THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

“Every regenerate person has the Holy Spirit, but not every regenerate person has what the Bible calls…‘The baptism with the Holy Spirit,’or ‘the Promise of the Father’” R.A. Torrey (ref#223, p115).

The “gift” of the SPIRIT everyone gets at regeneration.  This “gift” over time produces the “fruit of the SPIRIT.”  The SPIRIT works internally in the believer to produce more and more fruit.  “Gifts” have nothing to do with continually changing the believer into the image of CHRIST.  They are unique to each believer and are given whenever the SPIRIT deems best (Heb 2:4).  These “gifts” are to glorify GOD and build up His church.

“…the Baptism with the Holy Spirit is a work of the Holy Spirit distinct from and additional to His regenerating work. In other words, it is one thing to be born again by the Holy Spirit, and quite another thing to be baptized with the Holy Spirit” R.A. Torrey (ref#223, p112).

“In some cases, the gifts of the Spirit coincide with natural endowments, but they transcend these natural abilities by adding a supernatural quality” (Kenneth Boa, The Gifts of the Spirit, http://bible.org/article/gifts-spirit).

The “Baptism of the SPIRIT” is called by some, “the second blessing.”  Both represent the HOLY SPIRIT moving an individual in a mighty way in the service of Christianity.  This movement has been labeled because of the evangelistic supernaturalism of it.  But the reality of it all is that the SPIRIT flows as a fountain, of Himself, of His own accord, and by His own will He proceeds. John Owen (ref#35, p361).

Theologians identify and put into subjects different activities of the SPIRIT but He does not stop one activity and start another.  He is the One SPIRIT doing as He pleases in each believer when and whatever He desires.  Our human judging leads us into false accusations.

This SPIRIT we cannot put in a box and say He does this and that in this and that time.  He leads each individual believer further into spiritual activities as he is able to accept them.  Our walks are all different.   FATHER keep us from finger-pointing because the SPIRIT is manifesting Himself differently in others than in us.