A Second Blessing?

Q

Thank you so much for your willingness to answer questions about the Bible. I was wondering about something I have heard about called “The Second Blessing” which I believe refers to a powerful annointing of the Holy Spirit upon a believer after and completely separate from his conversion experience. From what I can gather it is an experience that allows a believer to enter into a whole different level of Christian experience because he/she is willing to give everything, their entire being to Christ. Do you have any information or thoughts on this subject?

A

The so-called Second Blessing was first taught by John Wesley in the mid 1700’s. It was called a gift of the Holy Spirit, given after conversion, and according to some rendered the recipient incapable of sinning. It has since been re-defined as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and is taught primarily in the Pentecostal and Charismatic denominations.

In Romans 12 :1-2 Paul said that any believer can experience this closer walk with the Lord and the way to do it is by offering our entire being to Him, refusing to conform any longer to the lifestyle patterns of the world.

In other words the Second Blessing is not a gift that is suddenly poured out upon some, but is the result of progressive choices that any believer can decide to make through the power of the Holy Spirit vested in us at the moment of belief.