awaken said:
Well..this is what I am hoping to resolve by this thread..
I see the indwelling Spirit and the baptism.. different experiences...
This is admittedly a tough subject for me to understand, but from my own perspective, experience,and study thus far I have come to believe that
when a person is saved they are Baptized into and by the Holy Spirit, which is also the Baptism into the Body
(1 Corinthians 12:13) with the rest of the believers who have received the Spirit as a guarantee (downpayment/dowry;
Greek: arrabon). I came to this understanding after studying what the
power (
Greek: dunamis) from on high
(Acts 1:8) that was promised to the disciples was, and I searched
every instance of the word dunamis in the New Testament and came to the inescapable (and important) conclusion that
every Christian is given this power to live the Christian life by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Upon that I summarily rejoiced at the revelation of that! This word study came after some major soul searching I did after a discussion with a Pentecostal friend of mine who believed in a "
secondary conferrance of grace" by which a Christian receives the "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" as a secondary experience later, and also that
not every Christian experiences it.
I disagreed from the outset with him, but my sensitive conscience and tender heart would not allow intellectual pride or my own beliefs to push off carefully considering something that was
so crucial to the Christian life and not seek out the truth of the matter. And in disturbed prayers and tears that night
I prayed for God to reveal if I really had been Baptized in the Spirit or not, and if not why I had not received it(?). Because
why would I not, at all costs, seek to reach a point where the fullness of the Spirit dwelt in me so that I could walk with greatest intimacy and communion with God if I was infact lacking the Baptism of the Spirit? That weekend led me on the search on that word
dunamis (power), and culminated in the most amazing and life changing message that Sunday from a guest pastor (John Bevere) on sanctification and the power of the Spirit I had ever heard (I've never been the same since - no doubt divinely orchestrated).
I became so overcome by the conviction and assurance of the Holy Spirit in my life that at Church on Sunday I laid bent forehead to my knees only being able to barely audibly express an nearly inexpressable "Thank you" to God. That was when I realized
I had indeed been Baptized in the Spirit and that it was only a matter of believing and surrender to God to unlock that power in my life. I believe the Baptism was always there from the moment of salvation but that it was the
Filling of the Holy Spirit (as on that night) which brought it to the foreground in my life. I
did not speak in tongues or any such other superficial "requirement" for demonstrating true Baptism in the Spirit: I simply was filled with the awe, wonder, and gratitude of having been revealed the power of God
in me to live the Christian life that seemed so impossible to live before. It was the
filling of the Spirit in me, and a filling which is to occur constantly and over and over in the Christian life (as happened many times in Acts). But the Baptism of the Spirit only occurs once, and I believe that to be at salvation when you believe.
That is my understanding of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. And you can also read the paper I have written about the
Purpose of Baptism which explains my understanding of this matter more in depth (and Scripturally) if you wish.
God Bless,
~Josh
