Acts 2:38
“Repent AND be baptized every one of you …for the remission (forgiveness) of sins,…”
The Bible requires it for someone to have completed the process of salvation!
“But what is Baptism?”
Baptism is defined as
“A ceremony of initiation into Christianity and the Church in which a person is dunked under water and brought up again under the authority and command of Jesus Christ.”[1]
In fact, this is exactly what baptism literally means!
The English word for “Baptism” is actually from the (Biblical) Greek word “βαπτίζω” (bap-tid'-zo) meaning “to dip” or “sink” (be submerged) into water. This word was originally used for someone who got into a body of water to take a bath, or bathing something like clothes, but this Greek word came to refer to the baptism ceremony itself: which is a person being submerged underwater in the authority of Jesus.[2]
Now this might seem like a weird out of place ceremony for someone to do as a final act of salvation at first, but the Bible gives good reason to do this ceremony!
Because even Jesus was baptized
Since you are a Christian (following Christ) there is no better way to begin by being Baptized because Jesus was Baptized before beginning his ministry:
Matthew 3:13-16
“…Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John…Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water.”
Because Jesus said so
Jesus commands those who want to complete their forgiveness to be baptized!
He told all his disciples to baptize those who wanted to be saved and follow him:
Matthew 28:19
“…baptizing them…”
Jesus says if you believe and are baptized you will be saved!
Mark 16:16
“He who believes and is baptized will be saved;…”
It should be more than enough because Jesus says to do it! and not only that to do it to complete salvation!
Titus 3:5
“...He saved us through the washing (Baptism)…”
1 Peter 3:21
“…baptism…now saves you also…”
So, baptism is a part of the salvation process! But the Bible gives the reason why someone should be baptized:
1 Peter 3:21
“…baptism…now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body (Like you would think a body of water would be used for) but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God…”
So, Baptism is not about getting wet or cleaning of dirt like it would physically thought to be, but really its purpose is to act as a pledge between you and God.
So, what is the pledge?
The pledge you make is to have a clear conscience to God for now on.
This is because you have confessed to him that you will do what he says and since your sins are forgiven you will have a clear conscience through this pact.
So, baptism is a pact between you and God. This is comparable to a pact someone will make in swearing an oath in an office or swearing an oath to join a club and be accepted by the leader of the organization. This is what baptism is: you’re physically swearing to do all that you told God you were going to do and this is the final oath of that, in God’s eyes!
Baptism is all symbolic, which Paul reveals what it all means and what the oath represents:
Romans 6:3-9
“…all of us who …[Are]…baptized into Christ Jesus…[Are]… baptized into his death…We…therefore [Are]…buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life….Now if we died with Christ,(Symbolically in baptism) we believe that we will also live with him.(be brought back to life like him!)…”
Paul (the author) also adds
Colossians 2:12
“Having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith (brought back to life again through belief in Jesus and the baptism), in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
So here is the symbolism:
You symbolically become a part of Jesus’s Death, burial, and resurrection. By “Dying” in Jesus’s sacrificial death, which is symbolized when you are dunked under water which represents dying, then you are “buried” with Jesus in the tomb symbolized by being under water which the water represents the earth that surrounds Jesus’s body, and finally you are brought back to life with Jesus on the third day symbolized by coming up out of the water (grave).
So, baptism is a way to connect to Jesus's resurrection, but why does someone have to actually be connected to Jesus's resurrection as the final oath of salvation?
It’s because this is how you get ETERNAL LIFE by taking the oath to become a part of Jesus being brought back to life!
As Jesus says himself:
John 14:19
“…Because I live, you also will live.”
And how did Jesus live after he came back to life?
Romans 6:9
“…[ever]since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again(his life is eternal); death no longer has mastery over him(He is no longer capable of dying).”
So, Jesus AFTER he came back to life, had eternal immortal life! So, if we live like him when we are resurrected then we will have eternal immortal life too like he promised!
So, baptism symbolizes between you and God (and other witnesses) that you're officially believing and accepting the death and resurrection of Jesus and you want to be resurrected like him as well.
In order to be brought back to life like Jesus you have to die like Jesus; so, if we die with him through baptism! So, we will live with him through baptism!
As Paul says:
2 Timothy 2:11
“Here is a trustworthy saying:
‘If we died with him (like in baptism),
We will also live with him (be resurrected physically);…’”
This is why baptism saves through resurrection:
1 Peter 3:21
“…It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,…”
So, baptism’s symbolism is significant for your life because Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection is a reflection of what will happen to you:
You will die one day and be buried/go back to the earth, BUT if you have had this baptism, you had symbolically died and been buried with Christ then, when the time comes, like Jesus, you will be brought back to life as well!
But that’s not all baptism symbolizes: baptisms’ symbolism is two-fold. There is also another thing it symbolizes that fits more of what salvation is for you at this moment:
Romans 6:6-11
“…our old self was crucified with him(died with him in baptism) so that the body ruled by sin(Human nature) might be done away with(killed), that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.… The death he [Christ] died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he (Jesus) lives (after his resurrection), he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
In fact, the life you are resurrected into is the Christian life of becoming like Christ you have become one with Christ in life!
Galatians 3:26-27
“…all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves (been reborn) with Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
“…we are convinced that one (Jesus) died for all (Humanity), and therefore all died (in Baptism). Those who live (who are resurrected to new Godly life) should no longer live for themselves (The old life that was killed) but for him (Jesus) who died for them….”
This is how baptism washes all your sins away; by burying the old life of sin:
Acts 22:16
“…be baptized and wash your sins away...”
So, baptism is all about Death and life physically, then Death and life symbolically
In another way baptism symbolizes the old sinful life being killed with Christ in crucifixion and the new sinless Godly life beginning. Going under water symbolizes your old life being killed/crucified/passing away and coming up out of the water symbolizes the rebirth to a fresh new life for God.
This is one reason why baptism saves: because through baptism you are reborn and your old life that caused God wrath is put to death so only the new godly life remains.
Titus 3:5
“..He saved us through the washing (Baptism) of rebirth …”
This is also called being born again as your heard earlier:
John 3:3
“…they are born again.”
In fact, baptism is how you are born again, so getting baptized is a very important oath and part of salvation!
You might say:
“But I have already been baptized.”
You might have been baptized yourself already; you might have been baptized as a baby or might have been baptized at an older age but not have quite been dedicated to being saved or completely understood salvation like you do now. If that’s you and you’re unsure if you should be baptized again or want to know why you should be baptized again (or are curious) please read:
“So how do I get baptized?”
How to properlly do a baptism
1.You need a body of Water (any water)
The Bible is clear concerning how much water needed for baptism it has to be a body of water:
Acts 8:38
“…Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
Matthew 3:13
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan (A river) to be baptized by John…”
The word baptism after all means to “be submerged” and being submerged means to go completely under a body of water and be totally surrounded by water.
So, it can’t be a small puddle of water, the bible is clear, it has to be deep enough body of water for you (or anyone according to their size) to be dunked under. So, it at least has to be a body of water deep enough for someone to go completely under water! But as far as the depth goes it can be any body of water or any type of water the Bible does not point to a specific body of water for baptism: Therefore, it can be a man-made pool, a running river (Jesus got baptized in a moving river: the Jordan River) a lake and even the ocean! So, there’re a lot of options on where to be baptized in your local area (considering the planet is 2/3 rds. water it should not be no trouble!)
2.Then you need someone else qualified to baptize you
Phillip baptized the Eunuch:
Acts 8:38
“…Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
People coming to be baptized were baptized by John even Jesus was baptized by John:
Matthew 3:1-13
“In those days John the Baptist came,…People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River…Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John…”
What might be a little harder to find is someone qualified to baptize you. You also need someone else there in the water to baptize you: to baptize you in the name of Jesus/father, son, and Holy Spirit and to actually dunk you under the water and bring you back up again. But it can’t just be any person; it has to be a born again Christian, who has been baptized and received the holy spirit as well; thought there are no real qualifications past being a born again Christian, it seems also that they should also be a man who is a little matured in his Christian life. The person qualified does NOT have to be a pastor or leader in the church the Bible does not say nor suggest that; all they have to be is a born again matured Christian male.
I would suggest that if you can’t think of someone or know someone that is a born again Christian man who has been baptized themselves and received the Holy Spirit, to contact churches that you can think of in your area. If none can be found, you need to try to travel or look for some of these places to look for someone in these churches with these qualities.
Once someone is found you need to ask them to baptized you and set up the location where you will be baptized; some might want you to be baptized in their church and this is completely okay as long as they fulfill the qualifications of a proper baptism there (dunk you completely underwater under the authority of Jesus/the father, son, and holy spirit) then you can be baptized there.
I know this can make you a little anxious to actually have go out, find someone, and actually ask them to baptize you. I wish I could help you, because I know it’s difficult doing something new like this and being exposed to new people. But It needs to be done. It’s important to realize this isn’t a solo act between you and God like the other steps this is a more physical step and requires at least one other person to witness and perform it!
3.Once the location and person is picked out the time has to be made.
“So when should I be baptized?”
Most people who believed and repent were baptized in the same day!
The eunuch was baptized the very day he heard the gospel and believed:
Acts 8:36-38
“As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, 'Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?'… And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”
The Jailer and his family were baptized the same hour they heard the gospel and believed
Acts 16:31-33
“They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’ Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night… immediately he and his entire household were baptized.”
As soon as Philip seems to preach the gospel and they believe, he baptized them:
Acts 8:12
“…they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”
So, the answer is a soon as possible! In fact, you should be baptized the very day you believe! As the Bible says:
Acts 22:16
“…now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized…”
So, you need to be baptized immediately preferably the very day you have read the entire gospel, believed and converted. DON’T WAIT TO DO THIS! Like salvation, don’t wait to do this you don’t know when you will die! Do it immediately so your salvation process can be sealed, and you will be guaranteed eternal life; because baptism is the way to get it!
Speaking of time, the person you ask might wonder if you want witnesses such as your church (if you have one) or your family. Now it’s traditional (especially in western nations) to have witnesses at a baptism to celebrate you being born again, if your family happens to be Christian and wants to watch your baptism that’s completely acceptable, HOWEVER remember time is more important here than witnesses, contrary to popular belief you DO NOT have to have witnesses at your baptism for it to be legitimate!
The eunuch that was baptized had no family members come up from Ethiopia (Where he was from) to watch him be baptized; no! He was baptized immediately with only his carriage driver, attendants, and horses as witnesses.
While witnesses are nice, TIME is more important here than witnesses, if it takes them too long to come then you should be baptized: you can tell them all about it later or even record it for them to see later: the baptism is more important for you now!
4.Time to be baptized!
When the actual baptism happens both you and the Baptist (the name of the Christian that is going to baptize you) are going to get into the body of water. He should hold you and will probably ask you to cross your arms across your body in preparation for being submerged. Then the Baptists should ask you a question to ask you to confirm your faith or your repentance of your sins like “*name* who is your savior and Lord?” or “Do you believe Jesus is the son of God and do you repent of your sins?” or anything along those lines that you make a confession of faith that you believe in the Gospel and savior/Lord Jesus Christ.
This seems how the Bible describes someone who is about to get baptized: they are confessing their sins (confirming their repentance) OR they confess Jesus Christ’s name before baptism as their Savior and Lord (confirmed their belief on him):
Matthew 3:1-13
“,…People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him…”
People confessed and repented of their sins while being baptized.
Acts 22:16
“Get up, be baptized…calling on his name (Jesus).”
Paul was commanded to call on the name of Jesus while being baptized!
So, these types of confessions are appropriate before being baptized.
After you’re finished confessing, the Baptists should say their baptizing you under the authority (in the power of/in the name) of Jesus/The father, the son, and the Holy Spirit:
The reason its twofold is because this is said to be either in the name of Jesus
Acts 19:5
“…they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
Or
Can be in the name of the father, son and Holy Spirit (other form of Jesus Christ’s name) as stated by Jesus himself:
Matthew 28:19
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,…”
(But just to be Biblically sound you could request the Baptists to say a combination of the names like: “I baptize you in the name/authority of Jesus Christ: which is the name of the father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”)
The Baptists will say something like “I now baptize you in the authority of Jesus” Then you will be dunked under water for a second and be brought back up to complete the oath:
With this, Baptism will be complete, and your salvation will be sealed!
God the father is well pleased with you for being baptized!
Matthew 3:16-17
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment …a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’ ”
Now that you are baptized you are officially sealed in salvation and are completely a converted Christian!
Praise God!
But there is one more thing you need in your life for your process of being saved and becoming a Christian to be complete!
after commanding the people to be baptized the Bible says:
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' ”
So, the last thing you need is the gift of the Holy Spirit
You might wonder
“But what exactly is the Holy Spirit?”
Jesus himself explains what the Holy Spirit is:
John 14:16-20
“…another advocate to help you—the Spirit of truth… “
John 15:26
“…the Advocate comes,...—the Spirit of truth…”
The Holy Spirit is another Advocate and teacher like Jesus that tells and leads you into truth
But that’s not all
John 14:16-20
“…[He will] be with you forever… you [will] know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as [an] orphan…; I (Jesus) will come to you.”
The Holy Spirit will come to be with you and will even go inside of you and be with you as companion almost like Jesus is right there with you!
John 14:26
“The Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I (Jesus) have said to you.”
Matthew 4:1
“… Jesus was led by the Spirit…”
So the Holy Spirit is Jesus’s presence with you that comes to live with you and shows you truth and understanding. The Holy Spirit in you will teach you in truth, remind you of what you have learned, and lead you where you should go and what you should do.
It is a gift from God!
Not only is it a nice gift receiving the Holy Spirit ALSO saves!
Titus 3:5
“…He saved us through the washing of rebirth (Baptism) and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Receiving the holy spirit),…”
It saved by renewing your life after the baptism rebirth and makes you belong to Jesus:
Romans 8:9
“Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His (there not saved).”
In fact, you need to be baptized AND receive the Holy Spirit to completely be born again:
John 3:5
"Jesus answered, '…they are born of water and the Spirit.' ”
now you might be wondering:
“Why is it so important to be born again anyway?”
You might be wonderful with all this talk about why being born again is so important. But Jesus said himself why it’s of most importance:
John 3:3
“Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.' ”
and
John 3:5
“Jesus answered, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.' ”
So yes, receiving the Holy Spirit is VERY important if you have come this far! Without it you cannot go in the kingdom of God: The Kingdom that will be set up on Earth once Jesus comes back to Earth!
So, to be born again you have to be born in the water and the spirit and that is by being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit!
“So, what do I have to do to receive the Holy Spirit?!”
So, since it’s important that you receive it you probably just want to get it, well according to the Bible it’s to be just given to you:
Acts 2:38
Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.' ”
Peter does not add an extra step to get the Holy Spirit; after you are baptized it is to be given to you as a gift you no longer have to do anything, and it’s guaranteed you will get it.
The Holy Spirit is a gift from God unlike the other steps you have done before receiving the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Any gift that costs anything is not a gift
HOWEVER
This gift does have some terms and conditions attached with it:
Acts 5:32
“…The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The only thing that is required for receiving the Holy Spirit is obedience to God. Which if you have done all these steps of salvation so far, you have been obeying God and have fulfilled that requirement.
So, you may be wondering after your baptism:
“So, have I been given the Holy Spirit? Now that I have obeyed?”
This is a tricky question to answer:
I don’t know if you have received the Holy Spirit yet. Because you can’t define it by a certain step, and the timing
or receiving the Holy Spirit is different for everyone:
Cornelius’s family and friends received the Holy Spirit before baptism:
Acts 10:44-47
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message… the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out…Then Peter said, ‘Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit…’ ”
Jesus receives the spirit right at baptism
Matthew 3:16-17
“As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him…”
We know he was given the Holy Spirit because right after baptism Jesus had the Holy Spirit guiding him:
Matthew 4:1
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit…”
The Samaritans received the Holy Spirit after baptism:
Acts 8:12-17
“…they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women… and they received the Holy Spirit.”
So, it varies (though receiving the holy spirit seems to be tied with being around or in baptism) you could have received the Holy Spirit before you were baptized, during baptism, or after baptism or you might not have received the Holy Spirit yet!
“Well how can I be 100% sure I received the Holy Spirit!?”
This is important you just don’t want to think you received the Holy Spirit you want to KNOW FOR SURE!!! But how can you do that? Is there any way that you can know for sure that you have received it?
According to the Bible, there is a distinct sign for those who have received the Holy Spirit:
The very first receiving of the Holy Spirit by the apostles was marked with a sign:
Acts 2:4
“…All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues …”
Acts 10:44-47
“…The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out…they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.”
Acts 19:6
“…the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”
So, one sure way to know if you have received the Holy Spirit before this time is that you spoke in tongues (Biblically this means you spoke in a different language(s) fluently and spontaneously that you might not have studied or even ever heard of) or had some other miraculous power such as prophesying (which is speaking words foretelling the future) or just felt such a strong urge to praise and worship God. If there was something supernatural and spontaneous happening that had to do when you heard God’s word or did one of these steps, you can confidently say you HAVE received the Holy Spirit.
However, you probably did not experience this and if you haven’t then you do not know for sure as of now.
“So, if I don’t have the Holy Spirit how do I receive it for sure?”
Let’s see how people in the Bible were to receive the Holy Spirit:
1. God gives the Holy Spirit himself:
Acts 10:44
“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.”
2. A Born Again Christian prays for someone to be given the Holy Spirit:
Acts 19:6
“When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”
3. Or the individual asked God to give them the Holy Spirit (as Jesus himself confirms)
Luke 11:13
“If you then…know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
So, these are the only three ways you can receive the Holy Spirit, since you have not received a supernatural gift/feeling you do not know if God has given you the Holy Spirit already, so there are two other ways you can ask for the Holy Spirit and know for sure:
Get a born again Christian in a Holy Spirit filled church to lay hands on you and pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit.
This should be the Baptists that baptized you that does this (and the Baptist might have done this after baptizing you in that case you have or will receive the holy spirit!) , but some Christian/Churches have mixed feelings about receiving the Holy Spirit separately from baptism/believing and some don’t believe in receiving the Holy Spirit at all. If the Baptists has already baptized you and left at this time, then you can either try to seek out a church that believes in receiving the Holy Spirit to pray for you.
Or
You can pray to God to receive the Holy Spirit yourself
This is recommended if the Baptists did not do this right after your baptism and it’s over now or the Baptists does not believe in receiving the holy spirit. You could look for a church in the area and ask someone to lay hands on you and pray for you, but at this point because of the seriousness of it I would recommend you ask God yourself. While it’s nice and necessary for some in certain situations to have someone lay a hand on you and pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit, the Bible does not state it as necessary for receiving the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to go through a middleman in asking God for the Holy Spirit if none are openly available right now.
The best thing to do in this situation is ask God yourself because you now have the knowledge yourself on the Holy Spirit to ask for it yourself. Jesus himself says this is not only a very acceptable way to receive The Holy Spirit but it 100% assures you will receive the Holy Spirit from asking!!!
He concludes this by comparing asking God for something to a son asking a father for something:
Luke 11:11-13
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
So, in order to be 100% sure you receive the Holy Spirit all you have to do is ask God in prayer to give you the Holy Spirit:
You should say something on the lines like this:
“Father, I have read in your word that I need your Holy Spirit to be born again, so I can live for you and be truly reborn. I don’t know if you have given me your holy spirit yet, so I humbly ask you now to give me your Holy Spirit so I can fulfill the life you want me to live and live for you. So please give me your Holy Spirit on your own time and now I believe I have/will receive your spirit because your word says so, thank you father for the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
If you have asked/been prayed for already then you have or will receive the Holy Spirit on God’s time, you have done all you can and God has given it to you or will give it to you soon. Unlike other steps of salvation, you have done all you can to get the holy spirit now, it’s up to God it not an act you can complete it’s a gift from God and he will give it to you at his own time.
“But how will I know if I have received the Holy Spirit? Will I have a supernatural experience when I do get the Holy Spirit?”
While everyone who receives the Holy Spirit will not necessarily have a supernatural experience there are some other signs that come later that all Christians have to show and are directly total proofs of having the Holy Spirit!
1.Feeling some type of change in life and perspective
Eventually (if not already) you will feel some type of change in your life/nature that you might realize it's different. (Some people who have received the Holy Spirit literally see colors appear brighter or clearer than before: you just might see brighter colors and deeper clarity visually) it this is not right away don’t panic: it might take some time for you to experience this.
2.Growing in the traits God wants you to have (also called the FRUITS of the SPIRIT!)
Another vital thing for all Christians to have eventually are the fruits of the spirit: these are certain traits that are produced in Christians as they mature in their walk in Christ. And like the name states they come from the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit inside of a Christian. Without the Holy Spirit all these traits together would not be possible. So, these traits are vital indictors that someone has the Holy Spirit:
These traits are:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Gentleness
Self-Control
(Originally in Galatians 5:22-23 this subject will be talked about in more detail in a later lesson)
However, all these traits don’t necessarily come right away but you might have noticed a development of one of these traits recently, and that is a very good sign already that you have the Holy Spirit!
3.Understanding the Bible and spiritual truths more clearer or better than before
Another vital sign of having the Holy Spirit is you are able to understand deep Biblical truths that the world cannot understand.
1 Corinthians 2:14
“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God(spiritual truths) but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”
You have to have been guided by the Holy Spirit at the least when you read the gospel and understood, because only through the Holy Spirit can someone truly understand the gospel, most of the world would not understand the same gospel!
1 Corinthians 1:22-23
“For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified (the Gospel),
To Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness...”
So, since you have understood the gospel, your understanding was guided by the Holy Spirit! But that is just the beginning if you have received the Holy Spirit you will continue to understand Biblical truths and reality much better than others who do not understand.
As said before, God is going to give you a new heart (mind/way of thinking) and this is how it’s done: by putting his spirit: which is the Holy Spirit into you!!
Ezekiel 36:26
“ I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you;…I will put my Spirit in you…”
This new way of thinking might take time to develop but if you continually are led into understanding of Biblical truth and reality then this is a major sign you have the Holy Spirit!
4.Being given spiritual gifts
Another major sign is if you are given a spiritual gift:
1 Corinthians 12:4
“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.”
It might come supernaturally such as speaking in tongues or prophesying (which are spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit) but it also might come slowly in time these are the some of the major gifts the spirit gives:
Finding Wisdom
Finding Knowledge
Faith
Healing
Miraculous powers
Prophecy
Spiritual discernment
Speaking in tongues
Interpreting tongues
Evangelism (apostles)
Teaching (teachers)
Helping
Guiding
(Originally in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 this subject will be talked about in detail later)
It might take a while to know when you have one of these special talents but eventually you should notice one (or more) of these talents in your life that you show. Possessing one of these talents is a sure sign you have the Holy Spirit that gave it to you.
Whenever not you show these specific signs now or not is not important if you asked for the Holy Spirit or someone has prayed over you to have it, then The Holy Spirit is yours and you will show these signs!
Congratulations have completed the salvation process are a saved born again Christian! Your sins have been forgiven, you have a new mind and way of thinking, and you have begun your new life as a Christian: you have done the right thing! You have obeyed Lord Jesus and now God, Jesus, and all the angels in heaven are happy, you should be happy and celebrating your salvation!
Sources:
[1]
[A] Merriam-Webster “Baptism”
Website:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baptism
[B] Dictionary.com “Baptism”
Website:
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/baptism
[2]
[A] Online Etymology Dictionary by Douglas Harper “baptism”
Website:
https://www.etymonline.com/word/baptism
[B] Biblehub Acts 2:38 Interlinear Greek
Website:
https://biblehub.com/text/acts/2-38.htm
[C] Strong’s Greek: 907. βαπτίζω(bap-tid'-zo)-- to dip, sink from Biblehub
Website: