When Jesus was about to begin His public ministry, John the Baptist burst on the scene calling people to repentance. His mission was to point people to the long anticipated Messiah. In Matthew 3.11 John the Baptist said, “I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Spirit baptism is a precious truth in the life of God’s people.
The baptising work of the Holy Spirit didn’t take place during Jesus' earthly ministry. In fact, after His crucifixion and resurrection Jesus still spoke about Spirit baptism as a future event. In Acts 1.5 Jesus told His disciples, “John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” That baptising work of the Holy Spirit took place on the Day of Pentecost as described in the second chapter of Acts. At that moment the Holy Spirit took up permanent residence in the lives of each of Jesus' followers and empowered them for service. Later in the book of Acts a similar event took place. When Gentiles first received the gospel, they too were baptised by the Holy Spirit. The apostle Peter described this event in Acts 11.15-16, saying, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said, ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’”
Ever since these initial experiences of Spirit baptism, every believer has been baptised by the Holy Spirit of God. An important verse that helps us understand the nature of Spirit baptism is found in 1 Corinthians 12.13, which says, “For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free, and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” According to this verse, all of us who are believers in Jesus Christ have been baptised by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Spirit baptism must take place at the moment we receive Jesus as our Saviour. We need look for no second encounter with Spirit baptism, but can accept by faith that we have already been baptised by the Spirit. This baptising work of the Holy Spirit includes His personal and powerful work inside us. It also includes the Spirit’s work of uniting us to Jesus Christ and His church. Through Spirit baptism we have been placed into the body of Christ. This means that we are spiritually connected with every other believer. We have something, someone, in common. We have a common Lord, a common mission, a common love. We have fellowship with one another and with our Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you received Jesus as your Saviour? If so, you can be encouraged to know that the Holy Spirit is working inside you. Through Spirit baptism you’ve been forever connected to Jesus Christ and His body, the church.
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