For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

—   whether Jews or Greeks,

“Greeks” are equivalent to gentiles since Paul contrasts them to “Jews.” Racial origin makes no difference to the Holy Spirit, placing us into the body of Christ.

—   whether slaves or free

Slavery was rampant in the first century. Once God baptizes a believer into the body of Christ, there is no social distinction between classes regarding the status quo in the body of Christ. God views them all on the same playing field.

— and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

For the second time, Paul uses the term “all” in this verse. God makes all believers “to drink into one Spirit.” The main idea behind Spirit baptism is that the church is one body. “All,” without exception, are part of the body of Christ. There are no people on the way to becoming a Christian. Either we are Christians, or we are not. The moment we believe that Christ forgave us because of His death on the cross, we become full-fledged members of the body.

“Been made” is causative. The Holy Spirit causes believers “to drink in one Spirit.” This is a truth that we cannot smell or taste – a truth that we accept by faith. If God did not make the statement that we have an identity in Christ, there is no way we would know it. Again, “made to drink” is aorist (one point), passive (the Holy Spirit does this to the believer), and indicative (it is real or a fact at the point of salvation), so it is a reality that the Holy Spirit comes to indwell the believer at the point of salvation.

Not only did the Holy Spirit place us in the body of Christ, but God placed the Holy Spirit within us – we have “been made to drink into one Spirit.” The Holy Spirit indwells every believer fully at salvation. God does not parcel Himself out to the believer in installments. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is part of the conversion.

PRINCIPLE:

Every believer possesses the indwelling Holy Spirit.

APPLICATION:

Our position before God is not an experience, emotion, or ecstatic experience. This position in God’s eyes is not progressive, for it is perfect at the point of salvation. It does not relate to human good or merit. Positional truth is eternal in nature; we have it forever once we receive it. The only way we know this to be true is from the Word of God. Positional truth can never be reversed, for it is eternally permanent.

Ga 3:26-27, ²⁶For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

God put into us all that we need for Christian living by giving us the indwelling Holy Spirit. We now need to claim by faith God’s provisions for Christian living.