Is there a second blessing subsequent to salvation?

Now how do you and I become partakers of this immeasurably great endowment, the endowment of the Spirit of God? I have been from time to time disturbed by this question. Is it really true that every believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or is it some special attainment by means of a second blessing that comes to us?

Time and again I have read the biographies of Christian men and women for whom I have the greatest possible admiration and for their response to the Lord, but they claim to have a 'second blessing' and their faces suddenly became radiant, their heads were above water for good and they felt they had 'arrived'. It is all so impressive as a story, but I could only do one thing about this, I went back to the Scriptures for myself, and time and time again I did this and I came away with an ever deepening certainty that it is true that the believer is baptised with the Holy Ghost the moment he believes and the Holy Ghost never leaves him.

We have sometimes heard of THE second blessing of believers, who claimed that they had got a special infilling of the Holy Ghost, sometimes calling it the baptism of the Holy Ghost. In listening to this talk we have felt a doubt, for we do not find its counterpart in the Scriptures. We stand in doubt of a system of blessing supposed to be scriptural, and yet boasting an experience and a language not according to the Bible.

Having now explained wherein holiness consists, and the means of its acquirement, it may be of service to point out some of the mistakes which are often made by those who are entering upon this path. There are those who hold, for example, that holiness will follow upon the entire surrender of ourselves to the will of God. Holiness is thus made to be the work of a moment; for it is further said, that, consequent upon this surrender, the Holy Ghost will enter, possess, and permeate henceforward the whole soul. This is sometimes termed the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and sometimes "the second blessing." Now we heartily unite with the advocates of this view in urging upon believers, that there can be no spiritual growth, no enjoyment of communion, and no sense even of the favour and blessing of God, as long as any known sin is unconfessed and unjudged, or while any habit, indulgence, or practice, known to be contrary to God's will, is retained. And we do not doubt for a moment, that when the light has poured into souls through the ministry of the word, or otherwise, revealing much in the life and conduct that would not bear the test of God's holy presence, and when grace has been given, there and then, to judge themselves for the allowance of these things, they have experienced, almost immediately, such peace and joy in believing, and such a consciousness of the Lord's favour and blessing, as they have not hitherto known. Further, that having judged that which had been grieving the Holy Spirit, and the hindrance to His activity in the soul being thus removed, there would doubtless be an increased manifestation of His presence and power. Still this is neither scriptural holiness nor the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The former is, as fully explained, conformity to Christ in glory; and the latter took place on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13.) The individual believer receives the Holy Spirit on the forgiveness of his sins (Acts 10:43-44; Eph. 1:13), and we are exhorted to "be filled with the Spirit," but there is no mention of a second baptism of the Holy Ghost. If it be said that this is a difference only in words, the answer is, while not assenting to this objection, that our preservation from error depends upon adhering to the scriptural form and presentation of the truth. We are at one with all who insist upon the path of holiness for God's people; only adding, that if holiness according to God be sought after, it can only be found in God's way.

Every Christian soul should desire to expand in the knowledge of God's will, to know more of it, to be blessed indeed and to walk in the enjoyment of that blessing. Objectively we have every blessing that is obtainable in our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph.1:3). There are people who make a great claim today about having a 'second blessing'. Well, you can say humbly to them they are making progress if they have had a second blessing, because God has blessed us with every blessing, so every believer in Christ can claim that they have every blessing in Christ Jesus, not just one or two, but every blessing that is obtainable is in Christ Jesus for them. Whether they or we have it experimentally, or whether they or we have the enjoyment of it, is another matter, but God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ, that is what He has done sovereignly, but then there are other blessings which we acquire through exercise, through faithfulness, through applying ourselves to the things of God when these things that are ours in possession are really enjoyed, really known and really acted upon.

It does not cost you a thing. It is no question of your getting a second blessing, or your attaining to a higher life, or of your having any remarkable or peculiar experience. How many of God's dear people are occupied with experience rather than truth. What you want is simply to tread that dry path through the waters. The waters on each side over-topping our heads, ready, apparently, to engulf us. What is there in us, what power in us could for a moment withstand those over-topping waves? Ah! beloved, the hand of power that holds them back has made an easy path for us to walk through. It is a path of perfect liberty. I believe that we need in this day to sound again that ransoming shout "Thy people, Lord, are a free people." A free people, no longer in bondage to the world, no longer in bondage to sin or Satan.

Of much importance is verse 13: "For in one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." This refers to the formation of the body. The baptism mentioned in this verse is not water-baptism. Water baptism does not save nor can this ordinance put any one as a member into the true church, the one body. The baptism is the baptism of the Spirit. It took place on the day of Pentecost. On that day the Spirit was poured out and while He filled every believer, He also united them into one body. Then the body of Christ was formed once for all by this baptism. Since that day whenever a sinner trusts in Christ he is at once joined to that body and shares in the one Spirit. Many Christians speak of repeated baptisms by the Spirit and refer to certain experiences as being new baptisms. In the light of this verse all this is incorrect. Scripture knows only one baptism. And all believers drink of one Spirit; they are all made partakers of one and the same Spirit.

The Samaritans received the Spirit by imposition of hands, either as the Spirit of sanctification, or as the Spirit of power. If they had not received the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of holiness before apostles laid on hands, then neither have we. But they had the Spirit's indwelling, for they were men of faith [!], whose hearts were right with God. Then they received through the apostles' hands the Spirit of power, and my case is proved. [!!] There are two operations of the Holy Ghost; one of which we possess, and the other we do not; because the Holy Ghost has never fallen on us, nor have apostles laid hands on us. Apostles before Pentecost were renewed, but had to wait for the Spirit of power. (Acts 1:8.)

The Apostle's first act, on this visit to Ephesus, placed on record by Luke, was the asking certain disciples he now met with, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" or, as the Revised Version renders it, "Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed?" (Acts 19:2). They were believers already, so he did not question them about the new birth, nor did he challenge the reality of a Divine work in their souls. He asked about their receiving the Holy Ghost subsequent to believing. His question was in perfect keeping with his teaching in the Epistle to the Ephesians: "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (1:13). Now, both the question asked, and the statement just quoted, draw attention to the receiving of the Holy Ghost after one has believed. It is therefore a blessing, a gift, consequent on believing - as the Apostle calls it, "the gospel of our salvation." Receiving the Spirit is, then, it is clear, something different from and subsequent to being born of the Spirit.

Tidings of the success of the Gospel in Samaria reached the ears of the Apostles in Jerusalem . Two of their number were accordingly deputed to visit the scene of blessing. These were Peter and John. Philip's work was found real and stable. The Apostles accredited it. For, in the midst of the converts, and seeing surely the reality of the work, they had not to lay the foundation again, nor to supplement Philip's Gospel. Their service at that time was to confer on the converts full Christian blessing by the gift of the Holy Ghost. For that they prayed. "As yet," as the historian acquaints us, "He was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16 ). Believers they were. Children of God they had become. Saved souls they certainly were. But in the belonging to Christ (Rom.8:9), and in the being members of His body (1 Cor.12:13), they had not as yet participated. These spiritual blessings depended on the receiving of the Holy Ghost. For that Peter and John prayed; and then laying their hands on the disciples, they received the Holy Ghost. We see then plainly that people may be believers, and yet be not what Scripture calls sealed (Eph.1:13) - i.e., be partakers of the gift of the Holy Ghost. But God desires not to leave any in that condition.

An Apostolic Visit. — Tidings of the success of the Gospel in Samaria reached the ears of the Apostles in Jerusalem. Two of their number were accordingly deputed to visit the scene of blessing. These were Peter and John. Philip's work was found real and stable. The Apostles accredited it. For, in the midst of the converts, and seeing surely the reality of the work, they had not to lay the foundation again, nor to supplement Philip's Gospel. Their service at that time was to confer on the converts full Christian blessing by the gift of the Holy Ghost. For that they prayed. "As yet," as the historian acquaints us, "He was fallen upon none of them; only they were baptised to the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 8:16). Believers they were. Children of God they had become. Saved souls they certainly were. But in the belonging to Christ (Rom. 8:9), and in the being members of His body (1 Cor. 12:13), they had not as yet participated. These spiritual blessings depended on the receiving of the Holy Ghost. For that Peter and John prayed; and then laying their hands on the disciples, they received the Holy Ghost. We see then plainly that people may be believers, and yet be not what Scripture calls sealed (Eph. 1:13) — i.e., be partakers of the gift of the Holy Ghost. But God desires not to leave any in that condition.