Be Filled with the Spirit!

John Piper is a theologian and Reformed Baptist pastor. In his “Ask Pastor John” feature from June 21, 2019 (desiringgod.org/interviews/what-is-the-baptism-of-the-holy-spirit), the question is asked, “What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?”

Pentecostalism is usually defined as a movement in Christianity that thinks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a second experience, usually after conversion, marked by speaking in tongues.

…I just finished a book by Allan Heaton Anderson, “To the Ends of the Earth: Pentecostalism and the Transformation of World Christianity”. He shows that there are far more diverse understandings of the Holy Spirit and his work among global Pentecostalism than we thought. What is common among many branches of Pentecostalism is…a strong emphasis on the experiential nature of the Spirit’s presence in the life of the believer.

I think this emphasis on the experiential nature of the Spirit is precisely why the movement has been so globally dynamic and effective. People everywhere are hungry for experiential reality, not just doctrinal facts or historical facts, which are affirmed with the mind.

That’s the stereotypical way of thinking about Western Christianity. We have a list of doctrines; we have a list of behaviors. We believe the doctrines, we do the behaviors, and we infer that we belong to God and that something supernatural is happening, but nobody experiences anything. That’s why Pentecostalism is succeeding the way it does, because they’re right on this. They’re right to say that to have the Holy Spirit is to have a reality that one experiences.

I find John Piper’s reply fascinating. This is coming from a pastor in a denomination that traditionally has rejected the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience separate and subsequent to salvation. In other words, they believe that they receive Everything from the Holy Spirit at salvation. They believe that Jesus’ command to be clothed with power from the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) was only for His disciples 2000 years ago and not for us today. Non-Pentecostal churches tend to keep away from speaking in tongues.

But John Piper, though coming from a very different background than the Pentecostal movement, recognizes the absolute necessity of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for today. He sees the amazing effectiveness of the Pentecostal movement around the world. (By the way, the Assemblies of God has over 85 million members in 190 nations, making it the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world.) Piper understands that our Christian experience is not just about what we know in our mind (as essential as that is), but also what we experience in our lives. Jesus baptizes us with His Holy Spirit to give us power – to take us to a “whole, ‘nother level”!

As I emphasized on Sunday, we need the Holy Spirit’s empowerment for Illumination (2 Corinthians 3:7-16): Illumination of our Mind and Life; for Liberation (2 Corinthians 3:17): Freedom to Worship and to Live by the Holy Spirit; for Transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18): to receive Power to live the Christian life; and for Acceleration (Acts 1:8): Power for Witnessing. We need to be Empowered by the Holy Spirit. Don’t be satisfied with anything less!

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This Sunday, June 15, we will celebrate Father’s Day and our presbyter, Dr Terry Wong, will be our special speaker. All men in attendance will receive a gift and prayer, so don’t miss it. Please invite someone to join you in the building or online for the Live broadcast on either Facebook (Honolulu AG) or our YouTube channel (Honolulu Assembly of God). We Livestream every Sunday to both locations and would love to have you join us.

Coming Up: Dr Terry Wong will be guest speaker again on Sunday, June 22. Our 2025 “Celebration of Freedom” will be on Sunday, June 29. A BBQ potluck lunch will take place right after the service and everyone is invited. Grilled teri-burgers and hot dogs plus buns will be provided. Please bring your favorite foods to add to the table: mac salad, fruit, chips, desserts, and all the other “ono-licious” picnic foods. Mahalo!

Aloha ke Akua!