A.W. Tozer was an influential author whose books still speak today about the need for a deeper life in God. He was born again, but for a couple of years had never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. That all changed when he met an older godly woman named Kate.
excerpt from Tozer, Alive in the Spirit
One day Kate took me aside and had a very serious talk with me. It was concerning being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Methodist church I was going to never mentioned this at all. In fact, the Holy Spirit was rarely referred to.
I did not quite understand what she meant by being filled with the Holy Spirit. Who is this Holy Spirit? But she encouraged me and prayed with me, and then one day she said, “Young man, you must get down on your knees and die to yourself before the Holy Spirit will fill you.” And she explained in great detail what this meant, as much as I could understand….
Then it happened. I was nineteen years old when I was baptized with a mighty infusion of the Holy Spirit. Even now, it is hard to explain what happened. I have had years to think about it, study it, and meditate on it, and yet when the Holy Spirit does something in you, it is usually beyond your ability to totally comprehend it, let alone explain it.
I know what God did for me and within me at that time. Nothing on the outside from then on had equal importance for me. In faith, I took a leap away from everything that was unimportant to that which was most important, which was to be possessed by the Spirit of the living God.
Looking back over my life, my testimony is simply that any work God has ever done through me and my ministry dates back to that moment when I was filled with the Holy Spirit. All the credits goes to the Holy Spirit. That is when I truly became alive.
Everything I endeavored to do on my own was a failure. Whenever I got out of the way and allowed the Holy Spirit to work, He did a marvelous work. The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a person surrendered to Him has eternal value.
If anyone is going to be blessed by God and used by Him, it will begin with a mighty infilling of the Holy Spirit in their life. From that point on, they are no longer in control, but the Holy Spirit is working in and through them. This is why I am so enthusiastic about the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and the work of the Spirit.
Bethel Cornerstone 
Hi,
A.W. Tozer was definitely transformed personally by Holy Spirit baptism, after he was born again. I’m not sure if he practiced baptism in the Holy Spirit in his church. I’m fairly sure that he practiced water baptism in his church.
Baptism is not necessary to be saved. All that’s needed to be saved is to believe in Jesus Christ. Both baptisms, water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism, happen after a person is already born again.
Did Tower baptist in his church? Is baptism necessary in order to be saved?
The Lord said it is REQUIRED in order to be saved:
Mark 16:16- “He that believeth AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
As did Peter:
Acts 2:38- “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, AND BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
1 Peter 3:20-21- “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were SAVED BY WATER. The like figure whereunto even BAPTISM DOES ALSO NOW SAVE US (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”
As did Ananias:
Acts 22:16- “And now WHY TARRIEST THOU? ARISE, AND BE BAPTIZED, AND WASH AWAY THY SINS, calling on the name of the Lord.”
As did Paul:
Romans 6:3-4: “Know ye not, that so many of us as were BAPTIZED into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Who is buried with Him into His death? “So many of us who believed”? No. “So many of us as were BAPTIZED into Jesus Christ”.
He also said this:
Galatians 3:27- “For as many of you as have been BAPTIZED into Christ have put on Christ.”
Who has put on Christ? Those who just believe? No. Those who have been BAPTIZED into Christ.
Colossians 2:12- “Buried WITH him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen WITH him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
Although extracanonical, even Paul’s partner in evangelism preached the same gospel:
“Blessed are they who, placing their trust in the cross, have gone down into the water…We indeed descend into the WATER full of sins and defilement. However, we come up, bearing fruit in our heart, having the fear [of God] and the trust in Jesus in our spirit.” Barnabas (c.79-130).
i fully agree whith your belief on baptism and believe thr apostacy in yhe end times is the erasing it for the gospel. Do you know of any churches that beleive in the entire gospel of hebrews6 without also incorporating the unbelief of the gifts of the spirit and levitcal law of clean and unclean food.
i cannot find a church that believes in hebrews 6 without adding to taking away something else
If you contact us directly through “contact us” we may be able to help you find a Biblical church.
Hello, while water baptism is an important step of obedience, it should be only done after a person is already born again. It does not cause a person to become born again – faith does that. Water baptism instead is a symbol that that person has died to sin and is now alive to God. It should only be done when a person already believes the gospel. People can be saved and go to heaven even if they are not baptized in water, as long as they believe in Jesus. However, both water baptism and Spirit baptism are definitely important steps of obedience.