WHY YOU NEED THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The baptism of the Spirit is an immersion of the Spirit. When you are baptized with the Holy Spirit, you will receive strength, power and boldness from God to accomplish your work and overcome sin in your own life. Gods power often passes through your body like a powerful current and fills you with an infinite joy and happiness. The disciples were so filled with joy that the people thought they were drunk with new wine (Acts 2:13). Some people have so much grace that they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit immediately after they repent (evidence of speaking in tongues). However, this is not necessarily the case for all who repent but of course there is no set timetable for when you get this blessed baptism of the Spirit. It is a common misconception among many Christians that ‘you have not been baptized with the Holy Spirit if you havent received the gift of speaking in tongues’. This gift often comes later, and many only receive it after a revival has broken out, and yet others receive completely different gifts.

Why do we need the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
If you feel that your life is dry and heavy, pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Because you really need it if you have a strong desire to overcome envy, anger etc. You, who were bound by fear of man, become bold, just as Peter was on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14). A brand new day dawns. The dry Bible verses suddenly become alive for you by the Spirits revelation, and you can get help from Gods Word when you come into difficult situations. Why? Because you have been baptized with the Spirit. But it is not the intention that we stop completely at that great experience of being baptized with the Holy Spirit, and never move on. The power we have been given by the baptism of the Spirit (Acts1:8), which has made us so happy, is to be used to do the good so that we can be Gods coworkers on earth (Acts10:38). Even though we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit, we constantly need a new fullness because you can easily be caught up by the world we live in and can lose consciousness of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Thats why one of the Scriptures exhortations is: Be filled with the spirit. (Ephesians 5:18). When we earnestly pray to be filled anew and practice what we read in the Bible, well receive wisdom to live right.  The Spirit's role is fundamental both to creation and the life of the believer. When a person comes to Jesus Christ, he receives Christ into his heart. The Spirit of God comes and joins with the spirit of the believer. This "indwelling Spirit" reproduces the life of Jesus in the believer's life.

What, Then, Is The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering for service that takes place in the life of the Christian (Acts 1:4-5, 8). In it we are immersed in the Spirit's life and power. To illustrate, if we drank water from a glass, then the water would be inside us. However, if we went to the beach and stepped into the ocean, then we would be in the water. We receive, as it were, a drink of the Holy Spirit when we are saved, but when we are baptized in the Spirit, it is as if that initial drink becomes an ocean that completely surrounds us. Just as the indwelling Spirit that Christians receive when they are saved reproduces the life of Jesus, so the outpoured, or baptizing, Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus, including miracles and healings.

Why Do We Need The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?

• We need a power beyond ourselves for service and ministry in Christ's Kingdom (Matthew 28:19-20), (Acts 1:4-8).
• It is God's will - it is His commandment - that we be baptized, or filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The knowledge and reality of the empowering Spirit enables us to reproduce the works of Jesus.

You only have to do two things: First, once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior you just have to ask God to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you" (Luke 11:9). Second, believe you have in fact received this gift from God (Hebrews11:6). The apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, said, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?" (Galatians 3:2).

Need for baptism

• To produce Christ-like character (Gal. 5:22-23).
• To effectively walk in our calling (Eph. 4:1, Gal. 5:16)
• To properly proclaim the gospel (Is. 61:1)
• To have victory over the flesh (Rom. 7:15, 8)

How to be filled with the Spirit: The filling of the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) or the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:5) can occur at or subsequent to salvation. To be filled with the Spirit involves your submission to the Spirits work in leading, and empowering. The more you submit the more freedom the Spirit has to conform you to Jesus image. The greatest obstacle is rebellion (sin). The Spirit is grieved (Eph. 4:30) when we choose to remain ignorant of Gods commands, neglect, or intentionally rebel against His commands. The Spirit is quenched when we resist His leading (1Th. 5:19). Sin is what hinders the filling while obedience is how we experience the filling. As long as we have bodies of flesh we will struggle with sin. Therefore our confession, repentance and renewed commitment to yield to God are how we (believers) can experience the Spirit-filled life.