Question on Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Post by **_martin536** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:20 pm

Steve,
In your series on character and charisma you equate baptism with the Holy
Spirt to being filled with the Holy Spirit. You did not address in the
series, as far as I can recall, whether or not this is a one time event or
can occur repeatedly in the believer's life. If baptism and being filled are
the same, then I would assume you would say that it can occur more than
once. Certainly many of the same believers who were filled with the Holy
Spirit at Pentecost (which you equate with the baptism) and spoke with other
tongues were later on filled and spoke the word of God boldly. Can you
clarify this for me?

Post by **_Benjamin Ho** » Wed May 10, 2006 9:43 am

Hi Martin536,

The following paragraph is quoted from Steve's reply to a similar question I posed previously. See the full discussion at
http://www.wvss.com/forumc/viewtopic.php?t=57

As for the need of repeated or continuous fillings, I believe that the person who is once filled with the Spirit (owing to the personal nature of the Spirit of God) must continue to cultivate his/her relationship with the Spirit. Failure to do so, I think, will result in a decline in spiritual experience, and may bring one to the point of needing to be "recharged" (see, e.g., Acts 4:31/ Eph.5:18). I would seek the "refill" in the same manner as the original filling (with the possible exception of the laying-on of hands again).

Steve also answered your question directly on the radio show. Yours is the first question he answers on this particular episode:
http://www.thenarrowpath.com/archive/tnp060508l.mp3

Post by **_martin536** » Sat May 13, 2006 7:17 am

Steve, Concerning this baptism question, have you read the book by John R. W. Stott on baptism and fullness. It is an excellent work and presents a compelling view of the subject.