Jesus Commands us to take Water Baptism.
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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
1. What is Water Baptism, and how to take it?
We do not use the word 'baptism' in common vocabulary. Baptism means bath. Water baptism is taking bath in a pool of water cleansing our body. If we take water baptism as a ceremony, we just dip ourselves one time and come out of water, but we don't do the cleansing as regular bath. "Matthew 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him." So, Jesus came to River Jordan to be baptized by John the Baptist. "16 says: Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:" So, John immersed Jesus Christ in the water, and he came out of the water in baptism. Then Jesus Christ began his ministry, and he called disciples for him. John 3:22 says, "After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized." That is, Jesus Christ baptized his disciples and people. "26 says, "they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven." When John heard this, he said that God the Father has given him to baptize people. John 4:1-3 says, when the Pharisees heard that Jesus Christ has baptized more people than John the Baptist, Jesus left the place, went to Galilee, and his disciples gave baptism. But false preachers, who oppose water baptism, say that Jesus did not baptize people, and so, baptism is not needed. They are not of God, they always rebel, and God will cast them in hell at the end.
2. We must take Water Baptism for our Salvation
Matthew 3:16&17 and Luke
3:21&22 say that Jesus
Christ took water baptism by immersing in River Jordan and he said it is to
fulfill
all
righteousness. God the Father and the Holy Ghost came down from heaven to
bless this simple ceremony of water baptism. The Holy Ghost descended on Jesus Christ and God the Father
said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am
well pleased".
After his resurrection, Jesus Christ commanded
his disciples
in Mark 16:
"15
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not
shall be damned." That is, those who believe
the preaching will take water baptism, others will not take it; and those
who will
not take it will be damned; that is, they cannot go to heaven.
This simple ceremony of water baptism is also the pre-requisite for
preaching the gospel. Now, it is a shame that even churches that baptize believers, will
not teach that it is a pre-requisite for salvation.
1 Peter
3 says: "20
... in the days of Noah, while the ark was
a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
21 The like figure whereunto
even
baptism doth also now save us..." Preachers say that
baptism has nothing to do with our salvation, but the Bible says that
baptism
doth also now save us.
Acts
2:38 says:
"--- Peter said unto them, Repent, and
be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission
of sins, ---"
Many preachers say that nobody have to be baptized for
the remission of sins. They beg people to take baptism in order to do a favor to
God. It is nonsense. They are liars.
Acts
22:16 says "--- now why tarriest thou? arise, and
be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord."
Many preachers laugh at the principle that water baptism
washing away sins. But God will laugh at them in the end. Make sure, that the church you
attend may not be a hindrance for your eternal life.
3. Water Baptism is by the Counsel of God
Jesus Christ says in Luke 7: "29 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." Jesus Christ says water baptism is the counsel of God. Religious leaders and their people did not take water baptism, but children of God took baptism for righteousness, and obeyed God. In Luke 20:3&4 Jesus Christ told them: "I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" Jesus Christ pointed to them that water baptism is from heaven. But, even now, rebellious people reject the counsel of God and God will reject them. Further, Matthew 3 says: "7 But when he (John the Baptist) saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:" John the Baptist required people to repent and to confess their sins. He also demanded fruits, that is proof, for repentance from religious people, who had a form of godliness, to baptize them. That is, John the Baptist refused to baptize those Jews, who had no fruits for repentance. They say that they have repented, but it was not seen in their life.
4. Infant Baptism is not Water Baptism
Luke 18 says: "15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God." Almost every church has child dedication service. In the service the parents promise God that they will raise the baby in godly ways. Some churches wet the baby with a little water in the ceremony of dedication and call it baptism. But it is not baptism. Ignorantly a few churches say that they give infants baptism, because if any child dies before baptism, it goes to hell and those who took infant baptism will go to heaven. This is ignorance or deception. Baptism is given to repented believers. "Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, ..." So, repentance is a pre-requisite to receive baptism. How can a child repent for sins? So, a child is not qualified to be baptized. It may be child dedication, but not baptism. They call it baptism in order to prevent the child to repent as an adult and to be baptized. It is the trick of the devil.
5. What to announce to give Water Baptism?
A denomination calls themselves as Apostolic Church, or known as Jesus Only Church, make a big issue about what the baptizer should say when we are baptized in water. Jesus Christ says in Matthew 28:19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" Acts 19:5 says: "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." The above two verses are in the Bible, and to the educated intellectual mind, it appears as contradiction. But there are no contradictions in the word of God. As the Lord Jesus Christ commands the disciples to baptize, he gives instructions what is to pronounce at the baptism of the person. The disciples obeyed the Lord and gave baptism "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The event was recorded as, that "they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus", to mean that they gave water baptism in the authority given by the Lord Jesus Christ. In Acts 3:6, Apostle Peter said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." This is a similar thing. Here Apostle peter healed the man in the authority that Jesus Christ gave him. In the context of baptism, the apostles gave baptism in the authority that Jesus Christ gave them, and it is recorded in the book of Acts. The first one is the instruction of what to announce to baptize a believer and second is the recording of the information, saying that they have baptized in the authority that is given them by Jesus Christ. The next is about that the baptism was repeated a second time, if it was not given properly. Acts 19 says: "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, --- 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." Paul baptized the believers a second time. Even though baptism was a ceremony, it should not be taken in a way that is convenient, or that is tradition, but it must be in the order that God told us to do. So, Paul gave water baptism to believers a second time.
6. False Preachers oppose Water Baptism
"1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." False preachers, who oppose water baptism, pick up Paul's phrase, that "Christ sent me not to baptize," and say that baptism is not needed for salvation. But, water baptism is a ceremony; but the baptism vow is: we die to the deeds of the flesh, and we will live in spirit with Jesus Christ. This is also the preaching of the cross. Paul was preaching this life behind the ceremony, but he did not deny the water baptism. But false preachers use this verse to preach that water baptism is not needed. Acts 13:8-10 says that the deputy was about to accept the faith; probably he was about to take water baptism, and then Elymas the sorcerer was hindering him. Then apostle Paul rebuked the sorcerer and said in 9-12, 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord." Elymas became blind immediately. These false preachers are also doing the same thing, preventing people from taking water baptism. God also has blinded the hearts of these preachers, and so, they will never be converted. Elymas got it only for a season, but these preachers are eternally damned. They must not stand against the ways of God. But they do for their own destruction.
7. What is water baptism to us in our life?
Water baptism is a ceremony, like marriage. Marriage will not stop at the ceremony; it will continue throughout life. So also, we must take water baptism, and continue the life with Christ Jesus. It will take us to heaven to be with the Lord forever.
Here is a link for another related topic: Can we go to Heaven without Water Baptism?: "Video & Transcript."
Please write to me
in the 'Mail
Box' below.
God Bless You
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What is the true gospel and what are false gospels?
Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his
Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinth 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.What will the true Gospel do?
The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
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