Good summary, except that it does not include Scripture indicating that WB is a work that follows saving faith (like circumcision)
and therefore may be optional like any other specific work, such as Rom. 10:9. Here is how I describe spiritual dynamics:
Before describing the dynamics of the relationship with God as a Christian, let us ponder how it works more primitively. Human nature was created good but not perfect (Gen. 1:31), and Jesus had a human nature that was perfected during his earthly life (Heb. 5:8-9), which moral perfection should be every Christian’s lifelong goal (Phil. 3:12-15).
Humans are born selfish but innocent babies until they attain the stage of moral accountability or conscience (normally about the stage of pre-pubescence), comparable to when Adam and Eve became aware it was wrong to eat from the forbidden tree (Gen. 2:17). At this stage a person’s interaction with the Spirit of God begins, but
a soul’s fellowship with God begins in a primitive or impersonal way when the person exercises God’s seeking grace to becomes a truthseeker, because God’s Spirit is Truth (1John 5:6) and seeking salvation satisfies the command of Jesus regarding saving faith (Matt. 7:7), although the sinner does not know it (Rom. 1:17)
As a truthseeker at any time in history contemplates creation, Paul indicates that they will be able to discern God’s being and loving will in nature (Rom. 1:20, 2:14-15, Gal. 5:14) by means of what theologians call general revelation. When they realize that God has a moral requirement, if they worship Him they become like Abraham, and the relationship with God becomes personal (Rom. 4:1-25). Presumably God provides such believers the opportunity to learn the proto-gospel, so they may repent of sin and accept the pre-incarnate sacrifice of Christ, whether in the form of Abraham’s ram (Gen. 22:13) or Moses’ lamb (Exo. 12:21).
At the moment of repentance/saving faith, the Spirit of Christ/God’s Holy Spirit enters the believer’s spiritual heart (Rev. 3:20)–again even though they do not realize it–because Paul taught that whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ (Rom. 8:9). Of course, partial knowledge of God’s Word will limit ability to cooperate with Him, so there is a need for evangelism and learning the full Gospel (Matt. 28:19-20). If a moralist truthseeker (on the basis of general revelation) is taught about God (perhaps via the OT), then he/she may choose to believe in God or become a theist. If theists are taught the Gospel (NT), then they may choose to believe/accept Jesus as Christ. In both cases salvation is a gift/grace from God received by faith “from first to last” (Rom. 1:17).
When a sinner learns the NT Gospel of Christ, repents and confesses Jesus as Lord (Acts 20:21, Rom. 10:9), the Holy Spirit (HS) enters the convert’s heart (Rom. 5:5, Rev. 3:20), uniting them with God as heavenly Father (Rom. 8:9) and identifying them with Christ’s worldwide/catholic body or church (Col. 1:18), which moment is called spiritual rebirth (John 3:3-8) or
“baptism by the Spirit” (1Cor. 12:13).
Confusion may arise from the fact that Paul says there is only one baptism (Eph. 4:5), but elsewhere the NT seems to refer to two types of baptism: one by water (WB) and another by the HS (Matt. 3:11, John 1:26-33, Acts 1:5). Any confusion is resolved by understanding that
the two types of baptism are harmonized if baptism with water is viewed as a symbolic way of portraying baptism by the HS. (Most Bibles have a footnote for Mark 16:9-20 saying that the passage is not a reliable or well-attested part of the NT canon, so it is problematic to cite v.16 as requiring water baptism for salvation along with drinking poison or handling asps as signs of being saved.)
Both
outward confession and WB may be seen as works manifesting love for God that every new Believer will want to (but we cannot say “must”) perform as soon as possible following his/her decision to have saving faith (cf. Matt. 3:13-15, Acts 2:38). Paul referred to the comparable moment for Abraham as spiritual circumcision. Although Paul did not command baptism, he administered it (in Acts 16:33, 18:8, 19:5 & 1Cor. 1:114-16) even though he said Christ did not send him to baptize but to preach the gospel (1Cor. 1:17). IOW, Paul’s focus was on preaching (spirit baptism/SB) and he probably left the WB to his assistants.
The outward evidence that someone was baptized by the HS and is Spirit-filled (Eph. 5:18) or walking with God is the manifestation of the fullness of Christ (Eph. 3:19, 4:13) or fruit of the Spirit, which consists of such attributes as those listed in
Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Jesus said “All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:35, 1John 4:7-21), because “love” sums up the moral character of God (1John 4:7-8). (He did NOT say “…if you are WB.”)
The relationship between Believers/Christians and God may be viewed as having three stages: conversion, spiritual growth or maturation (Eph 4:13), and glorification (1Pet. 5:10) or immortality (1Cor. 15:53) in heaven. The kerygmatic prayer that is necessary in order for a sinner be saved and walk with God is confession (1John 1:9, Psa. 32:1-5). Because a convert’s commitment to Christ is in accordance with God’s perfect will (1Tim. 2:3-4), the moment of SB fulfills the command to be filled with the Spirit (in Eph. 5:18), which means to cooperate fully with the love of God (Eph. 3:16-19).
The moment or stage of conversion may be described grammatically as occurring in the past:
we were saved when we repented/received SB. From the moment of repentance onward begins the second stage of growth, discipleship (Acts 14:22) or sanctification (2Thes. 2:13), which is present progressive: it is the process of being saved now. This stage has two phases: instability and maturity. A new convert does not achieve immediate perfection by remaining filled with the HS (Phil. 3:12). Instead, the combination of temptations, ignorance of GW and the old selfish nature results in immature saints committing post-conversion sins, at which time the are carnal or acting like unbelievers (1Cor. 3:1). As soon as new Christians realize they sinned, they should confess it...