Number BB/03 Revised May 2008 Water Baptism Have you forgotten that all of us who were baptised into Jesus Christ were, by that very action, sharing in his death? We were dead and buried with him in baptism, so that just as he was raised from the dead by that splendid revelation of the Father s power, so we too might rise to life on a new plane altogether. If we have, as it were, shared in his death, we shall also share in his resurrection. [Rom 6:3-5 Phillips] When you are baptised in water you are making a powerful declaration in the spirit realm. There is rejoicing in the heavenlies. Satan and his evil forces know the power released by your statement by water baptism and will go out of their way to stop you, to discourage you from taking the step. Don be put off. And Jesus said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [Mk 16:15,16] A public declaration of who you are As a child of God, you identify with Christ in His death and resurrection. I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. [Gal 2:20] In water baptism you identify with Christ in his burial and resurrection and ascension: Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. [Col 2:12] Water baptism is a statement to the world of the change that has taken place in you as a born-again believer. It is the outward public confession of the inner change. Jesus Christ commanded that all Christian disciples should be baptised. It is clear from the book of Acts that water baptism was practised by the early church: Jesus said Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Mt 28:19] Then Peter said to them: Repent and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [Act 2:38] You are declaring that you are dead to your old life and all that it represented. You are declaring that you are dead to things like tradition and cultural heritage that, whether you realise it or not, hold you in bondage. You should no longer subject yourself or your children to initiation rites, especially if this involves passing them through, or over, a fire. If you worshipped your ancestors, you are now dead to them, they are part of another life. You need not fear that you will offend them. The Bible teaches us that our ancestors cannot be with us, hear us or help us in any way, because we are separated by death. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward here [Amplified Bible], for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; Nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. [Eccl 9:5,6,10] That is, unless you call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who guarantees our salvation. Hebrews 9:27 confirms that our ancestors are either with the Lord Jesus in heaven or they are separated from God forever. But wherever they are, they cannot communicate with you, help you or curse you. Neither can they intercede with God on your behalf. So you need not fear them or anyone who claims to be able to call them up [See pamphlet no BB02 in this series] So if they ever spoke to you it was not them who spoke, but evil spirits known as familiar spirits who imitated them to lie to you. SWORD MINISTRIES / 1
Change Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments (weapons) of sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [Rom 6:3-13] There is an inseparable inter-relationship between repentance, the new birth and water baptism. [Act 22:10-16] You must CHANGE. When you are baptised by full immersion in water, you are making the declaration Paul is talking about here. You are declaring that you are dead to sin. To then go and dive back into a life of sin is just mockery. If you spent your time in the bar or shebeen before, you are now dead to your old boozy lifestyle. If you spent time with loose men or women, living a life of sexual immorality, you are now dead to it it no longer has you in its trap. You are free. You cannot become a Christian, be baptised in water and then go and visit the local sangoma/nyanga with your sacrificial chicken under your arm and expect the Lord to bless you. By doing this you are inviting Satan into your life again and saying that what you did was not really important that it is just another ritual! Because you are one with Him, you are also making the Lord Jesus party to your sin! As you go through the waters of baptism, you are leaving sin and evil spirits behind. Don t then come up from those waters and call the evil spirits across to join you. You are inviting destruction. Jesus said that those who, after having taken up the plough, look back hankering after the past will not be blessed. But Jesus said to them, No one, having put this hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. [Lk 9:62] There is a story like this in the Old Testament. It is the story of Lot s wife after the family had been rescued from the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, two cities in Canaan. The citizens of these cities mocked God and became so depraved that God decided to destroy them [Gen 18:20 and 19:4,5,13], but He agreed to save Lot and his family after Abraham prayed. Lot s wife looked back over her shoulder, longing for her home and the place she had come from. She looked back to where her treasures and her heart s interests were and she was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. [Gen 19:26] Who should be baptised? Now when they had heard this (the gospel preached by Peter), they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, Repent and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. [Act 2:37-39] But when they believed Phillip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptised. [Act 8:12] Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, See here is water. What hinders me from being baptised? Then Phillip said, If you believe with all your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Phillip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptised him. [Act 8:36-38] We baptise only believers. In the early church once people had heard the gospel and responded in repentance, making a decision to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord, they were baptised. They knew and understood that it was an essential step in their walk in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider the attitude of the Ethiopian convert he was eager to be baptised. Our attitude should be the same. SWORD MINISTRIES / 2
Baptism in water just like salvation and baptism in the Holy Spirit, must be the result of a freewill choice of each individual before God. Baptism is for believers who have been born again by the Spirit of God. No person can believe on behalf of another or make this decision on behalf of another. Each believer must come to his own point of decision. The meaning of the word baptise. The Greek word baptizo means to immerse, to dip into liquid and take out again. That is why baptism requires immersion. We also have the example of Jesus, who was baptised in the river Jordan by John. We read that Jesus went up out of the water [Mat 3:16] which also shows us that His baptism entailed immersion. Children can be brought before the Lord by their parents to be blessed, but not baptised. In this dedication the parents of the child confess their responsibility to the Lord and the child, to raise him to know the Lord Jesus Christ, so that when the time comes, he will be able to make the correct decision. Each child must first come to the age of accountability, make his own decision and act on his own faith. Earning the right You might ask whether you first have to prove yourself in some way before qualifying to be baptised. You do not have to prove anything. There is no qualification for Christian baptism except belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. Baptism is a personal, public declaration by you that you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, in other words, born-again by the Spirit of God. Jesus said that those who acknowledge Him before men, He will acknowledge before God the Father in heaven. But at the same time, He said that those who deny Him, He will deny before the Father. [Mt 10:32,33] If you are not sure whether you are born again, perhaps the devil is lying to you. Romans 10 verses 9 and 10 tells us what is involved: You need not say in your heart, Who could go up to heaven to bring Christ down to us, or who could descend into the depths to bring Him up from the dead? No, the word is very near you, on your own lips and in your own heart! It is this word, which is the burden of our preaching, and it says, in effect, If you openly admit by your own lips that Jesus is the Lord, and if you believe in your own heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is believing in the heart that makes a man righteous before God, and it is stating his belief by his own lips that confirms his salvation. And the scripture says: Whosoever believes in him shall not be disappointed. And that whosoever means anyone... [Rom 10:6-12] Prayer of Salvation Read through the following prayer to make sure you understand it, then speak it out aloud from your own heart and will as to the Father in heaven. Almighty God, I come in the name of Jesus Christ and I repent of my sins and renounce the devil and all his works. I believe that Jesus is your only Son and that He died for me on the cross as my substitute. He was buried and rose again from the dead. He is now sitting at your right hand. Lord Jesus, please come and take my life and make me yours. I receive you as my Lord and Saviour. I also receive forgiveness of my sins and healing for my body. I know that I am now forgiven, healed, delivered and born again by your Spirit. The old has passed away and all things have been made new. In Jesus name, Amen. God honours your faith and hears your prayer. Romans 10:13 assures us that all who call on the Lord shall never be ashamed. Remember, baptism is an act of obedience and an outward declaration of who you are in Christ. Not only does every Christian have the right to be baptised in water, but it is a scriptural necessity. Something profound happens in the spirit realm when a Christian is baptised in water and the Lord honours the action. Those who declare me before men, I will declare before the Father. It is worth repeating that all scriptural references tie repentance, the new birth and baptism very closely to one another. Repent and be baptised. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit [Mt 28:19] There are many SWORD MINISTRIES / 3
recorded instances of new converts in the book of Acts who heard the gospel preached and responded in faith. They repented and received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour and immediately after that, were baptised in water. [Act 2:37-39 plus many others] A step of obedience If you have not yet been baptised through immersion after being born again, make the decision to be obedient to the commandment of God. Your decision is important. Baptism is a symbolic act before God, Satan, the angels and demons, the church and the world, of your death, burial and resurrection with Christ. Immersion in water represents the grave and death. Rising up from the water represents resurrection and awakening to newness of life. Something happens in the spirit realm when people are baptised in water. Do not be afraid of people s reactions. We must be obedient to the Word of God and not to the traditions and commandments of men. The practice of water baptism must be based on the Word of God and not on man s traditions. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. [2Ti 3:16,17] Jesus himself took the religious leaders of the time to task when He rebuked them as a follows: You make the Word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. [Mk 7:13] Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power. [Col 2:8-10] God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. [2Ti 1:7] The fear of man brings a snare but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. [Pro 29:25] I even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass? [Isa 51:12] Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. [Joh 12:42,43] Blessed are you Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [Matt 5:11,12] Jesus warns us that persecution will come, that means we should expect it. Indeed, if there is none, we should question our relationship with Him because we might be falling short. The church should become very nervous when the world begins to praise it especially the press, radio and TV! Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets. [Lk 6:26] Therefore whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-inlaw. And a man s foes will be those of his own household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. And he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. [Mt 10:32-37] Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. [Mt 10:27,28] Baptised into the body Water baptism is a public declaration of the fact that you have been born again into a new body the Body of Christ. It is essential that you realise this. In his High Priest s prayer before His betrayal and arrest, Jesus prayed, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may be one, as you Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one: I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me. [Jn 17:20-23] SWORD MINISTRIES / 4
For now we are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, and we who have been baptised into union with Christ are enveloped by him. We are no longer Jews or Greeks or slaves or free men or even merely men and women, but we are all the same we are Christians; we are one in Christ Jesus. And now that we are Christ s we are the true descendants of Abraham, and all of God s promises to him belong to us. [Gal 3:26-29 Living Bible] In this way we are baptised into a new family when we repent and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to come into our hearts and be our Lord and Saviour we give our lives to Him and ask Him to take control. We become His own personal property for Him to use as He chooses. That is what we do when we submit ourselves to His lordship. Water baptism confirms this action of ours before men. When we do this though, He too gives to us ALL that He has and all that He is. He does not hold back anything, and neither should you. But God, rich in mercy, for the great love he bore us, brought us to life with Christ even when we were dead in our sins; it is by grace you were saved. And in union with Christ Jesus, he raised us up and enthroned us with him in the heavenly realm, so that he might display in the ages to come how immense are the resources of his grace, and how great his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [Eph 2:4-7 New English Bible] ONE baptism in water Jesus said to him, He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean... [Joh 13:10a] But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [1 Jn 1:7-9] When we miss it, fail, we feel bad and selfcondemned. Going to God and talking to Him about it clears the air because it clears our conscience and leaves us feeling clean - but running away from God because we feel guilty just makes matters worse. We ARE washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb and no longer need washing, except that we live in a world polluted by Sin and we can become contaminated by it, especially when we yield to old bad habits. The Word and fellowship with other believers where Jesus is the focus of our attention, washes our feet. We do not have to get baptised over and over again to wash away our sins. Grow in God be baptised in water and go on further in the wisdom and knowledge of God and His Word. As you trust God and put His word first in obedience and love, He will honour and protect you. Learn with this simple act of love and obedience to put God and His word first, above what family or friends might say or do. Water Baptism. A Sword publication Originally published in June 1993 under ISBN 1-874953-04-X; Copyright Sword Productions; Revised March 2010. ALL RIGHTS ON OUR PUBLICATIONS ARE RESERVED. Therefore, no part of our publications may be reproduced in whole or in part for sale without the express written consent of the publisher. Our mission is to spread the Word of God freely and request any users to be considerate and respect their source when reprinting or publishing material gathered from Sword Ministries publications. All our published works are provided after prayer and thorough reflection. We fervently believe that they have been given by the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit. We use the Word of God as written in the scriptures and quote from the Bible extensively. Though we consider the King James Version of the Bible to be the most accurate translation at our disposal, we continuously refer to other translations in order to make the teachings clear and enjoyable. The New King James Version is extensively quoted simply for ease of reading. SWORD MINISTRIES / 5