THE NEW
YOU
&
THE
HOLY SPIRIT
ANDREW WOMMACK
The
New You
INTRODUCTION
PART 1
Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you'll ever make. This book
will help you understand the choice you've made and discover what's next.
Welcome
to the family!
UNDERSTAND
YOUR
SALVATION
When God's Word first comes to you,
Satan immediately tries to steal it (Matt.13:19). However, he can only do so if
you don't have understanding. That's why you need to comprehend what takes place
the moment you accept the Lord. Understanding prevents the devil from talking
you out of your salvation benefits.
God's Word
promises "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom, 10:9-10). 'For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).
Have you done
this? Have you confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus? Do you believe in your
heart God raised Him from the dead? Are you a "whosoever" who has
called on the name of the Lord? If your answer is yes, then you've been saved!
You were saved
the very moment you sincerely committed your life to Jesus Christ. The truth of
His
Word instantly
came to pass as you believed in your heart and confessed with your mouth.
Congratulations— you've been saved!
GOD KEEPS HIS WORD
You're in good hands now! "I give
unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all;
and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand" (John 10:28-29).
Since you've
committed your life to Him, He'll keep you. 'For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed,
and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him
against that day " (2 Tim. 1:12).
God will be
faithful even when you aren't! "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead
with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with
him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithful: he cannot deny himself" (2 Tim. 2:11-13). When you make mistakes
or feel discouraged, just remember—God can't deny Himself, because He always
keeps His Word!
Knowledge from God's Word helps you
comprehend what took place in your life at salvation. You began an eternal
relationship with the most Wonderful Person in the universe. Knowing and
following Him will bring you unspeakable joy. Salvation isn't just going to
heaven when you die; God wants you to start experiencing your salvation
benefits immediately. This requires knowledge from His Word. As you understand
and act on that knowledge, you'll experience the benefits of your salvation.
God has given
you everything you need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him.
"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and
of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that
by these ye
might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is
in the world through lust" (2 Pet. 1:2-4). The knowledge of God gives you
access to His promises. By believing and acting
on them, you'll
partake of His divine nature. This means you'll experience all of God's love,
joy, peace, health, deliverance, prosperity, and so on that's already in your
spirit now by Christ Jesus!
As your thinking
changes to line up with your born-again spirit, your life will too. For
instance, perhaps you've spent your entire life hating Mondays. You've always
given it over to the devil by believing, speaking, and expecting it to be a bad
day. Just because you were born again doesn't mean that all of your negative
attitudes and thought patterns have changed yet. Monday will be the same as
before until knowledge from God's Word causes you to understand and act
differently toward it. As the Word changes the way you believe, speak, and
expect things to be, you'll start experiencing your salvation benefits—even on
Mondays!
RENEW YOUR MIND!
Your whole
outlook will change as you grow in the knowledge of God and His promises. This
is called "renewing your mind." "I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be
not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your
mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God" (Rom. 12:1-2).
The way you think must match your
born-again spirit. At salvation, your spirit became an entirely new creation.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Your
born-again spirit is always in
God wants you to
think and act like Him! By submitting yourself to His Word, your life will
change like a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly. Don't allow
worldly pressure to squeeze you into its ungodly mold; renew your mind. Be
transformed by the knowledge of God, and your life will increasingly reflect
Christ Jesus.
YOUR SPIRIT CHANGED
Some people don't understand the
spiritual nature of the radical change that occurred when they committed their
lives to Christ. For example, many individuals receive Jesus in jail because
they're desperate for a change. Waking up the next morning, they find
themselves in the same cell, wearing the same clothes and eating the same food.
They don't feel any different, and their circum-stances certainly haven't
changed. Discouraged by this lack of immediate outward transformation, they
incorrectly conclude that nothing really happened at salvation. Because of
this, many never go on to renew their minds and enjoy the benefits of
salvation.
Your body and soul (mind, will, and
emotions) didn't change at salvation the way your spirit did. If you If you
were bad at math before you got saved, you'll stay bad at math until you
increase in learning. Your mind isn't
Since you can't
see or touch your spirit, God's Word is the only way you can know what has
happened within. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life" (John 6:63). Faith is simply trusting what the Word says happened in
your spirit more than what you see in the natural.
TRUST THE TRUTH
When I accepted the Lord as an eight-year-old, all I
experienced was an inward "knowing." A nagging fear
of
hell left, but other than that, nothing felt different to
me. There were no bells, no whistles, nor fireworks. I had
to believe God's Word, that said my salvation was true.
As I renewed my mind, I increasingly partook of His
divine nature and enjoyed living in His promises.
Feelings change, but the truth doesn't! If you genuinely committed your life to the Lord, the
truth is He will always honor that commitment. He'll never deny, leave, nor
forsake you (Matt. 10:32 and Heb. 13:5). Your relationship with God is secure.
Whether you felt anything or not, radical change took place in your spirit, and
you're now a brand-new person. Trust that God's Word to you is true!
You'll
experience your salvation more as you renew your mind. When you think according
to the flesh (i.e., what your five senses tell you) and give in to negative external
influences, you won't be able to enjoy God's benefits. However, as you trust
the truth of God's Word by keeping your mind on the Lord and thinking in line
with your born-again spirit, you'll experience God's love, peace, joy, etc.
(Gal. 5:22-23). The choice is yours. Begin renewing your mind today!
JESUS IS LORD
Salvation is God's gift to you through
faith in Jesus Christ. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God
is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). Salvation
can't be earned by any amount of good works, because God doesn't give eternal
life based on anything you do. Jesus Christ did everything that needed to be
done through His death, burial, and resurrection. You receive eternal life by
faith in Him alone!
No one deserves
to be saved because of their good works. "For all have sinned, and come
short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). God doesn't deal with you in
proportion to your sin. If you miss heaven by an inch, then you've missed it by
a mile. Either you are completely righteous in His sight or you're not. It's
that simple! No matter how good you think you are, you've been bad enough to
miss heaven!
The Lord explicitly stated that He's
not just a way to the Father but the way! "Jesus saith unto him, I am the
way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me"
(John 14:6). Acts 4:12 declares, "Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be
saved." Either you come to God the Father through faith
GOD
IN THE FLESH
"And
when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to
him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal
life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God. Thou knowest the
commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear
false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother. And he answered and
said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth" (Mark
10:17-20).
A rich young
ruler asked Jesus, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He
wanted to know how he could earn his way into heaven. Notice how the young man
called Jesus "Good Master" at first. When the Lord countered him by
saying that only God is good, he dropped "Good" and referred to Jesus
simply as "Master." By this we know he didn't see Jesus as God.
Jesus Christ was
God in the flesh. He wasn't just a good man who gave us a tremendous example of
humility and love. He was literally God incarnate! "And without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh
Justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed
on in the world, received up into glory" (l Tim. 3:16).
Either Jesus was
a deceiver, or He is who He said He was. No man who claimed to be God—but
actually wasn't—should ever be considered "good." However, there's
more verifiable historical evidence proving that Jesus Christ lived, died, and was resurrected than that
Julius Caesar ever lived!
Every cult and
religion on earth acknowledges Jesus' existence, but they stop short of calling
Him God. They'll grant Him the status of a prophet or an inspired teacher sent
from God, but not Deity Himself. The rich young ruler did the same by dropping
"Good" and simply calling Jesus "Master." He just couldn't
bring himself to believe that this Man standing before him was God.
Apart from Jesus being the Son of God,
there's no way to the Father! Everything hinges on His divinity. The Lord
Himself stated "that all men should honour the Son, even as they honour
the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath
sent him" (John 5:23). If Jesus wasn't God, then His life wasn't worth
more than any other man's life, and He couldn't have atoned for the whole human
race. However,since He was God in the flesh, His life was worth more than all
mankind—making His sacrifice eternally sufficient for all!
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
Christianity is
the only faith with a Savior. All other faiths depend on good works to achieve
various degrees of "holiness." The holier you live, the better chance
you have of being accepted by that "god." In essence, you become your
own savior because "salvation" is based on your own performance. God
knew you couldn't live a perfect life! Instead of demanding that you do
everything right, He came and took your sin into His own body at the cross (1
Pet. 2:24). He suffered the punishment you deserved, to give you salvation as a
gift. Praise God for the Savior!
Jesus took your
sin so you could become righteous! "For he hath made him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2
Cor. 5:21). God put His judgment for sin upon Christ at the cross so you
wouldn't have to bear it. Then, when you believed and received the Lord, He
placed Jesus' righteousness on you. This is the Great Exchange!
When this
exchange takes place, your spirit is immediately re-created with the
righteousness of Jesus Christ. You are then able to fellowship with God spirit
to Spirit. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in
spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). Even when you sin, your born-again spirit
cannot be contaminated, because of the impenetrable seal of Christ's own
Spirit. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with
that holy Spirit of promise" (Eph. 1:13). Since the new
nature of your spirit is always holy, you can approach God at any time and in
any condition. Now that's good news!
SUSTAINED BY FAITH
The Christian
life is both born in faith and sustained by faith. You'll just end up
condemning yourself if you try to live it by your own works. As long as you're
in your physical body, there'll be times when you fall short. If you're not
careful, you'll beat yourself up trying to live right and wonder how God could
ever love someone who messes up as much as you.
God's love doesn't change when you make
mistakes. If He went to the cross for you as a sinner, how much more does He
love you now that you're a Christian! "But God commendeth his love toward
us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For
if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,
much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Rom. 5:8-10).
He loves you more now as a Christian—even when you sin—than He did when you
were lost. Don't ever let your failures separate you from God's unfailing love!
THE LAW'S PURPOSE
God gave the Law
to show man he couldn't save himself. The Ten Commandments are really just the
tip of the iceberg; there are literally thousands of rules to keep in the Law!
Jesus used several of these commandments in an attempt to show the rich young
ruler we read about in Mark 10 that he would never be holy enough for eternal
life on his own. "Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery,
Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy
father and mother" (Mark 10:19). This young man genuinely thought he could
do something to earn eternal life. Doing and receiving by faith are very
different from each other indeed!
The Law is like
a plate glass window. Whether you break it with a BB or a boulder, it's broken!
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he
is guilty of all" (James 2:10). God doesn't tell you to do your best and
He'll make up the difference with mercy. Either you live holy and receive
eternal life because you earned it (which is not possible), or you receive it
by faith as a gift.
This deceived
young ruler needed to quit trying and start trusting. In an effort to convince
the Lord that he deserved eternal life, he told Jesus that he'd kept all of the
commandments since his youth. Impossible! This man's attitude had him going
straight to hell!
Loving the young
ruler, Jesus tried to bring him out of this deception. "Then Jesus
beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way,
sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure
in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that
saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions" (Mark
10:21-22). The Lord touched this man's true "god" when He instructed
him to sell all of his possessions and give to the poor. The rich young ruler
wasn't willing to lay them down and make Jesus Lord, because he'd broken the
very first command: "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex.
20:3).
God is not
against you having money, but He's against money having you! Giving away all of
your possessions to the poor is not a requirement for salvation. When
Zacchaeus, another wealthy man, met Jesus and repented, he declared he'd give
half of all he had to the poor (Luke 19:1-9). Jesus never asked this of him,
but Zacchaeus volunteered to do it because his heart had changed. The issue
Jesus is driving at is who or what do you trust in as your "god"/God?
THE BOTTOM LINE
If
you believe Jesus Christ was only a good person and that you can get to God
through many different ways, you haven't truly made Him Lord of your life.
Jesus is
FROM DEATH TO LIFE
All people are
born into this world separated from God (Ps. 51:5). Adam and Eve died
spiritually when they sinned. Even though they didn't die physically right
away, their spirits were separated from God and fell under the control of Satan
(Gen. 3). Every person born into the earth since then has had this inherent sin
nature. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by
sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom.
5:12).
However, sin
isn't imputed until you reach the age of accountability. This means you aren't
held responsible for your sin until you're old enough to intentionally violate
God's Law (Rom. 7:9). This age varies from person to person, but you need to be
born again as soon as possible once you reach it.
A natural birth brought you into this
world, but a spiritual birth is required to enter God's kingdom. "Jesus
answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can
a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's
womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the
When you're born
again, you pass from death to life. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life,
and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life"
(John 5:24). At salvation, the sin nature you were born with dies and is
replaced with a brand-new, righteous nature. You're no longer a sinner but righteous
in Christ!
NEVER AGAIN!
God's standard of goodness is His own
glory. We might have looked good compared to other sinners, but no one is holy
compared to Jesus! According to Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God." Who wants to be the best sinner who ever
went to hell? We all need a Savior. God declared everyone a sinner, but He
loved us and wanted to redeem us. And in doing so, He could declare everyone
righteous who has accepted Jesus by faith. Regardless of how bad we were, we
instantly became righteous through receiving Christ.
Born-again
Christians know they don't deserve salvation based on their own merits. It's
only because they put faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.
All other religions try to approach God based on their personal holiness—what
they do for Him. Christians approach God based on a firm heart belief in what
He
All of your sins were forgiven—past,
present, and future —the moment you received the Lord. You are now eternally
redeemed and have an eternal inheritance (Heb. 9-10). In your spirit, you
became sanctified and perfected in God's sight forever. "To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb.
12:23). Sin will never be imputed to you (credited to your account) again!
CHOOSE LIFE!
Even though
you're completely forgiven, it matters how you live! You have an Enemy who is
committed to your destruction. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). The choices you make
determine whether you experience life or death. "Know ye not, that to whom
ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey;
whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness" (Rom.
6:16). Yield to sin and you're yielding to the one whose revealed purpose is to
steal, kill, and destroy you. Sin gives the devil a foothold in your life, and
he'll take full advantage of it!
If you sin, simply repent. God will never leave you nor
forsake you.
He's already forgiven you, so don't fall for the deception that He doesn't love
you or that you'll lose your salvation. God the Father already rejected and
judged Jesus so you wouldn't have to be rejected and judged. Change your mind
and turn from the sin. Declare, "Satan, I rebuke you. The blood of Jesus
has set me free. Even though I didn't do what was right, you cannot destroy me.
God loves me and I choose to follow Him!" This prevents Satan from gaining
entrance into your life.
Don't let the devil take advantage of
you by you ignoring the way God shows you to live. Renew your mind to His Word,
and act on it in faith. The abundant life Jesus provided is yours to enjoy!
For further
study, I recommend my teaching “Spirit,
Soul & Body”.
PART II
LOVING GOD
Now that you're born again, what's next?
God wants to
establish some new patterns in your life. By taking the following "first
steps" with Him, you'll lay a solid foundation for a growing relationship.
God's love for you won't change whether
you do these things or not, but your love for Him will definitely be affected!
You've been given the gift of a brand-new life, full of untold potential that's
just waiting to be developed. Why settle for anything less than your divine
destiny?
Fall
deeply in love with God—He's worth it!
BE BAPTIZED
Every born-again believer should be baptized
in water. This isn't in order to be saved but rather because you've been saved.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into
death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:3-4).
Water baptism is an act of obedience to God's Word, symbolizing your baptism
into the body of Christ.
You were
immediately placed into the universal church upon your salvation. As a believer
in Christ Jesus, you became part of His eternal body. "There is one body,
and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord,
one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and
through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:4-6). You became a part of every
believer who has ever believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter if
they go to your local church or if they believe exactly the same as you or not.
You've been united with all the other believers in the body of Christ!
God's Word
commands you to be baptized in water. "And he said unto them, Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth
and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark
16:15-16). "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19).
Numerous
examples from the book of Acts show how the early church spread the Gospel and
obeyed this command. On the Day of Pentecost, those who were saved were water
baptized (Acts 2:41). Philip water baptized the Ethiopian eunuch and the new
converts in Samaria (Acts 8). Thus, the scriptural pattern given for us to
follow today is baptism of new believers by immersion in water.
Being "baptized" as a child
in a religious system where they sprinkled you with water is not sufficient.
Also, you weren't scripturally baptized if it was done prior to your true conversion
(i.e., as an infant or young child). The Bible makes it very clear that faith
in Jesus is a pre-requisite to water baptism (Acts 8:36-37). You must believe
first and then be baptized.
A SIGN OF SALVATION
Although water
baptism is an important first step in the Christian life, it's not required for
salvation. Those who teach that water baptism is necessary to obtain your
salvation are basing this on a misinterpretation of Acts
2:38. "Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost." Some say this "proves" you must repent and be
baptized for the remission of sins. The key to understanding this verse is the
word "for." "For" often means "in order to
obtain" but can also be "as a result of; because of; since."
This verse says to repent, which means to put your faith in the Lord, and then
to prove your faith in Him—as a result of being born again, because you've been
born again, since you've been born again—by being water baptized. Those who
believe that water baptism is required for salvation also teach that you must
live in a system of religious works whereby you earn salvation by personal
holiness. This is contrary to what the Word of God teaches.
Water baptism is a sign of salvation.
In Acts 10, God told Cornelius, through an angel, to send for Peter in Joppa.
When Peter came to Caesarea and began preaching to this man's entire household,
they all received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues, and
prophesied. In light of this, Peter asked, "Can any man forbid water, that
these should not be baptized?" In other words, they were born again, had
received the Holy Spirit, and then were baptized in water (Acts 10:44-48). Water
baptism symbolized the salvation they had already received.
HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM
Once you are
born again and water baptized, your very next step should be to receive the
power of the Holy Spirit. "And when he had said this, he breathed on them,
and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22). God doesn't
intend for you to live for Him on your own; He wants to live through you by the
supernatural power of the Holy Spirit!
Jesus was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also
being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost
descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven,
which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased" (Luke
3:21-22). "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me
to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to
preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set
at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the
Lord" (Luke 4:18-19). If the Son of God Himself needed the Holy Spirit,
how much more do we?
The gift of the
Holy Spirit comes to all who ask in faith. "For every one that asketh
receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give
him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if
he shall ask an egg, will he offer him
a scorpion? If
ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much
more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him?" (Luke 11:10-13). Your heavenly Father knows how to give you good
gifts. Ask Him in faith and you'll receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit too!
Both Holy Spirit
and water baptisms are clearly commanded in the Scriptures. The Lord will lead
you into these two acts of faith and obedience as soon as you are born again.
Both actions release tremendous benefits into your spiritual life!
For more information, please refer to
my in-depth look at the baptism in the Holy Spirit in my book “The Holy Spirit.”
BUILD A SURE FOUNDATION
The Bible is
God's Word. He'll give you wisdom and guidance through it. "As newborn
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (l
Pet. 2:2). As a baby draws sustenance from its mother's breast, so a new
believer is nourished by spiritual milk from the Bible. You'll grow as you feed
often on God's Word!
God's Word is God-breathed. "All
scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Tim. 3:16). The Bible is
charged with the very life of God, and it'll come alive to you as you read it.
Through His Word, you'll get to know this awesome, loving God who has saved
you. You'll grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and become
"thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim. 3:17).
God will speak directly to you through
the Bible. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of
the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Don't just use your head to read this book; come
to the Word with an open heart ready to receive from God!
Choose a version of the Bible that's easy to understand.
God doesn't want
language style to hinder you from getting to know Him. Personally, I use the
King James Version because it's what I grew up on. However, you may find the
old English phrases too difficult to understand. If that's the case, select a
Bible to your liking, and read, study, and meditate on what it says. Any
version you use is superior to not reading the Bible at all. The Holy Spirit
can lead you to other translations later on, but laying a solid foundation of
God's Word in your heart is what's most important right now!
GOD'S
WORD—THE HIGHEST AUTHORITY
A basic
understanding of the Bible is very helpful. I never went to seminary or Bible
school, but I studied the Bible sixteen hours a day. It revolutionized my life!
Some things I learned right away; others took me many years. But you can never
exhaust the depths of God's Word. Everything you need for life and godliness
can be found in it.
I wish somebody
had explained to me the difference between the Old Covenant (Genesis through
Malachi) and the New Covenant (Matthew through Revelation) when I was first
saved. It took me a long time to discover that God deals with people totally
differently from one covenant to the other. Most Christians see the Bible as
one unit, all saying the same thing. They can't comprehend why the same God
shows so much wrath
and judgment in
the Old Testament and so much grace and mercy in the New. They don't realize how
every-thing changed between God and man once Jesus Christ came to earth. You
and I are in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus!
Guidance from mature believers can save
you time and painful mistakes, but always check it against God's Word for
yourself. Be careful only to receive what's right, because people can steer you
in the wrong direction. That's why comparing everything they say with the Bible
to see how it matches up is so important. Let go of what doesn't line up, and
hold on to what does. God's Word must be the highest authority in your life!
The Word of God
is powerful! It's not just a book written by man about God. Some people raise
questions about the Bible and say there are many inconsistencies within it.
Many good books (called "apologetics") answer these questions and
validate the authority of the Bible. The Word is actually a book by God
speaking to you through man. All the books in the Bible are supernaturally
inspired and have been protected and preserved error free. Your job is to
interpret and believe God's Word as it was written. If you do, God Himself will
fellowship with you—and that's awesome!
My teaching “A Sure Foundation” will help you
understand how important God's Word is to your life.
JOIN A LOCAL CHURCH
Every step I've
mentioned so far—being water baptized, receiving the baptism in the Holy
Spirit, building a sure foundation in the Word of God—can be made much easier
if you get involved in a good local church.
The Lord created the church, which is
simply a group of His people who meet together regularly for the purpose of
loving each other, praying for each other, and building each other up. It
doesn't always function that way, but it's still the greatest institution on
earth!
Many people love
the Lord, but don't like His people. That's because some Christians don't
reflect God like they should. They hurt others with their mean-spiritedness and
hypocrisy. Jesus faced the same thing— unbelievers welcomed Him, while
religious folks persecuted Him. Because of this, you may want to commit your
life to Christ and enjoy a relationship with Him but have nothing to do with a
church. I can relate to what you're feeling, but that's a wrong attitude to
keep. It's like fixing a leaky boat—better to be inside making repairs than
outside in the ocean where you could drown!
You grow
spiritually by participating in a good church. As a believer, you're like a hot
coal in a burning fire. You'll stay red hot and glowing as long as you're
involved with other believers in a local church body. Separate and isolate
yourself from the other coals, and it won't be long before you grow cold. Stay
in the fire! Although there are plenty of bad churches out there, it's worth
your effort to find the good ones. Every believer needs to be involved in a
local church!
You can learn a lot from Christians who
have walked in God's Word and have been through some things. It's important not
to believe just anyone, but God will place spiritual leaders in your life for
the purpose of helping you grow. "And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the
perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ" (Eph. 4:11-12). Many new believers want to bypass people
and receive everything they need straight from God. However, the Lord prefers
to work through mature Christians to build up and strengthen newer ones.
God uses
apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip and mature
believers for the work of the ministry. He gave these people to build up the
body of Christ until "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man,
unto the measure
of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph. 4:13). Since the church
hasn't fully attained that yet, God is still using these five different types
of ministry gifts to accomplish His goals. It's important that you submit to
the Lord's system!
You are
disobeying God if you don't get involved with other believers. God will still
love you and you won't lose your salvation, but you'll be a cold, isolated coal
when you run into hurts and difficult situations. Instead of having a strong
support system of other believers who love you and know your situation, you'll
be on your own in the ocean. You definitely need to participate in a good
church!
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PEOPLE
What you hear while you're young in the
Lord will greatly impact your spiritual development. As a new believer, you're
like a little plant that needs to be in a protected environment until your
roots grow deep. When I was young in my faith, I'd walk out in the middle of a
service if I heard something contrary to God's Word being preached. Today, I
don't just get up and leave, because I know it won't hurt me the way it
would've when I was first born again. However, I don't subject myself to wrong
teaching again and again, because it's unwise. If you hear something enough
you'll start to believe it. Since you are forming your spiritual root
structures, it's crucial that you hear correct teaching now.
Although what
you hear as a new believer is important, a church will supply you with more
than just teaching. Your participation in a local body can provide you with
needed fellowship and relationships with other Christians. Media ministries
like mine can feed you God's Word through audio messages, books, websites,
radio, and television programs, but nothing helps the Word become flesh in your
life better than regular interaction with other on-fire believers!
Christianity is a relationship with God and His people.
Before his conversion, Paul (then named Saul) hated
Christians. While on his way to Damascus to kill more
believers, the Lord appeared to him in a blinding flash of
light (Acts 9:1-5). Jesus asked, "Why are you persecuting
Me?" Notice that His question
wasn't, "Why are you
persecuting My people?" That's because the Lord
becomes one with every individual who puts his or
her faith in Him! If someone touches you, they touch the
apple of God's eye. God loves you the same as He loves
every other Christian!
God demonstrates
His love through His people. "By this shall all men know that ye are my
disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35)- "If a man
say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not
his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen"
(1 John 4:20). No one who refuses to relate to God's people can say they truly
have a
PUT HIS WORD INTO PRACTICE
A local church
will provide you with the opportunity to put Christ's teachings into practice.
It's one thing to hear the Word say to do unto others as you would have them do
unto you (Matt. 7:12), but it's quite another to actually live it. Your rate of
maturity will slow down if all you ever do is shut yourself up with a Bible for
weeks and months. Some things you'll never really learn until you have to deal
with other people. From God's perspective, you don't really know something from
His Word until you've put it into practice!
Your local church leadership can
provide ministry to you and your loved ones in practical ways that a media or
traveling ministry cannot. I can teach you God's Word concerning healing, but I
won't be available when you need to "call for the elders of the church
" (James 5:14) to come over to your house and anoint the sick. However,
the leaders of your local church can do that and so much more! They can
officiate weddings, perform funerals, minister to your children, advise you
from the Word, pray about specific situations, and serve as godly role models
you can personally interact with on a regular basis. Your entire household will
benefit from your participation in a local church!
You'll also find
like-minded believers with whom you can establish close friendships. The two
most important influences in your life are what you hear/read and the person(s)
you spend your time with. This doesn't mean you reject people who aren't
believers, but from now on, your strongest friendships should be with other
Christians (2 Cor. 6:14-18). If you remain unequally yoked with an unbeliever,
sooner or later that person will negatively affect you. "He that walketh
with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed"
(Prov.13:20). You always rise or sink to the level of your closest friends!
Regularly
meeting together with other believers protects and promotes your spiritual
health. "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke
unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching" (Heb. 10:23-25). Plug yourself into a
good local church!
FIND A GOOD CHURCH
Don't let minor doctrinal issues
prevent you from settling into a good church. If the differences are just some
external matters and not core beliefs, I suggest you stay involved. Even if
it's not a strong faith-teaching church, it's better to participate in some
local church than not to
participate at all. There are other important benefits you can
gain from participating. If you live in an area where you have a choice, always
choose a church that preaches the whole counsel of God!
A good church preaches everything God
offers in His Word—salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the
Spirit, healing, deliverance, and prosperity! The denomination I grew up in
centered all of the preaching on just the forgiveness of sins. Many people
(like me) got saved, but they didn't believe that God's miraculous power was
for today. When my father (a leader in that church) became seriously ill, my
family and I didn't know how to receive healing from the Lord. No one in our
church had faith for it, because we were never taught healing from God's Word.
My father died at 54 years of age, leaving me fatherless at 12 and my mother a
widow at 38. Much pain came into our lives as a result of this. Our church
didn't cause this problem, but it sure didn't equip us to overcome it either!
Be part of a
church that teaches the whole counsel of God. Don't stay somewhere that's
against the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, healing,
and so on. Having your name on a pew or your aunt as the choir director won't
help when you're sick. Although you're personally aware that God heals, you'll
be frustrated when you have trouble receiving it, because you don't know God's
Word. To receive prosperity, deliverance, or whatever, you need to be taught
God's
A good church preaches faith and grace
for the entire Christian life, not just forgiveness of your sins. Many groups
teach that all you need to do to initially receive is believe, but that after
you're saved, everything is based on your performance. That's wrong! You don't
have to earn God's favor, earn answers to prayer, earn God's love, earn your
healing, or earn anything else. Everything God gives you is by grace through
faith!
The atmosphere
ought to encourage healthy relationships. The pastor should set the tone by
being a loving person. It's not necessarily better to go to a big church or a
small one. Some big churches have small groups for the purpose of nurturing and
maturing believers. Often, small churches naturally have an environment
conducive to building friendships and spiritual growth. Whether big or small,
your experience in a church will normally come down to the quality of your
relationships there.
Trust
the Lord to lead you to a good local church. Pray. Then take some steps of
faith. It's His good pleasure to guide you to your place in His body!
KNOW HIM INTIMATELY
God saved you
for the purpose of enjoying an intimate relationship with Him from now on!
Salvation isn't just "insurance" from hell's flames. Neither does God
intend that you receive forgiveness for your sins and then merely survive until
heaven. Salvation is so much more! "For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,
but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). "And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent" (John 17:3). Salvation is getting to know this awesome, wonderful,
loving God for the rest of eternity!
Jesus came to give you eternal life.
The idea that salvation is merely "fire insurance" came from the
church putting a period where the Bible only has a comma. It's not "For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish" period. So many preachers stop here
and emphasize salvation's byproduct of missing hell and totally ignore God's
primary purpose— "but have everlasting life." You were saved for
intimate relationship with your heavenly Father and His Son!
Jesus came
because He loved you! He didn't come as a dutiful Creator under some sense of
obligation to rescue
His wayward
creation. Christ's motivation was pure love, and anyone who loves has a need to
be loved in return! God's compassion for you in your lost condition and His
passion to restore you to fellowship with Him was combined into a sacrificial
love that endured the cross. With the barrier of sin forever removed, you've
been freed to receive His love and to love Him in return!
The relationship
Adam and Eve lost has now been restored to you. "Who gave himself for our
sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the
will of God and our Father" (Gal. 1:4). Jesus didn't just save you from a
future evil world (hell); He also delivered you from this present evil world,
according to the Father's will. You are now able to walk and talk with Him!
Get to know God!
"Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at
thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Ps.16:11). "Jesus
Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet
believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (1 Pet.
1:7-8). True joy and happiness in this life come from your intimacy with God.
Knowing Him is eternal life!
FOLLOW ME
Become a disciple of the Lord Jesus
Christ! A "disciple" is a learner, someone who follows another.
"If ye continue
in my word, then
are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free" (John 8:31-32). Learn what God's Word says, and do what He
instructs you to do. As you step out in faith to follow Jesus, the freedom in your
life will increase more and more!
Your heart attitude should be, Lord, I
know You love me, and I love You too. Show me what to do and I'll do it! I
follow You! Lay everything out before Him, and make no reservations. Recognize
that He is God and you're not. Hold nothing back from Him, because He's already
given you everything—He laid down His very life for you!
The truth shall
make you free. "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). It's only the Word
you know and follow that makes you free. You can carry your Bible under your
arm and set it beside your bed, but until you put His Word in your heart, it
won't do you any good. Meditate (chew on) His Word until it becomes a part of
you. Once you believe it to the point of taking action, you'll know the Word
intimately. When this knowledge comes, it'll set you free!
I strongly
suggest you get my teaching "Eternal Life." It expounds much more on
your relationship with the Lord.
Welcome
to God's family! If you take to heart what I've shared with you and do it,
you'll be well on your way to maturity.
I've included
for you a helpful list of my teaching materials available that discuss in much
greater detail many of the topics I touched on in this book (see
"Recommended Materials" in the back of the book). God will use them
to further deepen your roots and strengthen your foundation. I strongly
encourage you to get a hold of them as soon as possible!
Choosing to make the Lord Jesus Christ
the center of your life is the greatest decision you'll ever make! I
congratulate you for choosing wisely. As your brother in Christ, I wish to
leave you with this word from God our Father: "But grow in grace, and in
the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now
and for ever. Amen" (2 Pet. 3:18).
The
Holy Spirit
INTRODUCTION
Millions of
Christians today have received God's power into their lives through the
separate, distinct experience called "the baptism in the Holy
Spirit." Wherever you go in the world—Africa, Asia, Europe, North or South
America, Australia—these believers are aggressively and effectively advancing
the kingdom of God!
I grew up being
told that God's miraculous power had ceased on earth with the passing of the
early church. This led me to believe that I had received all of the Holy Spirit
I could get at salvation. After being saved for many years, I became frustrated
with my powerless, defeated Christian life. In desperation, I sought the Lord
with all my heart and stumbled into the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This
powerful encounter with God revolutionized my entire life!
Today, over thirty-five years later, my
relationship with the Lord is deeper and stronger than ever. I regularly see
miracles of every kind, and my teaching ministry literally reaches around the
world. None of this would have been possible apart from the supernatural power
of the Holy Spirit!
Whether you are
newly born again or have been saved for many years, God's Word clearly reveals
that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is necessary, standard
EMPOWERED LIVES
I was born again at eight years old.
Our pastor had preached a message on hell in church that morning. Even though I
hadn't done many terrible things in my young life, I recognized that I had
sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. I knew "hell" was a
place where people who didn't accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior went. This
concerned me, so I asked my father about it. He explained God's holiness and
how sin separated me from Him. He also told me how God's justice demanded that
I go to hell. Then Dad made it clear that Jesus came to forgive my sin and suffer
the punishment in my place. I remember praying with my father to receive the
Lord right there in my bedroom. Immediately, I felt an inner release as peace
flooded my heart.
The next day at
school, my friends noticed the change in me before I'd told anyone of my
conversion. "What's different with you?" they asked. When I answered
that I'd been born again, they immediately started making fun of me for being a
Christian. Although these classmates recognized an initial difference at my
conversion, subsequent evidence of my faith in Christ was meager at best.
My closest friend from grade school never knew I was a
Christian until
he saw me recently on television. He'd just gone through an extremely difficult
time in life and had reached out to receive the Lord from the absolute end of
his rope. While visiting with each other for the first time in over thirty
years, he was totally shocked to discover that I'd been a Christian the whole
time we were friends together growing up!
My faith simply didn't affect anyone
else's life! I prayed six months straight for my father to be healed, but
nothing happened. He died when I was twelve. Although I easily overcame
temptations others yielded to, the tangible demonstrations of God's power
described of believers in the Bible were noticeably absent from my life.
Basically, Christianity to me was just the doctrines and beliefs I held inside.
Then on March 23,1968, I received the
baptism in the Holy Spirit!Something within me exploded, and my understanding
of God immediately shot through the roof. It took many years of renewing my
mind before I was able to explain to others the things I instantly knew in my
spirit. In fact, my mother thought I'd lost my mind, because of the sudden,
radical, outward transformation of my soul, my thinking, and my actions. My
intense, new zeal for God, coupled with a lack of wisdom, even got me kicked
out of a few churches. I'd become a fanatic overnight!
You never would've heard of me if I hadn't been
baptized in the
Holy Spirit! I would have maintained my nominal salvation, surviving until
heaven and making practically no eternal impact here on earth. This prior lack
of victory and outward manifestation of God's power isn't unique only to me.
I've read many, many testimonies of people who experienced the same thing— even
in the Bible!
LIKE A DOVE
Jesus Himself did not manifest the
power of God until He had been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Angels pronounced
Him Lord at His birth, but nothing that typified Christ's ministry—preaching,
healing, casting out demons—occurred before the Holy Spirit descended upon Him
like a dove. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of
the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of
God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven,
saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt.
3:16-17). The baptism in the Holy Spirit served as the turning point from
natural to supernatural in Christ's life.
Jesus immediately began His ministry
after being anointed with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit led Him into the
wilderness to confront the devil (Luke 4:1-13). He emerged victorious and then
boldly declared in the synagogue of His hometown, "The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the
poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are
bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:18-19). From
this point forward, Jesus did what He was anointed to do!
Many times, the
Lord admitted His total dependence upon the Father and the Spirit. He did His
Father's will as the power of the Holy Spirit flowed in and through Him. Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit always worked together in complete cooperation. As a part
of this interdependent, triune Godhead, Jesus would not and could not do any
miracles until the Holy Spirit had come upon Him.
God never does
anything independent of His Spirit. Therefore, welcoming the Holy Spirit into
your life is absolutely essential for you to experience the victory and
abundance God has provided. If the sinless Son of God had to be baptized in the
Holy Spirit before beginning His ministry, how can anyone presume to be an
effective Christian without it?
RUCKUS IN THE TEMPLE
The disciples were spineless wimps
before receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit. These men had followed Jesus
for three and a half years, observing His miracles,
hearing His teaching,
and experiencing everyday life with Him. They exhibited weakness, immaturity,
carnal-mindedness, and strife. Upon Jesus' arrest, all their promises to stay
with Him—to death if need be—went right out the window. They forsook Him and
fled for their lives in terror!
Peter denied
Jesus three different times just hours after pledging his "undying
allegiance." His natural strength wilted before a damsel, the high
priest's maid, and certain others as they each successively asked, "Aren't
you one of Jesus' disciples?" Swearing and taking oaths, he answered,
"No, I don't even know the Man!" Peter wept bitterly when he realized
what he'd done. He hadn't wanted to deny Christ, but in his own human strength,
he was powerless not to do so (Matt. 26:69-75).
Then Peter and
the other disciples were baptized in the Holy Spirit. "And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind... And they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1-2 and 4). They instantly
transformed into powerful witnesses and testified of Jesus with great boldness.
Three thousand were saved and water baptized that first day alone (Acts 2:41)!
Shortly
thereafter, Peter and John healed a lame man in front of the temple and caused
such a ruckus preaching the Gospel that the religious leaders threw them in
jail
(Acts 3-4:3).
Thousands more believed their message, so the leaders interrogated Peter and
John to find out what was going on. "And it came to pass on the morrow,
that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, And Annas the high priest, and
Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the
high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in
the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"
(Acts 4:5-7).
Peter boldly confronted the same men who had crucified Jesus!
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the
people, and elders of Israel, If we this day be examined of the good deed done
to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; Be it known unto you all,
and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man
stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you
builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in
any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved" (Acts 4:8-12). Peter publicly declared to the entire
Jewish leadership that belief in the God of Abraham alone was insufficient for
salvation. He clearly told them to believe on the name of Jesus Christ, whom they
themselves had killed, or face eternal damnation. Peter left them no avenue of
escape: Either accept Jesus or reject Him!
The same men
from whom the disciples once fled were now backing down in the face of the
disciples' inspired boldness: "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and
John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled;
and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding
the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against
it" (Acts 4:13-14). The miracle worked by the disciples completely
silenced the religious leaders' opposition. What a difference the baptism in
the Holy Spirit makes!
CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS
Our Lord's last
words to His followers before ascending were clear instructions regarding the
Holy Spirit. If your work on earth was done and you were about to turn your
entire kingdom over to a small group of people, your last words to them would
be very important.
Jesus commanded
His disciples not to do anything until they had been baptized in the Holy
Spirit. "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father,
which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence... But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be
witnesses unto me both in
Jerusalem, and
in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And
when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a
cloud received him out of their sight" (Acts 1:4-5 and 8-9).
Think about how difficult this must
have been for the disciples! Jesus had preached God's Word and demonstrated His
power on earth like no one ever before. Due to this, the religious leaders had
Him killed and buried. To their natural minds, it appeared that Jesus had been
just another man. Yet three days later, He arose from the dead exactly as He prophesied,
validating everything He had said. As if that wasn't enough, Jesus spent forty
more days on the earth teaching His followers before they personally watched
Him ascend to His Father in heaven. These disciples had incredibly good news—news
worth shouting from the rooftops— but Jesus commanded them to sit on it
temporarily! Why? They needed the baptism in the Holy Spirit!
It's absolutely
wonderful to be born again and forgiven of your sins, but you won't be an
effective witness until you have the fullness of the Holy Spirit. When He
comes, you'll be able to live in victory and testify in power. The Holy Spirit
enables you to more fully experience your salvation and to effectively share
with others the awesome things God has done for you!
Many Christians sincerely love God, but they serve Him
in their own
power, because they haven't been baptized in His Spirit. This results in
deadness. "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not
of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life" (2 Cor. 3:6). When believers try to minister out of their own carnal
knowledge and ability—even when they say and do the right thing—it just doesn't
carry any spiritual weight. So much of the deadness in the church today stems
from believers attempting to minister without Holy Spirit empowerment.
Jesus Christ Himself testifies and
ministers His life through Holy Spirit-empowered witnesses. Your
Spirit-energized words and deeds will carry weight to positively impact other
people's lives for the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit is the One who will help
you experience the promised life of victory and abundance. If both Jesus and
the early believers needed to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to live
powerful Christian lives, so do you and I today!
BAPTIZED
IN
THE
HOLY SPIRIT
If you believe
the Word of God, you cannot dispute the existence of a "baptism in the
Holy Spirit." Speaking of Jesus, John the Baptist said, "I indeed
baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier
than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost, and with fire" (Matt. 3:11). Christ was baptized in the Holy Spirit
(Matt. 3:16, Mark 1:10, and Luke 3:22). The early apostles, including Paul,
were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4 and 9:17-18). Whenever people were
born again in the book of Acts, they also received the baptism in the Holy
Spirit soon thereafter.
Many Christians claim that the baptism
in the Holy Spirit comes automatically at salvation. "No man can come to
me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at
the last day" (John 6:44). They recognize the Spirit's work in drawing
people to God and assume that they get all of the Holy Spirit they can the
moment they're born again. Although it's true they have the Holy Spirit once
they're saved, that doesn't mean they've been baptized in Him!
It's one thing
to have the Holy Spirit and quite another for the Holy Spirit to have you!
There are major differences between having the Holy Spirit present in your life
and having the Holy Spirit in control of your life. Spiritually speaking, it's
night and day.
Jesus told His
disciples, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another
Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye
know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17).
Prior to Jesus'
resurrection, the Holy Spirit couldn't be received the way we are discussing.
He was present with the disciples and worked through them (as evidenced by the
miracles they did), but He wasn't in them. This was because the fullness of the
Holy Spirit couldn't be received until after Christ had ascended back to heaven
in glory.
When the Holy Spirit is in you, rivers
of life flow out from your innermost being. "Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth
on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should
receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;
because that
Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39). Not just a trickle or a
cupful, not even a well you have to pump, but rivers of living water will
bubble out from within you like an artesian spring!
Jesus promised His disciples that the
Holy Spirit who had been with them would one day be in them. That day arrived
shortly after His ascension. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house
where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of
fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).
THE POWER SOURCE
Those who don't
believe that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a second, separate experience
from salvation erroneously teach that God's miraculous power ceased with the
passing of the first apostles. They don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit,
speaking in tongues, or casting out demons—nor living in victory over sickness,
disease, and poverty. They believe that if you see any of these miracles
occurring today that God Himself did in the Bible, it's the work of the devil.
Something's wrong with this theology!
The Holy Spirit
is the power Source! Reject Him, and you won't see miracles, healings, demons
cast out, or speaking in tongues. Accept Him by receiving the baptism in the
Holy Spirit, and you open yourself to God's supernatural power working in all
these wonderful ways—but you must receive the Source in order to have His
power!
A SEPARATE EXPERIENCE
The Bible makes
it clear that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a separate experience from
salvation. The only way you can miss this is if you have some kind of religious
prejudice against it. In Acts 8, Philip went to Samaria and preached Christ.
Seeing the miracles he did, many believed and were water baptized (Acts
8:5-12). When the church in Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Peter
and John to check it out. They arrived, saw those who had been saved, and then
laid hands on them to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17).
Some people
assume, "You aren't really saved until you're baptized in the Holy Spirit!"
Acts 8 soundly refutes this. The Samaritans had received God's Word, were born
again, and had been water baptized. If they had died before being baptized in
the Holy Spirit, they would've been ushered into the very presence of the Lord
Himself. Salvation saves and the baptism in the Holy Spirit empowers!
Certain
disciples at Ephesus also demonstrate this truth. "And it came to pass,
that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts
came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye
received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not
so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" (Acts 19:1-2).
Apollos had been zealously preaching
Jesus wherever he went (Acts 18:24-25). However, he had left the company of the
disciples before Christ resurrected, so they didn't know about the baptism in
the Holy Spirit either. Aquila and Priscilla had to take him aside and explain
the way of God to him more accurately (Acts 18:26). Before this, Apollos had
already made some converts in Ephesus, whom Paul found some time later. When he
asked "Have you received the Holy Spirit," they answered, "We
have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost" (Acts 19:2). Sounds
like many Christians today!
I was raised in church, but no one ever
told me I could be supernaturally empowered by the Holy Spirit. I didn't know
He wanted to come and work miracles through me. Our church didn't believe in
that. We were saved but stuck! Besides winning others to the Lord and singing
"When we all get to heaven," there just wasn't anything else to look
forward to in our Christian lives. I was ignorant of the fact that God had
provided a victorious, abundant life on earth for me!
Apollos'
converts believed in Jesus, but didn't know that the Holy Spirit had been sent
to anoint them as their Lord had been anointed. Paul picked up where Apollos
left off and shared with these Ephesian believers how they could receive God's
power into their lives. "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied"
(Acts 19:6).
IMPACT YOUR WORLD!
Millions of
people alive today can attest to this separate, distinct work of the Holy
Spirit in their lives after salvation. Although many born-again Christians in
Western countries deny this experience, the majority of believers in the rest
of the world have welcomed the baptism in the Holy Spirit!
Africa, Asia,
and South America have experienced some of the greatest outpourings we've seen
in recent times. Miracles regularly happen and churches sometimes number into
the tens, even hundreds, of thousands. The vast majority of believers involved
in these outpourings have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking
in tongues.
Across the body
of Christ worldwide, the parts that are experiencing the most growth are those
who believe in
the baptism in
the Holy Spirit. Most traditional, denominational churches that fight against
this gift have either stagnated or are suffering serious decline.
Spirit-baptized believers are progressing in the Christian life, doing most of
the effective evangelism and making the biggest impact for the advancing
kingdom of God.
Do you want to
be where God's power is moving? Are you hungry to experience excitement and
life? Do you long to join the winning side? You'll find all this and more among
believers who have been baptized in the Holy Spirit!
THE FULL PACKAGE
Jesus often referred to the Holy Spirit as the
"Comforter."
He'll function in your life many different ways:
The Holy Spirit
will abide with you forever. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever" (John
14:16). Wherever you go, whatever you do, God Himself will be with you!
The Holy Spirit
will comfort you through challenges and difficulties. "Who comforteth us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2
Cor. 1:4). He'll also enable you to minister God's comfort to others.
The Holy Spirit will be your Teacher.
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in
my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John 14:26). He'll also
remind you of everything the Lord has said.
The Spirit of
truth will testify to you of Jesus. "But when the Comforter is come, whom
I will send unto you from
the Father, even
the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the
beginning" (John 15:26-27). He'll also help you bear witness of Jesus to
others.
"IT'S BETTER THAT I GO!"
It's to your
advantage that Jesus is in heaven and the Holy Spirit is on earth.
"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go
away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I
depart, I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). Jesus could only be in one
place at a time when He walked the earth as a man. Now, through His Spirit, He
can be with every believer all the time!
The Holy Spirit will convict and
convince. "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of
righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment,
because the prince of this world is judged" (John 16:8-11). He convicts
you of not trusting Jesus. He convinces you that you're righteous in Christ.
And the devil, who constantly hurls condemnation and lies at you, is judged.
The Holy Spirit
will guide you into all truth. "I have yet many things to say unto you,
but ye cannot bear them
now. Howbeit
when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak:
and he will shew you things to come" (John 16:12-13). The Spirit of truth
will progressively share Jesus' words with you as you're mature enough to
handle them. He'll even reveal things yet to come!
The Holy Spirit will glorify Jesus.
"He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto
you" (John 16:14). He'll receive things from the Lord and show them to
you!
God's power will
flood into you as you're baptized in Him! "But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost
part of the earth" (Acts 1:8). Wherever you go, you'll be an effective
witness!
ESSENTIAL, NOT OPTIONAL!
In light of all
these awesome benefits, I urge you to accept the fact that the baptism in the
Holy Spirit is not merely optional but essential. Receive His power so you can
fully experience the Comforter!
The baptism in the Holy Spirit makes
God's power available to you. Although you're not automatically transformed
into a victorious Christian, you'll experience
increasing
victory as you draw out His power by faith. This is why some people who have
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit don't exhibit more victory in their
lives. God's power is available to them, but they haven't drawn it out. Those
who reject the baptism in the Holy Spirit deny themselves access to His power.
You must have received the Source in order to access His power!
Some Christians may have been baptized
in the Holy Spirit without realizing it. They are wonderful people who don't
speak in tongues or believe in a distinct experience with the Holy Spirit, yet
they clearly exhibit all of the other characteristics of someone who has
received the baptism. Often, with many of them, there was a time in their lives
when they came to the end of themselves. They cried out to the Lord for help,
asking for more of Him. After yielding, they had a miraculous encounter with
God. Now whether they're aware of what they received or not, if the encounter
actually included being baptized in the Holy Spirit, they can now speak in
tongues anytime they want just by exercising their faith to do so.
God intends for
you to have His full package! Some theologians from the 1800s and early 1900s
taught about a second, separate experience with the Lord but didn't teach on
speaking in tongues. They believed there had to be an enduing of power from on
high, but they failed to embrace the accompanying miracles. Why receive only
part of God's gift? Why not receive it all? Your loving
RECEIVE HIM TODAY
God wants you
baptized in the Holy Spirit! His longing to fill, control, and empower you far
surpasses your desire to be filled, controlled, and empowered. In fact, the
Holy Spirit has been eagerly waiting for you to open your heart and invite Him
in. If you're ready to ask in faith, why not receive Him today?
Some groups erroneously teach that you
must "travail" and wait on God to receive this experience. They believe
God will baptize you whenever He wants to, and you have no control over it.
This idea is based upon a misinterpretation of Acts 1:4-5, "And, being
assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from
Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have
heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with
the Holy Ghost not many days hence."
Jesus commanded
the disciples to wait for the baptism because the Holy Spirit had not yet been
poured out upon the earth. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come,
they were all with one accord in one place...
And
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:1 and 4). Pentecost was
God's appointed time to pour out the Holy Spirit. Since He's already been
given, there's no need to wait!
While seeking
the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I was told I had to cleanse myself before I
could receive. As instructed, I wrote out every sin I could think of on a
couple of sheets of paper in my misguided effort to get "clean
enough." Religious logic had deceived me into thinking "a jar full of
rocks must be emptied before being filled with water" and "the Holy
Spirit won't fill a dirty vessel!" Hogwash!
The baptism in
the Holy Spirit is a. gift, not something you can earn by travail or holiness
(Luke 11:13). If you could rid yourself of all the sin in your life and be
perfect before receiving the Holy Spirit, you wouldn't need Him! He's the One
who will give you the power to be set free from lusts, habits, addictions, and
desires. You can be delivered from anything when you receive and draw on the
power of the Holy Spirit!
WHOLEHEARTED DESIRE
You need to desire the baptism in the
Holy Spirit wholeheartedly. If you are persuaded and hungry, receiving can be
as simple as praying a prayer. However, some people have been led to do so
before they were really ready. Occasionally, someone needs a period of time to
grow in their hunger and desire to receive. Where are you today? Are you
persuaded and hungry for the baptism? Do you wholeheartedly desire to invite
the Holy Spirit into your life?
Personally, I
was desperate for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I thought I had to pursue God
and then wait for it. This misunderstanding only fed my growing hunger to
receive. Then, when the baptism came, it was spectacular! Since this was
something I'd longed for and sought after, I didn't just forget about it after
speaking in tongues once or twice. Over the years, I've cherished this awesome
gift from God. Without His power, I wouldn't be living in the victory and
abundance I enjoy today—for which I'm eternally grateful!
Are you ready to
commit yourself to the Holy Spirit without reservation? Are you hungry to
receive God's power into your life? Perhaps you've even recited a prayer for
this before but weren't really ready yet. However, after learning these truths—how
you'll receive power, that this was something even Jesus had to have, that it
totally transformed the apostles—you're ready to receive the baptism in the
Holy Spirit.
ASK, BELIEVE, AND RECEIVE!
God wants you filled, but you must
reach out in faith to take it! "For every one that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son
shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if
he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an
egg,
will he offer
him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him?" (Luke 11:10-13). How much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to you! Ask, believe, and receive!
If you're ready,
pray out loud the following prayer from your heart:
Father, I surrender to You completely. I recognize my need for
Your power to live the Christian life. I'm hungry for You!
Please baptize
me in Your Holy Spirit!
By faith, I receive now the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I take
it! It's mine in Jesus' name!
Father, thank You for giving me the
Holy Spirit! Holy Spirit, thank You for coming. You are welcome in my life!
Continue to praise and thank the Lord
for this wonderful gift. Take a few moments to enjoy His presence, and tell Him
how much you love Him.
Some people have dramatic experiences receiving the
Holy Spirit, and
others are genuinely baptized without feeling a thing. One's not better than
the other, as long as you received! Don't let outward manifestations, or a lack
thereof, enable the devil to talk you out of this gift from God (Matt. 13:19).
If you believed
in your heart when you prayed, then God's Word promises that you received.
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (Mark 11:24). God
always honors His Word. Believe it! As you stepped out in faith to obey the
direct command of Jesus (John 20:22), you received the baptism in the Holy
Spirit.
Congratulations—you've been filled with
God's supernatural power! As you learn to tap into this power, your life will
never be the same. For the rest of this book, I'm going to share about an
important way you can draw His power out.
SPEAKING IN TONGUES
God's
Word reveals that speaking in tongues is one of the first manifestations to
occur when you receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Jesus' disciples spoke in tongues
immediately after receiving the Holy Spirit. "And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them
cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:1-4).
As Peter
preached the Gospel to the entire household of Cornelius, they received both
salvation and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. "While Peter yet spake these
words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the
circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter,
because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God" (Acts 10:44-46).
Speaking in tongues was an outward evidence that these brand-new believers had
truly received the Holy Spirit.
Peter used this
fact to prove to the rest of the Jewish believers (who weren't there in person)
that these Gentiles had indeed been born again. "And as I began to speak,
the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the
word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like
gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that
I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and
glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance
unto life" (Acts 11:15-18).
Paul ministered the baptism in the Holy
Spirit to Apollos' converts in Ephesus. "And when Paul had laid his hands
upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and
prophesied" (Acts 19:6). Speaking in tongues comes with the baptism in the
Holy Spirit!
EVERY SPIRIT-BAPTIZED BELIEVER
Philip went down
to Samaria and evangelized. Many people believed on Jesus when they heard his
message and saw the miracles that he did (Acts 8:5-8). Later, Peter and John
came to minister the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-17). As the
Samaritans began to receive, one of
the new
converts, who had been a professional sorcerer, saw them speaking in tongues
and lusted for this power selfishly. Peter and John rebuked him for trying to
buy God's gift (Acts 8:18-24).
Those who argue
against speaking in tongues as initial evidence for the baptism in the Holy
Spirit try to use Acts 8 to support their point. However, even though these
scriptures don't directly say that the people of Samaria spoke in tongues,
there's still plenty of evidence to imply it. Speaking in tongues is present
every other time the Holy Spirit was poured out in the book of Acts. Also, this
recently converted sorcerer saw something when the baptism was ministered, and
it caused him to offer the apostles money in exchange for the super-natural
ability to impart the Holy Spirit (verse 18). In order to maintain biblical
consistency, this visible demonstration of power must have been speaking in
tongues.
Speaking in tongues is an immediate
audible mani-festation of the Holy Spirit available to every Spirit-baptized
believer. It's something you can do to help prove that you've received Him.
However, tongues won't automatically force their way up out of your mouth just
because you've been baptized. The Holy Spirit will never make you do something
against your will. Therefore, you must choose to speak in tongues.
Personally, I
stumbled into the baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had been seeking the Lord with
all of my heart and crying out for Him to fill me with His power. On March 23,
1968, He dramatically answered my prayer by baptizing me in the Holy Spirit. At
the time, I had no idea what this was because I'd never been taught about it.
All I knew was that my intimate encounter with God had left me supernaturally
empowered.
Revelation knowledge immediately began
to flow. Before receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, I always had to trust
what the preacher told me, and I assumed it was true. There wasn't any
assurance in my heart or understanding of my own. I just followed their example
and did what I was told. Then I received the Holy Spirit, and the One who had
written the Bible started explaining it to me. He began revealing things to my
heart. Instead of receiving information from the outside in, God Himself was
teaching me from the inside out! John 14:26 describes this, "But the
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you."The difference was daylight and darkness!
In addition to
revelation knowledge, I became bold and passionate for the Lord. God's awesome
love and glorious presence constantly overwhelmed me.
Witnessing to
people changed from being a religious chore into a daily delight. The sick
received healing when I prayed for them. However, these wonderful things
combined to create some problems as well. For instance, my newfound zeal also
got me kicked out of my church!
RELIGIOUS PREJUDICE OVERCOME
Everything indicated that I had been
baptized in the Holy Spirit, except I didn't speak in tongues. Why? I'd been
taught against it! The church I was raised in didn't believe in the baptism in
the Holy Spirit and thought that tongues were of the devil. Ignorance and wrong
teaching predisposed me against this gift. Although speaking in tongues was
available, negative feelings and fear prevented me from using it.
It took me a long time to renew my mind
to what God's Word said about my new relationship with the Holy Spirit. Two and
a half years after receiving the baptism, I discovered that speaking in tongues
was a valid gift from God for today. Then another six months passed before I
understood enough to yield to the Holy Spirit and actually speak in tongues.
Until I saw what God's Word said about this, my faith wasn't strong enough to
walk in it (Rom. 10:17).
If it weren't for my religious prejudice, I could have
spoken in tongues
as soon as I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. However, those thoughts kept me
from enjoying God's gift, because their root was unbelief. Until I overcame
them and brought myself to the point of voluntarily stepping out in faith, I
couldn't speak in tongues. But as soon as I did, my life changed just as
dramatically as when I first received the Holy Spirit!
You don't have to speak in tongues; you
get to! Besides, there's really no good reason not to! Speaking in tongues
releases God's power in your life, and it's available to every Christian who
has received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If you're not speaking in tongues,
you're missing out!
PROOF FOR TODAY
God's Word
clearly teaches that the gift of tongues is for today. This can best be seen in
the three chapters of the Bible that deal specifically with the gifts of the
Holy Spirit—l Corinthians 12,13, and 14. In addition to speaking in tongues,
the other gifts are the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of
healing, working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, and
interpretation of tongues (1 Cor. 12:8-10). (Although an exciting study in
itself, further explanation of each individual gift is beyond the scope of our
present purpose.)
The local body at Corinth was one of
the most carnal churches in the entire New Testament. A man had committed
incest with his father's wife (1 Cor. 5:1). Believers were suing each other (1
Cor. 6:1 and 6-7). They divided themselves according to their favorite Bible
teacher (1 Cor. 3:3-5). Gluttony and drunkenness characterized the Lord's
Supper (1 Cor. 11:20-22). Tongues were being given in church services without
interpretation (1 Cor. 14:26-28). Paul rebuked and corrected the Corinthians
for all of this immaturity and sin.
These believers
were carnal in spite of the gifts of the Spirit—not because of them! It's wrong
to assume that the gifts are bad for you just because the Corinthians had
Although maturity isn't instantly granted, the gifts of the
Holy Spirit do promote spiritual growth. This is why
three different times, Paul advised this carnal, sinful
bunch to earnestly "desire spiritual gifts" (1 Cor.
12:31,14:1,14:39)- He knew the gifts would help them
mature. That's good proof you should be speaking in
tongues!
WHOM DO YOU BELIEVE?
I started
talking about the Lord once to a woman whose house I was painting. When she
asked me why I'd left the Baptist church, I told her that they kicked me out
after I received the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
"Are you
talking about speaking in tongues?" she inquired.
"Yes,
that's part of it. I do speak in tongues, and that's why they asked me to leave
the church."
She thought for
a moment and then politely added, "Well, my church would have kicked you
out too."
I
asked, "Why would they do that?" and showed her l Corinthians 14:39.
"The Bible clearly says here, 'Forbid not to speak with tongues.
I've never forgotten her candid reply: "Well, there are
lots
With that, I knew I couldn't minister
to her anymore, because God's Word was not the final authority in her Christian
life. She, like so many others, had chosen to believe her denomination's
doctrines above God's Word. This is why 1 Corinthians 13 remains the most
misunderstood passage of Scripture regarding the gifts of the Holy Spirit
today.
BETTER WITH LOVE
The gifts of the
Holy Spirit are meant to be operated in love. This explains why Paul wrote,
"But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more
excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31), as he launched into his famous love passage
(1 Cor. 13). Some people have tried to say that love is the more excellent way.
However, the context clearly shows that all of Paul's comments concerning love
in chapter 13 pertain specifically to the use
of the gifts of
the Holy Spirit listed in chapter 12, and which are expounded on in chapter 14.
His point is not that love is better than the gifts but rather that operating
the gifts in love is better than using them without it.
The Holy Spirit
doesn't control you like a puppet. He leads, guides, and inspires you to speak
in tongues and operate the other gifts, but you are the one who actually does
it. Therefore, it's possible to operate in the gifts
carnally, make
mistakes, and fail to be motivated by love. "Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding
brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and
understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing" (1 Cor.
13:1-2). It doesn't matter which gift you're operating in—tongues, prophecy,
faith—there's no benefit apart from the right motive. Therefore, let love
motivate your use of every gift of the Spirit—including speaking in tongues!
In fact, God's
love should be the motivation for everything you do. "And though I bestow
all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have
not charity, it profiteth me nothing" (1 Cor. 13:3). Whether you attend
church because you feel you have to or give into an offering out of sheer
obligation, apart from love, it profits you nothing. From God's point of view,
your motive is more important than your action.
UNTIL THAT WHICH IS PERFECT IS COME
People who reject the baptism in the
Holy Spirit twist l Corinthians 13:8-10 in order to support their position that
tongues passed away with the early church. "Charity never faileth: but
whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they
shall cease; whether
there be
knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away" (1 Cor. 13:8-10). They claim that God only gave the gifts of
the Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues, prophecy, gifts of healing, working of
miracles, etc.) to the early church because the Bible wasn't written yet.
Asserting that the Bible is "that which is perfect," they justify
their conclusion that God doesn't do these things anymore. Nonsense!
If you read that passage in its
context, you can easily see what it's really saying. Remember, Paul's subject
for this entire section of Scripture (1 Cor. 12,13, and 14) is to properly
operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. He just finished saying that the gifts
should be used in love (13:1-3). Verses 4-7 describe what that looks like. Then
in verse 8, the Word states that when tongues cease, knowledge will too. Living
in what's been popularly called "The Information Age," you and I both
know that this hasn't happened yet. In fact, God's Word prophesies that in the
end times, knowledge will greatly increase (Dan. 12:4).
"For we
know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when
that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a
child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but
when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a
glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know
even as also I
am known"
(1 Cor. 13:9-12, emphasis mine). "Then" verse 12 refers to "when
that which is perfect is come." At the time when that which is perfect is
come, you will see Jesus face to face. Since that won't happen until the Lord's
Second Coming or you die and go to be with Him, neither has tongues passed away
yet.
"That which is perfect"
refers to your glorified body, not the Bible. Yes, the Bible is perfect—inspired,
inerrant, infallible—but it's not what this phrase is pointing to. When you
receive your glorified body, you will no longer see through a glass darkly or
know in part. In your glorified body, you will see Jesus face to face and know
Him even as He knows you—completely. For now, speaking in tongues has been
given to help you grow in the knowledge of Him. In your glorified body, you
won't need tongues or the other gifts of the Holy Spirit— prophecy, the word of
wisdom, discerning of spirits, interpretation of tongues, etc.—to reveal the
Lord anymore, because you'll already know Him fully.
The very scriptures people use to
dismiss the gifts of the Holy Spirit actually prove their validity for today!
As long as your knowledge of Him is incomplete, the gifts of the Spirit will
function. Until you see Jesus face to face in your glorified body, you need to
be speaking in tongues. Since that which is perfect has yet to come, God's
miraculous power continues on earth today just as it did for the early church.
You would have to already be corrupted with a predisposed, religious mindset in
order
to honestly look
at these scriptures and interpret them as saying "God's miraculous power
has passed away." "Brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to
speak with tongues" (l Cor. 14:39)!
MIRACULOUS PROOF
Why do some
people fight so hard against the truth that the baptism of the Holy Spirit and
His miraculous power is for today? Two main reasons are wrong teaching and a
rejection of personal responsibility. Doctrines of men can render the Word of
God ineffective. That's what happens when you hold on to religious tradition
instead of God's Word (Mark 7:13). Also, there's a fear of having to produce
biblical results. If you profess to believe in the baptism in the Holy Spirit,
speaking in tongues, casting out demons, healing, and miracles, then that puts
pressure on you to manifest them (Mark 16:17-18). Most people don't want to
accept this kind of personal responsibility.
Instead, many hide behind a convenient
theology. Calling themselves "Christian," they quickly confess that
their sins are forgiven, while their lives offer very little proof. It's easy
to profess, "My sins are forgiven," because you can't see a sin, and
you can't see when it's forgiven. However, if miracles are really part of the
Christian life, then there are things you can do to prove their reality. For
instance, you can speak in tongues, cast a demon out, see blind eyes and deaf
ears open, or even raise someone
from the dead (I
have personally done all of these things on multiple occasions and know many
others who have done them as well—to God be the glory)- In order to sit in
front of the television living carnal, self-centered lives while defending
their position of being forgiven, these people choose to believe only what
God's Word says about forgiveness of sins while conveniently ignoring the rest.
They may or may not truly be saved. Who would know?
Jesus used
miracles to prove salvation. "Whether is it easier to say to the sick of
the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed,
and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to
forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and
take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house" (Mark 2:9-11).
Confronted by unbelieving religious leaders, Jesus asked them which would be
harder to say, "Your sins are forgiven" or "Take up your bed and
walk." No one can see a sin forgiven, but everyone in that crowded room,
including the Pharisees, would be able to see if this man was healed or not.
Either he would get up and walk, or Jesus' words would be totally violated.
Therefore, "Take up your bed and walk" was definitely harder to say!
The people knew
if Jesus could perform that which was hardest, surely He could do the least.
"And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them
all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God"
(Mark 2:12).
Jesus used the fact that He could heal bodies and perform miracles in the
physical realm to substantiate the fact that He could also do things, like
forgiving sins, in the spiritual realm.
The reason many
people hide behind this false doctrine that miracles passed away is so they can
claim to be in relationship with God without ever doing anything to demonstrate
it. That's just a convenient theology! The truth is that God still does
miracles today, and you should be speaking in tongues until you receive your
glorified body!
BUILD YOURSELF UP
The primary
purpose of speaking in tongues is to promote personal spiritual growth.
"For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto
God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries... He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself (l Cor.
14:2 and 4). When you speak in tongues, you're building yourself up
spiritually.
You also keep yourself in the love of
God. "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 1:20-21). God's
love for you never changes, but your experience of it does. Speaking in tongues
helps you fulfill your responsibility to keep yourself aware of and enjoying
God's unfailing love.
Speaking in
tongues produces rest and spiritual refreshment. "For with stammering lips
and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the
rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing"
(Is. 28:11-12). Your spirit is the part of you where God lives. It's brand new,
pure, righteous, and holy. When you pray in tongues, you
Personally, I
encourage myself by speaking in tongues! Whenever I feel tired or discouraged,
I pray in the spirit until rest and refreshment come. Despite negative
circumstances and emotions, I'll exercise my faith to pray in tongues until I'm
aware of and enjoying God's love again.
Once you realize
you can pray in the spirit anytime you choose, you have no excuse to ever be
depressed again!
PRAYING PERFECTLY
When you pray in tongues, your natural
mind doesn't understand. "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit
prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14). Unless
there's an interpretation, your intellect doesn't know what your spirit is
praying.
Your spirit has
the mind of Christ. "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ" (l Cor. 2:16). Your spirit
knows all things. "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things" (1 John 2:20). "And have put on the new man, which is renewed
in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3:10).
Therefore, your spirit always knows how to pray perfectly for situations,
yourself, and others.
There's a big
difference between praying from your spirit and praying from your mind. Your
natural mind typically has incomplete information. It lacks full knowledge of
God's Word, the situation, and the people involved. Therefore, you cannot pray
from your intellect with completeness and one hundred percent accuracy.
However, since your born-again spirit knows all things, it's impossible to pray
in tongues without praying God's perfect will!
At times, the Holy Spirit may intercede
for someone else through you as you pray in tongues. "Likewise the Spirit
also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we
ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which
cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of
the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will
of God" (Rom. 8:26-27). This is especially helpful when your mind is not
sure how to pray for a specific person or situation.
As you speak in
tongues, you are speaking the hidden wisdom of God. Paul received the
revelation for the messages he preached through speaking in tongues.
"Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom
of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we
speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained
before the world unto our
glory" (1
Cor. 2:6-7). "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto
men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he
speaketh mysteries" (1 Cor. 14:2). As Paul spoke God's mysteries in tongues,
he built himself up spiritually and revelation knowledge came. As you pray in
tongues, you'll be built up spiritually as revelation knowledge comes to you
too!
INTERPRETATION
When
you speak in tongues, you should believe God for the interpretation.
"Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may
interpret" (l Cor.
14:13). It's
beyond your carnal ability to grasp the mysteries and hidden wisdom of God that
you're praying in the spirit. However, if you ask Him, God will supernaturally
give you the interpretation.
The public use of the gift of tongues
in a church service requires interpretation. "If any man speak in an
unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course;
and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in
the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God" (1 Cor. 14:27-28).
Without
interpretation of a publicly given tongue, some people will think you're crazy.
"If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all
speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers,
will they not say that ye are mad?" (1 Cor. 14:23).
Certain members
of the body are given the vocation of interpretation for public purposes.
"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath
set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets,
thirdly
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments,
diversities of tongues. Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers?
are all workers of miracles? Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with
tongues? do all interpret?" (1 Cor. 12:27-30).
Some people have
misunderstood 1 Corinthians 12:29-30 to mean that not everyone should speak in
tongues. However, Mark 16:17-18 states, "And these signs shall follow them
that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new
tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover." Therefore, some have vocations of speaking and/or interpreting
tongues given publicly in a church service, but every Spirit-baptized believer
can pray in tongues for personal edification.
OF
MEN AND ANGELS
Tongues come in
two different types: tongues of men and tongues of angels: "Though I speak
with the tongues of men and of angels" (l Cor. 13:1).
Tongues of men
are languages that either have been or are spoken on earth. When the disciples
were first baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, they spoke in tongues of
men (Acts 2:4-12). This wasn't merely a supernatural acceleration of language
learning, because
the speakers
themselves had no idea what they were saying. The disciples didn't study all
those different languages in the room they were in while waiting for the
promise! The Holy Spirit suddenly baptized them, and their tongues became a
supernatural sign to the unbelievers within earshot whose native languages the
disciples were speaking (1 Cor. 14:22).
Tongues of
angels are heavenly languages. Every Spirit-baptized believer can pray in the
tongues of angels. When you speak mysteries and the hidden wisdom of God, you
are speaking in an angelic tongue.
It doesn't
matter if you speak in a tongue of men or an angelic tongue; you can ask God
for the interpretation!
LIGHT IN MY CLOSET
Learning to believe God for
interpretation turned my life around! When I first prayed in tongues after
being baptized in the Holy Spirit, I remember hearing God speak to me in my
heart as revelation knowledge began to flow. However, when I started sharing
what God had shown me in His Word, people criticized and informed me I was
wrong, because they had never heard these truths before. Feeling isolated and alone,
I really struggled with what others were telling me and what I was hearing in
my heart. In the midst of all this, I just kept seeking the Lord.
For six months I
meditated on God's Word all day long. As I wrote out hundreds of scriptures
daily, I'd focus my attention on each individual word and phrase. After
meditating this way for eight to ten hours, God's Word exploded with meaning in
my heart, but my mind struggled to understand. So I'd shut myself in my closet
to pray in the spirit for another hour or two. Sitting there underneath my
clothes, I'd ask God to interpret to my natural understanding what I'd been
studying. Then I'd pray in tongues for the purpose of personal edification.
At the end of
that season, my trickle of revelation knowledge suddenly burst forth into a
mighty rushing river! In fact, I received so much so fast that I finally told
God I couldn't handle any more. It was just more than I could retain! Much of
what I'm teaching today—over thirty-five years later—came as a result of what I
learned at that time. I simply prayed in tongues and believed to interpret.
GAIN UNDERSTANDING
All you need to interpret tongues for
personal edification is to gain understanding. When you're praying by yourself,
you don't have to stop and get an interpretation in English. This method—praying
out loud in tongues, then waiting until the English interpretation is given—
works well in public, but it's not the only way to receive interpretation. You
just need your mind to become fruitful.
God encouraged
me through an experience that happened while I was still quite new at this.
Since I'd been taught against tongues so strongly, I still wrestled with doubts
about whether all my praying in the spirit was really beneficial or not. After
spending two hours speaking in tongues one morning, someone whom I hadn't seen
in four years showed up at my house. He knocked on the door, rushed in without
greeting me, plopped down on my couch, and burst into tears. My first thought
was, I should have been praying in English instead of wasting all morning
praying in tongues! Then it dawned on me, How would I have known to pray for
this guy unless I had been praying in tongues? My spirit had been praying
perfectly!
All of a sudden, faith rose up inside
as I stopped him mid-sentence, interrupting his blubbering attempt to explain
the situation. By revelation knowledge, I finished describing the rest of his
problem—and nailed it! This supernatural demonstration of God's power and love
totally set him free! Through this, the Lord confirmed to me that I'd been
praying in tongues for this situation earlier, and all I had to do was
interpret. What I spoke to this man was the interpretation!
MIND
YOUR HEAD!
When you pray in tongues, your mind can be occupied
with something
else. Since your spirit's praying and not your brain, your mind can wander. You
can even think about things totally unrelated to God. That's why some people
like to read the Word, enjoy godly music, or listen to Bible teaching while
they pray in tongues. Others pray in the spirit while working, driving, or
doing household chores. Personally, I've trained myself to pray with my
understanding while praying in tongues.
When I'd pray in the spirit over longer
periods of time, people whom I hadn't thought of in years would come to mind.
At first, I just dismissed it, but when they'd suddenly call, send a letter, or
even show up at my house —like that fellow did—I began realizing that God was
giving me interpretations. They weren't always word for word, but also came as
impressions, pictures, and unctions. As I recognized the Lord bringing these
people to mind, I'd start praying for them. Then I'd follow through and see
miracles happen every time!
God led me to
call a good friend of mine one time after praying in tongues. We'd been out of
touch with each other for several years. He answered the phone and immediately
hung up on me. His reaction seemed strange since I knew God had prompted me to
call. While sitting at my desk pondering this, the phone rang. Sure enough, it
was my friend! He explained that he had just told God how he had spent his
entire life ministering to others, but now that he was in need, nobody was
ministering to him. My friend had barely
finished praying
"God, please send somebody to encourage me, or I'm going to quit the
ministry!" when the phone rang and there I was. He was so startled, he
hung up the receiver! This whole incident resulted from interpreting a tongue.
You can do this while praying for
people, when you need wisdom for a challenging situation, or simply to
understand a particular scripture. Just take the person, situation, or passage,
and begin praying in tongues over it. As you're praying, ask the Lord to show
you what it means. Although understanding may not always come at that exact
moment, God will give you an interpretation.
My friend prays
in tongues over church services he's going to minister in. He prefers to
receive the interpretation right away so he'll know in advance what God wants
to do, who's going to be healed of what, etc. Personally, I don't always like
to receive the interpretation right away. If God supernaturally told me what
was going to happen at a church service a week away, my mind would try to
analyze the situation and figure it all out in the meantime. I pray in tongues
often without receiving anything from the Lord at that moment. However, when I
need it a week or a month later, I'll ask God for the interpretation of what
I've been praying in tongues. At that point, I receive exactly what I need from
the Holy Spirit.
As you step out in faith to pray in tongues and believe
GET STARTED
Speaking in tongues is not something
you do just once to prove you've received the baptism in the Holy Spirit; it's
a powerful tool to edify yourself spiritually. Whenever you pray in tongues,
you cause yourself to rest, you build yourself up on your most holy faith, and
you keep the love of God active and alive in your heart. As you speak forth
hidden wisdom and believe for interpretation, revelation knowledge will open up
and supply answers you couldn't get any other way. That's why the devil has
fought so hard against this gift! He's afraid of what would happen if speaking in
tongues ever became part of your daily Christian life.
The Holy Spirit
inspires the words, but you have to say them. "And they were all tilled
with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Notice that the Spirit gave them utterance.
It's not just purely the Holy Spirit speaking through you. He gives you a
prodding and a desire, but you must do the talking.
It's similar to
how the gift of teaching works. If I stood before a group of people and prayed
"God, please speak through me, but don't let me say anything that's not of
You" and then waited for Him to make me speak, I'd never say anything.
It's my responsibility to step out in
faith and start
talking. God inspires the messages, but they come out through my personality,
vocabulary, and mannerisms. God doesn't speak in Texas drawl; I do! The Holy
Spirit supplies the content and I deliver it!
Fear
short-circuits your ability to speak in tongues. You might have trouble at
first, if you worry about it or try to analyze what you're saying. The Holy
Spirit is inspiring you to speak, but it's your fear that's blocking it. Yield
your tongue to the Holy Spirit, and then speak forth by faith the words He
gives you.
BREAKTHROUGH!
I
struggled to pray in tongues for months. Even though I was convinced it was of
God and wanted it, I had a hard time receiving my prayer language.
A
man came over to my house in an attempt to help me. He asked, "If you
repeated something I said in Spanish, would you be speaking in Spanish?" I
nodded. "Then if I spoke something in tongues and you repeated it, would
you be speaking in tongues?"
"Yes, but I
don't want to just repeat something; I want to speak in tongues on my
own!" He kept insisting, so finally I gave in. However, I stopped after
only getting through the first couple of words. Embarrassed, I told him I
wasn't doing a very good job repeating what he
He argued,
"Yeah, but you were speaking in tongues. That wasn't English!"
By
then I had reached my limit. "No; I don't accept that. I wasn't speaking
in tongues!" He just threw up his hands in frustration and left.
Immediately
after this, I was on my way to minister to someone. In desperation I declared,
"God, I'm just going to start talking. I believe that You are going to
help me speak in tongues." Then I began making up nonsense words and
saying them out loud. It seemed silly to me, so I didn't feel very good about
it. However, I realized that I'd said two words that did sound pretty decent.
Since they seemed like a real language to me, I figured they must be tongues.
So I took those two words and started speaking them over and over again all the
way to my destination.
Upon arrival, I experienced the best
time of ministry I'd ever had before. I was convinced it was because I'd been
praying in tongues. On my way home, I started praising God in the car and
decided to pray using those two words some more, but I panicked when I couldn't
remember them. After struggling so long to pray in tongues, I had forgotten the
only two words I'd received!
Then I thought, I'll just get another two! So I started the
process over again until another two words came. After using
them for a while, I added a couple more. Within a few moments, I was speaking
fluently in tongues!
Looking back, I know now that I could
have spoken in tongues all along. However, I was under the false impression
that the Holy Spirit would come upon me with such force that I wouldn't be able
to keep myself from blurting out in tongues. When that never happened, I
discovered He doesn't work that way. The Holy Spirit was just waiting for me to
speak out in faith the words He'd been gently inspiring me to say.
Now it's your turn to do the same!
LET'S
PRAY
"Father, thank You for baptizing
me in the Holy Spirit! I'm so grateful You gave me this wonderful gift* Please
help me to walk in all of its benefits!"
"Through
speaking in tongues, I can draw on the power You've placed within me: for rest
and refreshing, for building my faith and keeping myself in Your love, and for
revelation knowledge as interpretation comes,"
"I am a believer! Your Word says,
'These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
devils; they shall speak with new tongues' (Mark 16:17). By faith, I will speak
in tongues from this day forward, in Jesus' name. Amen!"
Now, by faith, say out loud those
sounds coming up from deep within. You'll be talking in a language unknown to
you, but the Holy Spirit is the One inspiring it. You'll be speaking in
tongues!
Go ahead—practice awhile! Enjoy yourself in the Lord!
If you aren't fluent right away, don't
worry—God is proud of you! When little children start to speak, their parents
know what they are trying to say. Even though it's baby talk, they're pleased.
Your heavenly Father is proud of you, even if your tongue isn't fluent yet. If
you'll just keep using it and not worry about yourself so much, tongues will
begin to flow out of you unhindered!
As your brother
in the Lord, I welcome you to the Spirit-filled life!
AS
YOUR SAVIOR
Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you'll ever make!
God's Word
promises "that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10). "For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom.
10:13).
By His grace,
God has already done everything to provide salvation. Your part is simply to
believe and receive. Pray out loud,
"Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Savior, I
believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead.
By faith in Your Word, I receive salvation now. Thank You for
saving me!"
The very moment
you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to
pass in your spirit. Now that you're born again, there's a brand-new you!
HOLY
SPIRIT
As His child,
your loving heavenly Father wants to give you the supernatural power you need
to live this new life.
"For every
one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened...
how much more
shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"
(Luke 11:10 and 13).
All you have to do is ask, believe, and receive!
Pray, "Father, I recognize my need for Your power to live this new life. Please fill me with Your
Holy Spirit, By faith, I receive it right now! Thank You for baptizing me! Holy
Spirit, You are welcome in my life!"
Congratulations—now
you're filled with God's supernatural power!
Some syllables
from a language you don't recognize will rise up from your heart to your mouth
(1 Cor 14:14). As you speak them out loud by faith, you're releasing God's
power from within and building yourself up in the spirit (1 Cor 14:4). You can
do this whenever and wherever you like!
It doesn't
really matter whether you felt anything or not when you prayed to receive the
Lord and His Spirit. If you believed in your heart that you received, then
God's Word promises you did. "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them" (Mark 11:24). God always honors His Word. Believe it!
Please contact me and let me know that
you've prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior or be filled with the Holy
Spirit. I would like to rejoice with you and help you understand more fully
what has taken place in your life. I'll send you a free gift that will help you
understand and grow in your new relationship with the Lord. "Welcome to
your new life!"
Andrew Wommack
Ministries
P.O. Box 3333
Colorado Springs, CO 80934
Helpline: 719-635-1111
Andrew Wommack
Ministries of Europe
P.O. Box 4392
Walsall
WS1 9AR
England
Helpline: +44 (o) 1922 473 300
Andrew Wommack
For over three decades, Andrew has
traveled America and the world teaching the truth of the Gospel. His profound
revelation of the Word of God is taught with clarity and simplicity,
emphasizing God's unconditional love and the balance between grace and faith.
He reaches millions of people through the daily Gospel Truth radio and
television programs, broadcast both domestically and internationally. He
founded Charis Bible Schools in 1994 and has since established CBC extension
schools in other major cities of America and around the world. Andrew has
produced a library of teaching materials, available in print, audio, and visual
formats. And, as it has been from the beginning, his ministry continues to
distribute free audio materials to those who cannot afford them.
(Note By Blogger: If You Want to see a picture of Andrew Wommack then you have a few options # 1. Buy This Book. 2. Watch his program on television. 3. watch one of the videos where he is teaching online.).
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