The Holy Spirit Our Helper – Part Two

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit

But first, let me explain the basis for all the help the Holy Spirit gives us. We’ve all been baptized in the Holy Spirit. This may be a strange expression for us, but we can certainly get the symbolism, can’t we. We’ve been immersed in the Holy Spirit. Actually, Paul uses this symbolism and another in 1 Corinthians 12:13,

¹³ For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

So, two pictures of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, being immersed into Him, and drinking Him. The first pictures us being surrounded by the Holy Spirit, drenched in Him. The second pictures Him entering into us. Paul says this is the reality for every single believer. If, as Paul says, we were (past tense) all baptized by one Spirit (or “in” one Spirit), then it must be something that happened at conversion. There are unusual situations recorded in the Acts of the Apostles where individuals were baptized in the Spirit after their conversion, but the expectation was that this happened, once the various people groups were brought into the church, upon conversion (Acts 19:2, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”).

Being baptized in the Holy Spirit suggests that we have been initiated into everything the Holy Spirit is or does for us. We have been immersed, so to speak, into Him. He is a person, so to be immersed into Him is clearly figurative, as is drinking Him in, symbolizing that we are in Him and He is in us. The Helper whom Jesus promised (John 14:16) has come into our lives to help us be all Jesus wants us to be.

Here are the ways He has come and helped us.