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          Baptism is necessary

         for salvation - it is the

 "washing of water by the word"

              Ephesians 5v26

    cp Mark 16v15,16; Acts 8v12

 

Baptism must be preceded by a belief in the Truth,  as shown above.   It is an outward expression  of  an  inward belief - and it  is  a  demonstration that the one baptized is "dead to sin", Romans 6v2, and is in this way joined with Christ by being "baptized into his death" (v3). And "as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father...we also should walk in newness of life" (v4).

 

Baptism  is  IMMERSION, not "sprinkling", which was originally a pagan Roman rite,  and was subsequently adopted into  the  apostate "church" teaching. It is  therefore another example of  the evil of that system of iniquity revealed in Revelation 17v5 -

"MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" -

link to

 

'God'            'spirit'            'mortal'

 

'devil'                'satan'

 

 The process  of  apostacy is traced out in 'departure'. We have  to ask, what repentance could any new-born babe have? It is a mockery of  the Divine command, and only came into vogue because of  the  erroneous  belief  in "the immortal soul". It shows how one error leads to  another,  and illustrates how careful we must be.

 

Being "born  of (Grk.'ek'= 'out of') water" and  then  at  the  resurrection "of spirit" is essential for us to  "enter the kingdom of God",  John 3v3-5. John the Baptist "was baptizing  in AEnon near to  Salim, BECAUSE THERE WAS MUCH WATER THERE", John 3v23. "Much water" was needed for IMMERSIONS. Note that "Jesus, when  he  was baptized,

WENT UP straightway  OUT OF THE WATER", Matthew 3v16. Cp v15 -

"thus it becometh US to fulfil all righteousness".  Baptism is for those who are "dead to sin",  which is not applicable to a new-born babe. The dead are BURIED.  "Therefore we are  BURIED WITH HIM  BY  BAPTISM INTO DEATH",  Romans 6v4.  Belief comes before baptism - Ephesians 5v26.

 

Baptism  is also a "dyeing" process. W.E. Vine - 'Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words' writes  -

 "To  baptize, primarily a frequentative form of  'bapto', to dip, was used among the Greeks to signify the dyeing  of a garment". Belief  in  the Truth  followed by immersion is thus a "dyeing" process.

(essential doctrines of the Truth are set out here   -   also link to 'statement').

 

The blood of Christ figuratively dyes the water, making the immersion a true baptism. The end of the life-long process thus begun for the redeemed is in Revelation 7v14 - "These are they which came  out of great tribulation, and have WASHED THEIR  ROBES, and  MADE THEM WHITE  IN THE  BLOOD OF THE LAMB". Cp ch.1v5 - "Unto him that loved us, and  WASHED  US  from our sins  IN HIS OWN BLOOD" - "THE  PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" - 1st Peter 1v19.

 

The process begun at baptism must be a continual service to God - see Romans 6v3 mg "we are baptized" - v4 "we are buried" -  v6  "our old man is crucified"-"For he that is dead is freed from sin" (verse 7). This dedication would have no beginning however if we were not "born out of water".  Such follows a belief in the Truth, including God's promises, focalized in the Sacrifice of Christ - see links to 'promises' and 'sacrifice' , bottom of page.

 

It is natural to question why it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized. It was not for sins committed, for He was "without sin", Hebrews 4v14,15 - cp John 8v46; 1st Peter 2v21,22. The answer, which all false theories of the Sacrifice of Christ fail to grasp, is this:

His baptism demonstrated the repudiation of His inherited "sinful flesh", which repudiation was later sealed in His sacrifice - Luke 12v50.

 

Note the underlying message of John the Baptist - "the voice of one crying in the wilderness" - Matthew 3v3 quoted from Isaiah 40v3 - is Isaiah 40v6-8:

"What shall I cry? All flesh is grass……..

the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever". For true baptism we must endorse this principle. Any other immersion is unable to confer the "righteousness" of which Jesus spoke in Matthew 3v15 -

                link to 'committees'.

 

Note  the analogy by  the Apostle Paul between baptism and circumcision on the 8th day, Colossians  2v10-15 - link to 'grace'- page 2. The principle is two-fold - i.e. the cutting off of the flesh and faith in God. See further on this important matter Jeremiah 4v4; Romans 2v25-29. Jesus preached "the gospel  of  the kingdom", Matthew 4v23 etc. But after His sacrifice had made the future fulfilment of  the promises sure, the disciples "preached the gospel..the things concerning the kingdom of God, AND THE NAME OF  JESUS CHRIST, (and) they were baptized, both men and women" - Acts 8v25,12; 28v31.

 

"The Name of Jesus Christ" involves the truth concerning His sacrifice for sin, without which the future fulfilment of the promises of eternal inheritance would have been impossible.  We must be "baptized..in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" -

Acts 2v38; 8v16; 10v48; Luke 24v47;

Matt.28v19 (orig.text-link to God - p.2).

 

It is instructive  to  look at  an occasion when  "certain  disciples" found at Ephesus were found to have had a defective understanding of the Truth. They  had  not  understood   that "John's baptism" involved "believ(ing) on him which should come after him,  that is,  on Christ Jesus", Acts 19v3,4. And in v5,

"When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus". 

 

In contrast to this, we read in Acts 8v24-28 of a disciple named  Apollos, who was "mighty in the scriptures...instructed in the way of the Lord..and  spake  and taught diligently the things of the Lord", although  "knowing  only  the  baptism of John". It was unnecessary for him to be re-immersed  (baptized), for his baptism had been effectual in the sight of God.

All that remained was for him to have "expounded unto him the way of God MORE PERFECTLY".  There is only "one baptism", Ephesians 4v5 - it can only occur once. Then we "as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word,  that (we) may grow thereby", 1st Peter 2v2.  

 

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