Baptism

Some Final Thoughts

Before moving on to other subjects I felt it was necessary to close this teaching up with some final thoughts concerning baptism and the Ruach HaQodesh (Holy Spirit). In our teachings series entitled, 'The Ministry and Gifts of the Ruach HaQodesh', I go into some detail on the nature of the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God. I will reiterate some of those thoughts here. It is the Spirit of God, also called the Holy Spirit, that is the generator and regenerator of life. The'Holy Spirit' is a term used to express the active, demonstrative presence of God. We have already discussed this earlier. I believe that all of the actions or active manifestations of the one God are revealed in these two words. I have shown that all of the immersing, regenerating, giving, grieving, moving, rising, coming upon, falling upon, crying and rejoicing of the one God are expressed in the words Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God. I also believe that, according to 1Corinthians 12:11, this same Holy Spirit divides severally as HE wills.

I have stated that I believe that every human being, from the beginning, that chooses to follow the one Creator has received the Seed or the Word of God. I believe that Word of God is God. What that person receives from that point forward is determined by his or her obedience and faithfulness. I want to make it well understood that I believe that an individual who has received the Seed of the woman can still 'receive' the Holy Spirit. Receiving is a verb, it is an action, and that action is driven by the Holy Spirit. I believe that there will be an outward manifestation of that reception, and how it is manifested is left to the Holy Spirit, severally as HE wills. Once a seed has been firmly planted in the good soil, that seed still needs to receive sunshine and water. When that soil receives the seed is determined by the sower. You and I are NOT the sowers of the seed. God is the sower.

Mattityahu 13:37
"He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;"

All the baptisms (immersions) and manifestations of the Word of God that follows are our fruit. I hope I have made it clear that what happens to you AFTER you have received the Word of God is not confined scripturally to a particular order. There is not a God box that we can all stuff God into. Every appearance of the 'Holy Spirit' in the book of Acts is manifested in a different way. The twelve talmidim (disciples) of Y'shua could still be breathed on by Messiah (Yochanan 20:22), and they could still 'receive' the Holy Spirit for power to go unto the nations after they were ordained as His disciples. Now just because a person is a talmidim (student, learner) of Messiah, does that mean that he is 'saved'? The answer is an emphatic NO! But eleven of His twelve disciples were. For example in the parable of Mattityahu 13, Y'shua distinguishes His disciples from the multitudes by not only stating that it was given 'them' to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but He also proclaimed that they were those whose eyes see and ears hear.

Mattityahu 13: 11,16
"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear."

Messiah calls His and Yochanan's disciples, 'sons of the bridegroom' in Mark 2:18-20. He gave them authority to heal and cast out demons in Mark 2:14-15. Now, were they very successful at it? Nooooo. But that was a matter of fruit and not the power and ability of the Seed. However, Mark 6:12-13 does record some success. I am convinced that all of Y'shua's disciples, save one, had received the Word of God. I believe they were baptized (immersed) into the body of Messiah and that all other manifestations were the result of the Holy Spirit as He willed and according to His plan. I pray that I have shown that these expressions and manifestations of the Spirit of God have been in operation from the beginning, because God is the beginning, the end, and everything in between.

Shalom Alecheim!