Message Three—The Essential Spirit of Resurrection Life and the Economical Spirit of Ascension Power

THE THIRD PART: 24 CRUCIAL LINES IN THE BIBLE

The Consummated Spirit

Message Three
 The Essential Spirit of Resurrection Life
 and the Economical Spirit of Ascension Power

Scripture Reading: Luke 24:49; John 20: 22; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4, 33; 4:8; 6:3; 13:52; 1 Cor. 12:13

I. The Scriptures reveal that there are two aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit: the inward aspect for life—the essential Spirit—and the outward aspect for power and authority—the economical Spirit—John 14:17; 20:22; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8: 

A. Essential refers to the existence, to the being, and to the life for existence; economical refers to work, function, and power—v. 8; John 14:17. 

B. As a man, Christ Himself experienced these two aspects of the Holy Spirit—Luke 1:35; 4:18: 

1. He was born of the Holy Spirit essentially for His being and living, and He was anointed with the Holy Spirit economically for His ministry and move—Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:18, 20; 3:16; Luke 4:18. 

2. The essential Spirit was within Him, and the economical Spirit was upon Him—1:35; Matt. 1:18, 20; Luke 4:18. 

C. In principle, both aspects of the Spirit are the same with us as they were with the Lord Jesus; every believer in Christ should experience both aspects of the Spirit—24:49; John 14:17; 20:22: 

1. Inwardly we need to drink of the Holy Spirit for life, and outwardly we need to be clothed with the Holy Spirit for power and authority—1 Cor. 12:13; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8. 

2. Inwardly we need the breath of the Holy Spirit breathed into us for life, and outwardly we need the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing upon us for power—John 20:22; Acts 2:2, 4. 

3. To experience the Spirit as our life for our spiritual being and existence is essential; to experience the Spirit as power for our spiritual work and function is economical— Rom. 8:11; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8. 

4. Regarding the Spirit of life, we need to breathe Him in as the breath; regarding the Spirit of power, we need to put Him on as the uniform, typified by the mantle of Elijah— John 20:22; Luke 24:49; 2 Kings 2:9, 13-15. 

II. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the outpouring of the consummated Triune God as the all-inclusive compound Spirit by the Head upon His Body—Luke 24:49; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:1-4; 10:44-47; 11:15-17; 1 Cor. 12:13: 

A. Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the believers were put together to form the Body of Christ, joined to Him as the Head—v. 13. 

B. The real meaning of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is that we are immersed in the Triune God and that we put on the Triune God as our uniform—Luke 24:49. 

C. The baptism in the Holy Spirit was accomplished in two sections—Acts 2:1-4: 

1. All the Jewish believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost—vv. 1-4. 

2. All the Gentile believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit in the house of Cornelius—10:44-47; 11:15-17. 

3. In these two sections all genuine believers in Christ were baptized in the Holy Spirit into the one Body of Christ once for all universally—1 Cor. 12:13. 

D. There are five historical cases of the outpouring of the Spirit recorded in Acts, only two of which are called the baptism in the Holy Spirit—1:5; 8:15-17: 

1. In these two cases Christ as the Head baptized the Jewish and Gentile parts of His Body in the Holy Spirit once for all; by so doing, He fully accomplished the baptism in the Holy Spirit upon His Body—Acts 1:5; 11:15-17. 

2. In the other cases the baptism in the Holy Spirit that had already been accomplished upon the Body by the Head was transmitted to the new members of the Body through identification with the Body; these three cases were experiences of the one baptism in the Holy Spirit, which the Body of Christ had already received—8:15-17; 9:17; 19:1-7. 

E. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is uniquely one and has been accomplished upon the Body once for all; the experiences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are numerous and may be shared continually by the members of the Body who have a proper understanding and realization—4:8; 139: 

1. We need to realize that the Lord has ascended and that He is the Lord and the Head over all things to the church— Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-11; 2:33-34; Eph. 1:19-23. 

2. The baptism of the Body in the Holy Spirit is an accomplished fact and now exists upon the Body, ready for us to apply; this fact is a bequest given to us through the New Testament as a will—Luke 22:20; Heb. 8:8, 13. 

3. We need to be right with the Body, stand in the Body, believe the will, and take the baptism in the Holy Spirit by faith—1 Cor. 12:13; Heb. 11:1, 6. 

III. As believers in Christ, we should experience both the inward and the outward filling of the Spirit—Eph. 5:18; Acts 2:4; 4:8; 6:3; 13:9, 52: 

A. To be filled with the Spirit inwardly is to experience the essential Spirit as life—Eph. 5:18; Acts 6:3; 13:52. 

B. To be filled with the Spirit outwardly is to experience the baptism in the Spirit for power and authority—1:5, 8; 2:4; 4:8; 13:9. 

C. When we are filled with the Spirit both inwardly and outwardly, we are completely mingled with the Triune God, who fills us, occupies us, and covers us; inwardly and outwardly, everywhere and in everything, there is the Spirit as the consummation of the processed Triune God—1 Cor. 12:13. 

Ministry Excerpts:

TWO ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Essential and Economical

Thus far, in our definition of the Divine Trinity and of our experience of the Divine Trinity, we have used two new words in our spiritual vocabulary: essential refers to the existence, to the being, and to the life for existence; economical refers to economy, work, and function. When we speak of the essential Trinity, we mean the Divine Trinity in His existence, referring to His being. When we speak of the economical Trinity, we mean the Divine Trinity in His economy, referring to His move, work, and function. To experience the Triune God as our life for our spiritual being, spiritual existence, is essential. To experience the Triune God as power for our spiritual work, spiritual function, is economical. To feed on the Lord as food, to drink Him as water, and to breathe Him as air is essential because it is related to the inner life for our spiritual existence. To put on the Lord as our clothing, to be clothed with the outpoured Spirit as power from on high, is economical because it is related to the outward move and work. On the day of resurrection the Lord breathed the Spirit of life into the disciples. That is essential. On the day of Pentecost the Lord poured out the Spirit of power upon the disciples. This is economical. On the one hand, they received the Spirit of life into their being essentially, and on the other hand, they received the Spirit of power upon them economically. Eventually, they became persons of the all-inclusive Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, "God's New Testament Economy," ch. 7)

The Spirit Coming to Jesus Christ in Two Ways

We have seen that the Spirit came to Jesus Christ in two ways. First, the Spirit came essentially for the Lord’s being, His existence. Second, the Spirit came to Him economically for His work, His ministry. In principle, both aspects of the Holy Spirit are the same with us as they were with the Lord Jesus. With Him there was the essential aspect for His being and the economical aspect for His ministry. With us there is also the essential aspect of the Spirit for our spiritual existence as regenerated believers, and there is the outward aspect of the Spirit for our Christian work. Therefore, we need to see how the Spirit comes to the New Testament believers both essentially and economically. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 85)

In Acts 2:2 the Holy Spirit is likened to “a rushing violent wind.” The rushing violent wind is for power. It does have something to do with the breath, for it is the wind that brings the fresh air to breathe. But the main significance of the wind is power. The breath is for life, and the wind is for power.

John, in his Gospel, used drinking water and breath as two symbols of the Holy Spirit. That is the inward aspect for life, for John’s Gospel is mainly concerned with life. However, Luke used two other symbols: clothing and the rushing violent wind. The writings of Luke (his Gospel and Acts) do not emphasize the matter of life, but the preaching of the gospel (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). In preaching the gospel, authority and power are needed. So clothing represents authority, and the rushing violent wind represents power. If a policeman attempts to exercise his authority without wearing the proper uniform, no one will respect his authority; but when wearing the proper uniform, everyone honors his authority to act in the capacity of a law enforcer. So also we must be clothed with the Holy Spirit that we may have divine authority and power for God’s work.

Both Aspects of the Work of the Holy Spirit
 Being Necessary to Us

Both aspects of the work of the Holy Spirit are necessary to us. Inwardly, we need to drink of the Holy Spirit for life, and outwardly, we need to be clothed with the Holy Spirit for authority. Inwardly, we need the breath of the Holy Spirit breathed into us for life, and outwardly, we need the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing upon us for power. The inward aspect is the Holy Spirit as life within us. The outward aspect is the Holy Spirit as power upon us. The inward aspect of life is for our inward experience, and the outward aspect of power is for our outward experience. The inward aspect is “in” us (John 14:17; 4:14; 7:38), while the outward aspect is “upon” or “on” us (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:3; 8:16; 10:44; 19:6). (CWWL, 1965, vol. 1, "The Baptism in the Holy Spirit")

Needing Both the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Life Inwardly
 and the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Power Outwardly

As a Christian, we need both the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of life inwardly and the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of power outwardly. Then we will be strengthened in life and equipped with power.

Brothers and sisters, what is our condition? Are we filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit of life? And are we clothed outwardly with the Holy Spirit of power? If we would be a living, functioning member of the Body of Christ, we must be filled inwardly with the Holy Spirit as life, and we must be clothed outwardly with the Holy Spirit as power. Then we will be strong in life and equipped with power for our function in the Body. If, when we come together as believers meeting before the Lord, there is a lack of function in our midst, it is due to these two matters. On one hand, not many believers are really filled with the Holy Spirit of life inwardly. And more, very few are really clothed with the Holy Spirit of power outwardly.

When I was called by the Lord to serve Him, I soon realized that I lacked something both inwardly and outwardly. Oh, how I knew it! I went to the Lord and prayed and prayed, and thus I discovered that inwardly I needed the life of the Holy Spirit and outwardly the power of the Holy Spirit. I went to the Lord and consecrated myself to Him over and over again. I waited on the Lord, willing to be dealt with. I learned how to exercise my spirit to cooperate with Him, and I learned how to deny myself. Moreover, I learned more about my need to experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord, after a time I knew that I had been both filled with the Holy Spirit inwardly and clothed with the Holy Spirit outwardly. Oh, from that time everything was different. My ministry was changed and there was a real release. (CWWL, 1963, vol. 2, "The Four Major Steps of Christ," ch. 4)

According to John 20, in the evening of His resurrection day, the Lord appeared to His disciples, breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). In this verse the Holy Spirit is likened to breath. Breath is something inward, something related to the life within us. In John 20:22, therefore, the disciples received the Holy Spirit as breath for life.

Forty days after His resurrection, the Lord commanded the disciples to remain in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them. That descending of the Spirit upon the disciples was for power, not for life. In John 20 we have the Spirit inwardly for life; in Acts 1 we have the Spirit outwardly for power, for baptism. When a person is baptized, he does not drink the water; instead, he is immersed in the water. In a similar way, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is a matter of the Spirit coming upon us outwardly so that we may have power.

The Lord’s word to the disciples concerning the Holy Spirit in chapter one of Acts was fulfilled in chapter two. On the day of Pentecost “suddenly there came a noise out of heaven like a rushing violent wind,” and it filled the house where the disciples were sitting. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4). On the day of the Lord’s resurrection the disciples received the Holy Spirit as breath for life. Then fifty days later, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as a rushing mighty wind. We can easily see the difference between breath and wind. Breath is for life, and wind is for power. In John 20 and Acts 2 we have two symbols of the Holy Spirit: the breath for life inwardly and the wind for power outwardly. (Life-study of Mark, msg. 67)

The Former as the Water of Life Requiring Our Drinking;
the Latter as the Water for Baptism
 Requiring Our Being Immersed

To have the Holy Spirit upon us is different from having the Holy Spirit in us (John 14:17). The Holy Spirit was breathed into the disciples on the day of the Lord’s resurrection to be the Spirit of life to them essentially. The same Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost to be the Spirit of power economically. As for the Spirit of life, we need to breathe Him in as the breath. As for the Spirit of power, we need to put Him on as the uniform, typified by the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:9, 13-15). The former as the water of life requires our drinking (John 7:37-39); the latter as the water for baptism requires our being immersed. These are the two aspects of the one Spirit for our experience (1 Cor. 12:13). The indwelling of the Spirit of life is essential for our life and living; the outpouring of the Spirit of power is economical for our ministry and work. (Life-study of Acts, msg. 4)

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
BEING THE OUTPOURING OF THE TRIUNE GOD,
 CONSUMMATED IN THE ALL-INCLUSIVE COMPOUND SPIRIT

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the outpouring of the Triune God, consummated in the all-inclusive compound Spirit, by the heavenly Head upon His Body on this earth, not for life but for administration, not as life essentially but as power economically to carry out God’s economy. This baptism in the Spirit was prophesied by John the Baptist. John told his followers that he was sent to baptize people in water. To baptize people in water is to terminate people in their old realm of life, the world, and bury them. He also told his disciples that One was coming after him who would baptize people in the Spirit (Matt. 3:11). To baptize people in the Spirit is to bring people into a new realm of life, the kingdom of God. For the processed Triune God to be given into us as the Spirit of life is for our germination. Then for the processed Triune God to be poured upon us as the Spirit of power is to bring us into a new kingdom. These two things should be put together since they are both carried out by the same one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). The same one Spirit as the Spirit of life germinates us and as the Spirit of power brings us into a new kingdom. Therefore, all the believers of Christ are Spirit-germinated persons and also persons brought into a new kingdom by the Spirit.

The Spirit as the Ultimate Consummation
 of the Processed Triune God

This kind of person is altogether a person of the Spirit, who is the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God. Such persons are germinated by the Spirit as life and also brought into a new kingdom by the Spirit as power. These persons are not only germinated, enlivened, and quickened in life, but they are equipped to carry out God’s administration in His kingdom for the fulfillment of His eternal plan. I hope that we all would receive a clear vision of this. The Spirit is the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God, first, to be breathed into our being, to germinate us, to enliven us, to quicken us, so that we may have the processed Triune God as our life essentially. We then become the God-men, living God’s life. Then the Spirit as the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God brings us into a new kingdom by baptizing us with the power from on high to make us qualified persons in God’s kingdom to carry out His eternal plan.

From Acts 2 these one hundred twenty, including the twelve, became persons who were enlivened, quickened, and regenerated by the Spirit of life breathed into them by the resurrected Christ in His resurrection to be God-men, living God, expressing God, and also brought into God’s kingdom by the Spirit of power poured upon them by the ascended Christ in His ascension to execute God’s administration. These are the kind of persons we have to be today. We have to be germinated by the Spirit of life essentially, and we have to be empowered by the Spirit of power economically. Then we live God, and we carry out God’s plan. The resurrected Christ’s breathing of the Spirit of life into us germinates us, making us the members of Christ, and the ascended Christ’s baptizing us in the Spirit of power, putting us into the Triune God, makes us all the members of Christ’s one Body. Germinating makes us the members of Christ, but there is another step—the step of baptizing. Baptizing makes us, all His members, one Body. First Corinthians 12:13 says that we all were baptized in one Spirit into one Body. As long as we have first been germinated and then baptized, we become members of Christ and are composed into the one Body of Christ. It is by the breathing Spirit that we are made members of Christ, and it is by the baptizing Spirit that all the members of Christ are made one Body of Christ. Now in this universe there is the Head in the heavens, and there is the Body on this earth, cooperating together to carry out God’s administration for His eternal plan. Even though we are still in the old heaven and the old earth, we are already in the new heaven and the new earth through the germination of the Spirit of life and the baptism in the Spirit of power.

The Believers Being Baptized into the Triune God
 through the Baptism in the Spirit

In Matthew 28:19 the Lord Jesus charged His disciples to go and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name, that is, into the person, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. To be baptized into the person of the Triune God is to be baptized in the all-inclusive consummated Spirit, who is the ultimate consummation of the processed Triune God (Acts 1:5, 8). This means to be baptized into the riches of the Father, into the riches of the Son, and into the riches of the Spirit. To be baptized into the Triune God means to be brought into an organic union with the Triune God. We sinners, after believing into the Lord Jesus, have been baptized into the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. This produces an organic union. Now we, the baptized ones, are in this organic union. Therefore, whatever the Father has, whatever the Son has, and whatever the Spirit receives all become ours.

Were you baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit or into the name of the Lord Jesus? In Matthew 28 to be baptized is to be baptized into the Triune God. Then in Acts, to be baptized is to be baptized into the Lord Jesus (8:16; 19:5). This indicates clearly that the Lord Jesus in Acts is the consummation of the Triune God. He is the aggregate of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Then in the Epistles the apostle Paul defines baptism. He says that to be baptized is to be baptized in the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). The New Testament tells us to be baptized into the Triune God, into the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit. This indicates that the Lord Jesus is the totality of the Triune God, and the Spirit is the realization of the Lord Jesus. We all have been baptized in the Spirit, and this means to be baptized into the Lord Jesus, which means to be baptized into the Father, the Son, and Spirit, into the Triune God. This baptism brings us into an organic union with the Triune God. Therefore, we become one with the Triune God, and whatever He is and has is ours because we are organically united to Him. This baptism in the Spirit is symbolized by the baptism in water (cf. Acts 9:17-18; 10:44-48). Baptism in water is a figure, the reality of which is the baptism in the Spirit. Without the Spirit as its reality, baptism in water immediately becomes an empty and dead ritual.

Through the baptism in the Spirit, by being baptized into the Triune God, the believers were put together to form the Body of Christ, which is joined to Him as the Head. Christ is the Head, and we are His Body, joined together to be the great universal man.

Being Baptized in One Spirit
 and Given to Drink One Spirit

To be baptized in the all-inclusive consummated Spirit not only puts us, the believers, all together to be the Body of Christ but also positions us to drink Him to receive the all-bountiful supply (Phil. 1:19) of the processed and transmitted Triune God so that we may be nourished to be the strong and active members of the Body of Christ for the carrying out of God’s eternal plan. When the Lord poured Himself out as this all-inclusive consummated Spirit upon His disciples, He accomplished the baptism in the Spirit. He passed through incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Then He poured Himself out. For Peter, James, and John, the early disciples who were with the Lord throughout His earthly ministry, to be baptized in the Spirit was the last step that they went through. However, to be baptized in the Spirit was the first step for the house of Cornelius (Acts 10). Today we are just like the house of Cornelius. Our beginning is from the baptism in the Holy Spirit. When the house of Cornelius received the baptism in the Spirit, they began their spiritual life. They began to drink of the Spirit. This is why 1 Corinthians 12:13 tells us that “in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body…and were all given to drink one Spirit.” After we were baptized, we began to drink. To be baptized is to be put into Christ and to put Christ upon us (Gal. 3:27); then we begin to drink of Christ and to take Him in.

First we are put into Christ; then we receive Christ into us. This corresponds to the Lord’s word in John 15:4, where He says, “Abide in Me and I in you.” He also said in John 14:20 that He was in the Father, that we are in Him, and that He is in us. We must first be in Him; then He will be in us. We are in Him by being baptized into Him, and we have Him in us by drinking of Him. To baptize people into water is a demonstration of the baptism of the Spirit. One who believes in the Lord is baptized into the Triune God. Then we demonstrate this by putting this one into water, signifying that he has been baptized into the Triune God, into Christ, and into the all-inclusive Spirit. From this time onward, this baptized one begins to drink of the Spirit so that the Lord can abide in Him.

Today the Lord has accomplished everything. The breathing of Himself into the believers has been accomplished, and His baptizing the believers in the Spirit has also been accomplished. Once we believe in Him, we receive His breathing, and we receive His baptizing. He breathed once for all, and He baptized once for all. In the book of Acts thousands of people believed in the Lord in many instances, but there is no record that every time new believers came in, the Lord breathed again and the Lord baptized again. The breathing was accomplished, and the baptizing was also accomplished. When someone believes in the Lord, he gets into His baptizing. Then he is put into Christ and begins to drink Him in. Christ begins to abide in him. This baptized and drinking one is a new member in the Body of Christ. (CWWL, 1984, vol. 3, "God's New Testament Economy," ch. 7)

The Real Meaning of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Being That We Are Immersed in God
 and Put God on as Our Clothing

The real meaning of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is that we are immersed in God and put God on as our clothing. As Christians and members of Christ, we must be filled with Him inwardly and clothed with Him outwardly. This is what we need, and this is exactly what He is doing with us. We must be clear about this, claim it by faith, and receive it. Then we have it; we are filled within and clothed without, and in this way we are persons who are fully mingled with Him. We can live and walk by Him as life, as power, and as everything. (CWWL, 1964, vol. 2, "A General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church (Part 1—The Gospels and Acts)," ch. 6)

Being Accomplished in Two Sections

Concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the Lord Jesus said in 1:5, “John indeed baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” This was accomplished in two sections. First all the Jewish believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Then all the Gentile believers were baptized in the house of Cornelius (10:44-47; 11:15-17). In these two sections all genuine believers in Christ have been baptized in the Holy Spirit into one Body once for all universally (1 Cor. 12:13). Therefore, what happened on the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius was the fulfillment of Acts 1:5.

Peter’s word in Acts 11 proves that what happened in the house of Cornelius was the second step in Christ’s baptizing His Body in the Holy Spirit once for all. Peter said, “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as also on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized in water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit” (vv. 15-16). Therefore, the record in Acts strongly indicates that only these two cases are considered the baptism in the Holy Spirit. In these two instances the Head Himself did something directly on His Body. There was no third party, no intermediary, between the Head and the Body. (Life-study of Acts, msg. 31)

Only Two Historical Cases of the Outpouring of the Spirit
 Recorded in Acts Being Called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The outward aspect of the Holy Spirit’s work is mostly included in the baptism in the Holy Spirit. There are five historical cases of the outpouring of the Spirit recorded in Acts. Only two are called the baptism in the Holy Spirit: the outpouring at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 for the Jewish believers and the outpouring in the house of Cornelius in Acts 10 for the Gentile believers. Acts 1:5 and 11:15-17 verify this fact. In these two instances Christ as the Head baptized the Jewish and Gentile parts of His Body in the Holy Spirit once and for all. By so doing, He fully accomplished the baptism in the Holy Spirit upon His entire Body. With the other three cases—(1) the Samaritan believers in Acts 8:17, (2) Saul in Acts 9:17, and (3) the Ephesian believers in Acts 19:6—the Scriptures record the act of the laying on of hands through representative members of the Body. The significance of this act is that the baptism in the Holy Spirit already accomplished upon the Body by the Head was transmitted to the new members of the Body through identification with the Body. The laying on of hands is only a form, of which the real meaning or reality is that we must be rightly related to the Body so that we may be in the right position to partake of the baptism in the Holy Spirit already accomplished upon the Body. Therefore, these three cases are not three separate baptisms in the Holy Spirit but three experiences of the one baptism in the Holy Spirit which the Body of Christ has already received.

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT BEING UNIQUELY ONE;
THE EXPERIENCES OF THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
 BEING NUMEROUS

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is uniquely one and was accomplished upon the Body of Christ more than nineteen hundred years ago. But the experiences of the baptism in the Holy Spirit are numerous and continually shared by all the members of the Body of Christ who realize it in this way. We must therefore recognize the one baptism and seek the many experiences of it. Peter first received the baptism (1:5, 8; 2:4) and later experienced it again and again (4:8, 31).

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
 Already Being Accomplished

The baptism in the Holy Spirit has already been accomplished, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:13. “In one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free.” Notice that the verb is in the past tense. The baptism of the whole Body of Christ in the Holy Spirit is something which is already accomplished and still exists. It is not to be accomplished in the future or even in the present, but it has already been accomplished and still exists. It is the same principle as that which applies for the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus. If we would believe in Him, we need not ask Him to die again for us, because His redeeming death has already been accomplished. It is the same with the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This baptism has been thoroughly completed upon the Body and now exists upon the Body, ready for us to take. We need not ask the Lord to do something again to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. We have already been baptized by the Lord in the Holy Spirit in and with the Body. What we need to do now is simply to take what has already been accomplished!

The Proper Way to Experience
 the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

We have briefly given the proper definition of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We must now see the proper way to experience it. First of all, we must realize that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is an accomplished fact. It is an item of the testament, the will given to us all, and we are all entitled to it as members of the Body. However, we must not stop here. We must go on:

Being Right with the Body of Christ
 and Standing in It

(1) We must be right with the Body of Christ and stand in it. Since the baptism in the Holy Spirit has been accomplished upon the Body of Christ and still exists upon it, we must be properly related to the Body and maintain this proper relationship with the Body in order to be one with it. Of course, we ourselves must get right with the Lord. Any sin, anything wrong between us and God, must be thoroughly dealt with through the cleansing of the blood of Christ. Nothing between the Lord and us should be allowed to remain. But we must also get right with the Body of Christ. Anything that frustrates, distracts, or separates us from the Body must be fully dealt with and real oneness and harmony maintained with the Body and its members. Nothing should remain between us and the Body. If some separation exists, if we are wrong with the Body, if we do not stand and keep our position in the Body, we will lose the ground for claiming and partaking of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Since the baptism is on the Body, the Body is the ground for us to claim and take it. Therefore, a real identification and proper relationship with the Body are necessary for the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Taking the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
 by Living Faith

(2) We must take the baptism in the Holy Spirit by living faith. If we are right with the Body of Christ, we are in a position to take the baptism in the Holy Spirit. We should realize that it has been already accomplished and now exists upon the Body of Christ. As members of the Body of Christ, maintaining a right relationship with the Body, we are entitled to claim it through the exercise of living faith. (CWWL, 1965, vol. 1, "The Baptism in the Holy Spirit")

On the day of resurrection Christ imparted Himself into His disciples as life, and on the day of Pentecost Christ put all of His disciples into Himself. Just as we take water in, Christ dispensed Himself as the living water of life into His disciples on the day of resurrection. Then, just as we baptize people into water, Christ baptized His disciples into Himself on the day of Pentecost. On the day of resurrection Christ put the “water” into the disciples, and on the day of Pentecost He put the disciples into the “water.” This water is Christ, the very Triune God. The Triune God was put into us as our life on the day of resurrection, and we were put into the Triune God on the day of Pentecost. The Triune God is power to us; because we have been put into Him, we have been put into His power and authority. Therefore, within us we have the Triune God as our life, and upon us we have the Triune God as our power and authority. We have Christ, the Triune God, as our living drink within and as our clothing and covering without.

All of this has been accomplished and applied to us in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Now all we need to do is to receive it by faith. We should simply take it and say Amen. If we would say Amen to the Lord, we have it. (CWWL, 1964, vol. 2, "A General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church (Part 1—The Gospels and Acts)," ch. 8)

Being Completely Mingled with the Triune God

To get into the Spirit and to take the Spirit into us are to be completely mingled with the Triune God. The Triune God fills and occupies us within, and He covers us without. Within and without, everywhere and in everything, there is the Triune God. (CWWL, 1964, vol. 2, "A General Sketch of the New Testament in the Light of Christ and the Church (Part 1—The Gospels and Acts)," ch. 6)