Sermon Notes: What is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

What is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Is there a secondary work of The Holy Spirit in the life of a believer?

Does everything simply take place at salvation?

Why was it so important for the early church to be baptized in The Holy Spirit but in some circles it is not emphasized today?

R. A. Torrey (evangelist and theologian): "The baptism with the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God coming upon a believer, taking possession of their faculties, and imparting to them gifts not naturally their own, but which qualify them for the service to which God has called them."

R.A. Torrey (from his work on the subject): "The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for the purpose of cleansing from sin, but for the purpose of empowering for service."

Oswald Chambers: "The proof that we are baptized with the Holy Spirit is that we bear a strong family likeness to Jesus... people take knowledge of us, as they did of the disciples after Pentecost, that we have been with Jesus."

David Wilkerson (pastor and author): "You need to be baptized with the Holy Ghost! ... The baptism is especially for those living in these last days.

The topic of the Baptisms of The Holy Spirit has divided some in the body of Christ

Some claim that it is a one time event at salvation

Others claim that it is a secondary work in the life of the believer

I believe it is important when building doctrine and what we believe to look at God’s word

1.  Jesus is the one who baptizes in The Holy Spirit

a.  Matthew 3:11-12 ¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ^[1]

b.  Acts 1:5: ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” ^[2]

c.   The word baptize means to immerse

d.  Just as a person is immersed in water in water baptism and there is physical evidence of being immersed in water, when a person is baptized in The Holy Spirit there is tangible evidence that they have been

2.  When does a person receive The Holy Spirit

a.   Ephesians 1:13-14 ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory. ^[3]

b.  Romans 8:9-10 ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ^[4]

c.   1 corinthians 12:13 ¹³ For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.^[5]

d.  A believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of Salvation

e.   They are sealed by The Holy Spirit

3.  Beyond salvation is there a greater and deeper work that the Holy Spirit does in the life of the believer?

a.   I personally believe the answer is yes

b.  Jesus has called all of us to be witnesses and to make disciples

                                             i.     Matthew 28:18-20: ¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ^[6]

c.   Has Jesus commanded us to do this in our own strength and power

                                             i.     I believe the answer is no

                                           ii.     Acts 1:8 ⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”^[7]

                                        iii.     The coming of the Holy Spirit was for the express purpose of being empowered to be a witness

                                         iv.     Power here means power, deed of power. Literally, it describes the ability to perform an activity; by extension, it refers to someone in a position of power or the force of a person’s action^[8]

d.  Three occurances in the book of Acts in which there was a physical outward sign of the coming of The Holy Spirit

                                             i.     Acts 2:1-4: When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. ² And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. ³ And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. ⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. ^[9]

                                           ii.     Acts 10:44-48 ⁴⁴ While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. ⁴⁵ And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, ⁴⁷ “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸ And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days. ^[10]

                                        iii.     Acts 19:1-7 And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. ² And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” ³ And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” ⁴ And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” ⁵ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. ⁷ There were about twelve men in all. ^[11]

1.  In all of these occurances believers who received The Holy Spirit spoke in tongues and in the last occurance also prophesied

2.  It was an outward sign that the Holy Spirit had come

3.  In the first occurance those who heard the 120 witnesses were gathered and it prepared the way for Peter to preach the gospel

4.  In the second it communicated to the early believers that the way of salvation was open to the gentiles as well

5.  In the third occurrence we see when Paul corrected their understanding and they were baptized in the name of Jesus, they then spoken in tongues and prophesied as the Holy Spirit came on them

e.   Is this still available for believers today?

                                             i.     In each of these occurances the Holy Spirit came upon them

                                           ii.     If a person doesn’t speak in tongues do they not have The Holy Spirit?

                                        iii.     Do people still speak in tongues today and prophesy?

                                         iv.     Are the gifts of the Holy Spirit available today?

                                           v.     I personally believe beyond the initial work of Salvation there is a greater and deeper work The Holy Spirit does in the life of the believer

                                         vi.     1 Corinthians 6:11 ¹¹ And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.^[12]

                                      vii.     Philippians 2:12-13 ¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. ^[13]

                                    viii.     It is the Holy Spirit who continues to work in the life of the believer to mold and shape them into the character and image of Christ

                                         ix.     Jesus told us in John 14:12-14: ¹² “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. ^[14]

f.    I believe for our lives to reflect the character and nature of Christ we must be baptized in The Holy Spirit

                                             i.     1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

                                           ii.     I believe The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer opens the way for the gifts of the Spirit to be present

                                        iii.     Many times people have received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in their life when people have laid hands on them

                                         iv.     Or when they have simply prayed for the Holy Spirit to come in a greater way

                                           v.     But what we see is it requires hunger on the life of the individual

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Mt 3:11–12.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ac 1:5.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Eph 1:13–14.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ro 8:9–10.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), 1 Co 12:13.

^[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Mt 28:18–20.

^[7] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ac 1:8.

^[8] Eric Lewellen, “Miracles,” in Lexham Theological Wordbook, ed. Douglas Mangum et al., Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).

^[9] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ac 2:1–4.

^[10] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ac 10:44–48.

^[11] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Ac 19:1–7.

^[12] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), 1 Co 6:11.

^[13] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Php 2:12–13.

^[14] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Jn 14:12–14.