Tuesday, September 13

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Acts 1:4-5 


On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 


“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 


The celebration of baptism is one of my favorite parts of being a pastor at FBCG. Last week we had the great joy of watching 21 people take the step of baptism at our annual FBCG “pig-nic” at the West Campus. I love hearing all the faith stories because each one is unique in some way because God is infinitely creative in how he calls people to himself. But I also love hearing them because each is the same in that they are all about Jesus and what he has done for each one of us! Each time we baptize I explain that baptism is an “external symbol of an internal spiritual event.” Just as my wedding ring is symbolic of my love for and commitment to my wife, so baptism is symbolic of our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. 


So what does Jesus mean by, “…you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”? Scholars and theologians have debated this question for centuries but at the most basic level I think Jesus is saying something rather simple. Here it is: Where baptism by water is a symbolic event; baptism by the Holy Spirit is an actual event. 


Jesus had promised on several occasions that, after returning to his Father in heaven, he would send the Holy Spirit to be with and live in his followers. Later in the Book of Acts, on the day of Pentecost, we read… 


“Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:2, 4 


It seems to me that the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was talking about was the actual coming of the Spirit of Jesus to dwell in the hearts of his followers through faith. The Bible teaches that when a person puts his or her faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior the Holy Spirit takes up residence in his or her heart as a guarantee of salvation. 


“Having believed, you were marked in him by a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance…” Ephesians 1:13-14 


The Holy Spirit is not symbolic or imaginary. The Holy Spirit is the very real presence of Jesus in spiritual form who promised to dwell in us and with us by faith. In other words, every single person who puts his or her faith in Jesus is “baptized by the Holy Spirit” because that’s what Jesus promised! Over my years in pastoral ministry I have learned that some people experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment they come to faith in Christ. For some it is a powerful emotional experience. For others it is more like a decision – a contract being signed. But still others experience the baptism of the Spirit over and over again – during moments of crisis or spiritual insight when it seems that God pours out more and more of himself and his love into their lives. But the point is, the Holy Spirit is real and is promised by Jesus himself to every believer. 


Take a moment to thank God for pouring out his Spirit into your heart by faith and ask him to help you become more and more aware of Jesus’ presence and work in your life.


Pastor Brian Coffey