An Entirely New Color
This week, with the help of "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore, I'm presented with the task of overviewing the Holy Spirit's ministries. One reason I'm thrilled to begin this week is that I'm aware of how little time I actually spend studying the Holy Spirit. I'm excited to get to know the very One who's indwelled me for over 10 years, no longer will I categorize Him as ambiguously as I have in the past.
Of the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit Beth Moore addresses (Conviction, Baptism, Regeneration, Indwelling, Filling, Restraining, and Sealing) Baptism stood out the most to me. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says this about baptism by the Holy Spirit:
The word for baptized in this passage is baptizo (not too far off from the english, right?). This word was often used to describe the procedure in which a piece of cloth was dipped into dye, resulting in an entirely new color. It's an idea of complete wetness and submersion.
This description reminded me of 2 Corinthians 5:17 and the whole "old has passed away, new has come" principle. When I think about the old leaving and the new coming, I can sometimes be discouraged that the old me wasn't good enough, or that I'm giving up something. Now, these ideas may be taking the entire concept out of context, but they're discouraging none the less. In contrast, Baptizo offers an equally radical, but more personal rendition of the concept of newness. When you dip a cloth in dye, you're not changing the cloth. It's still the one from the cupboard on the righthand side of the abandoned mechanic's garage. The difference with the cloth is that it is identified and sealed with an entirely different and impenetrable essence. The beauty of the Spirit's baptism is that it marries the ideas of sameness and metamorphosis, inside and out. I can be exactly who I was designed to be in a way that's not just fresh, but entirely new. Not reused; renewed.
Of the seven ministries of the Holy Spirit Beth Moore addresses (Conviction, Baptism, Regeneration, Indwelling, Filling, Restraining, and Sealing) Baptism stood out the most to me. 1 Corinthians 12:13 says this about baptism by the Holy Spirit:
"For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit."
The word for baptized in this passage is baptizo (not too far off from the english, right?). This word was often used to describe the procedure in which a piece of cloth was dipped into dye, resulting in an entirely new color. It's an idea of complete wetness and submersion.
This description reminded me of 2 Corinthians 5:17 and the whole "old has passed away, new has come" principle. When I think about the old leaving and the new coming, I can sometimes be discouraged that the old me wasn't good enough, or that I'm giving up something. Now, these ideas may be taking the entire concept out of context, but they're discouraging none the less. In contrast, Baptizo offers an equally radical, but more personal rendition of the concept of newness. When you dip a cloth in dye, you're not changing the cloth. It's still the one from the cupboard on the righthand side of the abandoned mechanic's garage. The difference with the cloth is that it is identified and sealed with an entirely different and impenetrable essence. The beauty of the Spirit's baptism is that it marries the ideas of sameness and metamorphosis, inside and out. I can be exactly who I was designed to be in a way that's not just fresh, but entirely new. Not reused; renewed.
"If I could not hold a pen,
I would write of You on my heart instead,
You have bought me with Your blood,
And I am painted red by Your love.
If I could not say a word,
My life would speak of love I don't deserve,
Hope means holding on to You,
Grace means You're holding me too."
(lyrics by JJ Heller, "Painted Red")
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