God the Holy Spirit, Mentor's Guide, MG14

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G O D T H E H O L Y S P I R I T

(b) Second, “entire sanctification” where the Spirit frees the believer from willful sin and perfects the believer in love (what the Holiness view would call baptism in the Holy Spirit). (c) Third, baptism in the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues, where the Spirit endows the believer with power for mission and ministry (same definition as the Pentecostal view).

Conclusion

» Christians agree that the Spirit must, in some way, come upon a person at salvation if they are to be cleansed from sin and united to Christ. » Some Christians (the Reformed view) believe that the rest of the Christian life is simply progressively learning more and more about the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit that has been given at salvation. » Other Christians (Holiness and Pentecostal Christians) believe that the Book of Acts teaches that Christian should have further experiences with the Holy Spirit that give powerful new advances in holiness and ministry effectiveness. » All Christians should agree that learning to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit is the key to becoming God’s person and doing his work. » Theologian J. I. Packer brings the different definitions of Spirit baptism into common agreement when he says, “Since experience of apostolic quality is rare and much to be desired, and the church today is weak for the lack of it, it is right to ask God to lead us into it, by whatever name we call it and in whatever theology we express it” (“Baptism in the Holy Spirit,” New Dictionary of Theology , p. 74).

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