(We Are) Baptised Into Him
Through spiritual baptism, we become members of Christ's body and are baptised into His person, experiencing spiritual birth and life in Him.
G.W. North emphasizes that the Church is the earthly manifestation of the spiritual body of Christ, which is indwelt by Him just as His physical body was. He explains that baptism in the Holy Spirit is essential for membership in this spiritual body, allowing individuals to function within it. This baptism not only immerses believers into the body of Christ but also into the person of Christ, enabling them to be alive with His Spirit. North highlights that this spiritual baptism signifies a believer's spiritual birth and their transformation into a living member of Christ. Ultimately, it is through the Spirit that believers are united with Christ for both life and function.
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Viewed in the light of information supplied in verses 12 and 13, this all seems natural and quite normal. The Church is seen to be nothing less or other than the manifestation on earth of the spiritual counterpart of the body of Jesus of Nazareth. At present it is being indwelt and used by Him in the same way as that past body of flesh and blood was indwelt and used by Him then. Though not in a literal, identical manner, nevertheless in the same sense as His physical body was but one and yet was a unity of many easily distinguishable members, so also is the spiritual body of the person of Christ.
Membership in His body is synchronous with our initiation into His life and takes place when we are baptised in Holy Spirit. For this reason baptism in the Spirit is absolutely necessary for each one of us. In that Spirit we are immersed by Jesus Christ into actual membership of His spiritual body, with a distinct individual function readily understood by all.
However, far more importantly than this aspect of the Baptism, at the same time we are each one individually baptised into the spiritual person of Jesus Christ. This is accomplished in us only because when baptising us, He also causes us to drink into one Spirit. Seeing that the body is His body, it follows that the Spirit we drink into can be no other than His Spirit. It certainly cannot be anyone else's, for there is only one spirit per person and body: that is why a body can only be one person's body.
As upon being baptised into the body of Christ a person becomes a member of that body, so it is also that upon being baptised into the person of Christ, a person becomes alive with the Spirit of Christ. By such means and only by them can a person become a functional, living or life-member of Christ. At our spiritual baptism we go into the person of Christ for life and into the body of Christ for function. Obviously it is at this time that a person becomes Spiritual, for all is of and in and by and for and from the Spirit. Because this is so, it must be the actual time of spiritual birth, for how can it be anything other?
Sermon Outline
- The Church as the Spiritual Body of Christ
- Membership in Christ's Body
- Baptism into the Person of Christ
- We are baptised into Christ's person and become alive with His Spirit
- This is the time of spiritual birth and the beginning of our life in Christ
Key Quotes
“At our spiritual baptism we go into the person of Christ for life and into the body of Christ for function.” — G.W. North
“By such means and only by them can a person become a functional, living or life-member of Christ.” — G.W. North
“It certainly cannot be anyone else's, for there is only one spirit per person and body: that is why a body can only be one person's body.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must be baptised in the Holy Spirit to become members of Christ's body and experience life in Him.
- Our baptism into Christ's person is the time of our spiritual birth and the beginning of our life in Him.
- As we drink into one Spirit, we become one with Christ and His life and power.