WHAT IS YOUR PREDOMINANT TESTIMONY?
ARTICLE
Regardless what a person has been told about having received a second baptism—if this has become their predominate testimony, it is important that they understand a vital truth. If their earlier “salvation” experience seemed inconsequential and essentially uneventful, while their “second baptism” experience is where they feel like they really became alive in Christ as a new creature, this second experience is probably when they really surrendered their heart and life to Christ and were born again. (Please read our materials on this topic, with many Scripture passages validating this truth of total surrender for regeneration, available in our Bible Studies and Bookstore)
The Bible tells us that the time of our total surrender is when we become a new creature, not when we experience a “second baptism.” So, of course, someone’s uneventful “salvation” testimony will not be their predominate testimony. The moment you or I became a new creature in Christ (II Cor. 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.) and knew Rom. 8:16 (The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:) this was the moment we were born again and innately knew from God that we were His (whether we called it our second baptism or not…). This is when we knew both by His Word and His Spirit’s witness with our spirit, that we were Christ’s. This is when we knew in our spirit, not just our head, that if we died right then, we would go to heaven.
So, whatever may be the case regarding someone's point in time experience of salvation, there is one thing on which we can agree: At some time in our past, we know, without any doubt, we were truly converted, regenerated, born again and became a new creature in Christ. We have made Jesus our Lord and Savior. Learning to walk in His Lordship follows. There are crisis points in our lives; there are Spirit fillings and anointings. At some point, some one may interpret this experience as a second “Spirit baptism.”
The intent of this article is to point out both the experiential and scriptural significance of properly understanding what a truly born again person’s predominate testimony should be. This is not to demean anyone’s genuine spiritual experience by arguing semantics. Better to have a thing and call it wrong than to not have it and call it right. The problem with this case of salvation is that having a faulty conception can engender embracing a seriously erroneous concept regarding the actual point-in-time salvation experience. What now occurs is accompanying erroneous salvation doctrine. This faulty conception can promote many thinking they are born again, who are not. I’ve personally witnessed and counseled many who have never been converted, never had the new creature, new heart, new life, fruit bearing, Spirit experience but who believed they were saved. They had an earlier inconsequential so-called “conversion” and were awaiting the “to be added” point in time baptism of (with) the Spirit, at which time they believed they would experience the above noted spiritual changes, These changes actually transpire at salvation.
Another sad feature I have seen, through 45 years of ministry, is how many preachers, who preached “second mighty Spirit baptism”, have themselves led fleshly lives, that lacked “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) and true humility. Many also have fallen into blatant sin and had their ministries derailed. Now, we also have the “supposed converts” who relied on their teaching, and you can recognize how important this
doctrinal issue is—especially since it involves a
person’s salvation.
Let’s elaborate on two dangers:
1. Suppose a person has only had a mental, emotional or psychological experience (not actual salvation) while being led to believe he or she had been saved and is now being offered experiencing the spiritual “benefits" of a second “Spirit baptism.” Then suppose they never receive such a second experience, yet are now let to believe they have had a genuine salvation experience.
2. Suppose a person has received a spiritual gift of “tongues” and has been told it is evidence that he or she now has the Holy Spirit and the “Spirit baptism.” Granted there is a genuine gift of tongues but, suppose a person instead receives a false tongue, which is quite prevalent in certain circles. He or she will logically assume this “tongue” is evidence of having the Holy Spirit, and therefore will logical conclude he or she must be saved.
How dangerous both of these situations are!
I have had so many experiences in dealing with, not only these two types of situations, but many, many others, I feel I must implore each and everyone to seriously examine and evaluate their salvation experience and doctrine. Truly, today is a day when everything imaginable is being passed off as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
It certainly is a day when, for one’s own soul’s sake, personal salvation experiences should be sure. For the sake of those souls to whom we testify, our Gospel message should be absolutely clear and scripturally sound. Our predominant testimony should resonate with the exuberance that spontaneously flows from our heart and lips as we express thankfulness to our Savior Who undoubtedly saved our soul. We jubilantly express the joy that fills our hearts simply because we have been forgiven of our sins and have personally, subjectively and spiritually experienced being made a “new creature” in Christ. (II Cor. 5:17)
Once a person actually experiences the “new birth” and knows, by genuine personal experience, what Jesus meant when He said, “You must be born again,” when he becomes indwelt by the Holy Spirit, when the very Almighty God of the universe comes into his heart and spirit, how could this experience ever be considered by him “inconsequential.” No, absolutely not! Some may try to convince us otherwise. They may present this and that argument, this or that doctrine, even pull Scripture verses out of context to support their premise. But, once a person has actually experienced the genuine rebirth, no one can talk him or her out of it or lessen its subject result. The key word here is “genuine.”
Certainly, we will have subsequent Spirit fillings, Spirit anointings or other spiritual experiences as God may ordain. Some may have a crisis or other point-in-time experience they choose to call their second “Spirit baptism.” But, never will our initial rebirth experience ever be relegated as inconsequential compared to a subsequent second experience labeled the “Spirit baptism.”
If “Spirit baptism” is a person’s predominate testimony, then any prior so-called “salvation” experience needs to be viewed as highly suspect and should be seriously examined.
Finally, a quote from a well known evangelist now home: “Do you know it when you get saved? Would you know it if you get hit by a Mack truck?”
For a more comprehensive study, please read our book “What Does the Bible Really Teach Concerning the Spirit’s Filling,” available in our Bible Studies & Bookstore and on Amazon.