Christians: Why is it important to be baptized with the Holy Spirit as in Acts 1:5-8 ?

Answer 1

It is interesting to me that so many people, even believers, have difficulty with this part of our Christian walk. It was Jesus who first breathed on the disciples, saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit". Then, just before He ascended to the Father, He told them to wait until the Spirit came upon them, which they did in the upper room.

If Jesus deemed it important, shouldn't we also?

By personal experience, I have learned that I need relationship with Father God, His Son and my Savior, Jesus Christ, and also the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit is the One Who convicts and convinces of sin, gives insight into the Scriptures, gives wisdom in applying the Scriptures, and gives comfort, strength, and courage in our times of need. He is the One Who enables us to overcome temptation in our areas of weakness. And, very importantly, it is by the Holy Spirit that we are sealed to God for the day of redemption.

In all honesty, for myself, I find that I must repent, at times, for grieving the Holy Spirit, which the Scripture tells to be careful not to do. He is the One Who leads us in the ways of God, now that Jesus is with the Father.

Answer 2

Andrew had a good answer, but I would like to add some thoughts to what he said.

The Holy Spirit is one of the three Persons in the Godhead. We are told that we will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Because God is triune, we actually are indwelt by all three Persons. The Holy Spirit is responsible for instilling faith in us. We CANNOT believe in God without first having received the Holy Spirit. And there's no partial receiving of Him. He's either there or He isn't. Once we have come to faith, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts and lives to sanctify us, and to give us the fruit of the Spirit, the works that are evidence of our faith. And He does this on His own terms, in His own way, and His own timing. We cannot do good works except by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit also gives us gifts, but remember Paul said the fruit is more important. The gifts are simply the tools we can use to produce fruit. The Holy Spirit gives us the gifts He wants us to have. Don't be confused by the actions of some Christians, who presume to teach other Christians how to speak in tongues. The Holy Spirit gives tongues or He doesn't. It's not something that can be taught. In fact, the Bible makes it clear that tongues are a means by which a believer can make the gospel known to someone who doesn't speak in the believer's language. I have talked to people who have seen this in action. One, a pastor who counseled me for awhile, saw that at an evangelism meeting in Japan, an English-speaking pastor asked for an interpreter, but during his presentation, the interpreter didn't say anything. The evangelist was angry, and he was standing after the meeting with my friend and some other people, and he berated the interpreter for not saying anything. The interpreter responded, "I didn't have to. You were speaking perfect Japanese." And the Koreans and Germans standing there all asserted that he was speaking perfect Korean and German, respectively. If you study the passage in Acts that describes Pentecost, you see this is what tongues is. Nowadays, tongues don't happen often, but some people are gifted to learn a foreign language easily, and I would maintain this is another form of the gift of tongues. Be careful because churches that teach people how to speak in tongues are often spiritually abusive. If you don't speak in tongues, then there is something wrong with you and your faith. They ignore the fact that faith is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice how in the Bible (KJV) it always says the faith OF Jesus Christ, not faith IN Him. Why? Because our faith is a gift; it's not something WE do. Please also be aware that cult members can speak in tongues in the way most pentecostals say it should be done; I have personally observed this. So do Buddhists. The ability to say things that sound like gibberish is not a mark of having the Holy Spirit. On the contrary. I read 15 languages, and I have worked with over 140. I also can speak a little in several. When I have heard speaking in tongues I can tell you point blank that what they are saying isn't complex enough to be any kind of real language, not even an unknown one. The idea that these are unknown tongues is due to the fact that words have been added to scripture, but if you look at the KJV, you will see that the word "unknown" is always in italics. That's because it was added to try to make the passage make more sense to the readers at the time. But to get back to the question of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, it simply means that a person has received the Holy Spirit, and thus has been given the gift of faith, and that the Holy Spirit will work in his life from that point onward, helping him to bear fruit. It doesn't mean that there is some kind of gift people have to demonstrate to be genuine, and it doesn't mean that there are two tiers of Christians, one that has tongues and another that doesn't. I hope this helps. If you want to discuss this further, you may note me.

By the way, it would be incorrect to say Jesus can only be in one place at a time. He is GOD. The mere fact He has a body does not mean He cannot indwell believers.

Answer 3

Someone at church gave a brilliant illustration about this a couple of days ago, and I can't remember what it was!!

More helpfully, I don't agree with some cults that say you are not saved unless you are baptised with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues....you are saved through believing that Jesus is the Son of God and asking Him to forgive your sins.

However, many Christians (me included) have found that there has been no real power in our lives to keep in living touch with God, or to be a convincing witness to others, without receiving a conscious infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit subsequent to (but usually separate from) conversion to Christ.

Ah yes, I remember the illustration now! When you first believe in Jesus, that is like the pilot light being lit in a boiler....when you receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, it is like the whole system going "Whoosh!!" and coming into action.

Bless you, "Forerunner"....once again, I did wonder why you wanted to ask people's opinion on this topic - do you just enjoy stirring up controversy, or are you genuinely hungry for more of the Holy Spirit in your own life?

Answer 4

Some good answers above, hope this helps and adds:

In the OT there were many who were filled with the Holy Ghost – the prophets, David, why even King Saul and Samson. They were enabled with gifts, but something was still missing, easily apparent if we compare with the NT.

Then came Jesus and with Him the forgiveness of sins once and for all, not the way the OT priests had to do it year after year. And to all who believed on His name, Jesus gives the power to become children of God, not through the flesh as the will of parents but of the spirit the will of God (Gospel of John chapter 1). For He truly baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire (He sets our hearts on fire for His word, as many of us will happily confess :-)

When Peter preached at Cornelius’ home and was yet in the middle of the sermon God’s spirit rained down. Now Cornelius was a gentile and not even baptized etc. when this happened. Peter was so awed by this that he later spoke, “when God chooses to forgive the gentiles and fill them with the same Holy Spirit as us (meaning the first Christians who were actually Jews), and does not differentiate on appearance, ancestry or nation, who are we to prevent God from doing so?” Therefore, when a person first believes in the name of Jesus and truly repents, God has compassion and forgives the penitent, giving the great gift of His spirit which transforms a person’s heart (from the ones we have of stone) to a living one that knows the love of God.

This great love that God demonstrates is available for us even today. For without this love in our lives, all our goodness, our deeds, our greatness, even our very life is worthless. He calls us and patiently waits for us, and saves us. Whatever we do, even as the most noblest of all Christians, we can never be worthy of the love and forgiveness of God. Still He reaches out to us to redeem us from our just deserts. And filled with the Holy Ghost, we cry out “Abba, Father...” -- God who is so far away due to our sins in an instant becomes accessible, dwelling in our very hearts; which all the blood of lambs and bulls could not do, Jesus achieved on the cross: the reconciliation of God and man.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever may believeth in Him may not perish but have everlasting life.

For Him always,
Andrew

Answer 5

We are to be baptized with the Holy Spirit to receive power from on high to be a witness to Christ every where we go in our daily lives.

Answer 6

The Holy Spirit is where our power comes from. When you walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The Holy Spirit is our comforter in times of suffering. He is our guide and inspiration. He reveals the truth to us. He keeps and seals us until the day of the Lord.

For a fantastic song about the Holy Spirit, go to this link and click "Holy Spirit".
http://www.myspace.com/natesallie

God bless!!

Answer 7

Hey Brother.
Before looking at Acts 1:5-8 I just wanted to consider John 20:19-22 on the Night of the Lord's Resurrection.

"When therefore it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and while the doors were shut where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst and said to them, Peace be to you.

And when He said this, He showed them His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced at seeing the Lord

And Jesus said to them again, Peace be to you, as the Father has sent Me I also send you

And when He had said this, He breathed into them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit"

wow

The Lord's breathing of the Holy Spirit into the disciples was breathing in the essential Spirit into them as their life and life supply. This is crucial for the inner life and experience of the Lord for his believers.

Then there is this amazing verse in Luke 24:49.. just before the Lord's open ascension he said
"And behold I send forth the Promise of My Father UPON you but as for you, stay in the city until you PUT ON POWER from on high"

So we saw the Essential aspect of the Holy Spirit and now we see the promise of the Economical Aspect of the Holy Spirit.

SO the verses in Acts are so powerful. This is where the Empowering aspect of the Holy Spirit is seen.. TO equip them for the Work of the Ministry of the Kingdom of the Heavens.

I believe that as those who are believers in Christ that we need both aspects of the Holy SPirit.
We need the Life aspect but we also need the empowering aspect in order to share the gospel.. to bind the strong man to release many for the Lord...

Its like putting a police officer at an intersection without a uniform. He may know much about policing but without his uniform he is just anoter civilian. BUT.. put that uniform on him and he carries His authority out in a powerful proper way.

So praise the LOrd for the Economical and Essential aspects of this One Holy Spirit of the Promise.


Good Q bro
sandy

Answer 8

But ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost;
that is, by Himself; for it is Christ's prerogative to baptize with the Spirit, as John foretold of him, and it designs such an extraordinary and plentiful donation of the gifts of the Spirit, as may be expressed by a baptism; in which the apostles, on the day of "Pentecost", were, as it were, to be immersed, and with them covered; "he who is plunged in water, and baptized", is encompassed by the water on every side, so are they that are wholly baptized by the Spirit.''
Meaning the power of the Holy Ghost, strength from him to preach the Gospel, and work miracles in confirmation of it, and courage and greatness of mind, amidst all reproaches and persecutions, to face and oppose their enemies, profess the name of Christ, abide by his truths and ordinances, make their way through all opposition and difficulties, and spread the Gospel all over the world; for instead of enjoying worldly ease, honour, wealth, and riches, that they were looking for, our Lord gives them to understand that they must expect labour, service, afflictions, and trials, which would require power and strength, and which they should have:

By the Power of the Holy Spirit!

Answer 9

This is obediecne to God. It is an outward expression of our faith in Him-- the cleansing of our sins-- being "washed clean" symbolic~ As when we first believe, we are saved, sealed with the Holy Spirit as Ephesians 1 says. God call us all to "repent and be baptized!" But we must "believe" in order to be saved-- just being baptized does not save you.
However God calls us who are saved to be baptized.

Answer 10

When one truly opens their heart and accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as their only Savior, they are baptized with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in our day to day life, leading us obediently in every thing we do. When Jesus left us physically, He promised to always be with us. The Holy Spirit does that. Jesus physically could only be in one place, teaching a certain number of people. Now that He has risen to the right hand of God, His Holy Spirit is with every single one of us who believes in Him.