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Introduction
The gift of the Holy
Spirit has become the topic of much discussion in our day. Men and women of
all persuasions and from all walks of life have become interested enough to
search for greater understanding of this phenomenal spiritual experience.
Capturing headlines, dominating the content of many religious periodicals,
and generally creating excitement, this canon of apostolic faith deserves a
sincere appraisal.
The Facts
The Holy Spirit is God.
"God is a Spirit" (John 4:24). "There is . . . one
Spirit" (Ephesians 4:4). To become a subject in the kingdom of God,
Jesus said a person must be "born again," or "born of water
and of the Spirit" (John 3:3-5). The birth of the Spirit and the
baptism of the Spirit are synonymous terms. The Apostle Peter understood
this truth as he spoke. to the multitude in Jerusalem on the Day of
Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). This experience was received by the Jews
on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), the Samaritans (Acts 8:15-17), and the Gentiles
(Acts 10:44-48), plainly indicating that it was meant for all people,
regardless of race, creed, color, or station in life. The new birth,
consisting of water and Spirit, was never set forth as being optional or
unessential. "Ye must be born again" are the words of Jesus in
John 3:7. Until a person is born of the Spirit, he cannot be called a
"son" of God.
The Privilege
But why concentrate
only on the absoluteness of the command? It is a blessed privilege to
experience a release of spirit, finding freedom of soul and expression in
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is no other experience similar to it.
"Incomparable" is the only adequate description of this filling.
The transition is to an entirely new realm and way of life. A complete
transformation takes place. The soul has an empty place "in the shape
of God" that nothing else will fit or satisfy. The baptism of the
Spirit completely satisfies every longing of the soul. In this experience
is fulfillment.
The Evidence
There are two major
evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The initial, outward evidence
is speaking with tongues, which means speaking miraculously in languages
the speaker does not know.
Speaking with other
tongues has been connected with Spirit baptism since the beginning of the
church age. On the birthday of the New Testament church, the Day of
Pentecost after Christ's ascension, approximately 120 disciples of Christ
were inundated by the Spirit of God and "began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4). The
household of an Italian centurion received the same spiritual experience,
which the Jewish Christian onlookers readily identified, "for they
heard them speak with tongues" (Acts 10:44-48). In Acts 19:1-6, a group
of John the Baptist's disciples heard about the Holy Ghost from the Apostle
Paul; they too were filled with the Spirit, "and they spake with
tongues."
We cannot adequately
express with our own words the ecstasy experienced in the baptism of the
Spirit. Only through unaccustomed words of heavenly coherence can we utter
what our souls would express.
There are perhaps
several other reasons why God chose speaking in tongues as the initial
evidence of this spiritual baptism. It is an objective, external evidence
that recipients and onlookers can both identify with certainty (Acts
10:46). It is a uniform evidence-all the disciples on Pentecost, all the
household of Cornelius, and all the believers in Ephesus spoke in tongues.
"So is everyone that is born of the Spirit" are the words of
Jesus in His description of this spiritual new birth (John 3:8). Speaking
in tongues also indicates the complete control of the Spirit over our human
wills. The tongue is the most unruly member of the body (James 3:8), and its
being tamed by God is evidence of His complete control.
Further evidence of the
Spirit's abiding presence in our lives is the fruit of the Spirit, which
Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,
temperance: against such there is no law."
The Promise
Was the baptism of the
Holy Spirit for the apostles or early disciples only? Is it today available
to only a select few who are "superspiritual"? The obvious answer
to these questions is no.
The Apostle Peter made
it very plain in his message on the Day of Pentecost that the gift of the
Holy Ghost is for everyone: "For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God
shall call" (Acts 2:39). (See Luke 11:13.) Our faith, obedience, and
submission to the Lord Jesus and His gospel qualify us for this most joyous
of all experiences. (See Acts 5:32; 11:15-17.) As Isaiah 12:3 states,
"With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
Seek Him today, for
"he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews
11:6). "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters"
(Isaiah 55:1). This means you!
JRE
Taken from the Word
Aflame Press tract "The Gift of the Holy Ghost" - #156722072X
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