Baptism of the Spirit

Apr 25, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Dripping Wet with Jesus

Jesus commanded His followers to be baptized. This was not merely about water. The Greek word for baptism means to be fully immersed and overwhelmed. Jesus wanted His disciples to be completely submerged in His very nature. He wanted them dripping wet with His presence.

This immersion is into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The word "name" means nature or character. Baptism is an immersion into the character of God. It is not a ritual that forces a spiritual result. It is a picture of a life overwhelmed by Jesus.

Many of us have experienced a water baptism. We remember the physical feeling of being dunked. But have we allowed that symbol to become our daily reality? Are you dripping with the character of Christ everywhere you go? Where does your life most need to be overwhelmed by Him today?

“Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness’”
(Genesis 1:26, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to immerse you completely in His character today, so that you carry His presence with you.

Challenge: Identify one specific situation today where you will consciously choose to act in a way that reflects Christ’s nature.

Day 2: The Three-Part Immersion

A Christian experiences a three-part baptism. This mirrors our three-part being: body, soul, and spirit. It also reflects the three-part nature of God. We are baptized of the Father, into the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. Each part is distinct and vital.

The baptism of the Father is a baptism of repentance. It is a turning from sin back to God. The baptism into the Son is a baptism of relationship. It is an immersion into intimate connection with Jesus. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a baptism of empowerment. It is being submerged in God’s power.

You may have experienced one or two of these baptisms. Perhaps you repented but your relationship feels dry. Maybe you know Jesus but lack power. Which part of this three-part immersion feels most distant in your walk with God right now?

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
(Matthew 3:11, NIV)

Prayer: Confess to God which part of the three-part baptism you have neglected or need to experience anew.

Challenge: Write down one area of your life that requires repentance and one relationship that needs deeper intimacy with Christ.

Day 3: Birth and Growth Spurts

Birth and growth do not happen simultaneously. A mother gives birth to an infant, not a full-grown adult. So it is with our spiritual life. The new birth begins the process. Growth happens over time, often in spurts.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit is this growth process. It is not a one-time event that instantly makes you perfect. It is the ongoing power to become more like Christ. You need to be continually immersed and refilled with the Holy Spirit’s power for this transformation.

Many of us expect immediate perfection after conversion and feel discouraged. Others stopped seeking more growth. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to prompt growth spurts in your character, or have you settled for spiritual infancy?

“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,”
(1 Peter 2:2, NIV)

Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the next area in your life where He wants to bring a growth spurt.

Challenge: Set aside 10 minutes today to read a chapter of a Gospel and note one way Jesus acted that you need the Holy Spirit’s power to emulate.

Day 4: Made to Be Like Us

God declared His purpose for humanity at creation. He said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” The Hebrew words are specific. “Image” refers to our physical form. “Likeness” refers to our nature and actions. We are created to look like God and act like God.

This is not heresy; it is our original design. The temptation in the Garden was not the desire to be like God. That was the goal. The temptation was Satan’s shortcut—to gain likeness without the process of surrender and growth empowered by the Holy Spirit.

You were made for this purpose. Do you believe God actually wants you to grow into the likeness of Jesus in your actions and attitudes? Or does that thought feel uncomfortable or even prideful?

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”
(Romans 8:29, NIV)

Prayer: Thank God that He created you with the purpose and potential to reflect His likeness.

Challenge: Underline one attribute of God (e.g., patience, kindness, justice) and purposefully demonstrate it to one person today.

Day 5: The Power to Become

The baptism with the Holy Spirit provides empowerment. This power is not for show. It is not to make you a super Christian. It is the “power to become.” It is the divine enablement to grow into the likeness of Christ, which is your calling.

This power operates in your weakness, not your strength. It often makes you look foolish by the world’s standards. Surrendering to the Holy Spirit means embracing humility. It means giving up what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose.

You have a choice. You can cling to the comforts of this world and your own pride, or you can surrender to the Spirit’s work. What are you holding onto that is preventing the Holy Spirit from fully empowering you to become like Christ?

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
(2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God for the courage to surrender your weakness to Him so His power can rest on you.

Challenge: Call or text a trusted Christian friend and ask them to pray for you to receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit’s power.

Sermon Summary

Genesis 1:26 anchors a teaching that reclaims an old, Wesleyan understanding of baptism as immersion into God’s character rather than merely a watery rite. The Greek root of baptism means to be overwhelmed or fully immersed, and the text argues that baptism can describe being soaked in anything—repentance, relationship, or the Spirit—rather than only being dunked in H2O. Water baptism appears as a visible, obedient sign of what already happens spiritually: being baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—that is, into God’s nature. Rituals do not coerce the spirit by magic; they symbolize what grace has already begun and invite obedience where the means exist.

Baptism unfolds in three related movements that mirror human composition and divine persons: the baptism of the Father (repentance), the baptism into the Son (intimate relationship), and the baptism with the Holy Spirit (empowerment). Those stages do not always coincide. Infant baptism often introduces the relationship, confirmation and later experiences address repentance, and Spirit baptism commonly arrives as a later empowerment that fuels growth. Sanctification appears as ongoing growth rather than a single finished event; birth and maturity remain distinct processes. The “baptism of the Holy Spirit” therefore names both an initiating experience and the lifelong pattern of being filled, emptied, and refilled by the Spirit.

The aim of Spirit baptism centers on formation: the Spirit supplies the power to become Christlike, not a badge of superiority or instant perfection. Genesis’ distinction between image (resemblance) and likeness (behavior and nature) frames the Christian vocation: humans are created to look like God and to grow into God’s ways. Two distorted responses arise: fear of transformation that clings to worldly comforts, and a frantic attempt to manufacture spiritual power apart from surrender. True movement toward likeness requires humility, ongoing surrender, and willingness to be shaped by the Spirit—often marked by communal practices such as anointing, laying on of hands, and prayer for those seeking deeper immersion.

Key Takeaways

1. Baptism = complete immersion into God Baptism speaks first of being overwhelmed by God’s nature, not merely of water on skin. The Greek sense of baptism describes total absorption into the character of Father, Son, and Spirit so that life issues forth from that saturation. When baptism functions rightly, behavior, speech, and love begin to reflect the One in whom the believer is submerged. The visual ritual remains valuable as a public sign of that inward reality.
2. Threefold baptism: Father, Son, Spirit Baptism consists of repentance (Father), relationship (Son), and empowerment (Spirit), and those three can occur at different times. Each stage addresses a different need: moral turning, restored intimacy, and the power to live out that intimacy. The pattern resists any reduction to a single event and invites patience for growth. Discipleship learns to recognize which dimension still needs deepening.
3. Spirit baptism empowers becoming Christlike The Spirit’s work grants capacity more than status: it enables transformation rather than instant perfection. True empowerment uncovers shortcomings and fosters humility, not pride. The Spirit’s presence fuels habits, choices, and affections that over time reshape identity. Regular surrender and repeated filling keep growth from stagnating.
4. Image versus likeness: grow into God Image captures resemblance; likeness captures behavior and inner life—creation intends both, with likeness as the goal. Growing into God’s likeness unfolds gradually through sanctification, not by shortcut or manipulation. The temptation lies in believing achievement can be seized quickly; transformation consistently requires time, surrender, and dependence on the Spirit.

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading: Genesis 1:26

**Observation questions**

According to the teaching, what are the three distinct parts or movements that make up a full baptism?
What is the key difference described between being made in God's "image" and growing into his "likeness"?
What are the two common, distorted responses people have when confronted with the call to be transformed into Christ's likeness?
How is the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" described in relation to a one-time event versus an ongoing process?

**Interpretation questions**

Why might the three parts of baptism (repentance, relationship, empowerment) often occur at different times in a person's life, rather than all at once?
If the purpose of Spirit baptism is empowerment to become Christlike and not instant perfection, how would someone know if they are experiencing this empowerment in their daily life?
The temptation in the Garden was not to *be* like God, but to *become* like God through a shortcut. How does this false promise of a quick transformation still manifest in our approach to spiritual growth today?
How can a genuine experience of being overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit lead to greater humility rather than a sense of spiritual superiority?

**Application questions**

Considering the three parts of baptism—repentance (Father), relationship (Son), and empowerment (Spirit)—which area do you feel most "dried out" in or in need of a fresh immersion today?
The call is to be so saturated with God that you "drip" His nature everywhere you go. What is one specific environment (e.g., home, work, social media) where you could more intentionally deposit His spirit through your actions or words this week?
Growing into God's likeness is a process that requires surrender. Is there a specific "worldly comfort" or point of pride you are clinging to because you're afraid of what full surrender might cost you or how it might make you look?
The empowerment of the Spirit is the "power to become." What is one Christlike characteristic (e.g., patience, compassion, courage) you feel powerless to develop on your own that you need to ask the Holy Spirit to empower you for?
The path to growth involves being "filled, emptied, and refilled." What regular practice or spiritual discipline could you incorporate to create space for being refilled by the Spirit on a consistent basis?
Are you currently in a season where you need to humbly ask a spiritual leader to pray for you, perhaps with the laying on of hands, for a deeper immersion in the Holy Spirit's power? What is holding you back from taking that step?

Sermon Quotes

The word baptism means to be fully immersed, overwhelmed with; nowhere in its definition does it imply you must be baptized with water.

We are to be completely immersed in Jesus Christ, overwhelmed by God, until everywhere we go we deposit his Spirit.

Our baptism contains repentance; until you’ve experienced repentance, you have not experienced full baptism.

We are created in the image of God, made to grow into his likeness.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the power to become; it doesn’t make you special, it empowers you to become Christlike.

Birth and growth never happen simultaneously; sanctification recognizes that when we are born again, we are not fully perfected or matured in that moment.