WHAT IS THE REAL BAPTISM AND DOCTRINE?

At the time the Apostles and the early Church preached the word only One Baptism (Eph.4:5) and One Doctrine (Gal. 1:8). So we ask, “Why are there many forms of baptisms and doctrines?” Because of the work of the Satan the great deceiver, (II John v.7) He is the enemy of GOD, the enemy of the Gospel and the enemy of all the blood bought children of God. He knows that he cannot overcome the power of the Blood of Jesus (Yahshua), which shelters us. He knows that we are God’s property, and he cannot harm us. So he seeks to deceive us, so that he can make us so confused and uncertain that we shall be weak in the truth, so that we cannot harm him or his dark kingdom.

In these days. Satan’s way of deceiving the Church is by use of counterfeits. A counterfeit is a false copy of the real thing. It is not the real thing. It looks like the real thing and Satan tries to pass it off as the real thing. He makes a counterfeit doctrine, which is false and he tries to get The Church of God to accept it, instead of the real thing which is God’s Truth.

Now the most successful counterfeit is one that is so near to the real thing, that only an expert can tell the difference. So the most dangerous counterfeit is the one who uses some of the real things in order to make his false thing nearer to the real thing. So, Satan takes some of the Truth and mixes it up with lies, so that the Church will not see the tares that are sown amongst the wheat, (Matt.13:25). Satan sows counterfeit doctrine in the Wheatfield of the Church. Also, he sows the tares of counterfeit Apostles, (II Cor. 11:13), Counterfeit teachers (II Peter 2:1), counterfeit prophets (Matt.24:24) and counterfeit Brethren, (Gal.2:4). This is why it is so important that we become rooted and grounded in Faith, abiding in Christ, searching the Word and filled with the Holy Spirit.

So we consider the True Baptism from God’s true Word and not the false, counterfeit baptisms with which Satan has deceived the Church, so that their baptisms are without power in the lives of those who are baptized.

First of all, True Baptism is a burial; not a pretended burial, but a real burial, with a dead body which has to be buried. The word “Baptism” means immersion, and the Bible says that it is a burial (Rom. 6:4 and Col. 2:12.). It is the burial of the “old man”, the old rebellious, fallen, and sinful nature. It is not just a sign or a play. In a play we have a pretend dead body and a pretend burial. In true Baptism, something in a man has to die, and we bury him with a real burial. Something has to go down into the water and to stay there. It must not come up again, because it is buried. That is the teaching of the Bible; and if we are not buried when we are baptized, then we are not baptized right. Many Christians are still dragging the body of the “old man” around with them. They had one of Satan’s counterfeits; and all they did at their baptism was to get wet!!!

Secondly, True Baptism is a resurrection- a raising up. The Bible says so (Rom.6:4 and Col.2:12). A new life comes up out of the water, filled with Christ’s resurrection. Life. It is not a sign or a play with a pretend new life. It is not counterfeit; it is real, with a real new life. Unless we come up out of the water filled with new life, then we are as weak as we were before. And all we have done at such a baptism is to get wet!!

Brother, something real has to happen at a real baptism. If nothing happens, then we are not baptized right.

Now, it needs power to make this reality happen when we are truly baptized.

So we have the question: “By what Power does the ‘old-man’ die and become buried: and by what Power does a ‘new man’ come up out of the water”

The Bible answers that it is the Power of the faith of the operation of God (Col. 2:12). So, if we go into our baptism in faith, then God does an operation upon us. This operation of God’s Power buries our old-man; and raises up a ‘new man’ by the same Power that raised up Messiah from the dead!

When Jesus arose from the dead, the Power of God in operation made a great earthquake; it rolled away the stone; the keepers became like dead men; the bodies of the Saints came out of the grave, alive (Matt.27:53). And the Lord shines like lightning. And that is the same power operating on the believer at a True Baptism, to bury him and make him a new man in JESUS (YAHSHUA).

That is the true Baptism- real baptism-just like in the days of the Bible. In Bible days, the man who went down into the water was not the same that came up out of the water. He was now a new man, with anew power to live for God; a raised up man living a raised up life.

In Acts chapter 19, the Apostle Paul found some believers who were not filled with the Holy Spirit. He found out that it was because they had not been baptized right. So he baptized them the right way, and then they became filled with the Holy Spirit.

Thirdly, True Baptism is change of possession. When we are raised up with Jesus in our baptism, we acknowledge that from now on we are HIS possession- we belong to HIM. He is LORD. We do not belong to ourselves, or to any other except HIM. (Rom.6:3 and Col.3:27), says that we are baptized into CHRIST.

Fourthly, True Baptism identifies us with the Church the body of JESUS, into which the Spirit has baptized us (I Cor. 12:13). At baptism, we are received and numbered into the company at that place, and the whole church everywhere, the body of Jesus, the Church of Jesus.

So, in True Baptism:-

We pass into burial with Jesus!

We pass into resurrection with Jesus!

We pass into the possession of Jesus!

We pass into the fellowship of the Body of Jesus. The Church of God!

This is why the Lord Jesus says; - “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved!” Baptism is an essential part of FULL SALVTION! If we are not obedient to Master’s Command to be baptized, then we are not fully saved. We cannot live a saved life or a resurrection life. We are only half-saved. There are thousands of half-saved Christians walking about in defeat and misery because they have not been baptized or baptized right.

Now, you can see why it is so important that we are baptized into the right NAME. Remember, that in Bible days, the Gospel was preached in a pagan world in which the heathen were also baptized, in the names of their gods; thus showing that they had become the property of their god or gods, called by his or their names. Nowadays, there is a lot of arguments and different teaching among believers about which name should be used at our baptisms. Some say: - “In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Others say-‘In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.’

How can we know the Truth? The answer to any question like this is found by asking:-

What does the Bible say?

What was the Apostles Doctrine?

What did the early church do?

In Matthew 28:19, we read that the Lord, JESUS, gave HIS final commands from earth before HE ascends to God. HE told the Apostles to: - “baptize them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” All the Apostles were there, and Matthew wrote it down, just as JESUS said it.

Only 10 days later, on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:38). The Apostle Peter spoke to the great multitude of the people, on behalf of the apostles, and said: - “repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of JESUS CHRIST.”

Now, Matthew and all of the Apostles were there, and they heard Peter say this, but no-one protested to say: “Peter, you are teaching the people wrong. For JESUS told us to baptize in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Furthermore, from then on the Apostles and the early church preached and taught and did baptism in the Name of JESUS. And, there were no protests, nor arguments- no trouble about it WHY??

JESUS had said: “Baptise in the Name….” (SINGULAR) not, in the Names….” (PLURAL). Therefore there must be ONE NAME which represents the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit to the world.

“The Father” is not a name; it is a title, showing a relationship.

‘the Son’ is not a name; it is a title, showing a relationship.

‘the Holy Spirit’ is not a name; it is a title, showing a relationship.

So, what is the heaven given Name which represents the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; which stands for their work and authority, which we are told to use always?

IT IS IN THE NAME OF OUR MESSIAH YAHSHUA (JESUS CHRIST).

“There is no other Name.”- (Acts 4:12)

“given a Name above every Name…” (Phil. 2:9)

“whatsoever ye do….. do all in the Name of Christ Jesus….”- (Col. 3:17).

Wonders were done by the Name. (Acts 4:30).

They preached in the Name. (Acts 9:27).

They cast out devils in the Name. (Acts 16:18).

They healed the sick in the Name (Acts 4:10).

Peter commanded to baptize in the Name. (Acts 2:38).

Philip baptized in the Name. (Acts 8:12, 16).

Cornelius and his household were baptized in the Name. (Acts 10:48)

There is POWER in the NAME of the MESSIAH (JESUS CHRIST). WE DO ALL IN THE NAME!

We are saved in HIS NAME!

We are baptized in HIS NAME!

We are buried in HIS NAME!

We are raised in HIS NAME!

We are possessed by HIM in HIS NAME!

We gather together in HIS NAME!

We command and teach in HIS NAME!

We worship and praise God in HIS NAME!