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Concerning the Spirit

By Bobbie Jean Merck

             A young man seriously asked me to explain to him the difference between those denominations who do not advocate the baptism with the Holy Spirit and those who do.  As I shared with him the basic beliefs, doctrines and differences of these, my heart leaped for joy.  I sensed the anointing and the quickening of this conversation for the teaching of the Overflow.

            Yes, I realize that you are probably familiar with this subject, but others are not.  Therefore, it is with great joy and honor that I write about our precious Holy Spirit to you.

            Jesus spoke about the assurance of the Holy Spirit for the believer in John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7:

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

The giving of the Holy Spirit results from Christ’s sacrifice. What a gift! 

            Those who do not advocate the baptism of the Holy Spirit for today are born again of the Holy Spirit and the incorruptible seed – the Word of God.  (See John 3:1-8; 1Peter 1:23.) You could say this measure of the Holy Spirit is “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  Those who do advocate the baptism of the Holy Spirit are born again as well of the Holy Spirit and the incorruptible seed – the Word of God.  Those who are baptized with the Holy Spirit also have the river of the Holy Spirit within.

“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)” (John 7:37-39).

            We do have this in common.  Truly, the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ is the point of unity.  And the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ makes the difference for all who believe on Jesus Christ.

            Let us consider John Wesley for example.  He was the founder of Methodism.  He spoke with other tongues and allowed the flow of the Spirit immeasurably.  Charles Wesley, his brother, wrote a song entitled, “O For A Thousand Tongues”.  He therefore was wishing that he had 1,000 tongues and not just a few, to sing our Redeemer’s praise!  “I’m grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him” (1 Corinthians 14:18 The Message).

            Nowhere in the Bible will scripture be found to say that the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and consequently speaking in tongues, was for the apostles and the early church and not for today.  That is the reason we must rightly divide the Word and obey His Word and commandments.  Jesus paid the price for us to have ALL the blessings of God that pertain to life and godliness.

            Second Corinthians 3:17 promises, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”  I love freedom and liberty, don’t you? The root of this verse is deeper than just the Holy Spirit being present.  He is everywhere present. The scripture truly means, “Where the Spirit is Lord” there is liberty, freedom, and emancipation from all bondage.  Of course, Lord means Master.

            In Psalm 23:1 when “The Lord is my shepherd” is written, it means that He is also Captain and Friend.  It is the image of the Lord Jesus Christ as being very intimate.  He is not distant or impersonal as our Rock and Shield, but He is the Shepherd Who takes care of all our needs.  It reveals One Whom we can trust!  His ability to provide should never be doubted or questioned.  He is a Friend Who desires to generously bestow His blessings upon us.  And that, not only is to provide so we will not “want”, but until our “cup overflows”.  God is good and not stingy!  

Remember, we are concentrating on the Lordship of the Holy Spirit.  Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22, which is the “Psalm of the Cross.  There are no green pastures, no still waters on the other side of the twenty-second Psalm.  It is only after we read, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!’ that we come to ‘The Lord is my Shepherd.’ We must by experience know the value of the blood-shedding and see the sword awakened against the Shepherd, before we shall be able truly to know the sweetness of the good Shepherd’s care.”  (Taken from The Treasury of David by C.H. Spurgeon.)

            The Treasury of David further notes: “What are these ‘still waters’ but the influences and graces of the blessed Spirit?  His Spirit attends us in various operation, like waters – in the plural – to cleanse, to refresh, to fertilize, to cherish  …  to peaceful streams of holy love does the Spirit of God conduct the chosen sheep …  Moses drives us by the law, but Jesus leads us by his example, and the gentle drawings of his love.”

            As Jesus Christ is our Lord, Savior, Shepherd, and Baptizer; the Holy Spirit is our Lord, Comforter, and Baptizer.  Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit are so much more, but we state those to confirm to us their importance in these categories.

            First Corinthians 12:13 tells us the importance of the Holy Spirit working within the Body of Christ as the Baptizer.  “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”  As we are born again the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ.

            Matthew 3:11 tells us the importance of Jesus Christ being the Baptizer with the Holy Spirit and with fire.  “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire….”  Those who have experienced the baptism with the Holy Spirit as recorded in the Book of Acts receive this baptism to be the fulfillment of Matthew 3:11.  They indeed exude the fire of God from their life.

            The young man also asked, “Why are some churches so formal and others have so much freedom in their worship?”  Have you noticed this difference?

            We see liberty, freedom, and emancipation from all bondage in worship services where the people have experienced the baptism with the Holy Spirit and have kept this experience alive and fresh in their daily life.  Yes, as scripture instructs us, our liberty, freedom, and emancipation must reflect in “decency and in order” as we worship together.  Another witness of this present experience will be a flow of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are taught to us in First Corinthians 12:4-11. 

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.  And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. 

            Do we in the Body of Christ need the manifestation of these gifts now?  The answer is “yes”!  Verse seven says they are given to profit all! God is love!  God blesses!  God gives every good and perfect gift!  God profits you!  God is good!!! 

“‘Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?’ They said, ‘Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus.  Then you’ll live as you were meant to live-and everyone in your house included!’”  (Acts 16:30-31Message Bible).

As it is written, “…Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?  And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?  And they said, Unto John's baptism.  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied” (Acts 19:2-6).

BE BORN AGAIN!!!

BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!