Two Baptisms

Acts 19:4-6

“Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

We are baptized (immersed) into water as an outward representation of the inward change in us. We are buried with Christ in baptism (our “old man” died); and, we are raised to walk in newness of life (our “new man” came alive).

But the Book of Acts makes it clear we should also desire to be baptized (immersed) into the Holy Spirit to receive the same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead – the power to walk out this new life in the way He desires for us. He in us, and us in Him!

We know the verse that says, “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world” (I John 4:4). So, the Holy Spirit is in us. We possess Him. But another verse we know is “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). That verse is also translated as, “I can do all things through the One who empowers me within”. It is the Holy Spirit that empowers us within so that we can do everything the Father desires for us to do, and assigns us to do!

But we must let Him empower us. We must let Him possess us.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE:

Seek the full empowerment of God.

Receive.

Dive Deeper: Study Acts 19.