NEW BIRTH & BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit (which the one hundred and twenty - male and female- disciples of Jesus received on the day of Pentecost) is a gift Jesus offers to believers of all times who sincerely ask. "For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call."(Acts 2:39)

Jesus offers this great gift. However it is not automatic; we must RECEIVE it. Our part is to ask Him to immerse saturate and baptize us with the Holy Spirit and receive by faith. "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Lk 11:11-13) Jesus will not force the anointing of the Holy Spirit on any of us. We must ask Him to empower us with His Spirit to do His works.

The New Birth is a "drink of living water". We receive it when we ask Jesus to live by His Spirit in our hearts. The Holy Spirit then comes INTO us. This is the new birth. When we are BAPTIZED with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes UPON us to anoint us to be effective and powerful witnesses for the Messiah and His Kingdom.

When we drink a glass of water, we get wet on the inside, but remain dry outside. When we get baptized in water, on the other hand, we remain dry on the inside but get wet on the outside. Obviously the two are not the same. A drink is not a baptism. So too the 'drink' of the Spirit of God (new birth) and the 'baptism' (anointing) with the Spirit of God are two distinct realities. The Holy Spirit comes INTO us when Jesus gives us the "drink of living water." (Jn 4:10) When Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit comes UPON us to surround us through this Baptism. Anyone can see that there is an enormous difference between a DRINK and an IMMERSION or baptism. Jesus gives us first a drink of His Spirit and then an immersion into that Spirit.

In Old Testament days, no one had yet received the Holy Spirit WITHIN them. Nevertheless the Holy Spirit was very active in those days and came UPON the prophets, priests and kings to equip them for their offices. He came UPON many in Israel to anoint them for specific tasks but could not come WITHIN any of them.

That is why John says (referring to the period before Jesus' death and resurrection) "as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified." (John 7:39) "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed: "If any man thirst let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water." Now this He said about the Spirit which those who believed in Him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified." (Jn 7:37)

The Holy Spirit could not be given to come WITHIN us as a new principle of life until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus first had to bear our old fallen Adam nature to the cross before it could be replaced by the new nature of His Resurrection Life. It was those who had already drunk of the Spirit on the day of Jesus' resurrection who went to the Upper Room to await the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. They knew there was something more

Jesus offers New Life to all who believe in Him. If we accept what He offers, admit the inadequacy of our Adam nature, and lay it down, we can receive the Holy Spirit WITHIN us and be Born Again. Then we are also offered a share in Jesus' Anointing through the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Believers first receive the New Life of Jesus to come WITHIN as the replacement for their sinful self-life, and then they can present themselves to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit the Spirit UPON them. (We receive both the New Life and the Anointing by faith once we ask and admit our need.)

So we see that Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to all who will receive Him in two distinct ways:
firstly as the LIFE of the Holy Spirit to be a river of pure water flowing from within our innermost beings; and
secondly as the supernatural Equipper and Presence who enables us to be bold witnesses and obedient servants.

The first is the Resurrection gift of the Holy Spirit, and the second is the Pentecost gift of the Holy Spirit. The first giving of the Holy Spirit reproduces the character of Christ in us, (the fruit of the Spirit) and the second produces in us a share in the ministry and obedient service of Jesus. In some instances, the giving of the Holy Spirit within and upon can happen simultaneously, but they are two distinct realities.

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