What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

In-depth Christian Studies - The Spirit of Christ (post #9)

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

What we see in Jesus teaches us what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is. It is NOT the grace by which we turn to God, become reborn, and seek to live as God's children. When Jesus reminded His disciples (Acts 1:5) of John's prophecy, theywere already partakers of this grace. Their baptism with the Spirit meant something more.

It was to be to them the conscious presence of their glorified Lord come back from heaven to dwell in their hearts. It was to be their participation in the power of His new life. It was to them a baptism of joy and power in their living fellowship with Jesus on the throne of glory

All that the disciples were further to receive of wisdom, courage, and holiness was rooted in the relationship between the Holy Spirit and Jesus. What the Spirit had been to Jesus when He was baptized, as the living bond with the Father's power and presence, He was to be to them. Through Him, the Son was to manifest Himself, and Father and Son were to make their abode with them.

"Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining in Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Spirit." This word comes to us as well as to John. We wnt to know what the baptism of the Spirit means; how we are to receive it; from whom we are to receive it. To understand these things we must see the One upon whom the Spirit descended and remained.

We must see Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit. We must try to understand why He needed it; how He was prepared for it; how He yielded to it; and how in its power He died His death and was raised again. What Jesus has to give us, He first received and personally appropriated for Himself. What He received and won for Himself is available for us. He will make it our very own.

In regard to this baptism of the Spirit there are questions that we may not find easy to answer, and to which all will not give the same answer. Was the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost the complete fulfillment of the promise? Was that the only baptism of the Spirit, given once and for all to the newborn church?

The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in the fourth chapter of Acts, on the Samaritans in chapter eight, on the heathen in the house of Cornelius in chapter ten, and on the twelve disciples at Ephesus in chapter nineteen. These incidents must also be regarded as separate fulfillments of the words, "He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 3:11).

Is the sealing of the Spirit given to each believer when he is born again to be considered as his baptism of the Spirit? Or is it, as some say, a distinct, definite blessing to be received later on? Is it a blessing given only once, or can it be repeated and renewed?

(continued with post #10)