The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Those from among you shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In. Isaiah 58:11-13
The movie Back to the Future celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. In the third movie, Doc gets trapped in the 1850s Old West. Marty comes across a page out of history showing that Doc is shot and killed by Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, an outlaw and ancestor of Biff Tannen. Marty goes back in time with the hope of staging an intervention.
The DeLorean, of course, cannot make the trip back because the fuel line was torn on reentry and there is no gas in the 1800s. To solve the problem, Doc creates “booster logs” that can be used in a steam engine train to push the DeLorean to a speed of 88 miles an hour in order to time travel.
He creates three logs, each producing increased combustion, exploding in sequence, and successfully sending Marty back to the future.
I indulge in this story because it illustrates—somewhat crudely—how God uses moves of His Spirit to propel His church into her future. Revival and awakenings have never been an end in themselves. In every case, they rebuild doctrinal foundations that have been either lost or corrupted. In this present move of God, we’re not going “back to the future”—we’re being called back to the basics, back to the foundations that give the church her power.
Paul speaks of foundations in 1 Corinthians 3:10–11:
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
When we lose the basic foundations Jesus laid through His life, death, and resurrection, we dilute our impact in the earth.
We begin with one of those foundational truths that has endured much confusion and controversy: the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The biggest mistake we’ve made regarding the Baptism of Holy Spirit is treating it like an add-on—something extra. And the problem with add-ons: we start viewing them as optional rather than essential. But when John the Baptist announced the coming of Jesus in the Gospel of John, his primary description was, “He is the one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit.” Make no mistake—the baptism in the Holy Spirit is foundational.
Another mistake is portraying it as a secondary experience. And because many believers historically received the Holy Spirit after conversion, entire teaching systems were built around that sequence—confusing the experience with the theology. When Peter first preached to the Gentiles, they received the Holy Spirit while he was still preaching and then were baptized with water. They were saved and baptized simultaneously.
Lastly, we have wrongly promoted tongues as the “initial evidence” of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I realize that is a controversial thing to say. So let me add this: on the flip side, those who reject tongues as any evidence at all have fallen into their own ditch. Paul tells us, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
What is the result of both extremes? The baptism of the Holy Spirit is pushed aside altogether because of either controversy or confusion. The church cannot afford to lose its significance for any reason.
Consider what Jesus said right before His ascension to Heaven:
“Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised… For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
How much weight would you give someone’s last words on earth? Jesus Himself brings back what John the Baptist spoke in the very beginning but makes it personal: “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” And yet many believers live without the single most important foundation of the Christian life.
We would never imagine someone becoming a Christian without being baptized in water. Yet in many churches, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is barely mentioned.
I can't overemphasize how important the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is. As Jesus was clear: don’t do anything until the Holy Spirit comes. Don’t travel. Don’t preach. Don’t attempt to fulfill My mission—until He shows up.
You can be a genuine Christian without speaking in tongues, but you cannot successfully walk out the Christian life without the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You may be like the disciples in Ephesus who had only received John’s baptism—a baptism of repentance—but had never heard that the Holy Spirit had come. Or perhaps you have heard of the Holy Spirit but have not received sound teaching about Him.
What about tongues? Tongues is a beautiful gift, but it is not the greatest. Like Paul, I wish all believers spoke in tongues, if for no other reason than to reduce the confusion around it. And if you received tongues as the evidence of your Spirit baptism, I would never dismiss your experience. But I am going to give you what I believe to be the initial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit based on what Jesus said.
Acts 1:6–8 says:
“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me.”
Jesus Himself defined the initial evidence: when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. If I am praying for you for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit I am looking for power.
Even many who received tongues will tell you the most noticeable change was the power and boldness that followed. But for some reason, the emphasis has shifted almost entirely to tongues.
Paul, speaking to the Corinthian church, said:
“But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of those who are puffed up, but their power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”
As the saying goes, “talk is cheap", but what I want to know is there power.
Do not let confusion or controversy rob you of this truth. The Holy Spirit is the key to living the Christian life, and His baptism is the essential element of that empowered walk. Water baptism is a public testimony of your decision to follow Christ, but even John the Baptist and Jesus both distinguish between water baptism and Spirit baptism—and they make clear the order of importance.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not a theological option or a denominational preference—it is the divine empowerment Jesus intended for every believer. Without Him, we labor in our own strength. With Him, we will carry the authority, boldness, and power that marked the early church.
For the church to become as she was designed, it will not be through better strategies, louder voices, or more activity—it will be through a people full of the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus said to wait. This is why He made Spirit baptism His final emphasis.
The invitation is simple: receive Him fully. And when He comes upon you, you will receive power. That is the only evidence you need. Everything changes from there.