The Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2. I'm commencing to read at verse 1, right down to verse 13. Our overall theme is, The Church of Lees. And our subject tonight is, What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? And we're reading in Acts chapter 2 and verse 1. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. You can see there was order here. They were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like azothar. And it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? And how here we every man in our own tongue wherein we were born! Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, and Pontius in Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our tongues, our languages, the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others, mocking, said, These men are full of new wine. And may the Lord help us in our understanding of this passage in His precious Word. On one occasion, Dr. Reuben Torrey was sharing a platform with a Dr. White. As they were sitting on the platform, Dr. Torrey leaned across to Dr. White and he said, What we need today is a new baptism of the Holy Spirit. Dr. White whispered in Torrey's ear, You mean filling, do you not? Later, Reuben Torrey called at wife's private home and acknowledged that it was best to speak of the Holy Spirit by the proper name, Let me begin tonight by stressing the importance of vocabulary and terminology. A great deal of confusion, I believe, is caused by failure on the part of many believers to use the terminology and the vocabulary of the Bible. My dear friends, tonight it is important to remember that in every area of life vocabulary is important. Vocabulary is important in sport, in profession, in art. Each has its own vocabulary and terminology. And failure to recognize that will result in chaos and in confusion. For example, in the medical world, the surgeon has a name for every different kind of instrument that he uses in the theater. It's no use the theater nurse saying, well, I'll call this instrument what I like, no matter what you call it. If she does, the result will be chaos and confusion. In the musical world, the conductor of the orchestra has a name for each of the instruments in the orchestra. There is no use someone coming along and saying, it makes no difference what he calls the instruments. I've got a name of my own for each. He may call it a flute, but I'm going to call it a clarinet. In the family world, parents have names for each of their children. And there is no use a stranger coming along and saying, I don't care what you call your children. I've got names of my own for them. In the world of flowers, people have a name for the flowers. We have a market gardener here with us this evening from Warringstown, and he knows individual flowers. And you may go out into his market garden tomorrow, and you may call that flower such and such a name, but he's got the proper name. You see, it is important to stress the importance of vocabulary. Names and terms are important if we're going to avoid confusion. And the disregard of this elementary fact by many Christians has caused complete confusion in the thinking of many in relation to the baptism of the Spirit. You say tonight, what is the baptism of the Spirit? Well, in verse 12, a very important question is put. Notice what Dr. Luke says. What meanest this? If you and I had been in Jerusalem on this particular day, we may have asked the same question. Jerusalem was packed with people. Passover occurred in late March or in early April, so Pentecost was at the beginning of June. It was the best attended of all the feasts. because traveling conditions were at their best. There was never a more cosmopolitan gathering in Jerusalem than this one. It was the perfect timing for the advent, the coming of the Holy Spirit. My dear friends, tonight there is nothing haphazard about God. Pentecost was the fulfillment of divine prophecy. Now, a proper understanding of Acts chapter 2 depends on understanding what Pentecost is all about. The Greek word for Pentecost means fiftieth day. The Jews had a feast called the Feast of Pentecost because it took place fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, which followed the Passover. Actually, when we come back to the Old Testament, we discover the Feasts of Jehovah. I want you to keep your finger on Acts chapter 2 and come back with me to Leviticus chapter 23, because here Moses brings before us the feasts of Jehovah. And there are three feasts that I want to mention briefly tonight, and I trust that through time you'll see why I have gone back to mention them. First of all, I want you to notice the Feast of Passover. Leviticus 23, verse 1, And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the Feast of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest. And holy convocation, ye shall do no work therein. It is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which He shall proclaim in their seasons. Here's the first one. In the fourteenth day of the first month, at even, is the Lord's Passover, the Feast of Passover. Do you recall that to escape the plague on the firstborn, on the Israelites, on the firstborn in Egypt, the Israelites had to kill a lamb, a spotless lamb, a lamb without blemish, and they had to take the blood of that lamb and apply it to the lintel in the doorpost of the houses? That little lamb was a picture of Christ. Indeed, Paul calls Christ our Passover Lamb. He states in 1 Corinthians 5, Christ our Passover Lamb is sacrifice for us. But I want you to see tonight that not only was the Passover Lamb in Exodus 12 a picture of Christ, but it was also an indication that Christ would die on the Passover, the fourteenth day of Nisan. which corresponds to a day in late March or early April. There was the feast of Passover. Look at verse 9. Here's the second feast I want to mention. There was the feast of firstfruits. The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest. And he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you, and the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it, and ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf, and he'll am without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the Lord. And the meat offering shall be two-tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the Lord for a sweet savour. And the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hymn. And ye shall eat neither bread nor parched corn nor green ears until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwelling. The feast was on the day after the Sabbath following the Passover, the Sunday after Passover. And of course, a Passover is a picture of Christ. Then the feast of firstfruits is a picture of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember the Apostle Paul said, Now is Christ risen from the dead, and He's become the firstfruits of them that slept. Just as the Feast of Firstfruits indicated that the rest of the harvest would be good, so Christ's resurrection indicates that you and I who are in Christ will rise also. The Lord Jesus said, because I live, ye shall live also. And so there was the Feast of Passover, His death. There was the Feast of Firstfruits, His resurrection. Look at verse 15. Here's the Feast of Harvest or the Feast of Passover. or the Feast of Pentecost. And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wee of offering, seventh Sabbath shall be complete. Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days, and ye shall offer a new meat or meal offering unto the Lord. Fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits came the Feast of Harvests. So called because it ushered in the harvesting period. This feast was called the Feast of Harvest. This feast was called the Feast of Weeks. This feast was called the Feast of Pentecost. The idea of the feast was to celebrate the completion of the harvest in advance. And this feast predicts what took place on the day of Pentecost. It speaks of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost. The Son, the Lord Jesus, honored the Passover by dying. The Father, honored the Feast of Firstfruits by raising the Lord Jesus from the dead. And the Holy Spirit honored the Feast of Weeks by coming upon the disciples in the upper room in the city of Jerusalem. Now, it's important that you keep that background information in your mind this evening. You see, the Holy Spirit couldn't have come on any other day but the day of Pentecost. And the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost to fulfill prophecy. He couldn't have come on any other day than the day that was appointed. Pentecost was a predetermined epoch in the mind of God. Now, of course, this immediately knocks on the head and does away with the notion today, in some circles, that you have to wait to experience the baptism of the Spirit, that you have to go through stages to Pentecost, that you have to tarry, that you have to wait, that you have to ask, that you have to seek. My dear friends, tonight it's true that the disciples did tarry in obedience to the Lord's command. Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem. But they were told the precise spot. Tarry, wait, in the city of Jerusalem. And so if any Christian tells you tonight that they're tarrying, that they're waiting for the baptism of the Spirit, then you have every right to ask them the question, is it at Jerusalem? More importantly, you have every right to ask them the question, is it necessary? That all depends. Depends on what? depends on whether the tarrying of the disciples caused the Holy Spirit to fall on the day of Pentecost. My dear friends, I'm here tonight to tell you that the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost not because the disciples tarried, not because the disciples waited, not because the disciples met certain spiritual conditions. The Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost Because that's the day when God had planned for him to come. He couldn't have come on any other day. He came to fulfill Bible picture and Bible prophecy. Now, Acts chapter 2 is all about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And considerable difference of opinion surrounds this subject. For Charismatics, and indeed many Pentecostalists, This is really the lynchpin doctrine. By lynchpin I mean that it holds together all the other charismatic teachings. They tell us that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a distinct work of the Holy Spirit beyond, separate from, and addition to the work of salvation. They also tell us that certain physical manifestations reveal themselves after one has experienced the baptism of the Spirit of God. Traditional Pentecostals tell us that this baptism of the Spirit is evidenced by speaking in tongue. Neo-Pentecostalists, New Pentecostalists and Charismatic add a variety of other things. They tell us that this experience of the baptism of the Spirit reveals itself in physical manifestations such as shouting and physical jerks and electric currents in the limb and sometimes falling into trances are considered proof of the baptism of the Spirit. One current charismatic statement of faith that is typical of most Pentecostal and charismatic statements says, and I quote, all believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father. the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the endowment of prayer, of power for life and service, the attainment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry. This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the newborn. And so the teaching here is this, that a person can be saved and go to heaven. without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But of course, if you have it, you move on to a higher level of Christian living and experience. And so, charismatics have divided Christianity into two. These could be referred to as the haves and the have-nots. The haves are those who have experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And they're going to heaven first class. The have-nots are those who have not experienced the baptism of the Spirit, and they are just going to heaven, but on economy class. As always, we need to ask the question, What does the Bible say? Always go, my friend, to the authority of Scripture. Not to my experience. Not to your experience. Not to someone else's experience. But to the authority of the Word of God. And so our question tonight is, what is the baptism of the Spirit? If you look at our outline tonight, I've divided the subject into three. First of all, I want us to look at the promise made of this baptism. Secondly, the problem raised by this baptism. And thirdly, the purpose served through this baptism. There are a number of passages that look forward to this baptism. That is, they speak of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as yet to be and as not yet experienced or bestowed. The promise made of this baptism. I want you to see that this promise was made at the commencement of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. In the first instance, it was made by John the Baptist in his ministry. And he made it to differentiate between his ministry and the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. Let's begin in Matthew's Gospel. Matthew chapter 3, please. The Gospel by Matthew chapter 3. A reading at verse 7. This is John the Baptist speaking. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come, bring forth therefore fruits of meat for repentance. And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the 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." You can see that it is future tense. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Turn over to Mark's Gospel, chapter 1. The Gospel by Mark, chapter 1. And reading at verse 5. Mark's Gospel chapter 1. And there went out unto him, John, all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with the girdle of his skin about his loins. And he did eat locusts and wild honey, and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the lachet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water, But He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." Again, future tense. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Look at what Luke says. Luke's Gospel chapter 3. Matthew, Mark and Luke. Luke's Gospel chapter 3. Luke's Gospel chapter 3. And I think it's verse 16. Luke's Gospel chapter 3 and verse 16. John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one mightier than I cometh, the lachet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." It's still future tense. Look at what John has to say in his Gospel. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This is John the Baptist again. Here's what it says, still at the commencement of the ministry of the Lord Jesus. He says, verse 33, John 1, And I knew him not. But he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same as he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. Now, you can see quite clearly from these passages, very simply, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was yet to be. It was prophetic. John the Baptist was looking forward. And he says, the Lord Jesus shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. So the promise made of this baptism was made at the commencement of the ministry of Christ. But come back to Acts chapter 1. I want you to see also that it was made at the conclusion of the ministry of Christ. Look at the statement made by the Lord Jesus which promises the baptism of the Spirit. Verse 5, Acts chapter 1. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Now, there are several things I want you to notice about this promise. One, this baptism was to be experienced by all and not by some. Ye. All of them. Not some of them. All of them. Two, This baptism was yet to be. Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Future tense. But notice thirdly that this baptism was limited to a period of time, not many days and days. Now you will observe that the testimony concerning the baptism of the Holy Spirit extends from the appearance of John the Baptist to the ascension of Jesus Christ. In the first four passages, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, it is John the Baptist who speaks. In the last passage, it is the Lord Jesus who speaks. But their testimony is one. In all five passages, the announcement is prophetic. There was no baptism of the Holy Spirit previous to our Lord's ascension. That, I think, is clear enough. The promise made of this baptism. But notice, secondly, the problem raised by this baptism. And the problem is this. If the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a subsequent second blessing, Then why did the apostles receive the Holy Spirit years after they were sealed? That's the problem. You see, there are two main views in relation to this baptism, as I have already indicated. One view goes like this. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an operation of the Spirit of God, distinct from and additional to His regenerating work. This is to be sought and obtained by the believer. This view maintains that the terms baptized, filled, received, gift, are all used to describe the one and the same experience. Most charismatics, most Pentecostalists, accept this view that the baptism of the Holy Spirit happens after the moment of salvation. They tell us also that the baptism of the Spirit is something that the Christian must seek and obtain. The notion that one gets salvation at one point, and the baptism of the Spirit later, is often referred to as the doctrine of subsequence. And then the other view says this, the baptism of the Spirit is an event occurring. at the same time with the reception of Jesus Christ, which is never repeated and need not be sought. Let me try and simplify it for you tonight. The first view says that this baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place after conversion. The second view says this baptism of the Spirit takes place at conversion. Now here's the problem. If the baptism of the Spirit of God is not a subsequent second blessing, then why did the apostles receive the Spirit of God years after they were saved? Now, that is an absolutely crucial problem, and one that you and I have to look at tonight in the light of the Scriptures and in the light of what the Scriptures teach. Let's think for a moment about the experience of the disciples at Pentecost. At Pentecost. Look at Acts chapter 2 for a moment. Acts chapter 2. Charismatics and Pentecostalists attempt to support their doctrine of subsequence. That is, you get salvation at one point, and then you get the baptism of the Spirit later down the road from the book of Acts, especially Acts 2. Look at Acts 2 verses 1 through 4. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues or languages, as we'll see next Tuesday, as the Spirit gave them utterance." Now, Pentecostalists and Charismatics point out that the apostles and the other disciples who experienced this baptism of the Spirit, who spoke in languages, they had already been saved. Here at Pentecost, what they were receiving was this. They were receiving the power of the Holy Spirit that they would use to turn the world upside down for Christ. Now, on some of these points, the charismatics' view cannot be faulted. We can be certain that the disciples mentioned in Acts chapter 2, at least some of them had experienced salvation. These were the 120, including the apostles who had gathered together in the upper room. How do we know that they were already saved? Because you remember that the Lord Jesus told His disciples, Rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. You remember that in His upper room ministry He said to them, He that is washed In other words, he that has experienced the washing of regeneration needeth not sheave to wash his feet. There is no doubt in my mind that the Lord Jesus was affirming their salvation. But although these disciples knew and trusted Christ, they were still Old Testament believers. They could never have understood or experienced the Holy Spirit's permanent indwelling until the arrival of the Spirit of God on the day of Pentecost. You see, my dear friends, there is a transition we need to mark here. A transition we need to mark. The Acts of the Apostles is a transitional period. Before we started this series on the Acts, one brother said to me, he said, you'll point out now that the Acts of the Apostles is transitional. I said, I would. It's a transitional period. You see, when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, a new order was established. A new age was inaugurated. And this inauguration was accompanied by signs and by wonders. Listen, during this transition period, the dead were being raised to life. Tell me tonight, are the dead still being raised to life? During this period, prison doors were being flung open and the servants of God were set free. Is that still happening? During this period, the sick, on whom even the shadow of Peter fell, were healed. Whose shadow has that power today? This was a new era. Acts chapter 2 is one of the greatest transitions recorded in Scripture. It marks the end of the old age. It marks the beginning of the new age. Up until now, the Holy Spirit of God was with God's people. Now, on the day of Pentecost, He was going to come to indwell God's people permanently. You see, on the day of Pentecost, the church of Jesus Christ was born. You say to me, preacher, was there no believers before Pentecost? Of course there were believers before Pentecost. But my dear friends, there was nobody before Pentecost. You see, these 120 believer units went up into the upper room as individual units, but they come down as one body. These believer units were constituted a spiritual body by the baptism of the Spirit. And thereafter, everyone upon believing on Christ is incorporated into the body of Christ. My friends, Acts chapter 2 presents a unique situation. The age of the Holy Spirit couldn't come until Christ ascended. Turn back for a moment to John's Gospel. Is this not what the Lord Himself said? Look at John's Gospel for a moment. John's Gospel chapter 7 and verse 37. Here's what the Lord Jesus said. In the last day, that great day of the feast, John 7, verse 37, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of His belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this speak He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive. For the Holy Ghost was not given because the Jesus was not glorified. The Holy Spirit could not come until Christ had ascended. And my dear friends, the apostles didn't receive the baptism of the Spirit of God until after their salvation for the simple reason was this. There was no baptism of the Holy Spirit until the day of Pentecost. And they were saved before Pentecost. That's why the baptism of the Spirit came as a subsequent blessing to them. There had to be a beginning somewhere. But since that time, The baptism of the Holy Spirit has been the blessing of all those who call upon the Lord Jesus at the time of salvation. There's a transition we need to mark here. But there's something else. There's a distinction we need to make here. You see, it's important to distinguish between the experience of those who were already disciples of Christ before Pentecost, and those who were saved on that day. You see, the distinction is this. The distinction is between the 120 and the 3,000. Now, if I were to ask you tonight which experience or which group is to be the norm for today, I wonder how you would respond. Well, we live after Pentecost, don't we? And the three thousand lived after Pentecost. With us, therefore, as with them, the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Spirit are received together. Now that's the experience of the disciples at Pentecost. Look over at Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8. I want you to see the experience of the disciples after Pentecost. The experience of the disciples after Pentecost. And my mind goes back now to my days when I came to hear Mr. Mullen, and I remember him taking a whole night on these three or four verses. I could tell you he could stretch it out. I wished I could take a whole night on them. But this was the experience of the believers after Pentecost. Now, notice what happened at Samaria. Now, when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John. who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. For as yet He was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost." Now, here's another key text that's used by the Charismatics, used by the Pentecostals. They tell us here's evidence. You get salvation at one point, and then you get the baptism of the Spirit Certainly, there is no question on our minds tonight that these people at Samaria were baptized believers. The question that confronts us tonight is this. Why was the Spirit of God withheld from them when they believed? Well, look at verse 16. It says, For as yet he was fallen upon none of them. Another translation puts it like this. He had not yet fallen upon any of them. And the Greek word for not yet signifies something that should have happened, but has not yet. In other words, this verse is saying that the Samaritans were saved. They were genuinely converted. But for some particular reason, what should have happened, the Holy Spirit's coming, had not occurred yet. Why? Well, I think the clue is in verse 14. Here's what it says. Now, when the apostles, which were at Jerusalem, heard that Samaria. There's the clue. Philip's evangelistic activities and efforts were with the disciples, were with the despised Samaritan. Now, you know, of course, that the hifted between the Jews and the Samaritans was apparent. Do you remember what The woman at the well said to the Lord Jesus, the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. You see, my dear friends, if these Samaritans had received the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, the terrible rift between the Samaritans would have continued in the Christian church. Pentecost had been primarily a Jewish event. And the church that was born at Pentecost was made up exclusively of Jewish believers in Christ. If the Samaritans hadn't started their own Christian group, the age-long rivalry would have continued. A Jewish church competing with a Samaritan assembly. And so God withholds the Holy Spirit. You say, why? He withheld the gift of the Spirit to the Samaritans until the Jewish apostles could be with them, so that everyone could see that God's purpose under the new covenant transcended the nation of Israel and included Jews and Samaritans in one church. Let us ever remember the transition, the changes that were going on in the early church. Acts chapter 2 presents a unique situation. It can never be used to say that a believer is baptized with the Spirit sometime after salvation. The Holy Spirit came to baptize and indwell these disciples in Acts 2, because that's when God had planned for the Spirit to come. There had to be a beginning somewhere. Well, you say, what's the purpose of this all? What is the purpose of the baptism of the Spirit? What does the baptism of the Spirit achieve? Well, I want you to turn over to 1 Corinthians 12. You see, if you've been very observant tonight, you will have noticed this. You will have noticed that the doctrine of the baptism of the Spirit is viewed prophetically. They were looking forward to it. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1. And then the baptism of the Spirit is viewed historically. Acts 2, the day of Pentecost. And now here in 1 Corinthians 12, the baptism of the Spirit is viewed doctrinally. Look at Paul's classic doctrinal statement in verse 13 on Corinthians 12. For by one Spirit, or in one Spirit, or with one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, or were we all baptized into one body? Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be born or free, and of all be made to drink into one Spirit. You say, what's the purpose of the Spirit's baptism? Let me tell you, first of all, that it is something which is constitutional. Something which is constitutional. Whether we use the word by or in or with, in verse 13, Paul is stressing that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a baptism into the body of Christ. What happened was this. These believer units on the day of Pentecost were constituted a spiritual body by the baptism of the Spirit. And thereafter, everyone coming to Christ is incorporated into the same body by the baptism of the Spirit. Now, did you notice in verse 13 here that Paul is speaking here? Our baptism is not connected with our state, but with our standing. If I submit to you tonight, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with believers being energized with power for service. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is nothing to do with ecstatic utterance or experience. The real purpose of the baptism of the Spirit is to bring us into the body of Jesus Christ. You know, literally that word baptize means to immerse, but figuratively it means to be identified with. And when the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples on the day of Pentecost, He identified those believer units with their glorious head, the Lord Jesus, and formed the body which is His church. Verse 13, For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body. And so the baptism of the Spirit takes place when God's Spirit takes a person and places him into the body of Christ. Now, keep your finger on 1 Corinthians 12 and come back to Acts chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and then come back to Acts chapter 2. Here's how it happened. Look at verse 2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind." It doesn't say a wind. As of a rushing mighty wind. And it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire. And it sat upon each of them. These were the signs of the Spirit's arrival. Wind and fire. Symbols of the Holy Spirit. Notice there was the awesome sound. It was a sound like a wind. It was not a wind, but it was a sound like a wind. Something resembling a rushing hurricane. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind. The church was born suddenly. It came into being instantaneously. And my friends, at the rapture the church will leave just as quickly. God has the sovereign right to determine when the church begins and when the church ends. And it has nothing to do with our prayers, our tarrying, our spiritual experience. There was the awesome sound. Look at verse 3. There was the awesome sight. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire. And it sat upon each of them. The cloven tongues that sat on their heads weren't actually fire. They appeared to be like fire. You see, this was a testimony that each, without exception, had received the Holy Spirit. This was the baptism of the Spirit. And they all partook of it. The Holy Spirit identifying these believers with the glorious head, the Lord Jesus, and forming the church which is the body. Something which is constitutional. I want you to see here something which is initial. That's the purpose served through the baptism. There is a sense in which the baptism of the Holy Spirit is historical, and there is a sense in which it is personal. But it is always associated with the idea of initiation into Christ and into the body of Christ. Come back to 1 Corinthians 12, just for a moment in closing. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 13. You see, Paul is talking here about something historical. He says, For by one Spirit were we all baptized into one body. He's referring back to Pentecost as the occasion when all believers were baptized into the body of Christ. F. F. Bruce says the baptism of the Spirit was, strictly speaking, something that took place once and for all on the day of Pentecost, something historical. But, my dear friends, there is something personal here. For these words must also be taken to the blessing received by Christians at their conversion. It's S.S. Short who says the apostles' baptism in the Spirit occurred on the day of Pentecost when the body of Christ was initially formed. The Spirit baptism of people since that occasion has occurred at their conversion, but in each case it has been where they were divinely incorporated into the body of Christ. Their baptism in the Spirit being the means of that incorporation. Let me put it very simply tonight. From God's point of view, We were baptized by the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. From our point of view, we were baptized by the Spirit the moment we believed. Something which is constitutional. Something which is initial. But look again at verse 13. Something which is universal. Notice what Paul said. He says, for by one Spirit were we all. Isn't that amazing? All. Now, who's he talking about? Well, I'll tell you. He's talking about some believers who were quarrelsome and divisive. Chapter 1. He's talking about some Christians who were carnal and walked as men. Chapter 3. He's talking about Some believers who were guilty of incest. Chapter 5. He's talking about some believers who were taking each other to court. Chapter 6. He's talking about some believers who were turning the Lord's Supper into an orgy of eating and drinking. And yet look at what he says, verse 13, "...for by one Spirit were we all." You say, Preacher, they weren't a very exemplary crowd. They were a carnal crowd. You see, my dear friends, if the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings you into a higher plane of Christian living, I want to know what happened at Corinth. If the baptism of the Holy Spirit brings you into a deeper experience of Christ, I want to know what happened at Corinth. For here were a carnal crowd, and yet they had experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You see, if you can answer the question tonight, when was I placed in the body of Christ? Then you can answer the question, when was I baptized with the Holy Ghost? The moment you believe. What about the current view that multitudes of Christians have never experienced the baptism of the Spirit? And that believers should seek for it. They should tarry for it. They should ask for it until they experience it. My dear friends, such teaching is unscriptural, and the spread of it is bringing many into bondage and confusion. The believer in the New Testament is never told that he must be baptized by the Spirit. He is told that he has been baptized in the Spirit. We never read in the New Testament that just some were baptized and others have not been baptized. Rather, all believers have been baptized into the body of Christ, brought into union with Him. We are all one in Christ. My friends, we don't have to create a unity tonight. We don't have to create a unity like the ecumenical movement. We already have one. We're one body through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And what we should be concerned about tonight is the outworking of that unity. We have been baptized by one Spirit into one body. We are united to Christ. We are united to each other. We are members of His body, the church. Let us therefore appear as one, for the eyes of the watching world are upon us. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word this evening. We thank Thee for the clear teaching of Scripture concerning the baptism of the Spirit. We thank You, Lord, for the day of Pentecost. We thank Thee, Lord, for Bethlehem tonight. God with us. For Calvary, God for us. For Pentecost, God in us. Father, we pray that we may be sensitive through the Holy Spirit in our lives and that day by day we may be under His influence, that day by day we may be filled and controlled by the Spirit of God, so that out of our lives Jesus Christ will shine. Would You bless Your Word to all of our hearts this evening? Help us to be clear in our thinking in these days of confusion. And Father, we pray that in all things we may hold tenaciously to the Word of the living God, for Christ's sake. Amen.