Many Christians believe that being baptized by and being filled by the Holy Spirit are the same thing. They’re not.
Baptism By The Holy Spirit
At the moment of conversion and salvation the believer in Jesus Christ is said to be baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are related and happen at the same time.
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the event where Jesus becomes our Lord and we are joined with other believers in the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV)13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3:27 (NKJV)27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
When you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation you were indwelt (permanently present in your soul or spirit) by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT)16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
2 Timothy 1:14 (NLT)14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
When you are indwelt you are also sealed.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Baptism By The Holy Spirit
At the moment of conversion and salvation the believer in Jesus Christ is said to be baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. The baptism and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are related and happen at the same time.
Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the event where Jesus becomes our Lord and we are joined with other believers in the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 (NKJV)13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
Galatians 3:27 (NKJV)27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
When you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation you were indwelt (permanently present in your soul or spirit) by the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:16 (NLT)16 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
2 Timothy 1:14 (NLT)14 Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you.
When you are indwelt you are also sealed.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NKJV)13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Be filled by the Spirit
Filled By The Holy Spirit
While the baptism and indwelling of the Holy Spirit happen only once at conversion, the filling of the Spirit can happen multiple times after conversion. The idea of being filled by the Spirit is more about an ongoing sense of God's Spirit working in a person's life, not a one-time experience.
There is never any commandment in the Bible for one of us to be baptized by the Spirit, or to be sealed by the Spirit, or to be indwelt by the Spirit, or to be anointed by the Spirit, but there is an imperative command and mandate that we be filled by the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:15-20 (NLT)15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To be filled is to be controlled completely by the Holy Spirit. Some Christians describe this distinction by saying believers have all of the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit may not have all of them. We are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at the time of our salvation but we are filled by Him when we submit to Him.
A command is something that we can choose to obey or not obey. You can choose to be not completely controlled and when you do you can quench and grieve the Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 (NKJV)19 Do not quench the Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV)30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
We grieve or quench the Spirit by the way we live.
Stay Filled with the Spirit
It’s not enough to be baptized in the Holy Spirit one time. You have to stay filled with the Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit came and filled the 120 disciples on the day on Pentecost
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (emphasis mine)
but that filling wasn't a one time thing.
Acts 4:23-31 (NKJV) And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (emphasis mine)
If these people—who were witnesses of Christ’s ministry on earth, death, and resurrection—had to be filled with the Spirit over and over again, don’t you think that we need this constantly filling too? A little dab won't do.
When the enemy works to bring death and destruction in our lives, we have to remind ourselves that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells on the inside of us. When the enemy comes to frustrate God’s purposes in our lives, we need to remember the Holy Spirit is in us and we need to ask Him to fill us again.
It’s not enough to be baptized in the Holy Spirit one time. You have to stay filled with the Spirit. We know that the Holy Spirit came and filled the 120 disciples on the day on Pentecost
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (emphasis mine)
but that filling wasn't a one time thing.
Acts 4:23-31 (NKJV) And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (emphasis mine)
If these people—who were witnesses of Christ’s ministry on earth, death, and resurrection—had to be filled with the Spirit over and over again, don’t you think that we need this constantly filling too? A little dab won't do.
When the enemy works to bring death and destruction in our lives, we have to remind ourselves that the Spirit who raised Christ from the dead dwells on the inside of us. When the enemy comes to frustrate God’s purposes in our lives, we need to remember the Holy Spirit is in us and we need to ask Him to fill us again.
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