BAPTISMS
INTENTION:
Continually immerse
yourself in who He correctly is; and in His Righteousness.
We need not worry
about ritualistic washing, but to know that we can have a “clear conscience”
before the Lord.
I.
TOPIC:
We want to look at Baptisms.
I use the plural word here because we want to look at more
than just water baptism, but other types as well.
Often, for people believing in Christ, the church leads them
to be water baptized. Yet, there is more than one type of baptism discussed in
the New Testament. There are three related Greek words assigned to the word
Baptize:
You can read the full definitions online, but in general, G907
and G908
represent the nature of the baptism being one of “immersion, submersion, and
repeated dipping”. This plays a role in not only how we see water baptism, but
also the baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire (by Jesus), and baptism into the
body of Jesus Christ (by the Holy Spirit).
We are immediately baptised by the Holy Spirit into the Body
of Christ when we choose to believe in Christ Jesus. After that, we can proceed
by choice for the other baptisms (in no particular order). And sometimes more
than one baptism can happen (manifest) at the same time.
Firstly, we will read following in Mark
16 about the requirement of salvation being that a person “believes and is
baptized”. This baptism though, is not about a water baptism, but of a person
being baptised into the Body of Christ.
II.
READING: Mark
16:1-18 (GWT) {PoG}
When the day of rest—a holy day, was over, Mary from
Magdala, Mary (the mother of James), and Salome bought spices to go and anoint
Jesus.
2 On Sunday they were going to the tomb very early when the
sun had just come up. 3 They said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone
for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the
stone had been rolled away. It was a very large stone. 5 As they went into the
tomb, they saw a young man. He was dressed in a white robe and sat on the right
side. They were panic-stricken.
6 The young man said to them, “Don’t panic! You’re looking
for Jesus from Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been brought back to life.
He’s not here. Look at the place where they laid him. 7 Go and tell his
disciples and Peter that he’s going ahead of them to Galilee. There they will
see him, just as he told them.”
8 They went out of the tomb and ran away. Shock and
trembling had overwhelmed them. They didn’t say a thing to anyone, because they
were afraid.
9 After Jesus came back to life early on Sunday, he appeared
first to Mary from Magdala, from whom he had forced out seven demons. 10 She
went and told his friends, who were grieving and crying. 11 They didn’t believe
her when they heard that he was alive and that she had seen him.
12 Later Jesus appeared to two disciples as they were
walking to their home in the country. He did not look as he usually did. 13
They went back and told the others, who did not believe them either. 14 Still
later Jesus appeared to the eleven apostles while they were eating. He put them
to shame for their unbelief and because they were too stubborn to believe those
who had seen him alive.
15 Then Jesus said to them, “So wherever you go in the
world, tell everyone the Good News. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized {G907}
will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
17 “These are the miraculous signs that will accompany
believers: They will use the power and authority of my name to force demons out
of people. They will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up snakes, and if
they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them. They will place their
hands on the sick and cure them.”
III.
RELATED VERSES AND QUESTIONS:
A. John’s
Baptism. This was a water-baptism of repentance (that is a change of mindset).
Its purpose was to help change the mindset of people to help open up their
hearts into accepting Christ Jesus. In a way, allowing them to let go of their
sin-hindrance (or religious-hindrance) of the heart that would pose an obstacle
to believing in Jesus Christ. To rethink how they viewed sin and its perceived
impact on a relationship with God—for we were only “enemies in our mind” (Colossians
1:21) thinking that sin impacts our relationship with God. Jesus
even demonstrated to the people how sin was a non-issue; often freeing their
hearts/minds up to experience healing.
Mark
1:4-5 (GWT) {PoG}
John the Baptizer was in
the desert telling people about a baptism {G908}
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 All Judea and all the people of
Jerusalem went to him. As they confessed their sins, he baptized {G907}
them in the Jordan River.
Acts
19:1-7 (GWT) {PoG}
While Apollos was in
Corinth, Paul travelled through the interior provinces to get to the city of
Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus 2 and asked them, “Did you receive
the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him, “No,
we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
3 Paul asked them, “What
kind of baptism {G907}
did you have?” They answered, “John’s baptism {G908}.”
4 Paul said, “John’s
baptism {G907}
was a baptism {G908}
of repentance. John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”
5 After they heard this,
they were baptized {G907}
in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy
Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak
what God had revealed. 7 About twelve men were in the group.
Question: Does a change of mindset help us come
to Christ (whether a believer or non-believer)?
B. Jesus’s
Baptism. Have you ever asked yourself why Jesus was Baptised? Jesus went to
John the Baptist who was doing a water baptism of repentance. So, what did
Jesus repent of if He didn’t have any sin?
We can look at this
process being an internal and external demonstration of His commitment to
fulfilling the Will of the Father. Jesus had the same choice we have—to accept
the Father and His Will, or to follow our own flesh.
Christ's baptism of repentance
was not of turning from "sin" (which He had none of) but turning from
a life of His own (self) to live the life that He was called by God the Father to
do. And He did it by His own Faith (not yet filled with the Holy Spirit). It
was not something He saw or committed to by seeing in the flesh, but through
the “Old Testament” Scripture as His witness to do so. For Jesus found Himself
to be Christ through the Scripture.
Jesus studied the same
scripture we have to find His Identity in the Father—and confirmation that He
was the Christ. He found Himself as being human… “in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross” (Philippians
2:8)—"for even Christ pleased not himself” (Romans
15:3). And it took Jesus his whole life leading up to that point to prepare
Himself for what was to come—but that choice was fully His to make. His flesh
resisting God’s Will in the garden (Luke
22:42-44).
His baptism by John cemented
this obedience in Jesus, giving up His own body’s want to do as its flesh
desired (survival, and not taking the sins of the world upon Himself). This
moment also established the start of His ministry with the demonstration of the
Holy Spirit that was poured upon Him (as a dove)—His water baptism coming with
it the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Both of which were demonstrations of what we
ourselves receive when Jesus baptises us in this same Holy Spirit. We get the
same in-filling as He does!
John
1:14;29-34 (GWT) {PoG}
The Word became human and
lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with
his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.
29 John saw Jesus coming
toward him the next day and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world. 30 He is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘A man who
comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.’ 31 I didn’t know
who he was. However, I came to baptize {G907}
with water to show him to the people of Israel.”
32 John said, “I saw the
Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him. 33 I didn’t know who he
was. But God, who sent me to baptize {G907}
with water, had told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down and stay on
someone, you’ll know that person is the one who baptizes {G907}
with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen this and have declared that this is the
Son of God.”
Question: Do you see the human side of Jesus?
C. Holy
Spirit Baptises us into Jesus Christ when we believe. In the Mark 16:15 baptism
we read about above, what transpires is that when a person believes in Christ
Jesus, they are immediately taken by the Holy Spirit and Baptised into Christ
Jesus. Born Again by being in and of Christ Jesus, no longer as from Adam or
our ancestors. This is the first and foremost baptism to take place for a
believer as a believer—the “one baptism” that truly matters for salvation. You
need not participate in any other baptism to be saved; just like the thief on
the cross wasn’t water baptised, yet was saved (Luke
23:39-43). When we see in Acts how 3,000 people came to believe and were
baptised, it wasn’t that they all went down to the river to be water baptised,
it was that they were instantly baptised into the Body of Christ by the Holy
Spirit.
Acts
2:38-40 (GWT) {PoG}
Peter answered them, “All
of you must turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you
must be baptized {G907}
in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will
receive the Holy Spirit as a gift. 39 This promise belongs to you and to your
children and to everyone who is far away. It belongs to everyone who worships
the Lord our God.”
40 Peter said much more to
warn them. He urged, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those
who accepted what Peter said were baptized {G907}.
That day about 3,000 people were added to the group.
1
Corinthians 12:13 (GWT) {PoG}
By one Spirit {the Holy
Spirit} we were all baptized {G907}
into one body {the Body of Christ}. Whether we are Jewish or Greek,
slave or free, God gave all of us one Spirit to drink.
Ephesians
4:1-6 (GWT) {PoG}
I, a prisoner in the Lord,
encourage you to live the kind of life which proves that God has called you. 2
Be humble and gentle in every way. Be patient with each other and lovingly
accept each other. 3 Through the peace that ties you together, do your best to
maintain the unity that the Spirit gives. 4 There is one body and one Spirit.
In the same way you were called to share one hope. 5 There is one Lord, one
faith, one baptism {G908},
6 one God and Father of all, who is over everything, through everything, and in
everything.
Question: As a believer, you are baptised (into
Christ Jesus)! Do you fear that because you maybe haven’t been water baptised
(after believing in Jesus) that you aren’t completely saved?
D. Jesus
baptises us with the Holy Spirit. The reason Jesus never baptised anyone in His
ministry on earth was that if He had, the Holy Spirit would have come upon
them. He instead had to wait until after the Cross. And we can see the impact
that being baptised with the Holy Spirit (filled with the Holy Spirit) has on a
believer. We gain a power only the Lord can provide. You can genuinely ask the
Lord for this without hesitation or doubt.
This is something I have
seen happen in my own life when I asked and received the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit. From then, so much changed—from the way I saw scripture, to speaking in
Tongues, to seeing Gifts of the Holy Spirit flow, and more. Experiencing this
has so impacted my life! We will expand on this more in the next lesson:
·
Refer also: Bible Study Lesson 027 – Filled WithThe Holy Spirit
Matthew
3:11 (GWT) {PoG}
I baptize {G907}
you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one
who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his
sandals. He will baptize {G907}
you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Acts
1:4-8 (GWT) {PoG}
Once, while he was meeting
with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait there for what
the Father had promised. Jesus said to them, “I’ve told you what the Father
promises: 5 John baptized {G907}
with water, but in a few days you will be baptized {G907}
with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when the apostles
came together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you’re going to
restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 Jesus told them, “You
don’t need to know about times or periods that the Father has determined by his
own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you.
Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts
2:1-4 (GWT)
When Pentecost, the
fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one
place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and
filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 Tongues that looked like fire
appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on
each believer. 4 All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began
to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
Acts
9:17-19a (GWT) {PoG}
Ananias left and entered
Judas’ house. After he placed his hands on Saul, Ananias said, “Brother Saul,
the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way to Damascus, sent me to you. He
wants you to see again and to be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
18 Immediately, something
like fish scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. Then Saul stood
up and was baptized {G907}.
19 After he had something to eat, his strength came back to him.
Question: Would you like to receive the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit, with the experiences of Tongues?
E. Jesus
baptises us with fire. Fire represents a means of destruction that has
permanence—just as the end of this current world will be destroyed by fire (2
Peter 3:7). It is this Fire that destroys the iniquities in our bodies. All
that which is not of His Kingdom in our bodies is burnt up as a living
sacrifice. Being made clean also by the washing of regeneration that is His
Word, being Jesus Christ Himself (John
15:3 and Titus
3:5).
Christ is our foundation,
and when we build on that foundation our own works, doctrines, fleshly ways, or
the Law (all that is “wood, hay, and stubble”), we defile that foundation. In
turn, we thus defile ourselves as His Temple. But Christ will always keep us
continually clean, burning up with fire all our iniquities; never destroying
His Temple which is us, but keeping it Holy and clean! And because of this, we
can look forward to living a life now without fear and with the expectation of
being cleansed continually.
Luke
3:16 (GWT) {PoG}
John replied to all of
them, “I baptize {G907}
you with water. But the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not
worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize {G907}
you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
1
Corinthians 3:12-17 (GWT) {PoG}
People may build on this
foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw. 13 The day
will make what each one does clearly visible because fire will reveal it. That
fire will determine what kind of work each person has done. 14 If what a person
has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If his work is burned up, he
will suffer the loss. However, he will be saved, though it will be like going
through a fire.
16 Don’t you know that you
are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys
God’s temple, God will destroy {this defilement} because God’s temple is
holy. You are that holy temple!
Question: Do you sometimes feel the fire
(conflict/anxiety) burning inside you when you pile on things in your life that
aren’t of the Lord?
F. Water
baptism by another believer. This water baptism represents, not the removal of
filth or sin, but a demand by God for you to have a good-conscience towards
Him—a conscience not focused on what you do wrong (sin), but of what Christ did
right (your perpetual righteousness from Christ Jesus). We are freed from sin. In
essence, we must stop focusing on our sins (and “confessing” them) and start
proclaiming our right-standing with God!
There is no need for us to
confess sins for forgiveness, all those sins of the flesh were delt with at the
Cross. Thus, when we are water baptised, it is not about confessing sins, but
accepting that we have been Born-Again as new—our old self dead and gone. We
can now live as having been sacrificed once and for all (Romans
12:1).
Acts
8:35-39 (GWT) {PoG}
Then Philip spoke {to
the Eunuch}. Starting with that passage, Philip told the official the Good News
about Jesus.
36 As they were going
along the road, they came to some water. The official {Eunuch} said to Philip,
“Look, there’s some water. What can keep me from being baptized {G907}?” {37
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he
answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”}
38 The official {Eunuch}
ordered the carriage to stop. He and Philip stepped into the water, and Philip
baptized {G907}
him. 39 When they had stepped out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly
took Philip away. The official {Eunuch} joyfully continued on his way and
didn’t see Philip again.
Romans
6:3-7 (GWT) {PoG}
Don’t you know that all of
us who were baptized {G907}
into Christ Jesus were baptized {G907}
into his death? 4 When we were baptized {G908}
into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought
back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we, too, should
live a new kind of life. 5 If we’ve become united with him in a death like his,
certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did.
6 We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to
sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. 7 The person
who has died has been freed from sin.
1
Peter 3:18-21 (GWT) {PoG}
This is true because
Christ suffered for our sins once. He was an innocent person, but he suffered
for guilty people so that he could bring you to God. His body was put to death,
but he was brought to life through his spirit. 19 In it he also went to proclaim
his victory to the spirits kept in prison. 20 They are like those who disobeyed
long ago in the days of Noah when God waited patiently while Noah built the
ship. In this ship a few people—eight in all—were saved by water. 21 Baptism {G908},
which is like that water, now saves you. Baptism doesn’t save by removing dirt
from the body. Rather, baptism is a {demand for a good conscience toward God}
through Jesus Christ, who came back from death to life.
Question: If you have been water baptised, what
did it mean to you at the time?
G. Ritual
baptising (G909:
washing). Though this form of cleanliness of washing has its own merits, it is
not a requirement of the Law which imposed it. Dirty hands, dishes, or things
does not make a person unclean. Jesus stated it is not what goes into a person
that makes them unclean, but what comes out (Mark
7:15). And what Christ did gives us a clear conscience—something ritual gifts,
sacrifices, and ceremonial washing could never do.
For a clean conscience is
not that we don’t make mistakes; but that any mistake (sin) we do make cannot
and will never negatively affect our relationship with the Lord, nor His
relationship with us. A clean conscience truly means we never have to worry or
fear the Lord for what we do wrong (sin).
Hebrews
9:6-12 (GWT) {PoG}
That is how these two parts of the tent were set up. The priests always
went into the first part of the tent to perform their duties. 7 But only the
chief priest went into the second part of the tent. Once a year he entered and
brought blood that he offered for himself and for the things that the people
did wrong unintentionally. 8 The Holy Spirit used this to show that the way
into the most holy place was not open while the tent was still in use.
9 The first part of the
tent is an example for the present time. The gifts and sacrifices that were
brought there could not give the worshiper a clear conscience. 10 These gifts
and sacrifices were meant to be food, drink, and items used in various purification
{G909:
washing} ceremonies. These ceremonies were required for the body until God
would establish a new way of doing things.
11 But Christ came as a
chief priest of the good things that are now here. Christ went through a
better, more perfect tent that was not made by human hands and that is not part
of this created world. 12 He used his own blood, not the blood of goats and bulls,
for the sacrifice. He went into the most holy place and offered this sacrifice
once and for all to free us forever.
Question: Do you have a clear conscience towards
God—that you know nothing can change His Love for you?
IV.
FURTHER THOUGHT:
A. Matthew
28:18-20 (GWT) {PoG}
When Jesus came near, he
spoke to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me. 19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize {G907}
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 20
Teach them to do everything I have commanded you.
“And remember that I am
always with you until the end of time.”
Thoughts: To be Baptised in the Name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is not saying that when we water baptise a person
that we must repeat this phrase “in the Name of the Father, and of Son, and of
the Holy Spirit”. This use of the term baptise is in reference to a person
being constantly immersed in the correct understanding of who the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit are. A continuous (repeated dipping) teaching of the who the
Lord is in a correct way.
“Grace and peace be
multiplied to you in the correct knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”
(2
Peter 1:2).
This multiplication of
Grace and Peace is indicative of a person experiencing a correct knowledge of
who the Lord is. If what you hear brings guilt, condemnation, rules,
disappointment, or the like, then what you have heard is not of the Lord.
Being baptised in water
doesn’t make disciples. However, this immersing (baptising) of a person
repeatedly in this correct knowledge is the key to discipleship, “teaching them
to do everything I have commanded you”. All of which includes Love, signs, and
wonders, and more—everything Jesus did, we do!
A thank you to Kelly and Joshua who are inspirational in this life-journey. And to all the family, friends, sponsors, and donors who have fed into this ministry and outreach.
If you would like to support this ministry and outreach, you may do so via our website or at:
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