Questions & Answers On Hebrews, Part 2
Questions 60 (COD Page 269)
“By one Spirit we are all baptized into the body of Christ.” (You all remember that that was the question I was on. Now that’s found, of course, in First Corinthians 12)... At the time we are... receive the new birth, this takes place. It’s this... Is this the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, or is there a later baptism, or is it a filling?
362 Now, there is quite a question, and we could spend the rest of our time right on that one, and tonight and tomorrow night and so forth. It would cover... it would- it would take and tie the entire Bible together. Every Scripture must properly tie together with every other Scripture in the Bible.
363 But just trying to make it just a briefly, plain as I know how to make it, no; when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you then have the new birth. When you believe on the Lord, you receive a new thought, a new life, but it isn’t the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. See? You’ve got the new birth when you believe, you’ve got Eternal Life. It’s a gift of God that’s give to you through sovereign grace by accepting the gift that God is giving to you. See, “He that heareth My Words and believeth on him that sent me, hath Eternal Life.” Has everlasting life; that’s the new birth, you’re converted, it means you’re “turned around.”
364 But the Baptism of the Holy Spirit puts you into the body of Christ, subject to the gifts for service. It doesn’t make you any more of a Christian, it just puts you into the body of gifts. See? “Now, by one Spirit” (First Corinthians 12) “we’re all baptized into one body. Now,” says Paul, “there are different gifts, and in this body is nine spiritual gifts.” And in this body... You have to be baptized into the body to possess one of these gifts. They come with the body.
365 But, now, as far as having Eternal Life and being a Christian, you are a Christian the moment you believe. Now, that’s not make-believe, that’s truly believe on the Lord Jesus and accept Him as your personal Saviour; you are borned again right there, and have Eternal Life. God comes into you.
366 Now watch, Eternal Life; Jesus said, “He that heareth My Words and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Eternal Life, and shall not come into the judgment but’s passed from death unto Life.” You’re a new creature right then. Then Paul had met some of those people, up in Acts 19. They had them a preacher up there which was a converted lawyer by the name of Apollos. And Apollos was a mighty man in the Scriptures, and he was proving by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. See?
367 Now watch. Apollos, through the Word, was proving by the Word. “Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word. He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has everlasting life.” You get it? Apollos, by the Word, was proving. And these were Christians, they were followers, disciples. And Apollos was proving by the Word, that Jesus was the Christ. And they had great joy and received the Word, yet knowing only the baptism of John.
368 And when Paul passed through the upper coasts of Ephesus, he finds these disciples and he said, “Have you received the Holy Ghost since you have believed?” See?
369 Now, when you believe, Jesus said, “You have Eternal Life.” That’s the new birth. That’s your conversion, changing. But the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the power of God that you’re baptized into and are subject to these nine spiritual gifts to work through you; such as, preaching, evangelists, apostles, pastors, prophets,... and all the gifts of the body come into this, when you’re baptized into this body. And that’s... doesn’t make you any more a Christian, it just sets you positionally in a place to be a ministering spirit in the Church of the living God. Now you get it? See?
370 Now the question is... Let’s answer it just one by one, there’s three questions.
“By one Spirit we are all baptized into the body of Christ.”
That’s correct, First Corinthians 12 will give the answer to that. All right.
At that time we receive the new birth, this takes place? Is that when?
371 That’s what they want to know, yes... “By one Spirit... ” No. No. “By one Spirit we are all baptized into one body.” See, that isn’t when the new birth begins, the new birth begins when you believe on the Lord Jesus.
372 Now see, there’s not a... there’s not one thing... Now listen. What can you do besides believe? What more can you do? What can you do about it any more than just believe it? Tell me one thing you could do. There’s not one thing that you can do outside of believe It. Now, if anything comes outside of your believing, it isn’t an act of your own, it’s a act of God. Therefore...
373 Now if we’d say that when you... A lot of times I’ve seen, many times, people accepting “initial evidence of speaking in tongues” as the Holy Ghost. And sometimes shake the people, or beat them and pat them, saying, “Say it. Say it. Say it. Say it.” You know, repeat a word over and over, “Say it. Say it. Say it.” See, it’s something you’re doing yourself. And- and- and it don’t... it doesn’t... it- it’s nothing. You might get a confusion of tongues. You might get a- a lot of things, and sensations. But if anything comes outside of your own personal faith, it has to be a Divine gift of God given to you. See?
374 “And by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body.” That’s correct, see. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is a different act from the new birth. One is a birth, one is a baptism. One brings you Eternal Life, the other one gives you power. It gives power into Eternal Life, see, to operate. Now you got it? Okay. All right.
375 Now here is another, come second, the best that I had them at that night: