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Baptism in
the Holy Spirit
Charles Whitehead reflects on the centrality of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit in the christian life and its fruits
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 The
heart of the Charismatic Renewal is the amazing grace of the baptism in
the Holy Spirit. It’s the particular grace God has given us, and
it’s a grace for the whole Church. This doesn’t mean we have
a monopoly on the grace - God can and does baptise people in his Holy
Spirit whenever, wherever, and however he chooses. But it does mean that
our primary calling is to talk about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, teach
about it, and provide every opportunity for people to receive it. The
Charismatic Renewal is not an end in itself, merely a means to an end,
so our task is not to build a big and powerful organisation called The
Catholic Charismatic Renewal, but to find as many ways as possible of
bringing this new life in the Spirit to as many people as we can. For
this to happen, some structures and methods will be helpful but we must
keep them to a minimum – it’s the grace that’s important.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
A life-changing experience I started writing this article sitting on the balcony of a lovely small apartment in Majorca overlooking a beautiful bay. I was listening to the sound of the waves gently breaking on the shore, and it was 11.30 at night - warm, still, fragrant, with a firework display lighting up the sky above the next bay. In the distance I could hear dance music from the restaurants and bars in the village, people were relaxing and having fun on their holidays. I was having fun too – I was really enjoying sitting there thinking, and writing this article. Am I sad and foolish? Many people would certainly say so. But all I know is that wherever I am there is nothing I would rather be doing than carrying out the tasks God has laid before me – baptism in the Holy Spirit really did change my life. Has the Spirit got you? So how do I describe this life-changing experience in straightforward, uncomplicated language? I like the way two great men of God from different parts of the body of Christ chose to explain it. Billy Graham and Cardinal Leon Josef Suenens both said that the basic question to ask a church member is not “have you got the Spirit?” because a baptised Christian, or one who has come to a moment of conversion, has received the Holy Spirit - this is part of Christian initiation. So what then is the question to ask? The answer is quite simply “has the Spirit got you?” There has to be a moment of surrender, a moment of saying an unreserved YES to God in a deep and powerful way; YES to who he is and all he has done for me; YES to all that he wants to give me; YES and welcome to the life-changing, in-dwelling Holy Spirit; YES to his will, and NO to my own selfish desires. This is baptism in the Holy Spirit. This is what makes me excited to be trying to explain this remarkable grace, which is freely available to all who are willing to step out in faith and say YES. Through it a full life of faith is no longer just a possibility – it becomes a reality. Theology is partly about explaining what God is seen to be doing, so when people look at us it needs to be evident that God is doing something. As I said earlier, fruit is eloquent. But even for those who have said YES and received the grace, there is always the temptation to turn back to the old ways. As Paul wrote to the Galatians “Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?” (Gal. 3:3). Please God we will never fall into that temptation! Let God be God So the questions “Has the Spirit got me?” and “Have I really surrendered my whole life to the loving, transforming power of the Spirit of God?” seem to me to be clear and straightforward. My response must be to say YES to this action of God in my life, YES to the grace of the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and to allow it to change me - to let God be God. Then I must encourage others to seek it, and try to explain it in words they can understand. And when I have experienced the fullness of the Holy Spirit in my personal Pentecost, just as they did in the book of Acts (2:4), I must remember that I will always need to be filled again and again (Acts 4:31). We all need more of the Holy Spirit, so why not invite Jesus to baptise you in his Holy Spirit or to fill you again right now, wherever you are? It will change your life. © Charles Whitehead
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I
often find it hard to convince people in the Church of the importance
of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They seem so reluctant to even try
to understand it, or to believe that it could be for them. Whilst I’m
delighted that many fine theologians are writing about it in well-argued
and essential theological papers, we know only too well that their papers
will never be read by the ordinary person in the pew. Baptism in the
Holy Spirit is a grace that can only really be evaluated by looking
for changes in the lives of those who claim to have received it - fruit
is always eloquent. Everyone who has been baptised in the Holy Spirit
knows that it’s a life-changing experience and things will never
the same as they were before. But can others see the changes? Since
Sue and I were baptised in the Spirit in 1974, our life together has
been exciting and challenging, sometimes unpredictable, but always full
of meaning and a sense of purpose. We’ve travelled to amazing places,
met the most wonderful people, and seen God at work in remarkable ways.
Of course there have been challenges and struggles too, but we’ve
learned that we can always rely on the Lord’s faithfulness and
provision. It has been, and remains, a wonderful adventure and it’s
not over yet. It’s only the beginning.