A good place to begin today is to think a bit about the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are collectively referred to as The Holy Trinity, aka our three-in-one God. How their internal relationship works is a mystery we accept more than we understand.
There's a fitting parallel in a French novel from 1884 titled "The Three Musketeers". The motto of the main characters is
"All for One and One for All!"
It's safe to assume that their motto describes, at least in part, the internal relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
But I'm thinking we can go deeper than that.
First, though, let's state the obvious: any attempt to fully grasp The Holy Trinity with human understanding and words is going to fall short. That said, I'm trying to at least give us something to think about.
Years ago, I thought of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as equal thirds in the Godhead. That sort of made sense but still didn't feel adequate.
I eventually settled on a mathematical non-sequitur that works for me. I now think of the Godhead as being 100% Father, 100% Son, and 100% Holy Spirit, all adding up to yes, you guessed it, 100%. That's not good math, but to me, it kind of makes sense in a conceptual sort of way.
Among other things, it means you can't have one person of the Holy Trinity without having the others. They're inseparable.
Here's the meat of what I'm trying to say.
The Christian Life starts in faith and repentance. But that's as far as many people take it. Some churches main message is "Walk the aisle, say the prayer, shake the Preacher's hand, get water baptized. Okay, you're saved from hell, now take a seat." In some churches, that's about as deep as they'll take you.
My point is this: there's much more in God's plan than saying the Sinner's Prayer, getting water baptized and taking a seat. To exhibit His character and bear Kingdom fruit the way He wants, we desperately need the Holy Spirit to be as active as possible in our lives. He wants to be active in us, so you maybe you should ask yourself “What’s the holdup?” It just may be you.
Here's a statement you might find shocking: If you limit the Holy Spirit, you limit the Father and the Son.
You are a three part being: body, soul and spirit. Because of sin, your spirit was alienated from God. If you've been born again, your immaculately reborn spirit is no longer alienated. It is now joined through the Holy Spirit into a holy relationship with all of God.
Jesus paid the full price for all sin. That payment becomes yours when you repent and turn your life over to Him. If you've done that, you have a reborn spirit that is clean, pure, and free from the contamination of sin. Because of that, your reborn spirit cannot die.
1 Peter 1:23 (NIRV), Peter is talking about our reborn spirits. He says
You have been born again by means of the living word of God. His word lasts forever. You were not born again from a seed that will die. You were born from a seed that can’t die.
That may be hard to believe and even harder to accept. It may not line up with what you've been taught. Nonetheless, it's Bible truth.
Your reborn spirit has been joined to the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:17, NIV
But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
In the Greek text, that verse carries the idea that the Holy Spirit is now interconnected and interlocked with your reborn spirit. That means you’re your reborn spirit is now as unblemished and pure as it will ever be.
But your soul -- that is, your mind, will, and emotions -- still needs a lot of work. A lot of work. This is the part of your spiritual journey that Paul is referencing in Philippians 2:12 (NIV):
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
But God doesn't leave you to figure it out on your own.
Once you're born again, the Holy Spirit will walk with you through the job of transforming your mind, will, and emotions. Jesus called the Holy Spirit "the Helper" and "the Comforter." It should be obvious that you need all of His help and comfort you can get.
John 15:26, Amplified Bible, Jesus speaking:
But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor-Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.
In the Book of Acts and the following Epistles, it's clear that the Holy Spirit was far more active in the lives of those early Believers than most Christians experience today.
Carefully read The Book of Acts. If you take out the transforming, supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit, the Book of Acts might as well be titled "The Book of Not-Much-To-See-Here."
Many people think water baptism is the only kind of baptism because that's the only one they've heard about at their church. But that’s not scriptural. Let’s consider what's in the New Testament. Hebrews 6:2 (NKJV) mentions "Baptisms", plural. There are more than three, but today I'm only talking about three of them.
In these three Baptisms, the immersion is either into water, the Body of Christ, or the Holy Spirit.
First, let's list the three basic parts of any baptism. They are:
- The person performing the Baptism.
- The person being Baptized.
- The element into which the person is being Baptized.
Water Baptism
Water baptism can occur at any time after the person has been born again. The New Testament pattern is for water baptism to take place early in the new believer’s Christian experience.
God wants believers to be water baptized, though Jesus doesn't make it a requirement for being born again. If Water Baptism was a requirement for salvation, Jesus would have mentioned it in John 3:1-3 during his discussion with Nicodemus.
For Water Baptism,
- The Baptizer is any qualified disciple.
- The candidate is any Believer.
- Immersion is into water.
Baptism into the Body of Christ
The Baptism into the Body of Christ is a supernatural part of the New Birth. It’s the first baptism that happens when someone becomes a Believer. It happens automatically the moment someone is born again and is a built-in component of the New Birth.
- The Baptizer is the Holy Spirit.
- The person being Baptized is the new Believer.
- Immersion is into the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV)
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.
Someone who is immersed into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit has the Holy Spirit supernaturally joined to their spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is not the same event as being immersed into the Holy Spirit by Jesus. Who does what to whom is different in both events.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit can occur at any time after the person has been born-again. This supernatural third Baptism is not earned. It's a gift of grace, just like salvation.
- The candidate is any Believer.
- The Baptizer is Jesus Christ.
- Immersion is into the Holy Spirit.
John 1:33 (NIV), John the Baptist speaking:
And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
Mark 1:8, NIV, again John the Baptist speaking:
I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
Though the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not a requirement for salvation, God wants all believers to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. You'll get a lot closer to fulfilling His call on your life with it.
In the Book of Acts, we see that the supernatural Lord Jesus may immerse a Believer in the Holy Spirit at any time with or without specific prayer or the laying on of hands. We can ask for it and prepare for it, but we can't earn it or schedule it. Jesus may perform this immersion on brand new Believers as well as long time Believers. Water Baptism is not a required prerequisite but Baptism into the Body of Christ is.
In the New Testament, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is accompanied by speaking in Tongues. You may have been told otherwise, but Tongues are a Bible fact.
Speaking in Tongues is Scriptural evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, though the manifestation of Tongues may not be immediate.
For example, in Acts 9:17-18 (NIV), we see that Paul the Apostle was baptized in the Holy Spirit, yet there is no indication that he immediately spoke in Tongues. Later, though, he wrote
“I thank God, I speak in Tongues more than all of you” (1Corinthians 14:18, NIV).
Tongues are a language chosen and given by the Holy Spirit through your human spirit. It may be a language known only to God. It may be a language spoken by angels, or it may be a human language unknown to the speaker. Whichever, it is a real language.
The utterances may be for prayer, worship, or prophecy. Sometimes the Tongues may come out as a song. I've experienced all of it. Let me tell you, it's good.
Some people teach that when you were born again, you received all of the Holy Spirit there is. But they're wrong.
If you received all of the Holy Spirit you'll ever need at the moment you were born again, Scripture would assume you're always filled. It wouldn't be telling you to be continually filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18, ISV
...keep on being filled with the Spirit.
It may sound like I'm splitting hairs or playing semantics, but I'm not. This is important. Let the Scriptures stand on their own.
Here's one example of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter was sharing the Gospel in the home of Cornelius, a Gentile. Before this event, the early Jewish followers of Jesus didn't understand that Gentiles could be part of the Body of Christ.
Acts 10:44-47 (NIV)
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.
The circumcised (Jewish) believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.
For they heard them speaking in Tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
For the Gentiles in Cornelius' home that day, immersion by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ came first. It was immediately followed with immersion by Jesus into the Holy Spirit. Those two events were quickly followed by water baptism.
But it all doesn't have to happen that fast. In my experience, it often doesn't.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit can happen spontaneously as it did with Cornelius' entire household. It can also happen through the prayers of others.
Acts 19:1-7 (NIV) gives us another example.
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit after you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in Tongues and prophesied.
There were about twelve men in all.
In Mark 16:17 (NKJV), it's recorded that Jesus said
And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name...they will speak with new tongues.
That passage lists other supernatural signs, too, but today I'm focusing on Tongues. Here's why.
Both in Scripture and in my experience, I see Tongues as a "gateway" gift that helps open up the Believer to more of the Holy Spirit in ministry, supernatural gifts, prayer, and worship. The word "more" includes an increased intimacy with the heart of God, which of course is absolutely wonderful and is the ultimate purpose of our lives.
I Corinthians 14 gives us a lot of insight into the Holy Spirit's activity. The whole chapter is too much to cover here, so I'll just hit on a couple of points.
The Believers in Corinth spoke in Tongues a lot, even in their public meetings. It could be confusing and wasn't always beneficial in those settings, so Paul instructed that Tongues in public meetings had to be interpreted in order to bless the hearers.
But in private settings, it was a different story. The problem in Corinth wasn't with Tongues. It was their "wrong place, wrong time" untranslated expression of Tongues that was the problem.
Take careful notice. Paul wasn't condemning Tongues. In 1 Corinthians 14:18, Paul said that he thanked God that he spoke in Tongues more than any of the Corinthian Believers.
The only reasonable conclusion is that Paul must have prayed in Tongues a lot in his non-public prayer and worship life.
1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (NKJV)
For if I pray in a Tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.
What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.
I've heard some very scholarly sounding "Bible experts" confidently jump through hoops to claim that Tongues aren't for today. But I'm here to tell you that they're wrong. Like a square peg in a round hole, they use twisted arguments to explain away Paul's clear admonition in 1 Corinthians 14:39 (NIV):
...do not forbid speaking in Tongues.
The Lord Jesus wants to immerse you in the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) records that Jesus said
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
That brings me back to the title of today's message:
More Holy Spirit, please!
For additional thoughts on the Holy Spirit, check out a post I wrote several years ago titled "He's Not Your Drunk Uncle".
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