Baptisms
Water Baptism.
The crowd that surged
around Peter and the apostles on the day of Pentecost, being
convicted of sin had one question to ask the apostles " Men and
brethren, what shall we do?" The reply of Peter is very
revealing -" 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" (Acts2:37,38).
Baptism is a response to the gospel.
· Acts 2:38, shows that baptism is a command to be obeyed. It is
not an option, but every one who is delivered from the bondage
of sin must obey God in this. Symbolically this is seen in the
Old Testament, where all Israel, every one who was delivered
from the bondage of Egypt had to pass through the Red sea. Even
in the tabernacle, every offering that had to be taken into the
Holy place or the Most Holy Place had to be washed at the laver!
· Only believers are baptized. Acts 8:1 and many other
references in Acts point to this fact. Baptism is not a sign of
maturity but it is an elementary step that every born again
believer has to take. (Philip baptized Simon the sorcerer, yet
we see him latter offering money to purchase the gift of the
Holy Ghost!) Baptism cannot make a man perfect.
· Those desiring to be disciples are baptized and not infants.
"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized"
(Acts2:41) (Mathew 28:19). The scripture is very clear that only
those who receive the word and repent are to be baptized. This
eliminates child baptism or infant baptism. Infants are not to
be baptized. Some refer to the portion where the house hold of
the Philippian jailer is said to have been baptized, claiming
household includes children. This supposition is contrary to the
Word of God which claims the need to listen and be able to
comprehend, acknowledge one's sinful state and believe and
repent!
· Baptism is an identification with the death, burial and the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
· A person should not partake of the Lord's supper if he has not
repented and identified himself with the death, burial and
resurrection of the Lord in baptism. For in partaking of the
Lord's table he is declaring these very same things - all that
Christ has done.
The relationship to Jesus is confessed in baptism.
"And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the
Lord..."(Acts10:48)
"...They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts
19:5)
"...Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Ghost"(Matthew28:19)
· To be baptized in His name means to be brought into the
service and ownership of the Lord Jesus Christ.
· The name of the Lord Jesus is called over the person being
baptized. Thus showing the claims of Jesus upon his life as the
Lord.
· Baptism is also the declaration to the world that a believer
is joined in and with the Lord.
The condition before God implied in baptism.
· Baptism first of all relates to the forgiveness of sin to good
conscience. It relates to the whole experience of a sinner being
saved by God's grace through the attorney.
· Secondly, baptism is related to burial, burial of the old
self. "Buried with him in baptism "(Col 2:12).
· Thirdly, baptism also relates to our resurrection. " You were
buried with Him in baptism, IN WHICH YOU WERE ALSO RAISED WITH
HIM...(Col2:12)
· The water has no special power to wash our sins, what happens
in water baptism is that the wholehearted obedience to the word
God has spoken brings a change, a newness of life. Naaman was
healed by his obedience to the words of the man of God and not
through a healing power in the water. So is baptism.
Consequences for faith revealed in baptism.
· "Faith baptism" saves us from this perverse generation. This
was the exhortation of Peter in Acts 2:40 - "and exhort saying
save yourself from this untoward generation". It is a separation
from the worldly values and life styles and committing oneself
to the life and truth of the kingdom of God.
· "Faith baptism" marks our entry into the community of faith
which is the church of Jesus Christ. " then they that gladly
received his word were baptized and the same day there were
added unto them about three thousand" (Acts2:41).
· "Faith Baptism" commits us to the authority teaching and
fellowship and life style of the Body of Christ. "And they
continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship
and breaking of bread and prayer"
(Acts 2:42).
· "Faith Baptism" in normal New Testament circumstances is
clearly linked to the receiving of the Holy Spirit Baptism.
Spurgeon comments on his own baptism in River Lark.
"I felt as if heavens and earth and hell might gaze upon me for
I was not ashamed there and them to own myself as a follower of
the Lamb. My timidity was washed away , it floated down the
river into the sea and must have been devoured by the fishes,
for I never felt anything of the binding sins. Baptism loosed my
tongue and from then it had never been quite. I lost a thousand
fears in the river lark and found that in keeping His commands
there is a great reward.
Holy Spirit Baptism
Many phrases are used in
the Bible about Baptism of the Holy Spirit: phrases such as
a. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
b. Baptism of the Holy Spirit
c. Baptism by the Holy Spirit
d. Infilling of the Holy Spirit
e. Unction of the Holy Spirit.
However, it all talks about one experience with the Lord. Holy
Spirit Baptism is not the fulness of the Spirit but it is the
earnest of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:13,14). It certainly leads us
into the fulness of the Spirit. While talking to the Samaritan
woman, the Lord Jesus spoke of ‘springs of water’ but there is
also the ‘rivers of living water’.
Sincere differences of views among the evangelical Christians.
a. Traditional Evangelical Teaching holds that regeneration and
baptism in the Spirit are identical or perhaps two sides of the
same experience. According to this view the Holy Spirit is fully
and automatically given at the time of conversion.
b. Second blessing teaching links infilling of the Spirit with
holiness as experienced subsequent to regeneration so that
usually the two experiences are distinct in nature and normally
this is observed by the Welsleys' and mainline Pentecostalism.
c. Charismatic viewpoint : General consensus says while every
born again believer has the Spirit within him (Romans 8:9), but
not every believer has the infilling of the Holy Spirit so that
at some point after conversion many receive by faith a further
definite conscious experience of being filled with the Holy
Spirit. Thus regeneration and baptism in the Spirit are distinct
phases of the Spirit's work which ought not and need not be
separated by much time but they are not automatically given
altogether.
The last viewpoint is preferable for the following reasons:
a. It has valid New Testament basis
b. It explains current experiences
c. It produces New Testament results for the individual believer
and for the Church.
The Biblical basis of this view is as follows:
i. Acts 10:37,38. Jesus himself though born of the Holy Spirit
did not begin His public ministry as the Son of God until He was
anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. (Acts 10:38; John
1:33,34). Can we as members of His Body do without a similar
empowering. This power is just what Jesus told His disciples to
expect – that is to receive it before they go out to witness.
ii. Disciples who were believers before Pentecost wait to
receive this power. Various terms are used to express this
experience such as, RECEIVE (Acts 8:15), FALLING (Acts 8:16),
POURED OUT (Acts10:45).
iii. The believers in Samaria, though baptized in the water had
to wait for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which they received
when the Apostles laid hands on them. They received the Holy
Spirit with the evident features.
iv. On the road to Damascus the Apostle Paul met with the risen
Christ. Later on he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit
(Acts9:17; Acts 13:9; I Cor 14:18).
v. In the house of Cornelius they believed the gospel, they
received the baptism of the Spirit and then they were baptized
in water. (Acts 10:11,44)
vi. The Apostle Paul noticed that something was lacking in the
lives of believers of Ephesus. Paul first of all laid a proper
foundation of baptism and then laid hands on them and prayed
that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
Q. When we accept the Lord Jesus, we received the Holy Spirit
then why is there a need and a talk of the Baptism in the Holy
Spirit?
A. We can say that the born again experience is the WORK OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT but not the Holy Spirit Baptism. The believers in
Samaria were baptised in water, yet the Apostles felt it needful
for them to be baptised by the Holy Spirit and they sent Peter
and John to lay hands on them that they may receive the Holy
Spirit.
Q. Is the gifts of the Holy Spirit important or is it the fruit
of the Holy Spirit that is important?
A. Gift is fruit and fruit is not gift! Bearing of fruit takes
time. As the plant grows it bears fruit. One who is above, a new
born one in God's household has so little of 'fruit' to show. He
has the potential for bearing fruit but it will be the result of
an inward work of the Holy Spirit in him over a period of time.
Gifts can be received instantaneously but it is not so with
'fruit'. IT IS VERY MUCH POSSIBLE THAT THE ONE WHO EXERCISES
MANY GIFTS HAVE VERY LITTLE IN TERMS OF FRUIT IN HIS LIFE. Gifts
are for power, but fruit is the sign of holiness. The believers
in Corinthians manifested lots of gifts but they were 'BABES IN
CHRIST'!
Gifts are primarily for the edifying and building up of the Body
of Christ.
Today’s Christendom is replete with foundational truths only.
They know the Lord as the Saviour, Baptiser, Healer, King and
they are keen to know the intricacies involved in the Lord’s
second coming. Thus it has failed to manifest any signs of
maturity. The teachers and leaders feed the flock with milk and
churn out many byproducts of this milk to feed the flock! How
very tragic!
A man continuing in Sin with spiritual gifts will ultimately end
up being used by the evil one for the Kingdom of Darkness.
IS IT NECESSARY TO HAVE THE BAPTISM
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH THE EVIDENCE OF SPEAKING IN TONGUES?
· Some quote
I Corinthians 13:8-10 to substantiate the claim that ‘tongues
have ceased’, but we do know that the word ‘PERFECT’ mentioned
in the verse is not pointing to the Word of God (the literal
Bible).
· Some others say that ‘tongues’ are not for all believer and
quote "do all speak in tongues?..." (I Corinthians 12:30). It is
necessary to know the background of the chapter. The whole
chapter deals with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are given
"to every man to profit withall" (vs 7), "dividing to every man
severally as he will" (vs 11). So a gift is given for the common
good and the profit of the Body and not for the individual.
Among the gifts there is one gift called "diverse kinds of
tongues". Its purpose is to edify the Body when used with
interpretation and not the individual. This gift is not given to
all but to those the Holy Spirit chooses. This is the reason
Paul says, "do all speak in tongues", meaning do all speak in
diverse kinds of tongues to edify the church? The answer is, no.
However, I Corinthians 14:2-4 points out that speaking in
tongues is
§ Not unto man
§ Unto himself and God
§ Speaking mysteries
§ Edifying himself.
· Paul tells emphatically that the usage of tongues here is to
edify the individual. This has a different purpose than speaking
in 'diverse kinds of tongues'. This gift every individual shall
receive when baptized in the Holy Spirit to build one self in
the Lord.
· We read in the Old Testament that the High Priest is supposed
to replenish the oil in the lamp that stands in the Holy Place.
The lamp is never to go dry so that there is a perpetual light
and clarity. However, today in the Pentecostal realm there is
confusion and people fear to identify with them all because
there is lack of oil in the lamps and the flame is dying and the
wick is producing a lot of smoke! So less of light and so much
of smoke!!
FEW REASONS WHY WE SHOULD SPEAK IN
TONGUES.
· It is an initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
(Acts2:4; 10:44-46; 19:6)
· For the spiritual edification and building of oneself. (I
Corinthians 14:4,14). We do not know the actual values of it.
The Spirit is gentle. He leads but does not drive. Sheep's are
to be led, cattle are to driven. The Spirit will urge but never
drive. He never condemns, but always convicts.
· It is the evidence of the Holy Spirit's indwelling.
· It eliminates the possibility of selfishness entering into
prayer. (Romans 8:26)
· It helps to learn and trust God more fully (Jude20). Praying
in the Spirit stimulates faith
· Keeps us free from the influence and contamination of the
ungodly and the profane. We can speak to ourselves and to God
wherever we may be in our daily life.
· It provides ways for things to be prayed for.
· We are able to give thanks and bless the Lord well, much
better than we can do with our understanding.
· Yielding our tongues to the Holy Spirit, it is a long step
towards fully yielding all members of our body to God. If you
can yield your tongue you can yield any member of your physical
body to the Lord.