Subject: Entering Heaven |
Bible Note: Greetings! Mark 16:16 clearly states "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved." Why wouldn't you want to be baptized into the body of Christ, the kingdom of God? Why do so many resent and resist baptism? At the beginning of Matthew, Mark , Luke and John the writer is trying to prove the diety of Jesus that He is the Son of God. The very next thing is for sinners to repent and be baptized by John the baptist, then we see Jesus coming to John 3:13 Then Jsus arrived from Galilee at the Jordon coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? 3:16 And after being baptized, Jesus went up immediately from the water, and hehold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon Him. Jesus was baptized in water in the Jordon (not a church building) during that time he recieved the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit from His Father. Did Jesus need to be baptized to wash away His sins? NO, of course not. But when He was baptized He recieved the Holy Spirit. After He was baptized and recvd. the Spirit is when he started preaching the Gospel. Jesus is our example! We need the Holy Spirit living in us. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Notice that at Pentecost all who believed were baptized that day adding the their number 3000. All who believed. The entire book of Acts is filled with example after example of every believer wanting to be baptized even in the middle of the night. There is no mention, not even once of anyone who didn't want to get baptized or who question baptism as a part of salvation. I personally think we have a misunderstanding of what baptism is. This is the reason why we don't think it's important to be baptized. It is a Spiritual act for those who believe. The most important aspect of baptism is being filled with the Holy Spirit. That's why the devil wants you to believe it's not important. Also as your reading the bible notice it is those who are preaching the gospel (disciples) who are baptizing. When we as children of God (disciples) lead someone to Christ we can baptize at that time in water. This is the religious hinderance to baptism. I disagree with your interpatation of John 3:5. If you begin at the beginning of John and move forward you will see after the deity of Christ, the witness of John the Baptist and Jesus being baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit then Jesus begins His ministry of preaching the gospel. John 3 begins with the 2 births, physical and spiritual. John 3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit (Jesus was baptized in water and filled with the Holy Spirit during that experience), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (this is the born again experience). In verse 6 he says that which is born of the flesh is flesh (physical birth). So through baptism in water we are born again (shallow grave) dying to our old self and being re-born of the Spirit. Jesus is the baptizer of the Holy Spirit. He gives us this gift just as the Father gave it to Him. I believe the point in verse 8 is speaking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is not something we can put our hand on or show to others it's like the wind, you know the presence but you are not in control of it. Now in John 3:14 it gives us the example of Moses lifing up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. Numbers 21:9 is the example. 15 that who ever believes may in Him have eternal life. Read Numbers and notice what they had to do. There was an action to their belief. They had to look up at the bronze serpent if they beleived or they died. Why would this scripture be here? For an example to those who believed. Then we go to John 3:16 and by it's self is taken out of context. Those who believe will have everlasting life. But if you continue to read to verse 22 it say After these things Jesus and His desciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and baptizing them. 23 And John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there: and they were coming and were being baptized. 26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him. 3:33 He who has received His witness has set his seal to the, that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for He gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hands. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but wrath of God abides on him. Continues on in chapter 4 about baptizing. Belief is an action. |