Many people have wondered about Tozer and if he was Baptized in the Holy Spirit as a second and unique experience. Here is a quote from his book " The Dangers of a Shallow Faith," which seems to clear up that question.........bro Frank
"At 17, I met God. A year and a half later, I met Him in a mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit and the fullness of the Spirit and then I began my education." (page 176)
Thanks for this reference.
Dec 18th 2012: Baptism with the Holy Spirit.
A B Simpson clearly taught the necessity of a baptism of the Holy Spirit subsequent to conversion. Tozer wrote "When a man is filled with the Holy Spirit, he knows it!" - a definite experience. I believe it was also Tozer who wrote, concerning "Dispensationalism" - the belief that the church received its baptism in the Holy Ghost at Pentecost and we require nothing more now than we received at conversion. He wrote, "Dispensationalism is more dangerous than liberalism - liberalism has cost us our message, dispensationalism has cost us our power!"
In 1905 Simpson wrote a long article for the Alliance magazine, Living Truths, on the subject of The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, A Crisis or an Evolution. He concluded: "The truth I have been endeavoring to demonstrate is intensely practical. So long as people think they have it all, there is little incentive to rouse themselves and claim their full inheritance, but when God's people see that like Israel of old, they are still toiling in the wilderness under His displeasure, that they are neglecting a great salvation, that they are out of fellowship with Christ and grieving the Holy Ghost, motive is supplied of overwhelming power and they are led to a heart searching, humiliation and unceasing prayer, and a new impulse comes into their lives like a great tidal wave over the ocean of love, and an experience comes to the soul as much higher than conversion as conversion was better than the old life of flesh and sin. This is the deepest need of the church today. One such consecrated, Spirit-filled life means a score of souls for God. 'Let us therefore fear lest the promise being left us of entering into His rest any of you should seem to come short of it.'"
from: http://www.garethevansministries.org/media/Baptism%20in%20the%20Holy%20Spirit.pdf
Good information Greg, for Christmas, my wife bought me two biographies, one on A.B.Simpson and one on Robert A.Jaffray, both written by Tozer. It is a great encouragement to see how completely they both depended on the life and the power of the Holy Spirit to carry out the work they had been called upon by God to do. It seems that Jaffray could be very difficult to work with as he had little time for men who had mere opinions in comparison to the vision God had given him. Saying that, he was widely admired for his drive and his passion............bro Frank
I love and totally agree with Tozer and
Simpson. Believing that we got all there is
at salvation is a great enemy to spiritual
maturity and fullness. But also there are
many Spirit filled believers that believe
that they arrived after receiving the Baptism.
The real key to staying full of the Spirit is
to stay hungry, and to continuously
seek after God with all of our hearts.
Amen Mike, the condition of our hearts are fundamental to our walk with God. To slip away from the heart of God is to grow cold and powerless and then ultimately leave ourselves more vulnerable to the power of sin............bro Frank
Thanks for posting this. I was aware for some time about Tozer as well as even D.L. Moody being baptized in the Holy Spirit. I believe D.L. Moody was saved for 16 years before receiving the baptism.
I love this topic and aspect of the Christian walk being one who was saved for 9 years before receiving the baptism. What an undeniable experience.
I would no more deny this experience than I would deny Christ for to deny the baptism is to deny Christ.
Thanks for everyone's input on this as it is deeply valued!
D.L. Moody had a similar testimony. He said he had a definite second experience 16 years after he was saved. Had extensive relationship with Torrey and the matter was important to them in their talks and minostry together. Scofield preached Moody's funeral and spoke of this second experience of God that Moody had and called it baptism of the Holy Ghost.
Tongues? Nothing says so that I know of. Still.....power? Yes.
Dfella.....sorry to repeat you. I skimmed past your post that was identical to mine basically. You are smart! ;)
There's a good book that addresses the meaning of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in relation to the ordo salutis and historia salutis: "Perspectives on Pentecost" by Richard Gaffin.
It's worth the read. He has some great insights that many people don't have, including the meaning of 1 Corinthians 15:45 - "The first man Adam became a living being; the last Adam became a life-giving Spirit."
May God bless you richly.
Reading this first big, detailed review on Gaffin's book, it seems to be a book on the defense of cessationism. Renoncer, would you mind giving us your own review?
http://www.amazon.com/Perspectives-Pentecost-Richard-Jr-Gaffin/dp/0875522696
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