Day 1
Mar 1 (NKJV)
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
⁷ And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.
⁸ I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
To baptize means to immerse. To dip completely in something.
When you think about water Baptism, usually people come out completely wet with water. The water reaches all parts of the body.
John the baptist makes quite a bold statement: "But He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Right in the verse, we see why Jesus is important to us. Jesus didn't just come to reveal the Father to us, but He also baptizes us with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus immerses us with the Holy Spirit
What difference does the Holy Spirit make in the life of a believer?
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
Ephesians 4:21-22 NLT
The nature of man cannot handle the things of God unless man is born of the Spirit. Being born again is just the first step in our walk with Christ as believers. The Holy Spirit enables us to rid ourselves of the old human nature that easily defeats us. The nature of man is to be fleshly.
No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
1 Corinthians 9:27 NIV
Paul says, "I strike a blow to my body." Why?
To make it a slave. A slave to what or whom? The Spirit. If the Holy Spirit becomes master, the body will yield. But if the flesh becomes the master of our lives, we will only quench the Holy Spirit of God.
Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:23-24 NLT
When Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, we become attuned to the ways of God. God's ways are pure and holy. When Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, He renews everything about us. He changes our attitudes. Then and only then can we now have fellowship with the Spirit of God.
Prayer
Father we thank you. We bless your name. We acknowledge you. We declare that you are good. Lord we ask you to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. We strip off the old lusts of the flesh and allow the Spirit of God to renew us. Thank you for we believe you have answered us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.