by Pearl Nabi

Created on: October 16, 2009   Last Updated: October 19, 2009

I have experienced first-hand being baptised in the Holy Spirit of God and it all happened in reverse order, because I was initially baptised in the Holy Spirit, only later did I come to speak in tongues and it was only after that that I was water baptised.

I have described how I accidentally came to be baptised in the Holy Spirit in one of my other articles, so I will skip to the effects of the baptism. Initially I felt no different and because I did not immediately start speaking in tongues, which my particular church took to be a sure sign of the success of the baptism, so I was prayed over by another church member at a later church service.

The pastor had instructed us not to use our natural language because it was impossible to speak in both at the same time but eventually the person praying over me, leaned over and asked if I didn't want to say something - anything? I said I did, but in English, so she told me to go ahead. I have no idea why it came out of my mouth, but as soon as I asked for the 'remission of my sins', I burst into tongues. It was only after this that I was water-baptised.

It seems that the water baptism is a gesture of repentance and while it may cleanse the body, it seems doubtful that it would do anything for the soul, hence the necessity for animal sacrifices back in those times.

Think about it! Since the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed, it is not possible for those of the Jewish faith to continue with animal sacrifices at the Temple. It is not only not possible, but it was not necessary anymore either.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit was only possible once the Son had been sacrificed as the ultimate unblemished Lamb of God.

The difference between the two types of blood sacrifices is enormous and it is only the second Blood sacrifice that leads to receiving the Spirit of God Himself. The Son did receive the Holy Spirit at the water baptism by John, but as John himself said, his water baptism was for repentance, and yet clearly the Son would have had nothing to repent of!

John objected, obviously being fully aware of this aspect of the whole situation, but as the Son said to him "Permit it to be so, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness" Matthew 3:15 RAV.

With hindsight, I believe that the church missed out an important element in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They had to power to accomplish it, but not the proper knowledge of how to prepare people for it beforehand. People who are to be baptised in the Holy Spirit

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