In order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit

 In order to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit

 

Baptism is a ritual of going into water and coming out. In John 3:5, Jesus said, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Water does not mean washing away sins, but symbolizes the death of the body of sin. In other words, going into water means dying in union with Jesus who died on the cross. In Romans 6:4, “Therefore we were buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, even so we too should walk in newness of life.”

Coming out of the water symbolizes resurrection. Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection.” Being united with resurrection is called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, those who are baptized today do not know exactly about the resurrection and do not believe in the present resurrection, so in fact, they have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

There is no such thing as separate water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism, but because they do not know about the resurrection, they are separate water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism. In other words, most believers today do not know about the resurrection, so they only received water baptism. Therefore, those who did not receive the Holy Spirit baptism are like those who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years after the Exodus. They were supposed to enter Canaan, but because they did not believe in God’s promise, God became angry and caused them to all die in the wilderness.

God's promise is that He will give us resurrection life and bring us back to the kingdom of God, but because we are only dependent on Jesus' death on the cross, we cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Only Joshua and Caleb, children under 19 years old at the time of the Exodus, and the new people born in the wilderness entered Canaan. Before the people entered Canaan, they asked Moses to send spies, and God allowed them to send twelve spies, one from each tribe, but all of them except Joshua and Caleb reported to Moses that they would die if they entered. It is said that when the people heard this news, they wept and mourned all night.

Crossing the Red Sea during the Exodus symbolizes water baptism. 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 "I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea." However, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is in the Jordan River. The Israelites crossing the Jordan River to enter Canaan after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness symbolizes the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was also baptized in the Jordan River. It was to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was about to die on the cross, so going into the water was a symbol of death, but coming out was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16-17, “And immediately after being baptized, Jesus went up out of the water. And behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. ’” Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit, but since he had a human form, his identity would have been human. However, the Holy Spirit descended on him.

『He saw the Spirit descending like a dove and lighting on him.』 πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν [καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν· The Holy Spirit was described as a dove (katabainon). The translators must have struggled with whether to translate katabainon as Jonah or dove, since the Hebrew word for dove is Jonah, based on the Book of Jonah. However, based on the context, it should have been translated as Jonah. 『He saw the Spirit descending on him like Jonah.』 Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. This foreshadows his death on the cross and resurrection three days later. Also, the fact that the Holy Spirit came on him indicates that the Holy Spirit had not yet entered Jesus’ heart. Because it was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into temptation by Satan.

There are three things that Jesus was tempted to do. The first is to turn stones into bread. The second is to change the words of the law into the words of life. The third is to change the mortal body (rule of the law) into the life of resurrection (rule of the law of the Holy Spirit). This is to mix up the law and the gospel. Therefore, Jesus said to live not by the words written in the Bible, but by the words that come out of God’s mouth (hologos, life of resurrection). Among the believers who accept the gospel, there are those who still live within the law.

The second is that Satan tempts us by saying that if we jump from the top of the temple, the angels will receive it. It is telling us not to test God. Believers think that they are blessed by God while living in the world, but when suffering and hardship come, there will be believers who complain about God. The world is like a prison, but there are those who think of it as paradise. If you love the world more than God, it will not be easy to pass the test.

The third is that Satan told Jesus to bow down to him. He said that if he bowed down, he would return everything to him. Luke 4:6-7 "I will give you all this authority and their glory. It has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I want. If you bow down to me, it will all be yours." This is a subtle way to make Jesus sit in the place of God. Jesus told him to worship only God. These are the three temptations.

The baptized believer has a ritual of believing that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected, but he is tested by Satan three times to see if it is true. And even if he passes Satan's test, it is said that it is not known when the Holy Spirit will come to give God's confirmation. It is said that neither the Son nor the angels know.

The appearance of the Holy Spirit when He comes Matthew 24:41-42 “Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the grindstone; the one will be taken, and the other left. Therefore stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 says, "Behold, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."

1 Thessalonians 16-17 also says, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord."

Those who know nothing but water baptism must receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not know the baptism of the Holy Spirit cannot give the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In such cases, one has no choice but to receive it directly from God. When receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit from a pastor or a believer, although receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a ritual, it is believing in one’s heart. It is declaring that one is dead to sin and the world with Jesus, and confessing that one believes that one is presently resurrected with Christ. Depending on this confession and belief, some people will receive the Holy Spirit immediately, while others may be delayed. The reason for this will vary depending on the results of Satan’s temptation.

When the Holy Spirit comes, there may be mystical experiences like the above cases, but you must be careful. If it is not for the sake of the gospel, it is mostly fake. Any act of putting forward mystical experiences for one's own glory or receiving money is fake.