Positional Grace: Christian Identity

The Baptism of the Spirit - what is it?

8/21/2016

Biblical Historical References of Spiritual Baptism:

1 Cor. 10:1-4 (Heb. 11:29), 1 Pet. 3:21 [Note: What does baptism symbolize?]
Other typological references to Spiritual Baptism do include the washings of the Priests, the crossing of the Jordan River, the washing of Naaman the leper in the River Jordan, etc.

Clear Doctrinal Affirmations of Spiritual Baptism from the Epistles:

1 Cor. 12:13, Col. 2:12, Rom. 6:3-4, Gal. 3:27, Eph. 4:5, 1 Pet. 3:21, Titus 3:5-6 (washing away thy sins)

What did Jesus Christ have to say about Baptism?

Acts 1:4-5, Luke 24:49, John 7:38-39 (in correlation with John 13:31, 17:5), John 14:16-26, John 15:26-27, John 16:7-15 [Note: Why did the Lord Jesus say that they must wait if they had already received the Holy Ghost in John 20:22?]

The Principle in Focus:

The Ceremonies of Salvation needed to be completed in Heaven like as they were shadowed in Old Testament law; thus Christ needed to ascend into Heaven. Upon His ascension the ceremonies began. Upon His enthronement the ceremonies were completed. Thus the Baptism of the Spirit is the signal to all people that the heavenly ceremonies have been accepted by God the Father and completed by God the Son - Christ sat down as King of the world at the right hand of God the Father! Thereby New Testament Salvation did begin.

Tracing this principle in Hebrews:

Heb. 1:3, 2:9-18, 4:14-16, 6:19-20, 7:24-27, 8:1-5, 9:16-24 (Other references: John 15:26, Rom. 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2)

The Climactic Explanation of what the Baptism of the Spirit is:

Acts 2:33, Peter's sermon which declared all things accomplished!

Having been incarnated as a Jew into the tribe of Judah as the seed of David, Jesus Christ walked-out the Old Testament Ceremonial Law in all available and necessary means to fulfill all righteousness during his lifetime, according to the flesh. After being offered to God upon an earthly altar called The Cross, the scheme of redemption was not yet complete. No, rather, it had just begun! The death of Christ on The Cross was the first step in the grand scheme of salvation which was yet to be accomplished via a High Priest after the order of Melchisedec (Heb. 5:6) in a Heavenly Environment which included a Temple and all associated instruments for the performance of an unprecedented ceremony. When Jesus Christ was fastened to The Cross by nails as a propitiatory sacrifice, this was but the beginning of this ceremony. When Christ said, “It is finished” (John 19:30), the oppression and affliction of becoming a sacrifice was completely accomplished (“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, and yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth”-Isa.53:7), but the ceremonial application of this blood-atonement must sprinkle the Throne of Heaven which resides inside of a Heavenly Temple (Lev. 16:14-15, Heb. 9:19-24, Rev. 7:15, 11:19). These things must proceed in Heaven after the similitude of the High Priest, Aaron, who dared not enter into the Holy Place of the earthly Tabernacle without “a young bullock for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt-offering” (see Lev. 16:2-4). Even so, Christ, “by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb. 10:26), was finally enabled to enter into “Heaven itself, now to appear in the Presence of God for us” (Heb. 10:24)! Finally enabled, I say, because theretofore a human body had never entered such a place to perform such a ceremony on behalf of the rest of condemned humanity! It was necessary for Jesus Christ to become a human that He might suffer and die, this is true, but also that He might be perfected and credentialed as a “Merciful and Faithful High Priest”!

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” – Hebrews 2:9-18

Upon being perfected and credentialed in this magnificent way, Jesus Christ assumed the role of a resurrected God-Man: “the Firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18, Rev. 1:5). “In 1Co_15:20, Christ is called the first-fruits of them that slept; and here, the chief and first-born from the dead; he being the first that ever resumed the natural life, with the employment of all its functions, never more to enter the empire of death, after having died a natural death, and in such circumstances as precluded the possibility of deception” (Adam Clarke). He was raised from the dead on the third day (1 Cor. 15:4), He appeared unto his disciples and over 500 others over a space of 40 days (Acts 1:2-3), He spoke of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God in a glorified human body which still hungered and thirsted (Lk. 24:41-43, John 21:5-6, Acts 1:2-3), a body by which He ate and drank alongside his disciples just as other humans do (Acts 10:41), “until the day in which He was taken up”, scripture states (Acts 1:2). What day? The day of the Lord’s ascension into Heaven! Jesus Christ had theretofore been resurrected, but not ascended. Speaking of this, Christ disallowed Mary to touch him after she had just been wandering among the graveyard (a thing which would be improper and offensive, considering the circumstances of Jewish Law and, furthermore, the ceremonies the Lord was soon to perform in His human body; see John 20:17, Lev. 10:6-7, 21:10-12, Num. 19:16-22).

You see, my reader, while the body of the Lord Jesus was fixated on The Cross, the ceremony of salvation could not be accomplished. While Christ did reside among earth-dwellers after his resurrection, the ceremony could not be performed. He must – in human body – pass into the Heavens via the ascension (Heb. 4:1, Acts 1:2-11), enter the Gates beyond which a human body had never traversed (Ps. 24:7-10, Heb. 9:8), walk through the courts and into the Holy Place of the first and original Temple not made by human hands (Heb. 6:19-20, 8:2) – a Heavenly and Holy Place never before tread by the soles of human feet (1 Cor. 15:20-23, Acts 26:23, Rev. 1:5)! The ceremony of salvation that Christ was to perform on behalf of humanity was not located on earth, but in Heaven. According to scripture, it was necessary that a High Priest of an Eternal Priesthood called, the order of Melchisedec (Ps. 110:4, Heb. 5:6, 10, 7:1-21), enter into the Heavenly Courts of the Most Holy Temple to sprinkle the “heavenly things” with the blood of Jesus Christ, The Sacrifice (Heb. 9:19-24). Seeing that this was on behalf of mankind, this Priest and the Sacrifice must also be a Man… and until “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” did prevail, humanity was left without the hope of redemption (Rev. 5:5)!

“the Way into the Holiest of all” – Heb. 9:8

After the Lord Jesus did prevail, He became “The Forerunner” behind which all humanity can follow. Positioned in Heaven right now in His human frame with its scars and all, “He ever liveth to make intercession” (Heb. 7:25), therefore because He “passed into the Heavens” …so can we (Heb. 4:14-16)! Having such a High Priest over the House of God (Heb. 4:1, 10:21-22), redeemed humanity has “boldness to enter into The Holiest by the blood of Jesus” (Heb. 10:19, 9:8)! Having accomplished the full ceremony of salvation which was expected of Him in the Heavenly Arena (the reality of the typological similitude declared by the Old Testament Ceremonial Law; Col. 2:9-17, Heb. 8:1-6, 9:23-24), it was written that Jesus Christ did, last of all, sit down on the Right Hand of the Majesty on High (Heb. 1:3, 8:1, Php. 2:6-11). With the entire ceremony accomplished whereby mankind could be fully redeemed, the mode of redemption did thenceforth begin: The Kingdom of God. This mode of redemption began with the enthronement of Jesus Christ, the seed of David (a Human), as King and Lord of visible and invisible creation (Php. 2:9-11), soon to appear on earth yet again (Heb. 9:28, 2 Tim. 4:1, Rev. 19:11-16)! Upon this enthronement, The Kingdom of God began, and after this enthronement the Holy Ghost was poured out on the Day of Pentecost to mark the beginning of New Testament redemption on earth (Acts 2:33; i.e. The Kingdom of God on earth via The Baptism of the Spirit).

The Chronological Order of Redemption:
(1st) The Crucifixion – The Earthly Altar (John 3:12-18)
(2nd) The Resurrection – The Human Body for a Priesthood & Kingship (Heb. 2:9-18, Php. 2:9-11)
(3rd) The Ascension – The Forerunning Redeemer & 2nd Adam (Heb. 6:19-20, 1 Cor. 15:22-23, Rom. 5:12-21)

Firstly: The Ceremonial Purging of the Heavenly Things (Heb. 1:3, 9:23)
Secondarily: The Final &Everlasting Enthronement (Heb. 1:3, 8:1, Acts 2:33, Ezek. 34:23-24, 37:24-25, Hos. 3:5, Jer. 23:5, 30:9, 33:15)

SERMONS: The Baptism of the Spirit Series

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Resurrected & Ascended - The Gospel of Regeneration

11/6/2013

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Initial Salvation

“Even when we were dead in sins, [He] hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” -Eph. 2:5-6

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.” -Col. 3:3-4

“…enemies of the cross of Christ:…who mind earthly things.) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” -Php. 3:18-20

“And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17), and “all are yours” (1 Cor. 3:22).

Spoken of as a past tense experience, God has “raised us up together and made us to sit together” (Eph. 2:5-6) with Christ Who is enthroned at the right hand of God. This was done by God through our co-participation and union in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. We are “raised”, made “to sit together” (Eph. 5:6), not with ourselves, but we are “hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Redeemed humanity is mysteriously one at the seat of God’s Government! This positional redemption initially compels the earth-dwelling Christians into heavenly alignment. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). Seeing that this has been experienced, we are under a holy obligation to walk in Christ’s rule by thought, word, and deed, like as if we are guided by a story-Book He is authoring. Then the world begins to see our lifestyle as a living revelation of Christ. Leaving many affected and some admiring, the Christians solemnly confess - “our conversation is in heaven” (Php. 3:20)! Who can tell of this Great Kingdom’s story? Who can describe the many mansions, their sizable patterns, colors, and glory? None can! Notwithstanding the world does read it in our hearts, it is “known and read of all men” (2 Cor. 3:2), “written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3)! We have a childlike participation in a steep and honorable Kingdom, by unworthy right, standing as an inheriting child before his Father’s boundless possessions. Amazingly, we are “joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17)! For this cause, it was once said that to Christians, “all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s” (1 Cor. 3:21-23).

Present Progressive Salvation

Affections

Reigning Powers

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“If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth.” -Col. 3:1-2

“For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” -Rom. 6:10-12

If our initial salvation has raised us co-enthroned, this position is of high ground of empowering grace in God. Being identified with and in Christ’s ascension and throne-rule, so also we ought to walk in the Spirit’s “rule” presently and progressively (Php. 3:16). Hence, we should not “mind earthly things” (Php. 3:19), but those things which are in and about Christ, where He is and what He is doing, because our co-participation in His resurrected life, that He lives presently and progressively, should be walked in right now. Therefore the scripture states, “If ye be risen…seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God.” It is commanded of us – IF YE BE RISEN – then our personal affections should be “mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another” (Col. 3:12-13). IF we are NOT RISEN, then our personal affections would rather be, “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). By position, we are different from all other men who are not risen and ascended in Christ, therefore by command we are to walk in gospel-liberties. All other men are compelled to “mind earthly things” (Php. 3:18-19), or as Colossians 3:2 states it, “things on the earth”. They are in bondage to humanity’s “vile body” (Php. 3:21), or as Colossians 3:5 describes it, “your members which are upon the earth” (Col. 3:5). Wherefore the rather, brethren, by the resurrection we are enabled to search out the depths of the members of God (1 Cor. 2:10).

Romans 6:10-12 clarifies the gospel by command in the terms of how the saint has a daily responsibility to “reckon” the resurrection truths, and if he successfully does this, then he will walk in the liberty and freedom which the gospel has purchased: letting “not sin therefore reign in” his “mortal body” that he “should obey it in the lusts thereof”. Either Christ reigns or sin reigns. Christ’s ascended spiritual condition of freedom and life becomes the positional point of our reckoning. This is presently and progressively redeeming their bodily members from their former king’s reigning powers, from where “sin hath reigned” into where in Christ, “even so might grace reign through righteousness” (Rom. 5:21). The religious rule which Christians reckon is Christ’s law of the Kingdom of heaven. The prayer He prayed, “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) – this is done inside of Christian men. Even so Christ said, “the Kingdom of God is within you” (Lk. 17:21). Daily reckoning religious laws which are existing with free course in the Kingdom of heaven is a daily longing after another world’s King; therefore it is said, “unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation” (Heb. 9:28). In this way, we can also see the spiritual meaning behind such words spoken by the Lord when He said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21), meaning that we should be “rich toward God” (Lk. 12:21) with laid up “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:20). Where are your spiritual eyes? The suffering, lashed, scared, stoned, beaten, and poor man, the apostle Paul, he said that he did “faint not” even while his “outward man” did “perish” (2 Cor. 4:16). He said that while he thus suffered, “the inward man is renewed day by day”, that it was all just a “light affliction”, for behold, he saw in heaven an “exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 3:16-17). Do you think his heart was in heaven? Hear Paul’s secret in his own word – the rule of Christian faith – “While we look not at things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Now can you understand the burden of God to maintain present progressive salvation, like as what is preached by the following passage? In the present progressive, or continual looking unto Christ for, daily power to walk in the resurrected life, I tell you, the desires are so strong that Christians would rather be entirely resurrected altogether to fly away from this sin-ridden earth. For this we are burdened like a man bowing down in soul-groaning, even like, as it were, the groans of all creation (Rom. 8:19-23) are joining hands with the Bride (Rev. 22:17), and the Bride cries out – oh, to be free from this earthly life (2 Cor. 5:1-4)! Such men are rightly called Christians, Christ-obsessed, groaning in desire to be where Christ is in bodily resurrection! These are the children that will be worthily called “the children of the resurrection” (Lk. 20:36), men and women that will be “accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead” (Lk. 20:35), and why? Their heart, affections, conversation, mind, will, and rule is in heaven! What a tragedy that with so many Christians it is not so!

God is LOVE – TRUE!
But a world that is wrong, MEN LOVE.

Flesh, Fashion, & Fame! Men gather for the fights, footballs, foolishness, and games.
Shouts of lust, the whistles blow! Men are entertained, amazed, eye-addicted to the show.
Men memorize rags, do all their numbers know!
For their winners’ footsteps they do heave and blow.

For their winners they whine! They watch them all the time!
They think that they know God but to His footsteps they are blind.
Chapter and verse, oh right, they don’t have the time!
Kneeling down in broken repentance, for what? Oh yeah, their sin is out of mind.
“I got saved when I was six, you see!?” And now for the world they run free.

Heaven would be a hell for unholy men.
They would loathe the Savior and long for sin,
Desiring a break from heaven for all the hobbies of natural men.

In bondage to praise for endless days Him Who is heaven-famous?!
These men would rather go back home to earth and watch the world-famous!

Doctrines

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“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances…”
-Col. 2:20

Christians are commanded to abide in heaven’s principles and heavenly statutes instead of human principles and earthly statutes which make up doctrines or philosophies. There is an otherworldly law and alien power at the ascension of Christ. We are removed from all that is called “the rudiments of the world” (Col. 2:20). Therefore Paul makes the staggering admonishment, “why as though living in the world are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not” (Col. 2:20-21)? Paul speaks of them as if they are not even living in the world anymore! And so, he refutes the heresies of philosophy and doctrine which are earthly-minded or humanly applicable. Each of the verses above is a direct application of the gospel by command. A saint is obedient to these commands by believing in the gospel of grace which immediately empowers them in the realities of initial salvation, therefore presently and progressively they should continue in these salvific powers – by personal affection, reigning rule, and doctrine. Maybe you are trying to look to Christ by faith for present progressive obedience to the gospel commands of the resurrection and ascension, but are you OBEDIENT to them? Did you know that you can “look for such things” and be too slothful about it, to the end that you are found of Christ at His return in a condition which you would eternally regret: namely, not “in peace”, with spots, and blamable?

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” -2 Pet. 3:10-14

Did you know that Christ will judge your present progressive obedience to these gospel commands, and, if you are in a spiritual condition which is unworthy, earthly instead of heavenly, or overcome by the world instead overcoming the world, then Christ will say to you like He said to others, “I have a few things against thee” (Rev. 2:20), which means that He will dispel you from your resurrection, ascension, coheir qualification in Him. Lo, see how Christ said, “I will give unto every one of you according to your works”, “And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Rev 2:26-27). Your coheir, co-enthronement, Kingdom inheritance is on the line! Present progressive obedience to the gospel call is present progressive salvation, and such will be rewarded with final salvation. Those that are presently and progressively walking in their co-enthronement with Christ to overcome the world, to live in holiness, will be finally seated upon His Throne in a consummating salvation to fulfill these words: “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne” (Rev 3:21).

For a closer and more exhaustive study see The Condescension of God.

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The Baptism of the Spirit - what is it?

Resurrected & Ascended - The Gospel of Regeneration

Initial Salvation

Present Progressive Salvation

Positional Grace: Christian Identity

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