Class Notes: 1/29/2012

The baptism of the Holy Spirit extends the power of the Hypostatic Union into the Church Age

Last time we saw that the judicial imputations are the basis of God's provision for the salvation of mankind and his provision for believers after their salvation while they live in the devil's world but the world but not of it.

The first judicial imputation of his perfect righteousness made possible by the judicial imputation of all sins to our Lord on the cross 2Cor 5:21; plus the second judicial imputation of logistical grace support Phil 4:19; takes us to the potential of receiving the escrow blessings from God. Rom 8:32

When metabolized doctrine is added to these judicial imputations the believer begins to understand this and have hope or absolute confidence that upon reaching spiritual maturity they will receive escrow blessings for time.

We have seen that the Church Age is unique in that it takes no precedence from the Old Testament. All precedence for the Church Age comes from the Hypostatic Union.

This brings us to a discussion of the unique characteristics of the Church Age.

The first unique characteristic of the Church Age is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the transitional link between the great power demonstration of the Hypostatic Union and the great power demonstration of the Church Age because the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the mechanics of extending the power used by our Lord in the Hypostatic Union into the Church Age.

This is the ministry of God the Holy Spirit at salvation whereby He takes every person who believes in Jesus Christ during the Church Age and enters them into union with the person of Jesus Christ thereby making all church age believers members of the Royal Family of God.

This never occurred before the Church Age and will never occur after the Church Age. We know the baptism of the Holy Spirit never occurred before the Church Age because it was prophesied by our Lord in John 14:20; and again in Acts 1:5; just before He ascended into heaven. These prophecies were fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost.

Water baptism was the used during the dispensation of the Hypostatic Union and was carried over for the first forty years of the Church Age; during the first part of the pre-Canon period of the Church Age Water baptism was a teaching aid to picture the principles of the Spirit's baptism.

In the Greek the word "baptizo" that is transliterated into the English as Baptize means to be identified with something such that a permanent change is made. A good example of this is when a cucumber is baptized in a vinegar solution and becomes a pickle.

In the ritual of water baptism going under the water was a picture of identification with Christ in His death and burial. Coming out of the water was a picture of identification with Christ in His resurrection.

Now that we have the completed Canon of Scripture the Word of God completely explains the reality of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and there is no longer any need for any ritual.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the event that begins the Church Age. Acts 2:1-4; Acts 11:15-17; The mechanics of the baptism of the Holy Spirit are described in 1Cor 12:13; and Gal 3:26-28.

Like everything else in our portfolio of invisible assets the baptism of the Spirit is an invisible asset therefore, it is not experienced or felt nor a system of emotion. This means that the baptism of the Spirit is not speaking in tongues, it is not progressive, it cannot be improved or developed such as in a so called "second blessing", and it is not related to any form of human merit or human works.

No one has ever done anything to earn or deserve the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is completely finished at the moment of salvation and it is eternal. It is only known and understood through post-salvation spiritual growth that occurs as a result of the PMA of the Bible Doctrine of the mystery doctrine of the Church Age that is found in the New Testament epistles.

The principles of the baptism of the Holy Spirit that are revealed in the scripture must be learned in order to be understood because the believer cannot understand and apply it in a state of ignorance of Bible Doctrine.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for the extension of the power used by our Lord in Hypostatic Union into the Church Age.

Baptism means we are identified with Christ. This is expressed by the unique phrase "in Christ" that is consistently used throughout the New Testament scriptures and nowhere else. This means we are related to Christ and the power that He used during the Hypostatic Union not to any other dispensation.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is therefore the transitional link that connects the two Christocentric dispensations. We have the same benefits as Jesus Christ had during his life on the earth in unglorified humanity during the power demonstration of the Hypostatic Union.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the basis for creating a new spiritual species for the deployment of Divine power that is available to every Church Age believer equally.

This includes the omnipotence of the Father that is related to the provision of our portfolio of invisible assets. Eph 1:3;

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