The Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Just as the Lord Jesus had promised, the Holy Spirit came on the Apostles and the believers with them in the upper room (Acts 2). As believers in the modern age, we may take the presence of the Holy Spirit with us for granted. But until the birth of the church at Pentecost of A.D. 33, the Holy Spirit did not indwell believers continually. When he sinned, even King David prayed, "take not your Holy Spirit from me" (Psalm 51:11b). While the filling of the Holy Spirit is repeatable and commanded (Ephesians 5:18), the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not repeated nor commanded of Christians. Although we do not get tongues of fire over our heads when we are regenerated, all believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit when they are born-again (1 Cor 12:13). One cannot claim to be a believers without having the Holy Spirit indwelling them (Romans 8:9).

This Sunday, we'll look at this amazing display of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit when He inaugurated the birth of the church as documented in Acts Chapter two.