Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 12:13
What exactly is the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Is it some emotional feeling and evidenced by speaking in tongues like the Pentecostal doctrine teaches? No it certainly is not, but yet there has been millions of people believing that it is. Looking at the above verse of scripture written by the apostle Paul, it can clearly be seen that the Spirit baptism is the believers baptism into the body of Christ where they become an entirely new creature in Christ, as II Corinthians 5:17 states. The receiving of the Holy Ghost is not the baptism of the Holy Ghost like the Pentecostal organizations have been teaching for more than a hundred years. The Holy Ghost must first be received into your heart and then he will begin to lead you into the many truths taught and revealed in the contents of the New Testament scriptures. His leading you into these many truths is a daily process that will in time spiritually place you in the body of Christ, which is the one true church. In order to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, you must hear what Gods word has to say regarding this. Was not the Holy Ghost received at the house of Cornelius when the apostle Peter preached the word of God to them? In Acts 10:44 we find these words saying, “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” The same apostle Peter reveals what we must do in order to receive the promised gift of the Holy Ghost in what he said as stated in Acts 2:38 that says, “Then Peter said unto them, 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.”
Now you can argueagainst this all you want to and fail to do what is stated here, butyour failing to believe and do this will cause you to reject Gods word,which is a very dangerous thing to do. To reject and not do what Godsword says will automatically cause God to reject you. Read if you willin what the prophet Hosea tells us as stated in Hosea 4:6 that says,“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hastrejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be nopriest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I willalso forget thy children.” If you fail to do what Peter tells us to doas stated above in the scripture of Acts 2:38, then you would berejecting Gods word through Peter that Christ had given the keys to thekingdom, as Jesus said as recorded in Matthew 16:18-19 that says, “AndI say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I willbuild my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: andwhatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: andwhatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Havingthe “keys to the kingdom” means that what Peter said is the beginningof the work that will eventually place you in the body of Christ as theHoly Spirit begins to reveal truth to you. You must first receive thegift of the Spirit and he will then begin the operation of the newbirth on you in a daily process until you have been baptized intoChrist where you will become a new creature in Christ, as Paul statedin I Corinthians 12:13.
The receiving ofthe Holy Ghost, which is the one Spirit of God is also the self sameSpirit of Christ, as Paul reveals in what he said in Romans 8:9 thatsays, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be thatthe Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit ofChrist, he is none of his.” The receiving of the Holy Ghost byobedience to Acts 2:38 is also when you truly Christ into your heart.If you doubt this, then read what Peter said in Acts 3:19-20 that says,“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blottedout, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of theLord. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached untoyou.” Compare this with Acts 2:38 for the truth of the matter and youshould be able to see that to receive the Holy Spirit is also thereceiving of the Spirit of Christ. This is the truth of the matter,because there is but one Spirit, as Paul reveals in Ephesians 4:4 thatsays, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in onehope of your calling.” To receive Christ means to receive the Spirit ofChrist, because Christ is a Spirit and is no longer a man that walkedon this earth as he did 2000 years ago. There are multiplied millionsof people today as well as in times past that believe they receivedChrist into their heart by merely saying they have accepted him astheir own personal Lord and Savior, but this is why they are still deadin their sins and manifest it in their lives. This is also why theirheart has not been changed, but is still filled with all the sin andwickedness that Jesus mentions in Mark 7:18-23 that says, “And he saithunto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive,that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannotdefile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly,and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, Thatwhich cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within,out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries,fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All theseevil things come from within, and defile the man.
Before the Spiritof Christ comes into the heart of a believer, all the evils that Jesusmentioned is still in their heart and these things will be manifestedin their life, but when Christ truly comes into their heart a greatmiracle takes place. This miracle is what Peter calls the purifying ofthe heart by faith as stated in Acts 15:7-9 that says, “And when therehad been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men andbrethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us,that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, andbelieve. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, givingthem the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no differencebetween us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” All the evil andwickedness that the heart contains before Christ comes into that heartwill be spiritually purified and the love of God will be shed abroad inthe heart by the Spirit giving the believer a different outlook of lifeand the things concerning God, as Paul said in Romans 5:5 that says,“And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad inour hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Look and listenclosely to the multiplied millions of confessing Christians todayconfessing yet to be sinners and living in sin. Is there any wonder whythey yet confess to be sinners living in sin? It’s simply because theydid not truly receive Christ in their heart to make that spiritualchange of their heart. They were told to just merely ask Christ intotheir heart, but this is certainly not how to receive the Spirit ofChrist. How to receive Christ is revealed in what Revelation 3:20states that says, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any manhear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will supwith him, and he with me. “ Notice that in order for Christ to comeinto your heart, you must hear his voice and open your hearts door tothat voice and then Christ will come into your heart to sup with youand you with him. To hear his voice means to hear his word. What is theword that we must hear and obey that will open our hearts door forChrist to come in? It’s what Peter reveals as stated in Acts 2:36-38 ashe was speaking to the Jews on the day of Pentecost that says,“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hathmade the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Nowwhen they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said untoPeter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall wedo? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of youin the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shallreceive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
As I stated before,if you reject to believe and do exactly what Peters says here, then youwill begin to believe lies to be damned, as Paul tells us as stated inII Thessalonians 2:10-13 that says, “And with all deceivableness ofunrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the loveof the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shallsend them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That theyall might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure inunrighteousness. But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you,brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginningchosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and beliefof the truth.” Look closely how Paul reveals that we are chosen tosalvation by sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Onlybelieving and doing what the truth of Gods word says will impartsalvation to our souls. It makes all the difference in the world as towhat we believe, because it’s only the truth that will save our soul,but listen to all the different doctrines that are being proclaimedtoday in the realm of the confessing Christian world. And notice if youwill how they all yet claim to be sinners still living in sin thinkingthey have been born again. Did not John tell us these words thatclearly reveals who is and who is not born of God in what he says in IJohn 3:8-10 that says, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for thedevil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God wasmanifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever isborn of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and hecannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God aremanifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth notrighteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”How many of today’s confessing Christians will snub up their nose atwhat John says here and go on their stubborn and stiffed necked way andignore what Gods word says here? They will not accept and believe whatJohn says here simply because they do commit sin, and so therefore theyare not willing to let God be true according to his word, as we aretold that we must. Since they reject the truth that would save theirsouls, then Gods word clearly reveals that they will continue tobelieves lies to be eternally damned. What about you friend, are youwilling to believe what John says here or will you as well reject whathe says only perhaps to remain in your deceived state and continue tobelieve lies and remain to be damned? He that has an ear to hear, lethim hear what the Spirit says to the churches..amen