CRUMB 0041 – BAPTIZED INTO THE BODY

#5 of #5 “Can You Lose Your Salvation?”

Continued from Crumb 0040

The “Body Of Christ” is a term that is used exclusively by Paul the apostle of the Gentiles.

The mystery of this Body was kept secret in the mind of God since the world began, till it was revealed to none other than Paul [Romans 16:25].

The Old Testament and neither did Jesus during His time on earth use this term “Body Of Christ”.

Here is another “Awesome and Amazing” thing that happens the moment you believe in the Gospel of your salvation.

This is how Scripture puts it, “For by one Spirit (that is The Holy Spirit)are we all baptized into ‘one body’ (that is The Body Of Christ), whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit (the Holy Spirit)” [1 Corinthians 12:13].

So what is happening here?

The Holy Spirit places us into this Body known as the “Body Of Christ”.

But before He does that He first takes us out of our spiritual position in sinful Adam, which is our old nature.

Scripture calls this act of the Holy Spirit, ‘baptism’.

That is what the Scripture calls it. And Scripture means what it says.

There is no symbolism here. This is real and actually takes place in the unseen realm.

Man has no role to play here.

Holy Spirit The Baptizer

This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He is now the Baptizer, baptizing us into the Body of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the Head of this Body, which is known as the Church [Colossians 1:18].

Now Jesus Christ and the Body of Christ, which is the Church, can never be separated.

It is of ‘this Church’ that we are now ‘members’ by a ‘Sovereign Act’ of the Holy Spirit [Ephesians 5:30].

Anything and everything else outside of this Body is not the Church. There is no confusion here.

This “Sovereign Act” of baptism by The Holy Spirit of God is “irrevocably irreversible”.

The Holy Spirit is not baptizing or immersing us into water. HE is immersing us into the Body Of Christ and He keeps us there.

The Difference Between Water And The Body

Baptism into a “body of water” is visible, symbolic and physical, carried out by hands of men.

Whereas the other is the “Body of Christ”, which is invisible, real and spiritual, carried out by The Holy Spirit without hands.

Something to maybe think about?

HE will not take you out and you cannot take yourself out because it is an act of God.

That is how secure our Salvation is.

This baptism of the Holy Spirit is the only valid baptism according to the revelation given to Paul the apostle. There is “no other”.

Scripture is clear concerning this.

“There is ‘one’ body, and ‘one’ Spirit, even as ye are called in ‘one’ hope of your calling; ‘One’ Lord, ‘one’ faith, ‘one’ baptism” [Ephesians 4:4-5]

Paul follows up by saying, “One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and in you all” [Ephesians 4:6].

IS NOT THAT JUST SO BRILLIANT?

Everything is now ONE. Not two. There is no confusion here. Scripture is so clear, so simple and so powerful at the same time.

Let us remember once again that these truths are coming directly from the same Jesus Christ now Ascended in Glory.

So is our understanding and our instructions from the same Jesus Christ now seated on the Right Hand of God The Father.

“Take your time. Let that sink in”……………

We Are Secure In Him

This is what happens when we truly believe the Gospel of our salvation.

Saved by Jesus Christ, sealed with The Holy Spirit of promise, and baptized by Him into the “Body Of Christ”.

In what order do all these three events take place? In case you are wondering.

They all take place instantly and simultaneously in a moment of “indivisible time”.

With nothing broken and missing, this a complete work of the Holy Spirit.

Your salvation and my salvation, is as secure and as sure as God’s Word forever settled in Heaven.

Remember that our confidence and assurance is not in man, not even in ourselves, BUT IN CHRIST JESUS, the Faithful One.

God Rested From His Works

There are only two instances in all of Scripture when God has rested from His works.

The first time is in the book of Genesis.

After God finished creating the world in six days, he stepped back to take a look at His work, “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good” [Genesis 1:31].

[Genesis 2:1] tells us, “THUS THE heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them”.

Everything was just so wonderfully and absolutely perfect.

It was “Perfectly Perfect” if there is such a phrase.

There was nothing more that could be or needed to be added.

God having seen that, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made” [Genesis 2:2].

That was the first time that God rested.

The second time was after the Cross, which was also a fully completed and a perfect “finished work”.

Talking about Jesus Christ, the author of Hebrews writes,“Who being the brightness of His (God’s) glory, and the express image of His Person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, “sat down” on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” [Hebrews 1:3].

AGAIN, there was nothing more that could be or needed to be added.

SO Christ Jesus “sat down”.

God rested again for the second time, which is also the last time, for everything is perfectly in place for our eternal future.

Some Things To Be Mindful Of

We need to be mindful that there is ‘NOTHING’ we can or need to do to add to that which God has perfectly finished work.

Since God had nothing more to add to His perfect “finished work”, we certainly cannot and should not be adding anything to it. Not in any way at all.

Our personal salvation is a “perfect finished work” by the Holy Spirit, “And ye are complete in Him,” [Colossians 2:10].

We can certainly rest in that, for ‘nothing more’ needs to be added.

TOGETHER we can say with the great apostle Paul, “I am not ashamed: for I know Whom I have believed” [2 Timothy 1:12].