baptism in the holy spirit terminology

I am writing to set the record straight (so to speak) regarding my use and support of the phrase baptism in the Holy Spirit. I had begun a path to support that position but I realize that this is not necessary, the real issue is that I was simply not clarifying what I meant as I used the phrase.

It seems that as I have commented on some of Adrian Warnock's post regarding Holy Spirit Baptism, I have given the impression that I am aligning with the traditional Pentecostal meaning of the phrase. To be clear, I align with Wayne Grudem's thinking in that "baptism in the Holy Spirit is not the term the New Testament authors would use to speak of a post-conversion work of the Spirit, and that the examples of “second experiences” of receiving the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts are not patterns for us to imitate in our Christian lives." You can read his complete analysis in chapter 39, Baptism in and Filling with the Holy Spirit, of his Systematic Theology. My understanding of Scripture matches what he writes, i.e., I prefer to speak of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

However, I allow for instances when that filling may be overwhelming and/or the believer experiences a more than usual awareness of the Spirit's presence and work. This may result in a "leap" in their spiritual growth, some significant repentance, etc.. And I actively encourage believers to seek such personal encounters with God.

It is this experience that I have loosely referred to as baptism in the Holy Spirit. As I read Warnock, Piper, Lloyd-Jones, etc., I was not reading their words in the Pentecostal sense but rather in a way similar to what I described. I confess that I do not actually know the specifics of what they think on this. Regardless, I've quoted their comments to build on my thinking in terms of the affect of the filling of the Holy Spirit. Many who wrestle against the concept of Spirit baptism do so as cessationists - a position I find un-Biblical. Because of that, I can be found arguing for baptism of the Spirit as a press more so for charismata than for the specifics of an event called Holy Spirit baptism.

Net - you may find me speaking positively of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. If so, it is either because I am using that interchangeably with filling of the Holy Spirit or simply because it is more right than the notion of cessationism. Normally I will try to use the phrase filling or work of the Holy Spirit.

I hope that helps.