Baptism – Water vs. Holy Spirit

“for John baptized with water,

but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Act 1:5

This is another verse that has created some controversy among Christians. Two types of baptism are mentioned here. In fact, two different Greek words are used; “bapto” and “baptize”. “Bapto” means to be dipped and “baptize” is an act that produces a permanent change. When cucumbers are made into pickles they are first dipped (“bapto”) into boiling water and then they are immersed (“baptize”) into vinegar. The vinegar produces a permanent change in the cucumber to make it a pickle.

John baptized with water as a sign of identification with his belief in Christ. We are told as Christians in Mark 16:16 that those who believe should be baptized. Paul describes this process in Romans 6:4 “Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” When we are immersed in water we are identifying with Christ’s death and when we are raised out of the water we are identifying with His resurrection.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit Jesus mentions in Acts 1:5 means a permanent indwelling. Jesus says in John 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”

One of the immediate benefits of salvation is that the Holy Spirit indwells us and will never leave. We may quench His ministry in our lives (I Thes. 5:19), but He will never depart from us. In Ephesians 5:18 we are exhorted to “be filled with the Spirit”. The filling of the Spirit in our lives is our responsibility. When we sin we quench His ministry and are not filled. When we confess our sins (I John 1:9) and live our lives in a way that pleases God, we are filled with the Spirit and recognize His benefits to us.

You can be sure that when you accepted Christ as your Savior the Holy Spirit came into your life as a helper and He will never leave you. It is your responsibility to live in a way that allows the Spirit to be most effective and allows you to be full of joy.