Have You Received the Holy Spirit?

Acts 19:1-7
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, April 18, 1999
Copyright © 1999, P. G. Mathew

While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”

“John’s baptism,” they replied.

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 into 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. There were about twelve men in all.

Acts 19:1-7

Introduction

“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” That is the question the Apostle Paul asked the disciples of Ephesus, and that is the question we will consider in this study. This question is dealing with the subject of baptism in the Holy Spirit–a subject we must study carefully so that we will be able to experience all that God has for us.

Before we begin to examine this passage, let me state that I do not want any experience that is not in the Scriptures. A Christian should never place experience above the Scriptures. At the same time, however, we must be careful that we don’t interpret Scriptures in the light of our sub-par experience and not understand what God is really telling us from the Scriptures.

Theologians often have interpreted the Scriptures in the light of their own experience. For example, there are liberal theologians who study the New Testament carefully, trying to squeeze everything to fit into their own rationalistic understanding. The end result of such interpretation is that there is no Christ. Such people are scholars, but because they do not believe, they force the Scriptures through the tunnel of their unbelief and ultimately take away the Lord Jesus Christ in the orthodox biblical definition.

This problem is not limited to liberal theologians, however. There are some Reformed theologians who believe in the authority of Scripture, yet when you discuss such passages as Acts 19:1-7 with them, they will say these experiences cannot happen now. They make such statements because they are interpreting the Scriptures in the light of their own limited experiences rather than really examining what the Bible is saying. For instance, there are theologians who do not like anything that is experimental. The Bible speaks about inexpressible joy, but these people would tell us we could never be so happy. They want Christianity to be regulated by their meager experiences and understanding.

As I said, I do not want any experience that is not in the Bible and I will never place experience as a standard above the Scriptures. But I want every experience that is in the Bible. I refuse to let theologians, liberal or Reformed, limit me by their own ideas as to what is acceptable and what is not. I believe in the authority of the Scripture and desire all that the Scripture has for me. That is why we must carefully study this subject of baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Paul Goes to Ephesus

In his second missionary journey Paul was prevented from preaching the gospel in Ephesus. This temporary prohibition was lifted in Paul’s third missionary journey and God allowed him to minister there from 53 to 56 A.D.

Ephesus was the capital and most important city in the Roman province of Asia. Situated on the west coast of modern Asiatic Turkey, Ephesus was located between the Koressos Mountains and the Aegean Sea at the mouth of the Cayster River. There was a seventy-foot-wide road lined with columns which ran through the heart of the city to the harbor. Because of its location, the harbor of Ephesus controlled commerce from east to west during Paul’s time, but excessive lumbering and grazing of the hinterland eventually caused the harbor to be silted up with eroded topsoil. Today the ancient harbor sits back seven miles from the sea.

About one-third of a million people lived in Ephesus when Paul visited the city. It was founded in the twelfth century B.C. by the Greeks who came from Athens. From the time Alexander the Great conquered it in 334 B.C. to 133 B.C., the kings of Pergamum ruled Ephesus. King Attalus III, the last king of Pergamum, willed Ephesus to Rome.

In the sixth century B.C. King Croesus of Lydia built a temple to the many-breasted fertility goddess Artemis at Ephesus. This temple was destroyed by fire in 356 B.C. but another one was built later which was four times larger than the Parthenon of Athens and which became one of the seven wonders of the world.

Many Jews lived in Ephesus at the time of Paul’s visit and enjoyed certain privileges. In Acts 18 we read that Priscilla and Aquila lived in Ephesus for a time, during which they brought the great scholar Apollos to a greater understanding of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s desire to minister in Ephesus was in keeping with his missionary strategy, knowing that from Ephesus the gospel could go out to all Asia.

Led by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul came to this city of Roman power, Greek culture, and Asiatic superstition to preach the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Paul Meets Some Disciples

Soon after Paul arrived at Ephesus, he came into contact with twelve supposedly Christian disciples. But as soon as Paul met them, he realized their understanding of the gospel was deficient. Although they claimed to be disciples of Jesus Christ, the reality was different.

We find this situation in our own church sometimes. Many people who come to church claim to be Christians, but we have made it a point to examine them because, upon examination, we sometimes find that people who claim to be Christians are not Christians at all. In fact, some have no idea what it really means to be a Christian.

I hope that we will all examine ourselves and see whether we are truly Christians. “Make your calling and election sure,” the apostle Peter exhorts us (2 Pet. 1:10). Don’t just claim to be a Christian, but carefully examine yourself in the light of the Holy Scriptures. Otherwise, you may be deceived into thinking you are on your way to heaven when you are not.

These twelve disciples were examined by the apostle Paul, and he discovered that they lacked knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. They did not understand the fundamental gospel, that Jesus Christ, the God/man, died for their sins, was buried, and was raised for their justification; that Jesus Christ, being Lord, ascended into the heavens; and that Jesus Christ, having received the Holy Spirit from the Father, poured him out upon the believers, thus baptizing them in the Holy Spirit and granting them power to do Christian service in a hostile world.

The Ephesian disciples were baptized only with the baptism of John, we are told, but the baptism of John was only one of preparation–a baptism unto repentance. They had not heard the gospel nor had they been baptized in the Holy Spirit. They had not experienced the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which one must experience before being baptized in the Holy Spirit. So Paul ministered to these disciples by preaching the gospel to them.

The Gospel Comes to the Ephesians

Preaching the gospel is the first and most important thing we must do when we meet people. In Romans 10:14-15 Paul wrote, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless unless they are sent?”

The Spirit of the living God sent Paul to preach the gospel in Asia. I am sure he told the Ephesians that they must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for their sins and was raised for their justification. I am sure he urged them to call upon him and be saved, because the Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Salvation

Whenever the gospel is preached, God must do something in the background so that people can be saved. Man has a problem: he cannot naturally understand the gospel, even when it is preached to him. He must understand the gospel to be saved, but he cannot because, according to the Bible, he is blind to the things of God, dead in trespasses and sins. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 2:14 we read, “The man without the Spirit cannot receive the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them.”

The Holy Spirit must work in us so that we can understand the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 2:12 Paul writes, “We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.” The Spirit of God causes individuals to understand the gospel by illuminating their minds.

Not only does the Holy Spirit illuminate our minds, but in John 16:8 we find that he also convicts us “of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.” In other words, we must be convicted of our sinful state so that we will call out to God for mercy. No one will cry out to God unless he is convicted beyond the shadow of a doubt that he is a sinner. The Holy Spirit must work in a person so that he will beat on his breast and say, “O God, what a sinner I am! I am condemned and under guilt. Now I understand what righteousness and judgment are. Now I see that the wrath of God is being revealed against me! What shall I do?” If God works in you like this, you will not argue about your sin or try to interpret it away. You will understand your sin and, like the prodigal son, acknowledge it, saying, “I have sinned against God and against man.” If we see these things happening in people, we can conclude that the Holy Spirit is working in them, illuminating their minds and convicting them of sin.

Additionally, the Holy Spirit regenerates us, implanting the principle of life into us. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit, as we read in Christ’s own description of the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in John 3:5 and 8.

We find another account of the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration in Acts 16, the story of Lydia’s conversion. While Paul was preaching the gospel at Philippi, we read that “one of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.” God opened the heart of Lydia wide so that she could receive the message of salvation.

We read about it also in Ephesians 2:3-5: “All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy made us alive with Christ. . . .”

If God has not made you alive, I urge you to call upon the name of the Lord. Ask him to illuminate the gospel to you and convict you of sin. Ask him to teach you the function of the law and to show how you have violated it. Ask him to show you the guilt you are under and how the wrath of God is against you. Cry out to God, that God may regenerate you and make you alive toward him.

We must be alive toward God. Oh, we are alive toward the world, isn’t that true? But we must be alive toward God. As we just read in Ephesians 2:4-5, “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved.”

Not only does the Holy Spirit illuminate, convict, and regenerate us, but he also enables us to repent of our sins at the same time. No one will be saved unless he repents of his sin, rejecting, hating, and forsaking it. This is the nature of repentance.

Ask yourself if you hate your sin enough to forsake it. If you do not, I urge you to cry out to God, saying, “O God, work in me so mightily that I will hate sin and forsake sin by the mighty power of the Spirit of the living God.” Repentance is a gift of God, as we read in Acts 11:18. No one will repent unless the Holy Spirit enables that person to do so.

Additionally, the Holy Spirit gives us faith in Jesus Christ. This once-for-all trust and union in Jesus Christ–this commitment to Jesus Christ forever, this vital trust–is also a gift of the Holy Spirit. Faith is the benefit, the fruit, of regeneration. If you are regenerated, then God gives you the gift of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, as we read in Ephesians 2:8 and Philippians 1:29.

Now only that, the Holy Spirit dwells in those who are saved. In Romans 8:9 we read, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”

All of these things demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in the process of salvation. We are illumined, convicted, and regenerated. We repent of our sins, turning away from the devil, the world, and sin, and turning to the true and living God, trusting in him alone for our salvation. This is the salvation work of the Spirit.

This is not baptism in the Holy Spirit, but before we speak about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we must speak about salvation, another ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, must apply to our hearts the redemption which Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross, before we can be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Salvation in the Old Testament

Now, the work of the Holy Spirit in salvation is not limited to New Testament times. Some theologians maintain that only in the New Testament will we find people who are born of God, but this is not true. All Old Testament saints were regenerated by the Holy Spirit, born of God, and came to trust in the Messiah. This is God’s plan of salvation.

Do you think John the Baptist was born again? Yes, he was. What about Abraham? He was born again. In fact, New Testament believers are called children of Abraham (Rom. 4:11, Gal. 3:7 and others)(PGM). All Old Testament saints were saved.

The Proof of Our Lives

When the Holy Spirit illumines our understanding, removes our blindness, convicts us of sin, and regenerates us, there will be some change in our lives. How do I know if you have repented? You won’t go back to your old ways again. When you are tempted to do so, you will assert, “No! I have repented of that sin, forsaken it, and trusted in Jesus Christ alone.” When this happens, it means you have been brought into union with Jesus Christ–baptized into his death, burial, and resurrection–by the mighty operation of the Holy Spirit. This is salvation.

Paul examined the Ephesian disciples and somehow discovered they were not Christians, so he preached the gospel to them. The Holy Spirit enlightened them, convicted them of their sins, regenerated them, granted them repentance and faith, and they trusted in Jesus Christ alone. In effect, the Spirit of God baptized them into the body of Christ and they were brought into union with Jesus Christ.

What do you think Paul told these disciples? In Acts 19:4 we read, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, Jesus,” but this is just a summary of what Paul said. I am sure Paul spoke to them about who Jesus was: the Son of God, two natures, one person, God/man, without sin, our mediator, died for our sins, raised for our justification, he is Lord, ascended into the heavens, and is seated on the right hand of God the Father.

What happened next? “On hearing this”–based on the Spirit’s illumination and work–“they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” These Ephesian disciples heard the gospel, believed in Jesus Christ, and were baptized by Paul or someone appointed by him.

Do you remember the question Paul had asked these disciples initially: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” That had nothing to do with the work of the Holy Spirit in terms of regeneration. But now, after preaching the gospel to them and baptizing them, Paul laid hands on the new converts. What happened? “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

This is speaking about baptism in the Holy Spirit. This has nothing to do with regeneration, faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance. All those things are done by the Holy Spirit as part of the salvation process, but they are not baptism in the Holy Spirit. And no one can receive baptism in the Holy Spirit unless he has first been born again, repented and trusted in Christ alone for salvation.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Let us, therefore, examine the baptism in the Holy Spirit. As we do so, be careful not to listen to those theologians who interpret the Scriptures according to their own sub-par experiences. We must study the Bible ourselves and see what it says. I believe in the authority of the Bible and urge you not to let anyone deprive you through their theological manipulations of the blessings God has for you.

First, I must mention that there is an interpretation among Reformed people that baptism in the Holy Spirit is regeneration. I say that is pure nonsense, and Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones agrees with this assessment.

If you think the baptism in the Holy Spirit is regeneration, let me ask you some questions: What about the twelve apostles and the hundred and twenty believers who gathered together in the upper room? Were they born of God before the day of Pentecost? Did they believe in Jesus Christ and understand that Jesus Christ was the Messiah? Don’t you remember how Jesus told his disciples, “You are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you”? Do you remember how Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”? in Caesarea Philippi? Do you remember how in John 20:22 Jesus breathed on his disciples, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? Are you trying to say that these disciples were not Christians?

Just read the seventeenth chapter of John. That should tell you the apostles were definitely believers in the Messiah. And in Luke 24 we read that the Lord Jesus Christ opened the minds, hearts, and understanding of his disciples after his death and resurrection, telling them that the whole Bible said that Christ must suffer and rise from the dead “and repentance and forgiveness should be preached to all nations in my name, beginning in Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Don’t you think the apostles trusted in Christ for their own forgiveness of sins? They did.

If you think baptism in the Holy Spirit is regeneration, do you also think that Jesus told his disciples, “I want you to go and preach about forgiveness of sins, but don’t do it yet. You have to wait until the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you are regenerate”? Of course not! Did he say to wait until they trusted in Jesus Christ? No! Jesus was telling the disciples to wait until they were clothed with power for the business of witnessing. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the power God gives us so that we may declare to all the nations repentance and forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus Christ.

Power from God

We need power to proclaim the gospel, don’t we? After all, the world can be pretty intimidating. Jesus Christ himself said his disciples needed power, so he told them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let me say again: Baptism in the Holy Spirit has nothing to do with regeneration. These apostles were already born of God, in the same way that John the Baptist, David, and Abraham were.

Jesus himself was clothed with power from the Holy Spirit. He was the Son of God who became man, the Holy One, who knew no sin, and for thirty years he lived a normal life doing normal work. But when he began to do the special work of ministry God had sent him to do, he did not do it on his own. He needed to be anointed, so he went to John the Baptist to be baptized, as we read in Luke 3:21-22. After this baptism, Jesus was praying, and the Bible tells us the Holy Spirit came upon him “in bodily form like a dove.” Elsewhere we are told the Holy Spirit came upon him without measure. The Holy Ghost comes upon us with measure, but upon Jesus Christ without measure.

Peter spoke of the anointing of Christ to the household of Cornelius in Acts 10:38. Just as every prophet, priest and king was anointed in the Old Testament to do their works of service to God, so Jesus, the Prophet, Priest and King, was anointed to do his work as Messiah. In the same way, you and I are prophets, priests, and kings, and God anoints us with the Holy Spirit to do the work of witnessing for Jesus Christ in the world.

Clothed for Service

On a recent visit to the Sea of Galilee, I took a short boat ride across the lake. All of a sudden, just as the Bible says, a storm came up. Because we were sitting in an open boat, we were all drenched within minutes. In the same way God pours out his Holy Spirit upon us, drenching us, so that we do works of service for God, specifically the work of speaking about Jesus Christ to the world.

We find this type of outpouring of the Holy Spirit mentioned several places in the Bible. In Numbers 11:24-25 we read, “So Moses went out and told the people what the Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand around the Tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke with him, and he took the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders.” And what happened to these elders, these leaders of God’s people? “When the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied.”

Do you want to prophesy? Do you want to speak about Jesus Christ and declare the wonderful things of God to those around you? Then the Holy Spirit must rest upon you. And if you go through the whole Bible and search for passages about the Holy Spirit coming upon people, you will discover that every time this happened, people began to speak or prophesy. So this baptism in the Holy Spirit is not for regeneration. It is for service, for prophesying, for witnessing, for speaking about Jesus Christ, the only Savior.

In Numbers 11:26 we read, “However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.” What did they say? I am sure they were speaking about God and the wonderful things he had done.

Verse 27 tells us, “A young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.'” In other words, the young man was saying, “Moses, these people are out of line! They shouldn’t be doing any of this. Moses, you need to go and discipline them.”

Even Joshua, son of Nun, spoke up: “Joshua son of Nun, who had been Moses’ aide since youth, spoke up and said, ‘Moses, my lord, stop them!'” (v. 28) That is what many theologians would say to us. “Stop them! Stop them!” they would cry. “These people are not acting according to my theological constraints. Am I not the theologian? I have a Ph.D. I know Greek and Hebrew. Stop them!”

In verse 29 Moses asked, “Are you jealous for my sake?” Then he said, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them.” This is the heart of God coming through Moses.

God chose his nation to be a light for the world, and he has chosen us for that purpose too. God wants all his people to be prophets so they can declare the gospel to the whole world. As we read in Isaiah 52:7, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'” That is God’s purpose for his people.

The Spirit of God came and rested upon the elders of Israel. These were not pagans; they were the Lord’s people. What does this tell us? That baptism in the Holy Spirit is for believers, for the Lord’s people–for you and me. So Moses said, “I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them,” not to make them God’s people, but to cause them to prophesy.

Poured Out on All People

In the book of Joel we find a great eschatological prophecy–a prophecy about the last days, which, in fact, began with Jesus Christ.

In Joel 2:28 we read, “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Now, we must not understand “all people” to include pagans. No, this prophecy refers to the fulfillment of what Moses expressed when he said, “I wish all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them.” Joel was speaking to all the Lord’s people.

Did Joel say, “In the last days your sons and your daughters will be regenerated and become God’s people when they are baptized in the Holy Spirit”? No! Joel continues, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy.” All the Lord’s people, men and women, servants, slaves–all those who have called upon the name of the Lord for salvation–are going to prophesy.

Joel goes on, “Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” God loves old people and young people, infants and elderly, and here he is saying that those who are old are going to flourish and be fruitful, even in their old age. They will dream dreams, and they will speak about those dreams while young men see visions and speak about those visions. Both groups will be prophesying, in other words.

“Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days,” Joel concludes. You see, in the Old Testament, only a few people received this type of anointing. But Joel looked into the future and saw that all the Lord’s people would be recipients of this great outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit.

What will God’s people say as they prophesy? They will be speaking about God to a lost, hungry, crooked, perverted world. They will do so with great courage and boldness, not with fear and timidity. Why is it we don’t want to witness? Because we are afraid of the world. But when the Spirit of God comes upon us, we will not be afraid at all. Clothed with the Holy Spirit, we will be able to declare boldly, with great compassion, the gospel, which alone saves people.

God’s Power Garment

In Luke 24 we find the Lord Jesus Christ speaking to his apostles. These apostles believed in Jesus Christ and were witnesses to his death, burial and resurrection. They had seen the resurrected Christ many times, having eaten with him and spoken with him, and so they knew that he had indeed risen from the dead. They knew the gospel, in other words, and were already commissioned by God to preach it throughout the world.

But there was one more thing that had to happen before they began to preach the gospel. In verse 49 Jesus told his apostles, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

What was Jesus referring to? The baptism in the Holy Spirit. That is the dress we need–not designer jeans, not anything else. We need the Holy Spirit of God to come upon us and clothe us with power so that we might boldly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the Greek the word used here “to clothe” is enduô, which we find also in the Septuagint in Judges 6:34, 1 Chronicles 12:18, and 2 Chronicles 24:20. For example, in Judges 6 we find Gideon hiding in a cave–afraid, fearful, not wanting to show his face to anybody, running away from the world. Isn’t that just like us? We may talk about Jesus Christ in the cave–that is, the church–but when we go outside, we become very quiet because we are afraid of this mighty horde, the Midianites, who are coming.

Something happened to Gideon to change his fear into boldness. In the Septuagint we read that the Holy Spirit came upon Gideon and clothed him. When this happened, he was suddenly equipped for service and able to fight the Midianites.

That is the idea of baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is an entirely different relationship of the Spirit to us than being regenerated and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Baptism in the Holy Spirit equips us for service and makes us bold and confident, unafraid of the world even to the point of being able to suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ.

The Great Pentecostal Outpouring

There is a detailed description of the first baptism in the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. In verses 1-3 we read, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” And what were they saying? Read verse 11: “We hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

These disciples were speaking about God and how great he was. We can imagine what they said. “How wonderful you are, O God,” they would say. “You are the Creator of the ends of the earth. But you are also our Redeemer. You sent your Son to bear the punishment for our sins. He died on the cross, was buried, and was raised from the dead. He ascended into the heavens–we saw that with our own eyes–and now he has poured out the Holy Spirit upon us. Praise be to God!”

These disciples were speaking about the gospel, in other words. They were speaking the wonders of God, and there is nothing more wonderful than the gospel. This was the fulfillment of what Moses had desired and what Joel had prophesied.

Some who were watching thought the disciples were drunk. But in verse 16 Peter says, “No, this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel.” In other words, Peter was saying, “People of Jerusalem, we are living in the last days. God’s prophecy as spoken by Joel is being fulfilled. The desire of Moses is being fulfilled. The Spirit is coming upon all people. Don’t you remember how Joel said, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.”

Just look at this fisherman! I don’t think Peter went to seminary or had any degrees. But the Spirit of God came upon him and he spoke by the illumination of the Spirit of God. He continued, “Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” And in verse 21 he gave the conclusion of Joel’s prophecy: “And everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” What is the purpose of preaching the gospel? So that people will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

If we want to prophesy, the Holy Spirit must come and rest upon us. As we prophesy and speak the gospel, people will call upon the name of the Lord and be saved. That is God’s ultimate purpose. God who loves the world wants to save sinners, and baptism in the Holy Spirit plays a part in enabling the Lord’s people to prophesy and preach the gospel that sinners may be saved.

In Acts 1:5 Jesus told his disciples, “For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” And in Acts 1:8 he said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Oh, this is power! This is boldness! This is confidence! This is greater understanding of the gospel! This is the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Remember the question of whether the disciples were drunk or not? Peter again explained to the crowd in Acts 2:32-33 that what they were seeing was not drunken people, but those on whom God had poured his Holy Spirit. “God has raised this Jesus to life,” Peter said, “and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”

That is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is. Jesus Christ is the Baptizer. He received the Holy Spirit from the Father and then he pours out the Spirit upon his people until they are drenched, enveloped, filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.

Remember the rain we experienced in Galilee? It came upon us suddenly and in great measure. In the same way, baptism in the Holy Spirit comes upon us suddenly, not in small measure but in great measure. The Lord Jesus Christ abundantly pours out his Holy Spirit upon people who are believers, not to make them believers but to make them prophets to declare the gospel.

Have You Received the Holy Spirit?

Let me say it again: Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not designed to make us people of God. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is designed to enable God’s people to prophesy that people may call upon the name of the Lord and be saved.

In Luke 11:13 Jesus said, “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?” When Jesus said “your Father in heaven,” he is telling us this is for God’s children–those who are already Christians, in other words.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is for God’s children. So the first things we must ask are: Are you are a child of God? Has God’s Holy Spirit enlightened you and taken away the blinders from the eyes of your heart that you might understand the gospel message? Has God the Holy Spirit convicted you of your sins? Has God the Holy Spirit implanted in you the seed of new life, regenerating you and making you sensitive to God and spiritual things? Has God the Holy Spirit granted you true repentance so that you turn away from sin and evil and turn to God? If not, I pray that you will call upon the name of the Lord that you may be saved. There is no other way to be saved.

Those are the first questions we must ask. And if you are a child of God, I will ask you this question as well: Do you have a desire for this baptism, that you may prophesy and tell others about Christ so that they may call upon the name of the Lord and be saved?

May God help us to examine ourselves this day, even as the apostle Paul examined the disciples of Ephesus. May we ask ourselves the question: Did we receive the Holy Spirit when we believed? We may claim all kinds of things, but the reality may be different. May God help us to make our calling and election sure. May he save those who never trusted in Jesus Christ and pour out the Holy Spirit upon those of us who are saved that we may prophesy to those around us. Oh, we are so aware of people perishing in our own homes, in our own neighborhoods, in our own cities, in our own countries, but we also know that God who loves the world. May he help us even this day to be filled with the Spirit that we may prophesy with great joy and power so that sinners may be saved. Amen.