We have already established that on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 the church that Jesus establish (Matthew 16:18) was baptized by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, one might ask why other occasions happened in which the Holy Spirit baptized other people. If this was supposed to be a one-time baptism of the church body, why did it happen again?
Up until the day of Pentecost the Jews were considered God’s chosen people to evangelize the world. They failed to evangelize and withdrew into their own religious world making up their own laws in addition to what God issued. From the very beginning, it was God’s plan to include everyone in the plan of salvation whether they were Jews are not.
In Acts chapter 2 the Holy Spirit came upon the members of the church who were all Jews. To conform to God’s plan, the Holy Spirit also baptized Gentiles as recorded in the home of the centurion named Cornelius. He was a devout man and a believer in the true God. As a side note, it is interesting that Peter was the one who preached a sermon in Acts chapter 2. He was also the one God sent to Cornelius. God removed any prejudice or discrimination against those who should be included in his church.
As a result, the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles who were gathered together at the home of Cornelius. We know this was God’s plan because later in chapter 11 the leaders of the church recognized these Gentiles as part of the believers. Afterwards, they were also baptized in water the same as the Christian Jews. In Acts 11: 18 the conclusion was that “God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.”
What a wonderful thing is the plan of salvation that is available to any and all people who will believe. There are no stipulations imposed. There is no preparation or self-improvement. There is no getting better to be worthy. We become part of God’s family by believing in Jesus as the Son of God, Savior, who died on the cross and rose from the dead. This is not head knowledge. This is a genuine conviction on a spiritual basis that he who believes will receive the promise of eternal life through Christ.
Anyone who believes in Christ as Savior becomes part of the church that was originally baptized by the Holy Spirit whether they are Jew or Gentile. Since then, after receiving Christ as Savior, it is our opportunity and expectation of God that we be baptized by immersion as an indication of our faith in Jesus. Our old man of sin is buried as Christ’s body was buried. Our new man in God is resurrected from the water as Christ came forth from the grave. We are then proclaiming to the world that we are a new creation in Christ. Our intention is to live for God, tell others about the resurrection power of Jesus, and serve him according to Scripture.
Christian Writer 