Baptism and the Holy Ghost

All Believers Entitled

  • Doctrine 7 focuses on baptism and the Holy Ghost, a distinctive element within Assemblies of God.
  • All believers are entitled to and should expect the promise of the Father, the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire.
  • This was the normal experience of all in the early church.
  • With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses of the work of the ministry.

Distinct from New Birth

  • The baptism of the Holy Spirit is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth.
  • It's possible to receive the Holy Spirit soon after salvation, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not part of the salvation experience itself.
  • With the baptism comes an overflowing fullness of the spirit, a deepened reverence for God, intensified consecration, more active love for Christ, His word, and the lost.

Scriptural Support

  • Luke 24:49: Jesus instructs his followers to stay in the city until they are "empowered from on high."
  • Acts 1:4: Jesus commands them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Father's promise.
  • Acts 1:8: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you."
  • These verses are often quoted by Pentecostals and Charismatics to emphasize the biblical basis of the experience.

Spiritual Gifts

  • 1 Corinthians 12:1-31 discusses spiritual gifts as an outward expression of the Holy Spirit's work.
  • The phrase "same spirit" appears multiple times throughout 1 Corinthians 12, highlighting the unifying presence of the Holy Spirit in diverse gifts.

Acts 8:12-17

  • People believed Philip's message and were baptized, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon them.
  • The apostles sent Peter and John to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
  • Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Gentiles Receiving the Holy Spirit

  • Acts 10:44-46: The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the message.
  • Circumcised believers were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles.
  • They heard them speaking in tongues and declaring the greatness of God.

Peter's Testimony

  • Acts 11:14-16: Peter recalls how the Holy Spirit came on them just as on the apostles at the beginning
  • He remembers the Lord's words: "John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

God's Witness

  • Acts 15:7-9: Peter states that God bore witness to the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to the apostles.

Jesus' Promise

  • John 7:37-39: Jesus cries out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink."
  • Streams of living water will flow from within those who believe in Him; John clarifies that this refers to the Spirit, who had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

The Spirit's Availability

  • Plenty of evidence supports the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
  • Call on the Lord and ask Him to fill you with the Spirit.
  • The Holy Spirit is available for whosoever will.

Additional Scriptures

  • Acts 4:8: Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaks with boldness.
  • Acts 2:43: Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were performed by the apostles.
  • Mark 16:20: The Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by accompanying signs.

Conclusion

  • The baptism of the Holy Spirit is available for everyone who believes.
  • Those without it may be missing out on a transformative experience that can change their lives.
  • Embrace the joy of being a Pentecostal or Charismatic.