Class Notes: 7/29/2009

The baptism of the spirit places the believer into the position to use the same power system used by TLJC


We are presently examining just what is the precedence for the spiritual life of the church age believer and we are making the case that the precedence was established by TLJC in his unglorified humanity during his life on this earth at the beginning of the hypostatic union.

We saw that Precedence is defined as: (1) an earlier occurrence of something similar; (2) something done or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind (3) a verdict that had no precedent (4) the convention established by such a precedent or by long practice or (5) a person or thing that serves as a model.

Last time we saw that the grace gifts imputed to church age believers at salvation place them into a position where they can function in the precedence of TLJC and we are showing that this position is established by the baptism of the Holy Spirit whereby God forgives the believers presalvation sins and establishes their position in impeccability at the moment of salvation, and then places them into union with TLJC resulting in the believer becoming a new spiritual species.

Col 2:13; When you were dead in your transgressions (spiritual death) and the uncircumcision of your flesh (body of corruption), He (God the Father) made you alive together with Him (positional sanctification through the baptism of the Holy Spirit), having forgiven ("charizomai") us all our transgressions (presalvation sins),

V 14 having cancelled out the certificate of debt (The Greek word "chirography" referring to an obligation owed to God, (that is perfect righteousness) consisting of decrees against us (the printout of our personal sins) which were hostile to us;

He has once and for all taken it out of the way (aorist participle of the Greek word "exaleipho" referring to the permanent cancellation of the debt) and nailed it to the cross (imputation of our personal sins to Christ).

These passages explain the phenomenal miracle that takes place at the moment anyone expresses personal faith in Jesus Christ.

The tyranny of the sinful nature is broken, spiritual death comes to an end, newness of life begins, and the believer becomes a new spiritual species and is placed into a position where they can take advantage of the precedence of the spiritual life that our Lord himself used during his life on this earth in the Dispensation of his Unglorified Humanity.

The transition from the "old things" to the "new" that, results from faith alone in Christ alone, God forgives the believer of all presalvation sins.

Col 2:13-14; informs us that God took our sins and imputed them to Christ on the cross. Then, at salvation the new believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit into union with Christ and God forgives him of all presalvation sins.

As we have seen, the new believer is said to be a new spiritual species according to 2 Cor 5:17, "If any man is in Christ he is a new spiritual species."

The baptism of the Holy Spirit places the believer "In Christ." The adjective "new" refers to a creative act by God that makes the believer better than before.

As a new species, the new believer is, according to Rom 6:4; then given the "option to walk in this newness of life." This "newness of life" is better by comparison with the worthlessness of the former fallen condition.

The word translated "might walk" is the first person plural aorist active subjunctive of the Greek word "peripateo" indicating that after salvation, the believer has a choice to make.

As a new spiritual species the former things (archaios) which determined his life have passed away (parerchomai) having been cancelled by the cross.

This is all done instantly at the moment of salvation. Simultaneously the Holy Spirit has a new ministry to the new believer.

The indwelling of the Holy Spirit takes place at the moment of salvation and His new ministry is what is called the filling of the Spirit or spirituality.

As a result of this there is a new set of mandates for believers because of their new identity: For example, Eph 5:18;, "Keep on being filled with the Spirit."

Believers are never commanded to be indwelt by the Spirit, they are always indwelt by the Spirit.

But they are commanded to be filled, or to walk in the Spirit, Gal 5:16, to walk in the light, 1John 1:7; or to abide in Christ. John 15:4;

Spirituality and carnality are therefore mutually exclusive absolutes in the Christian way of life.

Mankind is in the position of simply responding with volition so whom the believer imitates becomes the great issue in the Christian way of life,

Paul refers to this in 1Cor 11:1; where he states that when the spiritual believer is controlled by the Holy Spirit, he imitates TLJC who is God Gal 4:19; Gal 5:22-23;

But when the believer is controlled by the old sin nature the old sin nature imitates the unbeliever who imitates satan John 8:44;

So every Christian either imitates TLJC who is God or he imitates the unbeliever who imitates their father who is satan

There are two ways the believer can imitate the unbeliever: the sins they commit, or the human good of the moral and the religious unbeliever.

Paul states in 1Cor 3:3 that the carnal believer walks in darkness just as unbelievers do as "mere men".

These passages show the options available to believers, they can either continue to conduct their lives under the control of the OSN as "mere men" or function in their new identity and position under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit and 'put on Christ"

Believers who are filled with the Spirit accomplish three general objectives:

They imitate TLJC who is God, Eph 5:1; 1Cor 11:1;

They glorify the Lord Jesus Christ John 7:39 cf. John 16:14; 1Cor 6:19-20a

and as a result, they automatically fulfill the Mosaic law, Rom 8:2-4; Rom 13:8.

The believer filled with the Spirit is not subject to the Mosaic law because he is under a higher law Gal 5:18,23c; Rom 10:4; Rom 8:2-4, the filling of the Spirit supersedes the Mosaic law.

The believer filled with the Spirit produces the character of TLJC in his unglorified humanity. Gal 4:19; Gal 5:22,23; 1John 2:5-6;

The believer filled with the Spirit cannot sin, 1John 3:9.

Believers can't sin when the Holy Spirit controls their soul. In order to sin a believer has to function in negative volition toward God the Holy Spirit and grieve or quench the Spirit and exit God's power system.

The believer filled with the Spirit magnifies Christ Eph 3:16-17; 2Cor 3:3; Phil 1:20,21.

Divine Good production in the Christian way of life depends on the filling of the Spirit. The believer who is filled with the Spirit is always producing divine good. Gal 5:22;

When believers are filled with the Spirit they are described as building with "gold, silver, and precious stones, and when they are controlled by the old sin nature they are described as building with "wood, hay, and straw." 1Cor 3:12;

At the judgment seat of Christ wood, hay and straw is burned and destroyed. 1Cor 3:13;

All sin was judged on the cross but Human good is judged at one's evaluation.

The results of being filled with the Spirit include imitating Christ, perception of the Word, John 14:26; John 16:12-14; 1Cor 2:9-14;

© Copyright 2024, Michael Lemmon Bible Ministries. World Rights Reserved.