BAPTISM
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This is one of the most controversial subjects in Christianity. Is water baptism necessary for salvation?
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First of all, we need to understand the meaning of the word baptism.
Baptism in the Greek is: baptismos (bap-tis-mos) means to wash. It came from the Greek word: bapto (bap-to) which means to cover wholly with fluid only in a qualified or special sense, to overwhelm, to moisten, to dip.
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As we can see from above, water baptism was only to wash or cover, it was not to be the born-again experience.
John said, in Matthew 3:11 11"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: But He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus showed us the two baptisms." Matthew 3:13-17 13 "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of Him. 14 But John forbad Him, saying, I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me? 15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered Him. 16 And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
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There was a water baptism from John that was unto repentance, this was not the born-again experience. The water baptism was an open show to the world that you now have a change of mind. You were now going to follow the one who was to come after John.
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Remember, Repent means: to think differently, reconsider, reversal of another decision or change directions.
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From this you can see that John's baptism was only to show the world that you had a change of mind and was not going to follow the world nor the then normal system of religion.
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John 3 verses 3-8
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus said unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
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Jesus was not talking about water baptism above as many may believe. There is food for thought here. Born of water means being born of a woman and out of the water sack of her womb. This is why Jesus said, what's born of flesh is flesh. In other words, the only ones who can receive the born-again experience are ones born of woman. Otherwise fallen angels etc. could be born again. This is why Jesus Himself had to be born of a woman, otherwise He would have just redeemed us the way He was. Born again is a defeat of the first death, and Jesus was the first to come back from the dead. Showing the reality of the born-again experience. The second thought is, born of water is being born of the Word. Water represents the Word, as we will see later in this message. Both are true, you cannot be born again unless you are born of woman, and you cannot be born again unless you are born of the Word. Jesus is the Word!!
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Luke 23 verses 39-43 (thief on the cross)
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on Him, saying, If Thou be Christ, save Thyself and us. 40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this Man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.
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This man on the cross had no water baptism. He was a thief, but Jesus said to him:" This day you will be with Me in paradise." The born-again experience comes from receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, not water baptism. Proof of this can be found in; Acts 10 verses 44 - 48, the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit before receiving any water baptism.
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1 Corinthians 6 verses 9-11
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
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Romans 10 verses 9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The scripture above and the ones below verify the fact that water baptism is not needed for eternal salvation. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness. But John's baptism was only to show that you chose not to follow the religious system of that day, but to follow the One who came after John (which was Jesus). You believed John and now you have a reversal of thought or change of mind.
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Acts 19 verses 1-6
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
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Finally, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to endue you with power from on high, so that we would be able to do the greater works. Jesus' miracles started after He was baptized with the Holy Spirit. Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high.
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John 7 verses 37-39
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink. 38 He that believes on Me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 But this spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.
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1 Peter 1:23
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
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Ephesians 5 verses 26-27
26 That He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. 27 That He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
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John 15:3
3 Now you are clean (washed) through the word which I have spoken unto you.
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John 17:17
17 Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth.
As the scriptures showed us above, you are born again by the word, you are washed by the Word, you are cleansed by the Word, and you are sanctified by the Word. Water baptism does not save you, the born-again experience does. This is why the word says, so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It also says, without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is.
1 John 5 verse 4-8
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God! 6 This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water (word) and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word (Son), and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness in the earth, the Spirit, and the water (word), and the blood: and these three agree in one.
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Finally, Romans 8 verses 9-11;
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also raise your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
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As you can see from the scriptures above, if you do not have the baptism of the Spirit, you are none of His. There is nowhere written in scripture that says if you don't have a water baptism, you are none of His. In Acts 1 verses 4-5; 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
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1 Peter 3 verses 18-22; For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Jesus explains that John truly baptized with water but that there was another baptism of the Holy Spirit. Peter says, baptism now saves us. Why did he not say, baptism has always saved us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what saves you and also gives you power.