For you are all sons
of God
through faith in
Christ Jesus.
For as many as were
baptized
into Christ have put
on Christ.
Galatians 3:26–27
Before continuing we must remember this fact:
Theology is not philosophy. Theology does not attempt or assume to discover
truth, not does it attempt to reconcile what Scripture teaches as truth with
other truths. The province of Scripture is simply to state what God has
revealed to us in His Word, and then to vindicate, as far as possible, those
statements from misconceptions and objections. This is what attempted in these
blogs. Theology then in this limited and very humble way recognizes that this
is especially necessary for us to bear in mind when we speak of the acts and
purposes of God. The Glory of God is the cause for this presentation and
discussion: is it not that we want to know the truth as Scripture as revealed
and not by some person? Yes!
Continuing
in this discussion of the baptism of the Holy Spirit the first remembered is
the economy of God and His dispensation (not Dispensationalism). There are two
very important dispensations in the economy of God and we know them as the Old
Testament and the New Testament; therefore, we must examine both dispensations
and the work of the Holy Spirit. Believers before Jesus Christ, the Messiah
appeared on earth that began a new or New Testament dispensation, were not
indwelled by the Holy Spirit, that is, not permanently indwelled. This is true
for the prophets, and priests, and others where were employed by God for intended
particular service. Not so for King David: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil
and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came
upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah” (1Samuel
16:13). Men that had the Spirit of God come upon them: Otheniel, Gideon,
Jephthah, Samson, Samuel, King Saul, Amasai, Azariah, and Zecharah (cf. Numbers
24:2; Judges 3:10, 6:34, 11:29, 14:19; 1Samuel 10:10, 11:6, 18:10; 1Chronicles
12:18; 2Chronicles 15:1, 24:20): each case the Holy Spirit did not indwell them
permanently.
Peter on
the Day of Pentecost (Fifty Days after Passover, the festival of Pentecost
counted from the second day of the Feast) stood up and preached to the crowd
(Acts 1:14). Peter recounted the words of the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28) and this
was the signal, a sign, that there was now a new dispensation, a forming of the
church the Bride of Christ. Jesus had ordered that the disciples were to wait
for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4) and that promised was the baptism of
the Holy Spirit; “…for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). On the
fiftieth day of Pentecost, these disciples were indwelled by the Holy Spirit
for prior to this time even the disciples were not indwelled by the Holy
Spirit. Something new was occurring, a new dispensation for God’s children, a
new purpose and service for God was about to begin with the forming of the
Church and the indwelling permanently upon true converted believers; the Holy
Spirit. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon believers was not for some
revelational experience that would be carried on throughout Church history,
although this new dispensation in the economy of God begin with specific signs.
This indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the work that the Holy Spirit would
empower God’s children was to be witnesses of Jesus Christ. By Jesus Christ,
the promised Messiah, men would hear the gospel, and by the faith given to them
by God respond and turn their lives to follow the commands of God. Jesus spoke:
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). We who are children of God are to be
witnesses of Jesus Christ, that He is the Savior, the promised One who takes
away sin. It is not some experience and practiced in many churches, gibberish
speaking, prophesying, healings, acting slain, and having great emotional
experiences. No, we are to be to be ready to defend our faith and our faith is
not in some charismatic revelational gospel. It is to tell any who would ask
about Jesus Christ. We are to be witnesses for Jesus Christ in all we do: at
work, home, play. As the opening Scripture testifies; we are all sons of God
through faith in Jesus Christ and are baptized into Jesus Christ, putting on
Jesus Christ, we are no longer our own we are purchased by the blood of Jesus
Christ. This is not water baptism; this is by our faith and our trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ, baptized into Him and have clothed ourselves with Him. This
is key: it is by faith, and if you want an emotional experience: how much
greater of an experience is this? You are saved, eternally saved, your sins
washed away by the blood of Jesus. Not by who you are, or what you do, it is by
grace, a free gift of God. Think upon this and if you do not become humble and
emotional, then you are looking in the wrong place. Think upon this: “And
because you are sons, god has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Galatians 4:6)! Nowhere in Scripture
are we to understand that the believer told to be baptized with the Holy
Spirit. Paul writes: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one
body––whether Jews of Greeks, whether slaves or free––and have all been made to
drink into one Spirit” (1Corinthians 12:13). All are baptized into one
Spirit for the one who is saved, at their salvation, they are regenerated by
the Holy Spirit and are now members of the body of Jesus Christ. Paul makes
this clear: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in
one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5–6).
You who are saved do not have two baptisms of the Holy Spirit as some claim and
teach. You automatically receive the Holy Spirit at salvation to those who
trust by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore He says:
When He
ascended on high,
He led captivity captive, and
Gave gifts
to men.
Ephesians 5:8
Called by God, Empowered By God: YOU!
Richard L. Crumb
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