Drenched In The Life Of God

I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.   Matthew 3:11

The word baptize means “to dip, plunge, or immerse.” The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, so when John says, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit,” he is saying that Jesus will drench you in the life of God.

If you go to Christ, you will experience a divine invasion. The Holy Spirit will take up residence within you—completely. As water saturates what it is poured on, so the Holy Spirit gets into every portion of our lives. As fire purifies and destroys, the Spirit burns up the rubbish in our lives—“our God is a devouring fire” (Hebrews 12:29).

Picture John and Jesus standing with their followers around them. John baptizes with water; Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit. John helps people express their desire for a new life; Jesus gives them the power to live it. John cannot give the Spirit; only Jesus can do that.

Here’s a testimony written by a person who wants to be baptized:

I was brought up in a Christian family and attended church since I was very young. When I was sixteen years old, my friends were going to a Christian camp, and I went along. As I listened to the speaker, I began to realize that there was a lot wrong with my life. I really wanted to change, so I prayed a prayer of commitment to God. Since then, things have been different. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m being baptized to show I want to live a life that’s pleasing to God and to be with him in heaven.

This person wants John’s baptism, not Christ’s. He’s in the same position as those who gathered around John: “brought up in a Christian family” (religious background), “listened to the speaker” (like hearing John in the desert), “wanted to change” and “live a life that’s pleasing to God” (like those baptized by John).

There are many people like this in the church today, who have made a commitment but haven’t come to Christ and haven’t experienced the life of God invading their souls. John would say, “Go to Christ. He’ll baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

For further reading, see Acts 10