Where does the BIBLE teach that anybody was baptized with the Holy Spirit (except possibly Jesus himself at his baptism by John) BEFORE Pentecost? And it’s wrong to teach this Baptist doctrine in view and light of the holy scriptures. A. He wants new believers to get connected to the family of God. Since Jesus is our model baptism is the right way to get connected to Christ. And as a result of all of the old things in our lives having passed away, all things have now been become brand new. The Names of Jesus: Who is Jesus According to the Scriptures? The baptisms John performed had a specific purpose. Being baptized by either sprinkling or pouring does not capture or symbolize the above issues as well as being fully immersed into the water does. It was the infilling of living water( liquid love ) that made the difference. 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. Baptism identifies us with Christ. If we are only saved by grace through our personal faith in Jesus and not by any type of works we can do, which will include any type of water baptism, then why is Jesus telling us that He still wants us to include water baptism as part of the actual salvation experience with Him? Version. 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. I do not worship an inconsistent GOD! Going Deeper, Knowing God / By ISIK ABLA. 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. In summary, faith without works is like a tree stump. Baptism is an integral part of Christianity, making it vital that we understand the meaning of baptism and its place in Christian history. This is powerful and profound revelation being given to us by our Lord in these next 4 verses. I personally believe that God will honor and accept all three ways. Dear *****,Thanks so much for your email. As they are raised up out of the water they are filled with the hope of Christ’s saving power! I believe John the Baptist is letting us know that there is a major difference between being baptized with water like what he was doing before Jesus arrived on the scene, and then being baptized with the Holy Spirit through Jesus. Christian baptism is the means by which a person makes a public profession of faith and discipleship. Nicodemus responds by mentioning the experience of being born from the womb (v. 4). Just as Jesus’ physical body was fully placed into the grave, in the same way our physical bodies should undergo a full immersion in this rite. When we enter the waters of baptism, we’re proclaiming the gospel message. I agree with you totally. You do not need the water of water baptism to be able to be truly saved with the Lord. baptō Did not Jesus instruct his disciples not to leave Jerusalem till fulfillment of God’s Promise? Add it to your list of announcements to share at your small group meeting. 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. Discipleship, Discipling group members, Water Baptism. “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. Augustine called baptism a visible form of an invisible grace. Baptism is performed with water, either by immersion or sprinkling depending on religion. Meaning, Understanding and Importance of Water Baptism by Immersion The word "baptism" is from the Greek word "baptisma" and from a primary Greek verb "bapto," which is also the root of the word baptize. 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. Obedience to the Word of God. Let’s talk about some easy ways to explain the complex reasons why some choose to be baptized. Water baptism is one of the first things we can do practically in our lives to show our desire to live to honor God. I like the way you explained your response and I agree for the same reasons stated by the scripture you shared. Is not baptism something done to us, not something we do? Born of water refers to the water of baptism as a requirement for salvation. When Jesus died on the cross, His body was taken off the cross and His whole body was placed into a grave. If and only if “water” is referenced in the passage does the “whelming” involve water. 6:17. Jesus also said in Matthew 10:32-33, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. The gospel message must be true and consistent for everyone, meaning all people must go through salvation on the same pathway. And, Jesus also said that the Holy Spirit shall "baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (Matthew 3:11). Baptism, being immersed in water, is an act of obedience which completes the act of repentance. 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. Jesus himself had a train of good works following him. As you will see in one of the verses below, the Bible tells us that we have been “united together” with the Lord when we accept Him as our personal Savior. (Acts. It is of first importance to note that this work is done by God. Andrew resides in Minnesota with his wife Camille and their three sons. In other words, we are now being given a brand new life with a brand new fresh start. Being pierced to the soul they cried “Men and brethren, what shall we do”? Which is still a cleansing – Mt.3:10-12. Food for Thought… I. Since one of the outward signs of water baptism is being initiated into the Body of Christ, which is the Church, I believe you are better off having this rite done in the church, since this would be a perfect symbolic act of becoming an actual member of the Body. Upon receiving the Holy Spirit – You are now born again a new creature in Christ! Some denominations like the Catholics still like to baptize infants with water shortly after their births. He used water because he knew they believed in ceremonial washings! It really seals the deal with our Lord.Once again, here are the 5 main things that this powerful rite of passage will signify and symbolize with our Lord: 1. When you get baptized it is a testimony to God and people that you, by faith, will live a new life as an overcomer. Now, we are having the same trouble today. The first option looks to the context of Jesus’ words dealing with being born “again” (3:3). Water baptism is also a perfect, symbolic act of our old man and old life dying with Christ and our new life resurrecting with Christ. We then baptized him in a bath in one of the apartments. Here are some of the main verses from the Bible having to do with being baptized with water. Baptism to a 7-Year-Old. And as a result of becoming new creations in the Lord, all of the “old things” of our past have now fully passed away. “dying” is a verb, does that mean it’s a work? But I do not believe that this is the correct interpretation of the word “water” in this verse. The word for “baptism” in the Greek language is “baptizo” which means to immerse, to plunge or to dip. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” The Christian lifestyle is one of daily obedience to Christ and His Word. 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. salvation is a result of faith (believing), yet the bible also tells us that “faith without works is DEAD”-James 2:14-26. Water also signifies purification and cleansing. If that should happen, then the person who has just been saved should be baptized with water as soon as they reasonably can at a later date. The rite of water baptism perfectly symbolizes the purification and cleansing that we are receiving from the Lord during the salvation experience with Him. It’s been said, “Water baptism is an outward sign of an inward transformation.”. When God Says No: How to Handle Unanswered Prayers in Your Life, Applying the Parable of the Good Samaritan to Our Lives Today, Comfort Zones and How They Hinder Us Spiritually. The Holy Spirit did not show up again until after Jesus crucifixion. Introduces A Life of Obedience To Christ. , 5. Here is a very good verse that will specifically tell us that all of our sins have been fully washed away by Jesus, and that it is also directly tying in this divine act to being baptized with water. When a person goes through the waters of Baptism they are making a statement. 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 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. Baptism symbolizes being washed cle... Water baptism is for the remission of sins. 1. 10For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Water symbolizes a believer’s death to sin. Baptism has similarities to Tvilah, a Jewish purification ritual of immersing in water, which is required for, among other things, conversion to Judaism, but which differs in being repeatable, while baptism is to be performed only once. The Bible says the church is the body of Christ and through baptism we are joined to that body (1 Cor. I do not believe water baptism is a technical requirement for salvation. I pray that pride does not inhibit your re-reading and receiving understanding and truth through God’s Holy spirit . They believe the word “water” is referring to being baptized with water. But if by chance they would die before they could have been baptized with water, they would still go straight to heaven. Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice as his Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate baptism! The last verse will then put the icing on the cake as it tells us that the reason we are now able to become brand new creations is because we have now “put on Christ” as a result of being baptized into Jesus through the Holy Spirit. 1. One can be “whelmed” out of what was believed before by being “baptized” (overwhelmed) by faith in the authority of Gods’ only Son and if never “overwhelmed” by this new faith they remain lost. In the same way, I believe that we should undergo a full body immersion to line up with Jesus’ physical body being put fully into the grave. Everyone seems to be saying the Holy Spirit came again the first time at Pentecost. When the pastor raises us up out of the full immersion, this is identifying with the full resurrection of Jesus from that grave. INTRO. As such, I believe that every born-again believer should fully obey this command from the Lord and go through this rite if they have never done it before. If we haven’t personally experienced it, we tend to dismiss it as theologically incorrect when the reality is we don’t want to believe it because it would call us into a faith that was beyond our understanding. However, among the three options, I believe that the full immersion is the much better choice. While Baptism isn’t salvation, it is an serious act of obedience. The anti- Christ’s are behind the false teaching’s in the denominational/ non- denominational church’s (man’s). I really believe we were more into baptism of the Holy Spirit than any church I have ever been a part of, was into water baptism. I stopped parroting the teachings of men some time back. 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. I believe the word “water” in this verse means “the Word of God.”. God’s plan of salvation is beautifully simple…which is why the Jews in the NT had so much trouble accepting it! Baptism is first and foremost an expression of our devotion and faith towards God. To be initiated, you have to go through baptism, and baptism involves beign dipped into water. His gospel was the suffering, dying, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Andrew Mason is the Executive Pastor of Discipleship Communities at Emmanuel, a multi-site church in the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Full immersion in the water thus symbolizes and represents a complete and maximum death of our old lives and our old selves. That is also the Baptism of the Holy Spirit- the spirit comes in and starts the cleansing of the inner person.This is the One Baptism- that put you in God’s Kingdom! 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. Being fully immersed into the water during the rite of water baptism perfectly symbolizes our new inner union with the Lord since water is one of the main symbols of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Entrance into the church would have to be CONSISTENT. Romans 6:4 says we have been buried with Him through baptism into death. In the church I came from they didn’t baptize anyone in water, but I had been baptized as a baby in a Lutheran church and have the baptismal certificate as well as some memorabilia which has some significant verses. The Bible tells us that all of our personal sins will be “washed away.” And what better way to symbolize the washing away of all of our sins than to be fully submerged in a pool of water during the rite of water baptism. 2. The fact that they could not be baptized with water will have no bearing or influence on them being able to enter into heaven if they should die before they could have been baptized with water. As you all know, people can receive the Lord’s free gift of salvation anywhere and at anytime. Unfortunately, this is a common occurence in our churches today. … The use of water in baptism and during the liturgy has a symbolic meaning for Catholics, linking them to the grace and love of God. To be joined with Jesus is by (with) the Spirit.1 Corinthians 6:17 “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit” Then there is 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit”. As he came out of the water, he lifted his hands in joy and was free from his oppression. Here are 9 very good verses showing that water baptism was always a part of the salvation experience in the New Testament. In conclusion, water baptism is a valuable tool for a small group leader to add to their ‘discipleship tool belt.” As you are talking one-on-one with believers in your group about their faith, don’t hesitate to ask them if they’ve ever been water baptized. Baptism by water is a “reenactment” of the baptism by the Spirit. The bible says work and not verb. There are some who believe in what is called “baptismal regeneration.” This is a belief that we cannot be saved and regenerated by the Holy Spirit unless we go through an actual water baptism. Yes, it’s a personal decision, but Christ’s mission is to lead every person to this same personal decision as well. 3. After Pentecost- it was the Apostle Peter , who kept Water Baptism going -Acts 10:47-48. The Holy Spirit needs something to work with to begin the sanctification process in your life – and that something is knowledge – and that knowledge can only be received by studying the Word of God. To pull verses from any other subsequent book (most of which are letters to CHURCHES or to individual CHRISTIANS) to prove a point about baptism is actually pointless, because those recipients would have ALREADY been baptized to be in the church, or else Paul, who taught baptism, and Apollos, who likely wrote Hebrews and also taught baptism, would not have shown approval of them by calling them “churches”. 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. The Church is really the individual body of believers, and when there is no church available or nearby, I believe you can baptize another into the Body of Christ by either fully immersing them in a pool of water if a pool of water is readily available, or by sprinkling or pouring water on them from a nearby water source. Jesus commanded us to be water baptized (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16). That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.'" I do believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the more important baptism. How simple can you get. The works of every Christian ought to be a visible reflection of their invisible faith by which they received salvation. In other words, when they are ready to make an eternal commitment to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. Note that His whole body was placed into the grave, not just His head or a part of His body. The third good reason to undergo a full immersion is that this also lines up better with our old man and our old life being fully put to death. Water baptism is still a rite of “works,” and the verse I will give you below will definitely tell us that we are not saved by any type of works, but only by grace through our faith in Jesus. God is so smart! How can baptism in water be considered a work when the one BEING baptized is passive. Personalizes Christ Death and Resurrection. In the waters of baptism, a person says, wordlessly, “I confess faith in Christ; Jesus has cleansed my soul from sin, and I now have a new life of sanctification.” You can either be baptized with water at the moment you are receiving your gift of eternal salvation from the Lord, or you can be baptized with water at a later date. First Corinthians 1:14 is a fascinating verse because of the way it... 3. 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. Many times, people make an emotional decision for Christ at an altar and then never think about it again afterwards. I clearly point out that just as Jesus is God, so too the Holy Spirit is Jesus and therefore the first baptism in the Lord of believing in one’s heart and then confessing with the mouth, (Romans 10:9) and the second baptism through water being baptized through the Holy Spirit may be two separate actions, but agree with your teaching that failure to water baptize doesn’t mean we loose access to Heaven. Water baptism is a practical demonstration of our spiritual reality and a personal testimony that we have passed from the old life of sin to the new … God sent John Baptising to Israel. Water baptism is a public declaration of our promise not to continue walking in sin. 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. Baptism doesn’t save; it announces salvation. Children are often curious as to the why and the how of things like baptism. It is not something man could do. Acts 10.44-48, From that day in 1986 to the present, I have had the power to live for Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism: Should we or Shouldn’t we? Someone who has been brought up very early in the Lord and His Word can receive the gift of eternal salvation at a much younger age than someone else who has had very little upbringing in the knowledge and ways of our Lord. Water baptism introduces a person’s story to the church and makes them a familiar face. As you will see in the verses below, all of your sins are actually “washed away” by the blood of Jesus. The third verse is where some people get the mistaken notion that water baptism has to be an essential part of the actual salvation experience. Let’s look at 5 Benefits of Water Baptism: 1. 7-year-olds are naturally curious. 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? As a result of our old man being fully put to death, the rite of water baptism, especially being willing to be fully immersed in a pool of water, is a perfect outward sign of our old man and old life being fully put to death in the Lord. Who is Israel – the Jews. We are now all part of the same one Spirit, and that one Spirit is the Holy Spirit Himself. The key is to guide them down a path that will bring them closer to Christ. The first evidence of that gospel message was on Pentecost, after Christ’s death. This is around 25-30 years after the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, and the very first thing he asks new believers about is the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. Baptism is an act in which a Christian is immersed in water to symbolize the end of an old way of living, and a new start. When you believe in Jesus you are born from above and joined to (with) Christ. You are confusing yourself, because there is no such thing as baptism of the Holy Spirit without water. It’s the first step on the journey of a thousand miles of testifying of Christ’s saving power. To signify our new inner union with the Lord 4. Every person who has BELIEVED in Christ. Water baptism is essential because even Jesus had taken water baptism. I was also baptized at the Jordan River during my tour in Israel. The Gospel becomes a personal message and personal experience through baptism. To which they replied “water baptism” and Paul says “okay now you need to receive the baptism of fire also to which they replied “we didnt know there was another baptism” which explains why most in the church are only walking around in the “knowledge” of their salvation and not the fullness of that salvation or the power of the Holy Spirit. It is never too late to go through a proper water baptism if you have never done so before. 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. Absolutely wonderful article on water baptism. 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. Baptism is an outward sign of us being made a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17–21). ROMANS 6:1-11. Water baptism is a demonstration of our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. 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. He said it is expedient I go to the Father so I can send the counselor the Holy Spirit! If Baptism is a work, believing is also a work. This is why a person should be old enough to understand the meaning before being water baptized. To symbolize the washing away of our sins 3. 1. Cornelius and his brethren we baptised in the Holy Spirit and Peter commanded that they should be water immersion baptised. 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. John was baptizing people with water and prophesying that the Messiah would come and baptize with the Holy Spirit. When the baby is washed with the water the prayers of consecration over oils is prayed after this the baptism is done and the Lord’s Prayer is recited (our father) and then the concluding prayer. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc It’s a decision a person makes for themselves. Take a look at Paul ’ s plan of salvation anywhere and at anytime Executive pastor discipleship! Dynamics that it says “ the washing of water baptism 1 augustine called baptism visible! 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