photo #8271522

HOLY GHOST BAPTISM "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: HE shall baptize you WITH the Holy Ghost, and with fire." (Mat. 3:11) Much confusion exists about Holy Ghost Baptism, so I've prepared a few points to help true believers remain grounded in sound Bible doctrine . . . (1) THERE IS NO "BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST" ANYWHERE IN GOD'S WORD. This is a term made up by people who want to emphasize the spirit that they worship as apposed to Christ Himself, but the Bible says nothing of it. (2) "JESUS" BAPTIZES "WITH" THE HOLY GHOST. John makes it clear in Matthew 3:11 that the Holy Ghost baptism is performed, not by the Holy Ghost, but by Jesus Christ Himself. Charismatics separate Holy Ghost baptism from one's salvation, thus separating it from Jesus Christ Himself, but the word of God does not. (3) BELIEVERS ARE NOT BAPTZED WITH FIRE. The context and wording of Matthew 3:10-12 clearly shows that the fire baptism of Matthew 3:11 is hell, not being "on fire" for the Lord. (4) "ALL" BELIEVERS ARE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST. I Corinthians 12:13 says, "For by one Spirit are we ALL baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been ALL made to drink into one Spirit." Romans 8:9 even says that a man doesn't belong to Christ, if he doesn't have His Spirit. (5) HOLY GHOST BAPTISM IS THE MEANS BY WHICH BELIEVERS BECOME IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST AS MEMBERS OF HIS BODY AND THUS QUALIFIED AND ENABLED TO SERVE HIM. Romans 6:3-4 and Galatians 3:27 state that believers have been baptized into Christ. This cannot be water baptism, because (1) water baptism puts one into water only, not into Christ, and (2) the New Testament began with John the Baptist telling us that the baptism performed by Christ is not a water baptism, but a Holy Ghost baptism (Mat. 3:11). Without this baptism, which happens simultaneously with the new birth when one is "born of the SPIRIT" (John 3:8), one cannot "walk IN the spirit" as he is commanded to do (Gal. 5:16, 25), nor can he obey the other commands regarding the Holy Spirit's leadership in the Christian's life. The Christian's life starts with salvation in Christ, which includes Christ's baptism WITH the Holy Ghost. (6) HOLY GHOST BAPTISM IS COUNTERFEITED BY "ANOTHER SPIRIT" AND "SEDUCING SPIRITS." It's no accident that the charismatic movement is a last days movement that coincides with the "seducing spirits" and "doctrines of devils" that Paul warned about (I Tim. 4:1). He even warned about "another Jesus," "another spirit" and "another gospel" (II Cor. 11:4). The charismatic desire for and expectation of a "second blessing" of spiritual outpouring plays right into the hands of Satan's end-time rise of spiritism and occultism (1850 till present). It will end with the Antichrist's "signs," "wonders" and "miracles" of Revelation 13:13-14 and II Thessalonians 2:9-10.