Holy Spirit Baptism

The video link is at the bottom of the page

1. Introduction

In this lesson, we will learn about baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The first in this series looked at Jesus and Holy Spirit. This teaching is essential to understand how we can move in power, as we first need to know how Jesus moved in might as the Son of Man.
The second in the series is “Being Filled with Holy Spirit”. In this teaching, we saw how we could live a life filled with the Spirit of God, empowering us to be glorious sons and daughters.
Following these, we can now learn how, like Jesus, to move in the power of God.

2. Holy Spirit Baptism of Jesus

Firstly, everything starts with the Father. John baptises Jesus, and the Father justifies Him.

…and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17

The reformation we are currently seeing around the world shows us the importance of the Father in everything we are and do as sons and daughters of God.

3. Jesus is the One Who Baptises Us

The Father no longer baptises us because Jesus is the One who will baptise us with Holy Spirit and with fire.

… but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He (Jesus) will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:11

Jesus is the One who baptises us because:

1. Jesus unites us with Him in one baptism (water and Spirit). The ‘Water Baptism‘ study showed neither baptism is part of the new birth experience.
2. Father has given Jesus the kingdom. In the Old Testament God would cause the Spirit of God to come upon people.

4. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is when the Spirit Comes upon us

A. Holy Spirit came UPON Jesus

“Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen,
My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased!
I will put My Spirit upon Him,
And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.

Matthew 12:18

B. Holy Spirit will come UPON us

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

To emphasise the point, the Greek word for upon – ἐπί epi; means upon. It never means in, or fills, or within.

5. Old Testament ‘Baptism in Holy Spirit.’

In the Old Testament, the Spirit of God would come upon people at the instruction of God. So in some respects, they were baptised in the Holy Spirit. King Saul prophesied when the Holy Spirit came upon him.

So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

1 Samuel 19:23-24

Here we see that the Spirit of the Lord came upon King Saul.

6. Baptism Comes with Further Infilling of the Holy Spirit.

“Being Filled with Holy Spirit” looks at this as a complete subject.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:4

Holy Spirit baptism is different from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Although you are filled with the Holy Spirit again, Jesus baptises you; baptism is when the Holy Spirit also comes upon you. Understanding the purpose of Holy Spirit baptism is to release power, we know why He comes upon you. From then on, whoever you touch by faith, believing you unleash the power of God, has the anointing smear on that person.

There is no question that Holy Spirit fills us at this baptism. However, Holy Spirit’s infilling happens often in our lives, starting at the new birth. We determine how “filled” we are. We also limit how filled we are if we will not allow God to save us. Transformation Through Salvation teaches us that this is what salvation is. Jesus reconciled us to God through His death; His resurrection is what saves us. It also is why we need to work at our salvation:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. 

Phil 2:12-13

7. Proof of Baptism in the Holy Spirit is Power And Force

A. Defining Power in the Greek

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

δύναμις dynamis; force (literally or figuratively); especially, miraculous power (usually by implication, a miracle itself): — ability, abundance, meaning, might(-ily, -y, -y deed), (worker of) miracle(-s), power, strength, violence, mighty (excellent) work.

Dynamis is the word where we get dynamite from:

Looking at Greek, we see two words that stand out: Force and Power. These are similar but different – and worth meditating upon:

B. Force Causes an Object to Move Against Another Object

“Force is the fundamental result of an interaction between two objects. While power is an expression of energy consumed over time, producing work, of which force is an element.”

God made the laws of physics in the physical realm. And in my opinion, within the spiritual realm, we can apply this same law. Let’s use healing as an example. Spiritually speaking, force is an interaction between God (one object) and man (the other object). The force causes something to shift in the person for their benefit.

The mathematical formula for Force (F) is:

F = m a (force = mass multiplied by acceleration). So, first, let’s look at mass in the spirit:

C: Force has Weight of Glory

Mass is an object weighing something. What is interesting is that glory means weight in Hebrew:

כָּבוֹד ḵâḇôḏ; rarely כָּבֹד kabod; properly, weight, but only figuratively in a good sense, splendour or copiousness: —

Power has mass! And it accelerates from one place to another. We see this beautifully in the healing of the woman who was bleeding:

Now a woman, having a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her livelihood on physicians and could not be healed by any, came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, “Who touched Me?” When all denied it, Peter and those with him said, “Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” But Jesus said, “Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me.”

Luke 8:43-46

D. Force Shifts Things

This weight of glory accelerates, hitting (in the example above) her uterus and destroying the enemy’s works. So it is with us as we operate in the power of God. The power or force of the Holy Spirit within us will heal the sick, raise the dead, and perform signs and wonders.

It shall come to pass in that day…
And his yoke from your neck,
And the yoke will be destroyed because of the anointing oil.

Isaiah 10:27

Jesus will destroy yokes of bondage through the glory, destroying those yokes and breaking all the works of the devil.

E. Power Produces Work over Time

The formula for power is:

P = w/t (power = work divided by time)

Therefore, using simple mathematics, we can move power to calculate work:

W=P t (Work=Power x Time.)

F. Healing is Work

Jesus teaches us that healing people is work:

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.

John 9:1-4

Now let’s go back to the formula:

Work=Power x Time.

God made this law of physics in the physical realm. Greater power is needed to get work done in a short period. In my observation, the same rule applies in the spirit realm.

G. Miracles versus Healings

Holy Spirit baptism will release power, which produces miracles and healings. Energy flows from God over time, resulting in recovery. Let us say that we want to see a crippled walk. To see that happen immediately will require more power than to see that occur as healing. I believe that is ONE reason there are fewer miracles than healings in some countries.

I know this is not considering God’s greatness or sovereignty, but for simplicity’s sake, let’s look at this mathematically. If it requires 100 units of work to heal a disabled person, the person is healed in 1 hour (which, for a miracle, is quite long).

100=? x 1

It accordingly requires 100 units of power.

Now let us say God will heal that person in 100 hours. The exact amount of work is required to cure the person, therefore:

100=? x 100

The answer is 1 unit of power, not nearly as much as is required for a miracle.

We have seen Jesus do healing miracles as the work of God. However, not all healings are instantaneous, as we find in the Epistle of James:

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.

James 5:14-15

Here we see that healing is sometimes a process. These take time, and although the same work is done compared to a miracle, it may not use as much power as a miracle.

We will look at this in other teachings at a later stage.

8. Authority is Different from Power

A. Defining Authority:

ἐξουσία exousia; from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: — authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.

Authority is related to the realm of the jurisdiction you have. All believers may heal the sick and cast out demons because all believers are kings and priests in the kingdom of God:

and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 1:6

And we all received grace:

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

Ephesians 4:7

B. Disciples Required Power and Authority to Heal the Sick:

Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

Luke 9:1

C.Authority is given at New Birth, Before Holy Spirit Baptism

Because that comes when you are born again, when you become a son or daughter of God, this is when you receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

John 1:12

It would follow that someone could cast out demons without baptism in the Holy Spirit. Let me give you an example. I could cast out demons even before I believed that Holy Spirit baptism was for today! But it was not easy because I had not been baptised in water and Holy Spirit. As a result, I did not have justification that I was a son of God.

D. Full Authority is Released at Water Baptism

In Water Baptism, we learnt that although we receive authority at the new birth, full authority via adoption does not happen until you are water baptised.

E. Teaching and Preaching is NOT Proof of Baptism in the Holy Spirit

– Jesus was able to teach before He received Holy Spirit baptism.

And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 1:22

9. Evidence of Holy Spirit Baptism is Tongues OR Prophecy

Some argue that tongues are the proof of Holy Spirit baptism. And although I agree that tongues are available for all who want to receive them, it is not PROOF of baptism. Power is proof of Holy Spirit baptism. There are two further studies on Tongues – A Personal Prayer Language and the Gift of Tongues. And two lessons on prophecy and the prophet’s ministry.

A. When the Holy Spirit fell, they ALL Spoke with Tongues.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:4

B. You Will Prophesy:

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions,
your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.

Acts 2:17-18

Also

… when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

Acts 19:6

10. The PURPOSE of Holy Spirit Baptism is to Witness Jesus

We must remember that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not mainly for ourselves (although our prayer language is). Instead, it demonstrates the Father’s to those around us, releasing the power of God.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8

11. Summary

• Jesus only healed and performed miracles following His baptism in water and Holy Spirit.
• We are filled with Holy Spirit at the new birth, Holy Spirit baptism, and any other time we desire to be.
• Holy Spirit baptism is when Holy Spirit comes upon you.
• The power of God comes upon you at baptism in the Holy Spirit.
• Authority starts when you are born again.
• Authority to act and command in the kingdom of God comes at water baptism.
• Tongues and prophecy are evidence but not proof of Holy Spirit baptism.
• The purpose of baptism in the Holy Spirit is so you can be a witness.

© Use by Permission Awakening Impact Ministries / Dr Neville van Eerten 2022