our spiritual bridegroom, not only should our love continue to deepen and become richer, the excitement of our love for Him ought to be building for all time and eternity. If our life is an ever-intensifying honeymoon of love-excitement for Jesus, we will naturally display joy, blessing and a godly brightness in every direction. We will be released from ourselves to serve Him with unfettered freedom. Combining all these factors, it constitutes a call to be praying for Spirit fullness.

Jesus, Our Pattern, Was Spirit Filled

Finally, Jesus is our pattern for spiritual experience. At the beginning of His ministry He was powerfully anointed, the first-fruits of our Spirit Baptism. (We notice that the Dove came down upon Him only once.) But, Jesus was also Spirit filled (see Luke 4:1)—a filling He retained. So, on the authority of Jesus’ Spirit fullness, Ephesians 3:19 should be part of our prayer life. We need to be praying that every believer in the Body of Christ will not only enter the riches of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, but will also be “…filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

CHAPTER 9

Gifted by the Spirit

Our Need for Spiritual Gifts

Someday Jesus will return to reign for a thousand years from Jerusalem over His Global Jewish Empire (see Revelation 20:4–6). Until then, His seat is at the Father’s right hand. But Jesus is also the Head of the Church. The Head, by His Spirit, joins with His Body and replicates Himself in the midst of every group of believers worldwide. “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20). With their differing gifts, each member contributes their unique, vital function—they combine to form His Body. This is why we have spiritual gifts. Jesus passed on to His churches (and us, the members of His Church) the Power, authority, and spiritual abilities to continue His mission to spread His Spiritual Kingdom, to win the world to Himself. We go as His feet; we reach out as His hands; we speak as His voice. When Jesus lived here, He ministered through common service; He also ministered through mighty works—He set the dual pattern we should be following.

This raises the importance of worshiping together. When we meet to worship, we exercise and display the fruit of the Spirit. We should also encourage each other to minister with our gifts of the Spirit—governed by New Testament guidelines (see 1 Corinthians 12–14). As we worship, ministering in the fruit of the Spirit and with our various spiritual gifts, we operate as the Body of Christ. As our fruit and gifts join and interact, our ministry should have the character and attitude of Jesus’ ministry, reenacting His leadership and His accomplishments. Together, we (the Church) become God’s convincing power for outreach. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go...” (Matthew 28:18–19).

Asking for Spiritual Gifts

Jesus was speaking about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit when He taught us in Luke 11:9–13 to ask for the Holy Spirit. If we have received Spirit Baptism, God is free to extend to us any of the spiritual gifts He has to offer. Spiritual gifts can enrich our relationship with Jesus; they can make the Church stronger in every way, particularly in witness and outreach.

Paul encouraged us to “...eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Corinthians 12:31); “...eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:1); “...try to excel in [gifts] that build up the church” (1 Corinthians 14:12); “...be eager to prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:39). Taken together, these texts urge us to pray for Spirit Baptism and seek His best gifts. In asking for gifts, however, be sensitive to the Spirit, He knows which gifts best fit His purposes for you.

The Body and the Gifts

There should be spiritual gifts in the church. However, it is not an ideal situation for a church to be known for exercising any one gift, such as tongues, healing, or miracles. Such unbalanced emphasis is not in keeping with the Body concept (see 1 Corinthians 12:17–20). Ideally, every member should be present and in unity—obeying, serving and exalting Jesus, the Head of the Church, and directing all attention to Him. We preach[9] Jesus. He is the One who has bled and died to redeem us; He has saved us, washed us from our sins and given us new birth by His Indwelling Spirit. It is Jesus who then baptizes us with His Spirit; He gives the spiritual gifts. Jesus alone must retain the pre-eminence in the Church. Satan can neutralize much of the benefit of spiritual gifts if he can influence us to put too much or too little focus on spiritual gifts—or any one spiritual gift. We need discernment from the Lord to achieve and maintain balance and proper priority regarding gifts.

Comparing the Fruit and the Gifts

The major New Testament section on spiritual gifts is Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12–14. But right in the middle, in beautiful 1 Corinthians 13, he pauses to press the point that the fruit of the Spirit, particularly love, is more important and must take precedence over the gifts of the Spirit. As we think about it, we quickly agree: The gifts of the Spirit are God-given abilities enabling us to minister effectively. Spiritual gifts relate to what we do for God. That’s certainly important, and each gift should be developed. Authentic spiritual gifts will always agree with the way God works. But the fruit of the Spirit constitutes the very attributes and nature of God being manifested in our lives and lived out through us. The fruit of the Spirit relates to what we are—now that we’re saved, now that a portion of the Divine Nature indwells us. The fruit of the Spirit displays God’s character more comprehensively than the gifts. Paul therefore insists that the exercise of love, an essence of God and fruit of the Spirit, is paramount over the operation of any spiritual gift. According to 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, the exercise of even top-ranked gifts is worthless unless carried on a flood tide of love.

This is a case where “You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former” (Matthew 23:23). We need to cultivate both the fruit and the gifts of the Spirit, but grant priority to the fruit. It is important that our work be accomplished with God’s power. It is even more important that our lives honorably display God’s character. The one who graphically exhibits the fruit of the Spirit will be the best candidate to credibly exercise the gifts of the Spirit.

Listings of the Gifts

Paul listed the spiritual gifts and spiritual offices in several places. We find a listing in Romans 12, another listing in 1 Corinthians 12, and another in Ephesians 4. Paul never indicates that his lists are complete—and the lists overlap.

In the Early Church, every believer had the Spirit living in them, not only in the New Birth sense, but also in the Baptism sense (see 1 Corinthians 12:13). In that setting, the Spirit was free to distribute to each person any gift according to His discretion. Being Spirit Baptized, they had the spiritual formatting to fill any office or use any gift God desired to give them. So, for those in the Early Church to whom Paul was writing, these listings raised no questions.

But now, many in the Church have never received Spirit Baptism. Now we have become aware by observation that there are differences in spiritual gifts. There are some gifts and offices that the Spirit is free to give to any of us, including those who are still at the New Birth level. However, other gifts or offices that Paul listed seem to require that we also be Spirit Baptized.

Gifts That Lean toward the Fruit

First, there are gifts and offices that lean more toward the fruit of the Spirit. We see that these gifts can be given to all believers, those who have the redemptive Indwelling, and those who have also been Spirit Baptized. Let’s call these, “fruit-gifts.” Each of us will likely receive one or more of these. Romans 12 cites more of these gifts: serving, teaching, encouragement, generosity, leadership and mercy. In 1 Corinthians 7:5–9, Paul implies that self-control, a spiritual fruit, can also be a spiritual gift—it would belong here. First Corinthians 12 adds a few more: helping others and administration. From Ephesians 4, some might add evangelists and pastors.

The Spirit can impart a fruit-gift as a completely new ability. But, the Spirit may also sanctify natural abilities that are yielded to Him, and create spiritual gifts from them. Skills gained from schooling, employment, or life experience—God can refine any or all of these so that they agree with the fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit can then use these abilities to form gifts that fit Paul’s listings in Romans, Corinthians, or Ephesians.

Miraculous Gifts

On the other hand, some of the gifts seem to be more miraculous. Let’s call these, “miracle-gifts.” Such gifts are usually reserved for Spirit Baptized believers. These are abilities or insights that must come from God, they cannot be learned—but even miraculous gifts should be developed (see 1 Timothy 4:13–14; 2 Timothy 1:6). (Satan can counterfeit these gifts, but if we have spiritual discernment we will sense something ‘wrong’ about counterfeited gifts. Scriptural testing should be applied.)

What are the miracle-gifts? In Romans 12, Paul speaks of prophecy. He adds several more in 1 Corinthians 12: apostleship, miracles, healings, identification of spirits, unlearned languages, and interpretation of those languages. (Other gifts, such as wisdom and knowledge may be either fruit-gifts or miracle-gifts depending on the context.) Even if we are Spirit Baptized, we are not guaranteed a miraculous gift. On the other hand, if we’re not Spirit Baptized, we probably won’t receive a miracle-gift.

Confused? It is confusing. I like for teaching to be clear-cut—I like it to be definitive. These last paragraphs are anything but definitive. Attempting to sort out the gifts is tangled, murky and uncertain—not my preferred brand of doctrine. But drifting away from what Scripture lays out can lead to confusion that need not and should not exist. Regarding spiritual gifts, we are now pressed to make distinctions that the Apostle Paul had no reason to be concerned about when he listed the gifts. In Paul’s day every believer was Spirit Baptized— as the Lord clearly intended. If that were true today such differences would again be moot—the confusion would be gone.

But, praise God, He graciously deals with situations as they are—even when quite imperfect. He still ensures that there is a place for everyone. The Lord will assign us according to how He discerns that we can best serve in the advancing tide of the sweeping Project of His eternal Kingdom—to the extent that we are willing. As members of the humanity-sector, our involvement will be channeled through the Bride-Church Universal, which is a key part of the Project. Bear in mind that the focus is always God Himself, the loving Architect, Creator and Builder of the whole scope of it. He lives with joyful anticipation of what His Kingdom will finally be. So intent was/is He about His Project that when sin threatened to derail it, He sent His Son to the cross to rescue and maintain the progress.

Yes, God’s Kingdom Project is BIG, but He does not want us to feel dissolved into the immensity of it all, so most of us are placed to serve and contribute through a mutually supportive local church fellowship. And, if we enter the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, we allow the Spirit a much wider choice of gifts that He can give us, more places of service for which we may qualify in the Body of Christ. We should aspire to be as beneficial to the Lord and His Kingdom as possible—obsessed to be the greatest fountain of praise to Jesus that we can be! All of the above is urging us to seek the Baptism and walk in it.

Our Gifting Is Important, No Matter What It Is

The Spirit is Sovereign God and He can impart any kind of gift in any way He considers fitting. He can grant us an ability that is lightning-flashing-thunder-crashing miraculous. When we receive that, it becomes our spiritual gift. Or, the Spirit can recast and breathe new life into one or more of our innate tendencies or acquired skills—for quiet, simple service. God’s Holy Presence serving others through us can express the Life of the humble, foot-washing King of kings. As we, in the Spirit, help others with common necessities, that ministry can become in us as much a manifestation of our gifting from the Throne of Grace as the raising of the dead.

CHAPTER 10

Speaking by the Spirit

The Background

People have been speaking by the Spirit throughout history (see Matthew 22:43). Such Spirit-inspired (or, directed; or, influenced) speaking can take a variety of forms: prophesy, preaching, teaching, witnessing, counseling, words of knowledge, unlearned languages—these are among the ways God can communicate His special messages. Every faithful believer has at times sensed the Lord speaking through them in an impacting way. We always feel a touch of the miraculous when we experience that.

After the call of Abraham, Hebrew was the main language of prophecy because most of God’s dealing with the world was channeled to and through National Israel. The dominance of Hebrew in prophecy continued until Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2) many believers, having received the Baptism, began speaking by the Spirit. But instead of speaking only in a language common in Israel, they began to speak in several unlearned languages—referred to as ‘tongues’ or ‘other tongues.’

Now, there are Old Testament roots to the occurrence of unlearned languages. The Acts 2 tongues-manifestation recalled what God did at the Tower of Babel (see Genesis 11:1–9). He frustrated their building project by imparting unlearned languages to the people, which motivated them to separate into groups and disperse over the earth—it was God’s way of enforcing His original intention (see Genesis 1:28; 9:1). The key word here is ‘dispersion.’ In Acts 2:3 the dispersion-imperative was initially depicted by the tongues of fire. Instead of merely appearing on each one, the text indicates that the tongues first appeared in a fiery cluster, then dispersed to rest on each person. It illustrated a church assembling, being ignited by the Spirit, then dispersing to contact others with the Gospel, spreading the power yet further.

Dispersing with the Good News

For the Original 120 at Pentecost, the fiery tongues, then the wide array of unlearned languages constituted an experiential mission statement reaffirming the Lord’s command to His Church to disperse “…into all the world” (Luke 16:15) and “...make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). In some ways, the Spirit’s administration reverted back to the way it had been before Abraham: God was again moving upon all people directly, no longer principally through National Israel. Since Pentecost, God reaches out to redeem the lost through His Faith-Kingdom, i.e., through born-again people of all races, nations, and languages. The multi-lingual speaking by the Spirit in the Upper Room conveys that every social, religious, and national barrier is gone; the Church is to reach out globally, to the widest possible human expanse, and all who believe are to be accepted. The commission-effect was—and still is, “Don’t sit there in your hilltop fortress and expect them to come to you!” We are to go, spread out, with a bit of Elijah- empowering upon each one to ‘subdue the earth’ (see Genesis 1:28). This ‘subduing’ is spiritual; our assignment is to win the heart of every tribe member in every language group, and the method is by preaching the life-changing Gospel, discipling them to become loyal citizens of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom Connection

Thinking of the Kingdom, Acts 2 may have been a foretaste/forecast of the beautiful end-time ingathering from nations around the world at the dawning of the Millennium. “And I…am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory…They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord…” (Isaiah 66:18–20). These verses prophesy the return of the faithful at the outset of the Kingdom Age. We visualize an enormous multilingual assemblage of those who are eager to joyfully witness and experience the resplendence of God’s glory as He ushers in His millennial reign. The multilingual manifestation with the Original 120 can be taken as a microcosm of this future ingathering.

The unlearned languages in the Upper Room meant that the evangelizing Church need not be intimidated by all those strange languages in “all the world.” No, they were to go out confidently trusting God, because the Spirit had demonstrated that if He saw fit He could download a complete language for their equipping.

On the other side of that last thought, this manifestation carried the principle that we need to reach people in their heart language. It rebukes any sense of superiority that we might feel about our own language—the one that works so well for us. Think about those early believers: They spoke Aramaic—probably the main language of Jesus! And likely they were somewhat fluent in Hebrew, the language of the priesthood and the Jerusalem Temple! Whoa. Some of them may have been tempted to think, “I’ll go out and preach, but those pagans will have to accept the message in my language; surely God’s truth conveys better in the sacred language!” No, the point here with the array of languages (most of them pagan) is that we must reach people where they are, just as they are—and in their heart language. Speaking in tongues is one way whereby God discloses to the world that He knows them personally, that He loves them, values them, and can speak to them in any language—their language.

More Purposes for Tongues

For the individual Spirit Baptized believer, if God grants speaking in tongues it can increase joy and make it easier to praise God (see Acts chapter 2; 10:46). Speaking in tongues is a channel of personal spiritual edification (see 1 Corinthians 14:4). It may also be a prayer language—the Spirit interceding for needs we’re not aware of, or can’t express (see Romans 8:26–27). Speaking in tongues may help in ways we will never know because most private tongues are not interpreted.

For the Church, speaking in other tongues serves at least two purposes: (1) Authentic tongues-speaking is one way whereby the Spirit speaks to the churches. In the church, it should be interpreted (rendering it interpreted prophecy) or restrained (see 1 Corinthians 14:5, 26–28). (2) Through tongues-speaking the Lord keeps reminding us of people in other lands, cultures, and languages who are lost and headed for fiery eternal punishment. God loves them infinitely—so much so that He suffered the cross to redeem them. When we hear speaking in tongues it’s like Jesus reminding us to go with His transforming gospel, carrying this marvelous message: Jesus wants everyone to trust Him, receive forgiveness, and live forever with Him in His Kingdom.

Paul’s Conversion

As we move to surveying Scripture texts, it will clarify our understanding to begin with the experience of Saul of Tarsus/the Apostle Paul because basic guidelines relating to speaking in tongues emerge over the span of his ministry: Three days after Saul was saved (see Acts 9:1–6), Ananias laid his hands on Saul for Spirit Baptism (see verses 17–18). The evidence of Saul/Paul’s Second Work was that scales fell from his eyes and he could see again. He later testified, “I speak in tongues more than all of you” (1 Corinthians 14:18). Maybe he received the gift of tongues when he was Spirit Baptized—maybe later. We are never told when Paul received his gift of tongues.

Clearly, Paul did not consider his extensive gifting to be a standard for every Spirit Baptized believer. Quite the opposite, Paul indicated in 1 Corinthians 12:30 [10] that everyone does not speak in tongues. He framed that as a rhetorical question: “Do all speak in tongues?” The context calls for a ‘no’ answer. Now, if Paul thought that every Spirit Baptized believer should be able to speak in tongues—and he was concerned that some did not, this would have been a natural opening for him to point out anything he may have considered a hindrance. He could have admonished, “You can’t speak in tongues because you’re not earnestly desiring it…you have unbelief…weak faith… lack of prayer…spiritual stronghold…harboring unforgiveness…bad attitude toward church leadership…generational curse, etc., etc.” We don’t read anything like that. Indeed, in effect Paul simply states the obvious fact: ‘All don’t speak in tongues.’

True, any of those negative elements above can inhibit spiritual development. They can lower our receptivity to any gifting; they can restrain what the Lord desires to do through us as we live out our position in His Body. But even in cases where none of those hindrances apply, still, all do not speak in tongues—clearly because the Spirit does not see fit to grant that gift to every believer who comes into the Baptism.

In 1 Corinthians 14:5 Paul repeated the same idea, “I would like every one of you to speak in tongues.” Again, if Paul regarded tongues as an entitlement, here was the place to reassure them, “but don’t worry, it’s part of the Baptism-package…it’s latent within you…eventually you will all speak in tongues.” Those words are not in the text, and we don’t do well to try to put those words in Paul’s mouth—they don’t square with what he actually said. True, Paul thought it would be great if they all spoke in tongues—because he knew how blessed he was by his own gift of tongues. At the same time he was aware that all did not; he could see the reality that many who are Spirit Baptized never speak in tongues. Then he added, “…but I would rather have you prophesy.” Paul preferred prophecy; it’s a more direct way of conveying benefit to the church as compared to tongues/interpreted prophecy.

Understanding the ‘Three Texts’

Some have presented three of the texts we will survey (Acts 2, Acts 10, and Acts 19) as precedents supposedly ‘proving’ that everyone who is Baptized with the Holy Spirit will, without exception, speak in other tongues. This is the ‘initial evidence’ doctrine. As we have already seen, that teaching is out of step with what Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14.

Granted, on the surface those three texts can seem to point in that direction. But closer examination shows that Acts 2, 10 and 19 were not recorded as examples of what always occurred when people were being Spirit Baptized. Indeed, what emerges is that the tongues-speaking-by-all was not the rule—those three manifestation-events were exceptions to the rule. Something else was happening on those occasions. A message was being conveyed, but the message was not that we must all speak in tongues—no, the leading statement being made was that the Church needed to reject exclusivism and embrace the principle of inclusion. Watch this develop as we proceed.

The Day of Pentecost

Retaining the elements above, let’s look at the Day of Pentecost to see how the gift of tongues appears—or does not appear.

First, witness what happened in the Upper Room: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (Acts 2:3). This fire-manifestation showed that the prophecy of John the Baptist was being fulfilled, that they were being Spirit Baptized: “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16, italics mine). The “fire” also linked their experience with Joel’s prophecy, prompting Peter to quote Joel 2:28-32 (see Acts 2:17-21) which spoke of “…signs on the earth below” (they heard the sound of a violent wind), and “…fire…” (verse 19).

The wind, fire-manifestations/“visions,” (verse 17) were among the elements that, taken together, were enough to assure those in the Upper Room that what they were seeing and experiencing qualified as one of the fulfilment-events for the Joel 3 prophecy. It was a partial and predictive microcosm of the full and final outpouring of the Spirit in the coming Kingdom Age/Millennium. It freed them to speak and act with boldness—they knew they were following Jesus’ direct command and they were supported by the prophecies of John the Baptist at the Jordan and Joel in Scripture.

Another evidence of their Spirit Baptism was the filling with the Holy Spirit. We read, “All of them were filled” (Acts 2:4). (In the New Covenant Era after Pentecost, Spirit filling is available only to those who are Spirit Baptized.) So, every one of the Original 120 was fire-touched—each one was also filled with the Holy Spirit.

As to speaking in other tongues, pick up the subject from the first phrase of Acts 2:4. Adding the middle verb phrase, we read, “All of them...began to speak in other tongues.” Every one of the Original 120 was speaking by the Spirit in unlearned languages. Here was another affirming element from Joel’s prophecy quoted by Peter: the equipping, empowering Spirit and prophetic utterance would come on “all people,” including women—not too common in Judaism at that time (see Acts 2:17-18).

Let’s switch to overview: This was The Initial Outpouring upon the Church—this was The Inaugural Event. The tone of New Testament writing implies that it was more spectacular than any experiences that came later. As noted, every believer in the Upper Room spoke in tongues. We also noted above that normally when we are Spirit Baptized we don’t all receive identical spiritual gift packages as they did. But at the stupendous launch of the Empowered Church there were general principles that needed to be conveyed and established, and God accomplished that through granting a unique package of manifestations to every one of the Original 120. For openers, it signaled that the Spirit was beginning an historic new phase of His administration. The array of gifting and empowerment inherent in this debuting Baptism movement would not be limited to a few in top leadership or those with a special calling. Indeed, every believer is equally qualified to receive any gifting—as the Spirit sovereignly imparts—in accordance with whatever path of service the Lord intends for that one.

No doubt about it, they received a dramatic package of manifestations in that Upper Room—the sound of a hurricane, tongues of fire, everyone Spirit filled, all speaking in unlearned languages. Obviously it isn’t acceptable to lift out just one manifestation from that package—everyone speaking in tongues—and treat it as a pattern, a litmus test for the authenticity of every Spirit Baptism experience from then on. If we objectively read all of just Acts 2 (not to mention the rest of the New Testament), we can’t make a case for such a litmus test. It’s a mistake to treat such an occurrence as a pattern for every local church—as though every believer should speak in tongues. That misinterpretation will sooner or later spawn unnecessary problems. The disciples who experienced the Upper Room did not treat their gift of tongues that way. Their actions at the time seem to indicate that the Spirit was revealing to them that their Upper Room package of manifestations was a special situation, even though much of what it signified did not become clear until later (see Acts 11:15–18).

A Cluster Distribution of Tongues

So, how do we explain what happened with the Original 120? They all spoke in tongues—how does that fit into Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12? He inferred that the ideal—the normal and expected status for a local church is to have the widest possible diversity of spiritual gifts/Body parts. These capabilities operate together to comprise a complete living and working unit of the Body controlled by Christ, the Head (see 1 Corinthians 12:14–21). Again, Paul indicated that usually everyone doesn’t speak in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 12:29–30), yet in the Upper Room, everyone did! What was this all about? We must conclude that this was an exceptional occasion. Think of it as a cluster distribution of the gift of tongues, the first cluster distribution.

Inserting an observation, notice that God used the gift of tongues in two ways: First, they will have the more common applications of tongues: As is the pattern, some (with interpretation) will speak in unlearned languages for the edification of their local Body—and (probably more), in private, for their own edification. But in the Upper Room, God used their tongues-gifts in an additional way, in a cluster distribution application, to make statements of inclusion that were incumbent on the Church Universal from then on. It was a major occurrence of gifting that served purposes in two directions at the same time. Speaking in unlearned languages seems to be the only spiritual gift that God has employed in such a distinctive dual purpose way.

Let me restate: Beginning in the Upper Room in Acts 2, the gift of tongues was operative (and continued to operate) in the life of each individual member of the Original 120—as with any believer to whom God would later choose to extend that gift. The way they exercised their gifting may be what is reflected in Paul’s guidelines in 1 Corinthians 12–14. But, parallel to the above, the fact that all of them in the 120 group were simultaneously tongues-gifted constituted an additional, separate statement at a completely different level. God used that cluster distribution as a mechanism to move them to be inclusive in their fellowship. They did not immediately grasp the full significance of what had happened.

Cluster distributions are rare manifestations that God can give on certain pivotal occasions. The most identifiable occurrences are when the Lord Himself (as He did here in Acts 2), with little or no human input, Spirit Baptizes an entire group and grants a tongues-gift to everyone present. Cluster distributions often relate to a new beginning, a new benchmark, but essentially they are junctures when God knows that it is precisely the right time to insert a statement advancing the principle of inclusion. God uses cluster distributions to prompt His Church to expand their outreach and acceptance. We will see the widening circles of inclusion as we proceed.

The Upper Room, Acts 2—the First Circle of Inclusion

Let’s scan the situation that called for a cluster distribution of tongues in Acts 2: The mission field had come to Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. There were thousands of Jews there from all over the known world of that time. They represented a host of different cultural backgrounds and native languages. Ethnically, the visiting Jews were brethren, but culturally and linguistically they were aliens to the Aramaic and Hebrew speaking Jews of The Land who had just received Spirit Baptism—attended by loud and disruptive manifestations. Those ‘alien’ Jews were a major part of the crowd that rushed together that day. So, would the Original 120 be disposed to lead them to faith?

The Lord knew that the disciples in the Upper Room would need a push to be willing to include all those Jewish outsiders into their newly minted Church. Thus the Lord dropped on them a cluster distribution of unlearned languages—the very languages the ‘other’ Jews spoke. The 120 got the message: They were to equally accept into their fellowship any and all of their brethren who would trust Jesus for salvation. Later, Acts 6:1–6 revealed the need for that message: The Greek-speaking widows were not receiving equal treatment; the church was struggling a bit with living out the principle of inclusion. But they quickly resolved the problem, showing that they understood God’s intention. So, this was the first expansion of the circle of inclusion: Jews from outside the culture and language of The Land.

The 3,000

The 3,000 who were saved on the Day of Pentecost were also Spirit Baptized—Peter promised them in Acts 2:38, “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (“Gift” in this context means Spirit Baptism—compare Acts 1:4–5 and 8:18–20). However, each one of the 3,000 may not have spoken in other tongues, as did the Original 120. Think about it: We don’t read in the Bible that the sound of wind or the tongues of fire (see Acts 2:2–3) experienced by the Original 120 ever occurred again, even among the 3,000—on that same day. So, if those other manifestations were missing, it’s reasonable to assume that the total pervasion of tongues was also missing—it’s doubtful that all of the 3,000 spoke in tongues. As the 3,000 were receiving Spirit Baptism, there probably were evidences displayed in some or most of them (including speaking in tongues—that usually happens when people are receiving the Baptism), but we can’t make claims one way or the other because the text doesn’t tell us.

The Samaritans, Acts 8—the Second Circle of Inclusion

The book of Acts presents four expanding circles of inclusion. The second circle was the Samaritans. Samaritans were half-Jews; they were included in the new Church through the evangelism of Philip. At this second stage, God did not choose to use the cluster distribution devise. This group all spoke the same Aramaic and Hebrew as the apostles and for the most part shared the same culture. They were half-brothers of the Jews, but one of their main differences was a feud over which side of the family had the authentic Mosaic worship. That subject came up when Jesus Himself had earlier conducted evangelism in the region of Samaria at Sychar, (see John 4:1–42) just nine miles east of the city of Samaria where Philip preached in Acts 8:1–25. Jesus called upon the Samaritans to concede that “…salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

So, Jesus had already begun work in the area and that no doubt laid the foundation for the eager response that Philip received. Maybe the Lord saw that with this Samaritan circle of inclusion there needed to be more focus on fraternal reconciliation, and that a cluster distribution of tongues might divert attention from that issue. In any event, the sovereign Lord did not deem it appropriate to send a cluster on this occasion. Ok, we see no cluster at Samaria—now let’s look at what did happen:

Spirit Baptism at Samaria

When the apostles heard that many people had been saved in Samaria, they sent Peter and John (see Acts 8:4–17). The new believers had not yet received the second work of the Spirit, so the visiting apostles prayed for them and ministered accordingly: “Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit” (verse 17). At that time, apostolic laying on of hands was likely the expected way to impart Spirit Baptism—it probably started with the 3,000 at Pentecost. That could be one reason why Philip, having led the Samaritans into salvation and water baptism, paused and deferred to the apostles to complete the ministry.

We read in verses 18 and 19 that Simon the Sorcerer tried to bribe Peter into giving him the ability to impart the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. That implies that he was witnessing discernible manifestations, like spiritual gifts and signs. Among the Samaritans who were Spirit Baptized there probably were those who received tongues or interpretation or prophecy or some other speaking gift—again, we can’t be certain because Scripture does not say what gifts were given.

The House of Cornelius, Acts 10—the Third Circle of Inclusion

In Acts 10, Peter was led by the Spirit to go to Caesarea to the house of Cornelius. After greetings, Peter had just begun preaching when the Holy Spirit fell on the whole assembly, saved them all and Spirit Baptized them (see Acts 10:44–48). (This is the only instance in Scripture when the Lord gave salvation—which is always accomplished and accompanied by the Indwelling Spirit—and the Baptism with the Holy Spirit at the same time.)

This occasion marked another cluster distribution of the gift of tongues—they all spoke in other languages. It was the third expansion of the circle of inclusion. The young church extended their acceptance to those whose background was likely Greek and Latin (linguistic aliens), but also fully Gentile (ethnic aliens), shunned and despised by the prevailing Jewish mindset.

Refuting the Truism

A major issue being addressed by means of this outpouring concerned the Jewish Church— many of them retained the truism that Gentiles must become Jews before they could be saved. That ignored the principle of inclusion that God demonstrated in Acts 2 when the Original 120 spoke in unlearned languages from all over the known world. In the sheet vision (see Acts 10:9–16) God was stating again His insistence that no one be regarded as inherently unclean in the sense of being beyond redemption and excluded from the family of faith. The house of Cornelius was the pivotal occasion when the Lord Himself refuted their truism, pressing the Jewish Church to make that doctrinal correction and accept Gentile believers as equals.

To establish a unifying linkage, God caused this Gentile Outpouring to reenact several aspects of the outpouring on the all-Jewish 120. Here again, there was no laying on of hands for Spirit Baptism. As before in Acts 2, all of them spoke in tongues; again, they overflowed with joy and praise—which suggests that they too were all filled with the Spirit: “For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God” (Acts 10:46). Again, this was an opening move of the Spirit—this time on the Gentile Church. Again, the total event with its attendant manifestations seems to have been more dramatic than most that followed. The kinship with the Acts 2 Jewish Pentecost was unavoidable.

Surprises at the House of Cornelius

In those early days after Pentecost, apparently no one expected another cluster distribution of tongues. But, surprise—there it was again! On Gentiles! Peter and his friends were shocked! God wanted them to make the connection back to the initial cluster distribution in the Upper Room, back to when Peter himself had received Spirit Baptism and spoke in other tongues. The second cluster was God’s way of indicating that He was accepting and equating Gentile believers with Jewish believers; clearly God wanted Peter and his friends to extend acceptance accordingly. Later, when Peter was questioned concerning his association with Gentiles, he told about the recurrence of the cluster distribution. Hearing that, they knew it would be resisting God to object to evangelizing Gentiles, or refuse to accept believing Gentiles as Gentiles into full fellowship (Acts 11:15–18; 15:5–11).

The Cluster, the Linkage

Now, the fact that God had granted salvation/new birth to Gentiles as Gentiles was beyond dispute because He also gave them Spirit Baptism at the same time, and it was common knowledge that only Spirit Born believers can receive New Covenant Spirit Baptism. To demonstrate irrefutably that they had experienced the Baptism, the Lord gave each of them—Gentiles—the same Baptism evidence, speaking in tongues, that He had given to the Jewish Original 120. That unusual manifestation—that cluster distribution—was the most prominent factor that linked the two occasions: If the first moving of the Spirit in Jerusalem was authentic—and they knew it was—the second in Caesarea had to be equally authentic. That settled the matter—at least for that moment. (Later, in Paul’s ministry, Gentile acceptance was again rigorously challenged.)

Tongues Can Promote Dispersion, or Unity

Earlier we identified the tower of Babel as an Old Testament incident relating to New Covenant unlearned languages/speaking in tongues. We noted the key idea of worldwide dispersion, prefiguring commissioned evangelists spreading out with the redeeming message. So, most often, ‘dispersion’ is highlighted…but, contrast that with the tongues-speaking that occurred in the much narrower context of the cluster distributions of tongues we are observing in the book of Acts: At those select times tongues-speaking was intended to bring unity! It was like a reversal of the Tower of Babel. It answered Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that all His people be “…one as we are one” (John 17:11, 22).

With Spirit power in Baptism measure, God used cluster distributions of tongues as a mechanism to prompt His prejudiced people to unite. Faced with the hostile racial attitudes bristling at that time, such a development was considered beyond impossible. Amazingly, the Spirit moved to bring together seemingly irreconcilable Jews and Gentiles into one Church, one Spiritual Kingdom, one family fellowship in the Lord. Only the Spirit of Jesus can do that—all praise to Him!

Summing Up

Let’s sum it up: Regarding evangelism, tongues-speaking was a call to disperse. Regarding the proper attitude toward all new believers, speaking in tongues called the fellowship to extend acceptance and inclusion. Regarding differing segments of the Church, God used tongues-speaking to call them to a basic, underlying unity.

Paul ranked tongues last because of its limited teaching benefit in a local assembly. It’s ironic…that same humble gift in its various applications was used by God to achieve other astounding results in the larger Church Body. No wonder Paul expressed the wish that every Spirit Baptized believer could share in that gift and the blessings it can offer—but, we must always trust God’s judgement on gift disbursement, He knows.

A final thought for this section: The Church at that time evidently understood that the package of manifestations at the house of Cornelius was a special case, and what happened there was never cited as a pattern for any Spirit Baptisms that came later.

The Ephesian Twelve, Acts 19—the Fourth Circle of Inclusion

In Acts 19, at Ephesus, we encounter the Spirit Baptism of twelve disciples of John the Baptist. This was the fourth and final expansion of the circle of inclusion. As in the house of Cornelius, they were probably Greek-speaking—an alien language group. Also, the evidence indicates they too were Gentiles—an alien ethnic group. But even beyond that, they had come to new birth, Messianic faith, outside of the expected post-Pentecost apostolic outreach—they represented an alien channel of evangelism.

These men should be identified as Gentiles because if they were Jewish, they would have been in the synagogue in Ephesus. They were not. Aquila and Pricilla would no doubt have taken them aside as they did Apollos in Acts18:24–26 and explained God’s truth more fully. That didn’t happen. If they were Jewish they would have been brought up with intensive training in Old Testament Scripture—which has considerable teaching about the Holy Spirit. These men were unaware of the Holy Spirit. Obviously they were Gentiles.

The Link with John’s Early Ministry

Whether directly or indirectly, they had apparently connected with the early teaching of John the Baptist. The information status of these twelve believers stems from the time before the Messiah’s specific identity had been revealed to John, before he knew for sure that his cousin, Jesus, was indeed the Messiah (he likely suspected as much from the amazing family stories—see Matthew 1–2; Luke 1–2). John’s acquaintance with the background and character of Jesus would explain his protest when Jesus presented Himself for baptism (see Matthew 3:13–14). Still, John could not presume to know for certain who would be the Messiah or venture a name until he witnessed the unmistakable Dove-sign (see John 1:32–34).

So, with the conversion of the Ephesian 12 stemming from John’s early ministry, these men may have continued for as much as two decades not knowing that the Messiah they had trusted was a man called “Jesus.” They had been born again by the Indwelling Spirit and expressed their repentance in water baptism. Then they simply remained faithful in their little fellowship until one day the Apostle Paul walked into their lives—and everything changed. They were Jesus-baptized into the New Covenant Church, then ushered into a new dimension of Pentecost-empowered joy and gifting.

The Ephesian 12, Receiving the Baptism

In Acts 19:6 we read, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” On this occasion, apparently all of these men received speaking gifts, either unlearned languages or prophecy, or both.

Now, thousands were being Spirit Baptized all across the evangelized Roman Empire, as individuals and as groups. But we see that this incident—like Acts 2 and Acts 10—was singled out for detailed coverage. It seems that those who were observing sensed that something surprising, something with special significance was occurring. Here again, it appears to be an exception, a departure from usual expectations, and not to be viewed as a pattern.

The Implications of This Cluster

This occasion varies somewhat from Acts 2 and 10—Paul did lay hands on these men. Still, it appears to have been a limited cluster distribution, a touch of the Upper Room and the House of Cornelius. Now, Paul had obviously honored their profession of faith, and extended acceptance to these twelve men even though their path into salvation skirted any linkage to the apostles or to Pentecost. So, it seems that the cluster distribution of tongues was needed in this case. Without that sign, others may have questioned the validity of their membership. By granting a cluster at this time, God was signaling that despite all of their initially missing elements, He was reading their hearts and He had accepted them, and He was expecting the church to grant them unqualified inclusion. This was the fourth and widest circle of inclusion. May the Lord grant us wisdom to know how we should apply this Acts 19 incident to the challenges of acceptance that may be encountered in our churches.

It may have been that the Lord was using this event—with these disciples of John—to extend another unifying appeal to the rest of John’s dispersed followers, another call for them to transfer into Messiah Jesus’ Church. It’s as if Jesus was making the statement that the door is still open, you too can be embraced into the fellowship and empowered as were the Original 120—several of whom had also been John’s disciples. It suggests a unifying linkage back to the initial cluster in Acts 2. And, notice the presence not only of speaking in tongues but also prophecy—like John the Baptist, the prophet—whose message was the basis for the Ephesian 12 coming to faith.

Other Items Relating to Speaking in Tongues

In Mark 16:17–18, just before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He spoke of several manifestations that would appear among believers. Most Bible scholars accept that Jesus was speaking in a collective sense. Church history—some of it recorded in Scripture—affirms that all of those manifestations have occurred among believers. But, as was the case with the unusual manifestations in Acts 2:1–4, it’s not legitimate to single out just one, “…they will speak in new tongues,” and make that item incumbent on every believer. Proper language usage and hermeneutics precludes that—plus, it conflicts with Paul’s teaching and the reality of God’s activity as discussed earlier.

Paul rated the different types of spiritual gifts according to their potential for benefiting all believers in a local church. But there are no unimportant spiritual gifts. God gives different kinds of tongues-gifts to meet different needs in the Church Body—God wants those needs met. As with any spiritual gift, it applies also to speaking gifts that we need to beware of slackness about exercising our God-assigned abilities.

The Bane of Busyness

Let’s face it, life is relentlessly busy. Over time that distracting busyness can crowd out the joy we had when we first received our gifting. A demanding schedule can cool the fervency that once inspired us. Unfortunately, some respond to intimidation from either inside or outside our church fellowship—that’s not good. Another reality: Familiarity with the experience of exercising our speaking gift can dim the wonder of what is always a miracle—and the frequency may taper off. And, probably unseen to us, the purposes for which God gave us the ability begin to suffer. The drift[11] has set in. We need revival. And when we rush back to Him, the Lord is so eager to restore us to our first love, to fresh joy, to renewed enthusiasm in the wondrous ways He works in and through us. Thank you, Jesus.

Principles, Balance and Authenticity

Paul taught two main principles about speaking in tongues: (1) tongues are not to be foremost; (2) tongues are not to be forbidden. Don’t let tongues-speaking become a status symbol; conversely, avoid glossophobia. Either mistake can lead to problems; either mistake diminishes spiritual power in our churches. When it comes to tongues-gifting (as with many other doctrinal issues) the truth runs down the middle. Avoid militancy, avoid the extremes—Satan often lurks in the extremes. The smile of God will rest on those who are humble and can manage to keep balanced.

Thinking of keeping balanced, there should be no tension between doctrine and experience. Doctrine that is correct and biblical will fully support experience that is proper and biblical. Indeed, correct doctrine will inspire and bring forth proper experience. Proper experience will be an expression of correct doctrine—sometimes joyfully, exuberantly—sometimes with profound reflection, often with quiet, tearful adoration and worship.

Another item: The understanding I get from Acts and the Epistles is that authentic tongues-speaking will not be just gibberish, babble, or contrived vocalizing—it will be a valid language from somewhere. It will have the features of a language. If needed, it can be translated, either by the gift of interpretation or by someone who knows the language. From all I’ve seen, when God truly extends the gift, authentic speaking in tongues will begin spontaneously and will be immediately fluent. I’m uncomfortable with persistent coaching, training workshops, and gimmicks. Such things demean the majesty of any gift created by God’s Holy Spirit.

When Tongues Will Cease

In 1 Corinthians 13:8–12, Paul identifies the time when the gift of tongues will expire, when prophecy “…will cease” and tongues “…will be stilled.” It’s a time when partial expands into completion, when imperfection is refined into perfection, when childish perceptions mellow into final spiritual maturity. We’ll no longer be tantalized by puzzling reflections; “…then we shall see face to face” (verse 12). See who face to face? Think about it: Who could we meet and personally come to know by face recognition that could enact such wonderful fulfillments? Who else? Jesus, of course! (See Revelation 22:4.)

In Heaven, our ministry will be completed. We will be living and operating in a higher level of the Spirit’s administration. We will be surrounded by God’s miracle-working Presence and hear all He speaks. Thus, many of our spiritual gifts will no longer be needed and will, understandably, expire. The communication barriers that we struggle with now—those barriers exist because of rebellion and sin. In Heaven all sin will be gone and the Lord will resolve every communication problem. So, if the Lord has blessed us with the ability to speak in unlearned languages, that ability will become unnecessary and will expire when we go to be with Jesus or when Jesus comes down to us. In His blessed Presence, when we want to know something, we can simply ask Him, and He will simply tell us. He will give us the precise and total truth of the matter. No more missing pieces, no more dangling connections, we “…shall know fully” (1 Corinthians 13:12). Jesus will answer our questions with a clarity that will compare with His insight into our own lives; “then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

Personal Application

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10). If you have received the gift of a prayer language, it’s important that you see it for what it is: The Spirit has equipped you to serve in a special way—for a prayer ministry. God has given you a ministry. He is enabling you to pray with a special power and effectiveness that the Lord has not seen fit to impart to everyone. (Note: Many, possibly even a majority, do receive tongues in connection with their Spirit Baptism—it may reflect the high value God sets on the ministry of praying.) Now, receiving any of God’s gifts inherently carries the responsibility to develop and properly exercise those gifts. It’s a breach of stewardship to misuse, neglect, or bury any talent the Lord gives us (see Matthew 25:24–30). We are the Body of Christ—interdependent, needing what each member/body part has been equipped to contribute. That applies to the gift of unlearned languages.

Exercising a Tongues Ministry

Don’t fail to pray for those who don’t have your prayer ministry gift. You benefit from the gifts of those who don’t speak in tongues, and as you enhance their gifts with your prayers, you increase the benefit you receive from their gifting. Also, the Lord may want you to pray for a specific person—possibly on the other side of the planet—maybe someone in ministry on the verge of a decisive breakthrough in outreach, maybe a believer in dangerous, desperate straits, maybe a person whom God desires to draw to Himself in saving faith. If you decline to pray in tongues because you consider it pointless to speak in a language you can’t understand, the work of the Kingdom may be hindered, a dramatic rescue to the glory of God may not happen, someone somewhere may fail to be saved and will tragically miss Heaven.

Should I Speak in Tongues?

Maybe you have not yet experienced Pentecost personally. You might be pondering: ‘If I am Baptized with the Holy Spirit, will I speak in tongues?’ God alone will decide that. God knows the plans He has for your life, He knows the gifts/ equipping needed for those plans. Each one will receive a gift-package. Some may receive speaking in tongues when Spirit Baptized; we all do well to rejoice and accept that. Or, if no tongues, we all do well to rejoice and accept that too. Sincerely rejoice with every one whom the Lord brings into His Baptism, regardless of whatever package God chooses to grant, whether or not there are discernible manifestations or gifts.

But even if many receive tongues, the Bible doesn’t promise that all will. It’s not required; it should not be expected. There is no record that Jesus spoke in other tongues.[12] Apparently the disciples retained all these factors in their thinking because they did not teach that everyone must speak in tongues, even though they themselves all did. Those in the Early Church accepted the Baptism in themselves and in others however God chose to give it. Let that be our attitude. So, what should happen when we are Spirit Baptized? Whatever the Lord causes to happen.

Spiritual Testing, Terminology

Now, it’s acceptable to evaluate a spiritual experience for authenticity, but our standard must be the total teaching of God’s Word. And our interpretation of God’s Word needs to be correct for our evaluation to be correct. So, if a believer makes a profession to have been Spirit Baptized, and their experience seems to ring true, their profession should be as readily accepted as their statement of faith unto salvation.

Let’s think about terminology: It’s best to keep our definition of ‘Spirit Baptism’ scriptural, not conveying that it’s either tongues-specific or tongues-free. When someone says, “I received the Baptism,” that should not automatically mean that they have received the gift of tongues. It’s not biblical to assume a hard linkage between the terms “the Baptism with the Holy Spirit” and “speaking in tongues.”

My Spirit Baptism

Extending from the points above, I myself don’t speak in tongues, but I most certainly received the Baptism. It happened in 1956—the Fall Conference was underway at Prairie Bible Institute. I was a freshman, just eighteen years old and hungry for all that God could give me. I devoured the ‘Deeper Life’ series by the main speaker, Major Ian Thomas. I was convinced that it offered what I needed to bring victory into my wobbly Christian walk. The meetings were in the 5,000-seat Prairie Tabernacle which was still quite new at that time. At the close of the Thursday morning session, I remained in my seat in the northeast area of the balcony (seating in the balcony was nailed-down pine benches—and they were hard!). While most others quickly cleared out, I prayed intensely, pouring out my heart’s desire, and I was ready (I thought) for anything from the Lord.

I was not ready for what actually occurred. I suddenly had a startling vision of brilliance bursting through the Tabernacle ceiling; in that vision-reality, I was sitting there centered in a shaft of light. I was totally energized, I was glowing. I remember looking down, expecting to see my legs casting light on the inclined balcony floor—they weren’t. Meanwhile, there were a few people down on the main floor below, near the platform talking with Major Thomas. I was a bit uneasy; I thought that if they turned and looked up, I’d be a distracting spectacle. I assumed they would be able to see what I was seeing, but there was no indication of that.

After composing myself enough to walk, I headed for the exit, still followed by the shaft of light which was already dimming. I remember feeling weightless; I had the sensation that I was walking levitated about fourteen inches above the floor. I moved unsteadily, struggling to regain a sense of normalcy and mentally scrambling to understand what had happened to me. All the vision-manifestations faded in about ten minutes.

Sadly Unprepared

Understand, there was no teaching in my background to prepare me for that glorious experience—nothing. Growing up I had repeatedly heard truisms like:

“We don’t get more of the Spirit, He gets more of us.”

“Second blessing? Why, I’ve had the third and fourth and so on, heh-heh!”

“When we get saved, we receive all of the Spirit we will ever have, but as we grow in grace we enter into more of what He has for us.”

Now, there are elements of truth in these statements, but mainly they were denying the possibility of any second work/Spirit Baptism experience for believers. Almost thirty years later I finally realized that such a viewpoint does not square with Scripture or reality.

The Background, the Confusion

I was saved when I was only about seven years old (I remember the event like yesterday). Then, all through my growing years, I retained my assurance of salvation, so when that Tabernacle experience ambushed me I knew that it wasn’t salvation. Plus, God did not give me speaking in tongues, so I didn’t connect it with Acts 2, indeed the concept of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit was not even remotely in my world. I was at a total loss.

True, I had been praying for Deeper Life, but the conference speaker never mentioned anything like my experience. I figured I had been hit with something that was not supposed to be able to happen. Indeed, the thought flashed through my mind that maybe while praying for God’s blessing, the devil had jumped in on me. My only instinct was to stifle the experience and say nothing—that’s generally how I handled it. That led to nearly thirty years of walking in spiritual weakness and a mostly defeated Christian life. But forget such an episode? I never could.

My Prayer; God’s Answer

On that singular day in the Tabernacle my plea before the Lord was for victory in my life and a closer walk with Him. God answered my prayer—oh yes—but not in any way I had expected. In His perfect wisdom He gave me what I really needed, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the extra Power and revelation of Jesus equipping me to develop those features in my life. Due to ignorance, I shunted His Personal Pentecost aside and didn’t walk in it or understand it. But, in spite of all, that crisis experience did leave its mark in my life, it did make a difference. Although I did not identify the reason for it, from that time on, I began to discern scriptural truth in a whole new way. If I heard an unscriptural statement, I would intuitively sense that something was out of order. On the other hand, if the teaching was correct, I knew it—and could embrace it. That ability helped enormously in the Bible courses I was taking. Decades later I finally put it together: At my Baptism event God had granted a gift: discernment of Scripture, the faculty to analyze scriptural truth—no credit to me; all glory to God.

1982—God Tied it Together

It was 1982 before the Lord again got my attention. That summer God used a complex situation. A church-related issue arose that pressed me to be ready with definitive answers about the Holy Spirit. Unexpectedly, God spoke to me about that issue and suddenly, in His Presence, I was aware that I had no answers—not really. Granted, I had taught about the Holy Spirit on several occasions over those thirty years, sharing what light I had—but inwardly I harbored uncertainties. Now I was forced to admit that I knew virtually nothing about the Holy Spirit. I begged the Lord earnestly for the truth about how the Spirit works (or, desires to work) in a believer’s life. On my knees one night soon after, the Lord suddenly revealed to me the missing links that tied it all together. Then, piece by piece, over a period of about four years of prayer and study in the Word, the main supporting truths began to organize and solidify.

Four Years in the Word

During those four years, I purposely avoided what others had said or written about the Holy Spirit, accepting only what Scripture was teaching. I made a point not to consult with anyone during that time or attend any meetings where there might be Baptism manifestations. I had never witnessed or heard speaking in tongues until months after the four-year period. I admit, I was hard headed—it took nearly all of those four years before the weight of scriptural evidence became so overwhelming that I fully accepted as personal convictions the concepts being revealed—and even then I remained emotionally unaffected. Yet another year passed before a sense of joy and intimacy with Jesus began to grow and fill my life.

I recall sharing my experience with a Charismatic pastor. He was surprised and shared his Baptism experience with me. It was amazingly similar to mine: He too saw himself in a shaft of light which followed him as he walked; he too had the sensation of being energized. There was one difference: he spoke in tongues and I didn’t. Although I’ve been repeatedly ‘prayed over,’ the Lord has not yet seen fit that I should have that gift—no, I weep. I weep with joy at the majesty of Jesus. I weep overwhelmed by His astounding love, His extravagant grace, His marvelous working. He impresses issues on my heart—I ache and weep. Tears are my prayer language.

Jesus, Lord of the Gifts—Lord of All!

How can we keep all this in balance? (1) We must supremely love and worship Jesus as our Unique Representative in the Triune Godhead. (2) We must crown Jesus as Lord and King in our personal lives, granting Him alone our full allegiance and fervent loyalty. (3) We must exalt Jesus as Head over the Church which is His Body. (4) We must acclaim Jesus as the Standard, indeed, the Embodiment of all our doctrine. (5) We must follow Jesus— to the death if He so leads—as the Commander of all our witness and outreach. When Jesus is foremost in everything, the Baptism that He desires for every believer will find and fill its proper place. The gifts that attach to Spirit Baptism will each find and fill their proper places. And, when these areas are in order, the various applications of tongues—for those who are thus gifted—will also find and fill their proper places.

“Am I Qualified?”

If you sincerely desire to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, your first question might be, “Am I qualified?” Review your situation: You are living in the Era of Pentecost, the ‘Promised Spirit’ era. The Bible is clear: the Lord intends for every believer in this Church Age to be living and walking in His Baptism power—and you are a believer in Jesus. No doubt you remember (possibly years ago) when you were born again by His indwelling Spirit. He changed your life and is still changing it—you have assurance of your salvation. If these points sum up your testimony, you are fully qualified. The Lord beckons you toward the next level, the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

Receiving Spirit Baptism

So, what should you do? God does not make the way difficult, just follow what Jesus said: Pray and ask your Heavenly Father for that powerful measure of the Spirit: “…how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13). Jesus’ command to His disciples to “wait” in Acts 1:4-5 contained His command for them (and indeed, for us as well) to be Spirit Baptized: “…wait for the gift my Father promised…in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (They needed to wait—once Pentecost came, the waiting was over. New converts were receiving the Baptism that same day.) In Acts 8:20 Peter also referred to Spirit Baptism as “…the gift of God…” To receive that incredible Gift we simply ask in faith. Paul explained in Galatians 3:14, “…so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

The gift of God and the grace of God are essentially the same idea. So, we receive Spirit Baptism by grace through faith—the same path by which we were saved (see Ephesians 2:8). Whether for salvation or the Baptism—or anything else—the prayer of faith reaches up and God reaches down with His extravagant grace. “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24).

Many come into the Baptism solely between them and the Lord, with no one else around. But it can be encouraging and supportive when others join in praying, maybe with laying on of hands as can be seen in Acts. Several New Testament texts show that Spirit Baptism often directly followed water baptism—that would surely indicate laying on of hands as in Acts 19. But still, the main element is praying in faith.

Taking that Step of Faith

Let’s think about that step of faith: If you are expecting a particular manifestation (like speaking in tongues) and it’s not happening, relax. Granted, experiences and discernible gifts do provide clear evidence of the Baptism, but the Lord may determine that for you, none of that is appropriate. Simply accept that God is creating in you a personalized version of His wonderful promised Gift (see Luke 11:13).

If you have prayed as outlined above, but still doubt that God has responded, think of it this way: You sincerely desire to be obedient to His plan and program for you—which certainly includes your being Baptized with His Holy Spirit. It is God who has generated that desire in you. You have asked in all good faith, now simply trust Him that He has responded as He promised—consider it done! Believe God. Step out in faith, feeling or no feeling, evidence or no evidence, simply reckon that the empowering of Spirit Baptism has been released in your life and will indeed be there. Rely on God’s faithfulness that He has given as He promised. Go forth boldly to live, walk and serve in the new power He has provided!

ENDNOTE D: When Let-Down Sneaks Up

It’s Our Choice

Spirit Baptism does not suddenly infuse us with all truth, it does not render us immune to erroneous doctrine. Being Spirit Baptized does not exempt us from backsliding or falling away. The apostle Paul was painfully aware that Spirit Baptized believers can fall away, and in Acts 20:30 he warned that some would do so. He labeled such people, “…enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). Paul described them in 1 Timothy 1:19–20 as those who made shipwreck of their faith, and in 4:1 he prophesied, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.” When he was in prison almost all of Paul’s companions abandoned him (see 2 Timothy 1:15). In 2 Timothy 2:16–18 he wrote about those in the church who were bloviating themselves and others into departing from the truth and destroying their faith. Such realities are disappointing when we see them in others, but every one of us shares the danger of drift, or even departure.

Spirit Baptism does indeed give us more power to serve the Lord—if we choose to appropriate it. Baptism power can enhance our ability to live victoriously and remain faithful—if we continue to walk in it. But God prefers to respect our will, our decisions. That’s most often the way He deals with humanity at every spiritual level in this earthly lifetime. To stay or leave, be fervent or complacent—it’s our choice.

At the same time, the extra power and enlightenment inherent in Spirit Baptism significantly raises our level of responsibility. We become those to whom much is given, and therefore much will be required (see Luke 12:48). If I was in a condition of having fallen away, I would shutter at the approaching prospect of standing before Judge Jesus. I can visualize that possibility: He is on His throne in awesome glory; I am front and center to give an account. He loved me and died an unthinkable, sacrificial death for me—I forsook the saving grace He bought for me with His agony, spurned His love and casually went back to live like the world. How would I explain that?

The Love Connection

The Lord rebuked the church in Ephesus for having left their first love (see Revelation 2:4). It’s woefully common among believers—even Spirit Baptized believers, as no doubt they were in the Ephesian church. If our first love is dwindling, like the Ephesians, we desperately need to get back, but specifically, what is a workable way? Obviously we need to repent, but where do we go from there? I had a season when I was disturbed about slowly slipping into lukewarmness. I sincerely wanted to return to the freedom of intimate love for Jesus, but I didn’t quite know what to do about it. What the Lord revealed to me on that occasion ushered me into glorious personal renewal. You too may benefit from visualizing such a process:

The House in My Dream

Based on a recurring dream, I saw myself represented by a small, plain two-story house. Both levels were one-roomed. Entering the ground floor I found it abysmal—dim, very dirty and crowded with old, dark, musty, mismatched furniture. Not a pleasant place to be. In the middle of the room was a crude, barn-type stairway to the upper level, and, mounting those stairs—what a contrast! I stepped into an open, sunny, airy room with windows and fleecy curtains all around. It was span clean, furnished with simple, comfortable sofas and chairs arranged in a conversation circle. So charming and inviting—I didn’t want to leave.

I finally understood—that beautiful chamber represented my spirit, my upper room where I first connected with God’s Spirit in a redeeming way. I was about age seven when I pushed up a wobbly tendril of faith, and God responded with mighty saving grace, filling my little spirit anew with the light and life of His Indwelling Presence. My upper room became His residence in me, and I was totally and eternally a new person.

Problems and Solutions

All believers share similar testimonies of when God brought our spirit back on line. But it’s usually not long before a problem slowly surfaces: We are not accustomed to operating our lives out of our spirit. Until God’s Spirit made our spirit alive and active, we were forced by default to operate out of our soul—it was our only option. But our soul turns out to be a nasty sin-soaked, sin-generating control center—the ground floor. When we are saved, we can and should move life-operations into the higher level of our spirit where the Holy Spirit lives—and make that our control center.

Most new believers begin their Christian experience in their Spirit-revitalized upper room, and that’s one reason why the new life is so filled with joy and wonder. But then we become more accustomed to being born again…and unavoidable pressures and responsibilities continue…and we have to be out in the pagan world earning a living…and so it goes. Over time we give way to the gravitational tendency to slip down the stairs into the old familiar way of operating out of our soul. We seldom even realize what has happened, we only know that our commitment and love for Jesus is not as fervent as before, and sin becomes more difficult to resist.

We dare not allow that dulling apathy to become normalized in us. Reach up quickly and cry out to Jesus, and He will gently lift us again into His bright abode. Wondrous joy restored! Of course we will exuberantly resolve to stay in that beautiful upper room. But eventually, more than likely, we will again get distracted by urgent busyness—and that imperceptible drift creeps back in… But don’t despair! Our loving Lord faithfully remains in our spirit, always eager to welcome us into warm fellowship.

The New Control Center

Staying in the place of intimacy with Jesus, maintaining our spirit as the control center of our being is not easy. But it is well worth it to persist in re-establishing that status as often as necessary until it becomes more and more our continuing way of life. In John 15 (see ESV) Jesus teaches about that intimacy with Him; He describes it as abiding in Him, abiding in His love. Paul referred to it as living according to the Spirit, living in the realm of the Spirit (see Romans 8:4, 9), and walking by the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16). It’s a marvelous faith-process that’s always calling for our embrace.

Now, the reality of living and operating from our spirit (as opposed to operating from our soul) is available to every believer. But the reality also is that when we are Spirit Baptized we experience the Indwelling Spirit in a new, additional way—as the Spirit of Jesus. That more powerful, more manifest expression of the Devine Presence seems to increase the viability of actually living in our spirit on a continuing basis and controlling our life from there. It constitutes another compelling reason for seeking and developing the Baptism with the Holy Spirit.

When we are in our spirit, in the upper room of our being, in the light-filled secret place with the Spirit of Jesus, some wonderful things begin to happen that affect the way our life is controlled. Persistent, close contact with Jesus brings our character into conformity with His character. We absorb increasingly more of His worldview, His outlook on all things—Paul describes as it as the mind of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:16), the Spirit-governed mind (see Romans 8:6). This is Spirit-upgraded control, and it adjusts and guides our decisions concerning every aspect that touches our lives. Jesus becomes our Lord, King, Friend and Director in a very practical way (see Galatians 2:20). And, in being thus yoked with Jesus, coming to really know Him, being transformed into His likeness—these elements will certainly cause our love for Him to grow exponentially. Gaining the freedom to love Jesus—to love our Infinite Triune God with total abandon brings us into the richest sense of joy, peace and well-being attainable this side of Heaven. Entering and staying in that blessed realm is worth any personal sacrifice.

ENDNOTE E: Could Jesus Speak in Tongues?

I tend to think that Jesus possessed all of the spiritual gifts, including the gift of tongues/speaking in unlearned languages. Jesus is the firstfruits, He is our file leader in all we are and do. It seems out of order that any child of His could rightly have a spiritual ability that He did not authorize by having it first. That does not mean that He was obliged to publically exercise every gift He possessed. The difference in the spiritual gifts exercised by Jesus and the gifts exercised by His disciples in Acts reflected the difference in their mission: Jesus came as Israel’s Messiah; His primary ministry was to the “…lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 10:5–6; 15:24), thus He used only Aramaic and Hebrew. When Jesus was arrested, condemned and crucified—that was the official, national rejection of Him as Israel’s Messiah. That led to Jesus’ becoming the Sin Bearer for all humanity. After His resurrection, His disciples were commissioned and equipped to go into all the world, spreading the message and urging everyone to believe. Accordingly, in Acts 2 the disciples spoke by the Spirit in many unlearned languages, the languages of people-groups who would be reached.

APPENDIX

The Salvation-Enhancing Features of Spirit Baptism

Spirit Baptism is the extra, empowering administration of the Holy Spirit which began when the Dove descended on Jesus after He was baptized in the Jordan River. That New Anointing became available to all the Church at Pentecost. God intends that it be accepted into the life of every blood-bought believer in this New Covenant Era. Spirit Baptism is an expansive, complex entity; it is comprised of several areas or features which enhance all that a believer has received, has become, and can accomplish after being saved by the initial, redemptive, new birth indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Enhancements inherent with Spirit Baptism:

—Enhanced power for outreach

—Enhanced ability to love God and others

—Enhanced revelation of Jesus

—Enhanced relationship with Jesus

—Enhanced assurance of salvation

—Enhanced unity, fellowship and joy in the Body

—Enhanced fruits of the Spirit

—Enhanced range of gifts for the Spirit to impart

Ponder the headlines above. Discern the extensive content behind each one. Now focus on the last headline: The full range of spiritual gifts involves only one area of The Baptism. Curiously, it has become necessary to state this obvious reality because of a teaching formulated around 1901, the Initial Evidence Doctrine. It singles out just one of those gifts, speaking in unlearned languages/speaking in tongues, from the whole spread of spiritual gifts and elevates that piece of a piece to a place of prominence where it becomes the overarching test of whether a person has received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. For many who hold that teaching, speaking in tongues has largely gained the de facto status of being the totality of Spirit Baptism. It’s the tail wagging the dog. And, as laid out in chapter 10 above, Initial Evidence does not stand up to close scriptural scrutiny.

Paul writes concerning ministry with the gifts, “…everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way (1 Corinthians 14:40).” Initial Evidence has distorted the gift of tongues—that’s not fitting, that’s out of order. We do well to correct the problem—and making that correction need not be a major issue; God is eager, with His extravagant grace, to bring our attitudes and viewpoints into agreement with His, into alignment with what He has revealed in His written Word.

Restoring tongues-speaking to its proper scriptural parameters will be a big step toward allowing all of the fullness and features of God’s marvelous, mammoth and multifaceted gift of the Baptism with the Holy Spirit to operate in proper proportions so that the vast potential of the entirety of Spirit Baptism is released—not ignored, blighted or quenched.

Believe this: We need the unhindered flow of God’s mighty enabling in our churches—and in us personally—as we confront the ever-increasing challenges that will accompany these darkening last days. It will only be by the abundant grace and power accessible through God’s Spirit Baptism that we will be enabled to remain true, walk in victory, and finish our stewardship with honor and faithfulness to meet Him at His soon return, and hear His rewarding commendation, “Well done!”

[1] There appears to be a sense in which life blood communicates with the life Creator, particularly when violently shed. In murder, or persecution for godly righteousness, faith and testimony, spilled blood cries for justice (see Genesis 4:10; Revelation 6:10). When shed in animal sacrifice prior to the cross, it seemed to say, “Temporary forgiveness, on credit.” But the blood of Jesus’ sacrifice, with finality and triumph, in response to saving faith, seems to speak the better word, “Permanent, continuous forgiveness, paid in full! (see Hebrews 10:8–10; 12:24; John 19:30; 1 John 1:7–10).” Jesus’ sacrificial death at Calvary made the deposit that validated all those prior sacrifices.

[2] See “ENDNOTE A: Levels of the Spirit’s Administration,” at the end of this chapter.

[3] See “ENDNOTE B: John 7:39—Perceptions, “at the end of this chapter.

[4] The special anointings that attended Old Testament kings and priests followed their family lines. Outsiders could break into those lines only by adoption or marriage. Under New Testament King-Priest Jesus, we are not only His adopted children, we are His bride. Either standing would put us in line for a share of His dual anointing, but we are included both ways.

[5] Spirit Birth and Spirit Baptism were both viewed as integral and essential parts of New Testament salvation—this is the over-all tone of New Testament writing. Indeed, Paul distinctly framed this concept: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5b–6). Paul states that God saved us. Then, in the same sentence, he names the two works of the Spirit that complete our salvation: First, the “...washing of rebirth.” This is the new birth of John 3:5 which Jesus presented as a work of the Holy Spirit. Then Paul adds the second phase: “...and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously.” This lavish outpouring is the language of Pentecost––it points to our Spirit Baptism: “…rivers of living water will flow from within them” (John 7:38).

[6] Jesus commands us to be water-baptized (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:5). His command led believers to be immersed, as we see all through the New Testament. But, if believers are saved by grace through faith, sins forgiven, completely born again, and nothing can be added to Jesus’ redemptive work, why the insistence on water baptism? The answer emerges from Jesus’ total baptism experience at the Jordan River: John water-baptized Jesus; then, immediately, the Dove descended upon Him and He was, in a firstfruits way, Spirit Baptized/anointed/empowered for His messianic ministry. (See Mark 1:9–11).

From the precedent set by Jesus, the general baptism-procedure was established: Starting on the Day of Pentecost, new converts believed and followed Jesus in being immersed. Their baptism constituted a testimony that they were identifying in a vicarious way with the three elements of His Passion as they portrayed His death, burial and resurrection. Then, still following what Jesus modeled, they would receive the fourth element. This fourth and vital element was not vicarious. Usually, hands were laid on them at that point and they received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. It was a real, personalized portion of the same order of the Spirit’s empowering as Jesus’ total messianic anointing, In Acts 19:1–7, we see Paul following the expected procedure.

Yes, Jesus stressed that each new disciple be water baptized—a large part because of Spirit Baptism…which was soon to become an integral part of the water baptism ceremony. So, repentance and faith brings us into the New Birth, into salvation and sins forgiven, then Spirit Baptism serves to put our salvation on steroids, giving us enhanced assurance of salvation (see 1 John 4:13). Jesus wanted declared disciples, (with the three-fold immersion testimonial); He also wanted empowered disciples, every one equipped for the personal life-plan the Spirit had for them, enabled to spread the saving message arising from and paid for by Jesus’ three-part Passion.

[7] The experience of receiving Spirit Baptism can vary vastly—there is no pattern. Some simply come into a realization of having crossed a line into a deeper relationship with Jesus. For others, it’s spectacular beyond description. For most, the experience will fall somewhere in between.

[8] See “ENDNOTE C: The Oil-Filled Hand,” at the end of this chapter.

[9] This study focuses on Spirit Baptism because it’s vital to the mission of the Church and some have not yet entered that dimension. Spirit Baptism changes us from children of the Kingdom into powerful children of the Kingdom. But we must maintain perspective––salvation is still the highest priority. Salvation by the blood of Jesus gets hell-bound people into the Kingdom––that is what we preach. After they are saved and headed for Heaven, then we teach them about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit so that they may powerfully reach yet others to bring them also into the Shepherd’s fold. He is not willing that any should perish (see 2 Peter 3:9).

[10] It has been alleged that 1 Corinthians 12:30 refers to the gift of tongues (for public interpretation), not personal tongues (a private prayer language). But there is no scriptural support for imposing such a distinction. Every application of speaking in an unlearned language is an ability given by the Holy Spirit, thus it is a spiritual gift and cannot be exempted from Paul’s indication that all do not speak in tongues.

[11] See “Endnote D: When Let-Down Sneaks Up,” at the end of this chapter.

[12] See “Endnote E: Could Jesus Speak in Tongues?” at the end of this chapter.