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SCRIPTURE READING
ISAIAH 43:1-7
ACTS 8:14-17
LUKE 3:15-17, 21-22

REFLECTION

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the theme for our reflection. Baptism is the Christian religious rite or sacrament of sprinkling water onto a person’s forehead or immersing them in water, symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church. Holy Spirit baptism is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer upon receiving and believing Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We shall reflect on the fact that we experience the presence or glory of God through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Beloved in the Lord, it is not enough to Baptise with water but we must also yearn to receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. We experience the glory of God and His power at work in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is for this reason John the Baptist said “But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). To demonstrate the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, “When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22) Again, in the Acts of the Apostles, we appreciate the fact that without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we can not experience the presence or glory of God in our lives. We are told that “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17) In other words, the Samarian believers had received water baptism but were yet to experience the glory or presence of God in their lives through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is important to also note that a believer who receives baptism of the Holy Spirit will also experience marked transformation in the person’s life according to Ephesians 5:22-23. Above all, the person reflects the perfect image of Christ in addition to possessing one or more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit according to 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. It is for this reason Paul having experience the power of the Holy Spirit wrote “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Dear friend in the Lord, just as God promised the Israelites to protect them, when we also experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ we shall also experience the power of God at work in our lives. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are assured by God that “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;” (Isaiah 43:1-3). It is because of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and His power at work in us that John assured us, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4). To constantly experience the power of the Holy Spirit we must endlessly pray, believe in Jesus and listen to Him at all times to please God. Many of us are unable to experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit because we do not pray and we do not believe and obey Jesus as our Lord and Saviour and as such do not please God in our daily lives although we claim to be Christians. Jesus showed us how to receive the Holy Spirit through His baptism. We are told that when He was being baptised with water, “he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22) In other words, to experience the glory of God through the Holy Spirit, we must in addition to water baptism, pray always, believe in Christ and follow His teachings to please God always.

In summary, we have discovered that we experience the presence or glory of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit empower us to pray always, believe in Christ, and obey His teaching to please God in order to have constant fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Amen.