Abraham's blessing is available to us today through Christ

I've been talking about the blessing a great deal lately. Is there a blessing for those of us living about four millennia after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? The New Testament would answer that with a definite, "Yes." One day Peter and John were going up to the temple where they saw a paralyzed beggar outside. They healed the beggar in the name of Jesus, and the people looked at them in amazement. Peter and John were quick to say, "Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness, we had made this man walk?... And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring, all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways" (Acts 3:12, 25-26). The Jewish people have been a great blessing to the entire world, but the greatest blessing is Jesus Christ. All people have been blessed because salvation from sin and its eternal penalty are available to every person on Earth. And while an overwhelming majority of people will still choose to go to Hell (Matthew 7:13-14), people from all over the world make up the entirety of those who have accepted Jesus as their personal savior since the church began. Not only has the promise to bless Abraham been fulfilled, but it also continues to be fulfilled to this day.

Does God give the Holy Spirit and work miracles because of obedience to the law? Of course not! It happens when people believe the message about Christ. Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6). The real children of Abraham are those who put their faith in God. The Old Testament looked forward to the time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of our faith. God proclaimed the good news to Abraham during his life that we studied when he said, "All nations will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18). So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse. Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the written commands in God’s Law Book (Deuteronomy 27:26). No one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. It is through faith that a righteous person has life (Habakkuk 2:4). Faith is very different from law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life" (Leviticus 18:5). But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. Anyone who was hung was cursed in God's sight (Deuteronomy 21:23). Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:5-14).

Abraham's blessing is many things, but its foundation is Christ, and its primary focus is people being made right with the Father through Christ. That righteousness with God opens up many doors of benefit for the believer, such as the healing discussed in these two paragraphs, but those are the icing on the cake. The "cake" is righteousness with God through faith in Christ's sacrifice alone, not in any good works of your own (Ephesians 2:8-9). Abraham's blessing is for all who have faith in God would accomplish through Christ's sacrifice. You access it and are saved when you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. You are made right with God by believing this in your heart. You are saved by openly declaring your faith (Romans 10:9-10). I received Abraham's blessing on December 20, 2000, when I openly announced Jesus as my Lord and believed in my heart that God resurrected him.

Only those who have faith in Jesus Christ are God's children. We "put on" Christ the same way someone puts on new clothes when we are united with him in baptism. God does have a specific plan for Israel and a specific plan for the Church, but righteousness with God only comes through Christ. Among those of us who have been baptized into Christ, there is no longer any distinction between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, or male and female. Those in Jesus Christ are one (Galatians 3:26-29). What more tremendous blessing could there possibly be?

Jacob's blessing and Esau's "blessing"

I will be doing the next post for the Genesis study here rather than on the podcast, as I don't think I would be able to do the podcast very well today. In yesterday's episode, I said we would be looking at Genesis 27. So that is what we will be doing here today as we return to the lives of Isaac and Jacob. One of the interesting things about the Bible is that God doesn't cover up his people's frailties. We see it all, and in doing so, we gain hope. The hope we can is that the Holy Spirit is more powerful than our sinful nature. God works through us despite any frailties or flaws we might have.

Genesis 27 contains details of the blessings bestowed on Jacob and Esau. The Hebrew word for "blessing" is "bārak." In the context of how the word will be used in this post, it means to speak words invoking divine favor. Isaac prayed a prayer over Jacob that God would give him Heaven's dew, Earth's richness, and an abundance of grain and new wine. Isaac also prayed that nations would serve Jacob and people would bow down to him. He prayed that those who cursed Jacob would be cursed and those who blessed Jacob would be blessed.

Isaac had intended the blessing for Jacob's brother, Esau, but Jacob and his mother, Rebekah, deceived Isaac, using his poor eyesight against him, making him think that Jacob was actually Esau. By the time Esau arrived, it was too late. The blessing had already been bestowed on Jacob. Therefore, Isaac's "blessing" on Esau could hardly be called a blessing at all. Isaac said that Esau's dwelling would be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of Heaven above. Esau would live by the sword and serve his brother Jacob. But Isaac did say that when Esau grew restless, he would throw Jacob's yoke from off his neck.

Esau accused Jacob of stealing his birthright the same way he had just stolen his blessing. Technically, Esau was not 100% accurate in that statement. Jacob did not hold a gun to Esau's head and force him to give over his birthright, and that's not just because guns weren't invented yet. The point is Esau was not forced to do anything. He gave up his birthright for the temporary satisfaction of one meal because he was "starving." So Jacob didn't steal the birthright from Esau. Jacob may have had a part to play in it, coming up with the deal that Esau foolishly and short-sightedly accepted, but no one forced Esau to do what he did.

There is something that I have found a bit confusing. I have been under the impression that the birthright and the blessing Esau was talking about were the same things. But as I was preparing for this study, I saw Esau distinguish between the two. "He has taken my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing! That would lead one to think that they were different. Esau was godless because he sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son for a single meal. He wanted to inherit the blessing afterward, but he was rejected even though he sought the blessing with tears. When Esau sold his birthright, he just got up and left after the meal. There is no record of remorse. But he wept aloud when his blessing was taken. Sometimes it seems like the birthright and the blessing are the same, and other times they sound different. So I had to dig a little deeper before I could continue writing this. And here is what I discovered: The matter of the birthright is not in dispute here. It had been resolved long before Genesis 27. What we're witnessing here is about the blessing--in this case, about the division of wealth--not a decision about who is the firstborn. But what Isaac tries to do is play a game of semantics. He is not technically trying to change who has the title of the firstborn. He is just trying to take much of what goes along with being the firstborn away from Jacob and give it to Esau via the blessing. "Sure, give Jacob the official birthright, but let Esau have all the benefits and responsibilities that go along with having it." Isaac's intention here is an end-run around Jacob to get things how Isaac and Esau wanted them to be. But Rebekah and Jacob were one step ahead of Isaac and Esau, so they tricked Isaac into blessing Jacob instead of Esau.

God promised to make Abraham into a great nation, blessing Abraham and making his name great so that he could be a blessing. God then told Abraham he would bless those who blessed him and cursed those who cursed him, and all peoples on Earth would be blessed through Abraham. Later, God blessed Sarah, giving Abraham his promised son by her so that she would be the mother of nations and kings of peoples would come from her. Even Ishmael, the product of Abraham and Sarah's attempt to accomplish in their own way and time what God had promised with the help of Sarah's slave Hagar, was blessed and made fruitful so that he significantly increased his numbers. Ishmael became the father of 12 rulers and was made into a great nation. God's ultimate plan to bless Abraham and make his descendants as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore, making it to where they could take possession of the cities of their enemies, would not be thwarted. And as we saw in my last podcast, God promised to be with and bless Isaac, giving him all the lands and confirming the oath God swore to Abraham.

From the examples we have seen so far, we see that the primary blesser is God himself. But we have also seen in this study that the head of a family can invoke divine blessings. God can bless anyone, and so can we, but not everyone is blessed. Blessings are good, but the ability to bless can be limited based on a previous blessing, as we have seen in this example with Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. Blessings for large families, exaltation, honor, glory, wealth, power, status, success, victory, and land can all be conferred upon the one being blessed. But the most important thing to remember is that God is the source of blessing, based on the operation of his supreme power and authority. Going all the way back to the beginning, we see God blessing all the different living creatures he created, enabling them to be fruitful and increase in number. And as I have already said, God is the source of the blessing, but people can also confer blessings upon others. That is why words are so important. Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. The tongue has the power of life and death. Like Deuteronomy 30, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life.

Does suffering distract you from God's will?

God's creation is in frustration because of the curse of sin. The ground is cursed because of sin. All their lives, people struggle to scratch a living while the ground grows thorns and thistles for us, though we eat of its grains. By the sweat of their brow, people have food to eat until they return to the ground from which Adam, the first person, was made. He was made from dust, and to dust, he returned. So shall we.

We see the effects of sin no clearer than when we see suffering and death. The problem of suffering has shipwrecked the faith of many. One of the most notable examples is Charles Templeton, who was once a part of a ministry with Billy Graham, the greatest evangelist since the Apostle Paul. But the problem of suffering and an all-powerful God who is always good who chooses to temporarily permit it shipwrecked his faith. Though he admitted in an interview late in life, "I miss him" (referring to Christ), he never repented and returned to him before the end of his life. When someone dies, especially unexpectedly, and especially one who has spent their lives loving and serving God, it makes the question of suffering even more challenging to wrestle with. But wrestle with it, we must, for it will never completely go away until Jesus returns to set up his kingdom on Earth.

But suffering does not have to distract you from God's will. I just did a podcast today where I talked about the prerequisites to finding the will of God for your life and the road signs we can go by to discern God's specific will for each of our lives. God is not the author of evil. He can use suffering to get our attention because God is willing to use anything in a broken world to bring us closer to him, but it is not his fault. On the other hand, Satan would prefer to use suffering and evil to pull our focus away from God and onto ourselves and our own understanding.

I would say that, far more than suffering, my distractions from the will of God for my life have come in the form of pleasure, ease, and comfort rather than pain and suffering. If anything, times of distress, suffering, trouble, and difficulty have caused me to lean on God more than running away from him. I am much more easily sidetrackable by pleasure and comfort than anything else. That doesn't mean I wish to suffer more. It means I need to do what is necessary to strengthen my relationship with God so that neither positive nor negative circumstances impact it one way or the other.

Keep watch and work for rewards

Jesus said, "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming" (Matthew 24:42). How are we supposed to do that? That's a good question. The questions are always good when the person answering them is the same one asking them, though. The entire Matthew 24 chapter, which I am not going to quote (you can go back and read it yourself if you want), gives us the signs to watch for. Like I said in my last blog post, if Jesus did not want us to know the signs of his coming, he wouldn't have told us about any of them. He would have kept them to himself. But he did tell us many signs that his return would be near so that we would not be ignorant about the signs of the times. We keep watch by being familiar with those signs and seeing how they match church and world conditions. That doesn't mean we should go sit out on our patios and divide our time by only watching the news on our phones and looking up to the sky. Jesus gave us a Great Commission before returning to Heaven. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20). We are to be active in fulfilling these instructions while paying attention to the signs of the times around us.

To know that the Lord's return will be a day of reward, though, is a great comfort. It brings a sense of purpose to what sometimes feels like the mundane everyday tasks of life. "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). I like how Paul did that. He mentions two specific things--eating and drinking--and then he's like, "Oh, let's just throw everything in there!" So whether you are writing a blog post, recording a podcast, cleaning your bathroom, organizing your stuff, raising your children, getting up in the morning, going to sleep at night, getting your oil changed, recreational time with friends and family--this list could go on forever--do it all for God's glory. Those things that we do that glorify God with that as our motive we will be rewarded for in eternity. Any wrong things believers or right things that we do with wrong motives will not count toward our eternal rewards. Our salvation is determined by faith, not works. "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Our rewards, however, are determined by works done in faith for God's glory. "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use various materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on Judgment Day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames" (1 Corinthians 3:11-15).

The importance of the fig tree lesson for today

Jesus said, “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. Similarly, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door" (Matthew 24:32-33 NLT). Through the parable of the fig tree, he tells us that we can know when the time of his return is near. To avoid going too far into the Harold Camping or Edgar C. Whisenant errors, let me also add to that something else Jesus said. "However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in Heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows" (Matthew 24:36 NLT). Let us not add to or take away from God's word. No one knows the day or the hour of Christ's return. But he clarifies in this passage that we can understand the general time in which his return should be most expected. If we weren't supposed to understand the signs of the time, Jesus wouldn't have given us any signs to pay attention to. Jesus said earlier in his life, "You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times" (Matthew 16:3 NLT)! Signs exist for a reason, to watch for what is ahead.

So how does that affect what we do today? It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of life. "I've got a to-do list with 42 things on it." "I have to get my kid to such-and-such." "Occupy until he comes, right?" Yes, we are to occupy until Jesus returns (Luke 19:13), but not at the expense of ignoring the signs or living in the light of the fact that he can return at any time. The most evangelistic times in church history were the first few centuries and the previous two when the Bible prophecy messages took center stage in the church. In fact, being consciously, constantly aware of the imminent return of Christ is, perhaps, the most excellent motivator to invest the talents God has blessed you with during what is left of the Church Age. There is a special crown given for those who love Jesus' appearing. "And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8 NLT). That is why I find it such a problem that most churches have steered away from the message of prophecy, leaving their people ignorant on the subject and stripping us of one of our greatest motivations for service and evangelism. 25% of professing Christians don't even believe in a literal Rapture anymore despite the New Testament's clearly-painted word pictures of it. The vacancy left by the church in regards to eschatology can receive much of the blame for this. To use a quote that I remember hearing from May of last year: "We have to do better."

Love the least

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me'" (Matthew 25:40 NLT)! For me, one of the least would not be some person who possesses little or could not do anything for me. It would be some people I am tempted to think less of because of how they have treated me or problems they have caused in the past. I am not going to name such people because that wouldn't be the right thing to do. Since this post is about loving the least, it would not be very loving to call the people out by name and tell them some of the most negative thoughts about them.

But in answer to the next part of the question that inspired this blog post, what is my responsibility toward those people? Jesus made that abundantly clear when he said, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39 NLT). But how does that look? Is it just a feeling? No. In fact, I would contend that you don't even have to like some people to love them. Love is the command, and love is an action, not a warm fuzzy feeling you get inside. Crowds once asked John the Baptist, "What should we do?" John replied, “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.” Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, “Teacher, what should we do?” He replied, “Collect no more taxes than the government requires.” “What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”

Those are good places to start, but how do they apply in a 21st-century American context? What are the principles behind these wise words of John the Baptist?

• Generosity- If you can provide something that someone needs, no matter how much or little you have, do it.
• Fairness- God doesn't require that we live in poverty, nor is he opposed to prosperity. But he does want us to be fair in our dealings with others.
• Honesty- A half-truth is a whole lie. Be honest with people. Don't make false accusations or try to cheat people.

Those who are content in all situations are best-equipped to live this way. It took the Apostle Paul a while after his conversion to learn this, but he eventually wrote, "I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:12-13 NLT). If you start with these things, you're not only ready to love the least, but everyone else too.

Troubled hearts and Christ's promise to return

The times that I struggle most with a troubled heart are when I lose sight of the fact that righteousness comes by faith in what Christ has already done. If I measure myself by myself, then I become self-focused. That is what it truly means to fall from grace. It is not a state of sin one has fallen to in which there is no longer any hope for them. It is to actively trust in works as the means of salvation when it is by grace through faith.

I also notice that my heart is troubled when I first wake up in the morning. I get bombarded with negative thoughts and what-ifs when I first wake up. But as I begin going through my day and capture those thoughts, everything improves. When one has an eternal perspective, focusing on the hope that we have, no worldly trouble can defeat that.

Perfection

Jesus said, "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48 NLT). Did Jesus really mean it when he said that we are to be perfect just as the Father in Heaven is? Some will dispute this and say that he didn't mean perfect as we often think of it, but that the word really means "mature" or "complete." But Jesus did really mean that we had to be perfect, without defect, or flawless if we are going to be part of the Kingdom and have eternal life. Do we really think Jesus meant, "Be mature as your Heavenly Father is mature?" That's silly. Calling God mature implies that he was once immature. But God assures us that he never changes "I am the Lord and I do not change" (Malachi 3:6 NLT). He has always been perfect so he has no need to go on to any sort of maturity.

God is perfect and is law is perfect. He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is (Deuteronomy 32:4 NLT)! God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection (Psalm 18:30 NLT). The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple (Psalm 19:7 KJV). But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it (James 1:25 NLT). Jesus means what he says. God's law demands perfection in thought, word, and deed.

God purposely set the bar so high for the standard of true righteousness--sinless perfection--that there is no way for sinful humanity to reach it. Only God himself could. He purposely destroyed all hope that sinners could somehow earn salvation or eternal life based on their own merits. The works of the Law cannot save us. Jesus could not have been more clear in his statement in Matthew 5:48.

There is only one way to seek true righteousness. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are (Romans 3:21-22). The law demands perfection. That is why we must understand the true purpose for why it was given. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith (Galatians 3:24 NLT). Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life" (Matthew 19:16)? Jesus let him know that only God is truly good because only God is perfect. Then he took the rich young ruler through the commandments, using in its proper way, like a mirror to show the young man's sinfulness. Then Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Matthew 19:21 NLT). The young man went away sorrowful because he trusted in his good deeds to make himself right with God. Jesus made it clear that the standard is perfection. Therefore, there is no way anyone can make themselves right with God on their basis of their own effort no matter how much good they do. Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ (Galatians 3:2 NLT). For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws. For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.” So if you murder someone but do not commit adultery, you have still broken the law (James 2:10-11 NLT).

The law was meant to warn everyone of the terminal illness of sin. Only then can they truly understand the cure, Jesus Christ. So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ (Colossians 1:28 NLT). It's about perfection, not maturity. We can't be perfect on our own, but Christ makes us perfect by his blood when we access true righteousness by faith alone.

Eternal judgment

There are two ways the word "judgment" is used in the Old Testament. One refers to the statutes, testimonies, and laws of God. The other way concerns God's judgment on men and nations. The latter meaning is how the word "judgment" is used in the New Testament. To "judge" means to separate or make a difference between.

Judgment is necessary because of sin against God's law, ungodliness, unrighteousness, unbelief, trespasses, and evil deeds. Although these are different words, they are all words for sin. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it (Romans 2:12 NLT). Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, “Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14-15 NLT). So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment (2 Peter 2:9 NLT). There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son (John 3:18 NLT). Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone (Romans 5:18 NLT). And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil (John 3:19 NLT).

Jesus will be doing the judging at the time of eternal judgment. Believers will be judged for their works and rewarded accordingly. Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God (Romans 14:12 NLT). For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body (2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT). Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 NLT).

Unbelievers will be judged according to their sin. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15 NLT). But the Lord replied to Moses, “No, I will erase the name of everyone who has sinned against me" (Exodus 32:33 NLT). All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine (Revelation 3:5 NLT).

Divine judgment will occur on the basis of God's word. Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven (Psalm 119:89 NLT). The judgment will be done according to knowledge. Jesus said, “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you" (Matthew 11:21-24 NLT). "The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent" (Matthew 12:41 NLT). There will be no excuse on that day. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God (Romans 1:20 NLT). It will be an individual judgment. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness (Ezekiel 18:20 NLT). It will be according to truth. And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things (Romans 2:2 NLT). Judgment will be on the basis of personal conduct. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body (2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT). He will judge everyone according to what they have done (Romans 2:6 NLT). God will judge without partiality. And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents" (1 Peter 1:17 NLT). But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT). Jesus will judge according to the law. When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it (Romans 2:12 NLT). It will also be according to righteousness. He will judge the world with justice and rule the nations with fairness (Psalm 9:8 NLT). He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with his truth (Psalm 96:13 NLT). For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead (Acts 17:31 NLT). But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed (Romans 2:5 NLT). And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing (2 Timothy 4:8 NLT). The judgment will include our motives and thoughts along with our actions. So don’t make judgments about anyone ahead of time—before the Lord returns. For he will bring our darkest secrets to light and will reveal our private motives. Then God will give to each one whatever praise is due (1 Corinthians 4:5 NLT). And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life (Romans 2:16 NLT).

For the Lord is our judge, our lawgiver, and our king. He will care for us and save us (Isaiah 33:22 NLT). There are judgements reserved for special times in the future and the Bible tells us where those future judgments will occur. Are you ready?

The resurrection of the dead

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha" (John 11:25-26 NLT)? Resurrection means to cause to rise from the dead.

The Old Testament foretold the resurrection of Jesus. "But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave (Acts 2:30-31 NLT).

Jesus rose from the dead. He appeared at different times to many people after his resurrection. He had the same body, but without human limitations. That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said (John 20:19 NLT). And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost! “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet (Luke 24:36-40 NLT). Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed (John 20:27-28 NLT).

Belief in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is important because if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless (1 Corinthians 15:13-14 NLT). If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NLT). And he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:4 NLT). I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself (Ephesians 1:19-23 NLT). He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God (Romans 4:25 NLT). Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death (Hebrews 2:14 NLT). But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed" (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NLT). He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control (Philippians 3:21 NLT). All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation (1 Peter 1:3 NLT).

There is also a present spiritual resurrection of believers. This means that those who were once spiritually dead in sin are now made alive spiritually through Jesus Christ. You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins (Colossians 2:13 NLT). This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT)! The evidence of the spiritual resurrection of the believer comes from several examples. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11 NLT). He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them (2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT). Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth (Colossians 3:1-2 NLT). The outward act that signifies the spiritual resurrection of the believer is baptism in water. For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was (Romans 6:4-5 NLT).

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NLT). In the future, there will be the resurrection of the just, also called the resurrection of life, and the resurrection of the unjust, or the resurrection of damnation.

At the time of death there is a separation between the body and the spirit and soul. The physical body is put in the grave, but the soul and spirit live on in eternity. The spirits and souls of those who were righteous go to a different place than those who were wicked. The destiny of the righteous was different before and after the death of Jesus. Those who die will still be rsurrected, but our living bodies will be changed in the twinkling of an eye. At the time of death there is a separation between spirits of those who were righteous and those who were wicked. The dead cannot be saved. No amount of prayer can change that. The destiny of the righteous is different now than before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Thus, the resurrection of Jesus is important but it is not really part of the Gospel message.

There are two different responses people have to the resurrection message. Quite simply, some will hear it and accept it, assuring their own eternal life. Others will hear it and reject it, assuring their eternal damnation. 

The laying on of hands

There are many examples in the Bible of the practice of laying on of hands. "But Jacob crossed his arms as he reached out to lay his hands on the boys’ heads. He put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger boy, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, though he was the firstborn" (Genesis 48:14 NLT). "When you present the Levites before the Lord, the people of Israel must lay their hands on them" (Numbers 8:10 NLT). “Take Joshua son of Nun, who has the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him. Present him to Eleazar the priest before the whole community, and publicly commission him to lead the people. Transfer some of your authority to him so the whole community of Israel will obey him. When direction from the Lord is needed, Joshua will stand before Eleazar the priest, who will use the Urim—one of the sacred lots cast before the Lord—to determine his will. This is how Joshua and the rest of the community of Israel will determine everything they should do. So Moses did as the Lord commanded. He presented Joshua to Eleazar the priest and the whole community. Moses laid his hands on him and commissioned him to lead the people, just as the Lord had commanded through Moses" (Numbers 27:18-23 NLT). "Now Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. So the people of Israel obeyed him, doing just as the Lord had commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:9 NLT). "And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among them except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them" (Mark 6:5 NLT). "As the sun went down that evening, people throughout the village brought sick family members to Jesus. No matter what their diseases were, the touch of his hand healed every one" (Luke 4:40 NLT). "Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God" (Luke 13:13 NLT)! "These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed" (Mark 16:17-18 NLT). "But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders" (Acts 14:3 NLT). "The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade" (Acts 5:12 NLT). "So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit'" (Acts 9:17 NLT). "God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles" (Acts 19:11 NLT). "As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him" (Acts 28:8 NLT).

The laying on of hands was to continue after Jesus returned to Heaven. It is an act in which a believer places their hands on the body of another person with a definite spiritual purpose, accompanied by prayer or prophecy. The Bible specifies that only believers are qualified to lay hands on people for spiritual purposes. "These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed" (Mark 16:17-18 NLT). "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power" (Acts 8:18 NLT). This was a false effort by Simon to try to buy Holy Spirit power. He essentially tried to bribe God. So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:17 NLT). Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you (1 Timothy 4:14 NLT).

There does not have to be a feeling of power experienced when the laying on of hands is done for the practice to be effective. The laying on of hands can be used to commission Christian workers, but the Bible does not teach that just anyone is able to lay their hands on others for spiritual purposes. The laying on of hands is also not the only way that a person can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit even though spiritual gifts can be imparted through the laying on of hands. And even though infants should not be baptized because they don't understand its purpose or significance, they can have hands laid on them for the purposes of dedication and to be committed to God's protection, guidance, and blessing. Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them (Mark 10:16 NLT).

Baptism

 John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT).

The word "baptize" is the Greek word "baptizō." It means "to dip repeatedly, immerse, submerge (of vessels sunk, cleanse by dipping or submerging, wash, make clean with water, wash one's self, bathe, or overwhelm" (The Outline of Biblical Usage by Larry Pierce).

Christian baptism is just one type of baptism, but it is essential because it is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, baptism is a way for us to publicly declare our new life in Christ. It is also a step of obedience based on God’s commands and allows us to follow the example of Jesus, who submitted himself to baptism to "fulfill all righteousness" (Life Church Beliefs). After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy" (Matthew 3:16-17 NLT). Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20 NLT). When 3,000 people got saved at Peter's first evangelism crusade, they were baptized and added to the church that day (Acts 2:41). When many men and women believed in Philip’s message of good news concerning God's Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized (Acts 8:12). "For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives" (Romans 6:4 NLT). "For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead" (Colossians 2:12 NLT).

Four qualifications should be met for those seeking Christian baptism:

1. Instruction- The first requirement for baptism was given by Jesus in the Matthew 28:19-20 passage I quoted above. Christ's command to teach new believers is given twice. They are to be taught before and after baptism. Sinners must first hear and receive the good news to become true believers. Before baptism, believers should receive enough teaching to understand its meaning. After baptism, they should continue to receive instruction to become mature Christians.
2. Repentance- The second condition for baptism is repentance from sin. Peter stressed this during his sermon on the day of Pentecost. Conviction of sins is not enough. Action must be taken. The two commands Peter gave were repent and be baptized. Repentance comes before baptism.
3. Belief- The requirement of believing faith is illustrated by Philip and the Ethiopian man he met on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8). Philip heard the Ethiopian read from the book of Isaiah. He joined him in his chariot to explain the Gospel. As they continued on their journey, the road led past water. Upon the Ethiopian's request and his confession of faith, Philip baptized him.
4. A good conscience toward God- Peter compares Christian baptism in water to Noah's experience and his family, who were saved from judgment as they entered into the ark (1 Peter 3:21). Peter dismisses any idea that the purpose of baptism is any kind of cleansing of the physical body. He says the condition of Christian baptism is the inner relationship of the believer's heart toward God (AMES International School of Ministry).

There are four types of baptism in the New Testament:

1. Christ's baptism of suffering- Jesus said, "I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished" (Luke 12:50 NLT). "You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with” (Mark 10:38 NLT)? Jesus was speaking of the suffering awaiting Him through His death for the sins of all mankind. He was to be immersed in suffering, buried in the tomb, and resurrected in a new body (AMES International School of Ministry).
2. The baptism of John- John the Baptist's baptism is not the same as Christian baptism even though before are in the New Testament. It was a baptism of repentance that would point the way to Jesus. “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord. You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins" (Luke 1:76-77 NLT). John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT).
3. Christian baptism- Jesus showed us the example of Christian baptism in Matthew 3:13-17. He didn't need to do it because he was perfect. But he did it to show us the example to follow. "Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (NLT).
4. Baptism in the Holy Spirit-The baptism of the Holy Spirit is mentioned several times in the New Testament. John the Baptist said, "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11 NLT). "I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Luke 3:16 NLT). "I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit'" (John 1:33 NLT). Right before his ascension, Jesus said, "John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5 NLT). Peter quoted Jesus in Acts 11:16. "Then I thought of the Lord’s words when he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit'" (NLT). The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:13, "Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit" (NLT).

As far as water baptism goes, a person was baptized in the New Testament immediately upon conversion. There was no waiting period. That stresses the importance of baptism as the next step of obedience to Jesus after salvation. "Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all" (Acts 2:41 NLT).

Babies should not be baptized. Some denominations and churches teach that a baby becomes part of God's Kingdom upon baptism, but there are no references to water baptism for babies. A baby cannot be aware of sin, much less confess it, repent of it, and trust Jesus as Savior. There is no set age for baptism. It depends on the mental and spiritual development of each person to meet the requirements of baptism. You have to understand what you are doing to participate in the act.

If you were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you do not need to be re-baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Bible does indicate that proper water baptism is done by immersion though, not sprinkling.

One of the purposes of the Holy Spirit is to fill and baptize the believer. "And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). The Holy Spirit dwells in us after we become believers. "Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself" (1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT). The Holy Spirit unites us with God and other believers. "But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him" (1 Corinthians 6:17 NLT). The Spirit prays for us. "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words" (Romans 8:26 NLT). Our guide is the Holy Spirit. "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future" (John 16:13 NLT). The Holy Spirit shows Christ's love to and through us. "And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love" (Romans 5:5 NLT). When we cooperate with the Holy Spirit, he conforms us to Christ's image. "So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image" (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). The Holy Spirit reveals biblical truth to us. "But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets" (1 Corinthians 2:10 NLT). The Holy Spirit teaches us. "But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you" (John 14:26 NLT). The Holy Spirit inspires us to true worship. "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24 NLT). The Holy Spirit strengthens us. "I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit" (Ephesians 3:16 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us life. "The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you" (Romans 8:11 NLT). The Holy Spirit sanctifies us. "As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). The Holy Spirit changes us. "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5 NLT). The Holy Spirit convicts us when we do wrong. "And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged" (John 16:8-11 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives assurance of salvation to the believer. "For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children" (Romans 8:16 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us liberty. "And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:2 NLT). The Holy Spirit can speak through us. "But when you are arrested and stand trial, don’t worry in advance about what to say. Just say what God tells you at that time, for it is not you who will be speaking, but the Holy Spirit" (Mark 13:11 NLT). The Holy Spirit demonstrates God's power. "And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 2:4 NLT). The Holy Spirit gives us power to witness. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT). The Holy Spirit inspires us to worship. "For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24 NLT).

If one wishes to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, several things must happen.

1. You must repent and be water baptized- Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38 NLT).
2. You must believe it is for you. "This promise is to you, to your children, and to those far away—all who have been called by the Lord our God" (Acts 2:39 NLT).
3. You must desire it- "On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory) (Acts 7:37-39 NLT).
4. You must realize it is a gift- "Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith (Galatians 3:2, 5, 14 NLT).
5. You must yield to God- And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). 
6. You should request the prayer of other believers (Acts 2, 4, 8-9, 10, 19).

Remember Jesus' promise: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT). The outward physical sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues. "Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied" (Acts 2:2-4; 10:44-46; 19:6 NLT).

The true evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit is the Christian's powerful witness about the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (NLT). The fruit of the Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is the results of what happens when a person has the Holy Spirit in them. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things" (NLT)!

All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for us today. They were not just for the early church. The purpose for all of these gifts, primarily, is the propagation of the Gospel message around the world. That is still going on. So the gifts are still just as relevant and needed for today as they were when God first gave them beginning in the book of Acts.

There are four main objections people have to the physical sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: the gift of being able to speak in other tongues.

1. Some say that there doesn't need to be a second experience of Holy Spirit baptism after a person receives Christ because all true Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them. It is true that all Christians have the Holy Spirit, but it is not true that all Christians have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, including myself. The apostles believed in Jesus before they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. "And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from Heaven" (Acts 24:49 NLT). John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5 NLT). It wasn't until the Day of Pentecost after Jesus ascended that the Holy Spirit began baptizing believers. "And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability" (Acts 2:4 NLT). Later, there were some Samaritan believers who had believed and been baptized, but they had not received the Holy Spirit yet. "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:14-17 NLT). The same was true with some Ephesian believers in Acts 19:1-6. "While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?' he asked them. 'No,' they replied, 'we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' 'Then what baptism did you experience?' he asked. And they replied, 'The baptism of John.' Paul said, 'John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.' As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:1-6 NLT). There is a difference between the Holy Spirit being with you and being in you. "He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you" (John 14:17 NLT).
2. "Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not" (1 Corinthians 12:30 NLT)! This is not referring to whether some people are baptized in the Holy Spirit while others are not, but instead is talking about the exercise of certain spiritual gifts.
3. Some worry that the physical sign of Holy Spirit baptism, speaking in tongues, is of demonic origin. For that reason, they dismiss the entire doctrine and experience. But this need not be so. Jesus said, “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." God will not give you anything that is not good for you.
4. Some discount the Holy Spirit baptism experience because they say it is all about emotion. But being a genuine believer doesn't take away all room for emotion. "And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 13:52 NLT).

So as we see, all objections to the baptism of the Holy Spirit are not valid when we look at examples from Scripture.