26

THERE'S SOMETHING MORE.

In other words, there is a level of intimacy with the Holy Spirit which goes far beyond the Spirit's initial ministry to all believers.

It is so all-encompassing, some say it feels--on the emotional level--like a baptism and, as a result, there are those who call it the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Others refer to it as a "second blessing".

          I believe there's a better word.
                A more biblical word.
                      A less confusing word.
                                It's the word "fullness."

But it's not the word which concerns me right now.

I long for you to understand and experience the
reality of intimacy with the Holy Spirit in fullness!

From the stand point of strict biblical exegesis it is correct to say
                     --as Evangelicals always have--

the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that blessing which God bestowed upon all who believed in Christ on the day of Pentecost and in which

you, as a contemporary Christian, are privileged to share
at the moment of your conversion.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit may mean more than that.
Based on their personal experience some of my friends insist it does mean more.
I don't question their experience. I honor it.

Clearly, however,
          while the baptism of the Holy Spirit may mean more than the Bible reveals
                                                it certainly does not mean less!

The Bible reveals the baptism of the Spirit to be something which happens to all believers.

It happened to all the disciples in the upper room when they were born again
(Jn. 20:22).
It happened to all who were born again on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
It happened to you when you were born again.

Two questions present themselves.
                       Is there a "second blessing"?
                       And, if so, how do I enter into it?

27

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION.

The concept of a "second blessing"--or a baptism in, by or with the Holy Spirit separate from conversion--is rooted, at least in part, in the experience of the disciples at Pentecost.

The disciples began to follow Christ (Mt. 5:18-22). While they were becoming enlightened souls--learners, so to speak--they remained spiritually

After the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus appeared to them in the upper room, breathed on them and said,

"Receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn. 20:22).

When a flow of energy moving at one level passes through a transformer, what electronics calls a step-function occurs. The flow of energy is raised to a higher level.

The disciples who had been spiritually dead were transformed.
At that moment an event or step-function occurred.
They were, simultaneously, born again, given everlasting life,
received the gift of the Holy Spirit and baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ
(Eph. 2:4-7; Jn. 3:3, 16-18; 1 Cor. 12:13b).

During the next ten days old animosities and sins (Mt. 20:20-24; 26:74) were dealt with as these newborns put more and more of themselves under the control of the Holy Spirit.

When there are sudden, transient surges of power, what electronics calls spike-functions occur. At Pentecost, evidence or spike-functions indicated they were now "filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:1-13).

Acts 2:4 doesn't call what occurred on Pentecost "the baptism of the Holy Spirit" but that's exactly what it was. There was outward, tangible evidence of their being "filled with the Holy Spirit." They were bold, unified, joyful. The miracle of tongues overcame the confusion of tongues at Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). Between them, they spoke 15 known languages they had not learned and, as a result, everyone present heard the Gospel in his or her own tongue. Wow!

Their humanity continued to exert itself (dotted lines Acts 9:26; 10:17; 11:2). But, praise the Lord, as they grew in grace, their "walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:16) became routine.

They enjoyed Normal Christianity!

THE DISCIPLES EXPERIENCE IS NARRATIVE, NOT NORMATIVE.

Because of this essential historical flow
                            the experience of the disciples is not normative for us.
What happened to them sequentially could not have happened in any other way.

Before they could be born-again and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
                                                     (event or step-function),
Jesus had to die for their sins and be raised again for their justification (Rom. 4:25).

Before they could be filled with the Holy Spirit
                                                       (evidence or spike-function),

the day of Pentecost had to happen. The Holy Spirit had to come in fullness.

Hence, for the disciples
    the event or step-function
              had to be separated from
    the evidence or spike-functions
              by a span of time.
For the rest of us, as we shall see, no such span of time is required.

Sadly, for many contemporary believers, Spirit Baptism as event and Spirit Baptism as evidence do occur as separate experiences, because they have not been taught Normal Christianity. I was one of them. Maybe you are, too.

                   a third,
                            a fifth,
                                      a fifteenth
                                                  and an umpteenth blessing!

"A primary concern among first century Christians was that just as soon as a person was converted (italics mine), he or she be filled with the Holy Spirit."

To them it was incredible,

even inconceivable,
        that new Christians should be given
        the false and inevitably frustrating notion
they could live the Christian life on their own.

A lot of contemporary Christians are like the man who went to a fortune teller.

"You're going to be sick and miserable until you're forty," he was told.
"What happens then?" he asked.
"By then you'll be used to it."

29

THE WAY IT USUALLY IS.

Like the disciples, we are all are born into this world "dead in trespasses and sin" (Eph. 2:1).

If we are fortunate, we hear the Good News about salvation in Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16). We decide to receive Jesus as our Savior. We are transformed. Spirit Baptism as an event (step function) occurs and we become part of the Body of Christ (Eph. 2:5; 1 Cor. 12:13a)

Unfortunately we do not hear the rest of the Good News, that as part of the salvation package we are also given the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We are not realize we have the right to "drink of one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13b) and thereby be empowered to live differently. A kind of uninformed, involuntary spiritual disconnect occurs.

Conceptually, we are only remotely aware the possibility of a Spirit-filled life even exists. So-- we struggle on in the energy of our flesh believing, apparently, that our
up           on          roller
and down        and off          coaster

experience is Normal Christianity. It is not. It may be average, but it is not normal!

It does not measure up to the Biblical ideal.

Hopefully, perhaps through a wee book like this, we discover the possibility and importance of reconnecting with the Holy Spirit. We decide to do so.

Spirit baptism as evidence or spike-functions occur. The fruit of the Spirit provides outward, tangible, measurable evidence that we are, in fact, "filled with the Spirit."

We may continue to stumble from time to time, symbolized by the dotted lines. But we don't fall as far or stay down as long because (and this is absolutely key)

we no longer suffer from an uninformed, involuntary spiritual disconnect!

Now we know what to do about it.
     We allow the Holy Spirit to alert us when we have carnaled out (Rom. 8:26,27).
          We learn (key word) to put our self back under his control more quickly.
                                                        His fruit reappears.

How do you like them "apples?"

THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.

If the experience of the disciples is not normative, but narrative
                          --shaped as it was by an inescapable historical flow--

what is normative?
        The experience of the 3000 who were converted on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47).

They began that day the way they had from the date of their natural birth: spiritually dead.


They were confronted by authentic Christians (Acts 2:14-18).
They heard Peter proclaim Normal Christianity (Acts 2:38-39).
They learned they could be saved and, at the same time, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

They believed the message, made a positive response to it, and were made alive in Christ.

Immediately, Spirit Baptism as evidence or spike-functions took place. The fruit of the Spirit naturally and spontaneously appeared. (Compare Gal. 5:22,23 and Acts 2:37-47).

Spirit baptism as an event and Spirit baptism as evidence occurred simultaneously!

Each time of fullness in the Spirit, evidence or spike-function reinforced their desire to "walk in the Spirit." They still had to deal with their flesh (dotted lines; Gal. 5:17). There were times of carnality. But these became fewer and less severe as they chose to be continually under his control.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was, and is, a process without end.
It is a

moment by moment,
step by step,
life-long process
of choosing between

attempting to function in the frailty of our flesh and walking in the power of the Spirit.
The right choice is tangibly and objectively confirmed,
not by the presence of a gift of the Spirit, but by our production of the Spirit's fruit.

Rather than "the end"--a more accurate way of describing a Spirit-filled life is--

"to be continued."

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