Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism

Dear saints,

Today I would like to share with you ten synonymous, divine expressions used in Scripture for the baptism with the Holy Spirit:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit

The first expression is “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, which we sometimes call the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This expression is analogous to water baptism, which is literally immersion in water, except this is immersion with the Spirit. Here are the passages where this appears, including all four gospels and Acts: 

Jesus said: "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (Act 1:5)

Peter stated: "Then I remembered what the Lord had said: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 11:16)

John the Baptist said: "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes One who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mat 3:11)

"I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mar 1:8)

John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luk 3:16)

"And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 1:33).

For more on this, see Baptized with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit Comes on You

The second expression is “the Holy Spirit comes on you,” or ”the Spirit comes down from heaven” and remains on you, or ”the Spirit of God descending,” or "the Spirit of God alighting on" a person. These expressions indicate how the immersion with the Spirit happens, whereby the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven and comes upon you. Here are the passages where these are used:

Jesus said: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Act 1:8)

"...because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Act 8:16)

"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." (Act 10:44)

Peter explained: "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning." (Act 11:15)

"When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied." (Act 19:6)

"As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him." (Mat 3:16; cf. Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22)

Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. And I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (Joh 1:32-33).

Filled with the Holy Spirit

The third expression is “filled with the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Act 2:4)

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Act 4:31)

Note that the saints in Jerusalem had already been filled with the Holy Spirit prior to this occasion (Ac 2:4), but after they prayed, they were filled once again (ac 4:31). Therefore, the same expression -- filled with the Spirit --that is used for the initial experience of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is also used for subsequent fillings.

"Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 9:17)

"Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit..." (Eph 5:18).

In this last passage, the original language indicates a continual being filled, not just a one-time event. Literally it means, "be being filled with the Spirit," indicating something that we are always doing.

Receive the Holy Spirit

The fourth expression is “receive the Holy Spirit”. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And with that He [Jesus] breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Joh 20:22).

The Greek word for receive is lambano, meaning "to take, seize, accept, receive" etc. This is not a passive verb, in the sense that you passively receive mail in your mailbox or receive an email in your Inbox, but an active one in which you have to take, seize, or accept in order to receive. When you receive the Holy Spirit, you need to actively do so by taking Him and accepting Him into your heart.

Jesus said: "'Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive." (Joh 7:38-39a)

"When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:15).

"Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit..." (Act 8:17; cf. 2:33 and 38).

"and [Simon] said, 'Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 8:19)

In that last example, it is understood that Simon saw something powerful happen when they received the Holy Spirit, or he -- a former sorcerer, known as "the Great Power" -- would not have offered money in order to have this ability to have people receive the Holy Spirit upon the laying on of his hands. In other words, when the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit, it was not a silent, uneventful moment, in which it was impossible to know if anything even happened. Rather there was powerful evidence, as we see in all the other instances where people spoke in tongues and prophesied when they received the Holy Spirit.

"And [Paul] asked them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' They answered, 'No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.'" (Act 19:2)

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

The fifth expression is “the gift of God”, ”the gift of the Holy Spirit”, or ”the heavenly gift”. As believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are all familiar with the free gift of salvation, which is eternal life. But salvation is just the first gift. Salvation is a package deal, with a subsequent gift that God has for us, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'" (Act 2:38)

Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!" (Act 8:20).

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45)

"So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God's way?" (Act 11:17).

"It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4).

Made Partakers of the Holy Spirit

The sixth expression is “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”. The apostle wrote to the Hebrews:

"For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit..." (Heb 6:4, NASB77).

The original Greek word for partakers is metochos, meaning "a participant; a sharer; by implication an associate: - fellow, partaker, partner." This means that those who have received the gift of the Holy Spirit have been made companions, fellows, associates, or partners with the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father Gives the Holy Spirit

The seventh expression is the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, or "He gives the Spirit". Jesus said:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luk 11:13).

Note that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to His children who ask Him. So ask Him to give you the Holy Spirit, and then receive Him. The Father gives the Spirit through Jesus, His Son. John the Baptist said of Him: 

"For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.” (Joh 3:34).  

Jesus said: "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees Him nor knows him. But you know him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (Joh 14:15-17)

"Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." (Joh 7:39b)

For more on this, please see The Spirit Without Limit.

The Promise of My Father

The eighth expression is ”the promise of My Father” or "the promised Holy Spirit". The Father has promised the Holy Spirit to those who are called, who have repented and believed in His Son Jesus Christ. But as I mentioned in the last section, you must ask Him. Here are the passages where these are used:

"And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high." (Luk 24:49, NASB95).

A promise is a declaration or assurance that one will do a particular thing or that a particular thing will happen. Therefore, the Father has made declaration to assure us that He will give us the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear." (Act 2:33)

"...and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself." (Act 2:38b-39)

The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit

The ninth expression is “pour out my Spirit”, which we often refer to as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where these are used:

"'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Act 2:17; cf., Joel 2:28)

"Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." (Act 2:18; cf., Joel 2:29)

"The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Act 10:45).

For more on this, see Outpouring of the Spirit.

The Anointing or Being Anointed

The tenth expression is the “anointing” of the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages where this is used: 

After the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at His water baptism and remained upon Him, and following His wilderness temptation, Jesus went into the synagogue. When they handed Him the scroll with the Scripture reading for that day, He opened it to the place where it said the following, which he read aloud: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free..." (Luk 4:18)

This clearly shows that once the Holy Spirit came down and alighted upon Jesus, the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him, because He had anointed Him. The anointing is something that goes back all the way to the days of Moses, when God commanded him to anoint his brother Aaron the high priest with oil. Not only were priests anointed with oil, but kings were as well. The flask was opened and the oil was poured on the man's head, after which the man was said to be anointed. The process of pouring the oil over the man was called an anointing or the anointing. Likewise, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, He anoints you. Importantly, Christ means Anointed One, and He anoints His followers with Holy Spirit.

The apostle John wrote: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth."(1Jn 2:20).

John continued: "As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1Jn 2:27)

The anointing John referred to is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This is another one of those synonymous expressions that means the same as being baptized with the Holy Spirit. You must receive the anointing, according to John. It is real, it remains in you, and it teaches you about all things. For example, once you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you will understand the Word more clearly and accurately, because the anointing teaches you. 

For more on this, see Anointed by the Holy Spirit.

Closing Words

In this study, we have learned that the following ten expressions that were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit in Scripture all refer to the same awesome experience: “baptized with the Holy Spirit”, "the Holy Spirit comes on you”, “filled with the Holy Spirit”, “receive the Holy Spirit”, “the gift of God”/”the gift of the Holy Spirit”/”the heavenly gift”, “made partakers of the Holy Spirit”, the ”Father in heaven gives the Holy Spirit”, ”the promise of My Father”, and the "anointing of the Holy Spirit".

I am not aware of anything else in Scripture having so many different, synonymous expressions to describe it. The fact that there are so many -- ten in all -- indicates how critically important it is that we receive the Holy Spirit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Wherever note, Scripture quotations taken from the NASB, copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission.  "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Holy Fire Baptism, Anointed by the Spirit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, The New Wine, Led by the Spirit, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, Fruit in Every Season, The Holy Spirit Speaks, The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit, The Spirit Without Limit, and Supernatural Power for All Disciples. I also recommend Restored Truth.  You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." 

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Anointed by the Holy Spirit

Most of us know that Jesus Christ was anointed by God, but we may not fully understand what that means. Let's take a look at this in Scripture to better understand what it means to be anointed.


Anointing the Kings of Israel 
First we'll begin with a little bit of historical background on the practice of anointing. Normally in Israel, when God appointed a man to be their king, then they anointed him, which consisted of pouring sacred, aromatic oil over his head or entire body. Anointing people originally came from the Hebrew practice used to anoint Aaron as high priest, which was later followed to anoint their kings, such as when Samuel the prophet anointed Saul as king.

"Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, 'Has not the LORD anointed you ruler over his inheritance?' " (1Sa 10:1)

After removing Saul, because of his disobedience, God made David their king, but He began by initially having Samuel anoint him with oil while Saul was still reigning in Israel.

"The LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.' " (1Sa 16:1)

Once the Lord indicated to Samuel that Jesse's son David was to become king, "Then the LORD said, 'Rise and anoint him; this is the one.' So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah." (1Sa 16:12-13)

Notice how once David was anointed by the prophet at God's command, then from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David. It was immediately after David was anointed as king that he defeated Goliath the giant single-handedly by the power of God. There was a direct connection between Samuel anointing David with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord coming upon David powerfully. The anointing with oil was the physical act and the Spirit of God coming upon him was the spiritual act. There is always a link between what happens in the physical and spiritual realms, as I have written about in my article called The Link Between Two Realms.

Another example was when God had Jehu anointed as king.

"The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, 'Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of olive oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead. When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi...Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare, "This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel." Then open the door and run; don't delay!'" (2Ki 9:1-3)

The prophet did what Elisha told him to do and found Jehu.

"Jehu got up and went into the house [with him]. Then the prophet poured the oil on Jehu's head and declared, 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: "I anoint you king over the LORD's people Israel."'" (2Ki 9:6)

Notice that the Lord God said to Jehu, "I anoint you king." While the prophet anointed him with oil, God anointed Him in the spirit.

Afterward the men that Jehu had been meeting with asked him what the prophet said to him in the house.

"Jehu said, 'Here is what he told me: "This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel." ' They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, 'Jehu is king!' " (2Ki 9:12b-13).

Afterward, Jehu went on to do great exploits for God. It was he who destroyed the whole house of evil King Ahab his master. It was through Jehu that God avenged the blood of His servants the prophets and the blood of all the Lord's servants shed by Jezebel. The Lord used Jehu to cut off from Ahab every last male descendant in Israel in a single event, except for one of them, whom he killed separately. It was Jehu who had Ahab's wicked wife Jezebel assassinated (2Ki 9:7-10), and later had all the prophets of Baal killed in a single event (2Ki 10:19-29). Certainly he was anointed by God to do all of this through the power of the Spirit.

God Anointed Jesus
Just as God anointed Aaron the high priest, and kings like Saul, David, and Jehu, He also anointed Jesus of Nazareth. The apostle Peter said:

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him." (Act 10:38, NASB).

Peter taught that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power, and this is how He "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil." When Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil, He did so through the power of the Holy Spirit, which indicated that God was with Him. Jesus Himself said that the Lord had anointed Him:

"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.' Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, 'Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.'" (Luk 4:16-21).

When Jesus made this declaration at the onset of His public ministry, He read the passage from the prophet Isaiah's sixty first chapter, which had been fulfilled in Him. In short, by reading that passage, Jesus was proclaiming: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me." The reason the Spirit of the Lord was on Jesus was that the Spirit had anointed Him. In other words, the direct result of the Spirit anointing Jesus was that the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit always results in the Spirit of the Lord being upon a person. Moreover, just as happened with David, when a person is anointed and the Spirit comes upon him powerfully, he then goes about doing mighty deeds for God. In the case of Jesus, as I have already said, "He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil."

Jesus was anointed by the Spirit at His baptism when the Spirit came upon Him and remained upon Him.

"When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" (Luk 3:21-22)

That was the moment when the Spirit of the Lord anointed Him, as He proclaimed later in the synagogue in Nazareth. After He was anointed, He was driven into the wilderness by the Spirit, where He was tempted by the devil for forty days while fasting from all food. Through the power of the Spirit and the Word, He overcame every temptation. After that time, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit (Luk 4:14a). Thus we see that the Spirit was upon Him in power after He was  anointed, just like what happened to David.

Jesus was also anointed with actual oil, but this came later on, shortly before His crucifixion, when a woman named Mary anointed him with very expensive ointment, which He said was to prepare for His burial (Matthew 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9; Luke 7:36–50; John 12:1–8).

Because Jesus was anointed by the Spirit, He was called the anointed One (Ac 4:6), or the Messiah, which comes from the Hebrew word Maschiah, meaning "anointed One." The English Word "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos, which is a translation of the Hebrew word Maschiah.

There were many prophecies about Christ all throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, as I have written about in my article Yeshua Ha'Maschiah in the Tanakh. Many of those refer to Him as the Messiah, which is usually translated as the Lord's "anointed One" or "Anointed" in English (e.g., Ps 2:2; 1Sa 2:35; Psa 89:38, 51; 132:17; Dan 9:25-26). But He is also referred to in other passages by different titles as well, such as "the Branch" (Isa 4:2; Zec 3:8; Zec 6:12), "My Firstborn," (Ps 89:27), and "My Servant" (1Ki 11:36; 2Ki 19:34; 20:6; Psa 89:3, 20; Isa 22:20; 41:8-9; 42:1, 19; 43:10; 44:1-2, 21; 49:3, 6; 52:13; Eze 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hag 2:23; Zec 3:8).

There are many other titles for Him, but let's just focus for a moment at that last one, "My Servant." As you can see from the Scriptures I have referenced above, it is used extensively throughout Scripture, especially in Isaiah, who wrote the Servant songs (also called the Servant poems or the Songs of the Suffering Servant). These are four songs, which include Isaiah 42:1-4; Isaiah 49:1-6; Isaiah 50:4-7; and Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12. I want to call your attention to one particular verse in the opening line of Isaiah's first Servant song, which says:

"Here is My Servant, whom I uphold, My chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations." (Isa 42:1)

This verse is clearly referring to the Lord's anointed Servant, who is the Jewish Messiah, Jesus Christ. I specifically want to call your attention to the way that God says, in the context of speaking about His Servant, "I will put my Spirit on Him..." This is a key aspect of being anointed by God. When God put His Spirit on His Servant Jesus, He anointed Him with the Spirit, as it says later in Isaiah's prophecy:

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (Isa 61:1)

In this verse the Lord clearly says that the reason the Spirit of the Lord was upon Him was that He had anointed Him. And for what purpose was He anointed? He was anointed to serve, since He was the Lord's Servant. In what ways did the Spirit anoint Him to serve? He anointed Jesus to proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. Keep that in mind as we now look at how this same "anointing to serve" applies to the disciples of the Lord's Servant.

Anointed Disciples of Christ 
We get the word Christian from the word Christ, which I have already explained means Anointed One. At Antioch the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians (Acts 11:26), which in Greek is Christianos. The disciples of Christ are supposed to follow in His steps, since He has given us an example to do so (1 Pe 2:21). That means that just as He was anointed by the Spirit, we must be anointed by the Spirit. Just as the Spirit came upon Him and remained upon Him, we must ask for and allow the Spirit to come upon us and remain upon us. Only those on whom the Spirit comes and remains are anointed. This is the true biblical meaning of being anointed, as we have seen from Scripture.

This is what happened to the first disciples on the day of Pentecost, just as Jesus had promised that they would receive power when the Spirit would come upon them (Ac 1:8; 2:4). And as I pointed out in my article Holy Spirit Baptism, the same thing happened to all subsequent disciples who received the baptism with the Holy Spirit. They all received power when the Spirit came upon them. Therefore, the baptism with the Holy Spirit is the event whereby the Holy Spirit anoints a person, coming upon him just as the sacred oil would be poured upon a person in the traditional sense, and remaining upon him in such a way that he receives power in his personal life. This anointing of the Spirit enables every anointed disciple to proclaim good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God, and to comfort all who mourn. It enables the disciple who receives it to do the works that Jesus did, and even greater works than these, just as He promised to all who believe in Him (Jn 14:12). This is what it means to receive power to be His witnesses when the Spirit of the Lord comes upon you, as Jesus promised us in Acts 1:8.

The apostle Paul wrote about the anointing saying: "He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Cor. 1:21b-22)

The apostle John wrote about this anointing by saying: "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth." (1Jn 2:20)

This teaches us that those who have received the baptism with the Holy Spirit have an anointing from the Holy One, and through that anointing we know the truth, because the Spirit of Truth always guides us into all truth (Jn 16:13). John further added:

"As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him." (1Jn 2:27).

This means the anointing that we receive from the Holy Spirit, which is a real anointing, remains in us and teaches us about all things.

Closing Words

Just as the priests, kings, and prophets of Israel that were appointed by God were anointed with oil, so the Lord's Servant Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to serve with supernatural power. That meant that the Spirit was on Him and remained upon Him. In the same manner, every disciple must receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit, so that he may be anointed by the Spirit, receiving supernatural power to serve and to be a witness for Christ. Each one of us needs to have the Spirit of the Lord come upon us and remain on us, in order to live an empowered life. If you have never received that anointing, then I encourage you to seek it today from the Lord, who gives the Spirit without limit.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible NIV, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. "Anointed" image may be subject to copyright, used according to Fair Use Act for non-profit educational and commentary purposes only.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the Main Directory for this blog at Home, such as Baptized with the Spirit, Ten Divine Expressions for Spirit Baptism, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, Holy Fire Baptism, The Spirit Without Limit, The Gift of Speaking in Tongues, The New Wine, Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit: What's the Difference?, and The Bodily Form of the Holy Spirit. You may also enjoy By the Spirit of God Alone and Coronation of Christ as King. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

The Lord has indicated that he is coming soon, and He is going to do mysterious things before He comes.  Because His time is short, He will use a madman, He will use a prostitute, He will even use a child that doesn't have any teeth in his mouth to testify of His coming before He comes. That is why we must correctly discern the things of the Spirit.  One can be very knowledgeable of the Scriptures, and still make a wrong judgment in this area, just as the scribes did.

"The scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, 'He is possessed by Beelzebul,' and 'He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.'" (Mar 3:22)

Jesus warned them, "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"-- because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit." (Mar 3:28-30)

A pastor, named Yong Doo Kim, whom I love and respect, has explained it like this.  Just because someone has a difficult time believing the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, they must never judge or insult the work. We must be careful not to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, which includes neglecting, ignoring, or totally opposing the gift of tongues, prophecy, miracles, and interpreting tongues. It includes aggressively opposing the gifts that have or are manifested in different ways. The spectrum of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit is very broad.  At one end of the spectrum are those who incorrectly make allegations, based on their prejudices and humanistic views. At the other end are those who judge and condemn others who operate in the gifts, as well as those who deny or reject the work or manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Those are the people who so easily drive out the work of the Holy Spirit and judge it as a cult or condemn it. Therefore there is the risk of progressing into the sin of blaspheming against the Holy Spirit.

On one hand, we should avoid the error that some have made of accepting every supernatural manifestation as genuinely coming from God.  People who do so tend to be mystical and easily deceived.  However, we must always cherish the presence and power of the precious Holy Spirit in our lives, and be careful not to lose it.  If we do, we could move into a place where we are left with nothing more than a cold doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  Once you do so, there is the possibility that this could eventually lead to blaspheming the Holy Spirit.  That is an eternal sin, which cannot be forgiven.  Those who commit this sin will be greatly judged and tormented in hell.

Therefore, we should love Him and fear Him. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength."  (Mar 12:30)  And "do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil." (Pro 3:7).  Hopefully this little study has helped to restore you to a correct perspective.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. "Receiving the Spirit" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  Also see False Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, Have the Spiritual Gifts Ceased?, Discerning the Things of the Spirit, A Warning to the Nay Sayers, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets and Eternal Destinations.  You can access the Main Directory for this blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.