Spirit Baptism and Scripture
A Sermon on John 1:26-33
Scripture
26John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27It is He who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy even to untie the strap of His sandal.” 28These things took place in Bethany beyond the …
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
What is so important about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Why does it matter for Christians whether it is a one-time event or not? In this sermon on John 1:16–33 titled “Spirit Baptism and Scripture,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines the difficult issue of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He says that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not experienced by all believers, and ought to be distinguished from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Examples of what it means to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be seen in the apostles after Pentecost –– they went from being frightened to bold ambassadors for the gospel of Jesus Christ. While not all Christians receive this baptism, all who believe in the gospel are saved and can know the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Believing the gospel is of most importance. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that one can live and die without ever receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit and enter the kingdom of God. Yet if one does not believe in the gospel, they will not be saved.
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.