I realized that the common thread in rejecting Christ as your inner life, rejecting him as as your only righteousness and going back to the first covenant is common to those who reject the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
It is the same thing! Even if you have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and you pray in tongues or you can or you did once that still does not guarantee that you will not go back and fall and it’s for the same reasons.
Without believing the preaching that Paul preached and the teaching of the new creation the church has fallen short of the gospel because we’ve heard over and over preachers tell us we have to keep the law.
You might say like they did to Paul “But are you saying we should break the law?” Well then you haven’t heard anything I’ve said and if you’re coming in to this series with this message let me repeat it — it’s a whole different ballgame it’s a whole different kettle of fish it’s not even in the same sphere! Keeping the law belongs to the old man – keeping the law belongs to the flesh man- the old man of sin and that’s why God instituted and ratified a new covenant made with his son…the perfect son of God.
He made the new covenant with his son, he didn’t make it with you, he didn’t make it with me but he brought us into the new covenant through you believing in Jesus and receiving of his Holy Spirit the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The new covenant does not depend upon your efforts to keep it- it’s the finished work. It is a covenant that is only kept by Jesus Christ and that’s why he must come into you. That is why the Bible says “And this life is in his son..eternal life or Ionian life is in his son. It’s not a place you go it’s the son of God and you must receive Jesus by the Holy Spirit by the baptism in the Holy Spirit to truly receive life.
It’s not enough to believe on Jesus and be baptized in water not enough! Acts8 clearly tells us that.
Those in the city of Samaria – the whole city – received the things spoken by the evangelist Philillip when he astounded them with the miracles he did in the name of Jesus and they believed on the gospel… they believe Jesus is the the Messiah the son of God and so they were all baptized both men and women. They were baptized in water alone because when the church in Jerusalem heard about it they sent Peter and John down there to Samaria and when they came they quickly realized that the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them they had only been baptized in the name of Jesus in water.
They had only been baptized in water and so Peter and John didn’t just go back to Jerusalem saying ‘oh okay there’s a bunch of Baptist believers down there isn’t that wonderful’…no! they laid hands on every one of them that they also would receive the Holy Spirit for as yet he had fallen upon none of them…do you hear that?
I know dear Baptist and dear rejector of the baptism in the spirit that you believe you’ve received the Holy Spirit. Then what do you do with Acts chapter 8…tear it out of your Bible??? Your doctrines blind you and stop you from seeing it. They hadn’t received the spirit, it clearly says that, even though they believed, even though they got baptized.
So they made sure they did receive the spirit and there was some obvious sign that they received him and that was speaking in other tongues–because when Simon who was a sorcerer in that city saw that through the laying on of the apostles hands the Holy Spirit was given ….what did he see?? how did he know that the Holy Spirit was given?? how did he know that they had received something through the laying on of their hand? Something happened.
We are not told what it is but previous to that in Acts chapter 8 we are told…(Acts2)and after that as well – Acts chapter 19 “certain disciples”. Paul came across them near Ephesus and he said
“Have you received the Holy Spirit since you first believed?”
Now why would he say that if it wasn’t just ‘a given’ that when you believe you receive all there is? Why did he ask if they had received “since you first believed”? They said “We haven’t even heard if there is a Holy Spirit.”
You see how ignorance can leave you really short? Preaching a wrong gospel or a watered down gospel or a partial gospel will leave you short or shortchanged. When Paul ascertained through asking them those questions that they were disciples of John and that they’d only been baptized in the baptism of John, he baptized them and laid hands on them and they received the spirit and spoke in other tongues. hallelujah!
That is the beginning, that’s the beginning of their walk. You might begin well but if you also reject Jesus as your inner life and righteousness and instead put your trust in your outer performance like I did for years –praying in tongues for hours– fasting, reading the scriptures, being in every meeting… it’s all works…it’s all works and I was trusting in that to be right with God. It’s very subtle! Even as Pentecostals.
If you reject Jesus as your inner righteousness and go back to self-effort then you have fallen from grace as well but if you’re a person who HAS believed in Jesus AND been baptized in water perhaps but you’ve NEVER received the baptism in the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands of the apostles then you need to? You need to.
“Christ in you” is given and formed by the baptism in the Holy Spirit. If you have not received the Holy Spirit you haven’t even come in yet..you’re on the outside still relying in your own strength and your own efforts to be a good Christian and you need to receive the baptism in the spirit! It is not given just so you can pray for the sick and have the power of the Holy Spirit–it is the person of Jesus Christ and you need to receive the baptism in the spirit.
Jesus told them ‘Do not leave -do not go anywhere until you have received the power from on high the promise of God the Holy Spirit.’ In Romans 8 we are told the Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ, the spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.
So it’s a sober message. Receive the Holy Spirit friend -the baptism in the spirit. I know you’ve been told you have but there’s a world of difference between what you have and what the baptism in the spirit will bring to you. Seek this out.
You might say ‘well there are no apostles they all died and there’s no apostles to lay hands on me so what you’re talking about is a false doctrine, it’ another spirit!’
I know! I’ve been there. I’ve been there believe me. That’s not true. When Paul fell off his donkey he was blinded and he came to the Lord in that initial experience when he said “Who are you Lord?” And Jesus said “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” So there’s Paul… he’s come to know that Jesus is the Lord…he’s blind, blinded. Jesus speaks to a CERTAIN DISCIPLE, do you hear that? A certain disciple…and tells him to go and lay hands on Saul, tells him where to find him. Ananas puts up a bit of an argument, doesn’t want to go because Saul has been going around persecuting Christians but Jesus said “Go and lay hands on him.” And so he goes there he lays hands on him and he’s filled with the spirit he was baptized and filled with the spirit.
Ananias says “He sent me that you might be receive the Holy Spirit” He sent me here to lay hands on you that you might receive the Holy Spirit. So here he is a certain disciple laying hands on Paul who would become an apostle so that Paul or Saul would receive the Holy Spirit.
Friend you can go to any believer who has received the baptism of the spirit, a Spirit filled pastor? sure…and you can receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit . hallelujah!!