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brightTopic: Water Baptism
Water Baptism
Is it Necessary?
We find in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes that there is a time for everything under the Sun. There is a time to laugh and a time to cry. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to break down and a time to build up. Now the scripture lets us know that we are living in the end times....dangerous times....evil times, a time when men will become lovers of themselves (II Tim. 3: 2) and without natural affection, having the form of godliness, (the appearance of being a Christian) but denying the power thereof. (That power is the power of Jesus Christ).
It is now time to break down our old way of life...our old habits and build up a new way of life in Jesus Christ. The only way we can do this is by taking on the name of Jesus Christ through the water baptism. We are baptize into the likeness of his death and rise up out of the water in the likeness of his resurrection. If we want to be his bride...we must take on His name.
There are many people today who feel that it is not necessary to be baptized, but the scripture plainly tells us in St. Mark 16: 16 “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” If you believe the Bible, this makes it very clear, that we must be baptized. Let us go a little farther so there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind that baptism is necessary.
You may not realize it, but we are living in the end times. The time just before the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A time when people seem to be playing games with religion, just like the blind leaders leading the blind. (But this is my soul and I want to make sure it’s in good hands). There are preachers that get up in the pulpit and tell you that you don’t have to be baptized and that the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues don’t mean anything. That it’s not necessary. That it don’t happen today, that it was just for the apostles. That’s not true. Don’t you believe it. I want to tell you, take heed and beware for the Bible tells me, “Be not deceived, for God is not mocked.” Jesus tells us in his own words in St. John 3:5 “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.” Since these are the last days, or the end time that we are living in, the scripture says that the people will have etching ears and will not endure sound doctrine. (II Tim. 4: 3-4) They want to hear something pleasing to them, something that makes them feel good, because if they excepted the truth they would have to give up some of the things of this world, that they don’t want to give up. I know one lady who said, she would come to church, if she didn’t have to give up her pants. Which do you think is more important the pants or the soul?
II Tim. 3: 1 lets us know, “That in the last days perilous times shall come.” Look around you, you don’t have to take my word for any of this. Dangerous times, and that’s the way it is today. You cannot pick up your newspaper and read without reading where someone has been killed, robbed or beat to death, as if a human life meant nothing. Turn on your T.V. and you will hear the same thing. Without natural affection. Yes my friend, these are perilous times we are living in. In these last days there is so much confusion, so many different spirits, and they all claim to be of God, claiming to be right.
But if we will read our Bible we can find that I John 4:1 tells us, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: Because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” If a preacher or anyone else tells you....you do not have to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission (forgiveness) of your sins, then he is not of God, and is deceiving you.
If there was ever a time we needed the divine protection of Jesus Christ in our lives, it surely is now. It is time we stopped playing with religion and find out what, “Thou saith the Lord.” Not what, “Thou saith some man.”
On the day of Pentecost Peter stood up and delivered his first sermon with great boldness. The church of Jesus Christ had begun. Peter had been endowed with power from on high, and he held the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. (Acts 2:14- 40 also St. Matt. 16:19) We can find in Acts 2:38 that on the day of Pentecost, “Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” as you can see for yourselves this verse tells us very clearly that we must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus has left us all without an excuse. For Jesus, Himself was baptized of John the Baptist in the river Jordan, leaving us an example. He was not sprinkled nor was water poured over his head. The scripture said, he was baptized. The word “Baptize or Baptism means: To immerse, dip, or plunge under water.
When one is baptized into Christ or takes on his name, this signifies union with him; and this union involves sharing in his death, burial, and resurrection, of which the baptism is a symbol. Galatians 3:27 “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Also Col. 2:12)
Let us keep in mind that the baptism with water and the baptism of the Holy Ghost are two different baptism. But we must receive them both in order to enter into the Kingdom of God or to be saved. For the word “Except” means “Unless.” So unless we are born of water (which is the baptism in Jesus’ name) and born of the Spirit ( which is the gift of the Holy Ghost) we cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Read the scripture for yourselves, the apostles Peter and Paul and Jesus Christ himself, told us what we should do and what we should not do. May God bless.
