Ye Are Washed, Ye Are Sanctified, Ye Are Justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus -- Part 1111

"But ye have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ: he is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son hath not the Father [but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.]

Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning, if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father, and this is the promise that He hath promised us, [even] eternal life. These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have of Him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you -- but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him ..." (I John 2:20-29)

"... but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus AND by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)

I have been told that the current modern day translators of the Bible would use the term "ghost" (in reference to Holy Ghost) if there was a physical manifestation within the scriptural passage, and conversely, "s/Spirit" if the original manuscript reference was intended to be spiritual. This has provided justification for the authors of today's modern day newly written Bibles to replace ALL references to the Holy Ghost with H/holy Spirit, regardless of any clear distinction made between the two.

The water baptism of Jesus -- described by four different disciples in the gospels serves as a prime example. Herein, the disciples share their written record with us, so that we as believers in Jesus by faith might grow in His knowledge and truth. But before we begin, I believe it is important to understand that "the anointing which ye have of Him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you -- but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him ..." (I John 2:27)

Beginning first with Luke's account -- "For as much as many have taken in hand to set forth a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, even as they delivered them unto us, which, from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first ... that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed." (Luke 1:1-3)

Remember too that the angel said to Mary (the mother of Jesus) that when the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, "and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:34-35)

"And behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son and shalt call His name JESUS. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David; and He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:30-33) This is the same Jesus that was about to be baptized in water.

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him and a voice came from heaven which said, "Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased." And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being as was supposed the son of Joseph ..." (Luke 3:21-22)

"And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him ..." (Luke 3:22)

While Luke writes of the Holy Ghost descending in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, Mark writes of the Spirit -- like a dove -- descending on Jesus.

"The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, "Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight." John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey.  And preached, saying, "There cometh One mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost." (Mark 1:1-11)

And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him, and there came a voice from heaven, saying, "Thou art My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1:1-11)

"And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him ..." (Mark 1:10)

Matthew elaborates on Jesus' desire to be baptized in water further, explaining how John the Baptist at first forbade Jesus saying that it is not Jesus who needs to be baptized by John but rather John baptized by Jesus. Note Jesus response. "Suffer [it to be so] now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15) Matthew writes:

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is He that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight." (Matthew 3:1-3)

This was the same John that had his raiment of camel's hair and a leathern girdle about his loins, and his meat was locusts and wild honey. All the people came to be baptized of him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. In one breath, he was seen telling the Pharisees and Sadducee's "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" while in another proclaiming, "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire -- whose fan [is] in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge the floor, and gather His wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:7-11)

In other words, Jesus was baptized so that He could officially enter the Melchizedek priesthood, thus becoming our High Priest now and forever. (Hebrews 5:6) "Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually." (Hebrews 7:3) "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus ..." (Hebrews 3:1) But I digress.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" And Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer [it to be so] now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he suffered Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him. And lo a voice from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:1-17)

"And Jesus, when He was baptized went up straightway out of the water and lo the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him." (Matthew 3:16)

John also speaks of the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove. Interestingly, and not mentioned in the other gospels, John the Baptist admits that he did not know Him but that He should be made manifest to Israel." (John 1:31)

And John bare record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. And I knew Him not, but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. Again, the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, "Behold the Lamb of God!" (John 1:29-36) And when the two disciples heard him speak, they followed Jesus.

"Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." (John 1:33)

So having read these various scriptural accounts -- John saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, Matthew saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him, Luke the Holy Ghost descending in a bodily shape like a dove descending upon Him, and Mark the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him -- what should be our takeaway?

First and foremost, we need to understand that after Jesus was taken up, Jesus "through" the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom He had chosen. (Acts 1:1-4) Not God in three persons co-equal with each other but one God who shall not share His glory with another. (Isaiah 42:8; Isaiah 48:11; Exodus 20:2-4)

"Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but Me: for there is no Saviour beside Me." (Hosea 13:4)
We also need to understand why baptism into the precious name of Jesus is critical. (Acts 2:37-42)

(And, as an aside, that the scripture Matthew 28:19 (whereby baptism is administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost) was revised by the Roman Catholic church in the 3rd century AD and therefore does not accurately reflect Jesus' commission to the disciples. For further clarification, note that all water baptisms in the scriptures were conducted in the name of the Lord Jesus).

Moreover, "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life .... alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:1-11)

And from Colossians: "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving -- for in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:2-9)

The mystery that was hid in the bosom of the Father from the beginning of time. The greatest love story ever told.

"And for this cause, He is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance -- for where a testament [is] there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament [is] of force after men are dead; otherwise, it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first [testament] was dedicated without blood ..." (Hebrews 9:15-18)

Who was our testator? The mediator of the new testament "that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions" willingly shed His blood on the cross? His cross? "Who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high ..." (Hebrews 1:1-6)

"God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets ..." (Hebrews 1:1)

"He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, to them that believe on His name." (John 1:10-12)

This is why --"For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." (Galatians 4:26)

We become complete in Him which is the Head of all principality and power. (John 1:1-18; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6) As such, we are to be "buried with Him in baptism wherein also ye are risen with [Him] through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised Him from the dead, and you being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickeneth together with Him having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross; having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:12-15)

It is for this reason that "... ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:11)

"The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle was yet standing ... " (Hebrews 9:8)

In the beginning, God (Genesis 1:1) The same Spirit of God that moved upon the face of the water when the earth was created (Genesis 1:2) The same Lord God who planted a garden eastward in Eden and there He put the man whom He had formed. (Genesis 2:9) The same God that was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14) We behold His glory, the glory of the ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER -- full of grace and truth." (John 1:14) The Comforter whom Jesus proclaimed -- the Father will send in My name.

Jesus said, "But the Comforter [which is] the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26)

Jesus said to His disciples again, "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me ... and ye also shall bear witness because ye have been with Me from the beginning." (John 15:26)

Who shall the Comforter -- the Holy Ghost -- the Spirit -- the Spirit of God (as pointed out in the various gospels) testify of? Jesus -- in whom ALL the fullness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily.

This is why Jesus said, "I and My Father are one." (John 10:30) Not separated into two -- the Spirit of Jesus and the Spirit of God -- (or three if we include the Holy Ghost) as trinitarians within the modern day religious culture present but "One Lord, one faith, one baptism." (Ephesians 4:5-6)

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." (Ephesians 4:5-6)

And how do we know this? Because when we believe in Jesus by faith, and are baptized into His precious name -- the only name given among men whereby we must be saved -- "ye have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ: he is an antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. Whosoever denieth the Son hath not the Father [but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.]

Let that therefore abide in you which ye have heard from the beginning, if that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son and in the Father, and this is the promise that He hath promised us, [even] eternal life. These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have of Him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you -- but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him ..." (I John 2:20-29)

"Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus." (Hebrews 3:1) Our Lord God who willingly became our Saviour. Let him who hath ears to hear, hear. Stand in the offering plate.