The Holy Spirit’s work on us is not only within us but also without. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be in us (John 14:17), and on the other hand, that He would come upon us (Acts 1:8). By being in us, He works within; by being upon us, He works without. Many do not see a distinction between the inward and the outward aspects of the Holy Spirit’s work. Actually, this distinction is extremely clear in the Bible.
The inward working of the Holy Spirit is related to life. This meets our needs related to the aspect of spiritual life. However, before God there are also needs related to the aspect of spiritual work. Therefore, the Holy Spirit also works without to meet our needs in this respect.
The Holy Spirit first works outside the believers to come upon them, baptizing them into Himself.
1. “Will baptize you in the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 3:11).
Concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit, John the Baptist first prophesied that the Lord Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit, that is, into the Holy Spirit. This prophecy by John the Baptist was not fulfilled when the Lord Jesus was on the earth.
2. “Baptized in the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:5; see also 11:15-16).
Later, when the Lord Jesus was about to ascend into the heavens, He promised the disciples that they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from then. This promise of the Lord Jesus was fulfilled after His ascension in two parts, at two different times, in two different places, and on two kinds of people. The first part was accomplished during Pentecost in the upper room on the disciples in Jerusalem and on the Jewish believers (2:1-4). The second part was accomplished after Pentecost in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea and on the Gentile believers (10:44-47). These two parts comprised the complete baptism in the Holy Spirit. The fulfillment of these two parts was not two baptisms at different times; rather, it was the completion of two parts of a single baptism, the one unique baptism. In the two-part completion of this baptism, the one unique baptism, the Lord Jesus baptized His whole church—including all the believers in every age—into the Holy Spirit. In the two-part completion of this baptism, the one unique baptism, the Lord Jesus baptized all the believers in every age in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an accomplished fact, just as the death of the cross is an accomplished fact. This fact of baptism has been accomplished on the church. Thus, when a believer obtains life by faith and becomes part of the church, he also shares in the baptism the church received. This is like a person who becomes wealthy. Once he has a child, the child automatically is part of the family and shares in his riches. Just as a child can enjoy the riches the father earned, the believers can enjoy the baptism the church obtained.
3. “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body” (1 Cor. 12:13).
Because the Lord Jesus baptized the whole church in the Holy Spirit through the two-part completion of baptism, 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For also in one Spirit we were all baptized...whether Jews [represented by the people in the upper room in Jerusalem at Pentecost] or Greeks [represented by the people in the house of Cornelius in Caesarea].” All the believers—past, present, and future, whether Jews or Gentiles—have been baptized in one Spirit. According to the fact of baptism, once a person becomes a believer through faith, he is already baptized in the Holy Spirit.
According to fact, once a believer believes, he is already baptized in the Holy Spirit. According to experience, however, many believers have not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. All believers have part in the fact of the baptism and have obtained the position to enjoy such a baptism, but many believers do not have the experience and the enjoyment of baptism. Therefore, they still need to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit.
1. “Filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4; see also 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9; Luke 1:15, 41, 67).
There is a difference in the Greek between being filled with the Holy Spirit in these verses and being filled with the Holy Spirit as mentioned previously. (Regrettably, many regard these two as one.) In the previous verses the Greek word means to be filled inwardly. This word is used in reference to the Holy Spirit filling us inwardly that we may be full of the life of Christ to live out the image of Christ. In these verses, however, a different Greek word is used to speak of being filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly. It is the Holy Spirit coming upon us, causing us to be full of the Lord’s power to testify for Him. To be filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit is for life, bringing about the maturity of life. To be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit is for work, resulting in power for work.
To be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. These two are one matter. One is the fact, and the other is the experience. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a fact that the church has received; being filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit is an experience that the believer should obtain. The fact was received by the entire church and was accomplished once and for all; the experience should be obtained by the believer personally and be accomplished repeatedly. According to the fact, the whole church has been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Experientially, many believers have not yet been filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit.
2. “The Holy Spirit comes upon you” (Acts 1:8; see also 8:15-17; 19:6; Luke 24:49).
The Holy Spirit comes upon the believers (note that it says “comes upon” and not “enters into”) to cause them to be filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit; this is to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit comes upon a believer, he is filled outwardly with the Holy Spirit, experiences the baptism in the Holy Spirit, and thus receives the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Although many brothers and sisters have had the Holy Spirit enter into them to dwell in them, they have not yet had the Holy Spirit come upon them. Therefore, at most they have the filling of the Holy Spirit within, not the filling of the Holy Spirit without. Although they have experienced the regeneration and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, they have not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They have the experience of the Holy Spirit’s being in them, but they should seek the outward experience of the Holy Spirit also.
3. “Receive power...be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8; see also Luke 24:49).
A believer receives power when the Holy Spirit descends upon him, filling him with the Holy Spirit. This is the result of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes upon us to fill us outwardly, leading us to experience the baptism in Him that we may be empowered to be witnesses for the Lord. The Holy Spirit came into us that we may have life; the Holy Spirit comes upon us that we may receive power. The reason that many believers have life but not power is because they have experienced only the Holy Spirit’s entering into them and not the Holy Spirit’s coming upon them.
Dear brothers and sisters, you might be such a believer. Although you have the Lord’s life and love the Lord, and although you are well behaved and have a certain amount of spiritual learning and dealing, you have no power to testify for the Lord. You can study the truth by yourself, but you cannot preach the gospel to others. You can pray softly in private, but you cannot praise loudly in public. You are restrained and bound; you have no freedom or release. You are timid and shy; you have no boldness to testify for the Lord. All this proves that you have not had the Holy Spirit come upon you, you have not been filled with the Holy Spirit without, and you have not experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit comes upon you and fills you outwardly, causing you to experience the baptism in Him, you will immediately be released, obtain freedom, receive power, and have boldness to preach the gospel publicly, and you will be able to testify for the Lord in all situations. (We will study the matter of being filled with the Holy Spirit outwardly more carefully in chapter 27.)