MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (á½…σοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
Divine Guidance
Written by: Max Klein
Introducing the subject:
1. There are three categories of the will of God namely the Directive Will of God, the believer in fellowship and in obedience to the Spirit, the Permissive Will of God, permitting the believer to live in carnality and thirdly, the overruling will of God, in protecting believers both in and out of fellowship.
2. The believer functioning under the Directive Will of God is the believer advancing spiritually under the Two Power Options like Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey.
3. The believer functioning under the Permissive Will of God is the believer who is in the status of carnality like David when he made the decision to commit adultery.
4. In the Directive Will of God the believer’s modus operandi is twofold: the Filling of the Holy Spirit and consistent spiritual growth through doctrinal inculcation, which is perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine. While Paul was on his missionary journeys, he was under the directive will of God for the most part.
5. No one can ever know the will of God for his life apart from Bible doctrine circulating in the seven compartments of the Stream of Consciousness.
6. In the Permissive Will of God, the believer substitutes human volition for divine sovereignty. The believer is using his volition contrary to the will of God.
7. The believer in the Permissive Will of God is generally kept alive (with some exceptions) under logistical grace, so that he can exercise his options for or against the will of God. Paul lived under the Permissive Will of God the moment he entered into Jerusalem in 58 A.D. for God the Holy Spirit made it absolutely clear what the will of God was for his life and that was for Paul to go west to Rome which directive will he completely ignored at that time.
8. The Overruling Will of God is designed to accomplish the purpose of God in spite of the failure of the believer. When Paul entered the Temple in Jerusalem in 58 A.D., he was dragged out by a large group of Jews intending to kill him. However, God overruled this attempt and did not allow Paul to be killed. Eventually, Paul was taken to Rome as a prisoner where he was to go two years earlier.
9. When the believer rejects the Directive Will of God, enters into the permissive will of God. Under the permissive will of God, he will receive warning and if necessary intensive divine discipline. Under dying discipline, the Permissive Will of God is removed. The believer’s days of doing as he wills contrary to God’s plan is over.
10. The Permissive Will of God is based on the sovereign decision of God to allow human volition to co-exist with his sovereignty.
11. Another way of looking at divine guidance is through punitive action from God. The believer receives two categories of punitive action from the Supreme Court of Heaven under the concept of indirect punitive action and direct punitive action. The indirect punitive action is stated in the Law of Volitional Responsibility, whereas direct punitive action is related to divine discipline.
Colossians 3:25. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of that wrong which he has done [self-induced misery: cause and effect], and there is no partiality [from God].
Suffering related to self obviously follows the policy of wrong thinking, wrong motives, wrong decisions, and wrong actions in life. Sometimes it’s a matter of lack of common sense or bad judgment from not knowing your limitations. Good decisions result in blessing from God; bad decisions result in suffering from self: self-imposed, self-induced, and self-indulged. Divine punitive action is designed to guide the believer back to reality.
Hebrews 12:5-6. And so you yourselves have forgotten a principle of doctrine which teaches you as sons [Prov 3:11-12], ‘My son, do not make light of corrective discipline from the Lord, nor be fainting when you are reproved by Him [intensive discipline]; (6) for whom the Lord loves He disciplines [warning discipline], and He skins alive with a whip every son whom He receives [intensive discipline].’
Divine discipline to the believer is parental training in the royal family of God. Like parental training, divine discipline is designed to inculcate humility, and from that humility, true objectivity for life. You are never oriented to life until you are objective. People who are basically subjective have a much more difficult time in learning from and receiving blessings from God’s discipline. The Law of Volitional Responsibility and divine discipline are ways God used to guide the believer.
12. There are three checkpoints in the will of God namely the geographical will of God. Where does God want me to be? The viewpoint will of God. What does God want me to think? The operational will of God. What does God want me to do? These are not accomplished through emotion or lust. These three must be accomplished through much Biblical information stored in the soul as metabolized doctrine.
Definition:
1. Divine guidance is the doctrine of knowing the will of God for your life, related to both specific and general things, by the operation of your own thinking in the application of doctrine under two categories: The short term will of God, which means, what does God want me to do today? The long term will of God, which means, what does God want me to do with my life?
2. Divine guidance is the communication of God’s will through Bible doctrine. The will of God for the believer is found in every imperative mood found in the New Testament and in the future indicative mood with the negative and the aorist subjunctive with the negative in the original languages of Scripture.
3. God’s will for the Church Age believer is clearly expressed in the Canon of Scripture, with emphasis on the epistles of the New Testament.
4. Before the completion of the New Testament Canon, God’s will was revealed through direct communication from God in dreams, visions, trances, dialogues, angelic teaching, in discipline, and in that part of the Canon which then existed.
5. Every divine mandate in the epistles dealing with the Filling of the Spirit, perception, metabolization, application of Bible doctrine, and spiritual growth are major factors of God expressing His will for your life.
6. God’s will is also made known to us through divine punishment. Divine discipline and human disaster as a classification of guidance from God is limited to the negative aspect of God’s will. Divine discipline is a warning signal from God that the believer is not in the will of God. Discipline and disaster are God saying in effect, “No, you are not in My will and therefore, I will attempt to guide you back via discipline.”
7. The sovereignty of God and the free will of man coexist in human history to resolve the prehistoric angelic conflict. Since they coexist in history, God intends for us to know and do His will.
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8. The volition of the believer can respond or react to the will of God. Positive volition results in the believer executing the protocol plan of God. Negative volition results in the believer’s failure to fulfill the plan and glorify God.
9. Divine guidance is the doctrine of determining the will of God for your life. Most people want to run to someone else and get counseling. If you are not learning doctrine daily, all the counseling in the world will not help you determine God’s will for your life. Divine guidance and the execution of the will of God is always a private matter between you and God.
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Categories of the Will of God:
1. The viewpoint will of God is what God wants you to think.
2. The operational will of God is what God wants you to do.
3. The geographical will of God is where God wants you to be.
4. You can know the viewpoint, operational, and geographical will of God for your life only by having maximum doctrine in your soul. Only in this way, will the Christian be properly guided.
Mechanics of the Will of God, Acts 11:
1. Guidance through prayer as in verse 5, "I [Peter explaining to Christian Jews in Jerusalem what had happened in Caesarea] was in the city of Joppa praying [we do not know the content of his prayer]; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,”
2. Guidance through objective thinking of Bible doctrine, verse 6 “and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air.”
3. Guidance through perception and recall of doctrine, verses 7-10, “I also heard a voice saying to me, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat,' (8) but I said, `By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth,' (9) but a voice from heaven answered a second time, `What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.' (10) This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.”
4. Guidance through providential circumstances, for example the people we meet, verse 11, “And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we were staying, having been sent to me from Caesarea.”
5. Guidance through the Filling of the Holy Spirit and humility, verse 12, “The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man's house.”
6. Guidance through fellowship and comparison of spiritual data, verses 13-15, “And he [Cornelius] reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, `Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here [about 40 miles away]; (14) and he [Peter] will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and your entire household. (15) And as I [Peter] began to speak [the presentation of the gospel to which Cornelius and his household responded by believing in Christ], the Holy Spirit fell upon them [the Indwelling and the Filling of the Holy Spirit] just as he did upon us at the beginning [of the Church Age at the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem].”
7. Guidance through recalling of doctrine, verse 16, "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit [baptized into union with Christ].'”
Documentation:
A promise of guidance:
Isaiah 58:11. The Lord will guide you always [the advancing believer]; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
Ephesians 5:17. Therefore, stop becoming fools [Either the believer refuses to learn or refuses to apply what he has learned. So, he has neither wisdom nor common sense nor the ability to be guided by the Word.], but keep on understanding what is the will [plan, purpose; the Greek word thelema (θá½³ληµα)] of the Lord.
A few points for clarification:
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1. The Christian must learn the Word before he can execute the Word.
2. Without knowledge of God’s Word there cannot be any application of the Word.
3. Without knowledge of the Word, there cannot be truth in the soul.
4. Without truth in the soul, there cannot be common sense since common sense is a form of applied truth.
5. Without knowledge of God’s truth in the soul, there cannot be wisdom.
6. Without knowledge, common sense, and wisdom, the Christian cannot be guided by the Lord
In Romans 8:14 we are introduced to the Holy Spirit as the major factor in divine guidance. “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” There is no divine guidance apart from knowing the Word of God and being controlled by the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
Romans 12:1. I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God [the grace blessings from the integrity of God] that you place your bodies under orders [obeying God is to be guided by God] as a living, set-apart sacrifice. This is well pleasing to our God - your rational and spiritual worship.
We are on this earth to serve God, not for God to serve us. Why the body? Why not the brain? Why not the soul? The body of the believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is also the residence of the Old Sin Nature. These two are resident and mutually antagonistic as explained in Galatians 5:16.
Romans 6:13. And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
We must be in fellowship with God to be guided by God. Submission involves many decisions throughout the course of our Christian life. We do not decide what the will of God is for us; rather, He decides. He will lead us step by step when we are in fellowship as per the story of Joseph.
Maximum perception of doctrine, techniques, and promises results in the ability to be guided by God. To settle questions and problems not specified in the Bible, the believer must go from the known to the unknown. The known factors regarding guidance are all found in the Scripture. For example, a known factor regarding marriage is found in 2 Corinthians 6:14.
2 Corinthians 6:14, where you are told: “Do not be bound together with unbelievers.”
Marriage requires the highest possible spiritual life as per Ephesians 5:22-25. That is the known and answers two questions when should you get married and whom you should marry. So, you should not get married before having the spiritual capacity namely occupation with Christ as per this passage. Then, you must find a mate who also has such capacity. In this way, this passage in Ephesians guides you regarding the subject of marriage. You must marry a Christian with spiritual capacity if you want a successful marriage from start.
2 Peter 3:18a. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
‘Grace’ is the sum total of the plan of God. If you are in the will of God, you are in the plan of God. When you are in the plan of God, you should do the will of God. A full knowledge of and compliance with the will of God cannot be acquired apart from the stability of spiritual growth and maturity. Divine guidance involves one step at a time. Each step must be growth and advance in the spiritual life. Actually, the three mandates of guidance cannot be separated, for each is dependent upon the others. We must submit to the will of God through the Filling of the Spirit; we must know the will of God through the Word; and we must have spiritual maturity in order to do the will of God to the maximum. Failure to accomplish these three mandates through carnality, ignorance, and lack of spiritual growth prevents us from doing the will of God for our life.
The question of the will of God for each individual believer falls into three categories: What does He want me to think? What does He want me to do? Where does He want me to go? What does God want me to think? Obviously, He wants me to think divine viewpoint. In order to understand the viewpoint will of God we must store up doctrine in the right lobe so that it guides all our decisions.
The Operational Will of God What does God want me to do? The Operational Will of God involves everything that a Christian should and should not do to glorify God. The list of dos and don’ts guide the believer regarding the will of God. So, the requirements for doing the will of God are to learn and apply the Word and to advance to spiritual maturity.
The Geographical Will of God namely where does God want me to be? This category has to do with location. The geographical will of God, however, is never considered apart from the Operational Will of God. If believers are doing what God wants them to do, then they will eventually wind up in the place where God wants them to be. For example, we all understand that crossing an ocean or going to a foreign country does not make one a missionary. The Operational Will of God must come first. Christians prepare to become missionaries by first witnessing in their own locale, in their own circumstances. A believer who will not witness at home will never witness in another country where conditions are much more difficult. So, the Christian who is obedient to the Viewpoint Will of God, and the Operational Will of God will be led into the Geographical Will of God.
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There are many illustrations regarding the Geographical Will of God coupled with divine guidance. An excellent illustration of God’s geographical will is contained in the Book of Jonah. The will of God for Jonah was to go to Nineveh, where he was to declare the Gospel to the Assyrians, the hated enemy of the Jews, but instead of going to Nineveh, he took a ship going in the opposite direction. He was finally thrown overboard, swallowed by a great fish, and vomited onto dry land. Then, he reluctantly proceeded to Nineveh. Jonah’s problem was his hatred of the Assyrians, which created an unwillingness to execute the known geographical will of God. Another dilemma regarding the geographical will of God was faced by Jacob when he was to go down to Egypt for Jacob thought it was wrong for him to leave the Land, so God said, in effect, “Do not be afraid, Jacob. It is my will for you to go to Egypt at this time. But your family will come back again” This story is found in Genesis.
Genesis 46:1–4. So Israel [formerly called Jacob] set out with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. (2) God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, " Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here I am." (3) He [the Lord] said, " I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. (4) I will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also surely bring you up again; and Joseph will close your eyes [you will die in Egypt].
Acts 16:7, longed to go to Bithynia; but God restrained him because He wanted Paul in Philippi and Peter in Bithynia
Acts 16:7, And after they came to Mysia, they [Paul and his team] were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them.
David Livingston, the great missionary explorer of the nineteenth century, planned to go to China but was hindered by the war between England and China. Since it was God’s will for David Livingston to be in Africa, not China, the war in China made it impossible for him to be in that country. The geographical will of God for him was accomplished through this providential circumstance. Adoniram Judson started out for India, but officials would not let him land in Bombay. You see, God wanted him in Burma. What appeared to be a problem of immigration was actually a question of the geographical will of God.