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Ask The Pastor
November 19, 1999
Dear Resa,
May the Lord bless you. It will be my pleasure to respond to your
inquiry.
You said:
> I am a 19 year old sophomore at a Christian college. I was
saved at age
> 8 and have recently started getting hungry for God's word, praying more,
> and praising Him with my whole heart. One of my friends gave me some
> verses to read that talk about The Baptism of the Holy Spirit. I wasn't
> brought up to even believe this existed. I don't quite know what to
> think. Of course I am praying about it, and maybe God led me to your
> website to hear your insight.
>
> Also John 3:5 has me confused.
One reason the term 'baptism of the Holy Spirit' becomes confusing is because it often
gets uprooted from its Biblical usage. John the Baptist was the first to use 'baptism'
language. (The term 'baptism' was not uncommon with the Jewish peoples.)
John said to certain of the leadership, "I baptize you with water for repentance, but
He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Matt3:11)
In context, John is speaking of two baptisms. The Holy Spirit baptism, is the Messianic
baptism by which believers are introduced into the kingdom of the Messiah. The 'fire'
baptism speaks of judgement. The fire baptism projects itself to 70ad, when Israel lost
her place as a nation. If you recall, the temple was burned to the ground and the Jewish
peoples suffered untold horrors. (There are other ramifications but I wish to keep this
simple.)
John's language takes up after the cross. After the day of Pentecost, the term 'baptism of
the Holy Spirit' was simply a reference to one's entrance into the kingdom of God. It is
synonymous with 'new birth' language. When a person believes in Jesus from the heart,
there is a process by which the person is made one with Christ. This experience is the
baptism of the Holy Spirit. Paul said, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into
one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of
one Spirit." (1Co12:13)
This brings us to John 3:5. Although Jesus does not use 'baptism' language here, He is
speaking of the same experience. He says in verse 8, "The wind blows where it wishes
and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going;
so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
Usually the concern with John 3:5 is whether Jesus is speaking of water baptism. (I assume
this is your question.) The verse says, "Unless one is born of water and the Spirit
he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Is water baptism in view? This is not easy
to answer simply because water baptism is a very real part of our conversion experience.
Without getting into baptismal regeneration, water baptism is a mirror reflection of what
happens when a person is born again. In addition, water baptism is part of our covenant
walk.
In the new birth the individual is made one with Christ in His death, burial,
resurrection, and glorification. The birth from above is a spiritual union of the human
spirit with the Spirit of Christ. While water baptism is not in itself the cause of our
new birth, once again, it is a mirror reflection of that process, and, therefore, is made
part of the total conversion experience.
Some feel the Lord is not speaking of water baptism but rather of the 'washing' of
regeneration. (Eph5:26 and Titus3:5) In Titus, it says, "He saved us, not on the
basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the
washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit."
I think both views are valid. The problem today is that many folk tend to downplay water
baptism. In my opinion this is a mistake. Water baptism relates both to a covenant walk
with the Lord, and to a pure conscience that comes through obedience to God's Word. (Cf.
1Pe3:21)
I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Buddy
Bro. Buddy Martin - Ask
the Pastor
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Lawrence "Buddy" Martin
email: Bro.Buddy@ChristianChallenge.org
Web: http://www.ChristianChallenge.org
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