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  Course   Lesson 20

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Introduction

A spiritual phenomenon is currently sweeping the churches. It is demolishing doctrinal barriers between denominations and apparently uniting believers of all persuasions in an amazing fervour of religious excitement. Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, evangelical clergymen and lay-members from almost every denomination - who only a few decades ago would have tenaciously contended for their church's interpretation of Scripture - now unite in apparent harmony seemingly oblivious of their doctrinal differences. It is no longer important they claim where, how or when you worship, whether you pray before an image using a rosary or not, whether you are sprinkled as an infant or immersed as an adult, whether you confess your sins to a priest or to God alone, whether you look upon the Bible as the final authority in spiritual matters or as just another inspired book having equal weight with the age-old traditions of the church:

"These differences of opinion," many say, "are no longer important."

During the past few centuries doctrinal issues exercised the minds of the most learned theologians; they changed the course of nations, spawned new religious communities in distant lands and governed the behaviour of literally millions of Christians all over the globe. In those days the word doctrine was on every responsible churchman's lips and each group did its utmost to explain its beliefs to others, fully convinced that only by practising the truth as they understood it was salvation assured. Yes, 'doctrine' used to be an important consideration in times past. It was the navigational chart by which each group steered its course towards the spiritual Kingdom of God.

But the scene has changed: 'doctrine' has fallen from favour and now only a few church-goers, by comparison, speak of it. Today there is another word on the lips of many. It is the word 'experience.' It tells of supernatural happenings so overwhelming, so exciting and apparently fulfilling that no attempt to describe them we are assured can succeed, because they must be experienced!

"Never mind your doctrines" they say "I know. I've had this marvellous experience, and it makes no difference what you say or write or do because I know from experience."

And what is this 'supernatural experience' which has overtaken the church, causing it to abandon the tried and tested path of doctrine? It is called by those who have had it: the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

• What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
• What are the identifying signs of a valid Baptism?
• Is there such a thing as a counterfeit?
• When will the real Baptism come?

This lesson has been designed to answer these questions. It is a lesson of great importance, so study it prayerfully and check the scriptural references given, for only then will you be in a position to evaluate its worth and act upon its advice.

What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the spiritual reality which is prefigured by Water Baptism. In Water Baptism the baptizer is a priest, a minister, an elder or a deacon of the church and the medium is water. In the Baptism of the Holy Spirit the baptizer is Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) and the medium is the Holy Spirit of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel. (John 1:32-34)
As pointed out in Lesson 5 the Baptism of Repentance (Water Baptism) is a ceremonial ordinance of divine origin which enables a believer to publicly declare his or her faith in Jesus Christ by being momentarily submerged in water. The Baptism of Repentance, in other words, is the shadow, the type, the blueprint, the physical illustration, the symbolic ceremony.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the living reality to which Water Baptism points. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in short, is the Main Baptism - the REAL THING!

But even though Water Baptism is only a 'symbolic ceremony' we can still learn a lot from it about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, just as an engineer can learn a lot about a machine by studying the designer's blueprint. So let us first turn our attention to that 'ceremonial blueprint' and see what we can learn about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Upon doing this we find that when the repentant believer goes through the waters of baptism he/she figuratively declares to the world two important objectives.

• To bury the old sinful nature.
• And then by the power of God to rise again to live a new life of righteousness. This spiritual resurrection is, in fact, the main purpose of baptism, that the washed believer will rise to live a new life of righteousness in accordance with God's will.

Also read Romans 6:3-7.

These two objectives, we repeat, both find fulfilment in the life of a believer who is Baptised in the Holy Spirit. They are no longer a figurative exercise as they were in Water Baptism, but a real, recognisable fact in the Spirit-Baptised believer's life.

What are the Signs of a Valid Baptism?

It follows from the above that the two main signs of a valid Spirit Baptism are when those two symbolic features of Water Baptism become a visible reality in the life of a believer. If they have not found fulfilment in a believer's life, (if you cannot plainly recognise their presence) then, no matter what that believer may claim, you can be sure that he or she has not been baptised in the Holy Spirit.

When we look more closely at those two ceremonial features, we find that they tell quite plainly of these two things.

1. The burial of the old sinful nature
2. The rising to live a life of righteousness - obedience!

1. The burial of the old sinful nature

The carnal mind, the one we humans are born with, is inherently sinful. It is a rebellious mind and its true character only becomes apparent when it is called upon to obey the law of God. Then it rebels. The Bible says:
 

Because of this fact (that the carnal mind cannot be subject to the law of God) the carnal mind must be slain: for it cannot be made holy. This slaughter of the carnal mind is accomplished by the Spirit of God. The believer's sinful nature - the "old man" as one Scripture calls it - is to be slain and buried at baptism.

In Water Baptism this death and burial of the carnal nature is only figuratively expressed when the repentant believer is placed under the water, buried in the "watery grave" so to speak. But in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit this death and burial of the sinful nature really takes place. It is no longer a symbolic exercise, but a recognisable reality - a visible fact. The believer is literally purged of sin by the Holy Spirit of God. His old sinful nature is slain and buried. In other words, he does not sin any more. He has finished with sin forever because his old sinful nature is no longer alive. He is, in fact, no more capable of sin than a buried corpse is. His carnal, sinful nature is now dead and buried - so it cannot sin any more. We repeat: he does not sin any more! Consider this verse:
 

In other words a born-again believer who is baptised in the Holy Spirit is an extremely holy person - who no longer knowingly sins! He may make errors of judgement or leave tasks undone; or, like a child, may have a lot to learn, but he no longer knowingly sins. That is the first sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Just pause awhile and consider that amazing standard. The Scriptures make it abundantly clear that it will be reached by a great company of believers. Look up Revelation 14:1-5. There you will read about a perfect company of believers numbering many thousands who are faultless. So the standard of absolute purity can and will be reached. It has been reached before by men like Asa and Job. (1 Kings 15:14, Job 1:8)

2. Rising to a life of Righteousness / Obedience

The next sign of a valid baptism is a righteous life. The believer has not merely stopped sinning (that statement merely tells us of what he does not do). But he rises from the baptism to live a life of righteousness (This statement tells of what he does do). The Spirit-baptised believer, in short, will stop sinning (Sign 1) and will go on to do righteous deeds (Sign 2). He will obey the Law of God. He has not only stopped breaking the Law of God, but has now started to obey it. In symbolic language righteousness (obedience) is referred to as good fruit. And that is why when John the Baptist saw that true righteousness was very often missing from the lives of those who came to him for baptism, he spoke these scathing words:
 

This man of God knew very well that if righteousness (right actions, good fruit) did not follow water baptism, then the whole symbolic exercise was invalidated and pointless. John was looking for good fruit - true repentance followed by obedience in the lives of those who came to him - and when he didn't find it his denunciations were voiced in no uncertain terms:

"Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire."

The Saviour expressed the same thought when he said:
 

In other words, a believer who is Baptised in the Holy Spirit will live a righteous life. He will be eager to obey the Law of the Most High. He will not merely stop sinning (Sign 1) but he will go on to produce good fruit by obeying Yahweh's Law (Sign 2).

3. Supernatural/Witnessing Power

The third sign of a Spirit Baptised believer is supernatural power to witness for Christ.
 

When we broadly consider this matter of supernatural power we find that it manifests itself in a variety of ways (Mark 16:17-18). To mention a few:

• The gift of Prophecy
• The gift of Tongues
• The power to Cast out Devils
• The power to work Miracles

Strictly speaking, the supernatural power the Saviour was referring to in Acts 1:8 was not the power to do these kinds of miracles. The disciples already had that power. Some three years before, the Saviour had called them together and given them supernatural power and authority over all devils and to cure all diseases (Luke 9:1-6). So the power they were to receive at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was not the kind of power they already had. It was a completely different kind of power. Also bear in mind that many of the prophets of old had supernatural power. Elisha had even raised the dead. (2 Kings 4:32-36)

The power mentioned in Acts 1:8 was an entirely new kind of power. It was the power to witness of the resurrected Saviour on a supernatural scale.

"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."

Indeed, when they received this new kind of power - the power to witness effectively - they turned the world upside down. Within a few years the gospel penetrated areas where even a thousand miracles would have gone unheeded. What they received on that Day of Pentecost was the great power of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of the spiritually blind, to unstop the ears of the spiritually deaf and to raise the spiritually dead. This is the power the Spirit Baptised believer is promised in Acts 1:8 - the power to witness with spectacular results, the power to do the spiritually impossible!

That kind of power had never been known before. It was new.

The supernatural power conferred on a believer at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, in short, is not to be confused with the power to do physical miracles. It is the power to witness of Yeshau and to produce supernatural results just as they did in the early days of the Christian era.

Here is a further word of instruction about supernatural power.

Supernatural power at its lowest level (the power to do physical miracles) is not confined to the Christian Church. It is found in most religions, pagan and otherwise. In India, Africa, China and the Middle East, yea in almost all the nations of the world, there are heathen spiritual leaders who possess miraculous powers; and, believe it or not, many of them speak in tongues. Like the magicians of ancient Pharaoh they are well able to duplicate most of the miracles done by the prophets of God. (Exodus 7:11,22)

Because of these facts we conclude that the commonly know expressions of supernatural power (miracles, healings, tongues etc.), wonderful though they may be, should NOT be taken as a unique sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. For we know very well that spectacular miracles are often done by heathen religious leaders. We also know that their powers do not emanate from Yahweh the Holy One of Israel. And because of this fact we should not accept something as from God simply because it is accompanied by a miracle.

To be accepted as a unique sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, supernatural power must be a witnessing power, witnessing of Jesus Christ and the Everlasting Gospel with Apostolic effect. But because this sign is so difficult to assess, we only consider it when it is accompanied by those first two signs:

1. The absence of sin
2. And the presence of righteousness.

We can summarise the valid signs of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in one word - obedience. Yes, obedience is the true measure of a believer: the more of the Holy Spirit he possesses, the more obedient (righteous) he will become. We would be false teachers if we were to pretend otherwise.

These, then, are the signs of a valid Spirit Baptism. If even one of them is missing in the life of someone who claims to have been Baptised in the Holy Spirit, you can be sure that you are not seeing the genuine article.

Satan's Counterfeit Baptism

It is an undisputed fact that Satan has over the centuries produced counterfeits of almost everything that Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel has done. There just doesn't seem to be any area of activity in which the Most High is engaged, but the Evil One will sooner or later produce one or more counterfeits; albeit inferior products by far. These imitations of Yahweh's efforts have inveigled their way even into the Christian Church, and so we have:

• False Prophets who pose as ministers of righteousness
• Over 100 modern English Bible translations, all posing as the Word of God. For proof see Bible Versions
• Counterfeit Sabbaths and Festivals which are being palmed off as the genuine Sabbaths and Festivals of the Most High
• Antichrists and bogus Messiahs pretending to be Agents of the Eternal
• Miracle workers with phenomenal powers all claiming that they are the instruments of the Almighty God

Yes, in all these and many other areas Satan has counterfeited the work of the Most High. Do you suppose that in this matter of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit he is idle? Oh no dear reader, in this field he is extremely active. Indeed he has already deceived multiplied millions of Christians into thinking that they have been baptised in the Holy Spirit. It is a deception of enormous magnitude and the time has come to expose it. Here is the Scriptural message about this astonishing fact.

The Lying Spirit

Most believers have never even heard of The Lying Spirit. And yet in the whole universe he is the most effective agent in the dubious art of deception. The Lying Spirit will succeed where all other agencies fail, mainly because he never comes in his own garb - he always poses as the Spirit of Truth. The Lying Spirit always transforms himself into an Angel of Light, when in fact he is a minister of darkness. The Lying Spirit is the wolf in sheep's clothing, a lamb who speaks as the dragon, the miracle-working False Prophet from whose mouth proceeds error and deception.
(Revelation 13:11, Revelation 16:13-14)

In the Christian Church he speaks through the mouths of the false prophets who blatantly reject the commandments of the Most High. They not only disregard the Law of God, but claim that it is obsolete; and proudly parade their supernatural gifts as evidence that what they say is correct. We are given a preview of the Lying Spirit at work in the experience recorded in 1 Kings 22. Read that whole chapter over a few times and you will realise that you are in fact looking at a dramatised prophecy of the greatest deception that this old world has ever witnessed. It is a symbolic prediction which is coming true in our day. There you will see how:

• The Almighty had determined to hand the disobedient Ahab over to destruction because even after Elijah's spectacular victory on Mount Carmel (see chapter 18) he was still allowing his wicked wife Jezebel to corrupt the nation of Israel.

   

• Each Spirit in turn proposed a plan to trick Ahab to his death. But only the Lying Spirit's plan would work.
   

  1 Kings 22:19

  And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. 20: And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. 21: And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him. 22: And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so.

  
   

   

• The Lying Spirit had decided to speak through the mouths of the prophets of Israel. Remember that these leaders were not the prophets of Baal. The prophets of Baal had been slaughtered some time before (see 1 Kings 18:40). These men were the respected spiritual leaders of Israel!

   

• Also note how the deluded prophet Zedekiah was wearing a pair of iron horns (verse 11). Iron horns are symbols of supernatural power. But for all Zedekiah's power and numerical advantage, (400 to 1 - verse 6 ) he was still delivering a false message. And what was worse he was totally unaware that the Lying Spirit was using his tongue to do so.

   

• Sad to say even the righteous King Jehoshaphat believed the false prophets and he almost lost his life as a result.

Why was that ancient experience recorded in the Bible? The answer is, because it has an important message for all of us who live in the closing days of this age.
 

Did you notice that? This ancient experience is an 'example,' a 'type,' an 'illustration,' a 'figure' of a great spiritual deception scheduled to come upon this world in the end-time. That time has already begun. So let us examine this matter further.

The Last Great Deception

As you study that story over and over again you will realise that you are, in fact, looking at a spiritual blueprint, a shadow, a dramatised prophecy of a world-encompassing deception that is currently sweeping the Christian Church; a deception that is the work of the same Lying Spirit of old. And, strange as this may seem, Yahweh is once again handing over multitudes of rebellious souls to believe the Lying Spirit because like Ahab and Jezebel they do not really want to obey His Law. Yes, the Lying Spirit is again at work, posing as the Spirit of Truth. As in the days of old, his spokesmen have supernatural power just as the horned Zedekiah had. He also has the majority on his side and he is convincing the people of God that he is speaking the truth. In the end even those he has deluded will find out that he was a liar and that the truth was not in him. Now consider this amazing end-time scene foretold by the Saviour.
 

Here is one of the most amazing spiritual scenes portrayed in the whole Bible; one which will stagger your mind if you just stop to think about it. Here are believers - many of them - who:

• Openly profess Christ ("Lord, Lord" they say )
• They have prophesied in his Name
• They have cast out devils in Messiah's Name
• And in his Name have done many wonderful works!

But for all their preaching and for all their wonder-working powers, the Messiah will refuse them entry to his Kingdom. And what is the reason for this astonishing rejection by the one who said: 'He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out'?

The answer is: They are "workers of iniquity."

What is this thing called 'iniquity' that it can invalidate the powerful arguments these believers put to Christ; who disqualifies them from entering the Kingdom of Heaven? The answer is:

Iniquity is deliberate, persistent sin, a wilful refusal to acknowledge sin and obey the Law of Almighty God! Iniquity is an absolute rejection of Yahweh's commandments. Iniquity is disobedience of the worst kind, an act of spiritual rebellion so deep and so deluding that it even contemptuously dismisses the charge that it is wrong.

These persons are guilty of iniquity. To be sure they profess Christ. Indeed with their wonder-working powers they are usually the leaders in this field. What is more, in Christ's name they have cast out devils and have done many wonderful works. It would be foolish to suggest that they would use these arguments if they hadn't done these things. Yes they have done them all. But it avails them nothing. The Master still refuses them entry to the Kingdom. Like unproductive trees they are hewn down and cast into the fire.

Again we ask, Why?

Because they are blatant sinners who refuse to recognise and obey the Commandments of the Most High. They are wilfully and persistently disobedient. They are guilty of iniquity. Moreover, they have allowed their tongues to become the channel for the Lying Spirit and have taught and practised lawlessness to their own ruin. To be sure they can do miracles: but that counts for nothing when weighed against their iniquity. Oh what a terrible scene is here portrayed. Can you begin to understand it?

Pause awhile and consider so great a deception! Who are these people anyway? What do they call themselves? By what denominational name do they go? There must be many of them and they must be able to work miracles for the Master to say:

Once more we ask - Who are these people?

There is only one answer to that question and if you spend some time really thinking about it you will realise that it is the only answer that presents itself. And that answer is this.

These deluded souls are none other than the wonder-working Charismatic Christians who are currently claiming to have that supernatural experience called The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Yes, believe it or not, these miracle-working believers are the only ones in the whole of Christendom who fit that prophecy. No other Christian group can possibly claim such powers as these people can.

• They openly confess Christ. ("Lord, Lord" they say)
• They prophesy in his name.
• The cast out devils in his name.
• And they have done many wonderful works.

And, astonishing as this may sound, no other group is so opposed to the Law of the Most High as they are. This makes them guilty of iniquity. The Charismatic believers are the only ones in all Christendom who fit that picture. Do you know of any others who would even qualify to be considered?

We do not.

And what will happen to these deluded souls? Are they forever lost because in their eagerness to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit they have allowed themselves to be tricked by the Lying Spirit?

We are happy to say that many of them will realise their error and like king Jehoshaphat of old cry out to Yahweh before it is eternally too late. (1 Kings 22:32) Yes, many of them will repent, they will "wash their garments," that is they will begin to obey the commandments of the Most High. (Revelation 7:13-17, 22:14) But many others like Ahab and Jezebel will not. They will continue in their lawlessness and perish in their sins.

When will the Real Baptism Come?

The Scriptures tell us that multitudes came to John to be baptised of him in the Jordan. They came from every walk of life and from all directions to be "buried in the watery grave" and to be "raised up to walk in newness of life."
That was the symbolic environment, the figure, the spiritual blueprint, the ceremonial setting. The reality will be when multitudes of believers from all nations will be baptised by the Messiah in the Spirit of the Most High. Our sinful, carnal natures, with all their inherent, lawless traits will then be slain and buried. Our minds will then be overwritten with the Law of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel.

In other words, every believer who enters the Kingdom of Heaven is going to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit. The old carnal nature, the one that we are all born with, the nature that is inherently hostile to the commandments of the Most High, will be slain; and in its place the Messiah will give us a mind like his own and write on it His Father's Law. We will then be totally obedient sons and daughters of God, not because we have to be, but instinctively. This glorious prospect is guaranteed in these words:
 

The same thoughts are expressed in Hebrews 10:16.

This experience is, in fact, the climax of the New Covenant when the whole Family of the Most High will assemble at Mount Zion to His Law inscribed on the tablets of our souls. In this Covenant Yahweh's commandments will be inscribed on our minds, etched by the divine hand into our spiritual 'hardware' (to use a computer term) for all time. We will then be absolutely holy people in every thought, word and deed. Yes, the Messiah is going to personally Baptise in the Holy Spirit every believer who is going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And he will do this in his own time; so wait for it. He has scheduled himself to slay our sinful natures, which in varying degrees are at enmity with the Law of his Father. And in the place of our sinful rebellion he will put total obedience.

This experience is the true Baptism of the Holy Spirit and when we experience it, we will never sin any more! And then this text will apply even to us:
 

This, then, is the wonderful prospect that awaits every believer who wants to obey Yahweh and enter His Kingdom. Think about it dear reader and in your eagerness to be Baptised in the Holy Spirit do not sacrifice True Doctrine for the deceptions of the Lying Spirit. And now may the Spirit of Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel help you to understand and obey His will.
 

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