Introduction
The understanding of the Baptism is as different among all denominations within Christianity as chalk and cheese from one another. Some offer it in a spoon of water and some offer it in a chlorinated pool of dead skin sediments, while another offer a membership that gives voting rights in the organized religion. But one thing for sure, none of the above was done in the days of the first century.
Today, some serious disciples go out of their way literally, and travel to Jordan to experience what it would be like to see someone get into the river to get immersed and they also get an immersion.
The first mention of baptism is found in Matthew 3, Luke 3 and John 1.
Many churches today are actually correct in saying to the baptismal graduates that their baptism does not lead to salvation. It does not.
However, in this teaching article, we shall bring out the baptism that is spoken of by Eashoa in Mark 16, the kind that a believer receives, and it leads to salvation.
Baptism Cannot Be A Sacrament
A sacrament only exists in a manmade religion. Someone decided that the form that they make a ritual is to be called a sacrament and they produce a document about how it is to be done. It is a religious ceremony or ritual regarded as imparting divine grace. The real baptism in the Bible does not impart divine grace. The only document that describes how the Biblical baptism is received by a believer is found only in one place. In fact, there are two baptisms!
If we go by the ONLY baptism that appears in RED LETTERS in Mark 16|16 and in Matthew 28|19 by the Lord in His own words what shall we learn about “baptism”?
I was raised in the Roman Catholic Church, unfortunately, where it made me completely understand the grip of artificial religion on the pious and the threatened, but not necessarily in an intelligent faith. Faith and religion are at enmity wit each other. Religion is man’s way of trying to appease God, to reach God. Faith is based not on what man does what is available for us to do but on His completed work on the cross.
Here we will bring out Passage 1 – Mark 16|16
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” King James Version (KJV)
The reader shall note that Eashoa names a baptism that is required for one who is a believer. And it is an act that is associated with being “saved”. In fact, a disbeliever shall be condemned. Which is saying, belief is the starting point for baptism. For a disbeliever, either he asks for baptism or not ask for baptism, not having been baptized all his life, it makes no difference. He is condemned for not believing.
Just how may people “get baptized” these days with a disbelieving heart?
Passage 2 – 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:” King James Version (KJV)
There is a high probability that if you are reading this and you had once a religious upbringing, then the sight of the word “baptism” immediately conjures up images of white robes, water and raised arms. That is exactly the religious experience that is a communal celebration of one’s spiritual journey. But rest assured after you are done reading this, you will find out that it has little to do with your admission to the Book of Life.
The Lord was speaking about Ruwach – the Holy Spirit immersion. Immersion is such a common word that is found in regular vocabulary. In Greek the manuscript word is baptizo, English translation gave up, it coined a new word called “baptism”. It makes one wonder which word the translators decided to translate and which word they want to coin a new word for, that apart from religion it means nothing else.
In both passages. This interpretation surprises those who are raised in a religion because they have been brainwashed to seek the water baptism in many forms. Even my mother believes, as a good Catholic girl, that she still owes God her own water baptism. Many feel that they do not deserve something “holy” (perfect as perceived, in a religious sense) until they get their act together. Some are afraid that the public act is embarrassing. Some are concerned about the wet look. But what each of the above should seek instead, is the Spirit baptism in order to receive the seal of salvation in the Spirit of God. And you must already be a believer in God.
Ephesians 4:30 sheds light on the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the redemption of the individual.
“And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” King James Version (KJV)
So at this point, I hope you are convinced that the one immersion that matters to heaven and there is only one of, and is required for a believer is the Ruwach (Holy Spirit) immersion.
“The one immersion that matters to heaven and there is only one of, and is required for a believer is the Holy Spirit immersion.”
The Spirit is of the Godhead. So who gives the Spirit immersion? Who is holy and blameless to approach the Holy Spirit? It is Eashoa, Eashoa not a mortal man. Now that makes it interesting. Because if you believe that the only legal person under heaven who can perform the dipping, the immersion for you in the Holy Spirit is Eashoa, then it means you must already believe that Eashoa is risen from the dead.
Jesus is the Living Word
In the baptism that matters, one member of Elohim immerses you in another member of the Elohim. You have to believe this, because if you can, you are saved. If you do not, do not even mention Holy Spirit baptism, though the double edged sword is that you will never be saved. The only thing that you can do after reading my teaching article is to seek God. Eashoa has this to say to encourage you if you seek Him earnestly.
“But an hour is coming—it is here now—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people as His worshipers.” – John 4|23
I will address the water baptism question later in a separate article. These two acts are entirely different though related. There is enough material for it to me to generate a standalone article because now, I will tell you from the Bible who needs the “other” baptism, which is not part of the salvation requirement, but to that I will say to some readers and not to some readers. You will have to investigate it and ask the Lord to give you a confirmation.
Let me establish a few things. I will repeat this passage in the other article for water immersion. Eashoa is sinless. He needed not remission of sin, as that is what John at the Jordan was calling people to do.
3 And he came into all the surrounding region of the Jordan, proclaiming an immersion of repentance for the removal of sins. – Luke 3
Eashoa entered the water in Jordan not for the cleansing of sin but for the legal marriage as the role of the Kinsman Redeemer for His bride to be. Eashoa was not baptized by the Spirit at Jordan, as some misguided pedestrians suggest. Rather, the Spirit descended gently upon Him as an anointing, like a dove. So that clears it up.
The man who immersed people and also Eashoa in the water at Jordan has this to say about the difference of his act and what Eashoa is going to be doing.
John was a mortal man, he immersed people who repented of their sins in the Jordan, not just water, but natural body of water. It is John who says the Spirit immersion is to be done by the Christ, the same word as Messiah. So if Eashoa immersed you already in the Spirit, you are saved. The rest is obedience, not salvation.
To Nakdimon (Nicodemus) an elderly and powerful Jewish rabbi, who loved God, Eashoa said.
John 3:5 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Eshoa answered, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit,[a] he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Eashoa mentions water and Spirit. Water refers to the water in the mother’s placenta as a son of Adam (mankind) and the Spirit part is the Spirit immersion. He follows up by bringing “flesh” and “spirit” (nephesh, the soul of a man in Genesis 2|7) together, as a physical birth and a spiritual birth. Since Adam rebelled against Elohim, as promised his soul died that day he bit the forbidden fruit. As humans, each of us born today need to be revived in the nephesh in order to live eternal life, as designed in Eden, in the fellowship of the Lord.
Did you know who Adam was hearing from in Eden? It was the Word of YHVH. he is the Maker of Adam who made him from the dust of the earth, that had been created by Father. Now, I will inject this about the New Age people. They say that humans are made of stardust, having concluded that Earth came about from the explosion of the stars. No. Earth came about by the same God who created the stars and the Earth, the planet.
He came to once again give us what we lost, the rebirth in the Spirit, by faith and by love. There is neither any division between Jews nor Gentiles to ask Him for the Spirit immersion. All need the immersion of the Lord in the Holy Spirit.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah, Eashoa.
The early disciples, counted 120 of them in Acts 1, were Spirit immersed in the closed room, the sign was the tongues of flame that descended upon each head.
Acts 2
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
These 120 disciples were all Jews. What came upon them was foreshadowed by their early ancestors when they were led by Moses across the Red Sea under the guidance by night by a pillar of fire. Of course, the pillar of fire was the Holy Spirit boxing them in front of the convoy and behind them to partition them from the Egyptian army on chariots in purshit of the fugitives. In between it was the east wind that held back the sea water to provide for a pocket of air mass, in which each running man, woman and child was breathing in Him — the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul brought up the Red Sea where the children of Israel were immersed (baptized).
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
Now we shall ask ourselves, were the children not immersed in the Spirit? Yes, they were immersed in the Spirit.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. Adonaidrove the sea back with a strong eastwind throughout the night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided.
The 2.5 million children were not swimming in the sea water. They were all contained between the pillar of fire (Spirit) taking them ashore. They were running on dry ground. Yes, they too were Spirit baptized, not water baptized.
And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
The invitation for the marriage goes out first to His estranged brothers from the House of Jacob. On Pentecost 30 AD, the Jews came to Jerusalem to obey the ordinance of attending to the Temple. 3,000 were added to their numbers. They were Spirit immersed (baptized).
Acts 23
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children [Jews], and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
The moment that they believed in Peter’s message, that faith is their moment of Spirit immersion. Many people who sit in churches today and listen to the sermon. We may ask ourselves the long shot of one believing in the preacher’s message for the first time. But on that day in 30 A.D., 3,000 men were added in the midst of the new believers. They were all immersed in the Holy Spirit.
Verse 41 says they gladly received his word and were baptized in one sentence. When a hearer gladly receives the word of the Gospel about the Savior, that is the holy moment that changes everything. The Lord has granted mercy to that receiver of the Spirit to begin eternal life at that point.
There is no description whatsoever that says 3,000 people were looking for a body of water to line up and go under. Now there will be those who try to reach and stretch the truth in an argument. They will insist that these 3,000 men were shoved under water by the apostles. I will say 10 out of 10 of those people were raised Catholic. It is only the Roman Catholics who invented the sacrament of water baptism and her daughter has inherited the family heirloom. Imagine the process of finding a natural body of water at the Temple for 3,000 people for a “water baptism”. There was none.
In summary, every one who comes to hear about the Good News of redemption by the Savior toward mankind and believes the message has received the Lord. That moment is our Ruwach Immersion. And if you believer that Eashoa is the One as John said that immerses you in the Ruwach, you are believing that He is raised from the dead and He holds your soul in the Holy Spirit until you are filled anew with Him.
In closing, examine this saying from Paul in Romans 10.
Romans 10 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
For if you confess with your mouth
that Eashoa (Jesus) is Lord,
and believe in your heart
that God raised Him from the dead,
you will be saved.
10 For with the heart it is believed for righteousness,
and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation.
Daniel's 70TH Week (Shavua) "I Will Be Back!" 