But what exactly does “baptized with the Spirit” mean? A popular explanation today is that it means that they were “filled with the Spirit.” This may be part of the answer, but our modern definition makes it incomplete. Jesus compared this gift with John’s baptism. So, when John baptized, did he fill people with water? No, of course not! Rather they were immersed in the water. They were surrounded in it, buried in it (see Ephesians 6:4). Likewise, this gift—which the disciples were waiting for in anticipation—was a total immersion in the Holy Spirit! They would be totally saturated with the Spirit of God! What a gift!
You see, they knew the significance of this gift. The disciples had seen the power of the Holy Spirit demonstrated in Jesus’ life. Then, Jesus’ last words to them, before ascending into the clouds, were “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you…” (Acts 1:8–emphasis mine).
This was not just any power. We get a better idea of it from the original Greek: dunamis. It is where we get the English word “dynamite.” This is the power that is always associated with the Holy Spirit. It is explosive power; Life-altering, Supernatural power. It is the power that heals the sick, feeds 5000, and raises the dead. It is the power that changed their lives. It is the power and authority that comes directly from the throne of God. It was this dynamite “power” that was coming with the Holy Spirit.
And boy did it come! Acts 2:1–4 says the Holy Spirit came upon them. They begin to preach and speak in tongues and, according to verse 41, 3000 people believed and were baptized that day! Throughout the book of Acts we are shown the results of the power of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the book should be called the Acts of the Spirit! The source of the power behind every story in Acts is God’s Spirit—a gift that changed the world.
If you are like me, you probably read the book of Acts and wish you could have witnessed it. You may even think, lucky disciples! Lately, I find myself thinking, “Why don’t I see these things today?” Or a question I do not like to ask, “Why isn’t this power evident in my life?”
Some suggest that it was only promised to the Apostles, but I don’t believe so. Just read the amazing prophecy in Joel 2:28, 29. It says that God will pour out His Spirit on all people—young or old, man or woman. And verses 30–32 clarify that this will happen in the last days—the days before the coming of Christ—for the purpose of saving people. The prophecy began its fulfillment that great day with the Apostles (Acts 2:16–21), but it didn’t end there. The great and dreadful day of the Lord has not come yet. God still desires to pour out His Spirit!
Furthermore, it is not a gift that God grudgingly gives us, or one that He’s trying to keep a secret. Luke 11:13 says, “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!” In other words, God is simply waiting for you to ask Him for the gift. He can’t wait to give you His Spirit!
He’s not stingy with the Spirit either. John 3:34 says that He gives the Holy Spirit “without limit.” This is why He uses words like “pour out,” “saturate,” and “baptize.” You see, it’s not the Holy Spirit that is in limited supply, it is our saturation point that is limited! God still desires to immerse us, saturate us, with His Spirit and He will give us as much as we can handle. That is, of course, if we want it.
That’s the real question isn’t it? Do we really want the gift of the Holy Spirit? I fear that many today do not.
Some believe that the power of the Spirit is no longer necessary. The disciples needed it then, but today we have better technology. They had to speak in various tongues, and only in one place. Today, we can be translated in hundreds of languages, all over the world, at the same time! It’s as if Jesus only gave the Spirit to the disciples because smart-phones and computers and google didn’t exist yet. Is that all the gift of the Spirit is, a fill-in until Apple was invented? I say we need the power of the Holy Spirit now more than ever!
Worse yet, I believe that there are many who are simply afraid of receiving the Spirit. The Spirit will change your life—there’s no way around that—and some do not wish to change. Think about it: why would a person who is comfortable in their life desire a power that will alter that life? Also, though Spirit gives us the power to finish the work, some do not want to work. The book of Acts can be quite scary to the person who enjoys warming the pews. There’s a lot of work to be done, and it can only be done by the Spirit, but few today want to do the work.
There’s the modern Christian’s dilemma: we know we are supposed to want the Holy Spirit, but we are afraid of, or do not want, the responsibilities or the changes that come with the Spirit. Even though God desires to saturate us with His Spirit, we are so full of everything else that we are already at our saturation limit. For the Spirit cannot fill a life that is already filled with the world.
These days, people talk about waiting for the “Latter Rain”—the great outpouring of God’s Spirit. I have learned that ground that is not used to getting wet will not receive the downpour when it finally comes. The water simply washes away. What good will the later rain be for us if we are resistant to receiving the Spirit now?
God has promised to pour out His Spirit on all who believe—to provide power for the salvation of souls, and to guarantee eternal life. He desires to liberally saturate us with His Spirit right now if we’ll just ask. Afraid you won’t hold enough? Don’t worry. Even a little drop of the Spirit is more powerful than you can imagine. So, why wait?