Chapter Six
“He said unto them, Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?” (Acts 19:2).
“That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith” (Gal. 3:14).
Does one receive the holy spirit at conversion?
When the Apostle Paul came to Ephesus he asked some new Disciples a significant question: “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?” (Acts 19:2).
These were Believers who had been baptized by John the Baptist (the baptism of repentance) but who were completely unaware of the Holy Spirit. Paul told them fully of the Redemptive Work of Christ, and they were then baptized in water unto repentance. Following this, Paul laid his hands on them and they were then instantly baptized in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying.
As in the other recorded cases in Acts, the baptism in the Holy Spirit was experienced subsequent to their accepting Jesus Christ as Saviour.
There is a great deal of controversy today as to whether one receives the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion. Actually, the only proper answer to this question is, “Yes and no!”
The responsibilities of the Holy Spirit are many and varied, and one of the most important is that of regeneration. Our Lord said, in John 6:44, “No man can come to me, except the Father . . . draw him.” And who acts as the Father’s instrument in drawing him? Paul states in I Corinthians 12:3 that “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.” This demonstrates without question that the Holy Spirit is definitely involved in bringing the sinner to conviction, repentance, and salvation. So, does a person “receive” the Holy Spirit at salvation, as many preachers insist? Certainly. But the question remains, what does “receive” mean? Is it the same as being baptized in the Holy Spirit?
In order to clarify the difference between the relationship of the Holy Spirit in the baptism in the Holy Spirit and in salvation, let’s draw an analogy.
A person is walking in the wilderness on a warm day. Off in the distance this person hears the bubbling of a brook. The sound draws this person approaching the stream. At this point he has been influenced by that “living water,” and spiritually affected by it, but that person and the stream remain two separate entities.
But now if that person decides to enter that stream, immerses himself in it, and swims along with the stream, (becoming in effect, part of the stream), the relationship of the stream and the man is a totally different one. And so it is in the difference between the Holy Spirit’s role in salvation and baptism.
The Holy Spirit is a factor in salvation and must be present in order for a person to become convicted and to accept salvation. The Scriptures quoted earlier (Jn. 6:44 and I Cor. 12:3) demonstrate this according to the Word of God.
But in the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit and the individual become, in a sense, one. The person is immersed (baptized) in the Spirit, and the Holy Spirit actually takes up residence in the person.
So the question raised a moment ago must be answered “yes and no.” Yes, at salvation the individual does “receive” the Holy Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit who convicts and draws that person to salvation. But, no, the person does not receive the Gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit at salvation because the deeper, more permanent relationship of the baptism can only come after salvation.
The activities of the Holy Spirit are many and varied. He is a comforter, leader, teacher, communicator, and guide. He is the director of all God’s activities on Earth today.
When the sinner comes to the moment of salvation, he “receives” the Holy Spirit — within the context of being “Born-Again” under the influence of the Spirit. However, assuming that being born of the Spirit is the same as the baptism in power can lead to erroneous doctrine. Unfortunately, untold numbers of Christians fail to receive this deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit because of this teaching.
This widespread but erroneous doctrine can handicap a Christian in his efforts to walk fully in harmony with the wishes of God. Unfortunately, not every Believer has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit — even though all Believers can have it if they wish. There is a definite difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptized in the Spirit.
At salvation, life is imparted to someone who was formally dead in sin. The baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers someone who was formerly a weak, ineffectual Christian. The Believer is then fitted for God’s service. It is clearly the mandate of God that every Christian should receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded the Disciples to wait until they received the baptism before starting out in their ministries.
Salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit are two separate and distinct experiences. They are different as to source, time, and nature. A person may experience salvation without experiencing the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They can not, however, experience the baptism without first experiencing salvation. The baptism in the Holy Spirit must, therefore, be preceded by regeneration (salvation). Only then can the Holy Spirit actually take up residence within us. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that endows us with power and enables us to be of greater service to God.
An experience for our day
Great numbers of people are currently experiencing the baptism in the Holy Spirit. All over the United States, Canada, and around the world, Christians of many denominations are coming to know the thrill of a personal experience with God. The Holy Spirit is being revealed as a vibrant, dynamic force within the lives of individuals. This is precisely what God intended from the beginning. God and man were never intended to lead separate existences. God created man for his companionship.
Many, many people have become dissatisfied with cold, formal religion and have hungered for a greater Spiritual Reality. They long to experience a dynamic Christian life. I have found over the years that many people attending our crusades around the world are there because they are tired of dead preaching, dead sermons, and congregations which are not quickened by the power of the Holy Spirit. Their prayers are now being answered. Their desires are being fulfilled. The Holy Spirit is moving dynamically in lives, just as He did in the lives of the early Christians of the New Testament.
And an interesting point is the fact that I have never met a Spirit-filled Christian who has been disappointed in the experience of the baptism. There are very few times in life that the actual realization of something lives up to our anticipation of it. The baptism does!
It is a tragedy that legions of pastors warn their flocks against the baptism without ever discussing the experience with an actual Spirit-baptized person. Of course, it’s difficult to discuss something with someone after you’ve banished them from your fellowship. And all too often that’s what happens to those who dare venture forth into a deeper relationship with God. This is, however, a sure way to ensure stunted Christian Growth and a bored and passive congregation willing to accept milksop services.
Sometime ago, I spoke with a professional man, a member of an honorable profession and very comfortable financially. God had just filled him with the Holy Spirit, and he told me that before he was filled with the Spirit he had suffered a nervous breakdown. This forced him to take a leave of absence from his work.
He had reached the end of his rope physically and mentally. He knew nothing about God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Holy Spirit. He had come to the point where his life had no meaning. It was nothing more than going through the motions in a shattered travesty of what he had once hoped his life might be. But now he was rejoicing in the Lord, and life had taken on a completely new perspective and meaning.
He, like so many, was bubbling with excitement, and the joy of the Lord glowed forth from him. I have never beheld a happier man in all my life. He had committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ and experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Just a few hours after God had filled him with the Spirit of God, his physical problems vanished, his mental problems disappeared, and his Spiritual problems evaporated. The Lord Jesus Christ became a glorious reality to him — more than just some historic figure who had hung on a Cross. Suddenly He had become the living, dynamic, risen Christ.
The Holy Spirit is also more than a religious concept, a vague symbol. He is a vibrant force within one’s life, as any who have stepped forward to invite Him into their lives will so testify. The Spirit of God is being poured out on “all flesh.” Believers from all denominations are experiencing the baptism in the mighty Holy Spirit, and I have never met one who has regretted moving forward to accept this blessed new relationship.
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is valid for today. Peter, speaking in Acts 2:38-39, said “the Promise (stated first in Joel 2:28-32 and repeatedly by Peter in Acts 2:16-18) is unto you, and to your children, and to all who are afar off.” This Promise is being beautifully and abundantly fulfilled in our day.
The need to be filled with the spirit
Numerous times in the book of Acts we read of people being “filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4; 4:8; 4:31; 9:17, and 13:9). We are told to be “filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). Now let’s think about this: In order to be filled, there must be first a space or void. You can’t fill a bottle that is already full.
Believers aren’t automatically filled with the Spirit. Believers are commanded, in the New Testament, to be filled with the Spirit. The Holy Spirit moves on individuals, drawing them to Christ and strengthening them many ways. But there is something infinitely unique and complete when one experiences the baptism in the Holy Spirit — the Immersion in Him — which finally removes the void that previously existed. The command (because that’s what it is) to be filled is still valid for today. God does not meet the needs of man differently at different times. Man is always man, and God is always God. God’s response to man’s needs in New Testament times is precisely His response to our needs in this day.
Conditions for receiving
There are conditions for receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The first condition is salvation. A person must be saved (Born-Again) before he can aspire to receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Of course, the person who has committed his life to Christ has experienced the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. He is already a son of God and adopted into the family of God.
In that sense, the Holy Spirit has indeed been present in his life. But one still needs God’s Spirit to energize his Christian walk with power. Without question, the singular most important step any soul can take in life is salvation. Without this there is no more. But having been saved, what then? A drab, spiritless, ineffectual plod through life? Years of being a go-nowhere, do-nothing Christian? What about feeding the carburetor some High-Test? Just as filling up with premium can rejuvenate a hiccoughing, balky car, — accepting the baptism in the Holy Spirit can put new life into your Christian travels.
Of course, a person never merits the gift of the Holy Spirit — just as no person merits salvation. Jesus paid the price for our Redemption on Calvary, and He promised the Holy Spirit to activate our Christian lives. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not available to sinners, and only after sinners are saved can they move forward into the Holy Spirit baptism. Jesus made it abundantly clear that the sinner, the unbeliever — in fact, the world — cannot receive Spiritual things. A person must be saved as the first condition for the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
The second condition is Faith. Once a person has Faith, he can receive anything else he needs from God. In Galatians 3:2 Paul confronts that church with a question as to the source of the Spirit. Did they receive it by “works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith?” The answer, obviously, is by Faith. And we are told, in Galatians 3:14, “That the blessing of Abraham might (will) come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through Faith.”
Several years ago, the Lord directed me to conduct a Holy Spirit service in one of our crusades. This is a service set aside to bring the infilling, or baptism, of the Holy Spirit to anyone who is seeking it. We have subsequently seen multiplied thousands baptized in the Holy Spirit in these services.
There is no specific pattern or ritual for receiving the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost the Disciples were sitting down, while in other cases they received while standing. Obviously the posture or position of an individual is of no importance. People have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit under all imaginable conditions and circumstances.
But while there are no set procedures, there is a general pattern of factors which can be winnowed from the Word of God. One of the most effective is “the laying on of hands.” Many times, in services, the one leading the service will call people forward and lay hands upon them, bringing about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, however, there is a mass of people pressing forward, making this an impossibility.
Years ago, when our crowds were small, we laid hands on individuals. But God showed me that I did not have to personally lay hands on those coming forward for the baptism. Any person who is Spirit-filled can perform this service and individuals will receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. There are people who have been used in a special way — praying for those seeking the baptism and bringing it on by the laying on of their hands.
Of course, anyone can pray for the person who is hungering for the Holy Spirit, and there are times when individuals are filled with the Spirit without the laying on of hands. However, in Acts 8, after Peter and John came to Samaria, the people were filled with the Holy Spirit when Peter and John laid hands on them. Again, in Acts 9:17, the Bible tells us that Ananias prayed for Saul and laid hands on him to receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the Nineteenth Chapter of Acts we see Paul laying hands on the Disciples at Ephesus — and they immediately received the Gift of the Holy Spirit. But then again, in the Second and Tenth Chapters, there were no hands laid on the Believers. The Holy Spirit fell on those present with no special physical contact on the part of any other person.
There is no concrete rule. You can receive the Holy Spirit without the laying on of hands, but it is often expedient and desirable.
Baptism of power
Jesus gave the promise to the Disciples, “But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you.” This promise was realized by the early Disciples, and examples of that power were soon evident. The Disciples had fled when Jesus was being tried and in some cases (like that of Peter) denied even association with Him. But suddenly, the Disciples who had been fearful and timid became dynamic, courageous messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. What brought about this dramatic change? The infilling with Holy Spirit power as promised by the Lord. This was obviously a result of their receiving the Holy Spirit baptism.
Naturally, there is a reason for granting power to the Believer. It is for service — to make us effective witnesses. The blessings of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are not meant as an ego trip or for a personal Spiritual “high.” Neither are the gifts of the Spirit toys intended for our amusement.
The dynamic power realized in the baptism in the Holy Spirit is clearly intended for witnessing and service — and not just to make us “feel good.” The baptism provides us with power to dominate circumstances, to be victorious, and to spread the light of the Gospel to a sin-darkened world.
Initial evidence
Prior to the demonstration of Holy Spirit power in healings and miracles, the Disciples exhibited the primary evidence of the baptism which was speaking in tongues. Most Christian churches and denominations believe (to one degree or another) in the Holy Spirit. This doesn’t create any major problem. But when it comes to receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues, great controversy erupts.
The question is often asked, “Is speaking in tongues Scriptural and relevant for this day?” The matter of speaking in tongues is probably the most controversial subject within the Body of Christ today. “The Body of Christ” is, of course, the overall, worldwide mass of those who believe in the fundamentals of Faith.
This matter of glossolalia — or speaking in other tongues — has caused a divisive line to be drawn right down the center of most Bible-believing bodies. When the term “filled with the Spirit” is used, little or no controversy ensues. Altering this however, to be “baptized in the Holy Spirit” causes a much more pronounced reaction. And using the phrase “baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues” causes tremendous turmoil and controversy. Obviously the problem doesn’t arise over the question of the infilling of the Holy Spirit; the conflict stems rather from the issue of speaking in tongues.
Many say tongues never existed — or that it passed away with the early church. Some insist that it is not relevant to today’s world — while others go so far as to attribute tongues to the Devil.
Still others (and we are speaking of literal multitudes) proclaim it as a valid Scriptural Manifestation of Holy Spirit power as evidence on the Day of Pentecost — when God’s Holy Spirit overflowed the 120 Disciples gathered in Jerusalem. Modern proponents insist that, as an example of both Holy Spirit and Godly power, it has been a proper manifestation from that day to this.
Many opinions could be quoted from teachers of the Bible. Different schools of thought could be cited. We are on safe ground, however, if we turn to Scripture and form our opinions so they are in agreement with those of our Heavenly Father.
Before we launch into a Biblical, Scriptural discussion of this subject, we would like to give a few relevant thoughts which will do much to clarify our position.
We believe this:
· We teach and believe, from the Word of God, that speaking in tongues is a valid, Scriptural expression as given by the Holy Spirit. As such, it is relevant to the day and age in which we live.
· We do not believe and teach that speaking in other tongues will automatically produce a better Christian.
· We do not believe or teach that anyone has to speak in tongues to be saved.
· We do not believe or teach that speaking in other tongues has anything to do with a person making Heaven his eternal home.
· We do not believe or teach that anyone becomes “more saved” as a result of speaking in tongues. When a person accepts Jesus as his Lord and Saviour, he is saved. Prayerfully, he will grow in his walk with the Lord, but at the moment of salvation he is as saved as he will ever be.
We further believe:
· That speaking in other tongues is ordained by God.
· That it was a common manifestation in the early church, and it is just as widespread (and proper) today. (Actually, it never ceased from that day to this.)
· That it is a valid manifestation and demonstration of the initial infilling with the Holy Spirit.
· That it is a great help to the believer, a giver of strength, and a builder of Faith.
The baptism in the holy spirit as a definite and distinct work of grace
Many churches teach that the infilling of the Holy Spirit automatically accompanies the fact of salvation at the moment a person is Born-Again. In essence, that is correct. A person does receive the Holy Spirit when he is saved, but there is a vast difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptized into the Spirit.
We believe there is a definite and separate experience subsequent to salvation. We believe this experience is not comparable to, nor simultaneous with, salvation. It does not make a person “more saved;” it does not better prepare one for Heaven. But we do believe it gives one power for service. And this “subsequent experience” that we are discussing is, of course, the mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 1:4, when Jesus assembled together with those who were to observe His departure from Earth, the Bible says He commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem but should wait for the promise of the Father.
Some have fastened on this reference to Jerusalem and have (no doubt humorously) suggested that everyone perhaps should go to Jerusalem if they wish to be filled with the Holy Spirit — in the manner of the early church. Of course, anyone who would make such a statement is really revealing the shallowness of his or her knowledge of the Bible.
There was a reason why Jesus told His Disciples to await the Comforter in the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem was literally the city of the King. This was the proper place for the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit to take place. After this original incident, however, the Holy Spirit fell wherever hungry hearts reached out to God.
Acts (Chapter Ten and Verse Twenty-four) speaks of Cornelius and his household calling unto God in the city of Caesarea. Of course, to those familiar with the Word of God, it is recognized that the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles then and there in the city of Caesarea, and that none of them had to go to Jerusalem.
In the Ninth Chapter of Acts, the Apostle Paul was outside the city of Damascus when the Holy Spirit came upon him. In Samaria the Spirit of God was poured out on those upon whom Peter and John laid hands. The Eighteenth Chapter of Acts also mentions the district of Phrygia and Galatia, where Paul spoke to the Disciples of John who were later (Chapter 19) filled with the Holy Spirit. Chapter Eighteen also speaks of the church at Corinth (and in fact, of all the churches pertaining to the early move of God on this Earth).
So anyone who would attempt to isolate a single Passage of Scripture (Acts 1:4) and try to use this as proof that individuals must go to Jerusalem to receive the Holy Spirit is ignoring the far greater mass of contrary evidence elsewhere in Scripture.
But let’s turn back to our original thesis — that the Holy Spirit baptism is a separate Work of Grace. We find that the individuals referred to in Acts 1:4 were already saved. There’s no doubt about this, yet they were specifically told to wait for the Promise of the Father. In Luke 11:13, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit being given by the Heavenly Father to those who ask it of Him.
So from these Passages (and from many other Passages that might be cited), we maintain that the reception of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct Work of Grace and not an element in the salvation process. By the term “work of grace” we mean, of course, something that is freely given by God — something that is actually a Gift (Acts 2:38). Just as salvation is an unmerited Work of Grace, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is also a Work of Grace.
Individuals are baptized in the holy spirit after conversion
This is, of course, another area of tremendous controversy. As mentioned above, many teach that the Holy Spirit comes automatically at conversion, and there is nothing else to be sought, or asked for, after this. They say, in effect, that our relationship with God is then complete. There is much disagreement, even among non-pentecostals, regarding this Doctrine. Many non-pentecostals state that there is a filling with the Holy Spirit, after conversion, and that one must seek the Lord for this and overtly ask for it. At the same time, however, they deny that it is accompanied by speaking in tongues.
In order to avoid wandering too far afield, let’s confine our discussion to the Scriptural basis for the appraisal of the question of receiving the Holy Spirit after conversion. And we believe that it is theologically and Scripturally correct to state (as was discussed earlier) that a person receives the Holy Spirit after conversion — but the action of the Holy Spirit in regenerating the heart and the life of the unsaved is far different from the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is a completely different action and is manifested by a baptism of power. We emphasize again — there is a definite difference between being born of the Spirit and being baptized in the Spirit.
Acts 2:4 describes the filling of the 120 with the Holy Spirit. I think it would be completely unrealistic to say that these people were not already saved. They obviously were. The 120 included eleven of the Apostles (and actually the twelfth, who had just been chosen), and it also included Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Master had also told His Disciples (in Luke 10:20), when they were rejoicing over the fact of devils being subject to them (within the authority of Jesus), that they should rather rejoice because their names were written in Heaven. This, of course, confirms that they were already saved, with their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
So these were all previously saved people. They were receiving this additional gift in compliance with the commandment of the Lord (Acts 1:4). It was not to become saved — nor to become “more saved” — but as a baptism of power! It was definitely subsequent to salvation.
We read in the Eighth Chapter of Acts of Philip going to the city of Samaria and preaching Christ unto the people there. It says, in the Sixth Verse, that they “gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke.” It tells of unclean spirits coming out and of many being healed. There was great joy in the city. Then in Verse Twelve it tells of the Samaritans believing what Philip was preaching — concerning the Kingdom of God and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ — and how they were being baptized, both men and women. This is exactly what the Word tells us to do in John 3:16, Acts 10:42-43, and in other Scriptures. When anyone does this, that person is saved!
So these individuals were saved. They were washed in the Blood, their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Then the Fourteenth Verse talks about the Apostles (who were in Jerusalem) hearing about the Samaritans receiving the Word of God. They then sent unto them Peter and John. In the Fifteenth Verse, we are told that Peter and John prayed that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Now if an individual receives everything at conversion, what was happening here? Why were Peter and John there? What was the point of going down and preaching the Holy Spirit and praying for them if they had automatically received it at conversion — as it is commonly taught today? The Bible says (in Vs. 16) that none of them had been filled with the Holy Spirit. They had been saved, they had been baptized in water, but in the Seventeenth Verse it says that hands were laid on them and only then did they receive the Holy Spirit!
The Ninth Chapter of Acts describes the conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Paul), and the Twelfth Verse recounts God’s command to Ananias to go and pray for Paul and put his hands on him that Paul might receive his sight. Ananias was not directed to lay hands on him that he might be saved — because Paul had already accepted the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, as a result of the great vision recorded in the Third through Seventh Verses of the Ninth chapter of Acts.
The Seventeenth Verse states that when Ananias met Saul, he called him “Brother Saul.” He would not have done so if Paul had not accepted Jesus. But Paul had already accepted Jesus; he was saved; his name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life; he was already washed in the Blood of the Lamb. Ananias was sent to pray for him that he might receive his sight again (since Paul’s blindness was caused by the great light coincident with the vision on the road) and that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit. If one is baptized in the Holy Spirit at conversion, what was Ananias doing, and why was he praying for Paul? I believe that without question the baptism in the Holy Spirit does not take place at conversion but is an act subsequent to salvation.
In the Tenth Chapter of Acts, it would seem that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit took place almost immediately after conversion — which is also a common occurrence today.
The Nineteenth Chapter of Acts describes the Apostle Paul as speaking to the Disciples of John at Ephesus. He asked them (as recorded in Vs. 2) “Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed?” And they replied that they didn’t even know what Paul was talking about. He then explained to them, and in the Sixth Verse it says he laid hands on them, and “the Holy Spirit came on them.”
Let’s make this point very clear. Every Christian receives the Holy Spirit of adoption into sonship with God at the time of salvation (Rom. 8:9, 14-16). This was not, however, what Paul was referring to when he addressed John’s Disciples at Ephesus. He was asking about the Spirit baptism that John had preached — describing how Jesus would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire (Jn. 1:31-34 and Acts 1:4-5). This had nothing to do with new birth by the Spirit — it is the endowment of power for service.
When one reads this, one must see that a person can be saved by the Blood of Jesus and believe for Salvation, yet be in ignorance of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is clearly stated that such was the case here, and millions are in the same condition today. They have been saved by the Blood of Jesus, yet know little or nothing about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Read St. John 14:17. Here Jesus stated plainly that a sinner could not receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit — it is simply impossible. The vessel must be first cleansed (through the Born-Again experience) and only then will the Spirit of Truth (whom the world cannot receive) enter in.
Consequently, individuals who insist that a person automatically receives everything at salvation (and does not have to seek anything further from the Lord) are not correctly interpreting the Word of God. There is an experience after salvation — it is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. And the point I want to stress is that this must occur subsequent to salvation. It is not simultaneous; it must follow salvation (although it can occur almost immediately after being Born-Again).
Further, one must ask to receive this second grace experience. It is not an automatic gift from our Heavenly Father (Lk. 11:13). It is something every Christian should seek after he is Born-Again — although he cannot receive it until he is reborn.
Neither the church that teaches, nor the pastor who preaches, that an individual receives everything at conversion, is conforming to the Word of God. The sad fact is, however, that the majority of churches in this country (and in most countries for that matter) lead their people down a primrose path by telling them that once they are saved they have everything God has to offer. In reality, no one ever has it all. One must continue to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord. And then, of course, there is the great experience we’ve been discussing — the mighty baptism in the Holy Spirit which Jesus, in Acts 1:4, commanded all to receive. And again, let’s emphasize this: the Holy Spirit baptism is an experience that follows salvation, and it must be sought. It does not come to the Believer automatically.
Evidence that one has received the baptism in the holy spirit
We teach, according to the Word of God, that the only way one can be assured that one has been baptized in the Holy Spirit is by the act of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives the utterance (Acts 2:4). This, to be sure, is not the only sign. There are any number of additional signs, but we do believe that tongues are the initial sign and evidence that will take place in the Believer’s life when he is baptized in the Holy Spirit. And let’s look at the Word of God to confirm this.
There are five separate incidents in the book of Acts which describe individuals being baptized in the Holy Spirit. These incidents cover a time period of over twenty years. Then, there is also a lengthy dissertation in the Fourteenth Chapter of I Corinthians covering the use of tongues.
Acts 2:4
This particular Verse states, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This needs no further explanation. It is clear, concise, and to the point.
Acts 8:16-23
In the Eighth Chapter of Acts, Peter and John came from Jerusalem and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t say anything about them speaking with tongues, but it does state (in Verses 18-19) that Simon the sorcerer saw that through the laying on of the Apostles’ hands, the Holy Spirit was given. He then offered the Apostles money that he might also have this power — that he might lay hands on people so that they would receive the Holy Spirit.
It seems obvious that this greedy individual would not offer money if there weren’t some tangible manifestation of results. If the laying on of hands had no visible evidence following it, why would he offer to pay the Apostles for their “secret?” The only logical conclusion is that the recipients “spoke with other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance.”
Acts 9:17
When Ananias laid hands on Paul (who was later to become one of the greatest Apostles who ever lived), he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And, to be sure, it doesn’t say anything about speaking in tongues! But — over in I Corinthians 14:18 — Paul says, “I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all.”
So, the evidence is there that the Apostle Paul did speak with other tongues as he was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Acts 10:44
The Bible describes, in the Tenth Chapter of Acts, the circumstances as the Holy Spirit fell upon the household of Cornelius. The Bible says that the Jewish brethren were astonished because “on the Gentiles also was poured out the Gift of the Holy Spirit.” It then says in the Forty-sixth Verse, “For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.”
Acts 19:6
This Passage states, “They spoke with tongues, and prophesied.”
Now, in three of five Passages given — where experiences are related concerning the infilling of the Holy Spirit — it says that they spoke with other tongues. And the Word tells us that “at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established” (Deut. 19:15). Joining this with the implied evidence discussed above, in relation to the other two incidents (Acts 8 and Acts 9), we can properly conclude that they spoke with other tongues also.
Any honest seeker after Truth, upon studying the Word of God in this regard, must come to the conclusion that something happened when these individuals were filled with the Holy Spirit. That “something” obviously had to be speaking in other tongues as the Spirit of God gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 says “They . . . began to speak.” Acts 10:46 says “They heard them speak.” Acts 19:6 says “They spoke.” And Ephesians 5:18-19 says, “Speaking to yourselves.”
Why tongues?
First, let’s address the question of what’s behind speaking in tongues. Some have spoken disparagingly of this great gift by saying it is nothing more than babble, chatter, or incoherent jabbering. However, one should be very careful in saying anything about the Holy Spirit — or anything connected with the Holy Spirit — because speaking in other tongues is not jabber or babble or incoherent prattle.
It is generally a language spoken somewhere in the world and known by some people in the world or Heaven. We are given insight in the Second Chapter of Acts that there were devout men from every nation under Heaven (and, of course, this referred to the world known in those days). It says they had come together and were confounded because “How hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”
It then goes on to list the people who were there. This included Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and at least thirteen additional nationalities. Yet all these disparate people said, “We do hear them speak in our (own) tongues the wonderful Works of God” (Vs. 11).
Now these individuals were not preaching to these people to become saved. They were merely praising the Lord in other tongues. They were speaking a language they had not learned. Some skeptics have tried to explain this away as some language the 120 had just learned. In other words, they had suddenly become linguists and were praising God in languages other than Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek — the common local tongues. This is not true, however. These were uneducated Galileans who were not students of languages.
Of course, this is the way it always is when individuals speak in tongues. There are hundreds and perhaps thousands of languages and dialects in this world, and many of them sound very strange to our ears. They are not strange, of course, to the people who routinely converse in them. So it is not just jabber, or chatter, or babble — it is always a language that is spoken and understood somewhere in the world, but not spoken and understood by the individual who has been filled with the Holy Spirit.
If you will notice, whenever it was time to preach to these people about the Lord Jesus Christ and give an invitation to be saved, Simon Peter (as is recorded in Acts 2:14) did not continue speaking in tongues. He then preached in the common language of the day, which was either Aramaic or Hebrew. Of course, all those present understood.
It is easy to see how so many people could know the Hebrew language (being Jews themselves) and also the language of the country in which they resided. This is common among many people today. And it is also possible that some of the 120 had learned more than one language — but the language spoken as they were baptized in the Holy Spirit was not a language that was known to them. It was a supernatural utterance, given by the Holy Spirit, which always accompanies this baptism. So tongues refers to languages known either on this Earth or in Heaven.
In I Corinthians 13:1 the Apostle Paul said, “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels, and have not charity.”
Paul is talking here about speaking in other tongues — on which he is to give an extensive dissertation later in the Fourteenth Chapter. And he uses the term “of Angels,” implying the possibility that sometimes a language that is spoken could be an angelic language. We do not want to be continuous on this point; we cannot be entirely positive, but this might well be what Paul meant.
Let’s look further at why God chose tongues. He certainly has had good reasons for doing all the things He’s done over the millennia, and the same would be true in this matter. It was prophesied by Isaiah (and quoted in I Corinthians 14:21) that men would speak with other tongues. Isaiah then went on to add that even though the Lord would arrange this mighty sign, men would not listen to Him. As you will note, this is a terrible indictment — but it’s exactly what’s happening today. Following are some of the reasons why we believe God chose speaking in tongues as the initial sign pointing to one who has been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
SUPERNATURAL — First of all, it is always a supernatural utterance that takes place when a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit. It must be exercised by Faith, but it is not of the individual’s doing. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ and was promised as long ago as Isaiah — which documents its tremendous importance.
GIVEN BY GOD — Careful reading of I Corinthians 14:21 and Isaiah 28:11 would infer that when men speak with other tongues it is actually God speaking through them to the people. Obviously, anything becomes of tremendous importance when we realize it is given by God.
UNIVERSAL — This is a single evidence the world over. It is not one evidence for one country and something else for another (as some foolishly insist). It is the same evidence everywhere. It was the same evidence in the New Testament days as it is today. It is the same across the world and across the years — which makes excellent evidence — if one is willing to view it without prejudice.
INSTANTANEOUS — The moment the baptism in the Holy Spirit comes to the individual, he starts to speak with other tongues. It happens that same way with everyone. It’s not something that involves an interaction with other individuals. It is strictly a personal experience between the individual and God. It always happens instantaneously, the moment the baptism in the Holy Spirit occurs.
There are many other reasons why I am certain that God chose tongues, but really it is not our position to question why He chose tongues. Rather, it is our responsibility to accept what God has decreed and then to be thrilled and delighted with it.
What good does it do?
Many have asked this question. “How can it be of any help or service to anyone?” Some preachers say this and laugh. Of course, those who could ask such a question are really revealing their lack of knowledge on the subject. There is much good accomplished when one speaks in tongues, and we will endeavor to enumerate specific benefits.
USHERS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT — I think it is apparent (Acts 2:4) that God is telling us that the moment individuals are filled with the Holy Spirit, they will begin to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gives them utterance. And if tongues does serve to usher in the Holy Spirit (as we believe it does), it becomes of extreme importance in this great Work of Grace in the hearts and lives of Believers.
IS A RFRESHING — In Isaiah 28, as he gave Prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit (in Vss. 11-12 — as quoted by Paul in I Corinthians, Chapter 14), Isaiah mentions something of extreme importance. He said, “This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing.”
Only those having experienced the Holy Spirit baptism and who speak devotionally in other tongues regularly, understand what this means. It is like the spiritual recharging of one’s batteries. Jude spoke of this in the Twentieth Verse of his short Epistle when he used the phrase “building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” This is what he was talking about. It is “the refreshing.” It lifts one up Spiritually.
HELPS ONE TO PRAY — Romans 8:26 tells us that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” The Greek says “which cannot be articulated in a normal or natural voice.” Naturally, this refers to speaking with other tongues. It helps us to pray. When we don’t know how to pray in reference to some problem, it is often because we don’t understand or recognize the complexities of the problem.
Thus, when we go before God in the natural, we can ask for what we see as solutions — but which, in fact, aren’t. But as we pray in the Spirit (in other tongues), it is not only a great refreshing, but God is actually enunciating our prayers in a form that will lead to a complete solution. The Holy Spirit moves upon our hearts and says things to the Heavenly Father where we would not know what to say or how to say it. Therefore, God’s Holy Spirit truly makes intercession for the Saints—according to the Will of God.
A SIGN TO THE UNBELIEVER — This term “a sign to the unbeliever,” has a number of meanings. One of them is that it is a sign to the unbeliever (or to those who do not know or understand) that the individual has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. In other words, speaking in other tongues is just the sign we’ve been discussing throughout this Chapter. It is also a manifestation of the power and Presence of God; a sign that God is working mightily and that the unbeliever should get right with God.
EDIFIES THE BELIEVER — I Corinthians 14:4 speaks of a person speaking in tongues as edifying himself. This is sorely needed, as we mentioned. It strengthens the Believer, builds his Faith, and lifts him up — not in selfishness (the Holy Spirit never does that) but in just the way the Believer should be lifted. The Holy Spirit always does this perfectly — in a healthy manner — and never makes a mistake by edifying the Believer in a way that could corrupt the carnal ego. This is perfect edification — and this is why it is so desperately needed.
A DIVINE MEANS OF COMMUNICATION — In I Corinthians 14:4, the Apostle Paul said that when he prayed in an unknown tongue his spirit prayed, even though his understanding was unfruitful. His spirit thus united with the Holy Spirit and sought the face of God in exactly the right manner. Consequently, this is a divine means of communication. It makes one’s prayer life much more effective and infinitely more powerful.
ELIMINATES SELFISHNESS IN OUR PRAYING — As we have discussed (as seen in Rom. 8:26), there are many times we do not know how to pray about something. And I’m persuaded that oftentimes a Christian will pray things into existence that ought not to be asked for. When we pray in the Spirit, however, we automatically eliminate selfishness from prayer. In other words, when we pray in the Spirit, we pray according to the precise Will of God and never according to our own.
Of course, there are many other reasons we could give for speaking in tongues and much we could discuss on the benefits derived. The above should serve as sufficient examples, however.
Do all speak with tongues?
A man once asked me, “Do I have to speak in tongues to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?” My answer to him was this: “No sir, you do not have to speak in tongues to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, but when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you will speak in tongues.”
That answer may surprise some, but, you see, this individual was concentrating on tongues instead of the Holy Spirit. We should avoid this. While tongues are important, one never asks for tongues. One asks for the Holy Spirit, and tongues will automatically follow.
Yes, we do teach and preach that every recipient of the Holy Spirit, without exception, speaks with other tongues as he is baptized in the Holy Spirit. I think Acts 2:4 pretty well confirms this.
However, many people are confused in respect to the initial evidence of having received the Holy Spirit (which we believe to be speaking in other tongues) and the gift of tongues (which is one of the nine Gifts of the Spirit). These are two different entities. Admittedly, everything received from God is a gift. But there is a difference between speaking in other tongues (in our own devotional praise to the Lord — which might even include praying in the Spirit) and the gift of tongues — as outlined in I Corinthians 12:10. This confuses many, so I will attempt to clarify the difference.
It may well sound confusing at first, but I believe you will understand as you mull over it a bit. One could speak in tongues every day of his life and still not have the gift of tongues. Admittedly, what he has is a gift — but I’m discussing an individual praying in tongues. Now, he might pray every day (or every hour, for that matter, just as he prefers) in his daily devotions to the Lord. The gift of tongues, on the other hand, as discussed in I Corinthians 12, is one of the nine Gifts of the Spirit. Its usage is totally different from that of individual praying in tongues. This is another matter entirely, and the two should not be confused.
Some ask why the Word of God tells us that not all speak in tongues. And this is precisely what it says — but it is not referring to praying in tongues; it is referring to the Gift of Tongues. This is one of the nine Gifts of the Spirit.
In I Corinthians 12, starting with Verse 28, the Apostle Paul describes how God has set these Gifts in the church. Then he asks the following questions: “Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Teachers? Are all workers of Miracles? Have all the Gifts of Healing?”
Now, the answer to all these questions is obviously “No!” All are not Apostles, all are not Prophets, all are not Teachers, and all are not workers of Miracles.
And next Paul asks the questions, “Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?” Taking a cue from the preceding examples, the answer is again “No, all do not speak in tongues, and all do not interpret.”
So what’s going on? Well, obviously, the Gift of Tongues — one of the nine Gifts listed (a Word of Wisdom, the Word of Knowledge, the Discerning of the spirits, the Gifts of Faith, the Gifts of Healings, the working of Miracles, the Gift of Prophecy, the Gift of Tongues, and the Gift of Interpretation) — is not a universal Gift any more than the other nine Gifts listed.
Some speak of tongues ceasing (as recorded in I Cor. 13:8) and try to use this Passage to imply that “when the Word of God becomes effective” — that is, when the Bible is compiled — there will no longer be a need to speak in tongues. They contend that the early church had many immature and undeveloped Christians and that tongues were necessary then. Now, however (according to their view), Christians — being mature in the Lord — do not need to speak in tongues. This is not the case.
The Apostle Paul, in the Thirteenth Chapter of I Corinthians, is talking about love. He says in the Tenth Verse “But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” Some contend that he is talking here (“when that which is perfect is come”) about the Bible! Quite obviously, Paul was not referring to the Bible; he was referring to the Return of our Lord Jesus Christ to begin His Millennial Reign.
Paul goes on, in the Twelfth Verse, to talk about how we see through a glass darkly now but will see then face to face. Obviously, this refers to the time when our Lord returns and there will no longer be a need for Tongues, Interpretation of Tongues, Prophecies, or anything of this nature — because the Prince of Peace will be here personally. He is “that perfect” — the very personification of all good things.
Paul also mentions in this Verse that knowledge will cease. Some individuals who use this Verse as “proof” that tongues will cease when the Bible is compiled, refuse to address the question of whether knowledge also ceased at the same time. Of course, we need knowledge. It has not ceased today, and Paul is merely stating that when Jesus Christ comes — and we as the Saints of God put on our glorified bodies — we will have perfect knowledge and will not have to continue to learn as we do today.
At that time, there won’t be a need to speak in tongues either. More of today’s necessities will no longer be required. For instance, there have been many times that I have cried before the Lord to ask forgiveness for something I’ve said or done in error. When the Lord returns, we won’t have to do this.
Paul is saying here that love will never fail. It will always abide. We need love now; we needed it yesterday; we will need it tomorrow. Even when Jesus comes, love will still be the foundation, the bedrock, the basis for all that is good — because God is love!
To summarize
We believe:
1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is valid today;
2. It is a definite Work of Grace;
3. It is an experience that is received after salvation;
4. Every recipient of the Holy Spirit will speak in other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance;
5. Tongues are not just babble or chatter, but are actual languages spoken in the world, but not understood by the speaker (unless God gives the interpretation); and,
6. That speaking in tongues is very valuable to the Believer — that anything given of God is of great consequence. We further believe it to be a tremendous importance in one’s personal walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.
As one wise man said, “Those who are opposed to the baptism in the Holy Spirit (with the evidence of speaking in tongues) have an argument. Those who have received it have an experience.”
Is there a need to tarry if one is to receive?
Over the years, many have struggled, pleaded, labored, and agonized, waiting to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But all you need to do is be saved, and you can then be baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is not necessary to wait and tarry to speak in tongues. The early Disciples were told to wait, or tarry, for the coming of the Holy Spirit. But the moment He came, they were filled. The Holy Spirit is here and available today, so a person need no longer wait to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
There was a very fine, earnest man who waited for ten years to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. He tried again and again, going to countless altars as invitations were given. He finally reached the point where he decided that he would either be baptized in that very service or he would give up.
He went to the altar, knelt for prayer . . . and felt nothing! He thought it wouldn’t hurt to try to make some sounds or give some form of audible expression, so he went ahead and did just that. The people around him began rejoicing because they thought he had finally “broken through” and received the baptism. As they crowded around him rejoicing, the man stopped them and said, “Nothing has happened. I haven’t felt anything. I just went ahead and did this speaking.”
A large group had gathered around him, and among these were two fine ladies he knew well. They had been missionaries in China. They pointed out to him that he had known them for some time, and had known of their missionary work in China, and that he could therefore trust what they were about to tell him. Then they told him that he had just been praising God, in Chinese!
All he had done was to “blurt it out!” And while he had not experienced a great emotional sensation, he was speaking in the Spirit! When this was revealed, he and the group about him became excited. It was so simple. All that had to be done was to give expression to what the Spirit had done within. The Spirit gives the utterance, but the individual must do the speaking. This is plainly stated in Acts 2:4. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The precious presence of the heavenly guest
Man was made for fellowship with God. Due to man’s fall in the Garden, fellowship with God was severed. The Presence of God is of extreme importance to His people. When the people of Israel were led out of Egypt and toward the Promise Land, they were instructed to build the Tabernacle. It was a movable place of worship, and within it (in the Holy of Holies) the Shekinah (or Glorious Presence of God) dwelt.
In the Gospel of John, we are told that Jesus (the Word) became flesh and dwelt (literally “tabernacled”) among us (Jn. 1:14). God will communicate with us. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come after He returned to the Father. And He did come — on the Day of Pentecost.
The Promise of the Spirit had previously been given by the Old Testament Prophets. Ezekiel said, “And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My judgments, and do them” (Ezek. 36:27).
When His Spirit indwells us, He will show us the way to walk. It is also stated in John 14:17 that the Spirit of Truth will be in us. “Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but you know Him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.” We are to be His dwelling place, His Temple: “Know you not that you are the Temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Cor. 3:16).
The Body of Believers is to be a holy habitation of the Spirit. Not only are we collectively the Temple of the Holy Spirit, but we can be a Temple of the Holy Spirit individually too! “What? Know you not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?” (I Cor. 6:19).
The abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within one is wonderful and precious. But the Holy Spirit comes only when He is welcome, and Scripture warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit. The Spirit never uses force or coercion, but is always meek and gentle. You can be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” by Him (Eph. 4:23).
This is, in fact, a command; and many other requirements are also listed, by way of exhortation, to Spirit-filled Believers. It is His Presence that makes the difference if one’s life is to develop in purity, holiness, and in the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (Gal. 5:22-23 and Eph. 4:23-32).
The Holy Spirit in the Believer gives not only power for service and witnessing, but Victory in one’s life. The Holy Spirit’s Presence in a person’s life is transforming. Spirit-filled Believers experience a greater love for God’s Word than ever before. New insights and applications replace the former blindness. The reality of Christ Jesus is much greater as He is revealed by the Holy Spirit. There is a new joy, peace, liberty, and happiness — plus an enhanced response in praise — once one is baptized in the Holy Spirit.
