“For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”

— 1 Corinthians 12:13

#5 in The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Hebrews 6 tells us that we should be grounded in the foundations of the faith. One of those foundations is the doctrine of baptisms. Water baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit get most of the spotlight in Christianity, but there is another baptism, baptism into Christ.

For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - 1 Corinthians 12:13a

One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to baptize people into the Body of Christ. He does this when someone hears and believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Bible authors use a few phrases to describe this event; being born again, made a new creation, going from death to life in Christ, are made new, undergo a circumcision made without hands, washed in the blood of Christ, and probably a few more.

When the Holy Spirit baptized you into the body of Christ, you are sanctified (cleansed of sin), given a new heart, and are indwelt by God’s spirit. The Holy Spirit cleanses you with the blood of Christ, which leaves you in a spiritually holy state, able to house God’s spirit. This cleansing also places you in a right state before God, he gives you the gift of righteousness.

All of this happens when the Holy Spirit baptizes you in the name of Jesus Christ, which happens when you hear and believe the Gospel.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This is an important phrase, “baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.” “Name” denotes authority. To be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ isn’t about what words are spoken when you are water baptized, it’s about being immersed into the authority of Christ. He becomes your Lord. When you are placed in him he removes your sin because his blood/authority has the power to do so.

This is a spiritual event that changes your inner man and makes you a new creature that will live forever in the presence of God.

Water isn’t involved in the baptism the Holy Spirit performs. Water Baptism is merely an outward expression of your baptism into Christ. Water Baptism is not necessary for salvation, but to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ IS salvation.

If you think of water every time you hear the word baptism, read this passage again.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Why are you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ? For the remission of sins. Can water wash away sin? No! What washes away sin? The blood of Christ.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

You are forgiven BECAUSE OF of the blood of Jesus, and you are cleansed BY the blood of Jesus because Jesus has the authority to cleanse you of sin. Water baptism does not remit your sin, only the blood of Jesus can. I’m not trying to belittle water baptism, I’m just placing emphasis on the spiritual baptism of being immersed into Christ.

Here are a few more passages on being baptized in the name/authority of Christ for more understanding.

Romans 6:3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Being baptized into Christ isn’t about being dunked in water, it’s ALL about being immersed into his death and resurrection. We die in him and receive new life in him because we are immersed into him. The old man dies and we become new.

Colossians 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

When you believe the good news that Jesus died to set you free from sin and death, and that you can have eternal life in him, you are plunged into Christ forever!!

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit

Being baptized in the name of Jesus isn’t about which words are spoken when you come out of the water, it’s about being immersed in his death, and therefore his resurrection.

Another amazing thing happens at this point of baptism, Jesus baptized you with God’s spirit. Essentially two baptisms happen to you when you believe the Gospel, the Spirit places you into Christ, and then Jesus places the Spirit in you.

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Here we see that Jesus baptized us with the Holy Spirit. The Baptism with/in/of the Spirit is NOT a separate event. Peter tells us that we receive this gift of the spirit when we are baptized into the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit acts as a high priest in our lives and administers the blood of Christ to us when we believe the Gospel. Once the Spirit cleanses us with the blood of Christ, Christ then places His spirit IN us. He has to clean us up before he can live in us.

What about Acts 2?

What about Apollos and the early church members that Paul encountered? Weren’t they born again but had not received the baptism of the spirit? Let’s investigate.

Acts 18:24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
Acts 19:1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.

These men were only baptized in the baptism of John. John’s baptism was for repentance but baptism into Christ is for salvation. These men were not born again. They hadn’t heard that they were supposed to believe on Jesus for the remission of sins. Once they heard this and believed on Jesus, they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

The spiritual event of being born again happened the very moment they believed. They were not taken to water to be baptized, the spirit baptized them where they stood.

Then Paul laid hands on them to participate with the spirit so they would walk in the power of God which could now come upon them. Paul did not lay hands on them to give them the spirit. Paul knew that when you believe, you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, just as Peter said in Acts 2:38

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I hope Acts 2:38 means more to you now. I pray you see the depth in this passage. Peter gives us the new birth process in one passage. When you believe you are placed in Christ, your sins are removed and you receive the Holy Spirit!!!

If you believe in Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit. You don’t have part of the Holy Spirit, you have all of him. You don’t have to wait for him to show up and empower you, he lives in you and empowers you from the inside.

I will go into this point in more detail in my next sermon/article. For now, rejoice that you are IN CHRIST!!

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