1042. Spirit Baptism

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina.

The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today.

That tradition continues with fervent little preaching from the University chapel platform today on The Daily Platform were continuing a study series entitled breath of life, which is a study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Today's message will be preached by Dr. Dan Allender of the Bob Jones University seminary. Today we are continuing our series that we began this semester in chapels on Wednesday and titled the breath of life, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. So each Wednesday we been working through various topics about the nature of the person in the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer today were honored to have one of our favorite speakers, Dr. Dan Olinger will come and speak today and I think you'll be blessed as he brings God's word about the Holy Spirit in his baptism so Dr. Olinger would you come and welcome today to Bob Jones University.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Dr. Pettit, well, I'd say it's good to see you but I can't see you I'm I'm glad you're here. We know you are here. Do you remember Bible conference seems like about 147 years ago doesn't at Bible conference.

We saw something happen on this campus that was just remarkable in an effort initiated by our students. We raised a whole lot of money to buy an outfit of Van Abbas that was filled with medical equipment and capable of providing ultrasounds and other tests and other medical help for women who were considering whether to carry their babies to term. It was a remarkable thing for me and for lots of others around here to see our students take on that task. Exercise their usual creativity and energize that effort to meet that need. That was delightful and I suppose one of the key. I concepts we took away from that effort was how how energizing it is to be involved in a cause that's greater than yourself and to know that you're involved in the cause greater than yourself.

This is that this is human nature is in it it's it's a universal desire.

There are a few people in the world who give the impression that the only person they think about is themselves but we don't admire those people and most of us don't really share their their egotism.

We want to be involved in something that's bigger than ourselves and you see that in in street gangs in large cities. Young people who perhaps don't have a strong family structure but want to be in something bigger than themselves. You see that in political parties, and where our culture right now has essentially rejected in the mainstream religion and has replaced it with the worship of political power and the advancement of that power by any means necessary. You see it among social activists who take up some great cause poverty or disease or stewardship of the environment and the they give themselves to that cause and they delight themselves in seeing the difference that they can make.

I have just finished reading a biography of Mohandas Gandhi, otherwise known as Mahatma Gandhi, and particularly of his work in South Africa for 20 years before he returns to his home country of India and and took up many of the same causes that he had worked for in South Africa and what a story that is of someone who is wearing us a simple handmade loincloth naked to the waist and has no possessions of any account and devotes himself to the cause of an entire nation now the Bible tells us that God is devoted to the cause of gathering to himself a people for his glory and for the fulfillment of his good and great will that is the greatest possible cause there. There is no greater cause and today were going to look at the fact that God has given us the opportunity to be devoted to a cause that is infinitely greater than ourselves. The topic that has fallen to me in this series on the Holy Spirit is Spirit baptism Spirit baptism there is. There are several biblical references to this concept. Not many, but a few in each of the Gospels, the synoptic Gospels, the writer tells us that John the Baptist predicted that there was one coming after him, whose sandals. He wasn't worthy to tie or untie. But who would baptize with with the spirit and with fire.

John's Gospel notes that shortly after that prediction, when Jesus came to John for baptism of John related that this was the one that would baptize with the spirit and with fire, so Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy in acts just before his ascension Jesus says you're going to be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

Not many days hence the King James that's in acts chapter 1 and of course we all know what happens in acts chapter 2. That's Pentecost, and pretty much everybody says Pentecost is the fulfillment of that prophecy, the baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire, and we see that there were tongues of fire at Pentecost, and it fits very nicely. A little bit later in acts in chapter 11 Peter is relating to the church back in Jerusalem. What has happened with the court. Conversion of the first Gentile Cornelius the centurion and he describes how something happened while he was preaching that looked pretty much exactly like Pentecost and he says I recalled that Jesus said that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit. Well, there are six of the seven biblical occurrences and they're all predictions. None of them actually tell us what spirit baptism is or what it means or what we should think about it or what we should do about what difference does this work make well the seventh biblical reference is in first Corinthians. One of Paul's statements and it says that by one's spirit. We are all baptized into one body, whether Jew or Gentile mother bond or free.

We been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Now I need I need to deal with a little wording issue here by one's spirit in the prediction versus they all say with one Spirit, and there is some discussion among believers as to whether these are the same thing.

Well, let me observe that in the Greek the wording is the same throughout. In all of these occurrences. The Greek word is in or in it's a preposition now those who study Greek will tell you. Greek prepositions can mean pretty much anything anybody.

It's it's a truism in Greek studies that anybody who bases his theology on the Greek preposition is out of his mind because they're very flexible and this word in is often translated in in the English versions. It's often translated with as it is in the prediction versus about spirit baptism and its often translated by we call that the instrumental use of the preposition so all of these translations in the King James are fine there, perfectly legitimate translation and I find it interesting that you consult the other English translations and they're pretty much unanimous that the predictive versus say with and this verse says by but I would just observe that since it's the same everywhere. I just call it spirit baptism. That's what I been referring to it as this morning that avoids the preposition and gets us out of trouble.

Okay spirit baptism is it the spirit is baptizing us by the spirit or is it Jesus is baptizing us in the spirit is I don't know the water with the spirit well on the basis of all those predictions, I'm inclined to say that Jesus is baptizing us in or with the Holy Spirit now this verse then is the only biblical data we have on the significance the meaning of spirit baptism and it is the only basis we have for making applications about our response to the fact that we had been baptized in with or by the Holy Spirit.

Let me draw a couple of obvious conclusions from the wording of this verse and then will think about those two concepts for a few minutes number one. The verse clearly says that spirit baptism happens to every believer by one Spirit we have all been baptized and Paul is not soft peddling that every believer has experienced this event and when it happens.

We are placed as a consequence into one body we are united in that event. Now I I presume and I think this is well based that the body here is the body of Christ.

The church so I would conclude that spirit baptism is the event at our conversion when we are placed into the body of Christ when we are united with him and with his body. Now I would contrast that with the with another view that's very common in American culture. In particular, and particularly among the consuls and charismatics that spirit baptism is some kind of highly emotional and powerful experience that some Christians have later. All Christians ought to have it but only some really do, only some get the baptism. It's really hard to square that idea with this verse which I recall is the only verse in the Bible that tells us anything substantive about spirit baptism.

It happens to all believers. That means there is no believer who hasn't got it and that means that it had to happen at the moment of conversion otherwise for a few seconds or a few months or a few years there would be believers who haven't yet received the baptism so you know my friend, have received spirit baptism. Now, what difference does that make let me draw to applications. First, we are in Christ. We are placed in him. What does that mean it means several things.

It means that when the father sees you he sees his son you are in Christ right.

I like to say the father looks at us through Christ to colored glasses when I when I come to him and confess my sins is first John 19 says I'm supposed to. I have this little mental image in my head. It is inaccurate, but I find it helpful Kelty whites inaccurate in a minute but I have this picture that I'm confessing my sins to the father and he's sitting there on his throne, and he's looking at me like, what are you talking about what Watson I don't see any sin. I I see nothing but righteousness, and you know, I know that's inaccurate because the father is never puzzled.

Okay, he's omniscient, and he knows he knows he will not think, on our sense, but the Bible never says that he literally cannot or has has forgotten, in the sense that we use the word of not being able to remember something God is able to do anything, but in you, my friend, because you are in Christ, the father is well pleased. And when you come to him.

He delights to welcome you into his presence.

Many of us in our ongoing struggle with sin. Forget about propitiation and we forget about the fact the wrath of God has been satisfied. God is not angry at you if you're a believer he's not angry at you when you send today. The anger problem has been dealt with Christ for initiated the wrath of the father, not when you sin.

He is grieved and we need to come to him and confess our sins sure, but he is propitiated further than that he sees in you. As I said a moment ago the righteousness of Christ when he looks at you. He sees righteousness he sees Christ's perfect obedience to the law. Paul says in second Corinthians chapter 5 the last verse of the chapter verse 21 that God has made him who knew no sin to be sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. The righteousness of God because you are in Christ. You are righteous written darkness of what it looks like to you.

That's a remarkable truth so the father sees the sun when he looks at you. A second concept you have a share in the work of Christ. Now I wouldn't say that unless I had biblical basis for where does the Bible say that we have a share in the work of Christ well in Romans six, Paul says that we have died with Christ, that we are buried with him and raised again with him. He says in Ephesians 2 that were raised to walk in newness of life. We are raised with Christ when he rose from the dead. We rose from the dead.

That's astonishing and then in the next verse in Ephesians 2, verse six he says that we have ascended with him and we are seated with Christ in the heavenly's in heavenly places as the King James puts it, you share in his death, his burial, his resurrection and his ascension and his session is seated mis-at the right hand of the father you share in his sufferings. As Paul says in Romans eight we suffer with him so that we may be glorified with we share in that work, and Paul tells Timothy in his last epistle just before his death that we will reign with him, we will reign with we share in his work. What an astonishing concept where a bunch of losers. We are failures. We are broken. We are unfaithful and we share in all of the central works of the son of God, you are in Christ.

You share in his work. I want to step it up a notch year with the next one I'm gonna say that we share in the person of Christ.

Now I need to be really careful with this, let me clear Jesus Christ is God the son he is equal with the father in the spirit he is one with the father in the spirit we are not wherein the image of God but that does not include deity.

It does not include quality equality with God.

So what I mean by this idea that we share in Christ person well. Paul tells us that we have the mind of Christ. I think that's more than just we have access to the mind of Christ and the Scripture through the work of the Spirit were able to think like him, oh, a little, to a degree were able to share in his thinking. Paul says in first Corinthians 6 that we are one spirit with him and he says in second Corinthians 5 and a passage you know well that we are his ambassadors wherever we go, where the representative of Christ we carry his portfolio and people arcs are supposed to hear us as they would hear Christ remarkable remarkable statements. Now this is really serious business. The words you say and the choices you make and the things you do all reflect on Jesus Christ himself and we see in our world. Christians who behave themselves in ways that cause the enemies of God, to blaspheme, may we never be one of those it astonishes me that Jesus has entrusted his reputation to people that he knows are unfaithful. What a trust that is and how carefully we should carry it. There's a second concept that I'll deal with quickly and that is where one with his body were one with his people. You and I are united with all other believers in a single organism. A single body that functions together were on the same team. All of us.

Furthermore, the spirit through spiritual gifts. As Paul calls them has given us particular abilities.

Some of us her feet. Some of us are hands. Some of us are noses.

Some of you are hair that I'm not but you have a role in the body.

You have a part to play. You are designed for that part and if you don't exercise your gift in the body. The body suffers the body needs you now we've all been given a great gift. In these days.

We've all gone home with all been sent home and most of our students in our home in their local churches. What a gift that is what an opportunity you now are available to your local body of believers to exercise your gift or gifts and to be body part in that church that makes a difference to the whole body takeout and run with it. Will you take that as a divine providential direction, but the fact that were united with Christ people in his body also means that we need them to.

We need them and some of us are really feeling that these days my church hasn't met for a service in a couple weeks now we watch it on the TV on our computers and were not. Gathering and the great majority of churches in this country now are not gathering and I would say they shouldn't.

They should love their neighbors and not gather but you need those people. That means you need to interact with them in ways that are beyond watching the preacher on the TV screen or on your computer screen need to be in touch and we, God has graciously given us all kinds of technological resources in these days to stay in touch.

You can stay in touch by walking by the house on the street and waving. You can leave notes on the porch.

You can honestly send emails and so on. Avail yourself of the opportunity to be ministered to by the body of Christ. So where do we go from here.

I would suggest we take with us three ideas joy we live in the joy of union with Christ. What a privilege. The father is well pleased with us.

Second, unity. We are in the body of Christ don't ride alone cowboy you work with the other people of God, you carry their ministry in your heart and you ministered them, and third confidence. It's very clear that we win that God is working his plan this because that is greater than all of us put together and that he wins, and this is going to be awesome.

And in these days of uncertainty and a certain amount of stress and a little bit of been off balance. You keep your eye on the prize and you run the race with confidence in the work of our good father and us. Let's bring our father we are so grateful that by the work of your son, we have been baptized in the spirit into the body of your son the church and into your son himself may we live today with the joy and with the unity and with the confidence that comes from these truths we pray in Jesus name, amen. You been listening to a sermon preached by Dr. Dan Olinger of the Bob Jones University seminary. Thanks for listening and join us again tomorrow as we continue the study of the Holy Spirit here on The Daily Platform