What Is Baptism In The Holy Ghost?

By the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we mean the infilling of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.

So the primary evidence that a Christian is baptized in the Holy Ghost is that he speaks in tongues. In almost all the places in the new testament where believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke in tongues.

Although every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, it is when we are baptized in Him that He fills us and we enter into a greater flow of His of His power.

Jesus says ' He that believeth on Me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. But this spake He of the Spirit which they that believe on Him should receive...' (Jn.7:38-39).

Who is the baptism for?

It is for all believers in Jesus Christ. Jesus declared in Mark 16:17: 'And these signs shall follow them that believe, in My name shall they cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues...'

Peter cofirms the same in Acts 2:38-39 when he declared: “......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. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

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The phrase: 'As many as the Lord our God shall call' includes all believers.

Hindrances to receiving the Holy Ghost baptism:

Although this is a blessing which God our Father intended that all should partake in, there are many believers who have not been able to receive it due to one inhibition or the other. These inhibitions range from ignorance to doctrinal errors. Here are some of the inhibitions that stand on the way to receiving this wonderful blessing:

1. i.        Acts 19:1-2 – Ignorance of the blessing of the Holy Ghost. If you don’t know that the blessing is available for you how can you ever reach out and receive it?

1. ii.      James 4:2 – Failure to desire and ask for the blessing. It is essential that you desire (or even hunger for) and ask for this wonderful blessing to receive it

1. iii.    Heb.11:6 – Unbelief and doubt. Like any other blessing from God, this gift is received by faith.

1. iv.    Lk.11:11-13 – Fear that one might become possessed with another spirit instead of the Holy Spirit. Get rid of that fear, it is unfounded.

1. v.      Wrong doctrines brought about by religious blindness and ignorance. There are some churches where they teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for today or is not for everyone. Those who have been infected with this error often struggle to receive this wonderful gift which God intends for all His children.

1. vi.    Willfully living in sin. If you want the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you need to repent from every known sin in your life. You can’t be willfully living in sin and expect to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

That does not mean that you have to be “perfect” before you can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit – it simply means you should not be presumptuous by carelessly living in sin and expecting the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember, He is the “Holy” Spirit.

vii.  Indifference and lukewarmness to the things of God. The baptism is an empowerment for service in the House of God. Therefore if you are not keen on service in the House of God (primarily your local church) this empowerment will almost be useless. So if you are lukewarm and indifferent towards the things of God and are unwilling to repent from that attitude, you will have no need for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Another common inhibition is the erroneous impression that baptism in the Holy Spirit is only granted to those who have attained a high degree of holiness. This however, is not true. It is a gift, not an achievement. For instance, it was the same day that Cornelius received the gospel that he got baptized in the Holy Spirit together with his family (Acts 10:34-38). This is not to say that a believer can expect to receive the Holy Ghost baptism while living in sin. That will be presumptuous.

But the point is that it is not reserved for super saints. In fact, if there is anything like 'super saint' it is this baptism that will facilitate your becoming one.