...outpouring grace of the Holy Spirit...

"It is not that Christ was in need of baptism,

but He submitted to it because at that time this action was praiseworthy and acceptable before God and presaged the glad-tidings of the Kingdom.

However, He later said that true baptism was not with material water but with spirit and with water, and, elsewhere, with spirit and with fire.

What is meant here by “water” is not material water,

for elsewhere it is explicitly stated that baptism must be with spirit and with fire,

and the latter makes it clear that the intention is not material fire and water, since baptism with fire is impossible.

 

Therefore, by “spirit” is meant divine grace;

by “water”, knowledge and life;

and by “fire”, the love of God.

For material water cleanses not the heart of man but his body. Rather, the heavenly water and spirit,

which are knowledge and life,

cleanse and purify the heart of man.

In other words, the heart that partakes of the outpouring grace of the Holy Spirit and becomes sanctified is made goodly and pure. The purpose is that the reality of man be purified and sanctified from the defilements of the world of nature,

which are vile attributes such as anger, lust, worldliness, pride, dishonesty, hypocrisy, deceit, self-love, and so on.

'Abdu'l-Bahá

Done