How do I know if I have been baptized in the Holy Spirit?
Believers often ask how they can be certain that they have been baptized in the Spirit. What are the signs and indications? First, we need to understand the changes that come upon the believer after the Holy Spirit baptizes him.
First, let us examine how the Spirit interacted with men in the days of the Old Testament and also after the Day of Pentecost. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent to dwell inside believers. During the days of the Old Testament, the presence of the Spirit resided outside man. And the only way God could influence man is through the teaching of the written Law, which is external to man. However, there were exceptions where the Spirit did baptize a few men to fulfill the offices of the prophet, priest and king. Nevertheless, the normative work of the Spirit was external and not within man.
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was sent by the resurrected Christ to dwell inside man, and that changed everything! From that day onwards, God exercises His influence on the man from the inside!
In figure 6.0, we see figures of two men each representing the New and the Old Covenants respectively.
The figure on the left represents the man who is baptized by the Spirit (under the New Covenant) and the figure on the right represents one who is not (the Old Covenant). For the figure on the left, the Holy Spirit dwells inside him, whereas for the man on the right, the presence of the Spirit is external to him. The arrows show how both men are being influenced: For the man under the New Covenant, the Spirit becomes the center of influence over his whole being that includes his mind, his emotions, and his physical body etc. Hence, the Spirit directly empowers his understanding, giving him insights and wisdom. The Spirit brings the positive emotions of peace, love and joy. The Spirit also inspires his confidence giving him courage and boldness. Even though he may not fully understand the doctrines of the Bible, because he desires to be one with God, the Spirit enlightens him. As 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” He that is one spirit with God is able to think and do mighty works as God.
However, for the figure on the right (under the Old Covenant), the Spirit influences the man from the outside as he meditates on the written Law. What results is knowledge without conviction.The mind may know the law, but the heart could not concur. A brother once commented concerning his inability to forgive his wife who cheated on him. He said, “I could not bring myself to love her like before.” Even though he tried to forget the incident, the Spirit was not present within him to break the bondage of hatred and empower him to forgive and to love again.
In another example, the law states that murder is sin. However, a person overcome by hatred may still find other ways to cause harm without committing murder. Because he could not quench his thirst for revenge, his heart takes on a life of its own, devising ways to cause hurt short of murder. A man under the Old Covenant may know the laws, but he can not restrain his passion for lust and sin. It is also impossible for him to experience the joy of the Spirit every moment of the day. Because the mind is intrinsically negative, true peace is only possible through the indwelling Spirit.
In the New Covenant, as man meditates on God’s truth, the Spirit regenerates his heart from within (Jeremiah 31:34). As he yields himself to God, the Spirit empowers him supernaturally to exercise dominion over his emotions, desires and actions.
When the Holy Spirit baptizes a man,
He indwells and influences him from the INSIDE
Since the Spirit lives within, is there a need to meditate on the Word and renew our mind with it? Yes indeed! Familiarizing ourselves with God’s ways through His Word will help us recognize the ways of the Spirit so that we can flow with Him. It also serves as a constant reminder of the faithfulness of God which keeps us strong and hopeful during difficult times. Without the knowledge of God’s Word, we would let our fears, and worldly values deceive us and hinder the Spirit’s ways.
Is there a need to encounter God as a person with our emotions and natural senses? Yes indeed! We need to keep intimacy with God and feel His love daily. All these are done through the indwelling Spirit of Christ.
A man who knows God’s laws, who is secured in God’s love and yielded to the Spirit will think like God, speak like God, and perform miracles like God. It is effectively Jesus speaking and doing His works directly through the believer. One who have been baptized in the Spirit will have the propensity to live and move with the “DNA” of Christ every moment of the day.