When we are baptized with the Holy Spirit—when the anointing of the Holy Spirit takes place—Christ begins, in an incomprehensible way, to live in us. The Holy Spirit makes the presence of Jesus Christ within us possible and real. Yet Christ not only lives in us; we also abide in Him:
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing” (John 15:3–5, KJV).
What will happen if a wave carries an empty, dirty jar out into the ocean? At first, it will remain empty and float on the surface. Water will wash the outside of the jar, while the inside remains dirty. But in time, water will enter the jar and cleanse it from within. The water will make it completely transparent, and it will become difficult to distinguish in the surrounding water. This illustrates how we abide in Christ and Christ abides in us. For water to fill the jar, the jar must be open. For Christ to live in us, we must open our hearts to Him. Only then can He cleanse us from every impurity. Carnal thoughts will be replaced by the thoughts of Christ, human passions by His feelings, and a sinful disposition by His righteous character. Living in us, Christ will work in us “both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13, KJV).
Love is an inseparable part of God's character, and He wants His character to become our character. God sent His Son to earth to save us from sin and make us like Him, so that even here on earth we may learn to live the life of Heaven.
The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an inseparable part of the plan of salvation. While living on earth, Christ regarded the coming of the Holy Spirit as the greatest blessing. The disciples communed with Christ, but until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they understood His teaching only dimly. It was the Holy Spirit alone Who revealed to them the full depth of Christ's teaching.
The early and latter rain
John the Baptist proclaimed that Christ would baptize “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matthew 3:11, KJV). Jesus Himself said in His conversation with Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5, KJV). When, in fulfillment of these words, I receive water baptism through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given authority to work in my life. At that moment, the very baptism with the Holy Spirit that Christ promised takes place. We begin to understand God, the plan of salvation, and the nature of our relationship with Him.
The Bible speaks of the early and latter rain. Sown seeds lie upon the surface and wait for the early rain—the life-giving moisture that enables them to put down roots and become established in the soil. Only after the plant has grown and become strong does God send the latter rain, which is necessary for the fruit to ripen.
When we ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the early rain is poured out upon us. The outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church described in the book of Acts was accompanied by striking signs, and many believers become disappointed when they see nothing similar in their own lives. Yet the absence of visible manifestations should be regarded not as a deficiency, but as an advantage. It allows us to focus on the inward evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit descends upon us, we who have been blinded by sin begin to sense the presence of the invisible God, believe in Him, open our hearts to Him, love Him, dedicate our lives to Him, and become willing to die for Him. When the Holy Spirit descends upon a person, the Word of God acquires special value for that person because this Book reveals God's loving character, and a responsive love awakens within us.
Jesus pointed to the Heavenly Father's desire to give us the gift of the Holy Spirit:
“And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Luke 11:9–13, KJV).
If you do not have faith that God will answer your request for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, find this biblical promise, place your hand upon it, and say, “Lord, Jesus taught that You give this gift freely and without restrictions, just as we gladly grant the requests of our children. Help me not to doubt this for even a second!” We gladly give food to our children when they ask us for it. Why should God act differently? He sent His Son to die so that He could give us the Holy Spirit. And He willingly gives Him to us when we desire this gift and ask for it. After every prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we receive this heavenly gift, which changes our lives.
The fruit of the holy spirit
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22–23, KJV). I have read these verses many times, reflected on them, and noticed that the word “fruit” is singular. I could not understand how one fruit could contain such an abundance of qualities until I considered a cluster of grapes. A cluster of grapes is one fruit composed of many individual grapes that share the same flavor. When the Holy Spirit produces fruit in us, it combines all the characteristics listed above.
Love, as an inseparable part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, cannot exist apart from the other parts. We cannot love without believing in God. In the same way, we cannot believe in God without loving or being longsuffering. Everything is interconnected, as in one body in which all the organs work for one another's good.
As I reflected on the changes the Lord had brought about in my heart, I understood that love is not one separate quality of a Christian's character, but the soil of that character. In this soil, the Holy Spirit plants other qualities independently of me. I asked God for love and received much more. What remains if love is removed from the fruit? Joy without love is delight in another's misfortune; faith without love is fanaticism; peace without love is self-deception.
The Bible says much about love, Whose Author is God. He wants us to learn to love one another because this is fundamentally important to our salvation. This love is unconditional and acts regardless of whether it is accepted or rejected. In God's grammar, “love” is always a verb: it brings about changes in our character, thoughts, and actions, as well as in the lives of our neighbors. God is ready to pour out upon us the gift of His love if we agree to receive it. All who believe in Jesus are called to reveal the precious fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives, so that the promises God has given to all who thirst and are in need may be fulfilled.