The Gift of the Holy Ghost
Introduction
The gift of the Holy Spirit has become the topic of much discussion in our day.
Men and women of all persuasions and from all walks of life have become interested
enough to search for greater understanding of this phenomenal spiritual experience.
Capturing headlines, dominating the content of many religious periodicals, and
generally creating excitement, this canon of apostolic faith deserves a sincere
appraisal.
The Facts
The Holy Spirit is God. "God is a Spirit" (John 4:24). "There
is . . . one Spirit" (Ephesians 4:4). To become a subject in the kingdom
of God, Jesus said a person must be "born again," or "born of
water and of the Spirit" (John 3:3-5). The birth of the Spirit and the
baptism of the Spirit are synonymous terms.
The Apostle Peter understood this truth as he spoke. to the multitude in Jerusalem
on the Day of Pentecost: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38). This experience was received by the Jews
on Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), the Samaritans (Acts 8:15-17), and the Gentiles (Acts
10:44-48), plainly indicating that it was meant for all people, regardless of
race, creed, color, or station in life. The new birth, consisting of water and
Spirit, was never set forth as being optional or unessential. "Ye must
be born again" are the words of Jesus in John 3:7. Until a person is born
of the Spirit, he cannot be called a "son" of God.
The Privilege
But why concentrate only on the absoluteness of the command? It is a blessed
privilege to experience a release of spirit, finding freedom of soul and expression
in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. There is no other experience similar to it.
"Incomparable" is the only adequate description of this filling. The
transition is to an entirely new realm and way of life. A complete transformation
takes place. The soul has an empty place "in the shape of God" that
nothing else will fit or satisfy. The baptism of the Spirit completely satisfies
every longing of the soul. In this experience is fulfillment.
The Evidence
There are two major evidences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The initial,
outward evidence is speaking with tongues, which means speaking miraculously
in languages the speaker does not know.
Speaking with other tongues has been connected with Spirit baptism since the
beginning of the church age. On the birthday of the New Testament church, the
Day of Pentecost after Christ's ascension, approximately 120 disciples of Christ
were inundated by the Spirit of God and "began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4). The household of an Italian
centurion received the same spiritual experience, which the Jewish Christian
onlookers readily identified, "for they heard them speak with tongues"
(Acts 10:44-48). In Acts 19:1-6, a group of John the Baptist's disciples heard
about the Holy Ghost from the Apostle Paul; they too were filled with the Spirit,
"and they spake with tongues."
We cannot adequately express with our own words the ecstasy experienced in the
baptism of the Spirit. Only through unaccustomed words of heavenly coherence
can we utter what our souls would express.
There are perhaps several other reasons why God chose speaking in tongues as
the initial evidence of this spiritual baptism. It is an objective, external
evidence that recipients and onlookers can both identify with certainty (Acts
10:46). It is a uniform evidence - all the disciples on Pentecost, all the household
of Cornelius, and all the believers in Ephesus spoke in tongues. "So is
everyone that is born of the Spirit" are the words of Jesus in His description
of this spiritual new birth (John 3:8). Speaking in tongues also indicates the
complete control of the Spirit over our human wills. The tongue is the most
unruly member of the body (James 3:8), and its being tamed by God is evidence
of His complete control.
Further evidence of the Spirit's abiding presence in our lives is the fruit
of the Spirit, which Paul mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit
of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
The Promise
Was the baptism of the Holy Spirit for the apostles or early disciples only?
Is it today available to only a select few who are "superspiritual"?
The obvious answer to these questions is no.
The Apostle Peter made it very plain in his message on the Day of Pentecost
that the gift of the Holy Ghost is for everyone: "For the promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
Lord our God shall call" (Acts 2:39). (See Luke 11:13.) Our faith, obedience,
and submission to the Lord Jesus and His gospel qualify us for this most joyous
of all experiences. (See Acts 5:32; 11:15-17.) As Isaiah 12:3 states, "With
joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."
Seek Him today, for "he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). This means you!