Biblical Word Pictures of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:4-8
I. Note: Salvation must come before Spirit
Baptism:
Acts 1:4-8 (NIV)
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.
5 For John baptized with[1] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
We know that the Disciples have already been saved by this Time.
Jesus has already breathed on them at an earlier time and told them to receive the H.S. (JN 20:22)
If the disciples were saved & they had received the H.S…..
-Yet Jesus told them, “in a few days you will be
baptized with the Holy
Spirit” Acts 1:5
IT MEANS THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE ON THE WAY… ANOTHER LEVEL IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD!
II. Word pictures describing the BHS.
(a) Why did Jesus & John the Baptist call this
experience after salvation…Baptism in the Holy
Spirit?
“Baptism” – Comes from the Greek word
- “Baptismo” which means to immerse or dunk.
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Baptismo is a word which was used to describe:
a) Sinking ships as they sank water would fill
the inside of ship.
b) Another usage describes a garment being
immersed into dye… the dye penetrates every
fiber of the fabric.
So when Jesus and John The Baptist said, “You will be baptized in the H.S.” they are saying :
-all your insides will be filled with the presence of God!
-when you are dipped, immersed, dunked into the presence of God you will have a new spiritual color that will fill every fiber of your being!
The Bible also uses other word pictures to describe this 2nd work of Grace which happens in the life of a believer.
(1) Receiving Power when the H.S. Comes upon you
In Acts1:8 Jesus said,
“ You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
(a) Receiving Power:
Jesus Said, “You shall receive power when the H.S. has come upon you.”
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The word translates “power” here is the Greek word dunamis.
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“The Greek word dunamis entered the English language when the Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Bernhard Nobel (1833-96) made the discovery that became his fortune. He discovered a power stronger than anything the world had known up to that time. He asked a friend of his who was a Greek scholar what the word for ‘explosive power’ was in Greek. His friend answered, ‘Dunamis”. Nobel said. ‘Well, I am going to call my discovery by that name.’ So called his ‘explosive power dynamite.”
The word Power in the original language means.
-To be able (or)
-to have strength
In the context of the passage it means:
-To have explosive strength to do the impossible
-To be able to do explosive miraculous
b) "come upon you"
In Acts1:8 Jesus said, “ You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
In the original language the phraze
“come upon you” - is connected to the idea of an outflow of what already exist.
Jesus speaks of this overflow of the Holy Spirit in John 7:37b-39
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ He spoke concerning the Spirit whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
Another words… When the Power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us…
-An increase takes place
-An overflow is created
*** We get so much of God that we cannot keep Him on the inside… The increase of power is so great in our lives that it begins to pour out on everyone around us!
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Putting these passages together that speak of an overflow of t he H.S. we see imagery of the Holy Spirit coming upon us and causing Rivers of Power to flow out of us!
** When we are baptized in the H.S. rivers (plural) of the power of God begin to flow out of our lives!
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The Mississippi river starts here… It is really more of a stream than it is a river…. But if you follow that river down to central IL. Where I grew up that river is big enough for massive barges full of grain. ---- If you follow it further down to Louisiana before the delta it is an even Larger river…What is the difference between that end and this end of the river???
---It is simply an increase of what already exist
--- the same river just more water.
o This ILL does not totally cut it because we are still talking about 1 river Jesus said out of your belly will flow rivers!!!
Putting these word pictures together….
Another words… A loose translation of the verse might read,
“You shall be able to do great things when the Holy Spirit which is already in you Comes upon you in more power and creates an outflow. The result of this will be you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
* This is a very loose translation of this verse and it is okay if you choose to disagree with it.
But we cannot disagree with the fact that After this promise of Jesus came to pass all of the disciples lives were transformed!
-There was an increase of Power in their lives
-There was an increase of miracles in their
lives
-There was an increased ability to witness
(2) "Be filled"
Eph. 5:18 says,
“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”
When it says, “Be filled with the Spirit.”
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It is the picture of Wind filling the sales of a ship
-pushing it forward
-carrying it the proper destination
Review:
1) Receiving the H.S. at salvation is a separate from being Baptized in the H.S.
2) WE have just looked at some Biblical illustrations of what it means to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit.
a) To be dunked or immersed into the presence of God (insides filled / every fiber colored by the Sprit)
b) To be empowered by the Spirit (Explosive / miraculous power)
c) To have an outflow like Rivers of power after The H.S. moves upon us.
d) To Be filled with the wind or breath of the H.S. To move us forward.
Closing:
Reread (Acts 1:8)
· When the Spirit comes upon you; you will be my witnesses….
If we are not empowered by the Holy Spirit all of our witnessing is in vein! -- But if we are empowered by the Holy Spirit God will allow us to have effective empowered ministry.
-The overflow of the Spirit provides increased effectiveness in witnessing!
* In Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth. – Some translations : End of the earth.
***God wants us to be concerned with every area of the Globe
