Scriptures Concerning the Baptism of Repentance (or Being Born Again) and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit
John 3:3 – “…except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Your eyes are opened and you realize how much you need Jesus to save you and set you free from your sinful nature and personality. You are given a new heart and a new desire to be just like Him.
John 3:5 – “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
“Water” signifies the water baptism of repentance. It is an outward proclamation you are making to the world, and to God, that you want to bury the old man of sin and become a new man like Christ. (See also Romans 6:4-6.)
“And of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom”…No matter how much you see and desire to put away your sinful nature and to be like Jesus, it is impossible to do so (to enter) without the Holy Spirit coming to live inside of you, to give you the power to fulfill your new desire.
Matthew 3:11 – “I [John the Baptist] indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:” [tongues of fire].
Ezekiel 36:25-27 – “Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”
2 Corinthians 5:15, 17 – “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Acts 2:1-4 – “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
Acts 2:37-38 – “ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.“
Scriptures concerning the importance of the gift of tongues and the other gifts of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1, 7-11 – “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant….But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
1 Corinthians 14:1-5 – “Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church. I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”
When you pray in tongues, Paul is saying here, you are edifying yourself and are talking with God; also that he wishes everyone would pray in tongues. However, when you are with other brethren, it would be better that you prophesy (or, preach to them a word directly given to you from the Spirit for that individual or group of people for that specific time). That is also why he says in verse 5, “except he interpret” [the tongues he is praying]. This simply means you get the understanding of what the Spirit is saying through you, and then repeat it out loud in English. This is called the gift of interpretation; see also 1 Cor 12:10.
Many times, when you need a word from God, your mind is so cluttered with other voices and thoughts that the only way to clear your mind is to pray in tongues until your mind is clear and you can her what the Spirit is saying. Then you can receive a word directly from God, and not something from your own mind/thoughts. The Spirit, and this gift of tongues of the Spirit, is given to help us to do just that.
Romans 8:26-27 – “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”
Isaiah 50:4 – “The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.” “The tongue of the learned” - of the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 6:10,11, 18 –“ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. …Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Concerning all the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Cor 12:7-11:
When you have been baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, you have not only surrendered your heart and mind to allow the Holy Spirit to work in you and transform you into the image of Jesus (see Romans 8:11-14), but you have also surrendered all the
members of your body, to let the Holy Spirit work through you, to touch other people. He wants to work through your tongue to pray, prophesy and preach; your hands to lay on the sick for healing and miracles; your eyes & ears to hear a word of wisdom for others or discern evil spirits.
Further reading:
Mark 16:15-20; Luke 10:2, 8-9; Matthew 10:1, 7-8.
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” Luke 11:13
According to Romans 10:10, we must believe it in our heart, and confess it with our mouth. In our prayer closet, we begin to thank Him for this promise of the Holy Spirit, and for this gift of praying in His language. In Psalm 81:10 it says to open our mouth, and He will fill it. Begin to move your lips in prayer, thanking Him, and ask Him to take over with His new language of tongues.
“Well then, what shall I do? I will do both. I will pray in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language…I will sing in unknown tongues and also in ordinary language, so that I can understand the praise I am giving”. 1 Corinthians 14:15.
“My heart is fixed, oh God, my heart is fixed (ready). I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory, awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early”. Psalm 57:7
Set a time aside every day to pray, and wait upon Him for a word from His mouth, an enlightening of the scriptures or just to enter into His presence. For this is the rest that He has promised for our soul. “For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people, to whom He said, This is the rest wherein you may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing, yet they would not hear”. Isaiah 28:11-12 (1 Cor 14:21-22)
“Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts…There remains therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into rest, he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from His.” Hebrews 4:7, 9-10.