Baptized with the Holy Spirit and Fire
This morning we had 14 men for our 5 AM study of the gospel of Luke. We are still in chapter 3 and the story of John, the Baptist. This morning our discussion revolved around John saying that he baptized with water, but the One coming after him would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire.
The verb "baptize" means to immerse in water and to thoroughly cleanse. That is what John was doing for those who came repenting of their sins. His baptism was just to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. He was telling the people that Jesus was going to be so completely superior to Him that His baptism was supernatural. Jesus would immerse them in the Holy Spirit and in fire. When did that happen? On the day of Pentecost 50 days after Jesus' resurrection. What happened? The Holy Spirit came "like" a rushing wind, the word "spirit" can mean wind. Then, something "like" tongues of fire rested on each of the disciples in the upper room. They were immersed in the Spirit, as the Holy Spirit came to live in them. The fire was symbolic of the cleansing power of the Spirit. After this dramatic event, they went out to witness to the crowd and preached Jesus, since there were so many people gathered for the feast.
Jesus had told the disciples in John 16 that the Spirit would not come until He ascended to Heaven, because He would send Him to them. He did this on Pentecost to show the people the work of God in power and to begin the church. Now that Jesus is already in Heaven, the Spirit comes to live in every believer at the time of conversion. (Romans 8:9) The will of God is for each believer to live in the fullness of the Spirit all of the time. That doesn't always happen, because we do not yield to the Spirit every part of our lives like we should. He will not force Himself on us, even though He lives in us. We must surrender to the Spirit for Him to fill us, and we must be clean through the confession of our sins. (I John 1:9)
I hope that each of us will take time to think about the difference it would make if every Christian was filled with the Spirit all the time. (Ephesians 5:18) Our world would be totally changed.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 32-33 and John 18:19-40.
The verb "baptize" means to immerse in water and to thoroughly cleanse. That is what John was doing for those who came repenting of their sins. His baptism was just to prepare people for the coming of Jesus. He was telling the people that Jesus was going to be so completely superior to Him that His baptism was supernatural. Jesus would immerse them in the Holy Spirit and in fire. When did that happen? On the day of Pentecost 50 days after Jesus' resurrection. What happened? The Holy Spirit came "like" a rushing wind, the word "spirit" can mean wind. Then, something "like" tongues of fire rested on each of the disciples in the upper room. They were immersed in the Spirit, as the Holy Spirit came to live in them. The fire was symbolic of the cleansing power of the Spirit. After this dramatic event, they went out to witness to the crowd and preached Jesus, since there were so many people gathered for the feast.
Jesus had told the disciples in John 16 that the Spirit would not come until He ascended to Heaven, because He would send Him to them. He did this on Pentecost to show the people the work of God in power and to begin the church. Now that Jesus is already in Heaven, the Spirit comes to live in every believer at the time of conversion. (Romans 8:9) The will of God is for each believer to live in the fullness of the Spirit all of the time. That doesn't always happen, because we do not yield to the Spirit every part of our lives like we should. He will not force Himself on us, even though He lives in us. We must surrender to the Spirit for Him to fill us, and we must be clean through the confession of our sins. (I John 1:9)
I hope that each of us will take time to think about the difference it would make if every Christian was filled with the Spirit all the time. (Ephesians 5:18) Our world would be totally changed.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 32-33 and John 18:19-40.