What Does Martyn Lloyd-Jones Teach About the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Martyn Lloyd-Jones?

According to Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is not regeneration or conversion, but a distinct spiritual experience. He describes it as "the spiritual manifestation of the Lord Jesus Christ to his own" that goes beyond mere assurance of salvation. He says, "I am suggesting that a man may be a believer and regenerate and have assurance of salvation, and still he has not known this spiritual manifestation of Christ to himself." It is an exceptional experience where "the reality of divine things becomes plain in a way that they'd never been before."

Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit necessary for salvation according to Lloyd-Jones?

No, Lloyd-Jones explicitly states that this experience is not necessary for salvation. He says, "I am not saying, and I didn't say once and have never said that without this particular experience that I'm dealing with now that you're not a Christian. I say you can be a Christian." He clarifies that Christians can be regenerate and have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them without having experienced this specific manifestation. He points to the disciples before Pentecost as examples of regenerate believers who had not yet received the baptism of the Spirit.

How does Lloyd-Jones distinguish between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and sanctification?

Lloyd-Jones makes a clear distinction between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and sanctification. He states: "I am not dealing also with sanctification" and "nothing has done greater damage during the last 70 years as the confusion that has been so constant between sanctification and this experience of the baptism of the spirit." He explains that sanctification is a process that begins at regeneration and continues throughout the Christian life, while the baptism of the Spirit is a specific experience. He notes, "Sanctification is not an experience, so we must sharply differentiate between these things, whereas this thing to which I'm calling attention is essentially an experience."

What examples does Lloyd-Jones provide of people who experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Lloyd-Jones provides several historical examples:

1. John Flavel, who during a journey experienced such overwhelming heavenly joy that he "utterly lost all sight and sense of this world" and called it "one of the days of heaven."

2. Jonathan Edwards, the brilliant theologian who experienced "a view that was for me extraordinary of the glory of the Son of God" which kept him "a greater part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping aloud."

3. D.L. Moody, who had an experience in New York where "God revealed himself to me and I had such an experience of his love that I had to ask him to stay his hand."

4. He also mentions Christmas Evans, John Wesley, and George Whitfield as having similar experiences.

How should Christians seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Lloyd-Jones?

Lloyd-Jones teaches that this experience should be sought, but with important cautions:

1. Seek Christ himself, not just an experience: "Always seek not an experience, but seek him. Seek to know him. Seek to realize his presence. Seek to love him."

2. Don't just "claim it by faith" without genuine experience: "It is not something which, according to the current phrase, you believe that you have received by faith... When this happens, you don't have to persuade yourself that you've received it. You know that you've received it."

3. Be prepared for humbling before exaltation: "The work of the spirit is always humbling and humiliating. It brings us to the end of self. It reveals sin to us."

4. Avoid counterfeits by keeping Christ central: "If he is at the center, you will be safe. But if you are simply seeking an experience, if you are simply seeking for thrills... then you are opening the door to the counterfeit."