Baptism in the Spirit (5)
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where …
Sermon Description
Engage with Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones as he continues his series on “The Baptism of the Spirit (5)” from John 1:26–33. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones considers the difference between John the Baptist’s ministry and Christ’s ministry, along with the great sin of quenching the Spirit. While the Spirit’s direct and indirect work are both important, the focus here is on the direct, special, and unusual work of the Spirit that is seen to equip believers to be witnesses of the gospel. The main function of the baptism of the Spirit is primarily for the purpose of witness and this sermon shows how both subjective and objective experiences serve to manifest this reality. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asserts that the pronounced characteristics are an unusual sense of the presence of God and an assurance of the love of God to those in Jesus Christ.
Sermon Breakdown
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the same as regeneration or conversion. It is an additional experience that happens to Christians.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit is something that happens to us, not something we do. Christ baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit is clear and unmistakable. You know without a doubt when you have received it.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit involves the direct and unusual action of the Holy Spirit. It is not the normal, indirect work of the Spirit through circumstances and events.
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The primary purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to empower us to be witnesses for Christ.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives us an unusual sense of the glory and presence of God. We gain an immediate awareness and certainty of spiritual truths.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit fills us with a sense of awe and humility in God's presence. We become acutely aware of our own unworthiness before the majesty of God.
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The baptism of the Holy Spirit gives us an assurance of God's love for us in Christ. We gain a deep certainty of our adoption as God's children.
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There are three types of assurance: deduction from Scripture, self-examination, and the direct witness of the Spirit. The witness of the Spirit is the highest form of assurance.
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The witness of the Spirit is not something we deduce or figure out. It is given to us directly by the Spirit, who testifies to our spirits that we are God's children and that He loves us.
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The witness of the Spirit may come through Scripture, impressions, or in other ways. But it gives us an unshakable certainty of God's love and our salvation.
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The witness of the Spirit is like a father embracing his child and showering him with affection, giving him extraordinary assurance of the father's love.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.