Who is Israel – the Jews. I do not worship an inconsistent GOD! I believe that a certain amount of grace may be imparted by the Lord to the infant at that young age, even though the infant obviously has no idea of what is really going on. you are confusing yourself brethren. When we enter the waters of baptism, we’re proclaiming the gospel message. I believe there are five main reasons as to why Jesus wants us to include water baptism as part of our salvation experience with Him. In other words, we have now died with Christ and we have now risen with Christ if we are willing to accept Him as our personal Lord and Savior. As such, every Christian should make it their top priority to be baptized with water as soon as they can after receiving their salvation from the Lord. I believe God is trying to tell us that getting into His Word and soaking into the truths of His Word will “wash” and scrub us clean just like taking a good bath or shower will clean the dirt and grime off our physical bodies. Preparing the American Underground Church, Video: 3 Multiplication Keys by Joel Comiskey, Activate Evangelism with Evangelist Will Jones and Dr. Matt Queen, Prepping Your Online Small Group Environment, Developing an Anit-Racist Culture in Your Small Groups. When you are being fully immersed in the water during the rite of water baptism, this is a perfect symbolic act that all of your sins have now been fully forgiven and fully washed away by the blood that Jesus has personally shed for you on the cross. Peter and the apostles did not have to tell them what baptism meant. 2. The message that was spread would have to stay CONSISTENT. Food for Thought… Thank you. I was reading Smith Wigglesworth’s book “On The Holy Spirit”, and I’m quite sure I came to a part where he said something about if a person has been saved and has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and has been speaking in tongues, he should feel no need to be baptized with water, and I was surprised that I would actually read that, since everyone seems to be all about water baptism. How simple can you get. Without works, the world can never be impacted by our salvation, yet as we all know, Salvation is not for us alone. We have seen many people have wonderful encounters with the Holy Spirit as they came out of the waters of baptism. We are now all part of the same one Spirit, and that one Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself. Even though He was the sinless Son of God who was in perfect communion with the Father, even though John the Baptist was awkwardly resistant to baptizing Jesus, Jesus became an example for us when He got water baptized in Matthew 3:13-17. He commanded his disciples to spread the Truth of his Word to save souls and to baptize them with water as a rite connected to the saving of a soul. Water is a mode – cleanse outer person. It doesn’t…in fact, John 7 and 16 teach that the Holy Spirit WOULD NOT come until AFTER Jesus died, which means Pentecost was the first appearance of the Holy Spirit. If Peter’s message in Acts 2 (given directly to him by God through the Holy Spirit) was water baptism for forgiveness of sins, then that message would be the same message taught by the other apostles, and Philip,and Paul,and Apollos,and Aquila and Priscilla, and Timothy, and Titus, and Barnabas, etc, and is THE SAME MESSAGE WE SHOULD BE TEACHING TODAY. In ancient times, the word referred to a number of processes such as dipping to draw wine, steeping tea in hot water, the two-fold process of pickling, and driving a herd across a stream, river or body of water. Baptism identifies us with Christ. For the most part, I believe that you should go through the proper chain-of-command in the Body of Christ and have either the pastor or one of the ordained clergy of your church do the water baptism if you belong to a church. Since Jesus is our model baptism is the right way to get connected to Christ. Notice in verses 6 and 7 the word “water” is being directly connected to the rite of water baptism. Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Jesus desires us to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8) and not keep our faith in a closet. He was baptized with water. Water Baptism should have dropped off after Calvary, as animal sacraficing did. Peter preached Christ to the Jews showing proof that he fulfilled prophecy of the ‘coming Messiah”. John was baptizing people with water and prophesying that the Messiah would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. Right along side of that, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a gift from our Heavenly Father, in fact, a great gift that is better than anything any earthly father could give. As you read the New Testament, water baptism is an obvious mandate. Today I want to focus on a practical step you can lead people to take that will make them stronger disciples of Christ: Water Baptism. Though we are not actually saved by water baptism, Jesus still wants all of us to include this rite as a part of the salvation experience with Him. Jesus said in Mark 16:16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. The Bible says the church is the body of Christ and through baptism we are joined to that body (1 Cor. THE MANDATE OF WATER BAPTISM. It’s a decision a person makes for themselves. When he himself was baptized the holy spirit in the form of a dove sat on him and God spoke from heaven acknowledging that he was his son and he was pleased with him. He said “no.” I shared with him the importance of water baptism. Thanks for the article but I do not believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is necessarily an automatic result of believing in Jesus for salvation. Baptism means to cleanse. Therefore, when the person believes in Jesus Christ and understands the gospel, he must be baptized … Although important, water baptism alone is not salvation. I for one, will obey, but if there is a question in your mind whether you should or shouldn’t be water baptized, why not do it if nothing else, not to take a chance of going to Hell? Where does the BIBLE teach that anybody was baptized with the Holy Spirit (except possibly Jesus himself at his baptism by John) BEFORE Pentecost? Here are two powerful, foundational verses showing us that there is only one baptism, and that this one baptism is being baptized with the Holy Spirit. This is a very beautiful and powerful rite to go through and experience with our Lord. Satan and all other fallen angels believe in Jesus Christ and they too know WHO He is exactly, but they are not Holy in any way and therefore, they do not possess the Holy Spirit. Let’s appreciate each others opinion, we are all learning. The Importance of Baptism. The book of Acts is the story of the spread of God’s word, and it follows step-by-step the pattern Jesus predicted: First in Jerusalem, then Judea, then Samaria, then to the ends of the world (Acts chap 1). Water baptism is one of the first things we can do practically in our lives to show our desire to live to honor God. As you will see in reading these next set of verses, Jesus is specifically commanding all of us to baptize with water when we are working with others to get them saved. “dying” is a verb, does that mean it’s a work? I stopped parroting the teachings of men some time back. I believe the word “water” in this verse means “the Word of God.”. And just as Jesus fully resurrected on the third day from His death, in the same way the pastor raising us up out of the water represents us being fully resurrected into a new and better life in Jesus. Children are often curious as to the why and the how of things like baptism. Peter said “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, for the forgiveness of your sins”…why must we complicate that? Water baptism is a demonstration of our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. This rite of passage is very beautiful and very powerful – and it is making a bold and powerful statement to the Lord, to yourself, and to the rest of the world when you actually go through it. What gives us the right to now say we understand it better than the original 11 (12 including their new partner Mathias) apostles of Jesus? Your small group member will have a stronger identity in Christ as they allow others to see them as a follower of Christ. You have to be initiated first before you can enjoy the benefits of being a born again Christian. Baptism Is An Expression. It is of first importance to note that this work is done by God. In other words, we are now being given a brand new life with a brand new fresh start. Dear *****,Thanks so much for your email. I believe small group leaders have an amazing opportunity to “water the seed of salvation” that is deposited in a person’s heart when they make a decision for Christ. The Bible first mentions Christian baptism in its accounts of John the Baptist. 4. Being willing to be fully submerged in water to symbolize the complete washing away of all of your sins is a very powerful statement to make before the Lord and anyone else who may be witnessing your personal baptism. After Pentecost- it was the Apostle Peter , who kept Water Baptism going -Acts 10:47-48. Once again, I will break these verses down under 8 different captions so you can see exactly what the Lord is trying to show us with this powerful rite of passage. As Christians, one of the first rites I believe every born-again believer should observe, either at the moment of being saved in the Lord or sometime shortly thereafter, is to be baptized with water. When you are being fully immersed during the rite of water baptism, you are going through a perfect, symbolic act of having all of your personal sins completely washed away by the blood of Jesus. It really seals the deal with our Lord. I too had felt that way, so it was no surprise to me that one who was born again, baptized with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues would feel that way, only that I would actually be reading it in a book, especially one written so long ago, another generation or two. Others will argue that water baptism should only be done when a person is old enough, ready enough, intelligent enough, and mature enough to make a public profession of faith to the Lord. If you can be baptized with water at the time you are receiving your salvation in the Lord, that is great and you should always do that if at all possible. The first baptism of the Holy Spirit (other than Jesus own baptism by John) occurred on Pentecost, which led to the baptism -in water- of 3000 people, and they were baptized by the very apostles who received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Everyone seems to be saying the Holy Spirit came again the first time at Pentecost. I further illustrate by taking an empty glass of water and explain the glass represents our bodies which was made for a purpose – to contain a substance. What is the importance of water baptism? But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”, Water baptism is a public confession of one’s faith in Christ. All rights reserved. 3 – When they come up out of the water, he places his hands on them to receive the Baptism with the Holy Spirit…and they speak in tongues as they receive it. There are several things we can do for a new believer such as encouraging daily devotions and prayer, etc. Otherwise, we are lost in a sea of MAN’S opinions and confusion about what GOD originally intended. The Peter syndrome is another topic. His flesh was weak but his spirit was now super strong after 40 days of fasting and being alone with God. (Acts. Let’s talk about some easy ways to explain the complex reasons why some choose to be baptized. Copyright © 2005-2019 by Michael Bradley and Chris Bradley. When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we immediately receive the Holy Spirit on the inside of our human spirits. I. In other words, our old man was fully put to death. May God continue His blessings to you. I am one of the Elder preachers and I benefited from the notes very much. Some denominations like the Catholics still like to baptize infants with water shortly after their births. Thus, water baptism includes the Biblical component of ‘fellowship’ as well. Jesus meant exactly what He said in this verse, Compare these verses also John 7:37-39, Colossians 2:9-13, 1 Cor.12:13 and 1 Cor. However, in cases where you cannot get to a church for whatever reason, I believe that every believer has the authority from the Lord to be able to baptize, since we all have a royal priesthood from the Lord. To dismiss it as an unimportant discipleship step is to miss it’s value and the spiritual dynamics that it encompasses. You cannot accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior unless you have some basic information and knowledge as to what eternal salvation in Him is really all about. They believe the word “water” is referring to being baptized with water. The significant symbols that are important for baptism are baptismal font, water, oil and… Throughout the Old Testament the Holy Spirit visited certain people but did not stay. As you will see in one of the verses listed below, we are saved by grace through our faith in Jesus – not by any type of water baptism. When one looks at burj khalifa the tallest building in the whole world, what marvels them most is the beauty of the building yet in actual sense it should be the foundation that holds it firm into the ground. In other words, we have to believe in our hearts who Jesus really is, and then be willing to confess out loud with our mouths the basics of our salvation as to who He really is, and exactly what He has personally done for us with His sacrificial death on the cross. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. I believe you only need to be baptized once with water. Water baptism is a symbol to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Notice that John the Baptist is saying that he was baptizing people with water, but that when Jesus would come, He would be baptizing people with the Holy Spirit. To be initiated, you have to go through baptism, and baptism involves beign dipped into water. To symbolize the washing away of our sins 3. People need no translation or version: , somebody’s “in-other-words that subtly turns the meanings of God’s inspired ,written word, in a direction it does not truthfully go. I base my reasoning off the last two verses. baptō The first evidence of that gospel message was on Pentecost, after Christ’s death. Notice that it says “the washing of water” by the Word. Not only are we being directly joined to the Lord through the Holy Spirit as a result of being saved, but we now also get to become an actual member of the Body of Christ, which is the Church itself. Back to Baptism by water, yes its a work, but a necessary work just like forgiveness, generosity, evangelism, abstinence from sexual immorality, and last but the root of all, obedience. Add it to your list of announcements to share at your small group meeting. Rom 10:9 (NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Nowhere in the Bible or in civil law are you required to express your love to your spouse, but we know that it's important. The Jews knew it meant immersion in water, and they followed the order Peter gave them in Acts 2:38. βάπτω It is never too late to go through a proper water baptism if you have never done so before. When you put it all together, the rite of water baptism is like the putting the icing on the cake. The anti- Christ’s are behind the false teaching’s in the denominational/ non- denominational church’s (man’s). The rite of water baptism perfectly symbolizes the purification and cleansing that we are receiving from the Lord during the salvation experience with Him. As they are raised up out of the water they are filled with the hope of Christ’s saving power! The word for “baptism” in the Greek language is “baptizo” which means to immerse, to plunge or to dip. The Names of Jesus: Who is Jesus According to the Scriptures? Nothing wrong with emotion, it’s a powerful thing God has given us to enrich our lives on earth, but our faith can’t be based on that alone. 1. very well written Tony Morris. The gospel message MUST BE CONSISTENT…all people must be saved in the same way, by following the same steps that Peter taught in Acts 2. His gospel was the suffering, dying, burial and resurrection of Jesus. It was the infilling of living water( liquid love ) that made the difference. Strong’s Greek Dictionary provides the root word for baptized as being: However, I do not believe that water baptism is an actual “essential” for a true salvation experience to occur with the Lord. Water plays an important symbolic role in Catholicism. It is true that water iself does not contain any saving virtue, but God has chosen to include it in HIS plan of salvation. But once everyone is baptised in fire, all of that sinful nature is dead and gone. 1John 2:18-27. In summary, faith without works is like a tree stump. Unfortunately, this is a common occurence in our churches today. Another area of debate on this issue is whether or not to undergo a full immersion or to just have water sprinkled or poured on you. Your comment would be spot on IF “Baptism” was properly defined as “being dipped or immersed into water” as you profess. However, this one official baptism is not water baptism – it is being baptized direct with the Holy Spirit Himself. But we are baptized because of faith, and faith ALWAYS requires work. Do you want to help them solidify their faith in Christ so they can endure trials and tribulation (Mark 4:17)? When you put it all together, the rite of water baptism is like the putting the icing on the cake. The rite of water baptism by way of a full immersion is thus a perfect outward symbol act of both the death and resurrection of Jesus. As you all know, people can receive the Lord’s free gift of salvation anywhere and at anytime. 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