Part 7 of our Holy Spirit series focuses on how the Holy Spirit creates a clean heart. We believe this will be an 18-Part Series in which you’ll discover who The Holy Spirit is and what He does. Many attributes are given to The Holy Spirit throughout Scripture. He is not a force. He is a person. He is a member of the Trinity, a part of YHWH. He is referred to as a “he”. In Parts 1-6 of this series, we featured His part in creating, recreating, convicting, teaching, bringing us peace through hope, witnessing Jesus as God in the flesh, and creating a clean heart. Now, let’s look at how He connects the church.
1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
The first point I want to demonstrate is that this verse is speaking of baptism in the Holy Spirit, not a fleshly water baptism. By the Holy Spirit, we are all baptized into one body, the body of Christ.
Here are a few verses that make this clear.
Mark 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Being baptized into one body by the Holy Spirit connects the members of the church.
Ephesians 4
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Romans 12
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
We are all members of one body, being baptized into it by the Holy Spirit, with Christ as the Head.
We must also mention that like with everything YHWH does, the enemy counterfeits it. You’ve heard of “hive mind mentality”. Think of the rioters in the streets. Once an evil act is performed, like a pack of ravenous animals, the hive mind begins to form. Next, chaos ensues as deceived and simple minds under demonic possession blindly follow the head that leads to death and destruction. Each member of this hive mind is used and destroyed.
The body of Christ, as written above in Ephesians 4, is a unity bond of peace. We have peace because we have hope – a living hope sitting at the right hand of God The Father. We care for each member of the body.
2 Corinthians 13
11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
12 Greet one another with an holy kiss.
13 All the saints salute you.
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
1 John 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death.
Acts 2
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
I feel we can plainly see from these passages that we are all members of the church, the body of Christ, with Christ as the head. We are to take care of the members of the body, just as you take care of your own body. We never want the body to be dismembered. We never want a part of the body to be unhealthy, uncared for; therefore, we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ and assist our brothers and sisters in Christ with any needs they have. This assistance could be financial (giving money), mental (giving advice, comforting), or physical (giving rides, getting groceries, gifting assets such as clothes, appliances, etc.)
I want to end on Ephesians 2 “One in Christ” verses as they really take it home that we are all one in Christ by the free gift of the Holy Spirit. We are the temple for the Holy Spirit. With Christ as the cornerstone and the apostles as the foundation, we as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house. Oh! How wonderful New Jerusalem will be!
Ephesians 2
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
1 Peter 2
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
This is why we must care for our brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the body. This is why we must be Holy, for our Father is Holy. No one builds a house with broken stones. Even when a builder who uses wood chooses his lumber, he makes sure each piece has no cracks, no abnormalities, and is straight, perfect. This is how we are to be when we stand before the Throne of Grace. Be strong, be bold, be courageous, be Holy and do not let the other living stones crumble.