Sermon Notes: What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit:

"What is it?"

(Pastor Terry L. Reese; Valley GBC of Armagh, PA; February 13, AD 2022)

 

TEXT: Mark 1:1-8.

 

Intro: We have examined the matter of the Divine & Personal Identity of the Holy Spirit, as well the matter of His Indwelling—a Post-Pentecostal, NT era, Church distinctive, involving the universal, permanent indwelling of the Christian believer, transforming him into a living Temple of the living God.

 

Another distinctively post-Pentecost ministry of the Spirit predicted by John the Baptist (Mark 1:8) and promised by our Lord (Acts 1:5) is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

 

The Historic Grace Brethren Statement of Faith:

Art. IV. The Holy Spirit: We believe in the Holy Spirit, in His personality (John 16:7-15), deity (Acts 5:3-4), and His work in each believer: baptism and indwelling at the moment of regeneration (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:9) and filling (Ephesians 5:18) to empower for Christian life and service (Ephesians 3:16; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22-23). 

 

I. A matter of controversy.

A. Confusion regarding the nature of the Church; what is it, and when did it begin?

Those who confound the Church with Israel will typically conflate Spirit-baptism with conversion, not seeing its distinctive elements. Dispensational confusion.

 

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a work of the Spirit that is unique to the present Church Age, beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (compare Acts 1:5, Acts 2, and Acts 11:15).

 

The distinctive ministry of Spirit Baptism serves a distinctive and particular purpose: namely, adding people to the Body of Christ. Prior to Pentecost, however, there was no spiritual body called the Christian Church to be baptized into!

 

B. Confusion regarding the distinction between water baptism and Spirit baptism.

Ritual confusion. Not every reference to Baptism is water baptism (e.g., 1 Cor. 12:13, Eph. 4:5).

 

C. Confusion created by the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement, which classically has presented the Baptism as a special enduement of Divine power subsequent to salvation, evidenced by speaking in tongues (contra 1 Cor. 12:30). Charismatic confusion.

 

D. Confusion created by mislabeling the Filling of the Spirit as the Baptism; so with Moody & Torrey. Terminology confusion.

 

These misapprehensions serve to obscure important truths involving our union with Christ & His Church, and also a great truth concerning the solid basis for holy & victorious holy Christian living in this present evil Age.

 

II. Definition.

Whereas the Spirit’s Ministry of Indwelling speaks of His coming to dwell within us, Spirit Baptism points to our being placed in union with Christ (Rom. 6:3, 5), who is the Baptizer, and our being placed in union with His Church. We are immersed into the Church Universal—that Community where the Spirit (the baptizing Agent) dwells (I Cor. 12:13)—even as the symbol of water baptism marks our entrance into the local and visible church.

 

A succinct definition from GotQuestions.com:

The baptism of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit of God places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ at the moment of salvation.

 

Paul Enns (The Moody Handbook of Theology):

The baptizing work of the Holy Spirit may be defined as that work whereby the Spirit places the believer into union with Christ and into union with other believers in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).

 

Let us amplify what it accomplishes…

 

1) The baptism of the Holy Spirit brings Spirit-indwelt Church Age believers into union with other Spirit-indwelt Church Age believers in the body of Christ. 

With the Baptism of the Spirit, we are in vital union with all Church Age believers, whether they be Jew or Greek, male or female, master or slave. We all share in the ONE baptism (Eph. 4:5)!

 

Eph. 4:4-6: ⁴There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

 

2) The Baptism of the Holy Spirit brings believers into vital union with Christ.

Those who are “baptized into Christ” (Rom. 6:3) were also “united with Him” in the likeness of His death & resurrection (Rom. 6:5). This union & identification with Christ is the basis for holy & victorious Christian living—i.e., for our separation from the power of indwelling sin and our continued walk in newness of life. Dead to sin, alive to God (Rom. 6:11)!

 

Col. 2:12: Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

 

III. A Church Age Distinctive. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a work of the Spirit that is unique to the present Church Age, beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (compare Acts 1:5, Acts 2, and Acts 11:15).

 

Prior to Pentecost, there was no spiritual body called the Christian Church to be baptized into! In Acts 1:5, Jesus identifies the Baptism of the Spirit as a yet future event. In Acts 11:15, however, Peter retrospectively identifies “the beginning” of the Spirit’s work in this manner as something that occurred back on the Day of Pentecost (recorded in Acts 2).

 

IV. Further clarifications, in light of modern error.

As I Cor. 12:13 further observes (along with Gal. 3:27-28), this ministry of the Spirit, like indwelling, is universal to all believers—not merely some spiritually elite, “Charismatic” few. Even the carnal saints of Corinth were included.

 

I Cor. 12:13: For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

 

Gal. 3:26-28: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man…

 

The Baptism of the Spirit is something that is done unto the believer at the outset of his salvation; it is not something done by the believer (i.e., non-experiential). It is not a special empowerment to be repeatedly sought subsequent to salvation—as is commonly taught within the Pentecostal/Charismatic tradition. Nor is it to be confused with the Filling of the Spirit.

 

Conclusions & application.

1) With the Baptism of the Spirit, we are in vital union with all Church Age believers, whether they be Jew or Greek, male or female, master or slave. We all share in the ONE baptism (Eph. 4:5)!

 

Let us strive to bring this accomplished spiritual reality to practical realization! As with marriage, what the Lord has joined together, let no man cast asunder.

 

Eph. 4:1-3: I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

 

2) As 1 Cor. 12 emphasizes, the believer who has been baptized into the Body has been endowed with spiritual gifts to build-up the entire body. Let us use our gifts unto that end, and benefit from the gifts of others.

 

3) Jesus is interested in the present tense of our salvation—our present contest and struggle with sin. Let us be mindful of what our present identification with Christ means with regard to our walking in the newness of life, in accordance with our new identity and reality in Christ.