3 Baptisms

“John baptized with water; but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” Act1:5

                There are three baptism intended for every believer. They are separate in purpose, substance, and baptizer. Consider your own experiences, have you received all three? Baptism means emersion. In ancient times it was used of pickling. A vegetable is dunked into a jar with vinegar, the vinegar goes into it and surrounds it.

                First, at conversion your spirit is “born again.” The Holy Spirit is the baptizer, the substance is your soul and the purpose is for salvation. Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit baptizing us into the body of believers. This is where God enters your heart. He comes all around you and inside of your spirit.

                Second, we should be water baptized. The purpose of this is for public confession and a sign of repentance. The baptizer is a fellow believer and the substance is water. Jesus commanded us to do this. If you haven’t let me know. Our church just got a baptismal. I would love to be a part of this milestone in your life.

                Lastly, there is a subsequent experience with the Holy Spirit from conversion. The purpose is for power to witness. Jesus is the baptizer and the substance is the Holy Spirit. This is where the fire, the passion, the courage of the Christian comes from. It is evidenced with a gift being manifested, most often speaking in tongues. But there are other gifts given too. I was greatly changed when I was baptized with the Holy Spirit. I went from a good Christian struggling to win others to an effective preacher and evangelist. I could not have started or pastored a church without this experience in my life. If you haven’t experienced it, ask God for it. Sometimes it helps to have others lay hands and pray with you.