The Ministry of the Holy Spirit by Zac Poonen

Luke speaks much about the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the two books that he wrote. In fact, this is one of his major emphasis. Look at these examples in this gospel: John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb (Luke 1:15). Mary would have the Holy Spirit come upon her (Luke 1:35). Elizabeth and Zachariah were filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:41, 67). Simeon had the Holy Spirit upon him, he got revelation from the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit to the temple (Luke 2:25”“27). Jesus baptises in the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16). Jesus was praying when He was baptised (obviously for the anointing of the Holy Spirit) and the Spirit came upon Him immediately (Luke 3:21, 22). Jesus was full of the Spirit and led by the Spirit into the wilderness and returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:1, 14). Jesus proclaims that the Holy Spirit was upon Him (Luke 4:18). The Holy Spirit is given to those who ask for Him (Luke 11:13). Jesus commands His disciples to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49).

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke mentions the Holy Spirit more than 50 times. Luke was undoubtedly a Spirit-filled man and was excited about this new-covenant life that was made possible through the gift of the Holy Spirit. I wonder how many Christians are as excited as he was. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is mentioned at the beginning of each of the first five books of the New Testament. This teaches us the tremendous importance of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in this new covenant age. So, if there is one thing that the devil will seek to counterfeit, it will be the baptism in the Holy Spirit; and we see plenty of those counterfeits today.

How does the devil ensure that believers will never get baptised in the Holy Spirit?
First of all, by giving some of them a physical or emotional experience. They lack the power to overcome sin and to serve the Lord. But Satan assures them that they have been baptised in the Holy Spirit. Such believers will never again seek for the baptism in the Holy Spirit, because they are convinced that they have already received it. There are millions of Christians like this everywhere. They are defeated by sin, they love money and they live for the world. But they speak some gibberish which they call "tongues” and claim to be getting unusual physical and visual experiences.

Secondly, Satan gets some other believers (who are at the opposite pole doctrinally on the baptism of the Spirit) to react against these obvious counterfeits and to stay away from the baptism of the Spirit altogether. Thus he succeeds in ensuring that both groups of believers (and that constitutes the vast majority of believers) never receive the genuine power of God and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Be careful and avoid both these groups.
How was John filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb? Did he tarry for the Spirit in his mother’s womb as a foetus? Did somebody exhort him inside the womb to pray? No. God filled him. It is God’s work to fill you with the Holy Spirit. If we submit to Him, He will fill us. Here is something that will stimulate your faith: If God can fill a helpless foetus in a mother’s womb with the Holy Spirit, why can’t He fill you?

Don’t be satisfied with any cheap counterfeit. I told the Lord when I was a young man that I would never be satisfied with a counterfeit and would be willing to wait ten years if necessary to get the genuine experience. It was worth waiting. When you are genuinely baptised in the Spirit, it will change your whole way of life.

When John was filled with the Holy Spirit, he became great in the sight of the Lord (Luke 1:15). This is what the Spirit wants to make us too ”“ great in God’s sight, not man’s.

When was I baptized with the Holy Spirit?

That night in church when I became a Christian 25 years ago and received clarity and understanding of the scriptures?

When 3 month later I received tongues, and started to be more faithful to the church than to God, and tried to participate every new move of god and watched Benny Hinn daily?

When 5 years ago I received a revelation that God is not my servant but I am his?

When 3 years ago I stopped speaking in tongues, and received a sudden clarity regarding previous deception and received boldness about my faith?

I don't know. Is there a way to know? I think I probably received the baptism in the Holy Spirit at the very first time at that service where I gave my life to Him, because I asked for it, but I thought I did not receive it because I did not speak in tongues.
I think I never had the real gift of tongues.....
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?

Excellent article from Poonan Greg.

Tozsu

We can expect to be transformed like the disciples at Pentecost, to victory over sin and to be crucified with Christ. It is about sin. If we sin Satan wins and we have put Christ back in the cross. Just think, what armed forces sergeant would allow disobedience amongst his men? With Christ, He gives the ability to obey so there is no excuse.

We walk in the Spirit or the flesh. The difference is Spirit baptism and we are not ready for it when we first receive Christ.

Brenda,
Thanks for answering. What do you mean by being ready? How about Cornelius in Acts 10? Was he ready?
lmmediately after I became a Christian many sins disappeared from my life. Was it because of the baptism or something else? I was on the road of renewing my mind and sanctification. Can the HS sanctify us before we are baptized?

Tozsu sister

It seems that the maturing purpose is speeded up during revival and at the beginning. Outside of those times, it apparently takes longer for men to come to the end of themselves and cry out for God to enable them to live the Christian life according to the scriptural standard. They reach a time of utter failure first.lt took me 17 years.

According to my walk and that of others who believe in holiness doctrine, there is a partial sanctification until the Holy Spirit cones to fully possess the vessel or baptism of the Spirit.

Romans 8:9King James Version (KJV)

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Does Paul speak here about the baptism or something else?
Further question:
When did Luther, Bunyan, Spurgeon etc. receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

I believe that Paul spoke about the baptised state which would
be applicable to them if indeed the Spirit if God was dwelling in them, indicating that He was not necessarily in them. We are of His if He is dwelling fully in us and flesh is crucified not just as a notion. If that has occurred we have victory over sin.

I believe that Bunyon believed in a second grace but not the other two so as far as l know they had not received it and were only partially sanctified.

It surprises me somewhat though that JPL also believed in it, otherwise known as Keswick doctrine but you don't accept that?

I don't know anything, my first church taught that you have the baptism when you speak in tongues, but I am not sure if it's true.
I believe that the HS sanctifies us. I do not believe that there are different "classes" of christians, we are all being sanctified as long as we are in this life. I know that the HS leads me and explains the scriptures to me.
Is that baptism?

Hello Tozsu

I agree with what Zac Poonan has written.

The Holy Spirit is working in us after we first come to Christ, and the sanctification process has started and if we do not quench the Spirit He will show us more and more how far we are from the Biblical standard and no matter how much we try, we cannot gain victory over certain sins.

Thus is to show us that our flesh is surely corrupt and we are helpless without Him. Usually men will come to a crisis when they say they cannot go on in that state. Especially preachers who get there. Many do not however because they have quenched the Spirit.

Then when the Spirit comes upon them, it is about pureness of heart, which is what they longed for. As bro Poonan says, there is a false baptism of the Spirit which does not bring his pureness of heart and holiness and in fact, those baptised in this unholy spirit display even more wanton sins and bring the church to shame which happened recently after the so called Welsh revival if 2012.

It is the baptism of holiness which does not include babbling that brings true revival and which JPL was involved in and why she was involved in Keswick. It is seen rarely today but often during the time of the holiness movement in America and Wesley's time.

JPL was a big proponent of holiness doctrine.

I don't know what "holiness doctrine" is but I'm all for holiness. It is the purpose of christian life that we become more and more like Jesus.
I agree that from time to time we come to the end of ourselves, and that's when the HS can step in with great power. I also believe that this surrender becomes easier as the person matures and could take place during prayer (perhaps each day). The work of the Holy Spirit is to sanctify us. It seems to me that when we say baptism in the Holy Spirit everyone thinks of a different thing. I do not necessarily want to be theologically absoute perfect, and I don't think it's necessary for our salvation to know, but do we have a cosensus on what the baptism in the Holy Spirit is?

Sorry for the delay.

I am afraid that we are not in agreement on what baptism in the Spirit is though we are in agreement about His work in us being about making us holy.

But you are saying that the baptism will gradually make us holier in this life, if l am correct. The scriptures however do not say that death finally makes us holy. In fact it says that as a tree falls, so it lies. It also says that death is our enemy.

If we look at the disciples after they were baptised in the Spirit, we can expect to also receive the same tremendous transformation, from being weak in faith and dull in understanding, to being absolute warriors for Christ and with
great wisdom and being perfect witnesses for Him.

In an instant.

Reformed theology says that they were unsaved up to that point, but that is not feasible to my mind, nor to holiness teaching. They had left all and called Him Lord.

Many have the same testimony, that they received a baptism which completed the work of sanctification in them and thereafter were given power to be in perfect obedience with Him and hear His voice clearly within, whereas before they had to depend on the written word alone apart from a few odd occasions where they did hear Him.

That longing inside of us to be made clean, is also a witness to thus great work of entire sanctification or baptism in the a Spirit.

"I am afraid that we are not in agreement on what baptism in the Spirit is though we are in agreement about His work in us being about making us holy."

I do not know what the baptism is, I am in the process of finding it out, so I can not possibly agree or disagree with you about it. In this process I prefer to start at the scriptures as it is the root of all the doctrines that were derived later. In this thread I quoted two verses wanting to know whether they refer to the baptism or something else. I still don't know the answer.
The word gradual is not the best to describe our sanctification, it is rather continuous, after each trial or revelation or answered prayer we become suddenly much more mature, and perhaps our first bigger revelation makes us feel that we passed from defeat to a victory over sin. The bible talks about weak and stronger christians and that the stronger should help the weak.
In the Pilgrim's Progress John Bunyan describes the path of a Christian without specifically mentioning the baptism, the main character is strong from the beginning to the end but only when he trusts in God and keeps the word in his bosom. I can say that he had victory over sin but he is still prone to deception even towards the end of his walk if he forgets to walk on the narrow road...
I see Bunyan's description as according to the Bible. I don't know if the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the doctrine of being born again, and only the special circumstances in the time of the apostles make it a separate event.
Please don't lump me with reformed theology in this, because as far as I know they don't teach the reality of the born again experience.
In summary, maybe we are talking about the same thing, some call it being truly born again others call it the baptism in the holy Spirit.
This is my opinion at this certain point of my search, and I am still open for strong evidence from the scriptures for baptism in the holy spirit as a separate event outside that of those who were believers before the first coming of the Holy Spirit at pentecost.

Edited to add: I know reformed christians who are born again and have the Spirit, but they don't call it that. God sees our heart, our theology does not define us.

"Romans 8:9King James Version (KJV)

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Does Paul speak here about the baptism or something else?"

If this is the verse you meant, I believe that Paul was saying that the Spirit dwells in us if we are baptised in Him but I also believe that there is a time when the Spirit is working in us before that. I cannot find another one, only the question: "WHAT EXACTLY IS THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT?"

In answer to that, it means to me the occasion when the Spirit fell with fire on me as I had lain everything on the altar of my heart and immediately after, I found I had a pure heart. The Holy Spirit comes to make us holy.

There was a process beforehand but there had to come a time when I had to die to self sin and the world. There is a process of maturing later but the holiness thing must be completed. it is like saying we are a little bit pregnant.

John Bunyan actually described the process of coming to the cross again. The man was called Christian from the start. One day he came to the foot of the cross after a long trial and journey. This point of time is called entering the land of Cannan or His rest and is for Christians not the unsaved.
It is also know as the second blessing.

The holiness movement nor indeed Calvinism did not get very far into Eastern Europe. When I was in Germany nobody knew much about Calvin, only Luther.

. Brenda,
The other one was Cornelius and his family, they received the baptism at conversion. (I remembered quoting it but I only referred to it)
John Bunyans Christian arrived to the cross where he finally lost all the burden from his back and these were the sins of his old life. Sounds like being born again to me.
On the day I gave my life to Jesus, He forgave all my sins. My church taught that the baptism in the holy spirit and full bodily healing was included in the atonement, so I asked for these also in my prayer. I did not receive the bodily healing and I thought I did not receive the HS that night.
I was like Cornelius I prayed and fasted 3 days before that event. From the next morning the HS was with me and leading me.
There was a bottom also for me some 20 years later, but that was because of deception. And there was a coming of boldness as well but that was because of good teaching of the bible, and vital personal revelation from the HS.
Thanks sree for your comment. I am coming close to the conclusion that my tongue speaking was not from God, however I do not seek the baptism in the H S because I think I had it from the beginning or at least I have it now. I surrendered my will several times to God and experienced strength and comfort from God after each one. It was encouraging to read your words about the infillings of the Spirit...
I appreciate brother Zack's teaching about the baptism but do not 100% agree with it.
Acts 2:37-38King James Version (KJV)

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

1 Corinthians 12:13King James Version (KJV)

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Edited to add: these verses suggest that the baptism in the HS comes at conversion.

Sree said: "One main difference I found was the Bible became a different book. Scriptures just opened to me."
I had this very same experience the day after my conversion.

I found this article that I more agree with, until more convincing scriptures brought up supporting the other view.

http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t004.html

Dear Tozsu

"2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway."

I believe he was already a believer when he was baptised in the Spirit.

Regarding Pilgrims Progress, the events leading up to the foot of the cross ie:

The First Stage. ””Christian’s deplorable condition””Evangelist directs him””Obstinate and Pliable””Slough of Despond””Worldly Wiseman””Mount Sinai””Conversation with Evangelist

The Second Stage. ””The Gate””conversation with Good-Will””the Interpreter’s House””Christian entertained””the sights there shown him

The Third Stage. ””Loses his burden at the Cross

Speak to me of the time when I became in a deplorable condition and in the slogh of despond, due to my inability as a believer to be the Christian I saw in the NT. I began to bear a heavy burden of sin on my back and no preacher could tell me how to remove it. Legalism.

The unsaved man does not have a heavy burden of sin. I certainly thought that I was as good as anyone before I came to Christ. You do not even know what sin is.

Then I found guidance and came once more to the foot of the cross to see myself crucified with Christ and my life changed drastically, much more than the times of refreshing I had known previously and signs and wonders followed me. It was like night compared to day. At last I could walk in utter obedience and had a pure heart although I had been a believer for 17 years with a very strong testimony from atheism.

"37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
1 Corinthians 12:13King James Version (KJV)

I believe that it was the baptism of the Spirit talked about which saves us from sin. Most do not get delivered from sin when they find Christ.

My advice is not to quell that longing that you have even though you may not know what you are longing for and let the Lord guide you.

Thanks Sree.

I found this article that I more agree with, until more convincing scriptures brought up supporting the other view.

http://christiananswers.net/q-acb/acb-t004.html

I don't think anyone can be a christian before his sins are fotgiven, that event is also signified in the water baptism which is accepted as a starting point in christian walk based on the bible. You are right I was not godly liike Cornelius before my conversion, but I did pray.
Can we be called Christians when we are on our way to seek Jesus but haven't yet met Him personally and received the forgivness of our sins?
Your advice is very encouraging, that's what I will do, seek God's will in everything, and follow after him, regardless of wheter it is called baptism or not.