Although I grew up in mostly Pentecostal churches, I never grasped the doctrine of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. For the last 9 years, I have been attending churches with fundamental doctrines, mostly of the reformed flavor. Recently, however, Angelica and I have been attending an Assemblies of God church, and I have had the opportunity to learn more about the person and purpose of the Holy Spirit. To be honest, the doctrine itself still confuses me, so I been attempting to simplify the doctrine to make it easier to act upon (see God’s Grip). In his book The Deeper Christian Life, Andrew Murray asserts that the first step in being filled with the Spirit is to insist that we must have it. Being filled with Spirit is necessary because:
- It is commanded by God
- It enables us to live holy lives
- It empowers us to fulfill the mission God has called us to