When John the Baptist came preaching about the first coming of Jesus Christ, all those who believed his message, “repented of their sins and he baptized them-Mat.3:6”.The word, baptize, means to immerse something into something. It is too deep something into another thing until it’s fully covered. So, those who believed where immersed(baptized)into water at the river Jordan-yes, he buried them in the water. What does this action point to? Does it have any importance in salvation? Is it a must that someone be immersed in water (in baptism) in order to become a Christian? Let’s listen to the only one who knows everything, and hear what answer He will give. As he continued to baptize, John told those who were baptized; “I baptize you with water for repentance, but there is one(Jesus) who comes after me……He will baptize you with the holy spirit and Fire-Mat.3:11”. Today, we see some of those who profess to believe in this person John is talking about, baptizing people by passing them under a red flag, meaning they have baptized them with fire. Others don’t baptize at all, for they believe that, once someone believes in Jesus Christ, he/she becomes automatically baptized with the holy spirit. Both groups do so in an effort to fulfill the scripture that, people will be baptized with the holy spirit and with fire. All these three do base their practice on that one verse, i.e., baptism with water, holy spirit, and fire-see Mat.3:11. Among the three, which one is performing the biblically- right baptism? What does our Lord say should be done to somebody, for them to be fully baptized? And, is this what was done to you? In other words, are you truly baptized? For us to answer this question, we need to follow the laid down process as explained in the scriptures so that we can act without guesturing.After Peter preached to the Jews during the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, many of them were convicted by the message, and so they asked him; “What shall we do then? Peter answered them; ‘repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, that you may receive forgiveness of your sins, and you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit-Acts.2:38”.This is the process we will follow if we will rightly answer our question and be sure of having gone through the right baptism. The first step therefore is;
REPENT
To repent means to turn from, to forsake something one has been doing and turn to something else. Here, our Lord through Peter is telling us to turn from sin, to forsake or come out of sin. Now,what is this sin, because we can’t turn from something we don’t know? God in His word tells us that, “sin is the transgression of God’s law-1 John.3:4” (for details, request for or message, “The ten commandments”).Every manufacturer makes sure that he attaches his products with a manual(a booklet) which has written-explanations on what that product is, and how it operates. Whenever someone operates that product against the written explanation, he destroys it, in other words, he misuses it and so, makes it dysfunctional. In this same manner, we human beings are a product manufactured by God. After creating us, He gave us His commandments, which are an explanation to all human beings on what they are and how they should operate(live). He says that, these commandments, “…are life to him who obeys them; they are the tree of Life-Prov.4:22;3:18”. Explained differently, these commandments are the life of man. After creating man, and instructing him on how to live, God also warned him about being deceived into following a wrong life, which is destructive and leads to death. He says, “But, as for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat, for in the day that you will eat of its fruits, you shall surely die-Gen.3:2:17” (Request for our message, “the two trees “for details). We know that Adam accepted the lie of Satan and so, ate (accepted to live the Satan’s life) of the forbidden tree. So, He broke (transgressed) God’s law. He began to operate (to live) himself against the way he was created to operate. This is why the today’s life is packed with all sorts of problems because, people don’t live according to the way they were created to live.Lastly,God sent His messager,Jesus Christ, who came proclaiming to all mankind, the true life which Satan deceived them to reject. Everyone who hears this message is being instructed to, “.Repent and believe what Christ is saying-Mark.1:15”.Brethren, this is what we are repenting, or turning from. It is to turn from the right now lifestyle which we learned from Satan, and begin to live by the life Christ is teaching us through the scriptures(God’s commandments).This accepting is what Jesus calls, “believing”. It is possible, only if someone understands, and accepts that this former life by Satan is a lie, and the one that is causing the life-problems we are facing today. Once one arrives at this point, Christ commands that such a one, be,
BAPTIZED
If someone has decided to turn, and forsake the wrong way of life, why does he/she need baptism? We all know that, Satan is the god and ruler of this world, and he is the author of this current life which almost all people live by. When Christ came opposing the present life and teaching the God’s way, He became a rebel in Satan’s kingdom. Satan began to fight back until lastly, he killed Jesus on the cross. God tells us that, “Christ died for all those who believe- 2 Cor.5:15”.Do you know that, if Christ accepted and lived like men, He wouldn’t have been killed? That way, He would have accepted Satan’s way and so, the devil would have had no reason of hating and so, killing Him. But because He opposed Satan, and totally rejected his life, He was dead to this worldly life and alive in God’s life. This is what water baptism signifies, for, “Christ died for sin, so it has no power over Him; the life He lives, He lives to God-Rom.6:10”. In the same way, when somebody decides to live the Godly life in Jesus Christ, he turns from the former one, and he becomes dead to it. He is termed, “. dead to the world and the world dead to Him-Gal.6:14”. What happens when somebody dies? He/she must be buried. It is in this same manner that, one is buried in water baptism, signifying that, “when you were baptized into Christ Jesus, you were baptized into His death. In this baptism, we were united with him in His burial……..so that, just as He resurrected, we also resurrected with Him, that we may live the new life of God-Rom.6:3-4”. You see? We have rejected Satan’s life. We have said, “if the only life there is, is this one of Satan, them we are not there. We can only live if it is Christ’s life alone, just as He Himself died concerning Satan’s life ,and lives the God’s one only. This is why, once someone confirms his choice, then he shows his commitment by being buried in water baptism. If anybody says he is baptized, and was not immersed in water he is lying and does not understand the meaning of baptism. Once we get this water baptism, we are now ready to start learning to live like Christ. But we here find something which makes us not to live according to the life of our choice. Our Lord tells us that, “a carnal minded person cannot understand spiritual things, and neither can he live that life-1 Cori.2:14;Rom.8:7”.If this be the case, how then will we live the life of our choice and we are flesh and blood?
BAPTIZED WITH THE SPIRIT
Our Lord understands this very well, for He confirms it saying, “….without me, you can do nothing- John. 15: 5”. This is why, during that day of Pentecost, Peter told the multitude, “….you will receive the holy spirit-Acts.2 :38”.Spiritual life is only possible to those who have the spirit of God . So, after we are baptized with water, we must also be baptized (put in, or immersed) with the holy spirit, so that, “..it may lead us into all the truth(God’s life)-John.16:13”. This is because, God’s laws are spiritual- Rom.7:14, and so, if we will live by them, then we must be in that spirit, for, “..the just requirements of the law to be fulfilled in us- Rom. 8:4”. Baptism of the spirit is the final stage, for after it, then the Christian life begins. When one is baptized with water, one signifies a death and a burial. When he comes out of the water, it symbolizes a resurrection from the dead, to a new, and different life from the one he lived before death. This completes the whole process of baptism. It is also at this point that one becomes a Christian. This baptism of the spirit is done by way of laying on of hands to those baptized. Before hands are laid on someone, they can’t receive the Holy Spirit. The opposers of the truth, “..who like twisting the laws of God to their advantage-Zephania.3:4” will cite examples of Cornelius and his family who received the holy spirit before baptism, in an effort to oppose what we are saying here.They will try to show how water baptism is not necessary, and how we can do without it. See to it that nobody misleads you by simple minds which are not spiritual, and which have no part in the things of God. When Peter was visiting Cornelius, the Jews never used to mix with gentiles; so, God had to do some extra-ordinary thing to prove to the Jews that He is also calling the gentiles to His Church. This is proven by the way the Jews were astonished, and said, “so God is also giving repentance to the gentiles-Acts.11:18”. But even then, after they received the holy spirit, God went ahead and proved His unchanging nature, for, “…He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus-Acts.10:48”.All those who receive the only spirit do so, after water baptism and, after hands are laid on them by whoever baptizes them, or any true servant of God. Jesus told the Jews that, “He has other sheep which are not of that fold(Jewish origin),but He must bring them and there must be one shepherd and one fold-John.10:16”.The extra-ordinary reception of the holy spirit was to make the Jews understand this verse, and also to make sure that there be no differing groups of the same church. Jesus clearly says that, “if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not a Christian. For it is only those who are lead by the holy spirit who are the sons of God-Rom.8:9,14”. John said that, Christ will baptize us with the spirit and with fire—Mat.3:11. A Christian is one who has been baptized with water, and with the spirit. When then, does one receive the baptism of fire?
BAPTIZE WITH FIRE
As you have noticed, we have insisted that people be sure they know what they are engaging into before they get baptized. It is not something one should rush to, because, once done, it has no reverse. Why? All of us are a people who have gone through this life of Satan, which God had warned Adam against. He had warned him thoroughly well, saying, “if you eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you will surely die-Gen.2:17”. So many up to now, are living that life but they least suspect that it is the bringer of all the life problems in the today’s world. They don’t know that it is not the life which God created all men to live by. But for everyone who is given to understand the life of God which Christ is teaching through His Church, and has accepted it, and has gone to the point of being baptized, such a one has had his eyes opened, and has known for sure that he was leading a wrong life. This is why he decided to repent (turn). He knows very well that God can’t tell a lie. He is among those who have, “been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven-Mat.13:11”.He knows that all evils come from the former life.So,he knows for sure that, if he forsakes this new life and goes back to the worldly one, he will surely die. “Christ never offered Himself repeatedly……for that means He would suffer repeatedly…..but he appeared once and for all…..to put away sin by sacrificing Himself.So,everyone must die once in that same manner; just as Christ was given as sacrifice for many just once-Hebr.9:25-29”. Let’s now understand please. When somebody dies, he is buried once and for all. He never resurrects and gets buried again and again. So, if one will receive the holy spirit, and live the life of God, then after that, he knowingly and adamantly decides to go back to the worldly life, it is like saying that this person has resurrected from the dead and began to live again, after staying in the grave for many years(impossible). Such a person confirms to God that he doesn’t want to live forever; he wants to die. He also confirms that he doesn’t want to be saved by Jesus. He shows that, even if Christ offers to die for him again, he will refuse, and, “..he can even crucify Christ again”. And because, “there is no other, neither name under the whole heaven by which men can be saved, except Jesus-Acts.4:12”, and this person has denied and rejected Him after experiencing the goodness of God’s life, “..it is therefore impossible to bring such a person to repentance, for this is crucifying Christ a second time-Hebr.6:6”. Such a person has committed the sin of blasphemy, and it can’t be forgiven, because even the person himself doesn’t want forgiveness. He has freely chosen the way of death. It obliges God to respect this person’s choice, for, “..He fulfills the desires of one’s heart-Psalm.37:4”. And because he created us, free moral agents, then whatever one chooses, that is what God gives them, for, “he who sows in the flesh will reap death, but he who sows in the spirit will reap life-Gal.6:8”. So, this person has sown in the flesh, in which case, “…there no longer remains any sacrifice for sin but……a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries-Hebr.10:26-27”. It shall therefore be, “..everyone whose name is not written in the book of life will be thrown(put into-immersed) into the lake of fire-Rev.20:15”. Look at it please. This is a lake of fire. If someone is thrown in a lake of water, they sink and get covered(baptized) by the water. So also, those who will be thrown in this lake of fire will sink in it and get covered completely. If you want to know, this is the baptism of fire, and it will be for those who have tasted of the goodness of God’s life, and then after that, they turn back to the worldly life. This is when the fulfillment of what John said will be, i.e, “..baptized with water, with the spirit, and with fire-Mat.3:11”. You who baptize others with fire by passing them under a red flag, do you really wish them well? This is what ignorance can do. Repent and come to your senses, and God will give you knowledge. Friends, up to this far, we believe everyone of our readers now understands why we insist on people having a thorough understanding of baptism before one commits him/herself to it, for, “there is only one chance for salvation, which begins taking effect when one is baptized in the spirit-2 Cor.6:2”.Let me believe that, everyone who wishes to be, or those who have been baptized have understood, and some remembered this very well. Our prayer is that, all of us commit ourselves to God with whole and willing hearts, so that He may live His life in us through Our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, so that, “ the life we will live after baptism until the end, will be that of the Christ who died for us and lives in God’s presence in the heavenly majesty-2 Cor.5:15”. May the grace of God dwell richly with as many as are of the Israel of God-Gal.6:16. If anyone needs to learn about this life of God in Jesus Christ, then, feel pleased to tune in now to, THE ENDTIME CHURCH OF GOD