“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.”
Ephesians 1:13 ESV
Ephesians 1:13 ESV
When you believed the Gospel and got born-again, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. At salvation you received the Holy Spirit as a seal. This means that He came into your spirit and sealed your salvation so that no sin (in your soul or body) could contaminate or negatively affect your spirit – which is now pure, holy, righteous and blameless. Receiving the Holy Spirit as a seal is called the New Birth and this is what makes you a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). But there is more for you to experience. There is a separate experience for the believer where we surrender to the Holy Spirit and invite Him to empower us to be effective witnesses and to live supernatural lives. This is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
“Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God (they had become believers), 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.”
Acts 8:14-17 KJV (Italics mine)
How do we know that having the Holy Spirit by the new birth and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are two different things? This passage of scripture shows us that a group of people in Samaria had received the Word of God and become believers (they were born again, sealed with the Holy Spirit), but that they had not yet received the empowering of the Holy Spirit.
“And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples (this means that they were Christians). And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized (in water) in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.”
Acts 19:1-6 ESV (Brackets mine)
It is possible for you to receive Jesus and be born again without having received the empowering of the Holy Spirit. At salvation you get the Holy Spirit, but there is a difference between having the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit having you. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is when we surrender to the Spirit and He has us. Trying to live out the supernatural Christian life without the empowering of the Holy Spirit will frustrate you. The Holy Spirit is the Christian’s source of power. Trying to live without the baptism of the Holy Spirit is like continually driving in first gear in your car; you’ll get to where you’re going but you’re certainly not reaching your full potential.
“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever”
John 14:16 (NKJV)
If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). He lives in you forever. When you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, His enabling power is with you always. You don’t need to be re-baptised or re-filled. The anointing (power and enabling) of the Holy Spirit lives and stays in you.
“But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you…”
1 John 2:27 (NKJV)
Even on your worst day, the Holy Spirit and His power are in you and available to you. The Spirit is a gift you’ve received, freely and in all its fullness. You don’t keep the gift according to your performance and holy living. It’s not by performance but by grace! That means that when you need God’s presence or power, it is always available, and at a moment’s notice. Even when you think you don’t need it, it’s available. You don’t need to have your “ducks in a row” and be “squeaky clean”. You don’t have to listen to worship music for 3 hours before the Holy Spirit will empower you. By grace, God’s presence and power are yours always, at any time. Even if you don’t physically feel it – it’s there, in you, right now!
Thought to focus on for the day:
Do you need to experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit today? Or do you need to be refreshed in His presence? Do you need a miracle? Is there a situation in your life where you need God’s power to bring you breakthrough and help you reign in life? Stir up the Holy Spirit in you by inviting Him to reveal the Father’s love to you, now, and to minister to you. Spend a few moments in silence allowing Him some space to speak to your heart and minister into your life.
If you haven’t yet had the separate experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, you are missing out! Pray: Father, I recognize my need for Your power to live this new life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. By faith, I receive Him right now! Thank You for baptizing me. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my life.
If you prayed that prayer then I want to celebrate with you. Please contact me so that I can pray for you and send you some complimentary teaching resources to help you grow in your relationship with God.
Learn more about the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the Gift of Tongues when you download this short study guide. You can also listen to my most recent teaching on the Holy Spirit, “Reign through the power of the Spirit”. And if you’re looking for a theme song for today’s devotional, click here.