My born again experience (Part 2)
for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Acts 1:4
My personal experience between water baptism and spirit baptism is that I go down in the water, come up out of the water, I still immerse myself in water that symbolizes burying my old self and resurrecting to a new self.
When I am baptized of the Holy Spirit, I feel as if I am under water under a cascade or sometimes under a huge waterfall, as if the Holy Spirit is coming down with power that explodes. Moreover, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time experience; we can always be filled to be refilled, so I am deeply grateful to God for opening the door of spiritual renewal and transformation since 2013.
After being born again, the Holy Spirit leads me to true repentance. Prior to this, I felt no repentance and no problem indulging the fleeting pleasures of sin because I didn't fear the Lord or sense the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin. (John 16:8) . I repented and walked away from ungodly relationships that oppressed and blocked my ability to enter a real relationship with God. The born again experience taught me how to enter into a relationship with God and reconcile with Him, not through religion or self effort.
My second takeaway of being filled with the Holy Spirit was God's divine love flowing out upon me to bring about a change in my life. Like a veil was lifted from my eyes, so I could see his grace and favor towards me. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, our spirit, soul, and body will be renewed. In particular, as we turn away from our old ways of thinking and living, the inner man, that is the Holy Spirit, will emerge, enabling us to become a new creation, in which we will follow God's will with a new mind and heart.
Lastly, God wants us to be powerful Christians, not powerless ones. Even though we still struggle with sin and temptation, the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome them. I have received various spiritual gifts after being born again, and I have experienced the supernatural from God where people get healed, prophecies are fulfilled, and I have witnessed God powerfully!
Would you like to receive more of the Holy Spirit? Ask and you shall receive. The Holy Spirit will quench your thirst and even overflow it. Let rivers of living water overflow from our inner being!
Blessing prayer: We are thirsty for more of you. Let your spirit overflow upon us so that we can be filled and refilled. In Jesus’ name, Amen