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NASB | John 7:38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 7:38 "He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, 'From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.'" [Is 58:11; John 4:14] |
Bible Question:
Greetings all! I have recently written in one of my posts that I believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of salvation. If you disagree with this statement, then when exactly does the Baptism of the Holy Spirit occur, since water baptism can only be undergone when a believer has shown evidence of faith and the Baptism that has happened within? |
Bible Answer: dear brother Markarios: I agree that the moment we are born again or born from above,(John 3) that we are indwelt or sealed by the Holy Spirit and are "baptized into one body" 1Cor.12:13 which is often referred to as the church which is his body. Believers baptism as you have indicated is the outward profession of the inward change, identifying us with the Lord Jesus Christ. In the times of the early church, for a believer to make this outward proclaimation, "that I belong to Christ and am set apart to live for him" placed them in a place of ridicule and persecution. I enjoy the thought given by Paul "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:17 This verse would teach us that the moment we are in Christ, the Spirit of God changes us. This is one of the proves that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. In reference to your initial verse John 7:38 I believe we have the promise that once a sinner by faith drinks of the living fountain, that from within will flow outward the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their lives. One last thing, do you not think that we have to recognize that immediately after the cross was a time of transition when we find the Holy Spirit was imparted by the laying on of hands by the apostles. We see however, that by Acts 10 that as Peter preached to the Gentiles that the Holy Spirit fell upon them when they heard the word. In Acts 10:47 we see the order "Can any man forbid water that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" God bless you brother Robert |