8 "I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:8)

A Longed-For Day

The prophets of old had predicted a day would come when the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon God's people, forming a new and special relationship never before seen in God's chosen people.

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:26–27, ESV).

The Baptism With the Holy Spirit

And when John came along, he took human beings and immersed them in the waters of the Jordan. But he said Jesus would come along, not baptizing them with water, but with the Holy Spirit (8).

And each person who trudged back to the shore after John's baptism would've been drenched head to toe, the marks of water baptism dripping off their bodies. Jesus' intention, though, is to have the Spirit of God dripping off our lives. He comes to live within us, but also to gift and empower us for God's work on earth today. He lives inside us, but also wills to flow through us to others.

And Jesus inaugurated this age, the age of the Spirit. Joel had said --

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." (Joel 2:28–29, ESV).

Peter quoted this passage after Jesus ascended back to heaven when the Spirit was poured out on the small band of early Christians. As people gathered to witness the spectacle of these Spirit-filled individuals, Peter announced to them that God had fulfilled his word (Acts 2:16-21). The baptism with the Holy Spirit Jesus came to bring had occurred.

I would encourage you to crave the work of the Spirit in your life. For various reasons, some believers are scared of the Holy Spirit. But we cannot be effective for Christ without him.

I would also encourage you to take some time to pray over the various gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the New Testament. You will find most of them in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. They aren't the only way you'll ever help your church -- some things just need to be done, and believers are called to serve in their local church family -- but it is good to get in touch with how God made you. It is good to crave the gifts God has for you, and knowing the way he's designed and gifted you will help you serve him with less frustration. Then, go for it, watch what he does in your life.