The Holy Spirit baptizes every believer at salvation, filling them like water in a cup. But the Spirit also works like wind in a sail, continuously refilling and empowering daily life. Acts shows early disciples filled once at Pentecost, then filled again in Acts 4, a pattern that repeats throughout the Christian life.
What does it mean to be baptized in the Holy Spirit? To be immersed in the essence of the Spirit of God, to be submerged, to be overtaken, to be filled with, to live in that influence. Now, all believers have the Holy Spirit, and technically, biblically speaking, the baptism with the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation. You read Ephesians 1, John 3, you read Romans chapter 8, and you see that the Holy Spirit's work is present at the very moment of salvation. In fact, he's the one who drew you to salvation. So all believers have the Holy Spirit. All believers have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. But remember that sometimes when the Scripture talks about the infilling of the Holy Spirit, it's talking about the initial infilling. And sometimes when the Scripture talks about the filling of the Holy Spirit, it's talking about the continual influence. For example, Acts 2, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. That was the initial infilling. But then in Acts 4, many who were there in Acts 2 were filled with the Holy Spirit, Technically, again, that is, it was a continual wave of influence. At salvation, the Holy Spirit fills you like water in a cup. Throughout the rest of your life, the Holy Spirit fills your life like wind in a sail. Ephesians 5:18, don't be drunk with wine, that'll ruin your lives. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. That term be filled speaks to an ongoing influence. And now you're living out of the influence of that. The baptism with the Holy Spirit is a well at salvation. It's a river throughout the rest of your life.
