Introduction
Holy Spirit baptism means being filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the third person in the Trinity. When in possession of it, one becomes empowered to perform tasks called upon by God. It makes one saturated with the Holy Spirit and covers each part of the person. Moreover, baptism by the Holy Spirit is a regeneration sacrament in the church introduced by Jesus Christ when he accepted to be baptized by St. John the Baptist. The Holy Spirit baptism brings hope to some people and draws many of them to the church through giving the zeal of holiness; it is also a defined ordinance whereby God welcomes us into his Kingdom (McDonnell & Montague,2017). The paper will examine the concept of baptism by the holy spirit and explore the Roman Catholic and protestant views.
Main body
St. Paul’s teachings in the scriptures on baptism by the Holy Spirit draw an analogy to the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In order to have the Holy Spirit baptism, a person must follow these steps; the first is that one has to be born again (McDonnel & Montague, 2017). In the Biblical scriptures Acts 8:14- 17, Philip preached the gospel to the crowd to believe in Jesus. When believers were born again, the Apostoles in Jerusalem sent John and Peter to go and baptize the new believers (McDonnell & Montague, 2017). From the Bible reading, being saved does not automatically guarantee baptism by the Holy Spirit (Heart, 2019). The second step is building faith, and without having it, people struggle to receive baptism by the Holy Spirit. Faith can be defined as having a strong belief in God’s doctrines. The third is that the Holy Spirit is received through the laying of hands; this is the impartation and transference of the Holy Spirit to the people. Believers baptized by the Holy Spirit received the Holy Spirit through the laying of hands on them, according to Acts 8:17 (McDonnell& Montague, 2017). Moreover, the Holy Spirit came on them when Paul had finished laying hands on them, as recorded in Acts 19:6. Additionally, baptism through the Holy Spirit’s power is not only for the evangelists and pastors but for all believers.
Furthermore, three things can hinder receiving baptism by the Holy Spirit; the first one is lack of love. Galatians 5:6, the biblical reading, teaches that faith works by love, and without it, it is not possible to please God and receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is, therefore, an important thing for every person to have love and offer forgiveness to those that wrong us (Heart, 2019). The second hindrance is lacking faith; it is impossible to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit without it. Faith is believing in God, His Word, and doing everything He commands (McDonnell& Montague, 2017). God’s will is for everyone to have the Holy Spirit baptism and faith in Him (Heart, 2019). The third hindrance is the unwillingness to surrender; to receive baptism by the Holy Spirit, one needs to empty themselves and have more of God’s presence inside. The willingness to surrender and desire more of God’s will is a significant pathway to accepting the Holy Spirit.
Baptism by the Holy Spirit is an important purpose in a believer’s life. In Acts 1:4-8, we learn some last words spoken by Jesus as he prepared to ascend to heaven. According to the Book of Acts, Jesus said that baptism through the power of the Holy Spirit brings power to the believers (McDonnell & Montague, 2017). Jesus told his disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit, which would help them act beyond their natural abilities (Palma, 2018). He said that they would have miracle power and supernatural abilities. Another purpose of the Holy Spirit baptism is that the believers become witnesses; baptism by the holy Spirit empowers the Christians to represent Jesus in a new way (Palma, 2018). Acts 2:4 and Mark 16:17, the most common evidence of the Holy Spirit Baptism is being occupied by the Holy Ghost and speaking in tongues. The other evidence includes boldness, prophecy, miraculous healing, wisdom, faith, joy, and spiritual songs.
A significant number of Christian denominations recognize the Holy Spirit as a third person in the Trinity. According to the Roman Catholics, it teaches that baptism by the Holy Spirit lays a foundation for Christian life and a gateway to living in the spirit. Besides, it is the basis of Catholic Charismatic Renewal (Heart, 2019). Baptism by the Holy Spirit is not a sacrament but a sovereign action of God; it is also believed to be related to the Sacraments. Several catholic theological scholars have given their interpretations of baptism by the Holy Spirit and have attempted to provide divergent explanations (McDonnell& Montague, 2017). The common one is that it unleashes the Holy Spirit, which is already present in us through revitalizing graces received in the baptism sacrament (Heart, 2019). The Catholics perform their baptism by sprinkling water on the head rather than immersion by water; this poses a serious controversy.
The protestants are mainly trinitarian, but some have a unique emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Largely, they believe in the Holy Spirit baptism and generally hold that it is a sacrament with a symbol of dying to sin and being a new Christ creation and an act of obedience and submission to God. Baptism is a rite of passage and a welcome to the church community (McDonnell & Montague, 2017). Each protestant, however, has its unique views regarding whether a person has to be fully immersed in water to be baptized and at what age one should be baptized (McDonnell& Montague, 2017). Pentecostalism obtained its name with its reference to the Pentecost; this was a day of the Holy Spirit coming. The disciples gathered in Jerusalem, awaiting it to descend upon them (Palma, 2018). Furthermore, they also believe that once the Holy Spirit is received, it enables the working of its gifts, according to 1 Corinthians chapter 12. Finally, they also hold that Holy Spirit baptism is a distinct Christian regeneration and a necessary element in salvation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Holy Spirit baptism plays a vital role in evangelization as it enables people to have a deeper love for the church. Furthermore, it helps foster believers to testify about the Lord, witness their faith, and change their new life attitude. Anyone who is ready to recharge their spiritual life has to open their mind and be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Baptism in spirit ignites a fresh experience that equips and gives inspiration for discipleship. In addition, the newly baptized individual becomes a church member and gets unified into Christ’s Body hence leading a new life.
References
McDonnell, K., & Montague, G. (2017). Christian initiation and baptism in the holy spirit. Liturgical Press.
Palma, A. D. (2018). Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Gospel Publishing House.
Heart, A. C. (2019). Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Is the Gospel Good News?