Repentance, new birth and baptism in the Holy Spirit

Repentance, new birth, and baptism in the Holy Spirit

Many still have doubts about conversion, the new birth, and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. There is a difference between the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the new birth. Many, for example, are anxious about speaking in tongues, and see it as the sign of baptism in the Holy Spirit. These people think, “If I don’t speak in tongues, that means I’m not baptized in the Holy Spirit.” I want to tell you right now that there are many people who speak in tongues but are NOT baptized in the Holy Spirit, and there are many people who do not speak in tongues but ARE baptized in the Holy Spirit!

What I’m about to tell you is a fundamental principle of faith…

Repentance must come before anything else in our relationship with God — which we can also call conversion. In the time of John the Baptist repentance meant turning away from sin and living a pure life, which involved turning away from all that is unjust and living a just, clean life. This is repentance. This is CONVERSION.

If you are a thief you will have to stop stealing, convert to Jesus, and not only stop being a thief, but also stop everything else that you are doing wrong, and start doing what is right, what is pure — that is conversion. A person has to leave his sin and begin to live a clean, honorable life, one that is in line with the Word of God, giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. 

This is conversion or repentance.

When a person converts, he begins to walk in God’s direction. If he was walking “north” on a path of sin, when he converts he makes a 180 degree turn and starts walking “south”. If he was walking “south” on a dark path, when he converts he’ll turn 180 degrees and start walking “north” — letting go of all that was evil, all that was wrong. This is what we call conversion.

Conversion is not an encounter with God, the new birth, or baptism in the Holy Spirit.

“This is the Lord’s declaration — TURN TO ME with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Tear your hearts, not just your clothes, and return to the Lord your God,”  Joel 2:12.  “Turn to Me” has the same meaning as convert to Me.

God also said, in response to Solomon’s prayer: “If My people… TURN FROM their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land,” 2 Chronicles 7:14. Once again, “turn from” has the same meaning as convert.

Conversion is a purely human act. We are the ones that choose to turn from what is wrong. When a person walks in the path of God, begins to live a good life, leaves all that is wrong behind, and allows himself to be molded by the Word of God, this is conversion.

As a person walks in this direction, this path, the second step will occur, which is an encounter with God. He will experience the new birth which the Holy Spirit performs in his life. First a person converts from his sin, and because of this conversion, the Holy Spirit comes over him and makes him into a new creature by means of the new birth. He turns into a brand new person.

First comes repentance or conversion, which is our part.

Second comes the new birth, which is the Holy Spirit’s part. Only He can cause us to be born of God.

After conversion and repentance, after the new birth has occurred, then comes the third step which is the baptism in the Holy Spirit, which is performed by the Lord Jesus. He breathes the Holy Spirit into us!

So then, there are three super-important steps in our life with God. Obviously, after a person repents, converts, he immediately wants to be baptized in water. And so we can say that baptism in water is an act that comes after repentance. A person repents of his sins and is then baptized in water.

After baptism in water comes the new birth, when the Holy Spirit comes over us — the second step. Once a person has been born of God, the Lord Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit.

Three steps: repentance, the new birth, and baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is that natural order of things.

On the other hand, God is God, and a person could convert and be baptized in water, and as the Holy Spirit causes him to be born of God, the Lord Jesus could also baptize him in the Holy Spirit. The new birth could happen at the same time as the baptism in the Holy Spirit because they are the exclusive work of God. The baptism in the Spirit is performed by the Lord Jesus, and the new birth by the Holy Spirit. But conversion, or repentance, is man’s part, while baptism in water is the pastor’s part.

Let me repeat the order of things…

A person arrives in the church full of sin, hears the Word of God and repents, or converts. He surrenders his life to Jesus, stops committing the sins that were a part of his life and begins to live a pure, good life. He is baptized in water (immersion) by his pastor after he has made the first step of repentance. He then continues living a pure life, is faithful to God, becomes a tither and learns to give offerings, behaves in a way that pleases God, and gives to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. Then the second step, the new birth occurs through the work of the Holy Spirit. Finally comes the baptism in the Holy Spirit by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bishop Macedo

www.bishopmacedo.com