Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries
What it means to be initiated into the secret of the mystery. Part 31. The baptism of the Spirit, how you became His royal family.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
“In that day” = beginning on the day of Pentecost, the beginning of the Church-age.
“I am in My Father” = His oneness and equality with the essence of God the Father.
“You in Me” = your position in Christ by means of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of positional truth, a mystery doctrine of the Church-age.
Baptism - baptizo = identification or association.
1. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a real baptism, an actual identification, in which God the Holy Spirit, at the moment we believe in Christ, enters the new believer into union with Christ; 1CO 12:13.
2. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the means of forming the Royal Family of God during the Church-age, 2CO 5:17.
3. This intimate union with Christ is called positional sanctification or the sanctification of the body, the church,EPH 5:25-27.
4. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not an experience; 1CO 12:13, all are baptized.
5. There is only one baptism that unifies the Royal Family of God, the baptism of the Spirit, EPH 4:4-5.
6. The many references to the baptism of the Holy Spirit are often found in the preposition phrase - “en + the locative of Christos” = “in Christ.”
ROM 6:11 - newness of life in Christ.
ROM 8:1 - no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
ROM 12:5 - we are one body in Christ.
1CO 1:2 - sanctified in Christ Jesus.
2CO 5:17 - new spiritual species in Christ.
GAL 3:28 - all are one in Christ Jesus.
EPH 1:3 - spiritual blessings in Christ.
EPH 2:6 - seated us in Christ Jesus.
COL 1:28 - complete in Christ.
Perfect righteousness - 2CO 5:21.
Destiny - EPH 1:5.
Sonship - 2TI 2:1.
Heirship - ROM 8:16-17.
Priesthood - HEB 10:10-14.
Royalty (Kingship) - 2PE 1:11.
1CO 15:22 “In Adam all die; so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”
7. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is related to the Church-age only.
8. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not the function of any spiritual gift, as alleged by the holy roller heresy, which equates the baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues.
9. Because of the universality of the baptism of the Holy Spirit provided for all Church-age believers, it is not in any sense experiential.
Any time God uses His divine power, whether it is the omnipotence of God the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, it excludes any form of experiential cooperation.
“Were baptized” - aor-pass-ind - baptizo = we receive the baptism, we do not do a thing for it.
10. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was needed because our Lord Jesus Christ as battlefield royalty had no royal family.
His first royal title = “Son of God.” The members of His royal family are God the Father and God the Holy Spirit with whom He has eternal and infinite coexistence.
His second royal title is “Son of David,” and His royal family is the dynasty of David. As Jewish royalty, our Lord fulfills the Davidic covenant at the Second Advent.
God the Father interrupted the dispensation of Israel and inserted the Church-age for the calling out (formation and election) of a royal family to accompany our Lord’s third title.
The mechanics for the formation of this royal family is the baptism of the Spirit, begun on the day of Pentecost, which enters all believers of the Church-age into union with Christ.
11. The baptism of the Holy Spirit could not occur until there was the strategic victory of Jesus Christ in the angelic conflict.
There was now a need for a universal priesthood, since every believer was now a target of Satan.
12. The baptism of the Holy Spirit occurred first in Jerusalem and included the gift of tongues to warn the Jews of the coming of the fifth cycle of discipline.
Pentecost was a Feast day - a holiday where Jews from all over the world visited Jerusalem.
MAT 3:11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
1CO 14:21-22, In the Law it is written, “By men of strange tongues and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to unbelievers;
13. This union with Christ is a permanent identification which distinguishes Christianity from religion.
In religion, man by man’s efforts seeks to gain the approbation of God, which is a satanic function.
ROM 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
In Christianity, the believer through union with Christ has a permanent relationship with God.
14. The baptism of the Holy Spirit forms the body of Christ, He being the head, our Lord’s gifts to His body are found in Rom 12; 1Co 12; Eph 4.
1. “Church,” emphasizing the function of the Royal Family of God during this dispensation.
2. “Body of Christ,” emphasizing the utilization of the same divine omnipotence used to sustain the humanity of Christ during the great power demonstration of the hypostatic union.
3. “Bride of Christ,” emphasizing the Royal Family of God after resurrection.
4. “Temple,” EPH 1:20, emphasizing the eternal state.
REV 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the temple of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.”
Ephesians emphasizes the position of the Royal Family forever.
Hebrews emphasizes the priesthood of the Royal Family forever.
Romans emphasizes the objectives of the Royal Family.
Colossians emphasizes the lifestyle of the Royal Family.