The first article in this series of three suggested that the life of a disciple should be the true reflection of God’s character, as made visible in Jesus. The present article focuses on baptism as the actual beginning of the disciple’s journey. The final article will be about communion.
Ed, I think your conclusion is summed up so well in 1 Corinthians 6:11 (along with other key verses).
“…but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
We were sanctified at the time of our conversion and that sanctification lasts a lifetime, just as with our cleansing and our justification. I see no evidence of progressive sanctification in these Bible passages - being sanctified bit by bit according to how well we happen to be doing, be it a good day or a bad day.
I do see Christian growth over our lifetime as we learn to live by the love that the Holy Spirit has poured into our new hearts. Our sanctification is never in doubt. We are ready to meet our Lord face to face at any moment of any day because of what Jesus Christ has done for us and in us because He baptised us in the Holy Spirit…
I believe that this sanctification is true because our baptism at the time of our conversion and new birth was baptism of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism is simply a public celebration, an object lesson, of our baptism in the Holy Spirit. The reality is our participation in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, knowing this that our old self was crucified with Him and we rose to walk in newness of life in Him.
John the Baptist said it all in John 1:33. “…this is the One who baptises in the Holy Spirit.” This is the baptism that Paul is talking about in Romans 6 that is so fundamental to our understanding of salvation.