Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.
Paul wrote the following near the end of his life of service to our Lord Jesus and the gospel.
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24 (ESV)
The Good News about Jesus Christ is based on God’s mercy and unmerited favor or grace from top to bottom.
The gospel is the opposite of the Law, which offers the prospect of salvation based on our performance of its rules and regulations. In fact Jesus taught that the Law demands much more than mere outward observance. It includes an even more impossible demand – obedience from the heart. For example, Jesus taught that it is not enough to merely abstain from adultery: one must not even entertain lust in the heart! (Matthew 5:28) Paul clearly taught that no one, except the Righteous One named Jesus, was able to fulfill these rigorous requirements.
God’s purpose for the Law was to convince us of our desperate need for his help.
But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Galatians 3:22–24 (NKJV)
Since the just punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), the Law justly condemns all of us lawbreakers to death.
Jesus came as God’s innocent Lamb to take upon himself the punishment for our disobedience of the Law. By allowing our condemnation under the Law to fall upon Jesus and by causing him to take the full brunt of God’s righteous wrath against that sin, our heavenly Father broke the power of sin and death over all the descendants of Adam who choose to put their trust in Christ. Jesus’ death and resurrection perfectly fulfilled the Law on our behalf.
With the Law, we get what we deserve – death; whereas, with the gospel of grace, we receive what Jesus earned on our behalf – forgiveness and eternal life.
For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Romans 10:4 (NLT)
Jesus lived a perfect life of dependence upon, obedience to, and delight in the Father.
He joyfully partnered with the Holy Spirit and fully surrendered to his Father’s will all the way to his death on the cross. By paying the penalty for our transgressions of the Law that he perfectly kept, the Bible says that Jesus made a way of escape for us.
Those who put their faith and allegiance in Christ and trust in what he did for us are released from the Law’s power to condemn. Free from the threat of eternal condemnation, we enter a new life based on God’s grace and the power of the indwelling Spirit.
Paul put it like this:
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2 (NLT)
Jesus said it as follows:
I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.John 5:24 (NLT)
This makes the gospel the best news ever! It’s almost unbelievably wonderful! Almost…
Don’t be among those who reject God’s promise of eternal life because it seems too fantastic. Realize, along with countless others, that the gospel is true. It’s wonderful, and it will change your eternal destiny.
Do you believe it? Have you received it? Are you experiencing it?
Prayer
Jesus, I come to you now to ask your forgiveness for trying to live apart from you. I have stubbornly done things my own way, but now I see my error. I need you and the forgiveness you offer. Forgive my sins and come into my life. I give you my life to do with it as you choose. I now belong to you. Have your way with me. Holy Spirit, come to dwell in me and change me from the inside out. Fill me to overflowing so I can tell others about you. Help me to be fearlessly loyal to Jesus and declare his name to others. Amen.
If we wish to clearly present the gospel, we must first understand what it is. Here is a very well-known summary verse found in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16 (NASB)
The gospel is God’s power and means to save people.
As important as prayer is, it cannot do what the gospel does. Prayer can never take the place of the gospel. Neither can good works, great worship, or the powerful gifts of the Spirit. Only the gospel, when it is communicated effectively and believed, can rescue people from sin and death. Only the gospel can provide the doorway into God’s favor and family. Only the gospel is the gateway into eternal life in God’s presence. Only the gospel saves people.
Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 1 Corinthians 1:21 (NLT)
The gospel becomes effective in our lives when we believe it.
Belief is much more than the acknowledgement of a set of facts or agreement with the Bible’s logic or story.
Faith opens our eyes to Jesus. It moves us to declare allegiance to the crucified Savior and risen Lord.
This is why Paul wrote that he was not ashamed of the gospel. His faith propelled him into a lifetime of obedient service to Jesus Christ and the gospel, regardless of the personal cost.
Faith can be thought of as a combination of trust and allegiance which produces a quality called faithfulness (loyalty + obedience) in those who believe.
People who are “full of faith” believe the gospel message that Jesus died for our sins and rose again as our Lord. With The help of the Holy Spirit, we endeavor to trust God with all our hearts and remain steadfastly loyal to him.
Such heart faith moves people to tell others about Jesus and the gospel. It is too wonderful to keep to ourselves.
Paul wrote to the church at Rome the following.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. Romans 10:9-10 (NLT)
Water baptism is God’s way for us to publicly declare allegiance to the Lord Jesus.
If you did not previously understand the gospel or believed it, now is a good time to make the decision to receive everything Jesus died to give you. It is a perfect time to recognize the Risen One as Lord of your life. Now is a wonderful time to confess aloud your allegiance to Christ. Below is a sample prayer you may wish to say aloud. If you pray that and mean it, Jesus will do his part. Then you will want to tell others about it and be water baptized. This will launch your life as a disciple. It is also important to become involved in a local church committed to helping you on your journey as a follower of Christ. The one I attend is called LifeNet. Let us know if we can help you.
Prayer
Jesus, I have never before understood the gospel, but now I believe that you died for my sins and rose again in victory over sin, death, and the devil. I acknowledge that you are my Lord and I dedicate my life in service to you. Thank you for forgiving my sins, setting me free, and giving me a brand new relationship with God the Father. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to live in me. Thank you for giving me eternal life. Help me to tell others about you. Amen.
I have already shown that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for every person who puts his or her faith in Christ. I have also explained how to speak in tongues by faith. In this teaching, I will provide four easy steps to receive this amazing promise.
As with every other gift from God, the baptism in the Spirit is received by faith.
We cannot earn it or somehow “gin it up.” It transcends our human abilities in every way. Since the baptism in the Spirit is received by faith, we must be convinced that God has given it to us, receive it, and act as if we believe he has. That is how faith works.
This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:2 (NASB)
1. Believe that God will do what he says.
If we first grasp that God has provided all believers with the privilege of receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the next step is for us to believe that God is always faithful to keep his promises.
God’s complete trustworthiness is the foundation of all faith.
How simple is that? Yet many people get hung up at this point. Maybe it is not for me? God will bless everyone else, but not me. This is sinful unbelief from which we must repent. Cast that lie away and start believing God.
"God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?Numbers 23:19 (NASB)
2. Ask and receive with simple faith as a child.
"For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?12 "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"Luke 11:10-13 (NASB)
Children do not suspect devious motives in the giver or concoct complicated reasons the promise might not come true. When an adult makes a promise, a child expects it to happen. To God, we are all little children. We may have been disappointed many times by people who did not keep their promises to us, but God is not like that. If as a child we experienced adults lying to us and failing to follow through on their word, we must not let those memories and any attached lies about God block us from trusting our always trustworthy heavenly Father. As a child, believe, ask, and receive. If something in our minds is whispering that this is not going to happen for me, repent of that unbelief and try, try again.
...You do not have because you do not ask. James 4:2 (NASB)
If I extend my hand to offer someone a hundred dollar bill, what will that person need to do? Would it be enough to say thank you without making any effort to come forward to receive it? If we want the money, we will take action. Similarly, we receive the baptism in the Spirit by asking the Lord to baptize us and then by actively receiving.
Faith receives before it sees any outward visible evidence. Faith depends on the promises and character of God alone. It knows that God will keep his word and that his promises are true.
Faith does not doubt. It does not struggle with wondering if God will keep his end of the deal or not. It receives and moves on, just as when the Roman Centurion believed Jesus healed his servant and returned home. (Luke 7:10)
3. Give thanks.
After receiving a gift, grateful people say, “thank you.” After we ask for and receive the baptism in the Spirit by faith, we should take another faith action and begin to thank and praise God.
Thanksgiving is faith in action.
The opposite is either silent passivity or doubtful complaining, both of which are negative. Do we only praise God after he “comes through” for us or when we grasp that he is always faithful to his promises? Real faith acts before it ever sees the confirmation or fulfillment of what it believes because it is convinced that God is true.
The kind of praise and worship that gives God the most honor is what comes from people who exalt God’s faithfulness before they ever see the fulfillment of what is promised.
Faith knows and overflows. Only faith filled (faithful) people give thanks. Let’s show our faith by our praise.
4. Speak in tongues.
As I covered in the previous teaching, speaking in tongues is a supernatural overflow of the Spirit that we experience when we receive the baptism of the Spirit. It provides evidence that we have indeed received this wonderful gift from God by faith. As we pray for you to receive this marvelous promise, I hope you will act upon your faith, open your mouth, and begin to speak whatever words God gives to you.
In the previous articles in this series, I explained what the baptism in the Holy Spirit is, what are the benefits of receiving this promise, and how to overcome common obstacles. In this and the concluding articles on the subject, I will show you how to receive this promise by faith.
It does little good to know all about a subject and never personally experience it.
It is one thing to generally believe that God’s promises are real and true and quite another to personally receive one. Many believe that God heals, but fewer have received a supernatural healing. Many, even the devil, believe Jesus died to save sinners, but fewer receive that salvation personally. As long as we keep truth at arm’s length and make it purely objective, we may be able to safely distance ourselves from the costs associated with obedience, but we will also rob ourselves of the joy of receiving something from God.
Faith is like breathing. It must be “inhaled” or received and “exhaled” or acted upon. God wants us to believe his promises are true, receive them for ourselves, and then act as if we believe.
For example, when Jesus told the centurion that his servant had been healed, that man believed Jesus’ words and acted appropriately: he returned home.
What we do after saying that we believe reveals whether we were just spouting empty words or truly believed in our hearts.
To receive the baptism in the Spirit requires that we accept the truth of God’s Word, receive his promise by faith, and act as if we believe he gave it to us.
Can I Be Sure This Promise Is for Me Today?
In the first sermon recorded after the initial outpouring of the Spirit, the apostle Peter made it absolutely clear that the baptism in the Spirit is for all of God’s children.
Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." Acts 2:38-39 (NASB)
A contextual reading of this section of Acts makes it plain that the “promise” means the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter explained what their speaking in tongues meant: it evidenced the outpouring or baptism in the Spirit, which was prophesied by Joel and later promised by John the Baptist and Jesus himself.
Peter made it clear that God has made the baptism in the Spirit available to every person who would ever come to Christ – those present, their children, the Gentiles (those “far off”), and everyone else throughout time who will respond to the Gospel (“as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself”).
Jesus also made it clear that every child of God can receive this gift. It is the Father’s good pleasure to give us the Holy Spirit when we ask him.
"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"Luke 11:13 (NASB)
Jesus died as the Lamb of God to provide us with forgiveness and reconciliation to the Father. He rose and ascended to heaven to become the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and pour out the Spirit upon his church. Because of this, we can be sure this amazing gift is for us.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"— 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:13-14 (NASB)
If we believe what is written above is true, we are faced with a decision. Will I receive this promise for myself by faith or not?
Will I value what Jesus died to give me or remain fearful or indifferent? I hope each of us will treasure and pursue what cost our Lord so much to provide for us!.
In my first article in this series, I showed that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is integral to the Gospel and a primary ministry of Jesus, the glorified Lord. My second article concluded that there is a clear difference between the new birth and the baptism in the Spirit. The third article revealed that speaking in tongues is evidence that a person has received the baptism in the Spirit. This teaching will show one of the many advantages that come from speaking in tongues and why this is such an important gift.
Unity is paramount in any church, family, or nation. Without it things fall apart. With it, nothing is impossible. In Genesis 11 , when sinful rebellious people determined to make a great name for themselves instead of glorifying and worshiping God, the Lord confused their languages at Babel, which disrupted their unity, stopped their work, and resulted in the scattering of people throughout the earth into separate language groups. Since then the human race has continued on its quest to unify in order to make itself great apart from God. My opinion is that this is what drives the current fervor for globalism. In the Last Days, it seems that God will allow a final unified effort to throw off God’s rule and authority to temporarily flourish under the leadership of a person called the antichrist. This one-world government will be sinful mankind’s last stand against the government of God and will usher in the Second Coming of the true Ruler and Unifier, Jesus the Messiah King.
Even though God thwarted man’s self-centered unification efforts at Babel, he has been building his own unified kingdom.
On the first New Covenant Pentecost, the Spirit gave Christ’s disciples a new heavenly language that all those present understood, even though they were from many different nations and language groups. This was the reverse of what happened at Babel.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 "And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Acts 2:5-8 (NASB)
The Gospel was understood that day by way of a supernatural gift of language that brought unity out of discord and people out of confusion and into the the kingdom of God. The gift of tongues undid the confusion of Babel, even if only temporarily.
Every time a Spirit-filled believer speaks in tongues, the confusion of Babel is once again undone.
Now God uses speaking in tongues to unify and empower those who are devoted to him and his kingdom. Isn’t it ironic that Satan seeks to split people apart over the “controversy” of speaking in tongues?
The devil always resists every important truth and work of God.
Speaking in tongues is so important that he has resisted its being received and practiced for centuries. Shouldn’t that, in itself, alert us to the importance of the gift?
The baptism in the Spirit is a second experience with the Holy Spirit which can take place concurrent with the new birth, but usually afterward. The Spirit comes to indwell every person who is born again to impart Christ’s life, provide an interior witness that we are God’s children, provide guidance, and to teach us the meaning of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit is poured out on believers in the baptism in the Spirit to empower and equip us for service to God, especially to be his witnesses.
Now that we have introduced the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and defined it, let’s try to answer a very important question: is the baptism in the Spirit included as part of the new birth and received automatically at the time of justification or is it a separate experience with a different purpose?
With, In, or Upon?
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit can be with, in, or upon us.
In the Old Testament, the Spirit was said to be “with” God’s people. He came alongside them to encourage, strengthen, equip, and generally help them. King David illustrates God’s being with his people in the following verse.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me…Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
But in the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit lives inside those who believe. Jesus promised his disciples:
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 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 14:16-17 (ESV)
One of the big secrets of the Christian life is that the Spirit lives Christ’s life in and through us.
After forgiving our sins, Jesus did not leave us on our own. When a person is born again, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that person. Our human spirit is joined to God’s Spirit and becomes one with him, a remarkable and wonderful mystery.
But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NASB)
The Spirit of God within us gives us life and develops within us peace and the character of God (the fruit of the Spirit). He affirms that we are indeed Abba Father’s children.
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16 (NASB)
But here is a very important point! Every born-again person is one with the indwelling Spirit, but not every child of God is baptized in the Holy Spirit.
If your experience resembles mine, it might be difficult to imagine that you did not receive it “all” when you were born again. My new birth experience was amazing, as was my ongoing relationship with God afterward. When I first started reading and hearing about people who said they were baptized in the Spirit, my first response was, “I don’t need that. I already received everything.” This is a common reaction that reveals two things. First, we tend to mold our theology around our experience rather than asking God to conform our experience to his Word. Secondly, we don’t like to admit that we may lack something. But I, as you are most likely, was hungry for more of God.
Herein lies a danger: if we convince ourselves that we already have something, we may stop seeking it and never experience it.
Sadly, just such thinking will send many to hell, who have convinced themselves that they already have everything they need from God, despite never having been born again. Thankfully I kept pursuing the baptism in the Spirit and eventually received it by faith with the evidence of speaking in tongues, which opened the door into a new dimension of serving our Lord. This can happen to you, too, if you have an open mind and a hungry heart.
The baptism in the Spirit is when the Holy Spirit comes “upon” us to equip and empower us for ministry.
Jesus received this baptism at the inauguration of his public ministry. If he needed it, how much more do we!
Then Jesus *arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he *permitted Him. 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." Matthew 3:13-17 (NASB)
Later, after being tempted by the devil in the wilderness for forty days, he went back to his hometown, full of the Spirit.
And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, 18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED,19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."Luke 4:16-21 (NASB)
Jesus clearly instructed his disciples not even to begin their Great Commission ministry until they received the same empowering.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NIV)
When God poured out his Holy Spirit on the Feast of Pentecost, it was to empower Christ’s followers to be bold witnesses to his resurrection. Today his people are baptized in the Spirit for the same purpose. And here lies a very important distinction between the indwelling Spirit and the outpoured Spirit.
The Spirit lives within us for our sake, but he is poured out upon us for the sake of others, many of whom do not yet know him.
The Record of Acts
All scripture is useful for doctrine.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NLT) —
Acts is especially significant because there we see what the apostles believed lived out.
What the early apostles believed is clearly seen by what they did.
But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18 (ESV)
Peter and Paul both understood that the new birth did not automatically include the baptism in the Spirit. In Acts Chapter Four, Peter and John made a trip to Samaria to lay hands on the new converts for them to receive the baptism in the Spirit.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 8:14-16 (ESV)
If the baptism in the Spirit automatically takes place at the new birth, Peter and John would have simply taught the Samaritans this truth. However, they instead laid hands on them that they might receive the baptism of the Spirit.
Similarly, when Paul was in Ephesus, he encountered some followers of Christ, but he could tell that they had not yet received the baptism in the Spirit. What he asked them is revealing.
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.” Acts 19:2 (ESV)
Paul was an apostle, who had the responsibility of laying a foundation of sound doctrine in the early church. (Ephesians 2:20) Surely, he understood whether the baptism in the Spirit is automatically received at the new birth!
When he asked them if they had received the Spirit when they believed, it shows us that the first does not necessarily include the second.
The Illustration of the Three Major Feasts
The outpoured Spirit can be likened to standing under a waterfall or the large bucket in this picture.
The three major feasts of Israel – Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles – also reveal that the new birth and the baptism in the Spirit are distinct.
Jesus fulfilled Passover to the day by being crucified as the Lamb of God and shedding his blood for the remission of sins. This feast also must be personally fulfilled in our lives through the new birth, if we are to be saved. The blood of God’s Lamb must be applied to our sins.
The Old Testament Feast of Pentecost, which originally marked the giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai, was also literally fulfilled to the day when God poured out his Spirit on the disciples in the upper room. Whereas the giving of the Law brought judgment, the giving of the Spirit gave life. Three thousand people died on Mt. Sinai for their rebellion, but 3000 came into the kingdom of God when Peter preached his first Gospel message on Pentecost. God also intends that each of us have a personal fulfillment of Pentecost as well, by receiving the baptism in the Spirit.
Just as Passover was a separate feast from Pentecost, the new birth is separate from the baptism in the Spirit.
Tabernacles, the final harvest, the last major feast, has yet to be fulfilled. I believe that Jesus will complete that feast at his Second Coming. We will all need to have a personal fulfillment of that feast, too, by participating in the resurrection of the dead. It is easy for us to see that one cannot be a child of God without having a personal Passover (new birth) and a personal Feast of Tabernacles (resurrection from the dead). Should it not be just as clear to us that we must also have a personal fulfillment of Pentecost by receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit? It was to Peter and Paul.
Three Baptisms
The New Testament speaks of three distinct baptisms: into the body of Christ, into water, and into the Holy Spirit. Each of these baptisms has a different baptizer, a different medium, and different evidence, and a different result or purpose, which the chart above illustrates. I encourage you to study this to gain greater understanding.
The baptism into the body of Christ is what happens when we are born again. The Holy Spirit plunges us into Christ, and we become one with him. The evidence is a changed life. Baptism into water by immersion is what another believer does to us, giving us an opportunity to publicly proclaim and acknowledge what God has already done in the Spirit and is our public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. The evidence is that we are wet. Jesus is the One who baptizes us into the Spirit by an outpouring to empower us to be bold witnesses. This outpouring may be likened to standing under a waterfall or a large bucket of water as in the picture above. We are effectively immersed, but its purpose is not identification. Instead, the Spirit is poured out upon us in power for ministry. The evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy. The Holy Spirit baptism is also God’s declaration to the world that we are his children.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a very important part of God’s plan called the Great Commission. It is his means to empower and equip the church to do the work of the ministry. Why then is there so much ignorance regarding this wonderful gift? Why is it so often resisted? The devil works hard to keep the church from receiving “the promise of the Father.”
Let’s begin our journey into greater understanding by reading our Lord’s own words.
And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV)
There are 1260 promises in the Bible, but only one has the special status of being called “the promise of the Father.”
What is so special about this promise? Jesus commanded his disciples to refrain from public ministry until they received it; therefore, it must be tremendously important.
What Is It?
In this series of teachings, I will examine various aspects of the baptism of the Spirit. For now, I will give this definition upon which we can expand later.
The baptism in the Spirit is a second experience with the Holy Spirit which can take place concurrent with the new birth, but usually afterward.
The Spirit comes to indwell every person who is born again to impart Christ’s life, provide an interior witness that we are God’s children, provide guidance, and to teach us the meaning of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit is poured out on believers in the baptism in the Spirit to empower and equip us for service to God, especially to be his witnesses. Later I will give the biblical basis for each of these assertions. For now, we will focus on the big picture.
Jesus: Baptizer in the Holy Spirit
God’s chose John the Baptist to introduce Jesus to the world at the beginning of his public ministry and gave him prophetic insight into Jesus’ identity and mission. John told us that Jesus, the Messianic Son of David and Lord, would have two other key ministry roles. He would die as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world and, after his resurrection and ascension into heaven, would baptize his followers in the Holy Spirit as the Lord of the harvest. The following passage records this prophecy.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ John 1:29-33 (NKJV)
Every born-again disciple has come to know Jesus as the Lamb of God who died for our sins. Fewer have grasped the enormity of his power and authority as the risen Lord of Lords, and still less have come to know him as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit and Lord of the Harvest.
Jesus, the Eternal Son of God, died for our sins as the Lamb of God to become the Lord of Lords and the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit.
He forgives men’s sins to make them part of God’s family and enroll them in his army of disciple makers. Consider that those who fail to receive the baptism in the Spirit are cut off from at least one-third of Jesus’ ministry. We rightly emphasize what Jesus accomplished by dying as God’s Lamb and rising again. In addition, his ministry of baptizing his followers in the Holy Spirit launched the church into fulfilling the Great Commission and is vital to world evangelization and the expansion of God’s kingdom. We dare not resist or ignore it. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is God’s gift to His disciples to equip and empower us to be effective witnesses.
Without this amazing gift, we will not be able to complete our assignment to take the gospel to the ends of the earth properly .
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 (NKJV)
The Full Gospel
Declaring Christ’s Lamb of God ministry is a foundation stone of the gospel message, but it is only one-fourth of it. The announcement that Jesus is the soon to return Messianic King and judge and the currently reigning Lord of the Harvest and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit are two other important aspects of Christ’s ministry. The fourth is that he will someday as the glorious Son of Man prophesied by Daniel the prophet to judge the living and the dead.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is integral to the Gospel and is God’s means for effectively delivering the Good News to the world.
Jesus announced that his followers would receive the Spirit following his ascension and glorification.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39 (NASB)
God fulfilled this promise on the first New Covenant celebration of Pentecost that launched the church on its worldwide mission of disciple making, which will continue until Jesus returns as the Son of Man to raise the dead, judge all people, and inaugurate the conclusion of all things.
The baptism in the Spirit is as fundamental to the Gospel message as the new birth, the risen Christ’s lordship, the Second Coming, and the last judgment.
When John the Baptist told his hearers that one was coming after him who would baptize people in the Spirit, Luke records that “he preached the gospel to the people.” (Luke 3:18) Part of the reason Jesus died was so that we can receive the “promise of the Father,” the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He was so excited about the prospect that he cried out to the throngs in the passage quoted above from John Chapter Seven. This is no small thing.
Christ’s miraculous coming (virgin birth), his Spirit-enabled ministry, his rejection and death, his resurrection, his ascension, his sending of the Spirit, and his promised Second Coming are all part of the gospel story, none of which we can leave out if we preach the “full gospel.”
Receiving what Jesus died to give us is not an option, such as satellite radio on an automobile. This is part of the “engine” of the disciple’s life!
Israel’s Three Feasts
God commanded Israel to observe three major feasts on a yearly basis or be “cut off.” These feasts represent the three major components of Christ’s work. The Old Covenant feast of Passover foreshadowed his death on the cross as God’s Passover Lamb. The Old Covenant experience of Pentecost at Mt. Sinai, fifty days after the first Passover, when the Law was given, foreshadowed the giving of the Spirit fifty days following Christ’s death and resurrection. Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles, which came at the end of the harvest year, predicts Christ’s Second Coming and the final ingathering of people into God’s kingdom family, which is yet to be fulfilled.
Each feast was critical to God’s plan for Israel, and experiencing each New Covenant fulfillment is a requirement for the believer.
Unless we personally experience Passover through the new birth, Pentecost through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the Feast of Tabernacles through the resurrection of the dead, we cannot participate in the fullness of God’s plan and blessing for us in Christ.
Every true Christian will readily agree that experiencing the New Covenant fulfillment of Passover and Tabernacles is required. We understand that every follower of Christ must be born anew and raised from the dead. Why is it not equally obvious that the feast of Pentecost must be experienced in its New Covenant form as the baptism in the Holy Spirit?
A Doorway into More of God
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is also a doorway into experiencing some of the wonders of God’s power and gifts, which are amazing tools for ministry. Can you imagine Jesus’ ministry without his using spiritual gifts? Jesus relied on the Spirit to give him prophetic insight and the ability to heal, do miracles, raise the dead, and liberate the oppressed. (Acts 2:22)
The power and gifts of the Spirit do not make us “better” Christians in any judicial or moral sense, but they can make us more effective in representing God to lost people.
God intends for the Gospel to be transmitted in both Word and Power. (1 Thes. 1:5) He wants to work with his messengers through signs, wonders, and gifts of the Spirit to confirm the veracity of his Word. (Mark 16:20) The Lord wants all his servants to receive the “promise of the Father” to equip us to do the work of ministry. (Acts 1:4-5)
You can read more about the baptism of the Spirit and the gifts in Pete's book, Promise of the Father, which is available on Amazon. Click here for the link.
I define sonship as the impartation through the new birth of all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of being a child of God.
Identity
As sons we have a permanent place in the family of God.
A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.John 8:35 (NLT)
We are given our heavenly Father’s spiritual “DNA,” when we are born again by the operation of the Holy Spirit.
Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.John 3:6 (NLT)
It is important that we understand that we are not God’s “step children.” We are not limited to a legal standing as family members. We are God’s children by birth.
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. John 1:12-13 (NLT)
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ himself, lives inside every born again child of God, enabling us to share Jesus’ own relationship with Father God.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" Romans 8:15 (NASB)
Access
Because of our identity as God’s children, we are able to come to him at any time for fellowship, encouragement, comfort, and strength.
Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (ESV)
Access to our heavenly Father is not based on our recent performance, emotional state, or opinion of our worthiness. It is based solely on Christ’s own access to his Father. What belongs to him he gave to us as a free gift.
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the one and only Son is himself God and is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us. John 1:16-18 (NLT)
Jesus shares his intimacy with his Abba Father with us. When we come to the Father in Christ’s name, depending solely on his right standing, we are always welcome.
Privilege
Because of our identity and access, we can ask for anything we need, and Father God will provide.
At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.John 16:23-24 (NLT)
Our heavenly Father does not resent when we ask for things. Instead, he is predisposed to bless us because he loves us so much. He is not stingy or limited in his means. This does not mean that he grants every request. As any good father, he gives us what is good for us and withholds anything that is destructive.
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. 1 John 5:14-15 (NLT)
Authority
Believers are privileged to use the authority associated with Christ’s name, which allows us to proclaim the gospel, prophesy, heal the sick, cast out demons, speak words of encouragement and correction, counsel, and to forgive sins.
Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!Matthew 10:7-8 (NLT)
It is an enormous honor, privilege, and responsibility to speak in God’s name and use his authority.
The Holy Spirit backs up with power Christ’s authoritative word spoken by us.
Destiny
Our destiny as God’s children is to be in his presence and share his amazing glory, power, rule, and wealth in heaven.
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 2 Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. 3 For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)
We rule and reign with Christ now in a limited capacity, but in eternity we will co-rule with our Lord in an even greater way.
If we endure hardship, we will reign with him...2 Timothy 2:12a (NLT)
The privilege of permanent access to the presence and glory of God in heaven will be an indescribable joy.
Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!John 17:24 (NLT)
Conclusion
Our destiny to be in God’s presence forever starts right here on earth. Paul made it his chief goal in life to know Christ.
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ... Philippians 3:7-8 (NLT)
The purpose of studying and meditating upon these five salvation is to increase our awareness of what we have been given in Christ, to maximize our joy as God’s children, and to encourage our faith and boldness to grow as we represent our Lord to the world.
Knowing these things should motivate us, as it did Paul, to cast aside everything that distracts us from our grand calling as children of God and representatives of Christ because what awaits those who faithfully serve our Lord is so precious that it defies human evaluation. May we think about these things often and continually give thanks to our Lord Jesus the Messiah, to our heavenly Father, and to the glorious Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I continue to be amazed that you chose to make us your beloved children and to share your life, glory, authority, and rule with us. What a privilege it is to be loved by you. Once again I consecrate myself to you and your kingdom. Please use me for your glory. Amen.
In this series of articles, I have written about forgiveness or propitiation, redemption, and justification so far. Propitiation, appeasing God’s wrath by making a blood sacrifice, releases us from owing God a sin debt we could never repay. Redemption sets us free from the bondage sin always produces. Justification declares that we are not guilty and have been given Christ’s own righteousness in God’s eyes.
The subject of this article is reconciliation, which describes God the Father restoring us to intimacy with himself.
But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10 For since our friendship with God [reconciliation] was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has [reconciled] made us friends of God. Romans 5:8-11 (NLT)
It could be said that everything that preceded reconciliation was done in order that God’s born-again children might be restored to intimacy with him.
Reconciliation means that we have been fully accepted into God’s family and can receive the full benefits of sonship. It is a restoration of trust and a commission of responsibility.
Trust, once it is shattered, is very difficult, sometimes impossible, to restore. We can make a decision to forgive people unconditionally, without their even requesting it or showing any signs of repentance or remorse. Trust, however, can only be repaired over time, with participation from both sides of the relationship. In a sense, it is earned. As the forgiven party proves faithful, the betrayed party may wish to bring that person close in a trust relationship. I have seen marriages restored in this way. It is a beautiful thing.
Our Father God reconciles us to himself unilaterally, based on the trustworthiness of his Son, not our own proven faithfulness. Reconciliation is a gift beyond all reasonable expectations, one we could never earn or possibly deserve.
Let me give you a practical example of the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation that may help. I hope that none of my readers or listeners will ever have to do this. A grieving relative may choose to visit a jail to offer forgiveness to the murderer of a family member. This releases the offender from any debt owed to that person. Forgiveness can be very freeing to both parties, but it does not mean that the murderer is innocent or should not suffer the consequences of his crime at the hands of the state. Our personal forgiveness does not release an offender from the verdict and judgment the judicial system may hand down. Neither does it release him or her from God’s justice. In addition, forgiving such a person does not necessarily translate into inviting them over for dinner. We can forgive a completely unrepentant and untrustworthy person, but, hopefully we would never invite such a human being into our home and expose our loved ones to him or her. Astoundingly, however, when God reconciles us to himself through his Son, he opens the door of his heart and welcomes us into his family.
Reconciliation enables us to experience the wonderful depths of Father God’s love for us.
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)
Reconciliation is what gives us free access into God’s presence.
A king would not welcome an untrustworthy enemy into his throne room, but Father God welcomes us, his former enemies, into his presence.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)
Paul even goes so far as to call the gospel the message of reconciliation.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (NLT)
God’s willingness to reconcile with his former enemies is perhaps the most wonderful and amazing aspect of the gospel. It should make us eternally thankful and should never be taken for granted.
Being God’s friend and part of his family is the highest honor and greatest privilege imaginable.
Prayer
Father God, thank you for sending your son to die for me to release me from the debt of my sin, making it possible for me to reconciled to you. Thank you for including me in your eternal family and privileging me to freely enter your presence. I am forever grateful. Amen.
Forgiveness is an amazing blessing, but justification may be even better. Forgiveness might be the easiest to understand of the five aspects of our great salvation, but justification is probably the least understood. Many believers say they believe they are justified in God’s sight, but their manner of life betrays ignorance or unbelief. What is it about justification that lends itself to being misunderstood?
Justification is a legal word that might be best translated “made right with God.” In fact, the New Living Translation does this for us.
Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith [literally:justified], we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Romans 5:1 (NLT)
Justification is a judicial declaration of innocence before God at judgment, a reverberating “not guilty” verdict.
Through justification God the Father fully includes us in Christ’s right standing before him that was earned through a life of perfect obedience all the way to death on the cross.
Justification is the result of an exchange whereby our sins and guilt fell upon Christ and his perfect right standing with the Father was given to us.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)
The stark reality is that Jesus assumed the guilt and punishment for our sin to the degree that he actually “became” sin. For a short time, Jesus’ identify changed from being the Son in whom the Father was well pleased into sin itself. That is about the best I can understand this mystery.
Think of justification as a sort of witness protection program. God gives us a new identity in Christ.
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (NASB)
Our old identity as a inveterate rebel and enemy of God was removed. Our new identify has no record of past sins, criminal activity, convictions, or punishment. Our new identity states that we have lived with unblemished obedience to God.
This is difficult for us to believe because we are well aware of our many faults, which continue to this day. We may find it believable that our past sins have been erased, but what about the ones I may commit today or tomorrow? Are they too expunged? Do I have a “free pass” to sin at will from now on? This is where many people stop believing in justification and slip back into a works mentality, thinking that past sins have been erased, but not current or future ones. In fact, during the Middle Ages, people would sometimes wait until being near death to be water baptized, thinking it would give them a clean slate when they faced God.
What most people have not considered is that God is not restricted by time. All our sins were in the future when Jesus died on the cross. His “once for all” sacrifice took care of the sin problem past, present, and future.
It reached back into time to provide forgiveness for those who died in faith under the Old Covenant, such as Abraham and King David. It also reaches far into the future to provide eternal forgiveness to those not yet even born.
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. 11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. 13 There he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet. 14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:10-14 (NLT)
We do not need a new sacrifice for our new sins. Christ’s one death on the cross solved the sin problem forever. God saw all our sins before we ever committed one of them. Nothing we do surprises God. Nothing is outside the scope of Christ’s once for all time sacrifice.
Verse 14 distinguishes between justification and sanctification or transformation. Our faith in the finished work of Christ permanently justified us, but we are being transformed on a daily basis by the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, those of us who have been declared not guilty and right with God still have areas that need to be changed. Our thought life and behavior are not perfect yet, even though we have been declared perfect before God. This is part of the reason why justification is misunderstood and rejected.
Our ongoing failure to live up to our new identity in Christ through the new birth does not nullify the truth of justification. Our imperfection reveals the need for God’s grace to transform us on a daily basis so that we can behave in alignment with our new identity.
Transformation will continue until we die or Jesus returns, at which time the sanctification process will conclude. The final installment of our great salvation will be glorification, when we receive new resurrection bodies. When that happens the old internal sin factory that fights against our spirit man will no longer exist, because nothing in us will have a link to the curse associated with Adam’s sin. In the meantime…
Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Romans 8:33 (ESV)
Some people say that to be justified is to be “just as if I’d” never sinned. This is a helpful mnemonic device, but it falls short.
Justification does not merely restore us to a place of innocence. Rather, it gives to us the righteousness of Christ, who was perfectly obedient unto death.
When Abba Father looks at us, he does not see a forgiven sinner; rather, he includes us in the perfect righteousness of his Son. We are “in Christ,” so whatever he has, we have.
The practical results of justification is that we are released from condemnation, shame, and guilt.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NLT)
Very few followers of Christ believe this verse, but it is corroborated by Jesus’ own words.
I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.John 5:24 (NLT)
The reason some people do not fully accept justification is that it seems too good to be true.
Paul, who fully grasped the import of this doctrine, was accused of saying that it gave people a license to sin without fear of consequences. (Romans 3:8; 6:1,15)
The idea that justification gives us a pass to commit sin is based on the false assumption that justification is not accompanied by the new birth.
The new birth gives us a newly created spirit that is in perfect harmony with God’s will. Justified people do not want to sin at the spirit level of their being.
With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:17-24 (NLT)
The battle is between the justified spirit and our residual “flesh,” which is still connected to the old creation through the unresurrected body. This is why we are in need of transformation as we await the resurrection.
While born again children of God will not be condemned for acquiescing to the old sinful man within, we can expect to be disciplined, as any good parent provides for disobedient children for their own good.
This is no light thing. In addition, our future reward in heaven will be tied to how we cooperate with the Spirit in the transformation process.
Justification is the secret to walking in the Spirit. When we understand that we already live in the Spirit, it gives us the faith that we are able to walk out our new identity as part of the transformation process.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (ESV)
Justification releases us from the impossible task of trying to be perfect. It gives us the freedom to approach God in our current “imperfection” because we know that God sees us as being perfect in Christ.
When we sin, we know we are not condemned for it, even though we need to repent and turn away from it. Understanding and believing the truth of justification is a big key to experiencing a joyful life as a Christian. Far too many people miss out on it. How about you? Do you believe justification is real? Do you live in its glorious freedom?
Prayer
Father God, thank you for sending your Son to die for my sin and guilt. I accept his right standing with you as a free gift. Thank you that you love me as your child and I will never be condemned by you. Help me to live in the freedom and joy of that reality. Holy Spirit, I submit myself to you and the ongoing process you began in my life to make me more like Jesus. Help me to walk in obedience and dependence upon you every day. I thank you that your grace is sufficient for every challenge I will face. Amen.
Want to know more? I have written a book on this very topic, which is available on Amazon. 
The baptism into the body of Christ is what happens when we are born again. The Holy Spirit plunges us into Christ, and we become one with him. The evidence is a changed life. Baptism into water by immersion is what another believer does to us, giving us an opportunity to publicly proclaim and acknowledge what God has already done in the Spirit and is our public declaration of allegiance to Jesus. The evidence is that we are wet. Jesus is the One who baptizes us into the Spirit by an outpouring to empower us to be bold witnesses. This outpouring may be likened to standing under a waterfall or a large bucket of water as in the picture above. We are effectively immersed, but its purpose is not identification. Instead, the Spirit is poured out upon us in power for ministry. The evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy. The Holy Spirit baptism is also God’s declaration to the world that we are his children.