QUESTION: What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Do all believers receive this baptism?

ANSWER: The baptism of the Holy Spirit is that work of God which puts a believer into the Church which is the body of Christ. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13).

The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs automatically when one believes the Gospel and is saved. Read carefully Acts 10 and 11, especially Acts 11:14-18. It is interesting to notice that Cornelius did not ask for the Holy Spirit. He fell upon him after he had believed the Gospel. See Ephesians 1:13.

From these Scriptures we learn that all believers receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the same time they receive Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. At that same time the Holy Spirit also comes to indwell the believer making the body of the believer His temple (John 14:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19). In fact, the Holy Spirit is given to the believer by God as a seal or proof of ownership that he belongs to God (Ephesians 1:13). So true is this that in Romans 8:9 we read, "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His."

The baptism of the Spirit is different than being filled with the Spirit. The baptism of the Spirit is a one-time act by God at the time of conversion. The being filled with the Spirit—allowing Him to control us completely—is dependent upon an obedient, Christ-filled life. See Ephesians 5:17-20.

The baptism of the Spirit is not to be confused with water baptism. Water baptism is a work which has been committed into the hands of men (Matthew 28:19,20), while the baptism of the Holy Spirit is God's work alone (Acts 2:47).

The first time this baptism took place was on the day of Pentecost when three thousand souls were saved and added to the Church. See Acts 2. This was the birthday of the Church. This work is still going on today. Whenever anyone trusts Christ, he is added to the Church by the Holy Spirit. It will continue until the rapture takes place when Christ will receive His Bride, the Church, to Himself (Ephesians 5:25-27).

—John McNeil