WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY TO BE BAPTIZED WITH WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Topic: WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY TO BE BAPTIZED WITH WATER AND THE HOLY SPIRIT?
Bible Text: John 3:5
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God".
When I was in secondary school, we used to have revival week.
During this period our senior students who were seen as Spirit filled, would lead out in the revival program.
They used to preach about heaven and hell then, they would tell us how we will be tortured by the devil if we miss the rapture because we failed to repent.
Then we were so afraid and out of fear of being tortured by the devil we would repent from our sins.
If we used to steal people's water, or their lantern we stopped doing them, we would cry and cry and confess all our sins that day, and promise never to return to them again.
The sad thing was that the whole thing would only last just some few months, maybe one or two, and we would go back to our old lifestyles.
Then they would hold another revival again, and you would see us confessing and crying and repenting, this kept repeating itself until I left secondary school.
Then in higher institution, the same thing, after the preacher must have finished preaching, and he calls for alter call, I would come out, and repent of my sins and say the sinners prayers...
Then later after some few months I will go back to my old lifestyle.
This kept on happening over and over again, to the extent that I became tired of coming out so I gave up.
I was tired of confessing and was wondering when I will become a changed person and not keep living in sin, or going back to sin.
Not until in 2012 when I was invited to a church and I heard the pastor preach, and I liked his sermon.
Then I came back and decided to attend their baptismal class, that was when I was taught how to become a new creature, how to have a true conversion.
After the baptismal class, I was baptised by immersion and we were asked to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that without him we will surely go back to our old ways; we needed him for directions etc..
Then I started praying earnestly, and I believe I received the Holy Spirit after that baptism thanks be to God.
Since then, my life has never remained the same, things I used to do before, I found my self not doing them anymore to the glory of God.
What am I trying to bring out here before we start?
I want us to understand that true conversion is not by our power nor by our strength, but by the help of the Holy Spirit.
True repentance is not based on fear of hell, but your love for Christ.
*Except one is born of water and the spirit*
In other to understand what Christ said , we must first see what the meaning of Baptism is.
1. What is the meaning of water Baptism?
*Answer*: Baptism represents the believer uniting with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
In baptism the eyes are closed and the breath is suspended as in death. Then comes burial in the water and resurrection from the watery grave to a new life in Christ.
When raised from the water, the eyes open and the believer begins breathing again and mingles with friends a likeness of resurrection.
So we see that only baptism by immersion fulfils the meaning of Baptism.
No other baptism fulfills this.
Sprinkling doesn't fulfil this at all.
( Romans 6:4-6)
Baptism represents cleansing from sin.
Baptism is a public testimony/ declaration that the repentant sinner has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Saviour. ( Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9)
2. What are the steps to baptism?
*Answer* If we have passed through a baptismal class you will understand the steps to be followed before you can be baptised.
a. Believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
There is no other name given to man by which we can be saved.( Acts 4:12, Acts 8:12)
b. Believe in the Bible that it is the infallible word of God.
c. Accept your sins, do not live in denial.
"For I acknowledge my sins and my sins are ever before me". ( psalms 51:3)
d. We have to acknowledge our sins and feel remorseful of them.
We have to be tired of our present situation just like Jacob was tired of his name.
We have to long for a new name.
e. Repent and turn away from your sins.
( Acts 2:38)
3. What is the right form of water Baptism?
*Answer* baptism by immersion: baptism by immersion is the only form of baptism that fulfils the meaning of baptism, which is dying with Christ.
4. When should one be baptised?
*Answer* when one is of the age of differentiating between good and evil, when one is matured enough to make decisions.
Baptism should not be forced upon people it should be voluntary.
We see many people baptising little children, who know nothing.
This is not scriptural, because children don't know anything and are not able to differentiate between good and evil.
" The bible says who ever *believes* and is baptised will be saved" ( mark 16:16)
Can a child believe, does he/she even know what believing in Christ means, does the child understand that baptism means dying and resurrecting with Christ?
That is why Jesus says that we must be baptised in other to make it to heaven, because there are steps to follow before the baptism.
5. Is water Baptism enough to make heaven?
*Answer* No!
Repenting and accepting Jesus Christ does not mean that you will not continue to sin.
Baptism itself does not change the heart; it is a symbol of a change that has taken place.
A person might be baptized without faith and even go back to his/her old life.
Neither can it change or regenerate anyone. It is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that changes the heart. One must be born of the Spirit, as well as of water (John 3:5).
Water baptism does not guarantee salvation. Salvation comes only as a free gift from Jesus Christ when one experiences the new birth. ( true conversion) neither does our world guarantee salvation. We do good works as an evidence that we have been saved, as Faith without works is dead.
Baptism is a symbol of true conversion, and unless conversion precedes baptism, the ceremony is meaningless.
6. Since water Baptism is not enough what else do we need?
*Answer* The Holy Spirit Baptism.
If we notice throughout the new testament the Apostles baptised the people with water and they also prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, because they knew the importance of the Holy Spirit Baptism.
"14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 *because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them they had simply been baptized* in the name of the Lord Jesus.( Acts 8:14-16, Acts 19:3)
*So what is the difference between water Baptism and Holy Spirit Baptism* ?
*Answer* While water Baptism involves accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour, confessing your sins and repenting from them.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit signifies:
* New birth
*True conversion
Death to self.
* Submitting our will to his will. (Ephesians 5:22-23)
8. What does the Holy Spirit do to us?
*Answer* When we receive the Holy Spirit we see changes in our lives, there is no way you will receive the Holy Spirit and remain the same.
Those things that we used to do before you find out that you no longer do them, your old man is gone, you are now a new creation old things have passed away. ( 1 Corinthian 5:17)
We see in the case of Peter one of the disciples of Jesus.
Before they received the Holy Spirit baptism in the upper room, just before Jesus was crucified, Christ told him that he would deny him, but peter vouched for himself, and insisted that he loved Christ and can never deny him.
Forgetting it's not by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of God. ( Zechariah 4:6)
The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Except we allow the Spirit to be in control of the flesh, then we will keep on struggling and struggling to no avail.(thereby becoming like the pharisees, who wanted to earn their salvation)
Remember also that Christ had sent them out before his death to go and preach to people and they even healed the sick etc..?
Also remember that when Jesus was crucified the disciples went into hiding because of fear of being captured and killed too.
They didn't even have the boldness to preach the message that the Lord asked them to preach, rather they went into hiding.
The Lord told them that they shall receive power to preach in
Acts 1:8
"ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth"
Then in Acts 2 the words of Christ came to pass, they received the Holy Spirit and they spoke in new tongues.
Then in Acts 4 we see that that same peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, where they also brought Christ;and they were threatened to stop preaching the gospel, what was their response? This time around peter who had initially denied Jesus Christ was the one who told them boldly that they won't stop preaching the gospel.
At that time, he had made up his mind that even if it would warrant them to be killed, so let it be.
Something happened their fears were taking away and they were filled with the Spirit of boldness.
Acts 4:31
"When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all *filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly*"
What does this tell us?
It means that we can be ministers, chior members, preachers, but without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is dangerous.
Peter was with Christ, even Judas yet he betrayed Christ, yet Peter denied Christ.
So we see how important the baptism of the Holy Spirit is.
*The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth
He convicts us of our sins
And convinces us. ( John 14:26, John 16:8)
* He reminds us of the Commandments of our Lord. Eg..when you look at a woman lustfully, immediately the Holy Spirit will call you to order, reminding you that it's a sin.
Or maybe you got angry and spoke to someone in a rude manner, the Holy Spirit will immediately tell you that what you are doing is a sin remember the word of God. And at that moment if you listen to that voice, you immediately ask for forgiveness.
But if you refuse to listen to that voice and continue, later he will come again in your quiet time and slowly remind you of what you have done that is wrong.
At that time you become broken and repent and ask God to forgive you.
It happens to me just this way, I know it also happens to so many of us too.
This is what we stand to gain when we have the Holy Spirit and also listen to him.
There is no way we will receive the Holy Spirit and continue to remain the same.
The Holy Spirit is a no nonsense person, he does not condone sin especially when we continue to refuse his promptings....
The Holy Spirit is the Law of God written in our hearts.
Jeremiah 31:33
Without the Holy Spirit we could only be hearers and not doers .
*When we have the Holy Spirit and we hear the true message the Holy Spirit will convince us to accept it.
" the bible says my sheep will hear my voice and they will come to me.( John 10:27)
When we receive the Holy Spirit we become dead to self.
*We will start walking in the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
*Worldly things will no longer interest us.
*We will start seeking for his kingdom. (Matthew 6:33)
* We are filled with compassion for the lost and we would want to evangelize to spread the word of God. Just like Paul.
* we will not love our lives even unto death; for he who saves his life will surely lose it, but he that loses his life will gain it back. ( Matthew 16:25)
We can't continue in this when the Spirit is there.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousnessousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The bible says in the book of 1 John 3:9
" No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because *God’s seed remains in them*; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God".
What is that God's seed? It is the Holy Spirit, born of God( born of the Spirit)
9. How do we know that we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
* Answer* you will have the Fruit of the Spirit and exhibit the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 *If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit*".
Corinthians 12:7-10
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
The manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are one of the evidences that you have received the Holy Spirit.
Remember the apostles on the day of Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit they started speaking in new tongues.
And those things that they couldn't do before even when they were with Christ, after receiving the Spirit they started doing them.
They became dead to self and started living for Christ and Christ alone.
10. We have heard people say that Speaking in tongues is the only sign that you have received the Holy Spirit and without this sign you have not received the Holy Spirit, how true is that?
*Answer* It's not true.
"Not everyone speak in tongues, not everyone prophesy" but it is necessary we pray to receive it, if we desire it for the edification of oneself. ( 1 Corinthians 12:29-30)
The So called speaking in tongues in our Churches today is a joke and a mockery of the Holy Spirit.
Like we know today, many people who don't even have the Holy Spirit claim that they speak in new tongues, how can that be?
I have also heard that people learn tongues from textbook
Some pastors even advice their congregation to learn how to speak in tongues.
The question is, can you learn it? Can you force yourself to speak it?
It is the Holy Spirit that gives utterances, you will be overwhelmed by the Spirit when you are overwhelmed then, they just start flowing.
Some people open their mouth and start talking gibberish.
Note: speaking in tongue is not blabbing, it's not talking gibberish, speaking in new tongues is actually an existing language that you do not even know about.
Eg. If I am yoruba, when the Holy Spirit comes upon me I will start speaking Latin.
Who ever is there that understands will be astonished, because the person knows that I neither understand nor speak Latin.
That was what happened to them.
Acts 2:4-11
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with *other tongues*, as the *Spirit gave them utterance*.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, *out of every nation under heaven*.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them *speak in his own language*.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which *speak Galilaeans*?
8 And how hear we every man in *our own tongue*, wherein we were born?
9 *Parthians*, and *Medes*, and Elamites, and the dwellers in *Mesopotamia*, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
What do we notice from the scripture above?
* They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
* It was the Spirit that gave them utterances, not them studying it, or forcing themselves to speak gibberish and meaningless words.
* They spoke a language, a different one from theirs.
As we can see they were people who were from Egypt, Rome, Lybia, Crete etc...who heard the disciples speaking in their own tongues, and they were surprised, because they knew them very well, and that they couldn't speak all these languages before.
13. How do we maintain the Holy Spirit in our lives?
1. By constantly studying the word.
We are sanctified when we always prayerfully study the word of God and do what is written therein.
" Sanctify them by thy truth, your *word is truth*( John 17:17)
And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
The word of God is food, where by we live.
Any day we stop studying, we start dying.
We study to understand God, to know his will concerning us.
Study to show thyself approved ( 1 Timothy 3:16)
The word is a lamp unto our feet, it is the word that supplies the oil that keeps
The lamp burning.( psalms 119:105)
The moment we stop studying, the oil starts drying up.
Without our daily food we will die, so without the word of God we starve our Spiritual life and eventually it dies.
The word is life. ( John 6:63-70)
* By praying always..
Prayer is communicating with God, this helps us to dwell continuously in the presence of God.
The moment we stop praying we stop communicating with God and with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says " pray without ceasing, so that you will not fall into temptation.
A prayer less Christian is a powerless Christian, because it makes the Holy Spirit in you inactive.
We have to pray more to activate the Spirit, we have to be on guard, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. ( Ephesians 6:10-12)
* Evangelizing/witnessing.
When we put what we have studied into practice it makes us stronger and we also learn while teaching others.
The more we witness the more we understand.
The more we witness the more we become more conscious and aware of the implications of going against what we're teaching others.
* Continual obedience to the small still voice
Just like I have said before, when we refuse to hearken to his voice, and we do this constantly a time will come when the Holy Spirit will leave us.
Walking in the Spirit simply means obeying the voice and directions of the Spirit.
In conclusion
We all are waiting for the Latter rain isn't it?
"The latter rain will not fall upon those who don't have the Holy Spirit in them at all"....
In other to receive the latter rain we must have the Holy Spirit in us.( we must have some Oil)
The latter rain is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in full measure, nobody will be able to withstand this power.
It will be far greater than the early rain, in likeness of what no one has ever seen before and will never see.
This is necessary in other to bring in the last harvest and to be able to overcome the beast and hus mark.
Those who will receive the latter rain will be filled with power and great glory of our Lord, and nothing will be impossible for them to do.
They will exhibit the gifts of the Holy Spirit in full measure, and we know that the gifts are for the edification of the Church, or an individual. It's very necessary for evangelism.
So we have to strife to receive the Holy Spirit now, so that we won't miss the latter rain.
It's my prayer that we all will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and start walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh in Jesus name. Amen.
Bible Text: John 3:5
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God".
When I was in secondary school, we used to have revival week.
During this period our senior students who were seen as Spirit filled, would lead out in the revival program.
They used to preach about heaven and hell then, they would tell us how we will be tortured by the devil if we miss the rapture because we failed to repent.
Then we were so afraid and out of fear of being tortured by the devil we would repent from our sins.
If we used to steal people's water, or their lantern we stopped doing them, we would cry and cry and confess all our sins that day, and promise never to return to them again.
The sad thing was that the whole thing would only last just some few months, maybe one or two, and we would go back to our old lifestyles.
Then they would hold another revival again, and you would see us confessing and crying and repenting, this kept repeating itself until I left secondary school.
Then in higher institution, the same thing, after the preacher must have finished preaching, and he calls for alter call, I would come out, and repent of my sins and say the sinners prayers...
Then later after some few months I will go back to my old lifestyle.
This kept on happening over and over again, to the extent that I became tired of coming out so I gave up.
I was tired of confessing and was wondering when I will become a changed person and not keep living in sin, or going back to sin.
Not until in 2012 when I was invited to a church and I heard the pastor preach, and I liked his sermon.
Then I came back and decided to attend their baptismal class, that was when I was taught how to become a new creature, how to have a true conversion.
After the baptismal class, I was baptised by immersion and we were asked to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that without him we will surely go back to our old ways; we needed him for directions etc..
Then I started praying earnestly, and I believe I received the Holy Spirit after that baptism thanks be to God.
Since then, my life has never remained the same, things I used to do before, I found my self not doing them anymore to the glory of God.
What am I trying to bring out here before we start?
I want us to understand that true conversion is not by our power nor by our strength, but by the help of the Holy Spirit.
True repentance is not based on fear of hell, but your love for Christ.
What ever is not borne out of Love will definitely not last. Tou want to be righteous?
Lobe is the root of righteousness.
And when you love God; that love must definitely cascade down to your fellow human beings...
That is the greatest commandments.
1 Love for God.
2. Love for man.
Although in some cases, the fear of hell has brought people to God, and in that process they came to learn about who God is and now they're no longer in the world because of the fear of hell, but because they truly love God.
If we understand that Christ loves us so much that he even died for us even while we were yet sinners, then we would love him back, by truly repenting from our sins and not wanting to to be separated from him. Because sin is the only thing that separates us from God.
I know that some of us may be passing through this experience or process, but God is able to take us to that higher ground that we desire.
It is the desire of a Christian to grow in Christ, and not remain as we came.
And when you love God; that love must definitely cascade down to your fellow human beings...
That is the greatest commandments.
1 Love for God.
2. Love for man.
Although in some cases, the fear of hell has brought people to God, and in that process they came to learn about who God is and now they're no longer in the world because of the fear of hell, but because they truly love God.
If we understand that Christ loves us so much that he even died for us even while we were yet sinners, then we would love him back, by truly repenting from our sins and not wanting to to be separated from him. Because sin is the only thing that separates us from God.
I know that some of us may be passing through this experience or process, but God is able to take us to that higher ground that we desire.
It is the desire of a Christian to grow in Christ, and not remain as we came.
One of the evidences that you are being born: *born again* is the *desire to grow* .
If you don't desire to grow Spiritually, if you don't desire to live a life that is pleasing to God; a life of presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God daily, then you were not even born at all..in the first place.
*Except one is born of water and the spirit*
In other to understand what Christ said , we must first see what the meaning of Baptism is.
1. What is the meaning of water Baptism?
*Answer*: Baptism represents the believer uniting with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection.
In baptism the eyes are closed and the breath is suspended as in death. Then comes burial in the water and resurrection from the watery grave to a new life in Christ.
When raised from the water, the eyes open and the believer begins breathing again and mingles with friends a likeness of resurrection.
So we see that only baptism by immersion fulfils the meaning of Baptism.
No other baptism fulfills this.
Sprinkling doesn't fulfil this at all.
( Romans 6:4-6)
Baptism represents cleansing from sin.
Baptism is a public testimony/ declaration that the repentant sinner has accepted Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Saviour. ( Acts 2:38, 1 John 1:9)
2. What are the steps to baptism?
*Answer* If we have passed through a baptismal class you will understand the steps to be followed before you can be baptised.
a. Believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as your personal Lord and Saviour.
There is no other name given to man by which we can be saved.( Acts 4:12, Acts 8:12)
b. Believe in the Bible that it is the infallible word of God.
c. Accept your sins, do not live in denial.
"For I acknowledge my sins and my sins are ever before me". ( psalms 51:3)
d. We have to acknowledge our sins and feel remorseful of them.
We have to be tired of our present situation just like Jacob was tired of his name.
We have to long for a new name.
e. Repent and turn away from your sins.
( Acts 2:38)
3. What is the right form of water Baptism?
*Answer* baptism by immersion: baptism by immersion is the only form of baptism that fulfils the meaning of baptism, which is dying with Christ.
4. When should one be baptised?
*Answer* when one is of the age of differentiating between good and evil, when one is matured enough to make decisions.
Baptism should not be forced upon people it should be voluntary.
We see many people baptising little children, who know nothing.
This is not scriptural, because children don't know anything and are not able to differentiate between good and evil.
" The bible says who ever *believes* and is baptised will be saved" ( mark 16:16)
Can a child believe, does he/she even know what believing in Christ means, does the child understand that baptism means dying and resurrecting with Christ?
That is why Jesus says that we must be baptised in other to make it to heaven, because there are steps to follow before the baptism.
5. Is water Baptism enough to make heaven?
*Answer* No!
Repenting and accepting Jesus Christ does not mean that you will not continue to sin.
Baptism itself does not change the heart; it is a symbol of a change that has taken place.
A person might be baptized without faith and even go back to his/her old life.
Neither can it change or regenerate anyone. It is the transforming power of the Holy Spirit that changes the heart. One must be born of the Spirit, as well as of water (John 3:5).
Water baptism does not guarantee salvation. Salvation comes only as a free gift from Jesus Christ when one experiences the new birth. ( true conversion) neither does our world guarantee salvation. We do good works as an evidence that we have been saved, as Faith without works is dead.
Baptism is a symbol of true conversion, and unless conversion precedes baptism, the ceremony is meaningless.
6. Since water Baptism is not enough what else do we need?
*Answer* The Holy Spirit Baptism.
If we notice throughout the new testament the Apostles baptised the people with water and they also prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit, because they knew the importance of the Holy Spirit Baptism.
"14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 *because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them they had simply been baptized* in the name of the Lord Jesus.( Acts 8:14-16, Acts 19:3)
*So what is the difference between water Baptism and Holy Spirit Baptism* ?
*Answer* While water Baptism involves accepting Jesus Christ as our Saviour, confessing your sins and repenting from them.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit signifies:
* New birth
*True conversion
Death to self.
* Submitting our will to his will. (Ephesians 5:22-23)
8. What does the Holy Spirit do to us?
*Answer* When we receive the Holy Spirit we see changes in our lives, there is no way you will receive the Holy Spirit and remain the same.
Those things that we used to do before you find out that you no longer do them, your old man is gone, you are now a new creation old things have passed away. ( 1 Corinthian 5:17)
We see in the case of Peter one of the disciples of Jesus.
Before they received the Holy Spirit baptism in the upper room, just before Jesus was crucified, Christ told him that he would deny him, but peter vouched for himself, and insisted that he loved Christ and can never deny him.
Forgetting it's not by power nor by might, but by the Spirit of God. ( Zechariah 4:6)
The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Except we allow the Spirit to be in control of the flesh, then we will keep on struggling and struggling to no avail.(thereby becoming like the pharisees, who wanted to earn their salvation)
Remember also that Christ had sent them out before his death to go and preach to people and they even healed the sick etc..?
Also remember that when Jesus was crucified the disciples went into hiding because of fear of being captured and killed too.
They didn't even have the boldness to preach the message that the Lord asked them to preach, rather they went into hiding.
The Lord told them that they shall receive power to preach in
Acts 1:8
"ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth"
Then in Acts 2 the words of Christ came to pass, they received the Holy Spirit and they spoke in new tongues.
Then in Acts 4 we see that that same peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin, where they also brought Christ;and they were threatened to stop preaching the gospel, what was their response? This time around peter who had initially denied Jesus Christ was the one who told them boldly that they won't stop preaching the gospel.
At that time, he had made up his mind that even if it would warrant them to be killed, so let it be.
Something happened their fears were taking away and they were filled with the Spirit of boldness.
Acts 4:31
"When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all *filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly*"
What does this tell us?
It means that we can be ministers, chior members, preachers, but without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is dangerous.
Peter was with Christ, even Judas yet he betrayed Christ, yet Peter denied Christ.
So we see how important the baptism of the Holy Spirit is.
*The Holy Spirit teaches us the truth
He convicts us of our sins
And convinces us. ( John 14:26, John 16:8)
* He reminds us of the Commandments of our Lord. Eg..when you look at a woman lustfully, immediately the Holy Spirit will call you to order, reminding you that it's a sin.
Or maybe you got angry and spoke to someone in a rude manner, the Holy Spirit will immediately tell you that what you are doing is a sin remember the word of God. And at that moment if you listen to that voice, you immediately ask for forgiveness.
But if you refuse to listen to that voice and continue, later he will come again in your quiet time and slowly remind you of what you have done that is wrong.
At that time you become broken and repent and ask God to forgive you.
It happens to me just this way, I know it also happens to so many of us too.
This is what we stand to gain when we have the Holy Spirit and also listen to him.
There is no way we will receive the Holy Spirit and continue to remain the same.
The Holy Spirit is a no nonsense person, he does not condone sin especially when we continue to refuse his promptings....
The Holy Spirit is the Law of God written in our hearts.
Jeremiah 31:33
Without the Holy Spirit we could only be hearers and not doers .
*When we have the Holy Spirit and we hear the true message the Holy Spirit will convince us to accept it.
" the bible says my sheep will hear my voice and they will come to me.( John 10:27)
When we receive the Holy Spirit we become dead to self.
*We will start walking in the Spirit and not according to the flesh.
*Worldly things will no longer interest us.
*We will start seeking for his kingdom. (Matthew 6:33)
* We are filled with compassion for the lost and we would want to evangelize to spread the word of God. Just like Paul.
* we will not love our lives even unto death; for he who saves his life will surely lose it, but he that loses his life will gain it back. ( Matthew 16:25)
We can't continue in this when the Spirit is there.
Galatians 5:19-21
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousnessousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The bible says in the book of 1 John 3:9
" No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because *God’s seed remains in them*; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God".
What is that God's seed? It is the Holy Spirit, born of God( born of the Spirit)
9. How do we know that we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
* Answer* you will have the Fruit of the Spirit and exhibit the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 *If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit*".
Corinthians 12:7-10
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.
The manifestation of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are one of the evidences that you have received the Holy Spirit.
Remember the apostles on the day of Pentecost, when they received the Holy Spirit they started speaking in new tongues.
And those things that they couldn't do before even when they were with Christ, after receiving the Spirit they started doing them.
They became dead to self and started living for Christ and Christ alone.
10. We have heard people say that Speaking in tongues is the only sign that you have received the Holy Spirit and without this sign you have not received the Holy Spirit, how true is that?
*Answer* It's not true.
"Not everyone speak in tongues, not everyone prophesy" but it is necessary we pray to receive it, if we desire it for the edification of oneself. ( 1 Corinthians 12:29-30)
The So called speaking in tongues in our Churches today is a joke and a mockery of the Holy Spirit.
Like we know today, many people who don't even have the Holy Spirit claim that they speak in new tongues, how can that be?
I have also heard that people learn tongues from textbook
Some pastors even advice their congregation to learn how to speak in tongues.
The question is, can you learn it? Can you force yourself to speak it?
It is the Holy Spirit that gives utterances, you will be overwhelmed by the Spirit when you are overwhelmed then, they just start flowing.
Some people open their mouth and start talking gibberish.
Note: speaking in tongue is not blabbing, it's not talking gibberish, speaking in new tongues is actually an existing language that you do not even know about.
Eg. If I am yoruba, when the Holy Spirit comes upon me I will start speaking Latin.
Who ever is there that understands will be astonished, because the person knows that I neither understand nor speak Latin.
That was what happened to them.
Acts 2:4-11
"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with *other tongues*, as the *Spirit gave them utterance*.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, *out of every nation under heaven*.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them *speak in his own language*.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which *speak Galilaeans*?
8 And how hear we every man in *our own tongue*, wherein we were born?
9 *Parthians*, and *Medes*, and Elamites, and the dwellers in *Mesopotamia*, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
What do we notice from the scripture above?
* They were filled with the Holy Spirit.
* It was the Spirit that gave them utterances, not them studying it, or forcing themselves to speak gibberish and meaningless words.
* They spoke a language, a different one from theirs.
As we can see they were people who were from Egypt, Rome, Lybia, Crete etc...who heard the disciples speaking in their own tongues, and they were surprised, because they knew them very well, and that they couldn't speak all these languages before.
I have heard people telling others to speak in tongues while they're praying.
You can't ask someone or force someone to speak in tongues....it should be Spirit led.
So speaking in Tongues is speaking unknown languages. But you may not understand what you're saying, except if someone who has the gift of interpretation is also there too to Interpret, or if someone who understands the language is there.
Paul advised that if no one can interpret your tongues that it is better you keep quiet, because no one can understand you, by so doing you will end up not edifying anyone.
Note: Spiritual gifts are for edification of oneself and of the Church/body of Christ/ Evangelism.
He went ahead to say that it is better to ask for the gift of prophecy, than speaking in tongues, because prophecy edifies the church while tongues edifies self.
Because he that speaks in tongues does that to God, and edifies ( 1 Corinthian 14:2-4)
Edifies Himself, because there is no language God doesn't understand.
He went further to say that there are many voices( languages) in the world, and all have meaning, but if I don't understand what you are speaking then, it becomes strange to me, and that doesn't edify anyone.
( 1 Corinthians 14:11-12)
Praying in an unknown tongue.
He went further to talk about praying in an unknown tongue.
" if I pray in an unknown tongue my Spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful ".( 1 Corinthians 14:14)
Some people have this experience, while praying the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they start speaking in tongues.
It happens to me, but I do not understand what am saying, but God understands.
And it is my Spirit that am edifying.
Although sometimes you given the knowledge of what you are saying, but I'd doesn't happen like that to me frequently, I only experienced it once, I knew somehow that what I was saying is related to what am praying about.
Again, Paul says that speaking in tongues are a major sign for the unbelievers, not even for believers. But when we prophesy we edify, encourage and comfort those that believe. ( 1 Corinthian 14:22)
So speaking in tongues is not the only sign to show that one has been baptized by the Holy Spirit.
Not all have the gift of healing, do all speak in tongues? ( I Corinthian 12:29-30)
This shows that all may not have all the gifts, the Holy Spirit is the one who gives, but we are meant to understand that we can ask for the gifts we need to the glory of his name.
I also know of a group of women who traveled to a far riverine area for evangelism, on getting there, there was confusion, because the people there couldn't understand English.
They all held hands together and prayed asking God to bless them with the gifts of their tongue.
Immediately after the prayer one of them started speaking in their language, and they all rejoiced.
And from our study today we have also seen that somebody who is not born again can't receive the Holy Spirit, you can't speak in tongues when you have not truly repented from your sins.
You can't receive him in your old person, you must pass through the process of conversion, and become a new creation.
So speaking in Tongues is speaking unknown languages. But you may not understand what you're saying, except if someone who has the gift of interpretation is also there too to Interpret, or if someone who understands the language is there.
Paul advised that if no one can interpret your tongues that it is better you keep quiet, because no one can understand you, by so doing you will end up not edifying anyone.
Note: Spiritual gifts are for edification of oneself and of the Church/body of Christ/ Evangelism.
He went ahead to say that it is better to ask for the gift of prophecy, than speaking in tongues, because prophecy edifies the church while tongues edifies self.
Because he that speaks in tongues does that to God, and edifies ( 1 Corinthian 14:2-4)
Edifies Himself, because there is no language God doesn't understand.
He went further to say that there are many voices( languages) in the world, and all have meaning, but if I don't understand what you are speaking then, it becomes strange to me, and that doesn't edify anyone.
( 1 Corinthians 14:11-12)
Praying in an unknown tongue.
He went further to talk about praying in an unknown tongue.
" if I pray in an unknown tongue my Spirit prayeth but my understanding is unfruitful ".( 1 Corinthians 14:14)
Some people have this experience, while praying the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they start speaking in tongues.
It happens to me, but I do not understand what am saying, but God understands.
And it is my Spirit that am edifying.
Although sometimes you given the knowledge of what you are saying, but I'd doesn't happen like that to me frequently, I only experienced it once, I knew somehow that what I was saying is related to what am praying about.
Again, Paul says that speaking in tongues are a major sign for the unbelievers, not even for believers. But when we prophesy we edify, encourage and comfort those that believe. ( 1 Corinthian 14:22)
So speaking in tongues is not the only sign to show that one has been baptized by the Holy Spirit.
Not all have the gift of healing, do all speak in tongues? ( I Corinthian 12:29-30)
This shows that all may not have all the gifts, the Holy Spirit is the one who gives, but we are meant to understand that we can ask for the gifts we need to the glory of his name.
I also know of a group of women who traveled to a far riverine area for evangelism, on getting there, there was confusion, because the people there couldn't understand English.
They all held hands together and prayed asking God to bless them with the gifts of their tongue.
Immediately after the prayer one of them started speaking in their language, and they all rejoiced.
And from our study today we have also seen that somebody who is not born again can't receive the Holy Spirit, you can't speak in tongues when you have not truly repented from your sins.
You can't receive him in your old person, you must pass through the process of conversion, and become a new creation.
●THE FRUITS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The major evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit is Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts can be faked, or abused, but you can't hide your fruit. By their fruit you shall k ow them.
The major evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit is Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Gifts can be faked, or abused, but you can't hide your fruit. By their fruit you shall k ow them.
1 Corinthians 13:1-
"13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22-25)
11. How do we receive this baptism?
*Answer* By asking God.
"Luke 11:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the *Holy Spirit* to them that ask him?
I believe when we genuinely and persistently ask God for his Spirit he will give us.
*Also, if there is anyone who has the Holy Spirit, he can pray for those who are willing to, receive
"And when Paul had "laid his hands" upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied"
Another way is by studying the word of God
Acts 10:44.
12.Can the Holy Spirit leave us even after receiving him?
*Answer*: When we continue to ignore the 'voice' that tells us what we're doing is bad or habitually rejecting the prompting of the Holy Spirit, through our conscience to repent from our sins, then we grieve and reject the Holy Spirit.
When we harden our hearts against the truth probably because of the 'inconveniences' of obeying it, we reject the Holy Spirit.
This can be very dangerous, because over time, the Spirit may stop appealing to us to change...resulting in a hardened heart - or a reprobate mind, one that no longer recognizes the voice of the Holy Spirit and has become incapable of responding to it, by so doing we reject him and grieve him and will leave us.
"13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Fruit of the Spirit ( Galatians 5:22-25)
11. How do we receive this baptism?
*Answer* By asking God.
"Luke 11:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the *Holy Spirit* to them that ask him?
I believe when we genuinely and persistently ask God for his Spirit he will give us.
*Also, if there is anyone who has the Holy Spirit, he can pray for those who are willing to, receive
"And when Paul had "laid his hands" upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied"
Another way is by studying the word of God
Acts 10:44.
12.Can the Holy Spirit leave us even after receiving him?
*Answer*: When we continue to ignore the 'voice' that tells us what we're doing is bad or habitually rejecting the prompting of the Holy Spirit, through our conscience to repent from our sins, then we grieve and reject the Holy Spirit.
When we harden our hearts against the truth probably because of the 'inconveniences' of obeying it, we reject the Holy Spirit.
This can be very dangerous, because over time, the Spirit may stop appealing to us to change...resulting in a hardened heart - or a reprobate mind, one that no longer recognizes the voice of the Holy Spirit and has become incapable of responding to it, by so doing we reject him and grieve him and will leave us.
Ephesians 4:30, Hebrews 6:4-6, 2 Peter
13. How do we maintain the Holy Spirit in our lives?
1. By constantly studying the word.
We are sanctified when we always prayerfully study the word of God and do what is written therein.
" Sanctify them by thy truth, your *word is truth*( John 17:17)
And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
The word of God is food, where by we live.
Any day we stop studying, we start dying.
We study to understand God, to know his will concerning us.
Study to show thyself approved ( 1 Timothy 3:16)
The word is a lamp unto our feet, it is the word that supplies the oil that keeps
The lamp burning.( psalms 119:105)
The moment we stop studying, the oil starts drying up.
Without our daily food we will die, so without the word of God we starve our Spiritual life and eventually it dies.
The word is life. ( John 6:63-70)
* By praying always..
Prayer is communicating with God, this helps us to dwell continuously in the presence of God.
The moment we stop praying we stop communicating with God and with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus says " pray without ceasing, so that you will not fall into temptation.
A prayer less Christian is a powerless Christian, because it makes the Holy Spirit in you inactive.
We have to pray more to activate the Spirit, we have to be on guard, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood. ( Ephesians 6:10-12)
* Evangelizing/witnessing.
When we put what we have studied into practice it makes us stronger and we also learn while teaching others.
The more we witness the more we understand.
The more we witness the more we become more conscious and aware of the implications of going against what we're teaching others.
* Continual obedience to the small still voice
Just like I have said before, when we refuse to hearken to his voice, and we do this constantly a time will come when the Holy Spirit will leave us.
Walking in the Spirit simply means obeying the voice and directions of the Spirit.
In conclusion
We all are waiting for the Latter rain isn't it?
"The latter rain will not fall upon those who don't have the Holy Spirit in them at all"....
In other to receive the latter rain we must have the Holy Spirit in us.( we must have some Oil)
The latter rain is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in full measure, nobody will be able to withstand this power.
It will be far greater than the early rain, in likeness of what no one has ever seen before and will never see.
This is necessary in other to bring in the last harvest and to be able to overcome the beast and hus mark.
Those who will receive the latter rain will be filled with power and great glory of our Lord, and nothing will be impossible for them to do.
They will exhibit the gifts of the Holy Spirit in full measure, and we know that the gifts are for the edification of the Church, or an individual. It's very necessary for evangelism.
So we have to strife to receive the Holy Spirit now, so that we won't miss the latter rain.
It's my prayer that we all will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and start walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh in Jesus name. Amen.
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