The baptism in the Holy Spirit has already been accomplished, as seen in 1 Corinthians 12:13. “In one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free” (ASV). 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 incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Christ are all accomplished facts, as well as His descension in the Spirit. The Lord has not only ascended to the heavens, but He has also descended upon His church in the Spirit. The real meaning of His descension is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Ten days after His ascension, He descended in the Spirit to clothe His Body. Before this time the church was without authority and power. But now this wonderful Christ-who was incarnated, crucified, and resurrected-ascended to the heavens and was there enthroned. Everything was finished and accomplished; so He descended in the Spirit to clothe His Body as authority and power. The church was baptized in the Holy Spirit by this ascended and descended Christ. This is the baptism in the Holy Spirit which was accomplished at the day of Pentecost and in the house of Cornelius upon the Body of Christ. We must realize that we were all there! This baptism in the Holy Spirit is ours because we are members of this baptized Body. We need to read 1 Corinthians 12:13 again. “In one Spirit were we all baptized.” We have all been baptized already!
The Scripture tells us plainly that Christ died for our sins. And we are told just as plainly that we were already baptized in the Spirit. We know that the Scripture, as the Word of God, is called the Old and New Testaments. The Scripture is the Testaments of God. The word “testament” really means “will,” and a will or a testament is more than a covenant. A covenant is similar to an agreement or a contract. In a contract, certain things are promised if certain conditions are met. However, in a will everything is already accomplished. The Bible is not only a covenant telling us that God will do many things for us, but it is also a testament telling us that He has already done everything. All has been finished and accomplished, and He has put all in a will and now leaves it to us. A will can only be in force if the giver is dead. Christ, the Giver of the will, not only has died to make the will good, but as the resurrected Christ, He is also the Executor of the will. He was the Giver, and now He is the Executor! Everything in the Bible has already been accomplished; it is a will, a testament.
How do we know that Christ has died for our sins? Because in this Will (the New Testament) we are told, as one of the items, that He has already died and all our sins were laid upon Him. We do not need to pray for several days and nights in order to be saved. No, we can be saved immediately by simply taking what the Lord has already accomplished and itemized in the Will (the Testament) of God. How may we know that we have been baptized in the Holy Spirit? By the same principle, there is another item in the Will telling us, “For in one Spirit were we all baptized.” The baptism in the Holy Spirit has not only been accomplished, but it has been passed on to us through the Will. It is an item of the Will that has been given to us. We need only take it.
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