The Bible teaches about our need to be Baptized into Christ. Questions arise though: What does it mean to be baptized, and by whom should it be done?

We all want simple and concise answers when we have questions, and, the question of baptism is no different. To arrive at a sensible [and scriptural] understanding of baptism, however, you will need to take time to consider several scriptures. (Hebrews 5:14) It is important for you to make that effort because most any religious group that claims faith in the Bible will also assert your need, not only to be baptized, but baptized by them. Many believe it needs to be done in water and that being baptism by anyone besides their little group is useless at best. Some will even suggest you must renounce your ties to any other groups you might have previously been associated with. As in all matters, our concern should be to understand what the Bible teaches. The answer which the Bible will make clear is this: You must have personal scriptural faith that will allow you to address the issue of Baptism in your own heart, and then, before anyone who raises the question. (1 Peter 3:15 ; Romans 2:15) What scriptures though, will grant you such personal faith? Please consider what the Bible says about baptism.

One of the earliest mentions of baptism in the Bible was in connection with John the Baptist [the immerser]. Let us start then, with considering what John had to say on the matter of Baptism, as recorded in Matthew the 3rd chapter.

Matthew 3:1-17 BBE
(1) And in those days John the Baptist came preaching in the waste land of Judaea, (2) Saying, Let your hearts be turned from sin; for the kingdom of heaven is near. [Christ was and is the appointed King of God's kingdom, (Daniel 2:44; Isaiah 9:6-7; John 18:33-37; Revelation 17:14) so the kingdom was in their presence.] (3) For this is he of whom Isaiah the prophet said, The voice of one crying in the waste land, Make ready the way of the [LORD], make his roads straight. [This is referenced by most study Bibles to be a quote from Isaiah 40:3.] (4) Now John was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather band about him; and his food was locusts and [wild] honey. (5) Then Jerusalem and all Judaea went out to him, and all the people from near Jordan; (6) And they were given baptism by him in the river Jordan, saying openly that they had done wrong. (7) But when he saw a number of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of snakes [those religious leaders obviously had a reputation of being false servants of God], at whose word are you going in flight from the wrath to come? (8) Let your change of heart be seen in your works: (9) And say not to yourselves, We have Abraham for our father; because I say to you that God is able from these stones to make children for Abraham. (10) And even now the axe is put to the root of the trees; every tree then which does not give good fruit is cut down, and put into the fire. (11) Truly, I give baptism with water to those of you whose hearts are changed; but he who comes after me is greater than I, whose shoes I am not good enough to take up: he will give you baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire: (12) In whose hand is the instrument [winnowing shovel] with which he will make clean his grain; he will put the good grain in his store, but the waste will be burned up in the fire which will never be put out. (13) Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be given baptism by him. (14) But John would have kept him back, saying, It is I who have need of baptism from you, and do you come to me? (15) But Jesus made answer, saying to him, Let it be so now: because so it is right for us to make righteousness complete. Then he gave him baptism. (16) And Jesus, having been given baptism, straight away went up from the water; and, the heavens opening, he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him as a dove; (17) And a voice came out of heaven, saying, This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

We need to meditate (to roll it around in our mind to see it from all sides) on what John there said? He started by saying his baptism by water was so those who came to him could demonstrate they were repentant: That they recognized they had done wrong and were sorry. Their coming to be baptized meant they had a change of heart and wanted to do better. John also said Jesus would bring a new baptism, by Holy Spirit and fire. John's baptism, then, was to help people put faith in Jesus and in their need to be baptized by Christ. John went on to explain what he meant about the baptism by Jesus, as he likened Jesus to a farmer cleaning his grain. In those days, farmers had a threshing floor built where there would be a frequent strong breeze. At a suitable time, the farmer would take his winnowing shovel and toss his grain into the breeze over and over. The valuable grain would quickly fall back to the threshing floor, but the chaff [or husk of the grain, which was useless waste] would be carried off with the breeze; the chaff falling to earth off to the side of the threshing floor. That refuse would continue to accumulate and get in the way so the farmer would move it off and burn it. John thus used the work of the farmer to illustrate the baptism he said Jesus came to perform. By his baptizing them in water, John was giving witness they should place faith in the coming separating work by Christ Jesus. The conclusion of that separating work is happening in our day. John is recorded by Mark as saying:

Mark 1:7-8 NWT - 7 And he [John] would preach, saying: "After me someone stronger than I am is coming; I am not fit to stoop and untie the laces of his sandals. 8 I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with Holy Spirit."

That leads to the reasonable question: Do Christians in our day want the water baptism of John, or the baptism of Jesus Christ? Does the Bible more clearly explain what the baptism into Christ is? Yes it does! Even though Jesus himself was baptized with the baptism of John, Jesus said he had another baptism which was yet to come:
(Luke 12:49-50) NWT - 49 "I came to start a fire on the earth, and what more is there for me to wish if it has already been lighted? 50 Indeed, I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and how I am being distressed until it is finished!

That second baptism Jesus was facing was his death; which he had faith would be followed by his resurrection. That represents the baptism he came to bring you and me: Our baptism is faith in our knowledge of the truth of Jesus brought! The knowledge of his sayings and his resurrection from death, and the hope it would give his followers, would impel them to manifest a change of heart; and then, to judge and correct themselves based on what they had learned from Christ. (Romans 2:15-16 ; John 12:48) The baptism represented by his death and resurrection is eternal proof everything he promised is true. It allows us to sacrifice the vain hopes associated with life in this system to gain the hope in Christ.

The baptism Jesus brought was not water immersion, but starts with faith in Christ and leads to receipt of Holy Spirit. Water immersion was a first century precursor to the baptism by Holy Spirit. Even receiving water baptism in the name of Jesus rather than John was not the same as receiving the baptism of Holy Spirit. It seems, generally speaking, the gift of Holy Spirit was given or transferred to others in the first century by those who already had Holy Spirit.
     (Acts 8:14-17) - 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they dispatched Peter and John to them; 15 and these went down and prayed for them to get Holy Spirit. 16 For it had not yet fallen upon any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they went laying their hands upon them, and they began to receive Holy Spirit.

Those men and women had been baptized in water in the name of Jesus, but had not yet received the Holy Spirit. In some cases, they were baptized with Holy Spirit, and then later were baptized with water immersion.
     (Acts 10:44-48 NWT) 44 While Peter was yet speaking about these matters the Holy Spirit fell upon all those hearing the word. 45 And the faithful ones that had come with Peter who were of those circumcised were amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit was being poured out also upon people of the nations [Gentiles]. 46 For they heard them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter responded: 47 "Can anyone forbid water so that these might not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit even as we have?" 48 With that he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ...

Those individuals received Holy Spirit [which was the baptism Jesus brought], and were then baptized in water [received the baptism of John]. The people in this drama were being encouraged to abandon Judaism as God's formerly approved form of worship; in favor of Christianity as the new way approved by him. Their water baptism provided a witness to their neighbors they were no longer following the Jews, but had joined the Christian movement started by Jesus. [Becoming a Christian was not actually abandoning Judaism, but an acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah the Jewish teachings promised would come. (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7) Christianity was the natural progression of Judaism.] Remember as you consider what baptism should be for you: Jesus himself actually did no water baptizing. (John 4:1-2) His early followers no doubt followed the pattern of John the Baptist, who was a Jew, so as to help other Jews have faith in the newly resurrected Messiah and God's Christian movement. The water baptism of those already baptized by Holy Spirit was performed at a time when the spirit was still being dispensed from one follower of Christ to another. It was also the time when the Spirit of God still enabled them to perform other miracles such as raising the dead and healing the sick; as witness of God's blessing on the newly established "Christianity." God performed miracles through Moses 3500 years ago to help introduce his Law Code and then Judaism. Then, 2000 years ago, He performed miracles through the first century followers of Christ to show He had transferred his blessings from Judaism with its written Law Code, to Christianity with it's law of love written on hearts. (James 2:8; Romans 13:10; Romans 2:12-16)

It is important to remember as we consider what baptism is for our day: The Bible has specific meaning based on when we live in it's record of time. God's arrangement for salvation has been moving forward over time: When Moses gave the Jewish nation the Law Code some 3500 years ago, God performed miracles by his servants to show Moses had God's power to give them Laws. The nation vowed to keep that Law and were judged from it for 1500 years until Christ. They could be put to death for breaking the Law. The Jewish Law code, with it's priesthood arrangement, was the one and only acceptable way to serve God at that time. That was the Bible teaching of a temporary way of worshipping God for their day in time. To take part in a form of worship approved by God, people had to be born a Jew, or become a Jewish proselyte. The purpose of the Law was then fulfilled in Christ, as he was born from that Jewish nation, which nation had been protected under that Law to produce the Messiah. (Galatians 3:23-25) Jesus then replaced or fulfilled the Jewish Law Code with the Kingly Law of Love. (Galatians 5:14 ; James 2:8) After the teachings brought by Jesus, the Bible message had evolved: Everyone needed to express faith in Christ as God's anointed one, and any persons who continued to try and live by Law were rejected by God. (Galatians 5:4 ; For a through consideration of these matters, please read Paul's letter to the Galatians.) As Jesus replaced the Law code given by Moses, he too performed miracles to show he had God's authority to make that change. His contemporary first century followers performed miracles as well: Holy Spirit helped them raise the dead and heal the sick. (1 Corinthians 12:1-11) After Jesus day, with the established inspired Bible record of what Jesus did and taught; mankind started to live by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Those miracles by his followers ceased. (1 Corinthians 13:8) Jesus said he would show them a better way. (1 Corinthians 12:31) Holy Spirit would still be a gift of the faithful followers of Christ Jesus, just helping them in a different way than performing miracles. [The miracles of the spirit will no doubt start again when God feels it appropriate (and/or, when people have faith to perform them). (Matthew 17:20) We are, after all, the human sons and daughters of our Father. He wants to help us when He can be certain we won't misuse his power to cause harm. (John 16:23-27)] What you can know you can have right now, however, is this: Jesus promised he would request his Father to send his followers a helper: The spirit of truth to help them recall what Jesus had taught them:
      (John 14:15-17 NWT) 15 "If YOU love me, YOU will observe my commandments; 16 and I will request the Father and he will give YOU another helper to be with YOU forever, 17 the spirit of the truth, which the world cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. YOU know it, because it remains with YOU and is in YOU. (John 14:25-26) 25 "While remaining with YOU I have spoken these things to YOU. 26 But the helper, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU.

Jesus promised that helper, the Spirit of Truth, would aid his later day followers to recall and understand what he taught them. (John 2:18-22) The Helper would thus aid them in building faith. Please notice: What Jesus said he would send them was "another" helper, the Spirit of Truth. (John 14:15-17) Jesus there seems to be drawing attention to two spirits. The first was the spirit his followers could draw on while he was still with them, no doubt that was God's spirit. He said that spirit helped them and gave them power against his enemies. (Luke 10:19-20) Jesus also said, however, the Spirit of Truth could not come until he went and requested it from his Father. He said the spirit he would send would be theirs personally, and would be with them forever. A special gift indeed! The faith in what Jesus taught, developed under the influence of the indwelling Spirit of Truth, would then preserve his followers alive forever. (Matthew 9:29; Matthew 15:28; Matthew 24:36-39) Choosing to die to [give up] your previous life, and to accept Jesus's gift of the Spirit of Truth, is how you are born again. (John 3:3-7)

This is the truth concerning Baptism: All must become footstep followers of Christ Jesus. You must be determined that even your very life in this old system is worthless compared with the hope in Christ. (Luke 14:25-33) We must each be determined to remain obedient to our Father, whether it means we are to receive protection now, or receive our reward later through a resurrection. We must recognize the value of faith, and be determined to remain faithful to the teachings of Christ Jesus at any and all cost. You should begin with this understanding: It is your request to God for a clean conscience, (1 Peter 3:21) based on your faith in the resurrection of his son, and by your resolute decision to remain faithful to Christ, that you are baptized by Holy Spirit. Figuratively speaking, with that decision you give up your life and start to live for him. (1 Peter 4:1-8) That seems to be what the Bible teaches being baptized by Holy Spirit is! You must be fully resolved in your heart that you are acceptable to God through your faith in Christ Jesus. (John 17:3) That applies not just to baptism, but to every other Bible teaching as well. Do not allow any group of men to define what you believe. Learn what your Bible teaches and it will set you free of fear of judgmental men. (John 8:31-32)

You see then, saying or believing you share the faith of other men and women, whether they support this website or are members of some religious sect, has limited value at best. It is your personal faith in the Bible knowledge each of us you individually have, that can form the basis of a hope which can will deliver you through the destruction of this old world system. (Matthew 24:3) You should be able to defend from the Bible (1 Peter 3:13-15) what baptism means, and, whether you are baptized. You can use something like this webpage to help you learn what the Bible teaches, of course, and even to explain it to other people. But, if your hope is to be a reliable protection of you, personal knowledge of the scriptures must form the basis of your faith. If you make effort to learn what the Bible imparts through Christ, the helper Jesus sent us will aid you in learning and understanding what those scriptures mean. You will gain a solid faith that can not be moved by the opinions of men. You take in God's spirit in the words Jesus spoke. (John 6:63) Jesus said no person can come to him unless they are drawn by his Father's spirit. (John 6:44) That is the process of being born again by the spirit. (John 3:1‑15)

The scriptural answer, then, as to whether we should be baptized, is a resounding yes! The definition of what baptism implies for our day, however, is not as simple and is highly personal. You must become a member of the group Jesus Christ started, while being cautious to understand none of us are judges of who are sincere Christians. Clearly, the baptism of Christ is the receipt of the "Spirit of Truth" you receive from dedicating your life to the service of Grand Creator through your expression of faith in the resurrection of his son. It is a result of your request made to God for a good conscience. (1 Peter 3:21-22) You will realize you have received the Spirit of Truth as you begin to understand and grasp the overview of what Jesus taught. The manifestation of love for other people, (John 13:35) which the baptism by the Spirit of Truth will create in us; that, rather than water immersion, is the witness of our being footstep followers of Jesus. That is our baptism.

Jesus and his first century followers demonstrated what God's gift of Holy Spirit was doing for them in their day, and, God had it recorded for us in the Bible. It documents how they raised the dead and healed the sick. Holy Spirit gave them that power because that was what they needed to do as a witness for their day. God gave them those gifts of Holy Spirit so they, and those of us who follow after them, could have faith. Jesus was also very clear about what the gift of Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Truth that he would send, would be for our day. (John 14:15-26) Jesus told us in John 14:17, the helper he would send was the Spirit of Truth and that he would request his Father to send it. He said it would call to mind all the things his followers had heard him teach. Today, then, if we have baptized ourselves as students and followers of Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit in the form of our helper will call to mind the things we have read from the Gospels. (John 15:26-27) [This obviously implies we must have studied what Jesus taught. The spirit is our helper, but Jesus is our teacher. Holy Spirit of Truth is not intended to speak what we have not learned from Jesus. God sent Jesus to teach us, and Jesus then sends the Spirit of Truth to help us understand what he was sent by his Father to teach.] As we call to mind the promises of Jesus Father, which promises Jesus and the Bible teach, we should see the hope of salvation for ourselves in those promises. It will then come to pass for us just as we have faith. (John 11:26 ; Matthew 8:13) All this happens while the world [without faith] perishes in darkness and ignorance. (John 8:24) They continue to die because of their own choice to refuse to learn the truth. (John 16:7 & 16:8-11) That is happening today as Christ goes subduing in the midst of his enemies, (Psalm 110:2) striking the nations with the sword of his mouth. (Revelation 19:15) You are helping God by spreading the message of Christ. May we live forever through our hope in Christ Jesus, doing so by means of our faith in the promises of   יהוה  ! (John 8:42-51 ; Isaiah 9:6-7 ; Isaiah 11:1-12) The earth will then be filled with the [adopted] sons and daughters of Abraham, made so because of believing they have stepped from death into life by their faith in Jesus's resurrection. (Galatians 3:26-29 ; Galatians 3:5-9)

With regard to baptism then, we can say scripturally: John baptized with water, Jesus with Holy Spirit.
(Acts 11:16 NWT) 16 At this I called to mind the saying of the Lord, how he used to say, 'John, for his part, baptized with water, but YOU will be baptized in Holy Spirit.'

Faithful first century Christians were baptized in water by John to direct them to put faith in the Christ. The resurrected Christ then baptized his followers in Holy Spirit, which in turn granted early Christians their witness to the nations by the miracles of the Spirit. We who live today have their witness recorded in the Bible.
(Acts 19:1-7) 19 In the course of events, while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland parts and came down to Ephesus, and found some disciples; 2 and he said to them: "Did you receive Holy Spirit when YOU became believers?" They said to him: "Why, we have never heard whether there is a Holy Spirit." 3 And he said: "In what, then, were YOU baptized?" They said: "In John's baptism." 4 Paul said: "John baptized with the baptism [in symbol] of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 All together, there were about twelve men.

The spiritual baptism washing away our sins by a clean conscience is accomplished by calling to God in the name of Jesus.
     (Acts 22:16 - MWT) 16 And now why are you delaying? Rise, get baptized and wash your sins away by your calling upon his name.' Acts 22:16 again, from the Analytical Literal Translation of the Bible: (16) 'And now, why are you delaying? Having gotten up, get yourself baptized, and get yourself washed [or, purified] [of] your sins by you yourself calling on the name of the Lord.' [reference by the ALT to compare Acts 2:21] Acts 2:21 from the ALT (21) 'And it will be [that] every [one] who himself shall call on the name of [the] LORD will be saved!'

Being baptized into Christ, then, means a conscious decision to put selfishness to death. We must be spiritually resurrected to realize God's ways are perfect, (Deuteronomy 32:4) and be determined to live by his standards as taught us by Christ. (John 8:31-32) Realizing God's ways are perfect includes being able to see through Satan's lies that God is bad, or doesn't exist, or doesn't care. You must understand and truly believe your life will be better, and we will all be happier, in obedience to God. If you imagine anything will make you happy apart from obedience to God, you are still believing Satan's lies. You must know and understand badness will absolutely never make you happy, and, that it makes you just another fool deceived by Satan to think otherwise. Being baptized into Christ means giving using our life in pursuit and support of truth. (John 14:10-17) It is not about our goodness, but about God's goodness. It is about what is right and true. Obedience to God will make you happy! (James 1:22-25) We must fight against remaining followers of men, (Galatians 1:10) even when those men assert [or we imagine] their own righteousness. (Colossians 3:23-25)
      (Romans 6:3-13) 3 Or do YOU not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him through our baptism into his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised up from the dead through the glory of the Father, we also should likewise walk in a newness of life. 5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall certainly also be [united with him in the likeness] of his resurrection; 6 because we know that our old personality was impaled with [him], that our sinful body might be made inactive, that we should no longer go on being slaves to sin. 7 For he who has died has been acquitted from [his] sin. 8 Moreover, if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 For we know that Christ, now that he has been raised up from the dead, dies no more; death is master over him no more. 10 For [the death] that he died, he died with reference to sin once for all time; but [the life] that he lives, he lives with reference to God. 11 Likewise also YOU: reckon yourselves to be dead indeed with reference to sin but living with reference to God by Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin continue to rule as king in YOUR mortal bodies that YOU should obey their desires. 13 Neither go on presenting YOUR members to sin as weapons of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, also YOUR members to God as weapons of righteousness.

Christ dispatched Paul not to go baptizing, but to go declaring the good news.
      (1 Corinthians 1:10-31) 10 Now I exhort YOU, brothers, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that YOU should all speak in agreement, and that there should not be divisions among YOU, but that YOU may be fitly united in the same mind and in the same line of thought. 11 For the disclosure was made to me about YOU, my brothers, by those of [the house of] Chloe, that dissensions exist among YOU. 12 What I mean is this, that each one of YOU says: "I belong to Paul," "But I to Apollos," "But I to Cephas," "But I to Christ." 13 The Christ exists divided. Paul was not impaled for YOU, was he? Or were YOU baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I am thankful I baptized none of YOU except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one may say that YOU were baptized in my name. 16 Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. As for the rest, I do not know whether I baptized anybody else. 17 For Christ dispatched me, not to go baptizing, but to go declaring the good news, not with wisdom of speech, that the torture stake of the Christ should not be made useless. 18 For the speech about the torture stake is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is God's power. 19 For it is written: "I will make the wisdom of the wise [men] perish, and the intelligence of the intellectual [men] I will shove aside." 20 Where is the wise man? Where the scribe? Where the debater of this system of things? Did not God make the wisdom of the world foolish? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not get to know God, God saw good through the foolishness of what is preached to save those believing. 22 For both the Jews ask for signs and the Greeks look for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ impaled, to the Jews a cause for stumbling but to the nations foolishness; 24 however, to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because a foolish thing of God is wiser than men, and a weak thing of God is stronger than men. 26 For YOU behold his calling of YOU, brothers, that not many wise in a fleshly way were called, not many powerful, not many of noble birth; 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put the wise men to shame; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put the strong things to shame; 28 and God chose the ignoble things of the world and the things looked down upon, the things that are not, that he might bring to nothing the things that are, 29 in order that no flesh might boast in the sight of God. 30 But it is due to him that YOU are in union with Christ Jesus, who has become to us wisdom from God, also righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom; 31 that it may be just as it is written: "He that boasts, let him boast in Jehovah."

It is our Bible based faith in Christ which transforms us into sons and daughters of God.
(Galatians 3:26-29) 26 YOU are all, in fact, sons of God through YOUR faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of YOU who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ [by learning what he taught]. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for YOU are all one [person] in union with Christ Jesus. 29 Moreover, if YOU belong to Christ, YOU are really Abraham's seed, heirs with reference to a promise.

Those determined to be disobedient [and useless] will be burned up [destroyed], just as a useless vine or the chaff from the threshing floor. (Matthew 3:12)
      (John 15:1-10) 15 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the cultivator. 2 Every branch in me not bearing fruit he takes away, and every one bearing fruit he cleans, that it may bear more fruit. 3 YOU are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to YOU. 4 Remain in union with me, and I in union with YOU. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, in the same way neither can YOU, unless YOU remain in union with me. 5 I am the vine, YOU are the branches. He that remains in union with me, and I in union with him, this one bears much fruit; because apart from me YOU can do nothing at all. 6 If anyone does not remain in union with me, he is cast out as a branch and is dried up; and men gather those branches up and pitch them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If YOU remain in union with me and my sayings remain in YOU, ask whatever YOU wish and it will take place for YOU. 8 My Father is glorified in this, that YOU keep bearing much fruit and prove yourselves my disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved me and I have loved YOU, remain in my love. 10 If YOU observe my commandments, YOU will remain in my love, just as I have observed the commandments of the Father and remain in his love.

Become baptized in Christ Jesus, therefore, by expressing faith [built on personal Bible knowledge] that he is resurrected from sacrificing himself for our sins, that sin offering being provided us by his Father   יהוה  . (John 3:16-18 ; John 17:3 ; 1 Peter 3:21-22)

As Peter said there in 1 Peter 3 verse 21, the [baptism] which corresponds to the death and resurrection of Christ is also now saving us: Not the washing away of the filth of the flesh, but the request made to God for a clean conscience based on our faith in his son. Please see and understand: Your receiving the Spirit of Truth as a result of your personal expression to God of faith in the resurrection of Christ is your baptism. It represents your willing choice to die to your former life and step from death into life. (John 5:24; John 6:4) The outward manifestation of that choice is your obedience to Christ resulting in your love for God and other people. (John 5:24) The received Holy Spirit will then help you recall and understand what you have studied from Jesus. (Mark 3:31-35; John 14:15-17) The water baptism by John was in sign of repentance, showing only an understanding by that person of their need for the Messiah in their life. Water baptism was different from Christ's baptism, and, like the Law Code, John's water baptism was done away with and replaced by the baptism of Christ. If you want to dip yourself in water to show you have made a personal dedication to God through Christ, you should carefully explain to onlookers what you are doing. You should probably make clear you are not being joined to any religious sect of men by seeking the Baptism of John. A better witness of your perfection (Matthew 5:48) in your baptism into Christ is your constant and ongoing display of love for others. (Matthew 5:43-48) The greatest display of love is your effort to explain to everyone who will listen about your hope in Christ, which hope is available to them as well. Water immersion will not provide salvation. The only way we can gain the intellectual capacity (1 John 5:20) to have the hope of Christ, is by immersing ourselves in the teachings by Jesus. (1 John 5:18-21) The record of Christ's life and teachings is provided us in the inspired Gospel accounts by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read the Gospels over, and over, until you understand what it is to be a friend of Christ. Know Jesus intimately...

In conclusion, please consider the danger: Encouraging people toward the water baptism of John remains a powerful tool for encouraging people toward membership in one of the religious sects of this world. New Bible students will easily recognize their need for Baptism. They often fail to understand, however, the Christians speaking about baptism in the Bible were talking about being baptized with the Spirit of Truth. Jesus promised he would send us the spirit of truth, saying he would do so after his resurrection. (John 14:15-17; John 15:26) [That is not to say Christians were not under the influence of God's Spirit while Christ was still alive on the earth. They had not received, however, the helper, or Spirit of Truth, Jesus promised he would send.] The water baptism of John was temporarily used as a tutor, (Galatians 3:24) because the baptism by the Spirit of Truth which Jesus promised could not happen until he died and was resurrected to heaven. (John 16:7) Many who are new to following Christ (Hebrews 5:11-6:2) don't understand John's water baptism was a part of the tutor leading to Christ. And, just like obedience to the Law Code was a tutor being replaced by faith in Christ (Romans 7:6; Ephesians 2:15), water baptism was replaced when the true baptism by the Spirit of Truth began. New Christians are sometimes not being helped, by those who are baptizing them, to understand what all these scriptures mean. They don't realize John's baptism was in sign of recognizing their need for repentance. Water Baptism was not the actual repentance, nor could it provide the promised Holy Spirit. Anyone who takes responsibility to themselves to do water baptizing in Christ's name should first understand and carefully explain these scriptural facts. No one should be allowed to imagine the baptism taught by John has significance for our day, any more than they would think the Law Code given through Moses still has value in approach to God. You cannot be a Christian if you try to live by law. (Galatians 5:4) The baptism we all need is not by water, but by Holy Spirit. We are baptized into Christ only by gaining enough Bible knowledge to desire to make a sincere request to God for a clean conscience based on our faith in the resurrection of his son. (1 Peter 3:21) That clean conscience then makes us an acceptable vessel for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As Jesus promised, our baptism by that Spirit of Truth will help us understand, and bring back to our mind, everything we have learned that Christ taught. (John 14:25-26) Jesus isn't walking around the earth to teach us today. He is watching over us by sending the Spirit of Truth to help. Maintain your happiness and mental well being in this divided and hateful world. Ask God for a good conscience, or a good relationship with him, based on your belief in the resurrections of his son. Then, gain peace by reading the Gospels to learn what is being taught by the son of God! (Matthew 17:5) May the helper Jesus left us be with you forever!

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