There is one condition of success in bringing men to Christ that is of such cardinal importance, and so little understood, that it demands a separate chapter. I refer to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Acts 1:5; Luke 24:49 (comp. Acts 1:8), and Acts 2:4, we have three expressions; “baptized with the Holy Spirit,” “endured with power from on high” and “filled with the Holy Spirit.” By a careful comparison of these and related passages we will find that these various expressions refer to one and the same experience. This experience we shall see as we proceed in the study of this subject is an absolutely necessary condition of acceptable and effective service for Christ.
1. What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
1. It is a definite and distinct operation of the Holy Spirit of which one may know whether it has been wrought in him or not. This is evident from the fact that Jesus bade His disciples tarry in Jerusalem until they had received this enduement, (Luke 24:49, comp. Acts 1:8), and if it was not a definite and distinct operation of which they might know whether they had received it or not, of course, they would not know when this command of Christ had been complied with and when they were ready to begin their witnessing.
2. It is an operation of The Holy Spirit separate from His regenerating work. This appears from Acts 1:5, where the disciples are told “ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” But from John 15:3; xiii. 10 we learn that the disciples were already regenerated. It appears also from Acts 8:15-16 where we are told of certain who had already believed and were baptized with water, but upon whom the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen. The same thing is shown by Acts 19:1-6, where we are told of certain who were disciples, but who had not received the Holy Spirit since they believed. One may then be regenerated by the Holy Spirit without being baptized with the Holy Spirit. Such an one is saved but he is not yet fitted for service. Every believer has the Holy Spirit, Rom 8:9, but not every believer has the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, (Acts 8:12-16; Acts 19:1-2). We shall see very soon that every believer may have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is always connected with testimony or service, (see 1 Cor 12:4-13; Acts 1:5-8; Luke 24:49; Acts 2:4; Acts 4:8, Acts 4:31; Acts 7:55; Acts 9:17, Acts 9:20; Acts 10:45-46; Acts 19:6.) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has no direct reference to cleansing from sin. This is an important point to bear in mind for many reasons. There is a line of teaching on this subject that leads men to expect that if they receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the old carnal nature will be eradicated. There is not a line of scripture to support this position. As said above, and as any one can learn for himself if he will examine all the passages in which the baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, it is always connected with testimony and service. It is indeed accompanied with a great moral and spiritual uplifting and pre–supposes, as we shall see, an entire surrender of the will to Christ, but its primary and immediate purpose is fitting for service. We will get a more definite idea of what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is, if we consider its manifestations and results as stated in the Bible. (a.) Let us look first at the passage that goes most into detail on this subject, 1 Cor 7:4-13. We see at once that the manifestations or results of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are not precisely the same in all persons. For example, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will not make every one who receives it a successful evangelist or teacher. Some quite different gift may be imparted. This fact is often overlooked and much disappointment and doubt are the result. The manifestations or results vary with the lines of service to which God has called different individuals. One receives the gift of an evangelist, another of a teacher, another of government, another of a helper, another of a mother, (1 Cor 7:28-31; Eph 4:8, Eph 4:11.) (b.) 1 Cor 7:7, Cor 7:11. There will be some gift in every case. Not the same gift but some gift, of an evangelist, or a pastor, or of a teacher or some other. (c.) 1 Cor 12:11. The Holy Spirit is Himself the one who decides what the gift or gifts shall be which he will impart to each individual. It is not for us to select some place of service and then ask the Holy Spirit to qualify us for that service, nor for us to select some gift, and then ask the Spirit to impart to us that gift. It is for us to put ourselves entirely at the disposal of the Holy Spirit to send us where “He will,” into what line of service “He will” (Acts 13:2,) and to impart what gift “He will.” He is absolutely sovereign and our rightful position is that of absolute and unconditional surrender to Him. This is where many fail of a blessing and meet with disappointment. I know a most sincere and self–sacrificing man who gave up a lucrative business and took up the work of an evangelist. He had heard of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; and had been led to suppose that, if he received it, it would qualify him for the work of an evangelist. The man came more than four thousand miles to this country, but the work did not open to him. He was in much perplexity and doubt until he was led to see that it was not for him to select the work of an evangelist, as good as that work was, and then expect the Holy Spirit to qualify him for this self–chosen work. He gave himself up to be sent into whatever work the Spirit might will. Into the work in which he was sent the power of the Spirit came upon him and he received this very gift of an evangelist which he had coveted. (d.) Acts 1:5, Acts 1:8. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit always imparts power for service, the services to which God calls us. In a certain city was an uneducated boy who was led to Christ. In his very lowly occupation he began witnessing for Jesus. He went on from step to step in Christ’s work. My attention was called to him by a gentleman who was interested in him, and who said he would like to have me meet him. The gentleman brought him to Chicago, and I invited him one night to speak in one of our tents. It was in an exceedingly hard neighborhood. Into the same tent an organized mob once came to break up the meeting. It was a difficult audience to hold. The young man began in what appeared to me to be a very commonplace way, and I was afraid I had made a mistake in asking him to speak, but I prayed and watched the audience. There was nothing remarkable in his address as he went on—excepting the bad grammar. But I noticed that all the people were listening. They continued to listen to the end. When I asked if there was any one who wished to accept Christ, people rose in different parts of the tent to signify that they did. Thinking it all over, I told the facts to a man who had known the speaker before. “It is just so wherever he goes” was the reply. What was the explanation? This uneducated boy had received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and had received power. One night at the close of an address on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a minister came to me on the platform and said: “I need this power, won’t you pray for me?” “Let us kneel right down here now,” I replied, and we did. A few weeks after I met a gentleman who had been standing by. “Do you remember,” he said “the minister with whom you prayed at New Britain. He went back to his church; his church is packed Sunday evenings, a large part of the audience are young men and he is having conversions right along.” He had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and “power.” (e.) Acts 4:29-31. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit always imparts boldness in testimony and service. Peter is a notable example of this. Contrast Peter in Acts 4:8-12 with Peter in Mark 14:66-72. Perhaps some one who reads this book has a great desire to speak to others and win them to Christ, but an insuperable timidity stands in the way. If you will only get the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, all that will be overcome.
We are now in a position to define the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is the Spirit of God falling upon the believer, taking possession of his faculties, imparting to him gifts not naturally his own, but which qualify him for the service to which God has called him.
2. The necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a preparation for Christian work.
(1.) In Luke 24:49. Jesus bade the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high.” These men had been appointed to be witnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. (Luke 24:45-48. Acts 1:22; Acts 39-41.) They had received what would seem to be a splendid and sufficient training for this work. For more than three years they had been to school to the best of teachers, Jesus Himself. They had been eye witnesses of his miracles, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. But there was still one thing needed. And this need was of such vital importance that Jesus would not permit them to enter upon their appointed work until that need had been met. That need was the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If the apostles with their unparalleled fitting for service, were not permitted to enter that service until all their other training had been supplemented by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, what daring presumption it is for any of us with our inferior training to dare to do it. But this is not all, even Jesus Himself did not enter upon his ministry until specially anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. (Acts 10:38, comp. Luke 3:22 and Luke 4:1, Luke 4:14). This baptism is an absolutely essential preparation for Christian work. It is either ignorance of the plain requirements of God’s word or the most daring presumption on our part when we try to do work for Christ until we know we have been Baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(2.) It is the privilege of every believer to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This appears from Acts 2:39, R. V. “To you is the promise and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.” The context, the use of the word “promise” in this and the preceding chapter (Acts 1:4; Acts 2:16, Acts 2:33.) and the use of the expression “gift of the Holy Spirit” throughout the book, all prove conclusively that “the promise” of this verse means the promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; and the verse tells us that this promise is for all in all ages of the church’s history whom God shall call unto him, i. e. for every believer. If we have not this baptism it is our own fault. It is for us and we are responsible before God for all the work we might have done, and all the souls we might have won if we were so baptized, and we are guilty to the extent that the work is not done and the souls not won.
3. How can we obtain the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
We now come to the practical question: how can we obtain this Baptism of the Holy Spirit which is such an absolute necessity in our work for Christ? Fortunately the answer to this question is very plainly stated in the Bible.
(1) “Repent ye and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 R. V.) The first step toward obtaining this Baptism is repentance. Repentance means “a change of mind,” a change of mind about sin, about God, and in this case especially (as the context shows) a change of mind about Christ. A real change of mind such as leads to action—to our turning away from all sin, our turning to God, our turning away from rejecting Jesus Christ to accepting Him. The second step is the confession of our renunciation of sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ in God’s appointed way by baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit in at least one instance (Acts 10:44-48) preceded the baptism with water but this was manifestly an exceptional case and God says “repent ye and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 2:38, R. V.)
(2) “The Holy Spirit whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts 5:32). The condition of the gift of the Holy Ghost here stated is that we “obey Him.” Obedience means more than the mere performance of some of the things that God bids us do. It means the entire surrender of our wills, ourselves and all we have, to Him. It means that we come to Him and say from the heart, “here I am, I am thine, thou hast bought me with a price, I acknowledge thine ownership. Take me, do with me what thou wilt, send me where thou wilt, use me as Thou wilt.” This entire yielding of ourselves to God is the condition of our receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and it is at this point that many fail of this blessing. At the close of a convention a gentleman hurried to the platform and said there was a lady in great distress who wished to speak with me. It was an hour before I could get to her, but I found her still in great mental suffering in the intensity of her desire for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Others had talked to her but it had seemed to do no good. I sat down behind her and said, “Is your will wholly surrendered?” She did not know. “You wish to be a Christian worker do you not?” “Yes.” “Are you willing to go back to Baltimore and be a servant girl if it is God’s will?” “No!” “You will never receive this blessing until your own will is wholly laid down.” “I can’t lay it down.” “Would you like to have God lay it down for you?” “Yes.” “Well, let us ask Him to do it.” We did, he heard the prayer, the will was laid down, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit was received and she went from the church rejoicing.
Obedience means also the doing in all matters great and small, the will of God as revealed in His Word or by His Spirit. Any refusal to do what God bids us do, any conscious doing of what he bids us not do, even in very little matters, is sufficient to shut us out of this blessing. If there is anything no matter how little, that comes up before us to trouble us as we pray over this matter, we should set it right with God at once. Mr. Finney tells of one who, in great agony prayed for days for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit but received no answer. At last as she was praying one night she put her hand to her head and took off some little adornment that always came up before her when she prayed and cast it from her. Immediately she received the long desired blessing. It seemed a very little thing but it was a matter of controversy with God and hindered the blessing.
(3.) “How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” (Luke 11:13.)
(a.) There must be definite prayer for this Baptism. It is often said that the Holy Spirit is already here and that every believer has the Spirit and so we ought not to pray for the Holy Spirit. This argument overlooks the distinction between having the Holy Spirit and having this specific operation of the Holy Spirit. (see 1. 2.) It also contradicts the plain teaching of God’s word that He gives “the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him.” It is furthermore shown to be fallacious by the fact that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts was constantly given in connection with and in answer to prayer. (Acts 1:14; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 4:31; Acts 8:15, Acts 8:17.)
(b.) Prayer implies desire. There is no real prayer for the Baptism of the Spirit unless there is a deep desire for it. As long as a man thinks he can get along somehow without this blessing, he is not likely to get it; but when a man reaches the place where he feels he must have this no matter what it costs, he is far on the way toward receiving it. Many a minister of the gospel and other worker has been brought to a place where he has felt he could not go on with his ministry without this gift and then the gift has soon followed and the character of his work has been entirely transformed.
(c.) The prayer to be effectual must be in faith (Mark 11:24). James says in regard to the prayer for wisdom, “Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.” (James 1:6-7.) The same principle, of course, holds in regard to the prayer for the Holy Spirit. It is at this very point that many miss the blessing. How to approach God in faith is clearly taught by 1 John 5:14-15. “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to his will He heareth us, and if we know that he hear us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” When we ask Him for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit we know that we have asked something according to His will for it is definitely promised in His word. Therefore we know that “He heareth us; and if we know that He hear us we know that we have the petition” which we have asked of him. As soon then as I am sure I have met the conditions stated above of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and asked it of God I have a right to count this blessing mine—the prayer is heard and I have the petition I asked of him—and get up and enter into my work assured that in my work will be seen the Spirit’s power. “But,” some one will say, “shall we expect no manifestations?” Yes, but where? In service. When I know on the authority of God’s word that my prayer is heard, I have the right to enter upon any service to which He calls me and confidently expect the manifestation of the Spirit’s power in that service. It is a mistake to wait or look for, as so many do, the manifestation in electric shocks or peculiar emotional experiences. They may and often do accompany the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. But the Bible clearly teaches us (1Cor. 12:4-11) that the place to look for manifestations, is in service and the most important, reliable and scriptural manifestations are found in our work. “Must we not wait,” it may be asked, “until we know that we have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?” Most assuredly, but how are we to know? The same way in which we know we are saved, by the testimony of God’s word. When I know I have met the conditions and have asked this gift which is “according to his will” I know by God’s word (1 John 5:14-15.) that my prayer is heard, and that I have the petition I desired of him. I have a right to arise with no other evidence than the all–sufficient evidence of God’s word, and enter into the service to which God calls me. “Did not the early disciples wait ten days?” it may again be asked. Yes, and the reason why is clearly given in Acts 2:1.—“When the day of Pentecost was fully come.” In the O. T. types the day of Pentecost had been appointed as the day in God’s economy for the first giving of the Holy Spirit and the offering of the first–fruits (the church) and so the Holy Spirit could not be given until that day. (Lev 23:9-17.) But after the Spirit was once given we find no protracted period of waiting on the part of those who sought this blessing. (Acts 4:31; Acts 8:15, Acts 8:17; Acts 9:17, Acts 9:20; Acts 19:6.) Men are obliged to wait to–day, but it is only because they have not met the conditions, or do not believe and claim the blessing simply on the Word of God. The moment we meet the conditions and claim the blessing it is ours. (Mark 11:24 R.V.) Any child of God may lay down this book, meet the conditions, ask the blessing, claim it and have it. In a Students’ Summer School at Lake Geneva after a talk by F. B. Meyer on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a student remained to talk with me. He said he had heard of this before and had been seeking it for months but could not get it. I found his will was not surrendered, but that was soon settled. Then I said, “Let us kneel down and ask God for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” He did so. Was that petition “according to his will?” I asked. “Yes.” “Was the prayer heard?” After some hesitation, “It must have been.” “Have you what you asked of Him?” “I don’t feel it.” I read 1 John 5:15 from the Bible that lay open before us: “If we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petition we desired of him.” “Was the prayer heard?” “Yes.” “Have you what you asked?” “I must have; for God says so.” We arose and soon separated. Going back to the school in a few days I met the young man again. His face was now all aglow and he knew he had received what at first he took upon the bare word of God.
4. The Repetition of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
One thing more needs to be said before we leave this subject. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience that needs frequent repeating. This appears from a comparison of Acts 2:4—where Peter with others was filled with the Holy Spirit—with Acts 4:8.—where Peter was filled again,—and with Acts 4:31 where Peter with others was filled yet again. A new filling is needed and should be sought for each new emergency of Christian service. There are many who once knew experimentally what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit meant who are trying to work to–day in the power of that old experience and are working without God. They need and must have a new Baptism before God can use them.