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7. Question: What role does water baptism play in being filled with the Holy Spirit?
Answer: In the following Biblical passage we find that the Apostle Paul equates the reception of the Holy Ghost with being water baptized just as Ananias equated Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit with the act of water baptism. (See Acts 9:17-18 / and please note for clarification: This was before Saul’s name was changed Paul.) And it must also be noted that Paul asked the Ephesian Believers “Unto what then were ye baptized?” Whereupon they answered: “Unto John's baptism.” At which point Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands upon them, they received the Holy Ghost.
“And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.” Acts 19:1-7
This statement: “Unto what then were ye baptized?” In relation to being ask if they had received the Holy Ghost, would indicate that being water baptized is in part the Biblical remedy which the Apostles understood as being the facilitating factor to receiving the Holy Spirit. The point being that water baptism in the name of the Lord was a vital aspect of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And in every instance those who believed and were baptized were also filled with the Holy Spirit. And those Believers, who were filled before being baptized in the name of the Lord, were also immediately baptized right after they were filled. In the account of the Gentiles who God sent the Apostle Peter to Minister unto, we read:
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” Acts 10:44-48
It is clear from the above passage that the Holy Spirit can baptize any Believer(s) that He chooses to baptize at anytime. And while there is indeed an undeniable pattern of first believing unto repentance, then being water baptized into Jesus and immediately afterward being filled with the Holy Ghost unto service, that in no way limits God to His own design. God is God and in the book of Acts we find Him in the person of the Holy Ghost striking individuals with the life changing power of Jesus Christ as He sees fit. It's as if the Holy Spirit could not wait another second until Peter had Baptized these Believers. For as we have read: “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”
There is an excitability about God’s own disposition here! “While Peter spake, the Holy Ghost fell!” Now that is true “Revival!” For it is God who is in the ultimate control, not Christians. And I point this out because all too often man presumes that we are ultimately responsible for creating the right atmosphere and conditions for a revival as God just watches from the side lines totally passive and nonchalant. Yet as we see, it is God in the person of the Holy Ghost who is actively moving with a predisposed determination to awaken, liberate, and empower the lost, bound and defenseless souls of sinners with megatons of the unleashed grace of Jesus Christ. While at the same instance inflicting catastrophic devastation upon and against the spiritual kingdom of Satan and darkness.
And that is how the early Church was born. The Apostles and Believers went out Preaching under this anointing power of the Holy Ghost, baptizing everyone who believed. For example, a few chapters after the day of Pentecost we find an Ethiopian in the desert reading Isaiah. And God sent Philip to witness about Jesus to this man, at which the Ethiopian confesses that He "believes" and is then “baptized.” And no sooner than they came up out of the water it was like God said: “Were finished here,” (and then whoosh!) there goes Philip being supernaturally caught away and transported to another location to preach. (See Acts 8:26-40) And while all this is going on, the Apostles are wreaking havoc on the kingdom of Satan by casting out devils, healing the sick, performing miracles and making disciples of all men who believe. Then Jesus Himself appears to a man named Saul who is on his way to imprison more Believers. And Jesus is shining so brightly that Saul goes blind and falls to the earth. Then Jesus sends him to the very city where he was going to find Believers to imprison them. Yet now instead of Saul persecuting the Believers, Jesus sends a Believer to heal Saul's blindness and to baptize him so that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost. And as they say, the rest is History. For that one man who once persecuted the Church turned the world upside down and laid waste the very gates of hell by the power of the Word of God through the Holy Ghost in the name of Jesus, the resurrected Christ.
And my point is simply this: I will later drive down the road here in the Bible belt, and I will see signs in front of spiritually dead Churches full of spiritually dead people. And those signs will have “REVIVAL” written across them surrounded by flashing yellow light bulbs. Yet these so called revivals are usually nothing more than a Hallelujah Ho-Down or a Spiritualized Shindig Jamboree. And if they even have a visiting Preacher, he will strut and prance across the stage yelling: “Oh, the Devil better watch out now because the Preacher Man just came upon me.” Or he will look up abruptly while speaking and actually act like God has just interrupted his sermon in order to tell him things which God wants him to say to the Church. Thus, he stands there saying: “What Lord? Oh, you want me to tell them what? Alright, Lord I will tell them.”
And what this fake goes on to declare as being some “Revelatory Word” which God has just told him, is so stupid and utterly meaningless that it should seem evident to everyone that this man has not heard from God at all. But rather, he is a godless hypocrite and such an amateur fraud that not even Satan himself would claim him because even the Devil would have more class and be too ashamed to admit that such an obvious phony actually belonged to him. And if it was not so tragically sad it would be totally ridiculous, because you look around wondering if anyone is actually taking this fake seriously and to your absolute dismay the entire Church is sitting there mesmerized as shouts are going forth yelling: “Bless‘em Lord” and “How-lee-lu-yer.” And this sort of thing is no isolated incident but it goes on a lot more than you would think. I honestly kid you not.
In no way am I attempting to mock or purposely ridicule simple country folks as being so idiotic. And lest I be accused of doing so, let it be clearly understood that I am not. And nor do I believe that every Church South of the Mason Dixie Line is practicing such foolishness. Yet I’ve visited enough Churches across independent and denominational lines to know that a great many of them are. Because the first thing they tell you when you visit is: “We are just simple country folk, so just come as you are because there’s nothing fancy about our Church, we just go by the Bible.” Yet in reality, if a Preacher ever did step into such pulpits and denounced their sins of turning their Churches into a spiritually drunken barn dance, that Preacher would discover that things are not as simple or Biblical as they first appeared to be. For he would be shown the door real quick like. I know, because in years gone by, I’ve had them so stirred up that people walked out swearing and cursing at me as others stood yelling around the pulpit. I can still see old Mrs. Brown standing there with Hell’s hatred in her eyes yelling at me and shaking her fist as the Tobacco juice ran out of her mouth down both sides of her chin dripping to the floor. Again, I kid you not. I’ve seen so many shocking things going on in these Churches that I’ve about given up even trying to find a Biblically sound Pentecostal fellowship in the so called “Bible” belt anymore.
And yet, though such congregations will not endure a man preaching the Word of God. They will allow any and every Charismatic Con Artist, Swindler and Quack to stand behind their pulpits to deceive and make merchandise of them, no matter how absurd or bizarre such deceivers behave. I have actually watched grown adults and gray haired men and women stand before these Churches jerking and shaking like they had the Palsy or was demon possessed, only to stop long enough to look around and make sure the people were watching them. And over to the right there's a woman flapping her arms and bobbing her head doing some kind of chicken dance while over to the left some man is running up and down the aisles screaming and Hee Hawing like the Dukes of Hazard. And lest anyone think that I am against being moved by the Holy Spirit. I personally enjoy going to an anointed Southren Gospel Singing service and I have no problem with anyone running the aisles or shouting God's praises. Yet there is a big difference between actually getting excited and emotionally responding to the power of God because your spirit is soaring in His presence as opposed to that of making a carnal mockery of such joyous expressions of praise.
And if the revival is not one of these such mockeries where everything is hyped up by man into a frenzy of uncontrolled madness. Then it's a crying party where everyone is lined up to be touched by some Charismatic Charlatan in order to get an emotional fix that has more to do with the carnality of the soul than it does with being touched by God in Spirit and in Truth. And again, while I'm not at all against getting excited about the Word of God or even being very emotional when His Presence is manifested in a very special way. That is not what is taking place in many of these Churches.
In reality, it's not the Spirit of God at all; but rather, it is a ritualized emotional dependence upon these Charismatic Warlocks who counterfeit spiritual power by manipulatively manufacturing an atmosphere of religious delusion. And those who look to such men [And women who falsely claim to be Pastors, Evangelist and Prophetesses.] for a connection with God, are only deceiving themselves in order to imitate and reproduce an actual spiritual experience. For such as these need such illusions of spiritual reality in order to justify themselves for being so spiritually wretched and destitute.
Because theirs is not a true Christianity at all, but a counterfeit that I call “Countrianity” where their idolatry to Country Music is as sacred to them as is their devotions to the memory and praise of Hank Williams Senior and Patsy Cline. Thus, what is really taking place in these Churches is that there is a spirit of drunkenness which operates in such meetings. For just as drunkards behave in the world, these religious parties always end in an emotional sobbing and crying splurge which gives such deluded souls a false sense of being spiritually purged and cleansed of all the inner wretchedness and turmoil which is the natural consequence of living in and walking after the flesh in wanton worldliness.
That is why I personally believe that there is no hope for some great nation wide revival in America coming out of the so called Bible belt unless God opens the door for some true Man of God to raise up a Light House where the true and full Gospel can be preached. Because when speaking of returning to the old paths and the old fashioned Bible way. Most people interpret it as being a call to convert to this Countrianity with all its country cultural carnality. And that is why I believe there has been such a backlash against this hypocrisy in this generation of Contemporary Christians whose Churches are beginning to dominate the Bible belt and have given birth to even greater abominations which are considered to be modern day revivals by those who practice such.
I'm speaking about all of these religious entertainment centers where their drama teams are always putting on some new play or musical with their worldly dancers doing their hip hop dances. And they are so blind that they do not even try to hide their hypocrisy, because whether it is a Countrianity Church or one of these Contemporary Churches, you will open the newspaper to the religious page and see many such revivals being advertised with Entertainers, Chili Hot Dog Dinners, Pizza Parties and Cook Outs. But what you will never see is an announcement calling for true repentance at the foot of the cross for all the blasphemies of such Churches.
And yet, perhaps, that is why we never see any mass baptisms where sinners are being convicted by the unadulterated Preaching of God's Word. It's just simply considered too old fashioned and fanatical for all these Churches to see large crowds of repentant sinners and returning back sliders going under the waters in baptism. I mean why would they want to be “Biblically” identified with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ when they have been deceived to believe that they can have the world and heaven to? Such old fashioned extremism as being “Biblically” baptized is just far too old fashioned for the self professing old fashioned and far too radical for even these so called radicals. Because being “Biblically” baptized would just take all of the fun out of all their counterfeit and carnal Christianities.
At present, “Revival” in America might very well be the biggest joke of hell because the kingdom of Satan does not fear all these Pentecostal joy poppers or Baptist Security sermon floppers. What Satan fears is the old fashioned preaching of the cross about dying to self, separating from the world and putting a difference between the holy and the profane. Yet we live in a perilous hour when it is very rare to even hear a message of hell fire and brimstone as the final judgment for the churched masses who partake in the religious blasphemies and doctrinal perversions of such revivals. And what this has to do with baptism is everything because baptism is the first step of our public confession as Believers, which sets forth our identification with Jesus Christ as being buried in death against our old life of being born in selfishness, bent toward sin and bound by Satan. And yet “self, sin and Satan” are all that the modern day Church system in America seems to honor and glorify in spite of the fact that it is plainly written:
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1st John 2:15-17
Therefore, the question which we have had under consideration was: “What role does water baptism play in being filled with the Holy Spirit?” Yet in light of the fact that millions of Church going professing Christians are sitting in front of their televisions laughing and hee hawing while the blasphemers of the Christian Media Networks and Hollywood are sardonically making a mockery of the Holy Spirit and the things of God? I would ask an even more telling question. Simply put: “What role does water baptism not play in being filled with the Holy Spirit?”
And in case there be those who have misunderstood me here? I am not debating whether or not one has to be baptized to be saved or to receive the Holy Spirit. And nor am I making an argument for the Trinity or Oneness crowds about the correct way to be baptized. If that is what you are reading, then you have totally missed the whole point. Because there is no place here for deceptive arguments between issues about baptism methods, or debates about grace and works. There's no place here for misunderstandings about doctrines and dogmas. No place for confusing mysteries or hidden meanings which one must receive a supernatural revelation just to understand. It is simply a matter of Scriptural truth about the individual choice between spiritual life and death which we all must make. And it's called repentance. For without true repentance the act of baptism is meaningless. And sadly, that's why there are millions who have been baptized and many others who also contend for various baptism related issues who are all still going to hell.
Therefore, it might be easier to ask: “What role does repentance play in being filled with the Holy Spirit?” And of course that question would have to be answered by asking: “What role does repentance not play in being filled with the Holy Spirit?” Because as I see it, water baptism is a sacred covenant of repentance which we enter into by personally choosing to lose our lives in and for Jesus Christ, by dying unto ourselves through faith in order to enter a new life of being filled with and by the Holy Spirit, in appreciation for the grace of God, in obedience to the Word of God and for the cleansing power of the blood of God through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus the role that water baptism plays in being filled with the Holy Spirit, is that it is an act which brings the unmerited grace of God into perfect harmony with the obedience of the repentant Believer; thus, enabling Believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God that they might be transformed into usable vessels by the Holy Spirit of God, to walk in the good, acceptable and perfect will of God, by the faith of the Son of God who loved and gave Himself for us. Thus it is written:
“And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:1-2
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Galatians 2:16-21
It is a very damnable and wicked deception for the ungodly to juxtapose God’s grace against the Believer’s obedience by calling the Believer’s faith motivated obedience a work of the law motivated by self righteousness. Yet they do so in order to accuse God fearing Preachers of teaching legalism. But in reality, they themselves are the servants of Satan who seek to wrest the Scriptures not only to their own destruction in their ignorance; but also, to the destruction of those who they have confused and deceived through their deceptive false hoods against the Righteous. And yet contrary to the false accusations of these ungodly defilers of true faith. The true Child of God knows perfectly well that their actions of repentance in believing the Gospel and being baptized, affords them no personal claim of having justified themselves by their own works.
And though this reality of faith is so elementary and should not have to be continuously explained. I feel compelled to do so because there are so many enemies of this faith in the Churches who continuously pervert the teaching of Biblical obedience by deceptively pretending to contend for the grace of God. And yet behind all their contentious pretensions of defending the truth, they are in actuality defying the truth in order to defend their carnal and counterfeit Christianity which gives them a license to indulge and enjoy the worldly and sinful life styles which they so love. Jude had such in mind when he warned us writing:
“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jude 1:3-4
Thus in conclusion we read: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” Titus 2:11-15
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:1-23 Though the Articles and Poetic Contemplations on this Website are copyrighted, you are most welcome to make printed copies for free distribution only according to these conditions: You must copy them in their entirety, including the copyright notice at the end of each poem along with this notice of permission. Thank You. RemnantLifeMinistries.Net <<<<{{{{((((((((R.L.M.)))))))}}}}>>>> |