Tongues of Fire – Part 3

This is the Truth Network. My friend, have you ever heard of the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Is it biblical? Oh, is it water baptism? What is it?

Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the program.

Today we're going to continue our study of tongues of fire. In a previous two episodes, we read Acts 2, verses 1 through 4. There, We learned that The Holy Spirit fell on the 120 in the upper room. And some strange things happened. They heard sounds.

It sounded like a tornado, a mighty wind. Then they saw something that was strange. Flames of fire, tongues of fire. over the head of every one present. Oh, my goodness, how strange is that Then they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

in their bodily temples, and then something even stranger happened. They began to speak with unknown languages.

So We want to explore what the tongues of fire meant, not only in this experience that they had, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but also the deeper. implications of this phrase.

Now, in our previous study, we learned these things, that the tongues of fire were a fulfillment of Christ's personal promise. and prophecy. He promised they would receive the Holy Spirit and prophesied that they would speak with tongues, among other things. We also learned that the tongues of fire are a sign of true believers. Jesus said, These signs shall follow them that believe.

And then we learn that these tongues of fire were the personal work of the glorified Christ. Oh, this is an important point. Peter said that Jesus was the one. who was responsible for everything they were seeing and hearing.

Now, in the upper room, they could see the tongues of fire over their heads. Jesus did that. In the upper room they heard The sound of a tornado, or a hurricane, a mighty wind? Jesus did that. In the upper room, they were filled.

Their bodily temples were to the brim with the Holy Spirit. Jesus did that. No question about it. And then they began to speak with other tongues. Jesus gave them this ability, and it was for a wise and a good purpose.

So The baptism of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Day, everything there was of Christ. Friend, if we honestly love Jesus, We should love and obey everything that is of Him, From him By him With no exceptions. The moment we make an exception is the moment we stop. Loving Christ. You see, Jesus.

equates love With obedience. In John 14, 21, he said, He who has my commandments, and habitually keeps them. That one is he who is loving me. With a divine and a self-sacrificial love.

Now that is Kenneth Weist's excellent translation. In verse 23, Jesus repeated this. If anyone as a habit of life, loves me with a divine and self sacrificial love, my word he will keep. and my father will love him. When he said my word, he meant all of it.

all of it. Friends, we don't have The right. to pick and choose with the Word of God. Every single word from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 is directly From heaven From the father to the father. From Christ the A The Holy Spirit who inspired the Now Our love of God's Word should include what Jesus has said about tongues of fire.

Is that the case in your life? Are you interested? Does this turn you off? Please don't leave this. Broadcast.

or podcast, whichever you are listening to. Stay right here. Because you need to know what's going to go on. What the Bible says. about this experience.

Now let's move forward. and see that these tongues of fire were received through given in. And a part of The baptism of the Holy Spirit.

So the tongues of fire that were seen were directly associated with this experience called the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You know, it may be strange to you. Maybe you go to a church where they've never even mentioned the baptism of the Holy Spirit. while you can learn some things in this study.

some important things, some life-changing things. Or you may go to a church where your pastor has spoken against this experience. And he has derided those. who have received it and who teach and practice this experience.

Well I believe if he says that he means well, if he's a good man, I believe that. I believe that. I would not malign him. I would not Cast him out, but he is. Incorrect.

Because he is explaining away. or contradicting or completely devaluing An important part of New Testament Christianity. My proof?

Well, listen to this. JOHN THE BAPTIST. John the Baptist said in all four Gospels that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit. It must be important. It must be important.

If some subject or experience or character is mentioned in all four Gospels. You know a considerable part, approximately one-third. of all four Gospels is given to Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. And it should be. Why?

Because it's so important. In the same way, the fact that the tongues of fire are mentioned by John at the beginning or near the beginning of every gospel. should make us sit up and listen. We should be studying this with an open mind. and that should lead to seeking this experience which will be the gateway.

into a new life. inner purity and power.

Okay, what did John say? Matthew 3, 22, he said, I indeed baptize you with water. Unto repentance. But he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

Fire.

Now the word baptize again means to whelm, to fill, to overflowing. And John mentions fire in connection with this baptism. Why? Why? Two things.

First, the fire has come to purge your inner man, your thought life. Your motives. Your morality. It also has calm To light a fire of love. for Christ.

We're going to talk about that. a little later. Mark 1:7 states, There comes one mightier than I after me. The latch of the Fushus I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water.

But he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Now, in these texts we're reading, you see a clear contrast. Between one baptism and another. One is of water, the other is of spirit, distinctly different. Luke three sixteen states John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water, but one cometh. Who is mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose.

He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. So Luke also includes the fire element. In John 1, 33 through 35, We find this. And John Bear records saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove.

Well, we like the dove we like the Spirit as a dove, because a dove doesn't demand much change. He doesn't cause disruption in our life. And he does bring peace. And that's a wonderful thing. But John has more to say.

And it abode upon him And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me. Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, again in the form of a dove. And remaining on him. the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw And bear record.

That this, that is Jesus. Is the Son of God.

So here he's saying he did not know who the Messiah was, but he did know Jesus because Jesus was his cousin.

So when Jesus came, I'm sure he was more than shocked. to discover that his cousin, was the long awaited Jewish Mishiach.

Now, but he included Not only that the Holy Spirit descended as a dove, that is, John the Apostle, in his record of what John the Baptist experienced and said, But He also included this statement about the baptism with the Holy Spirit.

So in all four texts, Jesus is identified As the person. The single source Of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Now, the book of Acts gives great prominence to this baptism with the Holy Spirit. You cannot read the book of Acts, you just can't read. Do it. without coming across multiple references to this experience. For instance, in Acts 2, we just read at Pentecost Day, they were whelmed with the Spirit and began to speak with tongues.

In Acts 8, Philip went down to Samaria, preached Christ. There were miracles, deliverances. People were healed. And they were saved and water baptized. All this happened.

They were saved individuals. But then Peter and John now I hope you're not going to think they erred They were the early pillars, apostolic pillars of the church. They decided. Along with the other apostles. That someone needed to go down and lay hands on them so they could receive a second work of grace called the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

So they came down, Peter and John, laid hands on these new converts in Samaria, and they were then filled, whelmed with the Spirit. All right, that shows us two works of grace. Then in Acts 9, Saul of Tarsus meets Jesus on the Damascus road. He's struck down. He's blind.

He's absolutely. A BROKEN MAN. But he calls Jesus Lord. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? he said.

So he was a saved man. He had an encounter with Christ. He was born again. He was regenerated. But he was blinded by the sight of that glory light.

And God sent Ananias to him to lay hands on him so that he could receive his sight. And be filled with the Spirit.

Now here we see that When he was filled with the Spirit, he did not speak with tongues.

So I want to make this very clear. I do not believe that the Bible teaches you must. Speak with tongues to know you have. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. May I remind you, it's the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Not the baptism. of tongue.

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Now, again, Dr. Hinnant.

Now we do know in the middle of the Paul's case. That he not only later spoke with tongues, but he did so. abundantly. He said, I speak with tongues More. than you all.

He also explained that when we pray in the Spirit, We are Speaking with tongues, he explained. That when we are praying in the Spirit, the Spirit, this is in Romans 8. The spirit is making intercession for us With groanings which cannot be uttered, so the Spirit Himself is praying in our bodily temple, and then when we consciously pray in the Spirit, He is also praying. through us. And Paul says that helps our weakness, our infirmity, because we don't know what to pray for as we should.

So we know Paul later prayed. with the Spirit. Again, he said, I thank my God. That I speak with tongues more than you all. May I?

Suggest this. If you believe the Apostle Paul, was the greatest influence. on Christian doctrine. I do. I do.

Do you? And if you do, Then you study his doctrine? It's amazing. You study particularly his treatise in the book of Romans, his treatise on Christianity, explaining what it is, what it does, and then. You will respect his experience.

Oh my goodness, when you read Acts thirteen through twenty-eight. Wow, what a life this man lived If you accept his experience as exemplary, May I suggest to you today that that you take his advice and opinion on the Holy Spirit and tongues of fire. He said, I speak with tongues more than you all. And he said, I thank my God. That I do, sir.

So just think about that. If you're not ready to receive the Holy Spirit baptism, that's fine. Just keep studying and praying about it, and God will. teach you by his spirit as you read.

Now in Acts 10 and 11 something very strange happened. we have in effect Pentecost II. What happened? In Acts 2 in the upper room with the Jewish. believers now happens with Gentile believers in Caesarea which was essentially a Roman seti.

built in honor of the Caesars, And it happened in the house of one Cornelius, who was a godfarer. He gave me it much. Money. and help to the poor, And he prayed constantly.

So, long story short, the Lord sent Peter Peter began to preach the gospel, and the Holy Spirit, to everyone's amazement, fell on those who heard the word. And I mean by that, they heard the gospel believingly. Which means they were saved. And here, God didn't waste any time, He just poured the Holy Spirit. Upon them.

Two. Works of grace put into one.

Now. And the reason we know that they received the Holy Spirit is because they also spoke with tongues. Paul's companions were amazed by this because these men were Gentiles.

Now, we want to notice from this experience two things. Those who deny that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is needed, that they say that we receive all of the Holy Spirit when we are born again, In this experience, they can't quite claim this as proof because these people spoke with tongues and they were clearly baptized, whelmed with the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, Those who believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I do, I do. cannot hear In one experience, we cannot say that it was two works of grace because it wasn't. I do believe there were two works of grace.

put together. Simultaneously. By the Lord. Why did he do it? Perhaps to.

to just uh throw a little wrench in our carefully crafted theology. Yeah.

So I don't know. I don't know. But I do know this Those at Cornelius' house heard the word and they were believing it and they were saved. If they did not believe it, They would not have been baptized.

Now, listen to this carefully. Jesus. baptized these Gentiles. at Cornelius's house, just like he did the Jews. In Acts, Now, some have said, well, that's the reason he did it, to just introduce the Spirit, you know, bring him into the Gentile-believing community.

All right, that's fine. He did do that. But it did not mean that it was not to be continued. How do I know that? Acts nineteen.

There we see Paul, and we referred to this in an earlier episode. Paul met some disciples, some students. And um when he came to Ephesus, he asked them if they were If they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed, they said, We didn't even know about any Holy Spirit.

So he told them about Christ, he told them about the Holy Spirit baptism at. And then They believed. And so he took them down and baptized them in water. At that moment, they were saved. They heard the word, believed the word.

and were baptized. They were saved. They were regenerated. They were born again. But Paul decided to do something additional.

Listen carefully to me. He laid his hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit, and in that case, they began to speak with tongues.

So we can't say that Acts 10, because it was the Holy Spirit being introduced to the believing Gentile community, was it. And that, therefore, after that, this experience ceased. It did not. And uh one more fact. The fact that Paul conducted his ministry in the way he did in that Acts 19.

and chose in his wisdom his apostolic wisdom To lay hands on them and pray for the Holy Spirit after they had already heard the gospel, believed, and been baptized, shows clearly their salvation was one experience Their baptism with the Holy Spirit. Another. This was Paul's MO. This tells me that when he preached the gospel and people were saved and baptized, He didn't wait. He said you also need the empowerment Of the Holy Spirit.

I'm sure he heard Jesus' words ringing in his ears that were. included in Luke twenty four and Acts one, And of course, you know. That That is one work by Luke. We call it Luke Acts. In both of these inspired text.

We are reminded that Jesus said, Don't go out and teach or minister in my name until you have received power. from on high.

So this was Paul's method.

Now, if you have an objection with it, you'll have to take it up with Paul. And then you'll have to take it up with Jesus because Jesus was the one. who baptized these young men. In Ephesus. Who had just been saved by the ministry of Paul?

Jesus baptized. All of these people with the Holy Spirit. Get that in your mind. Get that in your mind. At Pentecost, Jesus did it.

In Acts eight, in Samaria, Jesus did that when they were filled with the Spirit. In Acts nine, when Ananias laid his hands on Saul, he didn't baptize him with the Holy Spirit. He didn't have the capacity. No, Jesus did it from heaven. In Acts 10, when Peter preached at Cornelius' house, and suddenly the Spirit fell.

Peter didn't do that. No, Jesus did it. And then in Acts 11, When Paul was ministering to these young men, and he laid his hands on them, I will add in Jesus' name. Paul didn't quelm them with the Spirit. No, not at all.

It was Jesus. You say, wait a minute, Jesus was in heaven. Yes, that's correct. Just as he was on the day of Pentecost. Friend, every time that anyone anywhere who is a believer has asked for the Holy Spirit, Jesus is the one.

That has baptized them.

So, I want you to ponder these thoughts. Don't reject them out of hand. We're going to continue this. Uh discussion. This study of this vital subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and then get into the spiritual implications in your life and mine.

Of the praise tongues of fire. You don't want to miss it. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey him in your daily tests of faith and patience until he comes.

This is the Truth Network. Mm-hmm.