3. BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.
How can we get to know God better?; know how much He loves us?; know His will for our lives and be empowered to live a life for Him? It is simple – we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Just after Jesus’ resurrection and right before he was taken up to Heaven, He told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to stay there until He sends the Holy Spirit to them.
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, 'you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now… 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.” -Acts 1:4, 5 & 8 (ESV)
We then see this taking place in Acts chapter 2:
“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all
together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” -ACTS 2:1-4 (ESV)
Being baptized in the Holy Spirit is a wonderful and powerful thing. It is where the spirit of the living God comes and takes up residency inside of us so that we can walk in His love, power and wisdom.
THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY GOD WANTS YOU FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. To help you.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." -JOHN 14:15-17 (ESV)
2. To teach you.
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."
-JOHN 15:26 (ESV)
3. To guide you in God’s truth.
“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” -JOHN 16:13 (ESV)
4. To reveal Jesus to you.
“He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore, I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." -JOHN 16:14 (ESV)
5. To fill you with God’s power.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…"
-Acts 1:8 (ESV)
6. To reveal that you are a child of God .
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father! 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God…" -ROMANS 8:15-16 (ESV)
HOW DO YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?
There are a few different ways this can happen:
1. As you believe in Jesus.
“And Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized \ every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for thee / forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." -ACTS 2:38 (ESV)
"While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 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. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?' And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” -ACTS 10:44-48 (ESV)
2. When Spirit Filled People Lay Hands on You
"Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
- ACTS 8:14-17 (ESV)
"And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. 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.' And he said, 'Into what then were you baptized?' They said, 'Into John's baptism. “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.'On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. “And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.""
-ACTS 19:1-6 (ESV)
3. As you ask the Father
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ''For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”. -LUKE 11:9-13 (ESV)
There is so much to learn about the Holy Spirit. The first step is to just be baptized in Him. After that you can begin the wonder full journey of discovering more and more about Him.
If you have not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit, then speak to one of the leaders in your church or a Christian friend. This is something you do not want to miss out on and will make a huge difference to your spiritual growth and your life in general. Do not see it as a weird thing. It is actually one of the most important and wonderful things you can do!
Sabrina Pen 