Matthew 3:11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
John the Baptist was the forerunner to Christ. He preached a message of repentance and followed it with baptism which signified forgiveness. But he was only preparing the way for Jesus to step in and save people. John urged people to repent (to turn away from their sins to God) and to be baptized to show the change in their heart.
As he preached and baptized, he looked ahead to the one who would be coming, the One who is able to forgive us of our sins. John knew he was inferior and there would be One coming who was mighty and had great power. He would baptize people with more than just water as John did. Jesus would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And John said he wasn’t worthy to perform even the most menial tasks when compared to Jesus.
John’s baptism was a symbolic act of repentance. Jesus’s baptism was spiritual. The baptism with the Spirit occurs when a person is born again and they become a part of the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:13 we learn that we are all baptized by one Spirit into one body. The long awaited flame of the Spirit purifies the soul and removes corruption (Isaiah 1:24-26).
As believers we have the Holy Spirit within us. He goes with us, guides us, convicts us, and comforts us. The receipt of the Spirit does not come after water baptism. It happens when we are saved, when we place our faith in Jesus. We are purified, made clean, and made righteous by the Spirit.
Let us thank God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Praise Him for the blessings He has bestowed upon us. That Spirit now lives within you and will never depart. What an amazing gift we have received!
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