In recent years there has been an explosion of false teaching and false "experiences" that purport to be the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues. Criticism using terms like "Charismania" has muddied the waters and created so much doubt, fear and suspicion that many genuine seekers after the baptism with the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit have been spooked and driven away from seeking what they fear could be a demonic counterfeit. The truth is that to receive the genuine baptism with the Spirit, one has to be born again. Most of the "Charismania" crowd are not born again, because in most of their churches and gatherings the Gospel of Christ is never taught. These people don't have a clear view of Jesus bleeding and dying on the Cross for their sins, and have no idea that they need repentance from sin and to show the fruit of it. These people do not represent what being baptised with the Spirit actually is.
To be truly baptised with the Spirit, one has to be born again and showing the fruit of repentance. The Holy Spirit will not fill an unclean vessel that has not received the righteousness of Christ. Being religious, talking the talk, and joining a church is not the same as being born again. True conversion to Christ is a personal transaction between the person and Jesus Christ, and it is from the heart. Man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.
The baptism with the Spirit is not just "Pentecostal" or "Charismatic". These are just man's labels attached to it. The truth is that it is Biblical Christianity. It is God's idea about how a believer is empowered for service. Tongues is God's way of enhancing a believer's prayer life, to give an extra dimension in prayer, the ability to pray with the Spirit as well as the understanding. If a person says they are filled with the Spirit but does not demonstrate the power of the Spirit in ministry, such as getting people saved, doing powerful intercessory prayer, casting out demons, healing the sick, as is demonstrated in the Book of Acts, then the person is fooling himself and just pretending. He may make a lot of noise in hallelujah hootenanny meetings. but it is just all the steam going out the whistle.
A person who is truly baptised with the Spirit is fully involved in glorifying Jesus, presenting the true Gospel, showing God's compassion toward the sick and suffering. If all the person is doing is jumping around babbling in gibberish in emotionally charged meetings, all they are doing is performing a display in the flesh, and the Holy Spirit is far from them.
Many modern church goers have no idea who the Holy Spirit really is. This is because of incompetent teaching by those who have never experienced him in their lives, or are opposing it. There is a wealth of Scripture that supports the baptism with the Spirit and praying in tongues, but there are no Scriptures that clearly state that these were limited to the Apostolic period. Not one! Those who are using 1 Corinthians 13:10 to say that prophecy and tongues have ceased at the completion of the canon of Scripture are hanging their hats on the nail of a part of a verse out of context. They have made up their opposition out of their own imagination and have scraped the bottom of the barrel to provide some sort of proof text to support their ridiculous false teaching.
If we are to present Jesus to the unconverted, we need the baptism with the Spirit to provide the power and the demonstration of the Spirit instead of just the wisdom of man. If we are to have effective, Biblical prayer lives, we need to pray in the Spirit as well as from out limited understanding.
The Scripture says not to quench the Spirit, nor to forbid praying in tongues, and not to despise prophecy. We are to test all things and hold fast to that which is good.
