From the MLJ Archive

Christians can be confused about the role emotions and experiences should play in their faith. Is doctrine the only way through which one learns about God? In this sermon on the Baptism of the Spirit, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones gives further thoughts and Scriptural exposition on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and on why it is a mistake to rely too much on either experiences or doctrine when thinking through this aspect of Christian faith. By pointing to the examples of Jesus’s disciples, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that Scripture presents instances of people who believed in Jesus Christ and were saved, yet had not been baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit. The evidence is added to by the fact that several well-known, established Christians have gone decades (in some cases) before being filled with the Spirit— this list includes men like Jonathan Edwards and D.L. Moody. Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that this baptism is available to all Christians, but that many are afraid of being overly-emotional and have cut out all emotion from their walk with Christ. This is an error that is not Scriptural. Those who believe in Christ have received eternal life as a gift— what could possibly cause more joy than that realization?