Lesson for August 30, 2026 — Our Spiritual Assets

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is neither seen nor felt. It is a fact stated in the Word of God for us to believe. Technically, it is when a believer is placed into union with Jesus Christ at salvation. There are seven baptisms in the Bible and the baptism of the Holy Spirit is one of them. The word for baptism in Greek is “baptisma,” and means “to dip.” It was used to describe the dyeing of a garment or the drawing of wine by dipping the cup into the bowl. John the Baptist and Jesus used the word to describe water baptism as submersion. Therefore, the accurate interpretation of the word is “to dip into or submerge.” (I Corinthians 12:13)

When a person trusts Christ as Savior they are “dipped into” or “submerged” into the “body of Christ.” This, of course, is speaking of positional truth, signifying our union with Christ. Water baptism for believers has always been a picture of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Submersion into water pictures how believers become united with Christ. (Romans 6:3-5; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:4-5)

Identification

As I stated, there are seven baptisms in the Scriptures, and all are for the purpose of identification. Of these seven, four are ritual identifications and three are actual identifications. In the time in which we live, water baptism (ritual) and the baptism of the Holy Spirit (actual) have been distorted into a system of works. Water baptism, for example, is taught by some ministers as a necessity for salvation, which is false doctrine. No one has ever been saved by being submerged in water. The only purpose for water baptism is identification: identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, which it pictures. It was a teaching aid for the early church before the Canon of Scripture was completed. As a matter of fact, water baptism is mentioned only once in the latter part of the book of Acts, after the Church was fully established. And it is mentioned as a source of division in the church in Corinth. (I Corinthians 1:11-17)

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is often distorted into a system of emotionalism and ecstatic behavior, leading to a pseudo-spiritual experience that is not found in the Word of God. The gift of tongues, for example, which is no longer valid, has been distorted into a requirement to prove salvation and/or to prove spirituality. Both are false doctrines. The gift of tongues was a sign to the nation of Israel of impending divine discipline, according to Isaiah 28:9-13. The nation was destroyed in 70 A.D. and the warning was stopped. (I Corinthians 13:8, 14:21) There are two words for “tongues” in Greek. The first word is “glossa” and the second is “dialektos” and both refer to a known, spoken language. This is confirmed in the book of Corinthians when Paul insisted that an interpreter be present when a person with the gift spoke in the local assembly. The gift was used (before the destruction of Jerusalem and the nation) to evangelize Jews from many nations who spoke many languages, not necessarily known by the apostles.

For Church Age Believers Only

The baptism of the Holy Spirit was prophesied by John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. This prophesy was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost, which occurred fifty days after Christ ascended, when the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit began. This event marked the beginning of the Church Age. Therefore, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for Church Age believers only. Since it is the means of placing believers into union with Christ, the baptism of the Holy Spirit assures believers of sharing Christ’s inheritance. This inheritance includes becoming a member of the Royal Family of God. We actually share Christ’s royalty, a royalty He received by defeating Satan at the Cross. Christ won the victory over Satan by His spiritual death, physical death, resurrection, ascension, and session at the right hand of God the Father. Because of our union with Christ, we are given a privilege and a responsibility that other ages did not have! (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:5; 2:4; 11:15-17; Colossians 2:9-15)

The baptism of the Holy Spirit results in a union that never before existed for believers. This union with Christ is unique and sets up many potentials for believers. Being placed in union with Christ is called Positional Sanctification. Positional Sanctification describes our new relationship with God through Christ. It is a permanent relationship based on our faith in Christ and never changes, regardless of a believer’s spiritual health.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit sets up the potential for believers to make their daily experience (Experiential Sanctification) align with their position in Christ (Positional Sanctification). This means that we are to exhibit the character of Jesus Christ on a daily basis, by means of the power of the Holy Spirit Who is indwelling us. (John 14:20; I Corinthians 12:12-27)

Breaking the power of the sin nature in the life of a believer is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 6 describes a battle that is going on in the life of every believer. This battle begins the moment a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Though we are immediately delivered from the penalty of sin, we are not immediately delivered from the power of sin. Delivery from the power of sin is a process developed by learning and using God’s system.

The battle is in our soul between the sin nature and the new spiritual nature. Control of the soul is the objective of each. Satan, his demons, and his world system influence the sin nature. God the Holy Spirit influences the spiritual nature. Your personal volition makes the difference. You make the choice to allow the sin nature or the spiritual nature to be in control.

One key to success is understanding your position in Christ and how it can affect your spiritual life. Your position in Christ is a result of the baptism of the Holy Spirit; it is permanent and places you in a unique and powerful position. As a believer in Christ, you possess the supernatural power of the indwelling Holy Spirit Who empowers you to break the power of sin in your life as you learn, believe, and apply accurate Bible doctrine to your experience. Using this key means understanding that God wants every believer to live as the royalty they already are in Christ. This means making your daily experience align with your position in Christ.

Paul’s analogy in Romans 7:1-4 describes our position in Christ. In his analogy, a believer is like a wife whose husband dies and she remarries. The former husband is the Mosaic Law, and the new husband is Jesus Christ. Many Jews in Rome thought keeping the Law of Moses would save them. However, the Mosaic Law could not save a person, only point them to Christ. Under the Mosaic Law, if a husband died, his wife was free to marry another. Marrying another is analogous to believers being dead to the Law, by believing in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Paul was teaching, as he always did, that believers should “reckon” themselves dead to the sin nature. The Greek word for “reckon” is “logizomai,” and means a numerical calculation. Metaphorically, in this passage it means “to count” yourselves dead to the sin nature. In other words, live your spiritual life apart from the control of the sin nature. Live as if you have no sin nature. Instead of living under the rulership of the “ex-husband,” (sin nature), we should now live under the rulership of Christ. (Romans 6:8-10; Ephesians 2:5-10)

Christ demonstrated the proper relationship with God for believers. His relationship with God the Father is our example of the correct relationship between believers and Christ. Christ is the head of the Church, and we are the “body of Christ.” Just as the Son submitted to the authority and rulership of the Father, we are to submit to the authority and rulership of Christ.

We are to allow the character of Jesus Christ to be produced in our lives through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are to think the way Christ did, by saturating our souls with God’s Word and making the appropriate applications. Jesus Christ is the standard to Whom we are to compare ourselves, not to others. The operation of the Christian Way of Life is how we glorify God and become a blessing to others. We are to fulfill our roles as royal priests and royal ambassadors.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit places all believers into the body of Christ. All believers in the Church Age have equal privilege and equal opportunity to execute God’s plan. No one in the body of Christ is more privileged than the next. Under God’s system, we all possess the same potential. Some believers choose to exploit this potential, and some do not. In any case, we are all in union with Jesus Christ.

The analogy of the body is used throughout Scripture to illustrate the doctrine of unity. The hand is no more important than the foot and the foot is not more important than the hand. All parts of the body are important, if the body is to function properly. Never assume that your role in the body of Christ is not essential to the success of the church body.