“He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.”
(Mark 1:8)
John baptised with water
But Jesus baptises with
The Holy Spirit
What’s the difference?
Is there any difference between
Water and the Holy Spirit?
Can you have one without the other?
Is it necessary for Salvation
To have either…?
Baptism is an outward visible sign
Of an inward spiritual grace
By inference the “inward spiritual grace”
Takes place first, before an individual
Experiences the process of baptism
Administered to their body
Now there are different traditions
And doctrines or teachings
As to whether or not this process
Is by proxy, on behalf of
Or indeed complete or partial…
But what is abundantly clear
Is that baptism by water
Is applied to the “outer” body
Whereas baptism by the Holy Spirit
Takes place “inside” a person
In their spirit…
Baptism by water can be SEEN
Baptism by the Holy Spirit is UNSEEN
Baptism by water is a testimony
To people who are in attendance
At the event…
(People came to John at the Jordan)
Baptism by the Holy Spirit is personal
Between the individual and Jesus
And so implies that water baptism
Has already taken place…
Though very definitely Salvation
Has already been entered into
As you cannot have the baptism
Of the Holy Spirit without first
Coming to and trusting in Jesus
As your own personal
Saviour and Lord
So Salvation comes first
Then baptism by water and/or
The Holy Spirit is the choice
Of the individuals concerned
But neither is necessary for
Salvation…
That being the case…
What is the point of either…?
Baptism by water is a sign
To others that Salvation
Has taken place
It is like a testimony to
Faith in Jesus as the only
Saviour of the world
On the other hand
Baptism by the Holy Spirit
Enables the individual to be
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
For ministry with signs and
Wonders following…
In a way baptism by water
Is an outward sign to all
Of what has happened
In the individual
Whereas baptism by the
Holy Spirit is the individual’s
Choice and decision
For the benefit of all