IF YOU WERE BAPTIZED, HOW WERE YOU BAPTIZED???? Baptism According To The Bible Some teach that being baptized is a good thing to do but that baptism is “only an outward sign of inward grace” and not part of God’s Salvation Plan for mankind, and is not necessary to be saved. Some teach that being baptized is not only a really good thing to do but is necessary to be saved! They teach that baptism is absolutely part of God’s Salvation Plan for mankind! The question is, Who’s Right? The answer is: The one, whose teachings completely harmonize with ALL the teachings of the Bible! This is the teaching that is Correct! If you have to close your eyes to some of the scriptures, to make your teachings more acceptable, what you have are Only the teachings of a man! What you have is a half-truth, or an outright LIE! It’s important to understand this! If the Bible truly IS Gods word, and truly IS for the reproof and correction, of mans teachings, we REALLY NEED to take ALL the Bible, and allow it to reprove and correct, those teachings, which are not fully supported by Gods word. I have come to side with those who believe that baptism IS part of the true Salvation Plan, and IS necessary to be saved! I have weighed the few scriptures that seemingly support the “Just believe and be saved”, or the “Just confess the Lord, as your personal Savior, and be saved” teachings, and have found that those teachings hold a very anemic stance,against the Bible’s true Salvation Plan. I say this because you have to close your eyes, to so many scriptures, to make those teachings work! IF they were true, you wouldnt have to do this! I understand that my opinion means nothing, unless it completely harmonizes with the word of God, The Bible. All I ask is that you keep an OPEN mind, and pray to the Lord,asking Him, to reveal Bible truth to you. God will honor your request, as you Search the scriptures, with an OPEN BIBLE! As Bible truth is revealed to you, give God the glory! The Bible teaches us: …“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9) If were saved by Grace, the question then arises... What is Grace? Some people confuse Grace, with Mercy. Mercy encompasses forgiveness, compassion and long suffering. However, Grace is actually a period of time, in which God pours out His Mercy! We are presently living under the dispensation of Grace. God has given us this time period of Grace, so that we can Repent of our sins, and get right with God! The time to take advantage of this Grace period, is right now! The scripture says …“…For by grace are you saved… through faith…” One might ask, “Faith in what?” The answer is this: We are saved through faith, in the Sacrifice that God has given us,through Jesus Christ, and in His cleansing blood, whereby our sins are washed away! IF you have faith in Jesus Christ, your FAITH WILL BE ALIVE! Your faith WILL prompt you to Believe, in the saving gospel of Jesus Christ, AND you will ACT on your Belief! IF you BELIEVE, You WILL Repent of your sins! If you have faith in Jesus Christ, you WILL be baptized in His name, and you WILL receive His Holy Spirit, as is continually exampled, by the New Testament believers , even in this present time! Please dont think that just your faith alone, is going to save you! The Bible does NOT teach that! The scriptures prove differently. For Bible truth to be known, we must take ALL the scriptures and make them agree. The Bible says, For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVES in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16) This is a very true statement! However, believing ALONE, saves No one! The Bible teaches that the devils believe and TREMBLE! They not only believe, they know for a FACT that Jesus Christ is Lord, and have openly confessed it! However, neither their belief, nor their confession, of Who Jesus is, will save them! Many scriptures prove that it takes MORE than just believing, or a one time verbal confession of Who Jesus is, to be saved. Think about it! If a person truly believes, that believer not only confesses Jesus with his mouth... but with his LIFE. It is an EVERY DAY thing! IF you TRULY Believe... OBEDIENCE to Gods word, WILL follow! The words and theexamples, which God has given to us, will be A PATTERN for our lives. Gods word, and the examples He has given, are for reproof and correction, and help us to know what isTRUTH. Some people quote (Ephesians 2:8), and they say things like, “See, I don’t have to get baptized to be saved, because Ephesians says that salvation is “not of works”, and being baptized is works!” I ask you, Where in the Bible does it state, that Baptism is the “works”, that Paul is referring to here? You can’t find it! It’s NOT there! Notice that Paul never even implies that the “works” he is talking about is Baptism! That’s because he is talking about something totally different, than Baptism, and never intended for this scripture to be used against Baptism! Yet, that is exactly what some churches do! For the record, both believing, and repenting of sins, are continual, and daily works!Much more so than Baptism, which is typically done, only one time! The letter written, to the church of the Ephesians, is a letter to people who were already believers! We know this is true because in (Ephesians 1:1), Paul addresses them as “the saints which are at Ephesus”. The word saints is a reference, given to Believers that have already Repented, and have already been born of the water, (baptized in the name of Jesus Christ) and have already been born of the Spirit, (filled with the Holy Ghost). They had already received Gods offer of salvation! This letter is not intended as a salvation message but is merely a message of correction, to people who already received Gods offer of Salvation, letting them know that they shouldn’t be getting prideful in their good works, thinking that they would earn a greater salvation, through good works! Do not mistake the letter to the Ephesians for a message that bears the salvation plan! It most certainly is not! In the great commission, Jesus instructs His followers to: “Go you into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”. (Mark 16:15) Why is He saying to go “into ALL the world”? Because He wants Salvation to be obtainable to the whole world! To as many as will believe and follow the teachings of His word, and the examples He has given! Why is He saying to “preach the gospel”? The Bible teaches us that “Faith comes by hearing…the word of God” (Romans 10:17) He wants faith to grow in the hearts of the hearers, of the word, because faith will prompt them to believe, and belief will prompt them to ACT on their belief! Why does He want the gospel (the “good news”) preached? The gospel represents the salvation that is obtainable to mankind through the “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection” of Jesus Christ. Why is this important? The Bible teaches that “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) From the time of Adam to the time of Jesus Christ, ALL mankind has been under the bondage of sin! Regardless of how righteous a man may appear to be, None of us could redeem ourselves from the bondage of sin! This is why ALL people, everywhere NEED a Messiah, a Savior, Who would live without sin, and restore fellowship between God and mankind! This Messiah, this Savior, came to us, in the form of the man Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God, (the Father), created a man, Jesus Christ, (the Son), and lived within Him. Jesus showed us what is pleasing, and what is displeasing to God. Because Jesus was both God and Man, He lived WITHOUT SIN, and was worthy to redeem mankind, from the bondage of sin. He paid the penalty, of our sins, by His “Death”, by His “Burial”, and by His “Resurrection”. THIS is the saving gospel, of Jesus Christ, that sinful man has been redeemed by a righteous God! The Plan of Salvation for sinful mankind, is reflected repeatedly throughout both the Old and New Testaments! The Bible teaches that: “without” the “shedding of blood” there “is no remission”. (of sins) (Hebrews 9:22) The Bible also teaches us: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) For sin to be remitted, sinless blood must be shed, and life must be given! This is why the Spirit of God, (the Father), created a man of flesh and blood, and lived among us, as the man Jesus Christ. As the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ was coming to an end, Jesus atoned for our sins, by taking our physical penalty of death, upon Himself! He allowed His blood to be shed, for our sins, was crucified, and died upon a cross. The body of Jesus Christ was then buried, and during this time, Jesus paid our spiritual penalty of Hell... but because there was No sin found in Him, death, Hell, and the grave, could NOT hold Him. The Holy Spirit of the Father, which previously dwelt in the Man Jesus Christ, re-entered into the lifeless body, and Jesus rose to new life, “Resurrected” from the dead! He is the Living God! Repentance represents the “Death” part of the Salvation Plan. As a person repents, he stops sinning! He puts to death the old lifestyle of sin, and follows the Lord! That is real repentance! It is necessary to repent BEFORE being baptized! If a person gets baptized... but does NOT believe in Jesus Christ, and does NOT Repent of sins, all he did was get wet! Just going through the motions does NOTHING! Baptism MUST be sincere! Baptism represents the “Burial” part of the Salvation Plan. After a new believer confesses sin, and dies out to the old lifestyle of sin, (Repentance), it is necessary to Bury the old lifestyle of sin. in the waters of (Baptism). The name of Jesus Christ is pronounced over the believer, and he or she is then baptized, laid down into, and completely submerged in water, representing the “Burial” or the complete covering of sin! As the believer rises up out of the water, this represents the “Resurrection” part of the Salvation Plan, or the Rising Up to New Life. This signifies that, by the power of the Holy Ghost, Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and is victorious over death, Hell, and the grave! The new believer is to CONTINUE in the HEARING of the word, and is to FOLLOW the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Repentance coupled with Baptism, in the name of Jesus Christ, is done for the remission of sins! These scriptures support that thought. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, …” (Acts 2:38) Jesus taught us that: “…Except a man be born of WATER and of the SPIRIT, he CANNOT enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) In other words…BEFORE you leave Earth, Make Sure You’re Born of the Water, which means you’ve “Repented” of your Sins and you’ve been “Baptized” in water, with the name of Jesus Christ pronounced over you, so that your Sins are Remitted!) This scripture also shows us that, BEFORE you leave Earth, Make Sure You’re Born of the Spirit, (Filled with the Holy Ghost), so that You too may “Resurrect” to NEW life, and Enter into the Kingdom of God!” Jesus taught us: “He that BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved; but he that believes NOT shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16) This scripture shows that if you truly believe, you WILL follow in the teachings of the Bible, by Repenting of your sins, and Being Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, thereby bringing Remission of Sins! Real Belief, is followed with Repentance... AND Baptism, and makes way for the infilling of the Holy Ghost, whereby Salvation comes! John the Baptist gave us a glimpse, of the New Testament Plan of Salvation, when he taught us to, “Repent you: for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2) John, the baptist, is prompting the people to recognize, and confess their sins, and to get sin completely out of their lives! He is doing this to prepare them for the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus Christ, Whose ministry was about to begin! That’s why John said, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” In other words, “Get ready! The SAVIOR is here!” As John was baptizing, “he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to be baptized. He said to them, Oh GENERATION of VIPERS, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:” (Matthew 3:7) John is using a very derogatory term when He calls them “vipers!” This suggests that he clearly knew the intent of their hearts, as he demanded real proof, of Repentance, before he would baptize them! This scripture shows us that Real Repentance Must Precede Baptism! If Baptism is only an outward sign of inward grace, why didn’t John just go ahead and baptize them? But…if baptism IS part of the Salvation Plan, it makes sense that John would require real repentance of them, before he would baptize them! Jesus also, came to John to be baptized! Though Jesus had NO sin, and did NOT need to Repent, and be Baptized, He WAS baptized as an example to us. The Bible teaches us: “Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, to John, to be baptized of him. But John forbid him, saying, I have need to be baptized of you, and you come to me?...” Jesus explained, “it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness.” John then baptized Jesus. (Matthew 3:13-16) John is probably sensing his own unworthiness and says, “…I HAVE NEED to be baptized of You…” The response of Jesus is interesting! He says, “it becomes us TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.” The question is: What fulfills ALL righteousness? If baptism is ONLY an outward sign of inward grace, it would be a great thing to do... but it wouldnt fulfill all righteousness. However, If baptism Is MORE than just an outward sign of inward grace, If baptism truly IS the “Burial” part of the Bible’s Salvation Plan, it would definitely play a significant part in fulfilling all righteousness! The answer to the question, “What fulfills ALL righteousness?”...is this! Only the precious blood of Jesus Christ, APPLIED over our sins, fulfills ALL righteousness, and cleanses us from ALL sin… through His saving gospel,… the “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection”. If Baptism truly IS part of the Salvation Plan, this scripture shows that Real Repentance, coupled with Baptism, is where the power of the blood of the Messiah is activated over our sins, as ONLY the precious blood of Jesus Christ, completely covers our sins, and fulfills ALL righteousness! Christians...It is time to take A CLOSER LOOK at Baptism! In this next message of Salvation, the gospel is again reflected! Jesus gives the command to, “Go you therefore, and teach ALL nations,...” (Matthew 28:19) What’s going to happen when they teach all nations? The hearers are going to believe and repent, which involves dieing out to the old lifestyle of sin, and living a life pleasing to the Lord! (Repentance represents the “Death” part of the Salvation Plan!) As we continue reading, Jesus speaks of Baptism, (the “Burial” part of the Salvation Plan). He does this as He says, “...baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” Baptism, or the “Burial”, represents a complete covering of sin! Again…What is the ONLY thing that completely covers, and atones for sin? ONLY the precious blood of Jesus Christ! Jesus then says: “Teaching them to observe ALL things, whatsoever I have commanded you:” As believers “observe all things”, by continually following the Lord Jesus Christ, the “Resurrection” part of the Salvation Plan, is evidenced, as believers are filled with the Holy Ghost, and become new creations, “Resurrected” to a new life, in Jesus Christ! Let’s take another look at the book of (Mark 16:16). Here, Jesus taught us this: “He that believes AND is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes NOT shall be damned.” Jesus could have just said, “He that believes, and follows My teachings, and the examples I have given, shall be saved…” and that would have been a true statement. Jesus could have just said, “He that believes, shall be saved…” and that would have been a true statement, because if you truly believe, you will follow the Lord, you will follow His teachings, and the examples that He has given. What Jesus said was this, “He that believes AND is baptized shall be saved…” The word “AND” couples the act of believing, and the act of baptism together! To say you have one part, and not the other, would NOT fulfill this scripture. To EXCLUDE a part of this scripture, and deem it as unnecessary for salvation, would be in complete contradiction to the words of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn’t just casually throw baptism into that scripture! He said it, because He meant it! Remember, the Bible’s True Salvation Plan, contains the FULL gospel , the “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection” of Jesus Christ! When Jesus said, “He that believes…”, that is a reference to believing and repenting! We know that’s true because Believing coupled with Real Repentance, must precede Baptism! We also know that’s true, because believing alone, does NOT represent the “Death” part of the Salvation Plan but Believing, coupled with Repentance, DOES represent “dieing out to the old life of sin”, or the “Death” part of the Salvation Plan! This let’s us know that Believing does factor into the Salvation Plan, but Believing, by itself, is NOT the whole Salvation Plan! What about the thief on the cross? Wasnt he saved when he believed? I’ll cover that in a few moments! Notice, that following Believing... and Repenting... comes Baptism,… the “Burial” part of the Salvation Plan! In this portion of scripture, Jesus is speaking of man’s part of the Salvation Plan, (that which a man can do), which is (“Repentance” & “Baptism”), representing the “Death” and the “Burial” parts of the Salvation Plan. The infilling of the Holy Ghost, representing the (“Resurrection”), or the Rising to New Life, is God’s part of the Salvation Plan, which He promised to believers, through the scriptures! It is the Lord Who pours out this promise, of His Spirit. This is evident when Jesus says, “ He that believes and is baptized SHALL be saved…” The word Shall, is a reference to future Spiritual blessings... which includes the infilling of the Holy Ghost, and the Resurrection to NEW life! (Acts 2:38-39) shows us that if you Believe… you WILL “Repent”… and you WILL “be Baptized”…”in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION of sins, and you SHALL receive the gift, of the Holy Ghost…” Thereby bringing salvation through the “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection”! What about the thief on the cross? Since he couldnt come down from the cross, to be baptized, wasnt he saved when he believed? The thief repented under the dispensation of Law. We know this because Jesus had NOT died yet, fulfilling the Law, NOR was the veil of the temple torn in two, signifying the completion of the Law, and making way, for the new dispensation of Grace. Under the Law, the thief needed to BELIEVE, then ACT on his belief, by Repenting of his sins. He needed a perfect sacrifice, and he needed a High Priest. He had all of these in Jesus! He believed, he repented, he had the most excellent sacrifice, next to him, on a cross, and he had the Highest of High Priests, in Jesus Christ the Righteous! He had what he needed to be saved, according to the Law! He did NOT need to be baptized, because baptism was part of the New Testament Salvation Plan, under the dispensation of Grace, which had not been poured out yet! The dispensation of Grace was poured out on the day of Pentecost, when the promised Holy Ghost, was received by 120 believers, in the upper room. They spoke in tongues, as the Spirit of the Lord gave them the utterance, thus confirming they had been born of the Spirit. As John the Baptist came “preaching the baptism of repentance, for the remission of sins”, the Bible teaches us this: “And ALL the people that heard him, and the publicans, JUSTIFIED GOD, BEING BAPTIZED with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers REJECTED the counsel of God against themselves, being NOT baptized of him.” (Luke 7:29 & 30) The first part of this scripture shows that believers, who hear the word of God, and who Repent of their sins, AND... are Baptized... JUSTIFY God! The second part of this scripture, shows the unbelief, and the rebellion, of the Pharisees and the lawyers, who “REJECTED the counsel, of God, AGAINST THEMSELVES, being NOT baptized of him.” In their hearts they were probably saying, We dont need these works, of baptism, to be saved! If Baptism IS truly part of the Salvation Plan, saying that it is NOT part of the Salvation Plan, puts you in the same group as the unbelieving, and rebellious, Pharisees and lawyers! That’s NOT a good place to be! On the day of Pentecost, Peter reveals the gospel as the True Salvation Plan! As Peter is speaking, the Jews recognized that they truly were guilty of killing their Messiah! They sincerely asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be Baptized EVERYONE of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the REMISSION of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call… Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:38,39,41) When those guilty of crucifying Jesus recognized their sins, they asked, “…what shall we do?” They are essentially asking, “Is there anything that can save us from the sin of killing our Messiah?” “How can we be forgiven?” “What can possibly save us?” Notice when Peter responds, he DOESNT say, “Just believe, and you’ll be saved!” Notice he DOESNT say, “Just accept Jesus Christ, as your personal Lord and Savior, and you’ll be saved!” Those are great things to do but they’re NOT the Plan of Salvation! What is the Bible’s True Plan of Salvation? In the book of (Acts 2:38) Peter reveals The Bible’s True Plan of Salvation when he says these words, “Repent and be baptized”… That is the “Death”, and the “Burial” part, of the Salvation Plan! Peter is instructing them to “Repent”, to put to death the old life of sin. Peter is instructing them saying “and be Baptized”, burying, and completely covering the old life of sin, in the waters of baptism. Who is this for? Keep reading! “Repent and be baptized…EVERYONE of you”! Everyone, who has sinned, NEEDS to Repent! Everyone, who has sinned NEEDS to be Baptized! How should we be Baptized? Keep reading! Peter said, “Repent and be Baptized everyone of you, in THE NAME of Jesus Christ…” This scripture shows us that we Need to be Baptized in the “NAME” of Jesus Christ! Why are we Baptized in the “name” of Jesus Christ, and NOT with words saying, “the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost” like the book of Matthew says that Jesus said? We understand that there is ONLY ONE GOD, Who has revealed Himself in three ways! “Father”, “Son” and “Holy Ghost” are simply titles, which are given to describe God, at different times... but are Not the “name” of God. He is described as the “Father” in creation, the “Son” in the redemption of our souls, and the “Holy Ghost” in regeneration of our spirits. In the Bible, there are NO EXAMPLES of anyone, ever being baptized in the titles, “Father”, “Son” or “Holy Ghost.” From the dispensation of Grace and forward…All examples given are always done in the name of Jesus Christ! How come everybody ALWAYS gets baptized, with THE NAME of Jesus Christ,pronounced over them? The apostles RECOGNIZED the name of Jesus Christ, to be the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. This is evidenced in the book of Colossians: Speaking about Jesus Christ, the Bible says,“For in Him dwells ALL THE FULLNESS of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) That means, when you see Jesus Christ, you are seeing ALL the fullness of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, in the man Jesus Christ! The name of Jesus Christ is comprised of “Jesus”, which means God with us, and of “Christ”, which identifies Him as the “Messiah”, the “Savior” of mankind! Concerning the name of Jesus Christ, the Bible teaches us this: “Neither is there salvation in ANY other; for there is NONE OTHER NAME, under heaven, given among men, whereby we MUST be saved.” (Acts 4:12) When new believers are Baptized in water, with the name of Jesus Christpronounced over them, this identifies Who their Messiah is, and who their Savior is, and identifies in Whom they have faith in, and place their trust! When the name of Jesus Christ is pronounced over the believer, in water Baptism, this identifies the name of the One, Whose blood is worthy, to remit their sins! Why do we need to Repent? Why do we need to be Baptized? Keep reading in (Acts 2:38) “Repent and be Baptized everyone of you, in the name ofJesus Christ, for the remission of sins…” REPENTANCE AND WATER BAPTISM ARE FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS! How much clearer does God have to make it, before you believe? As Repentance is coupled with Baptism, and with the name of Jesus Christ, pronounced over the believer, this is where the blood of Jesus Christ, is symbolically applied over our sins! Again, we know this is true because of what the Bible tells us in (Acts 2:38) “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” Again I ask you…What is the ONLY thing that completely remits, and completely covers our sins? ONLY the precious blood of our Messiah, and Savior, Jesus Christ! When Real Repentance is coupled with Baptism, in the name of Jesus Christ, this is where the name of our Savior is revealed, and this is where the power of the blood, of Jesus Christ, is activated over our sins, completely covering and remitting our sins, as though they never existed! This is why Baptism CANNOT be excluded, from the True Plan of Salvation! Nothing else remits sin but the precious blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ! Do You call yourself a BELIEVER? Don’t just SAY you’re a believer…ACT ON IT! Would you like your sins to be remitted? Would you like your sins to be completely washed away? Then follow the Bible’s True Salvation Plan, found in the book of (Acts 2:38). Following “Repentance” and “Baptism”, the promised infilling of the Holy Ghost, representing the “Resurrection”, will follow! By now, you should clearly see the pattern, that God has given us, of the Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been revealed to us, as the Bible’s True Salvation Plan! Repentance represents the “Death”, Baptism represents the “Burial”, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost, represents the “Resurrection” part of the Salvation Plan! In the book of (Acts 8:35-39), Phillip was teaching a eunuch about the scriptures. As they were traveling in a chariot, they saw water. The eunuch asked Phillip, “What hinders me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”The eunuch answered him saying, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” Phillip, obviously was teaching the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. As he was teaching... the eunuch Believed! Belief prompted Faith. Faith, prompted Repentance, and Repentance prompted Baptism. Notice, Philip DOESNT say, “Just believe in your heart and be saved!” Because, Phillip knew that Believing alone, is not the whole Salvation Plan! Notice that a mere confession of Who Jesus was, by itself, is also NOT the Salvation Plan! Philip understood, that Belief NEEDS to be followed with Repentance, and a confession of Who Jesus IS, and a confession of sins, needs to be followed with Baptism, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost! Notice that Phillip DOESNT say, “Oh, Baptism is ONLY an outward sign of inward grace, and is NOT really necessary for salvation!” Incidentally, the theory of “baptism ONLY being an outward sign, and NOT being necessary for salvation” was NEVER taught by John the Baptist, it was NEVER taught by Jesus Christ, it was NEVER taught by Peter, nor by Paul, nor was it taught by ANY of the other disciples of Jesus Christ! Why have so many churches embraced this man made THEORY, which CANNOT be biblically proven, and which COMPLETELY CONTRADICTS the words of Jesus Christ, as truth? That’s what happens, when you esteem the teachings, of a man, higher than the Bible’s teachings! If you esteem a man’s teaching, higher than the Bible’s teachings, and disregard Bible teachings, you have created an avenue for idolatry! Get your focus back on the word of God, The Bible! The Bible has been given to us to prove what is true, and to expose what is false!Closing your eyes to Biblical truth, does NOT make it any less true! Notice, as soon as the eunuch is baptized, Phillip is caught away to another place. The eunuch had fulfilled his part by Repenting, (representing the “Death”) and by being Baptized, (representing the “Burial”). The next part of the Salvation Plan is the infilling of the Holy Ghost, (representing the Resurrection), which is God’s part of the Salvation Plan. There are many scriptures that show how believers were promptly baptized when it was known that they believed! Here are some of them. But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized... (Acts 8:12) When Saul was prayed for and received his sight, Ananias promptly asks him: And now why are you waiting? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins,calling on the name of the Lord. (Acts 22:16) It’s interesting that he should say, “wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” This scripture is coupling the washing away of sins, with BAPTISM... just like (Acts 2:38) and (John 3:5), and ( Mark 16:16) and many more scriptures! Saul immediately follows the advice that was given: “...and arose, and was baptized.(Acts 9:18) The Bible says: “And Crispus, the chief ruler, of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.”Clearly they saw the importance of promptly being baptized, once they believed!(Acts 18:8) As Peter was teaching… the Gentile BELIEVERS, of the house of Cornelius, were suddenly filled with the Holy Ghost! How did the Jews know this? “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can ANY man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he COMMANDED them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” (Acts 10:44-48) Peter knew that Cornelius and his household were BELIEVERS, and he knew they were living a lifestyle of Repentance, which represents (the “Death”) part of the Salvation Plan. Now, he knew that they were born of the Spirit, (the “Resurrection”) part of the Salvation Plan. “For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God”, just like the Jews did, when they were filled with the Holy Ghost! Sensing their NEED to be baptized, Peter asks, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” Peter is either asking “Can any Jew forbid these Gentiles to be baptized in water?”or he is saying, “What believer among us does not need to be Baptized in water? In other words… ”NO man can forbid water baptism!” “And he COMMANDED…” these BELIEVERS “…to be BAPTIZED in the name of the Lord.” Thus fulfilling (the “Burial”) part of the Salvation Plan! The fact that he commanded the believers to be baptized, in the name of the Lord, shows the necessity of Believing, and promptly being Baptized, for the remission of sins! When Paul and Silas were imprisoned, for casting out a spirit of divination, from a damsel, the keeper of the prison came before Paul and Silas and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, BELIEVE on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house. (Acts 16:30-31) Doesn’t that scripture say that BELIEVING in the Lord Jesus Christ, by itself, will save you? That’s what some churches would like you to believe! If you get rid of a lot of Major Salvation Scriptures, you can almost make that thought work! However, if you want Bible Truth, you MUST take ALL the scriptures together and make them harmonize with each other! Then you will have Bible Truth! The reality of it, is that the jailer, and his household, still had to come to the Lord, the SAME WAY as everybody else! Through the “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection”. That’s what the Bible teaches! You CANNOT customize the Salvation Plan, to suit your desires butMUST come to God HIS WAY! Besides Believing... the jailer, and his household, still needed to Repent of their sins, and be Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost! Paul and Silas understood that believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, is an essential first step toward Salvation but they also understood that believing alone, or excepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, is Not the whole Salvation Plan! There is more! That’s why they continued teaching them! Let’s keep reading! “And they spoke to him the word of the Lord, and to ALL that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” Thus obediently fulfilling a man’s part, through Repentance,and Baptism, or the “Death” and the “Burial” parts, of the Salvation Plan. (Acts 16:32-33) The Bible also shows that: “… Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain DISCIPLES. He said to them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?And they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said to them, To what then were you baptized? And they said, To Johns baptism. Then said Paul, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people, that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:1-5) Here Paul finds BELIEVERS. However, Paul knew that believing alone does not represent the “Death”, “Burial” or “Resurrection” parts of the Salvation Plan! He then asks, “…Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?” This question, and the answer the BELIEVERS gave, shows us that being a BELIEVER, or even a DISCIPLE, DOES NOT necessarily mean that you’ve received the promised Holy Ghost! Paul then discovers how they were baptized and upon giving them instruction, they were baptized again, this time, in THE NAME of the Lord Jesus Christ. If baptism is ONLY an outward sign of inward grace…wouldn’t John’s baptism of repentance been SUFFICIENT? Yes, it would! However, if Baptism truly IS part of the Salvation Plan, and truly IS NECESSARY for Salvation, it makes sense that the believer’s, and disciples, would NEED to be Baptized Again, and this time with THE NAME of Jesus Christ pronounced over them, identifying the name of their Savior, getting the blood of Jesus Christ (symbolically) applied over their sins, and having fulfilled the “Death” and the “Burial” parts, of the Salvation Plan, in Repentance and Baptism! This would make way for the infilling of the promised Holy Ghost, representing the “Resurrection” part of the Salvation Plan. The Bible says: Do you not know, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3&4) I have a question! If a person says that they believe... but ignores the Salvation Plan... does this person really believe? NO, they do NOT! If this same person is NEVER Baptized,NEVER (symbolically) buried with Jesus Christ and NEVER gets the blood of Jesus Christ applied over their sins, and is NEVER filled with the Holy Ghost… how then, shall that person EVER rise, or “Resurrect”, to walk in newness of life? That person CANNOT! Shall we customize the Salvation Plan, to accommodate those who refuse to come the way that God intended? We CANNOT, and we should NOT try to! Jesus Christ set this Salvation Plan in order…for a reason! It is perfect! How foolish of mankind to attempt to change it, thinking they can come to God another way! Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life: NO MAN comes to the Father but by Me.” (John 14:6) He has given us the ONLY WAY to Him, through His “Death”, “Burial” and “Resurrection”. As the children of Israel turn away from Egypt, leaving behind the world of sin, and follow the Lord, at the crossing of the Red Sea, we read this: “ALL our fathers were under the cloud, and ALL passed through the sea; And were ALL baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” (1 Corinthians 10:1-2) (Repentance) was represented when they left Egypt, which represented the world of sin, and followed the Lord. (Baptism) was represented as they went under the cloud and through the sea, and coming up out of the watery grave, represented the (Resurrection) to new life! God is showing us this Old Testament example, of the New Testament Salvation Plan, for a reason! The Bible also teaches this: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you be Christs, then are you Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29) This scripture shows that we are Christ’s, when we are Baptized into Jesus Christ, and shows us that, as a believer is Baptized in water, with the name of Jesus Christ pronounced over them, this is where the new believer joins into covenant with God, thus making the believer “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” The Bible speaks of Baptism as being “the circumcision made without hands” and reveals the saving gospel once again: In whom also you are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: (“Repentance”)Buried with Him in (“Baptism”), wherein also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, has He quickened together with Him,(“Resurrection”) having forgiven you all trespasses... (Colossians 2:11-13) The Bible shows us that: “…in the days of Noah, while the ark was preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure where unto EVEN BAPTISM DOES 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:” (1 Peter 3:20&21) This scripture associates Water Baptism, in The Name of Jesus Christ, with Salvation... just like (Acts 2:38) and (John 3:5), and (Mark 16:16), and many other scriptures! God did this for a reason! Noah preached (“Repentance”) and it is sure that his family followed his preaching, as they entered the Ark. As the rest of the world perished, Noahs family were saved by water. This represents (“Baptism”). Doing a man’s part of the Salvation Plan, through (“Repentance”) and (“Baptism”) in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, prompts God to do His part, by filling the believer with the Holy Ghost, which is the (“Resurrection”) part of the Salvation Plan! The Bible teaches us that we have: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:5) This scripture shows us that we have ONE Lord God Almighty! This scripture shows that we have ONE common faith that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Savior and Redeemer of mankind! This scripture shows that we have ONE baptism, or ONE common way of Salvation…through the “Death”, “Burial”, and “Resurrection” of Jesus Christ! Here is a question to consider! For the sake of convenience, what part of the saving gospel of Jesus Christ shall we remove? Shall we remove the “Death” part…Repentance”? If we remove Repentance, then Baptism is truly useless! Forget about the “Resurrection!” Without Repentance, there will be no atoning for sin, no infilling of the Holy Ghost and there will be no Resurrection! (That’s Bible!) Shall we remove the “Resurrection” part…the infilling of the Holy Ghost? Tell me…How could Jesus Christ EVER rise to Everlasting Life, Except by the Resurrecting Power of the Holy Ghost? Shall we be any different? I dont think so! If you get rid of the “Resurrection” part…”the infilling of the Holy Ghost”…both “Repentance” and “Baptism” are incomplete! The Only thing that WILL complete“Repentance” and “Baptism” is “the infilling of the Holy Ghost!” Shall we get rid of the “Burial” part…Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ? Lot’s of churches…have done just that, when they say it’s not necessary for salvation. Understand this: Baptism… is “Faith In Action!” Faith in Jesus Christ is evidenced as a repentant believer is Baptized in water. The Bible shows us that Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, joins a believer into covenant with God, thus allowing the believer to become “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise!” (Galatians 3:26-29) Many scriptures have already been given, showing that “Repentance”, coupled with water “Baptism”, is where the name of Jesus Christ is pronounced over the believer, formally stating in Whom our faith is and (symbolically) applies the blood of Jesus Christ over our sins, granting us remission of sins! If you get rid of the “Burial” part…Water Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, you NEVER become “Abraham’s seed” and you sever yourself from becoming “heirs according to the promise!” If you get rid of Baptism, NO blood of Jesus Christ is applied over your sins, granting remission of sins…
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 05:39:25 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015