Acts 8:14-17 English Standard Version (ESV)
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
When I was baptized in the mid-60’s I was baptized in the name of Jesus but I was not baptized of the Holy Spirit. Everyone assumed that God had me in His hands and that their work was done. Perhaps that was true but what happened to me between water immersion and baptism of the Holy Spirit? Pain.
Nothing feels as unloving as being alone in a crowded room. It causes us to feel abandoned, neglected, and unlovable. People talk at you not to you. Nothing gets to the core of understanding because love isn’t attached. So why is being baptized in the Holy Spirit so important? Because you will never be alone again.
John 14:16, 26 English Standard Version (ESV) And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
If we are going to learn about God, His character, His personality, His plans, His love, we can only learn it from God Himself. In verse 26 it states “he will teach you all things” and He is God in the third person.
Granted we have human teachers who imprint the Word on our minds but only God can imprint them on our hearts. That is being loved.