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What does it mean to seek baptism of the Spirit? In this sermon titled “Seeking Baptism in the Spirit (3),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 1:26–33 to encourage Christians that they must seek baptism of the Spirit. By this, he means to seek the salvation of God both in justification and sanctification. God justifies completely upon conversion but His wondrous and purging sanctification will last a lifetime until being made perfect before His throne upon death. Dr. Lloyd-Jones exhorts that many Christians seek growth and baptism of the Spirit spasmodically, in that they pray only seasonally. God often grows His people only after driving them to the point of despair so that they may see their inadequacy in comparison to His glorious completeness. What Dr. Lloyd-Jones instructs is that the Christian ought to seek the Lord constantly in their prayers and be consistent and patient with the way in which God brings about growth – after all, God’s ways are not their ways. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also has a word on reading biographies as they are meant to stimulate the reader to seek God, not motivate them to seek the same experience as others. The saints of old can teach what it means to love the Lord.
What is baptism by the Spirit? In this sermon titled “Seeking Baptism in the Spirit (2),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains that baptism by the Spirit is something that the Lord Himself must grant upon a person. Through an exposition of John 1:26–33, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that baptism by the Spirit was not something that stopped in the early church; rather, it has continued throughout history and has been made evident in revivals of the church. He prescribes the prayer of 1 Peter 1:8 every morning and that the Christian should be seeking joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory in the awaiting of our Savior. Dr. Lloyd-Jones, though enthusiastic about baptism by the Spirit, is careful to distinguish modern Christians from the apostles. He explains that the apostles had a God-given mandate and blessing upon being baptized by the Spirit, but the Christian does not know whether or not they have been baptized by the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones is also careful to explain that the “laying on of hands” does not and has not baptized people in the Spirit, and that many who have been influential in revivals have been so through patient and earnest prayer.
What does it mean to thirst after righteousness? Does one achieve righteousness on their own or does God help them? In this sermon titled “Seeking Baptism in the Spirit (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches from John 1:26–33 to tell of the free gift of God: His Spirit. When the Christian repents of their sins and trusts in Christ, they instantly qualify to share in the inheritance of the saints. Christ has accomplished this good for His people. What then must the Christian do once they are saved? Dr. Lloyd-Jones helpfully explains that they should seek to please God. If the Christian loves God, they will seek to please Him by obeying Him. The Christian’s righteousness is not achieved by them, but by the Spirit’s work. They are not to grieve the Spirit by persisting in something if they feel conviction regarding it. Additionally, God’s children are not to quench the Spirit by not following the general direction God is giving their lives. God is willing to bestow Himself upon anyone who asks, and this is truly the greatest gift in the universe. Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches that the Christian must let God know the desires of their heart. If the desires are right and God is sought in them, He will graciously give all things.
“What seek ye?” This is a pivotal question Jesus asks not only His followers in the New Testament, but of His followers today. Has the Christian church truly sought after and found the fullness of Jesus through the baptism of the Holy Ghost? Preaching from John 1:35–39, listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones answers these questions and explains the simple steps to attaining this same baptism. First, he states the importance of John the Baptist’s message within this passage of beholding the Savior. It is through beholding and seeking after Him that the Christian can truly understand what Jesus has done in becoming the substitute who took sins upon Himself. It is through putting faith and trust in this simple, yet monumental, truth that brings about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and which opens eyes to the fullness of God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones ends by examining the difference between seeking after Jesus for who He is versus seeking after Him for what He can do. The Christian should truly seek after Christ with the goal of glorifying Him. It will take the form like that of Mary, kneeling down at her savior’s feet. The Christian is asked “what seek Ye?” and can respond with thankful and sincere hearts, “Jesus, my Savior.”
Since Christians do not actively “take” the Spirit, but passively receive the sovereign Spirit, what are they to do? As Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones pursues this question in this sermon on Romans 8:15 titled “Spirit Baptism and Fullness,” he sets the context of the passage. He notes that Spirit baptism is an extra – a plus. It is an additional assurance children of God experience. In other words, it is not something every believer who has the Spirit of adoption experiences. Nevertheless, it is something all should desire. In Romans 8:15, the apostle Paul elaborates on Spirit baptism, or being filled with the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones encourages all Christians to genuinely seek the fullness of the Spirit, but not by trying to “seize” the Spirit. Furthermore, Christians cannot pretend they can take it by someone laying hands on them. How does one get it then? Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that it is through obedience and prayer. In the end, however, Christians rest knowing the Holy Spirit is sovereign. If indeed the Spirit does grant this assurance, the Christian will surely know it. Let them not, however, pretend to have it, warns Dr. Lloyd-Jones, unless they actually do. Listen as he teaches on the joys, and potential pitfalls, of Spirit baptism.
According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “When the Spirit Comes,” Scripture teaches that God often works in special ways through His Spirit. This special deployment of the Spirit’s power and work is different than His indwelling of every believer. As Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out from the book of Acts, God is seen sending the Holy Spirit upon those early believers in order to empower their ministries. God still chooses to work by sending his Holy Spirit upon men and women in modern days. The greatest examples of this is in the revivals since the time of the Reformation. This is a unique blessing of the Holy Spirit. This baptism of the Holy Spirit does not come to all people, and when it does, it is often not permanent. Yet this is a great blessing that all Christians ought to seek, and often come upon in times of trial and great suffering. It produces a heart of joy and peace that rests in God and His many promises. While not all will experience this great blessing of the Spirit, nonetheless, all should seek it. According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, even if it is only temporary, many live their lives looking back on this experience and gain strength from it.
Can Christians receive more power from the Holy Ghost for the work of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ? In this sermon on John 1:26-33, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He argues that the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is not the first giving of the Spirit, but rather a second anointing of power. He argues this by pointing out that Jesus says to “receive the Holy Spirit” when He reveals Himself to them in the upper room before Pentecost. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this means that the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost was not the regeneration of the disciples or the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; rather, it was a unique empowerment of the Spirit for the work of the kingdom. A Christian’s view of the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament directly informs what they pray for and how they approach Spirit-led revival. Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that Christians who don’t understand Pentecost correctly will be unable to seek after, or accept, revival and awakening.
In this sermon on Romans 12:6 titled “Spiritual Gifts (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones encourages a look at the nature of spiritual gifts. God decides which gift to provide to each Christian but they all work in and through the very same Spirit. He reminds that there is a “diversity of operations, but the same God that worketh all in all.” Why and how are Christians to “covet” and “desire” the best gifts? How ought they seek these gifts? The listener is encouraged to learn to love the spiritual gifts and to be filled with love. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes and explains the doctrine of the body, love, and contentment. Can one “claim” a gift? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks more directly at the gift of tongues, pastoring, and missions and shows the importance of understanding that gifts cannot be “claimed” or imparted by others. Some people proclaim that “the need is the call,” but this simply shows an ignorance of the doctrine concerning the call of the Spirit. Dr. Lloyd-Jones touches on baptism with the Holy Spirit, how gifts differ, and His call to the particular service. God decides the gifts, calls the Christian to a certain gift, and equips them to the service to which each of His children have been called.
What does one do with excesses related to the Holy Spirit? Many Christians are wary of any emphasis on the experience of the Spirit. In this sermon on Romans 8:16 titled “The True and the False,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones has been working out the doctrine of Spirit baptism and recognizes many will be fearful of such talk. He warns his listeners, however, that they must not fall prey to quenching the Spirit simply because there are potential excesses. Doubling down, Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that those who minimize the experience of the Spirit’s work are perhaps guilty of quenching both revival and evangelism. What is his alternative? He acknowledges that any time there is an outpouring of the Spirit, counterfeits will follow. Satan will take advantage of this opportunity and convince Christians to focus on the experience rather than God. Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s solution is not to deny the Spirit’s work, but to discern the true from the false. Christians should watch for holiness to follow those who claim a special work of the Spirit. He encourages being wary if awe and glory of God do not follow the particular experience of the Spirit. Listen to this sermon on Romans 8:16 as Dr. Lloyd-Jones seeks a balanced approach to the witness of the Spirit in the experience of believers.
What is the place of spiritual gifts in the life of believers and the church? How should Christians approach the command to test the spirits? In this sermon on John 1:26–33 titled “Testing the Spirits (5),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the church think through these questions and how to apply the answers to life. “The general purpose of our baptism with the Holy Spirit is evangelism,” he says. What are the main points of the Scriptural texts that address spiritual gifts, such as in 1 Corinthians? First, gifts should never be used as an end in and of themselves— all gifts are temporary and, as is written elsewhere in Scripture, are to be used for the benefit of others. One of the primary reasons for these texts was because a spirit of competition had entered in among the believers, and they were becoming so distracted that they were losing sight of the bigger picture. The main reasoning for these gifts is to glorify the Lord. The second point, according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is evangelism. The third is the edification of the body. Some Christians live in pursuit of these gifts, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones offers a helpful reminder— do not seek the gifts selfishly, but rather indirectly by pursuing the Lord and trusting that He will give what is needed to accomplish His purposes.
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