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How
the Body Works
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Equipping
the Saints How the Body Works - Unity in Diversity How the Body Works - A Look at the Gifts How the Body Works - Love is the Best |
God's Irrigation System!
(1
Corinthians 12:13) There
is a whole realm of theology that could be opened up with this verse.
Baptism is referred to in different ways in the scriptures. Some
hold that there are seven different baptisms in the scriptures. Rather
than get sidetracked here, let’s briefly three "baptisms"
that are most often referred to in the Bible.
From that, we should be able to gather Paul's intent in this
passage and move ahead. 1.
Baptism by immersion
(Matthew
3:9-12) So
Baptism, from John the Baptist, was a sign of repentance.
So then Jesus' baptism was an act of obedience, for the
fulfillment of righteousness. Therefore we can see that baptism by immersion is a
witness of repentance and an act of obedience to Jesus, by His example,
and by the approval and command of the Holy Spirit. 1.
Baptism with
the Spirit John
prophesied that there would be another baptism, and this one would be
quite different. He said, "He
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11) John
14:16,17, John 16:7, Acts 1:8 This
prophecy was fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came
with a mighty rushing wind and fell upon the Christians there with
tongues of fire. Ever
since then Christians have received the seal of the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit at salvation. Paul
said, " Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal,
the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13) Every
Christian has the Holy Spirit within them.
We have received as much of the Holy Spirit as we will ever need.
This is probably what Paul is referring to here when he says that
we have been "made to drink of one Spirit."
"The
verb originally meant to give to drink, from
which comes the sense of to water or irrigate."
(Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament)
Without irrigation, crops will fail.
The Lord has provided the necessary irrigation to water all of
the Body of Christ. It is
the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that allows the Rivers of
Living Water that Jesus described to the Woman at the Well to flow
through us. We are totally
reliant on this "irrigation" of the Spirit for our survival.
Without it there will be little harvest, and the crops will dry
and die in the fields. Thank
God that he is able to cause those waters to flow where He wills.
I don't know about you, but I want the River in me, and I want to
be IN that River as well. 3.
Baptism in the Spirit There
has been great controversy as to what it means to be filled with the
spirit. The phrase
"baptized in the Spirit" is used as much as "born
again" in many churches. Depending
on theological leanings this can mean anything from "baptized in
the holy ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues", to
"second act of grace - sanctified holy" and many shadings in
between. I believe it is
very important, especially in light of the subject at hand, that we
focus on things that unite rather than divide.
Simply put, Paul says "Do not get drunk on wine, which
leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians
5:18) "Be filled" in the Greek is in the future
perfect tense. Literally it
means, "be being filled" with the Spirit.
It is a lifetime endeavor. We
are to always be being filled. This
theme is constant in the scriptures.
The fruits of the spirit are evidence of the spirit-filled
Christian, not the manifestation of speaking in tongues for example.
The spirit-filled Christian may speak in tongues, but that is not
the necessarily the evidence. The
issue is not necessarily how much of the Spirit we have. We have all of the Spirit we will ever need!
The real issue is, how much of us does the Spirit have?
The Christian walk is a lifelong journey into the presence of the
Lord. God has begun a work that He will not stop until it is
finished in the day of the Lord. (Philippians
1:6) God
wants us to allow Him to do all that He wants to do in and through us,
and not grieve the Spirit! So
let's let God out of the box, set aside our ideas about what we think
it's supposed to look like, and let Him do it!
If we keep insisting on our ways, then all we'll get are the
results of our own efforts. But
if we submit to the Lord and allow Him to do His work, then the results
will be eternal! |