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How to Witness About the Holy Spirit

5 OctNov2016 KEH WitnessAboutHS SinglePg// Kenneth E. Hagin

IN WITNESSING to your immediate family, the Lord may lead you differently from the way He has led me, and that's all right. But in dealing with my family, I never tried to get them saved. I told myself, I believe that when they see the reality of being born again, they will all want it. And every single one of them became born again. They all saw the reality of it!

The same thing should be true of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. It's not just an experience to receive something to have a big time and enjoy. It is an enduement of power for service! A difference in our service for Christ should be seen after we're baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Let's discuss two simple biblical truths we can share with our loved ones about the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

On the day of Pentecost, believers were gathered together in a house when they heard what sounded like a rushing mighty wind. It filled the house where they were gathered. Scripture tells us that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:1–4).

This experience is called being filled with the Holy Spirit. John prophesied, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me . . . shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire" (Matt. 3:11; see also Luke 3:16).

Looking at this experience from the standpoint of what Jesus does, one is baptized with the Holy Spirit. Looking from the standpoint of the believer, one receives the Holy Spirit, or is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Different Manifestations

In the Bible whenever anyone received this Pentecostal experience after the day of Pentecost, no further reference was made about a rushing mighty wind, though that could and might happen. And nothing more is said about cloven tongues "like as of fire" appearing and sitting on believers. But Scripture does refer to believers speaking with tongues.

These other spectacular manifestations might accompany the baptism in the Holy Spirit, or they might not. But one would expect speaking with tongues to accompany this experience because we see it repeatedly happening in the Book of Acts.

A Separate Experience

Even though the Holy Spirit is at work in the New Birth and comes into believers at that time, we don't call the New Birth "receiving the Holy Spirit." The New Birth is called "receiving Christ." According to Acts 8:5, Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans. He didn't preach the Holy Spirit to them.

Acts 8:14 says, "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John." Who is the Word of God? Jesus is (John 1:1, 14). First Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, BY THE WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever." The Samaritans were born again by that Word. And Jesus said, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). These Samaritans were born of the Spirit, though the Spirit isn't mentioned until verse 15.

We don't pray for sinners to receive the Holy Ghost. We pray with them to receive Christ. And when they receive Christ, the Spirit of Christ—which is the Holy Spirit—comes into their hearts. That has to be so, because Paul said, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Rom. 8:9).

These are two biblical truths that can enlighten our loved ones on the baptism in the Holy Spirit. These scriptures can open the door for them to receive the Holy Spirit—an enduement of power for service.




[Editor's Note: This article was adapted from Kenneth E. Hagin's book The Spirit Within and the Spirit Upon.]