The Doctrine of Baptisms
Hebrew 6:1-3
6 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not
laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of
eternal judgment.
3 And this will we do, if God permit.
Remember, when it comes to definitions again, repentance is not just confessing words. It also pricks one’s conscience, a godly sorrow, not earthly. Worldly sorrow consists of self-pity, I’m sorry, and I’m disappointed in myself; that’s not godly sorrow or a loss of confidence in oneself. Faith toward God is not believing he exists, but it’s a full assurance, confidence, and trust placed in him and in him.
The doctrine of Baptisms, the Greek meaning is the washing of one’s body, the act of immersing the whole body. I want you to notice the S on baptism; it’s there because it is more than one process that the believer must go through. The indication is that more than just his body must be washed and one's spirit also. The word teaches three types that I know of. The first one is
I. THE WASHING OR IMMERSION OF THE BODY
Colossians 2:12
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Many in different denominations have only dealt with the body when it comes to coming to
Christ. Thinking that the body can be redeemed in the water. Forgetting what the scriptures
said that man is also a spirit and an outward act without inward conviction cannot save you.
1 Peter 3:20-21
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of
Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water?
21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
So, he’s making a comparison with what happened to Noah, it wasn’t just the water saving
them. It was riding upon the water in an arc that saved them; in the same way, water does not
put away the filth of our flesh but the faith in our arc, who is Jesus Christ that saves us.
There are still too many who believe that getting immersed in water saves you from sin and
makes you ready for heaven, but the bible doesn’t teach that. The body doesn’t change at
baptism; the act itself is meaningless if something doesn’t happen to one’s conscience.
Remember what Peter said but the answer of a good conscience toward God. What’s a good conscience? It’s a washed one.
2 Corinthians 4:16
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is
renewed day by day.
So, we see there is another man he’s called our inward conscience.
John 3:1-8
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher
come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again,
he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second
time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, 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.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
So, Jesus shows us in talking with Nicodemus that the body goes down in water in faith because Jesus went into the grave, but the spirit man is born of the spirit or immersed into his spirit.
II. THE WASHING AND IMMERSING OF THE SPIRIT
The washing and immersing of the spirit were intended to be affected under the new covenant. The spirit of man is not so much his flesh.
Ezekiel 11:19-20
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony
heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:
20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be
my people, and I will be their God.
So, this was a promise strictly given under the new covenant; no one was born again under the old covenant.
1 Corinthians 12:13
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
So, we see the second of the doctrine where Holy Spirit takes our spirit and places it into the
lords; this is the washing of our spirit or being born of the spirit.
III. THE IMMERSING OF HIS SPIRIT INTO OURS
And the third one you have the immersing of our spirit soul and body in what the word calls the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:33
33 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 baptized with the Holy Ghost.
Luke 3:16
16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:
During the first Pentecost, we did not only see spirit baptism, but we saw fire also that purified or restored people's souls, and it is going to happen again; bless God.
Acts 2:4
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance.
The church has been wrongly taught that being filled is only tongues, so we look for tongues
and do not expect any fire. Being filled is Pentecost, and Pentecost is fire, fire mostly for purity and the flourishing of the fruit of the spirit. When the fruit of the spirit flourishes then John 7:38 will happen.
John 7:38
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
