From His very high birth, the Lord Jesus had the Spirit dwelling in Him. But, there were times when He needed special communications of the Spirit from the Father. Thus it was with His baptism. The descent of the Holy Spirit on Him – the baptism of the Spirit, given in the baptism with water – was a real transaction: He was filled with the Spirit. He returned from the Jordan full of the Holy Spirit, and experienced more manifestly than ever the leading of the Spirit. In the wilderness, He wrestled and conquered, not in His own divine power, but as a man who was strengthened and led by the Holy Spirit. In this also “In all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren” (Heb. 2:17).

The opposite of this truth also holds good: the brethren are in all things made like unto Him. They are called to live like Him. This is not demanded from them without their having the same power. This power is the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, whom we have of God. Even as Jesus was filled by the Spirit, and then led by the Spirit, so must we also be filled with the Spirit and be led by the Spirit.

More than once, in our meditations on the different traits of Christ’s character, it has seemed almost impossible to be like Him. We have lived so little for it. We feel so little able to live thus. Let us take courage in the thought: Jesus Himself could only live thus through the Spirit. It was after He was filled with the Spirit that He was lead forth by that Spirit to the place of conflict and of victory. And this blessing is ours as surely as it was His. We may be filled by the Spirit; we may be led by the Spirit. Jesus who was Himself baptised with the Spirit to set an example of how we are to live, has ascended into heaven to baptise us into likeness with Himself. He who would live like Jesus must begin here: he must be baptised with the Spirit. What God demands from His children He first gives. He demands entire likeness to Christ because He will give us, as He did Jesus, the fullness of the Spirit. We must be filled with the Spirit.

Here we have the reason why the teaching of the imitation and likeness to Christ has so little prominence in His church. Men sought it in their own strength, with the help of some workings of the Holy Spirit. They did not understand that nothing less than being filled with the Spirit was needed. No wonder they thought that real conformity to Christ could not be expected of us, because they had mistaken thoughts about being filled with the Spirit. It was thought to be the privilege of a few, and not the calling and duty of every child of God. It was not sufficiently realised that, “Be ye filled with the Spirit” is a command to every Christian. Only when the church first gives the baptism of the Spirit, and Jesus, as the Saviour, baptises with the Spirit each one who believes in Him, only then will likeness to Christ be sought after and attained. People will then understand and acknowledge: to be like Christ we must be led by the same Spirit; and, to be led by the Spirit as He was, we must be filled with the Spirit. Nothing less than the fullness of the Spirit is absolutely necessary to live a truly Christian, Christlike life.

The way to arrive at it is simple. It is Jesus who baptises with the Spirit. He who comes to Him desiring it, will get it. All that He requires of us is the surrender of faith to receive what He gives.

The surrender of faith. What He asks is whether or not we are indeed in earnest to follow in His footsteps, and for this to be baptised of the Spirit. Do not let there be any hesitation as to your answer. First, look back on all the glorious promises of His love and of His Spirit, in which the blessed privilege is set forth: Even as I, ye also. Remember that it was of this likeness to Himself in everything that He said to the Father: “The glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them” (Jn. 17:22). Think how the love of Christ and the true desire to please Him – how the glory of God and the needs of the world – plead with us not, through our laziness, to despise the heavenly birthright of being Christlike. Acknowledge the sacred of ownership Christ has in you, His blood-bought ones. Let nothing prevent you from answering: “Yes, dear Lord, as far as is allowed to a child of dust, I will be like You. I am entirely Yours. I must, I will, in all things bear Your image. It is for this that I ask to be filled with The Spirit.”

The surrender of faith – only this, and nothing less than this, does He demand. Let us give what He asks. If we yield ourselves to be like Him in all things, let it be in the quiet trust that He accepts, and at once begins in secret to make the Spirit work more mightily in us. Let us believe it although we do not immediately experience it. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, we must wait on our Lord in faith. We can depend on the fact that His love desires to give us more than we know. Let our surrender be made in this assurance.

And, let this surrender of faith be entire. The fundamental law of following Christ is this: “He who loses his life shall find it.” The Holy Spirit comes to take away the old life, and to give, in its place, the life of Christ in you. Renounce the old life of self-working and self-watching, and believe that, as the air you breathe renews your life every moment, so naturally and continually the Holy Spirit will renew your life. In the work of the Holy Spirit in you, there are nor breaks or interruptions. You are in the Spirit as your vital air, and the Spirit is in you as your life breath. Through the Spirit, God works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.

Oh, Christian, have a deep reverence for the work of the Spirit who dwells within you. Believe in God’s power, which works in you through the Spirit, to conform you to Christ’s life and image moment by moment. Be occupied with Jesus and His life, in the full assurance that the Holy Spirit knows, in deep quiet, to fulfil His office of communicating Jesus to you. That life is, simultaneously, your example and your strength. Remember that the fullness of the Spirit is yours in Jesus. It is a real gift which you accept and hold in faith, even when you do not feel its presence, and on which you count to work in you all that you need. The feeling may be weakness, fear, and much trembling, and yet the speaking, working, and living may be in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (see 1 Cor. 2:3-4).

Live in the faith that the fullness of the Spirit is yours, and that you will not be disappointed if, looking to Jesus, you rejoice every day in the blessed trust that the care of your spiritual life is in the hands of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. Thus, with the loving presence of Jesus in you, the living likeness to Jesus will be seen on you. With the Spirit of the life in Christ Jesus dwelling within, the likeness of the life of Christ Jesus will shine around.

And, if it does not appear that in thus believing and obeying your desires are fulfilled, remember that it is in the fellowship with the members of Christ’s body, and to the full surrender to Christ’s service in the world, that the full power of the Spirit is made manifest. It was when Jesus gave Himself to enter into full fellowship with men around Him, and like them to be baptised with water, that He was baptised with the Holy Spirit. And, it was when he had given Himself in His second baptism of suffering, a sacrifice for us, that He received the Holy Spirit to give to us.

Seek fellowship with God’s children, who will pray with you and believe for the baptism of the Spirit. The disciples received the Spirit not singly, but when they were with one accord in one place. Band yourself with God’s children around you to work for souls. The Spirit is the power from on high to prepare you for that work. The promise will be fulfilled to the believing, willing servants who want Him not for their enjoyment, but for that work.

Christ was filled with the Spirit so that He would be able to work and live and die for us. Give yourself to such a Christlike living and dying for men, and you may depend on a Christlike baptism of the Spirit, a Christlike fullness of the Spirit, to be your portion.

Prayer: “Blessed Lord, how wondrously You have provided for our growing likeness to Yourself, in giving us Your own Holy Spirit. You have told us that it is His work to reveal You, to give us Your real presence within us. It is by Him that all You have won for us, all the life and holiness and strength we see in You, is brought over and imparted and made our very own. He takes of Yours, shows it to us, and makes it ours. Blessed Jesus, we do tank You for the gift of Your Holy Spirit. And now, we beseech You, fill us, fill us full with the Holy Spirit! Lord, nothing less is sufficient! We cannot be led like You, we cannot fight and conquer like You, we cannot love and serve like You, we cannot live and die like You, unless like You we are full of the Holy Spirit. Blessed, blessed be Your name! You have commanded, You have promised it – it may, it can, it will be. Holy Saviour, draw Your disciples together to wait and plead for this. Let their eyes be opened to see the wondrous unfulfilled promises of floods of the Holy Spirit. Let their hearts be drawn to give themselves, like You, to win men for Your kingdom. We know it will be Your delight to fulfil Your office as He that baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Glory be to Your name. Amen.”