Tongues and the Foolishness of God – if the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues is of so little value, then why did the Church’s first meeting begin with Holy Spirit coming “upon” the disciples and the first “evidence of the Spirit baptism” to show up was “tongues of fire” setting upon each of them?
The baptism of the Spirit is part of the foolishness of God (I Corinthians 1:27-29). In 1st Corinthians 1:18 our Father, through Paul, states that God has chosen the “foolish things” to confound the wise. The cross is the ultimate foolishness. It is absurd to think Jesus’ sacrifice and the cross can save us. Yet we know that this is a fact. Another foolishness found in the New Testament is to have the Spirit of God come upon us and empower us to do the miraculous. Tongues are a part of that foolish also. How can speaking what sounds like gibberish or not understandable (inarticulate) words build us up in the nature of Christ (1st Corinthians 14:4)?
It is the Word, yet it is foolish and ridiculous. Question, is the Word of God true or not (2 Timothy 3:15-17)? Are we to accept only what we understand or what we want to? Or do we accept all of the Word, whether we understand it or not, whether we like it or not? If we are to be a real witness to the world then we must be who and what we are supposed to be, a peculiar people of faith and naturally supernatural.
The Indispensable Role of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is sent from the Father through His Son Jesus (John 14:26). His duty is to:
- Glorify God (John 16:14-15)
- Edify believers (I Corinthians 14:4)
- Empower the church (Acts 1:8)
The Gospel is supposed to be the demonstration of the “Spirit and power,” according to Paul (I Corinthians 2:4-5). Jesus says in the gospel of John that we are to do what He has done and more (John 14:12). We see the Apostles doing powerful miracles after they get “baptized in the Spirit” at Pentecost just like Jesus did after the Spirit settled upon Him when He was baptized in water. (Lu3:21) Scripture seems to suggest that we need this “power of the Spirit upon us” in order to truly present the Gospel of Christ.
If Jesus did not begin His ministry before the Spirit came upon Him and told the disciples to wait for the Spirit to come upon them before they could be effective witnesses, then who are we to think we can present this gospel without the same type of experience or help? All through the Bible the truth of God is confirmed by what He does through miracles of the Spirit when He came upon people. It seems that these miracles were always a confirmation of God’s presence and His speaking. The Spirit came upon the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles and believers of the New.
Jesus told His disciples to wait for the Spirit of Power to come upon them (Act 1:4-8). In fact John the Baptist, speaking of Jesus, said “I baptize with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). Of all the things that John could say about Jesus it is interesting to note that in Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16 he shares that Jesus is coming to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and fire. It seems to add a bit of importance to the act of “being baptized in the Spirit”.
Jesus received the “Spirit upon Him” before He began His ministry, do we go without the same “Spirit upon us” in this time? Does the Gospel change or loose it’s power now in the last of this age, or is Jesus and all the Word still the same? Jesus says in John 16:7 that it was good for Him to leave so he could send the Helper (the Holy Spirit). If He commanded the disciples to wait for The Spirit to come upon them and afterward we see evidence that several generations of believers in the Book of Acts walking in it, wouldn’t that suggest that we should do the same? Can we do without it? Why wouldn’t we want the power of God on us to walk this walk? Why do we argue about something that is only meant to equip and empower us? It is a matter of obedience and trust. It becomes a matter of submission and desire for all God has. (Jn.14:15 and 15:14 says that i will obey Him if i am his friend or if i love Him. Which commands do i obey, the ones i like or ALL? Why do we say that Mt.28:18-20 is “the great commission” and Lu.24:49 is a suggestion?)
In this matter of the Spirit coming upon the believers, it won’t get us to heaven, only Jesus can do that, BUT it will change our walk on earth if we are willing to obey and receive this. Jesus says in Acts 1:8 that when the Spirit comes upon us we shall receive Power. Like Jesus, Paul says that the Gospel is not about words but is a demonstration of the Spirit and Power. (1 Cor.2:4, 4:20)
Some people confuse the Holy Spirit coming upon people with the “gift of tongues” found in 1 Corinthians 12 and make a big thing out of “the gift of tongues”. The ministry gifts are God ministering through you to others, The baptism of the Spirit is the Holy Spirit upon you for your edification. Paul says that “not all will speak with tongues”, not that all can’t. It is not that God chooses “special people” and leaves others out, it’s because some just cannot surrender all control and give up to the Spirit’s complete control of their tongue for whatever reason.
May the Lord guide you as you study the following scriptures out and make an objective decision. This study is meant to simply show the scriptural basis for the “baptism of the Spirit” and to let you see how the pattern flows from Jesus to the disciples to us now.
Holy Spirit Empowers for Ministry
We see the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus in Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22. Jesus is already the Son of God but He still needed the Spirit upon Him in order to start His ministry. Likewise, in Acts 1:4-8 Jesus tells the disciples they need this Spirit upon them to receive power before they start their ministry after His resurrection, at the beginning of the “Church age”..
There is a difference between having the Holy Spirit inside and having Him upon us. In John 20:21 Jesus is resurrected, and salvation is a fact. Jesus breathes on his disciples and tells them to “receive the Holy Spirit”, Upon salvation Holy Spirit comes inside every believer. The word “receive”, according to all the Bible dictionaries I’ve read, means to “take in or breathe in” like drinking or inhaling.The Holy Spirit indwells us at salvation. After Jesus was resurrected and the disciples received the Holy Spirit in them, (Jn 20:22). They were told to wait (Lu24:49, Acts 1:8). until the Spirit came upon them before they tried to be witnesses or do ministry. NOTE; When the disciples were walking with Jesus in the flesh and sent in power as seen in Luke 9 and 10, it was the Holy Spirit with or upon them, not in them.
Father God wants us to represent the divine presence and this takes the naturally supernatural power of the Spirit upon us just like it did for Jesus.
Filled
In Acts 2:3-4 the Spirit comes upon the disciples. This word “upon” is always external like Jesus when the Spirit came upon Him. It is like jumping into a pool of water and being immersed in the water not just drinking it or having it inside of you. It is upon you like a cloak or mantle.
Take a look at the similarities of Jesus’ being considered “filled with the Spirit” and the disciples being called “Filled” or full of the Spirit. In Luke 3:22 we see the Spirit coming upon Jesus. In Luke 4:1 He is considered “filled with the Spirit”, and then in Luke 4:14 He is said to be “in the power of the Spirit” (see Luke 4:18). Now look at the disciples. In Acts 2:3 the Spirit “sat” on the disciples, in verse 4 they were considered “filled” and afterwards they walked in the power of the Spirit. —These two examples show us the meaning of “filled or full of”.. the Spirit. After these two examples in the rest of the NT it simply says of various people that they were “filled with the Spirit”. The examples shown give us the definition for the rest of the references.
The Filling of the Spirit in Acts
We will now go on through the book of Acts and note the Spirit coming upon believers, or them being “filled with the Spirit” as it is expressed.
4:8 shows Peter filled with the Spirit and as a result he is considered bold (v.13).
6:5 reveals Stephen is considered full of faith and of the Spirit and in v.8 he did great signs and wonders
6:5 Philip and several others are chosen also with Stephen and as i read the passage all seem to be considered full of the Spirit also. In 8:5-7 Philip exhibits power. In v.12 people become believers, time passes. In v.14 the apostles hear of Philip’s teaching, send Peter and John, and in v.15-16 they pray for them to receive the Spirit as He had not “fallen upon” any of them yet. In v.18 Simon saw something as a result of what the apostles had done when the Spirit came upon the new believers.
9:4-6 shows Paul receiving Jesus. In v.8 he is blinded and led to Damascus. In v.10 Ananias (an unknown simple believer never mentioned again in the word) is sent to Paul three days later and in v.17 he lays his hands on Paul so he can be healed and “be filled” with the Holy Spirit. We know Paul is baptized in the Spirit from His later writings. In I Cor. 14:18 Paul states that he prays in tongues more than anyone.
10:22 shows Peter being called to Cornelius’ house. In v.38 he speaks of Jesus being anointed (literally: “smeared with oil”, external, upon) with the Holy Ghost and power, in v.44 the Holy Spirit falls on these who “heard” the word, and in v.45 Jewish believers were astonished because the Spirit was poured out “on” the gentiles also (v.46) for they heard them speak with tongues and glorify God.
11:2 Peter is telling the brethren in Jerusalem of this incident. In v.15 he says that as he spoke the Spirit fell “upon” them as “upon” us, and he remembers the Word of the Lord that Jesus had said “He would baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Did it stop with what is written in the book of Acts or does Jesus still baptize in the Holy Ghost today as we continue to live out the Christian faith and spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth?
18:24 Apollos, eloquent and mighty in the scriptures preaches at Ephesus. In v.25 he was fervent and boldly taught accurately of the Lord, in v.26 Aquilla and Priscilla teach Him more accurately the things of God, (they were trained up by Paul) In v.28 he showed from scripture that Jesus is the Christ, basic Christian doctrine. Now in 19:1 Paul shows up in Ephesus and finds 12 disciples that Apollos left, v.2 he asks if the believers from Apollos’ preaching had received the Holy Spirit. They knew nothing about the Spirit, and in v.3 he asks what they had received and they say John’s baptism. Starting in v.4 Paul explains that John taught people to repent and receive Jesus (salvation message), in v.5 they are baptized, and then in v.6 Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit “upon” them and spoke with tongues and prophesied. These disciples are new believers not apostles. They are several Generations from the disciples found in Acts 2:4.
Paul’s Teaching on the Holy Spirit
First Corinthians 12 emphasizes the gifts of ministry provided by the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given for ministry and should not be confused with the baptism of the Spirit although they are connected. In chapter 14 Paul talks about both the baptism of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit and how they should be used together in a church gathering and in our personal walk. These teachings are mixed together and you have to really sort them out as you read.
Since I am talking about the baptism of the Spirit I am going to concentrate on the scriptures dealing with this issue and not the gifts of ministry, even though, like I have stated, both of these are connected together in the Holy Ghost.
Let’s start with 1 Corinthians 14:2. In v. 2 we see that when we speak in tongues (as a result of the baptism of the Spirit) we are speaking to God and not man. This bothers some today and they want it different, they want to be able to understand all that they are saying. Remember 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, God chose foolish things to confound the wise. Speaking in tongues and being baptized in the Spirit is where we must choose to accept what is written in the Word, and not what we want to be written in it.
The Word says that in the Spirit we speak mysteries. Verse 4 tells us that when we pray in tongues that we are “edified” and that when we prophesy we “edify” the church. To edify means to “build up”. In Christian terms it would be “to build up in the nature of Christ”. So we find that the baptism of the Spirit and speaking in tongues builds the believer up in the nature of Christ. Prophesy, through the baptism of the Spirit, builds up the church (Acts 19:6). If a believer is built up individually (speaking in tongues) don’t you think that this will also build up the Church?
In v.5 Paul states that he wants all to pray in tongues and even more to prophesy. Why? So all can be edified individually and corporately (To edify the church with tongues you must interpret what is spoken or else you should prophesy.) In Jude 20 the Word agrees with I Corinthians 14:4 stating that praying in the Holy Ghost builds us up in our most holy faith, beyond our own ability.
Why did God choose something to build us up that seems so strange? Why couldn’t it be something that doesn’t require so much faith and such complete surrender? I certainly wouldn’t choose it, but then I am not God either. (I Corinthians 1:27-29 the foolishness of God). I have a choice right here — to trust and obey or believe that i know what is the best way to be built up in the nature of Christ and tell God He is wring.
Let’s go now to Romans 8:26. Here we see that at times we don’t know how to pray because we don’t know what to pray. It states that the Spirit knows and intercedes with “groanings that can’t be uttered”. When looking into this statement with depth, you will find that it could be stated “with groans or inarticulate words not understandable in your own language”. In other words, you are “muttering strange sounds” that you don’t understand. It could be with groans and or it could be tongues. Verse 27 states that either way it is the Spirit praying according to the will of God and that God understands Him. This goes along with 1 Corinthians 14:2, 4,14,15 and Jude 20.
In 1 Corinthians 14:21 we read a statement from Isaiah 28:11 which foretells of God speaking to His people with languages that they don’t understand and that the people would still not hear or listen. The thought here is that they won’t accept this as being from God. A lot of people won’t accept it now either, which just shows that God knows our hearts and still sends what we need in spite of our ways. What i believe to be true and what you believe to be true will never change the Truth. His Word will stand whether we accept it or reject parts of it we do not like or understand the significance of.
Baptism of the Spirit and Christlikeness
Mark 16:17 states that the believers will speak with new tongues or in tongues. We can put this off as saying that our mouths will be cleaned up and no words will come from them but what is good for edification. We know this is not always true, so is this what it is talking about? Look at the scriptures we have already read and weigh this word against the whole of scripture, not just what we want it to say. Someone once said to me “you can read what you already believe or you can read and believe”. John 14:12 says that we are to do the works Jesus did and even greater. Then in v.16 He says He will give the Comforter to us. In John 15:26 He states the Helper (the Holy Spirit) will testify of Jesus. In John 16:13 He says that the Spirit will guide us into all truth… and show us things to come. The Spirit is to glorify Christ and help us reach the world for Christ!
The “baptism of the Spirit” is to empower us and equip us to be Christ-like.
We get to choose what and who we become in Christ and how we witness for Christ, either in word or in “Spirit and Power”. Luke 11:13 tells us that if we ask, He will give the Holy Spirit. Why not ask, and ask with importunity, for our living in power for Christ does depend on it. Christ died and went to the Father so we could have salvation and this great gift of being baptized in the Holy Spirit now while we live on earth. He thought it very important and we should not take it lightly. This Holy Spirit upon us unites us with the Father and Jesus in a different, powerful way, and allows us to partake of the divine nature; the nature of Power and Love; Now.
The Spirit upon us clothes us with the might and wonder of God and reveals the nature of God the Father through us as it did through Jesus.
The idea of Christianity is not to get you to heaven but to get you into knowing the Father and His Son. Jn.17:3. It is to reunite us with God as in the beginning with Adam. It is to restore the right relationship with God and to show forth His glory to the world. WE are to be SONS!! We are to be like Jesus —- in every sense of the Word.
Conclusion
Thank you Jesus for salvation and for the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Let us hold in reverence what you paid so dearly for us to receive. You said that if you didn’t go away you could not send the Spirit, the Comforter. Thank you for your death, burial, and resurrection that brings our salvation. Thank you also for entering the throne of grace to send the Holy Spirit to us, to live in us and come upon us, to empower and lift us above the enemy. You came to destroy the works of darkness and sent us to do the same. May we be about our Father’s business, naturally supernatural.
In Luke 4:18 Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to preach”. In verse 21 He says this is fulfilled today. In John 14:12, 17:18, and 20:21 we see that we are sent as He was sent. He told the disciples to wait for the Spirit to come upon them. And we see through this study that the Spirit did the same things when He was upon the disciples as He did upon Jesus. We even see this Holy Spirit coming upon people other than the apostles in the scriptures, — just plain believers. The Holy Spirit upon us should glorify God and Jesus and empower us to reveal His Glory and to stand against the enemy. It is not for play or a party, but for power to be a witness for him.
I am going to add another paper here that I did for a meeting recently where I was to teach at on Holy Spirit and discipleship; It adds more scripture from the OT about Holy Spirit; rested on, over, upon and on.
Holy Spirit in us and on us (being filled with): the Integral Key to a multiplying discipleship movement and for us to live a naturally supernatural life in Christ
Explore what the Word says about our relationship with God, (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.) Then see its effect on others; how Holy Spirit and intimacy with God fuels and affects our witness, our Identity, perspective and position. The Gospel is to be a “demonstration of The Spirit and power” according to Paul and that is what Jesus lived and modeled when He was here!
Genesis 1:1-3 (NKJV) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said,…
Spirit of God – wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation; figuratively, life, by resemblance spirit, but only of a rational being (including its expression and functions):
hovering over – to brood, relax or rest over or upon. Fluttering, moving; above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect)
It is important to see the creation of man and God’s original purpose and our position with Him. Nothing was happening until after the Spirit “hovered over” creation. Then God spoke…
Man’s creation;
Genesis 1:26-27 (NKJV) 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
In Our image, – resemblance hence, a representative.
According to Our likeness; resemblance; concretely, model, shape; adverbially, like: — fashion, like (-ness, as), manner, similitude of
Dominion, – to rule, have dominion — summed up – to have caretaking authority, to reign over.
( “have dominion, to reign over” is to be the one responsible to provide what is needed for that which you have dominion over, to live in care of.
Genesis 2:7 (NKJV) 7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
Breathed into – from a primitive root; to puff, in various applications (literally, to inflate, blow hard,
Remember in Gen. 1:2 – who is Holy Spirit? Man had no life until Holy Spirit was breathed into man – then He became a “living being”.
Holy Spirit – wind; by resemblance breath, i.e. a sensible (or even violent) exhalation.
NEXT Man betrayed God, (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). And without God’s presence in Adam and Eve, man began to die.
Holy Spirit brings “New Life”
Matthew 1:18 (NKJV) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 1:35 (NKJV) 35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
Come upon – a primary preposition; properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative, giving sense or case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.: — about (the times), above,
Overshadow – to envelop in a haze of brilliancy; figuratively, to invest with preternatural influence: — overshadow.
Through Holy Spirit (the breathe of God breathed into man,) man was originally given life in the image and likeness of God.
Holy Spirit came upon Mary, she conceived and we have the second God created Man- Jesus, The Son of God. He is the image and likeness of God. The second Adam.
When Jesus walks on the earth He reveals what man was created to look like and be! He is the revelation of Father’s original design for man! He lived in Intimacy with Father and Holy Spirit while living as a man, being a physical and spiritual person or “being” – like us.
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 (NKJV) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
Alive – quicken, give life, make alive;
to produce alive, begat or bear living young, to cause to live, make alive, give life by spiritual power, to arouse and invigorate, to restore to life, to give increase of life: thus of physical life, and of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life
ALL THIS WAS DONE BY HOLY SPIRIT’S PRESENCE IN US AND UPON US.
Look up in OT & NT – The Spirit, or The Holy Spirit came upon … and you will find that The Spirit of God has always been present “upon” someone when the Miraculous deeds of God show up.
( Judges 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 1 Sam. 16:13 (David), 2 Chron.15:1, 20:14, Is. 32:15, 59:21, 61:1, Eze. 11:5) a few examples)
Holy Spirit and Discipleship.
John 12:49-50 (NKJV) 9 For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. 50 And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” (Emphasis mine)
Jesus, the man, says He only speaks “exactly” what the Father speaks because He knows that What Father says will bring real life.
John 20:21-23 (NKJV) 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
Jesus, here (V 21) says He is sending us just like or even as He was sent.
In V 22, Jesus “breathed on” them and tells them to “receive” Holy Spirit.
Strong’s dictionary defines this action to “breathe on” mean; to puff, to blow at or on, breathe on – then goes on to explain –
to blow or breathe upon – This word used only once by the LXX translators in Gen. 2:7 where God breathed on Adam and he became a living soul. Just as the original creation was completed by an act of God, so to the new creation was completed by an act from the Head of the new creation.
To receive is to; literally or figuratively, take, take in, seize, accept, attain. This has the intent of; to receive inside, inhale. This is salvation and a restoration to ALL we were created to be – just like Jesus! He is Lord but we are also children, created in the “likeness and image” of God afresh. EVERY new follower of Christ get this. It is internal and is salvation! Yet, Jesus tells them before they go out to be a witness you need “the promise of My Father UPON you.
The importance of Holy Spirit in us and on us is paramount to be “sent like Jesus.” Our identity is wrapped up in Father’s provision and promises.
John 14:26 (NKJV) 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you
John 15:26 (NKJV) 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
John 16:7-14 (NKJV) 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
John 10:3-5, 27 (NKJV) 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”… V. 27, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
Emphasis mine)
Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV) 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, … (emphasis mine)
Galatians 3:26, 4:6-7 (NKJV) 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. …
4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
2 Peter 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, … (emphasis mine)
1 John 3:2 (NKJV) 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is… (Emphasis mine)
I have shown Holy Spirit’s importance in becoming and being Children of God. Thus to make disciples He is also needed as Jesus modeled. We are to be sent, “just like Jesus”. (In the following scripts the emphasis is mine)
Matthew 3:11 (NKJV) 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:16-17 (NKJV) 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Luke 3:16 (NKJV) 16 John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Luke 3:21-22 (NKJV) 21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
Luke 24:49 (NKJV) 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) 4 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.”
The Holy Spirit has been and is still the power of God on the earth. HE shares or speaks to us, guiding us to doing the will of Father. The general will of God is known through the scriptures, but the specific will of God is conveyed to us by His Spirit. Intimacy with God is essential to see sustained moves of God. Holy Spirit fuels us to be like Jesus and to fulfill Father’s desire that we reach every tribe, kindred, and tongue for Him.
Jesus did not come to get us to heaven, that is a byproduct of His presence. He came to restore God and man’s relationship and oneness.
John 17:3 (NKJV) 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
(Emphasis mine)
KNOW – to know absolutely, perceive, feel, to understand, (Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and woman.)
Jesus does not want to have sex with us but does want us to become “one” with Father and He.
John 17:20-23 (NKJV) 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
The term “one” in this passage does not mean unity. Instead it means ONE; a primary numeral: one (cardinal), and first (ordinal).
This is why “intimacy with Christ via Holy Spirit” is; the Integral Key to Multiplying Disciples. We must have a continued conversation with Father through the Spirit in the Name of Christ! His presence and power are still required to bring His Kingdom to bear on the earth and to multiply! here.
Again I say, “Let us be about our Father’s business and let us be empowered by the Spirit to be true sons of God.” Let the Spirit not only be in us, but come upon us! Amen, Neil W Gamble
