THE LIVING CHURCH
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PAUL ARRIVES in Ephesus and finds about 12 disciples. They had been taught concerning Jesus Christ and believe on Jesus, but the teaching they had received had been inadequate and so their faith was defective. They had not even heard about the Holy Spirit, let alone experienced his presence with and in them. On hearing this, Paul asks them what sort of teaching they had received, and they tell him that all they know is the baptism of John.
It is very important that we should understand the experience of these disciples because it has great relevance for the church. There are many disciples who are members of the visible church today who are in fact in the same position as these disciples, even though outwardly they have received water baptism in the name of Jesus.
For these disciples, faith rested on the baptism of John, the baptism unto repentance. This meant that they had been made conscious of their sin and their need to repent, but did not understand or know where true forgiveness and reconciliation with God is found. They were seeking to follow Jesus and live as he would have them live, but they were doing this to make themselves right before God and win the forgiveness they craved. John's baptism of repentance was only a preparatory work, though very necessary. When we see our sin and need, and have been brought to repentance for our sin, we look for a way of being forgiven and saved from the consequence of that sin. The natural way such forgiveness is perceived to be obtained is by 'turning over a new leaf' and seeking to live a holy life and so pacify God's just anger against us. This never can achieve forgiveness. Firstly our good in the future can't cancel the sins of the past. Secondly we soon find that our best efforts not to sin are far from perfect, and although we improve in holy living, we can't stop failing and sinning.
These disciples only knew the baptism of John the Baptist, and so were locked in this doing for their acceptance with God and the gaining of forgiveness. There are hundreds and thousands, in the various denominations today, who are in this condition. They believe in Jesus. They can say the creed and believe it, but they are still seeking to establish their own righteousness before God.
John the Baptist never saw his ministry as anything else than a preparation for the coming of Jesus. He testified to the fact that Jesus was coming who would baptise with the Holy Spirit, and he pointed to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The important thing to realise is that when John the Baptist spoke about Jesus in this way, he was telling people that in Jesus there was new life which brought complete and full forgiveness, reconciliation and fellowship with God. This was because Jesus would baptise not just unto repentance but with the Holy Spirit. In other words Jesus, on the merits of his perfect work of atonement, poured out his Spirit, giving all the benefits of his atonement. These are forgiveness and reconciliation with God, and the sending of his Spirit to convey these blessings. Alsoit means the Holy Spirit raises a person to new life, and dwells within a person bringing them the experience of knowing God, and his love and power in their lives.
From the day of Pentecost, in the New Testament, the evidence of this salvation brought by the Spirit of God was speaking in tongues and prophesying. Firstly they began to speak of the truths of the Gospel with understanding. Prophesying in the New Testament is first and foremost the ability to proclaim the truths of God with understanding and power. It is only in a secondary sense being able to see things in the future. Secondly, in New Testament times, evidence of the Spirit was indicated by being able to speak in tongues, but this is not necessary to being baptised by the Spirit.
Being brought into the experience of Salvation is to be baptised by the Spirit of God. We are raised to new life, and given the power to believe in Jesus alone for forgiveness, and the Spirit lives in the new person, that has been born of the Spirit, in righteousness and true holiness. We are restored to fellowship with God. Paul makes it clear in 1 Corinthians that the gifts of the Spirit are real, but these are gifts distributed as the Spirit wills, and not all have any one gift. In 1 Corinthians 13 Paul also makes plain that the gifts of the Spirit can be counterfeited by the devil, and the only way true gifts can be authenticated is that they are accompanied by the love of Christ shed abroad in the heart.
Let us be sure that our faith is Spirit given, and not based on working our own salvation by our own imperfect works.