Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12:13-27, Matthew 3:11-12, Mark 1:8, Luke 3:16, John 1:33, Acts 1:5, Romans 8:9
Today there is some theological confusion about what it means to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Some interpret this as a separate event and baptism much like water baptism. To illustrate the church, Paul used the analogy of the human body. In fact, from 1 Corinthians 12:12 to 12:27, the word soma, which means body, is used 18 times. It is through Holy Spirit Baptism that the world’s greatest Body--the church--has been and even today is continuing to be built. In this message, Dr. Merritt explains the great work of the Holy Spirit by which every Christian becomes a Christian, and is placed in the greatest body in the world, the Body of Christ. Additionally, Dr. Merritt unravels the often misinterpreted doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit.
"Understand, also, that Paul was not speaking about water baptism. This is the dry verse not a wet verse. We are commanded to be baptized with water. We are never commanded to be baptized with the spirit. Baptism with the Holy Spirit is once for all never again to be repeated event. You only need to be saved one time because you can only be saved one time because once saved always saved. Likewise, you need only to be baptized with the Holy Spirit one time because you are baptized with the Holy Spirit the moment you are saved and once you are baptized with the Spirit you are always baptized with the Spirit." --Dr. Merritt
Keywords: Paul, baptism, Holy Spirit, Christian, conversation, salvation, justification, new creation, commanded, water, receive, gift, Corinthians, tongues, experience, universal, spiritual
Pastors Edge provides Bible preachers and teachers with ready-to-use resources and materials based on the preaching of Dr. James Merritt, Senior Pastor at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, GA and host of the international broadcast ministry Touching Lives.