Author: Michele at ScriptureStudy.Guide
Posted: April 3, 2022. Updated December 23, 2022.
The word “baptize” and “baptized” in the Greek is Strong’s G907 which means “to make whelmed; fully wet.” It is taken from the root word G911 which means “to cover wholly with a fluid; to stain.”
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is received when those called of God have received the Word which is Jesus Christ (Acts 1:5, Matthew 3:11). After repentance, the called will be washed clean by the blood of Jesus which covers all sin.
Jesus Did Not Baptize With Water
John 4:2 says “Jesus Himself did not baptize [in water]; only His disciples.” If water baptism was required of us, Jesus would have been submersing every believer in water while He was on the earth in the flesh.
The disciples were enacting the foreshadow of the soon coming spiritual baptism that came on Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus rose from the grave.
Water Baptism
Earthly water is not needed to receive the Holy Spirit baptism. The blood of Jesus Christ has overcome everything in this world (John 16:33).
Water baptism is a physical act that some do among the brethren to share their testimony of Jesus Christ. However, God’s kingdom is spiritual. He sees our hearts and minds (1 Samuel 16:7) and does not require our physical vessels to be dunked in water — we have been completely covered and washed in the name of Jesus Christ by His blood (Acts 2:38).
Whether sprinkling or dunking, or an infant, child or adult water baptism, all of them are the same and are no longer connected to the Holy Spirit baptism since the cross because it is now spiritual.
Some believe that water baptisms are declarations to the brethren of their testimony to live according to the doctrines of Christ, and to abide by God’s laws which He has written in our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 31:33). But such declarations are not encouraged or required by God whose Word instructs us to “confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
The more I look into this, the more I see church members trying to receive the Holy Spirit baptism through water, or actually believing they received the Holy Spirit with the water baptism ritual. This is a social, ritual act with a human-mind expectation which I personally have come to recognize as blaspheming the shed blood of Jesus Christ which is the only true baptism.
John the Baptist used water as a symbol for the coming TRUE baptism which is the blood of Jesus. Paul explained that he was not to baptize in water (1 Corinthians 1:17) because doing so could have been done in his own name (1 Corinthians 1:15). Only Jesus Christ can baptize and our baptism is spiritual.
But water baptism is still offered by church houses as some gift that they can give people so they will receive the Holy Spirit — this is Man-Made Religion Incorporated which is deception and false doctrine. Only through repentance and believing through faith that Jesus Christ’s blood has washed you clean will you be stained by the Holy Spirit baptism… it is a gift from God that we can do nothing to receive (Ephesians 2:8-9), and Jesus will not deny any who seek His face (Psalm 27:8, 105:4).
Jesus Baptizes with the Holy Spirit
Before the cross, we are told that John baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy Ghost.
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
John 1:33 (KJV)
After Jesus’ death and resurrection, believers are baptized with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus does not use earthly water, not even when He Himself was on earth in the flesh (John 4:2). This spiritual baptism is only mentioned ONE time in all of the New Testament, and that is in Hebrews 4:9 where it is called the sabbatismos (G4520).
In Hebrews chapter 4, every use of the word “rest” is G2663, except for one time — the word ‘rest’ in verse 9 is G4520 and is the only time in all of Scripture that the word is used. It is the FULFILLING of the stone-tablet Shabbat commandment because Jesus is now our high priest (Hebrews 4:14-16).
It further explains that if we have no faith in the sabbatismos through Jesus Christ, then we are in unbelief (Hebrews 4:11). We are to be diligent to enter into Jesus’ rest and to cease doing it by our own works (Hebrews 4:10).
Our baptism in the Church Age is spiritual.
Coming To Baptism
Acts 2:36-42
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
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, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, 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.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
God Will Call You To Jesus Christ
We see here that the people were “pricked in their heart” after hearing they crucified their Lord and Savior. This moving of the heart is from God — when His children hear His truths, they will know it. God foreknew His children from before the foundation of the world.
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
1 Corinthians 2:7
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Ephesians 1:5, 11 & 2:10
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
We Then Will Repent
Once God moves us to know His Son, we realize how detestable our earthly flesh and human nature is, and we seek forgiveness in Jesus Christ for our sins.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Acts 3:19
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
Our conversion comes through repentance.
Peter said to repent in the name of Jesus Christ for baptism which will cleanse all sin and then bring the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Revelation 2:5
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
We see in Revelation 2:5 that repentance is not a one time thing because we still have fallible flesh and a fallible mind. We must die to self and to what the flesh wants and take up our cross daily (1 Corinthians 15:31, Luke 9:23). See the article Dealing with Temptations and Sin for further study.
Receiving Of The Word
The Truth is the Word and the Word is Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:13).
After the call comes repentance, and with repentance comes the receiving of the Word, and with the receiving of Jesus Christ comes cleansing from sin and the Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 2:41).
Acts 2:34 tells us, “then they that gladly received his word were baptized.” Not those dunked in water, but those who received Jesus Christ, the Word of God, were baptized at that moment.
Our New Heart
With the receiving of the Holy Spirit, God gives us a new heart of agape love, often referred to as “charity” in the KJV bible (1 John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 13:13).
Our agape hearts are New Jerusalem which will descend from heaven into the new earth and the new heaven (Revelation 21:1-4, see New Heaven & New Earth is Not What We’ve Been Taught) — this will fulfill God’s land promise to His children under the New Covenant which is spiritual (see God’s Chosen People).
An agape heart in Christ Jesus is an unconditional love for the brethren/fellow believers, and a genuine concern that the lost hear the gospel message of Christ (1 John 3:14-18). God tells us not to continue to pray for those who have heard the gospel message but continue to sin to their spiritual death (1 John 5:16) — we plant the seed and/or water according to our calling and spiritual gifts, but trust that God’s will be done in its growth (1 Corinthians 3:6-9). Jesus taught us to pray that “God’s will be done in earth as in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus’ blood conquered ALL sin, not just the sins for a few called to enter through the narrow gate — see the articles God Created Evil and Hell is not Eternal – God Works in Ages for further study.
Our Life In The Spirit
We see in Acts 2:42 that the newly saved continue in the doctrine of Christ, obeying God’s laws written on the fleshy tables of our hearts, fellowship with one another, break bread together (remembering Christ’s sacrifice with every meal), and lift up prayers to God (see this article for details). They go house to house building one another up (John 15:12-13) — their physical bodies/new hearts are God’s temple where they worship. They are of one mind in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 13:11).
But with this new life comes extreme persecution from the world — this is our going through the Refiner’s fire so the second death will have no power over us (John 15:18-27). Our gold/faith is proved by fire from God (Zechariah 13:9, Psalm 66:10, Proverbs 17:3, 1 Peter 1:7, Job 23:10).
To be a friend of the world is to be an enemy of God (James 4:4). Being loved by the worldly is not of God (John 15:19). Through MUCH tribulation do we enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). But we are overflowing with Joy from within… the peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7 & 9, John 14:27).
The love of our Father is unconditional and like no other… He has provided us with a complete set of armor that is more than adequate for the persecutions we will suffer during our short time on this earth. See the article Never Be Without Your Armor.
Agape and blessings to you all in Christ Jesus.
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