There is one condition of success in bringing men to Christ that is of such cardinal importance, and so little understood, that it demands a separate chapter. I refer to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In Acts i. 5; Luke xxiv. 49 (comp. Acts i. 8), and Acts ii. 4, we have three expressions; “baptized with the Holy Spirit,” “endured with power from on high” and “filled with the Holy Spirit.” By a careful comparison of these and related passages we will find that these various expressions refer to one and the same experience. This experience we shall see as we proceed in the study of this subject is an absolutely necessary condition of acceptable and effective service for Christ.
1. What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
1. It is a definite and distinct operation of the Holy Spirit of which one may know whether it has been wrought in him or not. This is evident from the fact that Jesus bade His disciples tarry in Jerusalem until they had received this enduement, (Luke xxiv. 49, comp. Acts i. 8), and if it was not a definite and distinct operation of which they might know whether they had received it or not, of course, they would not know when this command of Christ had been complied with and when they were ready to begin their witnessing.
2. It is an operation of The Holy Spirit separate from His regenerating work. This appears from Acts i. 5, where the disciples are told “ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” But from Jno. xv. 3; xiii. 10 we learn that the disciples were already regenerated. It appears also from Acts viii. 15, 16 where we are told of certain who had already believed and were baptized with water, but upon whom the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen. The same thing is shown by Acts xix. 1–6, where we are told of certain who were disciples, but who had not received the Holy Spirit since they believed. One may then be regenerated by the Holy Spirit without being baptized with the Holy Spirit. Such an one is saved but he is not yet fitted for service. Every believer has the Holy Spirit, Rom. viii. 9, but not every believer has the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, (Acts viii. 12–16; xix. 1–2). We shall see very soon that every believer may have the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is always connected with testimony or service, (see 1 Cor. xii. 4–13; Acts i. 5–8; Luke xxiv. 49; Acts ii. 4; iv. 8, 31; vii. 55; ix. 17, 20; x. 45–46; xix. 6.) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit has no direct reference to cleansing from sin. This is an important point to bear in mind for many reasons. There is a line of teaching on this subject that leads men to expect that if they receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the old carnal nature will be eradicated. There is not a line of scripture to support this position. As said above, and as any one can learn for himself if he will examine all the passages in which the baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned, it is always connected with testimony and service. It is indeed accompanied with a great moral and spiritual uplifting and pre–supposes, as we shall see, an entire surrender of the will to Christ, but its primary and immediate purpose is fitting for service. We will get a more definite idea of what the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is, if we consider its manifestations and results as stated in the Bible. (a.) Let us look first at the passage that goes most into detail on this subject, 1 Cor. xii. 4–13. We see at once that the manifestations or results of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit are not precisely the same in all persons. For example, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit will not make every one who receives it a successful evangelist or teacher. Some quite different gift may be imparted. This fact is often overlooked and much disappointment and doubt are the result. The manifestations or results vary with the lines of service to which God has called different individuals. One receives the gift of an evangelist, another of a teacher, another of government, another of a helper, another of a mother, (1 Cor. xii. 28–31; Eph. iv. 8, 11.) (b.) 1 Cor. xii. 7, 11. There will be some gift in every case. Not the same gift but some gift, of an evangelist, or a pastor, or of a teacher or some other. (c.) 1 Cor. xii. 11. The Holy Spirit is Himself the one who decides what the gift or gifts shall be which he will impart to each individual. It is not for us to select some place of service and then ask the Holy Spirit to qualify us for that service, nor for us to select some gift, and then ask the Spirit to impart to us that gift. It is for us to put ourselves entirely at the disposal of the Holy Spirit to send us where “He will,” into what line of service “He will” (Acts xiii. 2,) and to impart what gift “He will.” He is absolutely sovereign and our rightful position is that of absolute and unconditional surrender to Him. This is where many fail of a blessing and meet with disappointment. I know a most sincere and self–sacrificing man who gave up a lucrative business and took up the work of an evangelist. He had heard of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; and had been led to suppose that, if he received it, it would qualify him for the work of an evangelist. The man came more than four thousand miles to this country, but the work did not open to him. He was in much perplexity and doubt until he was led to see that it was not for him to select the work of an evangelist, as good as that work was, and then expect the Holy Spirit to qualify him for this self–chosen work. He gave himself up to be sent into whatever work the Spirit might will. Into the work in which he was sent the power of the Spirit came upon him and he received this very gift of an evangelist which he had coveted. (d.) Acts i. 5, 8. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit always imparts power for service, the services to which God calls us. In a certain city was an uneducated boy who was led to Christ. In his very lowly occupation he began witnessing for Jesus. He went on from step to step in Christ’s work. My attention was called to him by a gentleman who was interested in him, and who said he would like to have me meet him. The gentleman brought him to Chicago, and I invited him one night to speak in one of our tents. It was in an exceedingly hard neighborhood. Into the same tent an organized mob once came to break up the meeting. It was a difficult audience to hold. The young man began in what appeared to me to be a very commonplace way, and I was afraid I had made a mistake in asking him to speak, but I prayed and watched the audience. There was nothing remarkable in his address as he went on—excepting the bad grammar. But I noticed that all the people were listening. They continued to listen to the end. When I asked if there was any one who wished to accept Christ, people rose in different parts of the tent to signify that they did. Thinking it all over, I told the facts to a man who had known the speaker before. “It is just so wherever he goes” was the reply. What was the explanation? This uneducated boy had received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost and had received power. One night at the close of an address on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, a minister came to me on the platform and said: “I need this power, won’t you pray for me?” “Let us kneel right down here now,” I replied, and we did. A few weeks after I met a gentleman who had been standing by. “Do you remember,” he said “the minister with whom you prayed at New Britain. He went back to his church; his church is packed Sunday evenings, a large part of the audience are young men and he is having conversions right along.” He had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and “power.” (e.) Acts iv. 29–31. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit always imparts boldness in testimony and service. Peter is a notable example of this. Contrast Peter in Acts iv. 8–12 with Peter in Mark xiv. 66–72. Perhaps some one who reads this book has a great desire to speak to others and win them to Christ, but an insuperable timidity stands in the way. If you will only get the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, all that will be overcome.
We are now in a position to define the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, is the Spirit of God falling upon the believer, taking possession of his faculties, imparting to him gifts not naturally his own, but which qualify him for the service to which God has called him.
2. The necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a preparation for Christian work.
(1.) In Luke xxiv. 49. Jesus bade the apostles to tarry in Jerusalem until they were “endued with power from on high.” These men had been appointed to be witnesses of the life, death and resurrection of Christ. (Luke xxiv. 45–48. Acts; i. 22; x. 39–41.) They had received what would seem to be a splendid and sufficient training for this work. For more than three years they had been to school to the best of teachers, Jesus Himself. They had been eye witnesses of his miracles, death, burial, resurrection and ascension. But there was still one thing needed. And this need was of such vital importance that Jesus would not permit them to enter upon their appointed work until that need had been met. That need was the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If the apostles with their unparalleled fitting for service, were not permitted to enter that service until all their other training had been supplemented by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, what daring presumption it is for any of us with our inferior training to dare to do it. But this is not all, even Jesus Himself did not enter upon his ministry until specially anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. (Acts x. 38, comp. Luke iii. 22 and iv. 1, 14). This baptism is an absolutely essential preparation for Christian work. It is either ignorance of the plain requirements of God’s word or the most daring presumption on our part when we try to do work for Christ until we know we have been Baptized with the Holy Spirit.
(2.) It is the privilege of every believer to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This appears from Acts ii. 39, R. V. “To you is the promise and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.” The context, the use of the word “promise” in this and the preceding chapter (ch. i. 4; ii. 16, 33.) and the use of the expression “gift of the Holy Spirit” throughout the book, all prove conclusively that “the promise” of this verse means the promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit; and the verse tells us that this promise is for all in all ages of the church’s history whom God shall call unto him, i. e. for every believer. If we have not this baptism it is our own fault. It is for us and we are responsible before God for all the work we might have done, and all the souls we might have won if we were so baptized, and we are guilty to the extent that the work is not done and the souls not won.