The Gift of the Spirit: A Once-for-All Baptism, a Daily Filling
A friend asks, “I’d like your perspective on a discussion I had with a family member who attends an Assembly of God church. He often talks about a separate experience called the 'baptism in the Spirit,' which he believes happens sometime after accepting Christ. I’ve always understood that believers receive the Holy Spirit at salvation. He also mentions regularly asking God to 'fill him with the Spirit,' while I believe we are already filled but don’t always walk in the Spirit due to the flesh. Can you clarify this?”
Hey brother, that’s a great question. Understanding the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives is huge, and it sounds like your loved one is coming at it from a place of genuine desire for more of God, which is something you and I can appreciate.
According to Scripture, every believer receives the Holy Spirit at the moment they trust in Jesus. In Ephesians 1:13-14, Paul explains that we were 'sealed with the promised Holy Spirit' when we believed. This sealing is a one-time event that happens as soon as we accept Christ. Paul even adds in Romans 8:9 that if we don’t have the Spirit, we don’t belong to Christ at all, so the Holy Spirit’s presence is part of salvation itself, not a separate thing we get later on.
When people talk about being 'baptized in the Spirit,' Paul describes that in 1 Corinthians 12:13 as something that unites all believers into one body of Christ—happening once for every believer, right at salvation. So the 'baptism' isn’t an extra experience we seek after becoming Christians; it’s actually what happens when we’re saved and become part of Christ’s body.
Now, about being 'filled with the Spirit': Paul gives a command in Ephesians 5:18 to 'be filled with the Spirit,' and the original language shows this is an ongoing, regular thing. This doesn’t mean getting more of the Spirit, but it’s about letting Him influence and guide us as we go through life. While every believer has the Spirit from the moment of salvation, walking 'filled with the Spirit' means living in a way that lets the Spirit lead us fully, and that can definitely be something we grow in over time.
It sounds like your relative is talking about his desire to experience more of God’s presence in his life. Scripture does talk about being continually 'filled,' which happens as we surrender to Christ, spend time in prayer, and stay aware of His presence. Galatians 5:16 tells us to 'walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh,' showing that while we always have the Spirit, our experience of Him can be stronger or weaker depending on whether we’re living in the Spirit or in the flesh. When we live in the flesh, we can quench or grieve the Spirit (see 1 Thessalonians 5:19 and Ephesians 4:30), but that doesn’t mean we lose Him or need to be 'rebaptized.'
From a biblical perspective, we are reminded that Christ lives in us fully through His Spirit (see Galatians 2:20). We don’t need to strive to gain more of the Spirit; rather, we rest in the fullness of what we already have in Him. Everything we need for a godly life is already ours in Christ (2 Peter 1:3), including the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Ultimately, in Colossians 2:10, Paul says, 'In Christ, you have been brought to fullness,' which is a great reminder that we have the Spirit’s full presence. Our role is to keep abiding in Christ, letting His Spirit fill and guide us more and more as we grow in our walk with Him." Feel free to share this with your relative!