Acts 2:38
Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8:14-17
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
To receive the Holy Spirit, those who wish to travel the road to eternal life must understand and take part in two basic ceremonies:
- water baptism
- the laying on of hands
WATER BAPTISM
After one repents in faith, one's next step is water baptism, a primary principle of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 6:1-2).
The words baptize, and baptism, are derived from the Greek verb baptizo, meaning "to dip or immerse." When we examine the instances of baptism in the New Testament it is evident that baptism means more than just “dip”. It means to “immerse” – that is, "to plunge under, so as to cover completely." Full immersion is the biblical method of baptism.
For example, note how Philip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. The two men had stopped by a river, "and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him." They then "came up out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39). Why did they both go into the water? So Philip could baptize the eunuch by immersing him completely under the water. Then, rising from the water, the eunuch could begin a new life in Christ.
Baptism by immersion symbolizes our death and burial, while rising out of the baptismal water symbolizes a resurrection to a new life in Christ (Romans 6:3-5).
A symbolic death and burial
Baptism symbolizes in part our being united with Christ in death and burial in a figurative sense: "Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death" (Romans 6:3-4).
In God's eyes we are "united together in the likeness of His death...Knowing this, that our old man [the sinful person we were before] was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (verses 5-6).
Before the miracle of repentance, we are slaves of sin. Paul explained to the Romans that, once we are baptized into Christ, we are no longer trapped in sin (Romans 6:3-4). "Our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died [through the symbolic death of baptism and eradicating our old ways] has been freed from sin" (verses 6-7).
We are redeemed -- bought back -- from enslavement to sin by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19; Revelation 5:9). Having been purchased by God, we now belong to Him: "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Being converted from slaves of sin to slaves of righteousness, we no longer serve sin (Romans 6:18). Our new way of thinking is one that bears the fruits of repentance (see Galatians 5:22-23). As Galatians 5:24-25 puts it: "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
THE LAYING ON OF HANDS
From the Scriptures, we find that water baptism is followed by the ceremony of laying on of hands, at which time we receive God's Spirit. For example, in Acts 19:6 it says, "And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them."
The laying on of hands by the ministry is also mentioned in Hebrews 6:2.
Acts 8:12 shows that "both men and women" in Samaria understood, repented and were baptized. However, the Holy Spirit was not given until Peter and John prayed and laid their hands on them. Verses 15-17 say: "When they arrived, they [Peter and John] prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (NIV).
Jesus instructed His disciples, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). The Greek word here for "in" can also be translated "into."
When a minister of God submerges a new believer under the water, performing the symbolic burial of the "old man", he performs the act in the name of, or by the authority of, Jesus Christ. He also puts the person in, or into, a new relationship with God.
We see that God's Holy Spirit is then given by the laying on of hands by God's ministers, serving as His representatives.
The representation aspect here is important to bear in mind. In the laying on of hands, it is God's divine power and authority that confers His Spirit. His human representatives have no supernatural power of themselves. It is God working in and through them. Nevertheless, God wants us to acknowledge the fact that He does work through His human representatives.
This is part of a bigger picture of God's Church working together in an orderly way. All are charged with the responsibility of helping and caring for, and submitting to, one another. Yet some have the special responsibility of serving others through leadership and teaching. God requiring the laying on of hands helps us to see that.
Why we need God's Spirit
What is the role of God's Spirit in our lives? On our own, we may strive, struggle and pray earnestly for victory over a sinful habit, but still come up short. After baptism and the laying on of hands, the same Spirit that leads us to repentance continues to work in us even more powerfully to help us see and overcome our sins and shortcomings.
Because it is impossible to be over comers by keeping God's law in its full spiritual intent on our own, Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to guide and help us (John 14:16-18). When we do all we humanly can to be obedient, God gives us, through His Holy Spirit, the additional help we need to obey His truth and have a sound mind reflecting godly love (Acts 5:32; John 16:13; 2 Timothy 1:7).
His Spirit helps us overcome the weaknesses and selfish desires of human nature (Romans 7:13-20). It enables us to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). It provides us comfort during trials and allows the mind of Christ to work in us (Philippians 2:5). Through His Spirit, God inspires us, guides and leads us, and makes us His very own children (Romans 8:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
When God calls us to be His children, He initiates a change in us from our formerly proud, selfish, disobedient ways. He transforms us by the renewing, or changing, of our mind -- a process to which we must yield. Paul told the Romans, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2).
Paul explained that this transformation is not instantaneous. It requires ongoing changes in our thinking and outlook that permanently affect the way we live. We each become "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service" (verse 1).
Paul also admonished, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5). He preceded this by describing both the attitude and behaviour that would be evident in the converted mind:
"Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others" (verses 2-4).
Having the mind of Jesus Christ comes through repentance, faith in Christ’s sacrifice, water baptism, the laying on of hands, and the receiving of God’s Holy Spirit – this is what makes this great miracle of transformation possible.