My Personal Testimony: Baptism in and with water.

“Baptizo” was used in the secular Greek Language to describe the act of dyeing wool or garments, tempering metal (where you heat metal till it is red hot and then you “dip” it into water to cool of off).

The word was also used for drawing water from a well, with a container, or launching a ship into water. All these usages indicate immersion. I was taught that we must be baptised when we are a baby (sprinkled). (Sprinkling does not bury you as going into the water does).

The Greek word for sprinkling is a different word, namely “Rhantizo” and that did not appear in the Bible. “Baptizo” come from a root word “bapto” and it literally means to “dip”, to immerse, to submerge, to plunge, to cover wholly with a fluid, to overwhelm.

Because the word “dip” or “immersed” did not correspond with the practices of the church then, when the King James Translation of the Bible was translated, the word “baptizo” was translated in English as a transliteration word, namely “baptize” The word teaches us to be submersed when baptised, like when Israel went through the Red-Sea. In Afrikaans we use a word “doop” and the custom is when you “doop” a rusk in your coffee, you put it under the fluid and then you eat it, you do not sprinkle a few drops of coffee onto it. Here are some versus to study about the Baptism of water.

Matthew 3:13-16:Then cometh Yeshua (Jesus) from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. (14): But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and come thou to me? (15): And Yeshua (Jesus) answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it become us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. (16): And Yeshua (Jesus), when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (KJV).

Here we see that Yeshua came to John to be baptised, but John refused to baptise Yeshua, because Yeshua was without sin and John had the sinful nature.

So John believed that Yeshua ought to baptise him and not the other way around. John’s baptism was a forward look to Yeshua, the sinless man, a better deal; Yeshua the baptiser that would come and that can save us from sin.

John’s baptism couldn’t forgive sin; water can not wash away sin, but only the blood of the Lamb can was away sin. John baptizing them with water as the cleansing customs were, a sign and means of salvation.

This baptism was only temporary. Yeshua commanded John to baptise Him in saying the following “for thus it become us to fulfil all righteousness”, in other words Yeshua was obedient to the Father and John was obedient to Yeshua.

Although it was not necessary for Jesus to undergo the baptism of repentance, He set the example for us.

We have to fulfil every part of Gods word (righteousness). After Yeshua was water baptised it was as if God the Father expressed His pleasure concerning his Son’s baptism.

This is one of the only times that the Trinity is manifested, showing to the importance of the water baptism. The Son was baptised, God the father spoke and the Holy Spirit came down as a dove and settled on Yeshua. (Matthew 3:16-17) Yeshua (Jesus)’ disciple would baptise them later after they have made step one, repented from there sin and die with Christ as mentioned above.

Matthew 28:19-20:Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age." (GNB)

Mark 1:5: And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mark 16:16: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. (NKJ)

Mark 16:16, is translated in the newer translations so as to sound that if you were baptised (small as a baby) you will be saved.

We must understand that when you come to the place where you repent, it is a decision of a sound mind (adult), and no baby can make such a decision, neither the parents of the baby for the baby.

The word “Baptizo” means to be dipped under the water, like a Rusk in your coffee. Remember that the Bible teach us that you must first come to repentance and then be baptized in water.

The decision to be baptised It is also a decision of a sound mind.

Acts 8:13: Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs, which were done. (KJV)

Acts 16:15: And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought [us], saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and aide [there]. And she constrained us. (KJV)

We must be baptised publicly to show our death and resurrection (in faith) with Christ to the people as well as the spiritual world.

If you wanted to be baptised, you must come to God of your one free will, convinced by the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience (Faith in following Yeshua (Jesus)) and not a teaching of man, denomination or of any church. The candidate must understand or be taught in what the act of baptism is all about. You must understand that no infant qualifies for baptism because they do not know the process of repentance or to become reborn.

The candidate to be baptised must be dressed in baptismal-robes provided by their local church. If not supplied most people (ladies) wear swimming clothes covered with t-shirt and pants, men shorts and T-shirts. It must be appropriate not to cause embarrassment to others by being too revealing. Also be reminded to bring dry clothes. The person that baptises (Pastor or reborn, Spirit filled person or cell leader) will go into the water first (baptismal pool, swimming pool, river, est. with lots of water) and the persons that want to be baptised will follow him into the water.

Here are some suggested guidelines that the Pastor should use to baptise you. The Pastor should ask you, to go on your knees, to lie back in the baptiser’s left arm, holding onto the right wrist with both hands. He will be holding your nose closed with his right hand, submerge first your body and then your head into and under the water and then lift you up again. Most people are afraid that they will drown or that they will inhale water, but after thousands of baptisms, it has proven to be the best and safest way.

You will not be harmed, you are doing a spiritual thing, and God is in control. When you are being baptised it will probably be affirmation the baptism with words like this: “Upon your own confession of faith in Yeshua (Jesus) Christ as your Lord and Saviour and in obedience to His commands I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit”

John 3:23: And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

Some baptise in a motion of three times. First - in the name of the Father; then - in the name of the Son; in the name of the Holy Spirit: Whether once or three times does not matter. The baptism must be done in public with witnesses. There is but one manner of baptism, complete emersion under water and in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. You should be issued with a baptismal certificate.

Matthew 28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Manifestations:

In some believer’s cases, just after they have been baptised with water, they are also baptised with the Holy Spirit and start to speaking in tongues. As they come out of the water, they overflow with tongues and have an uncontainable joy. They bless and glorify God’s name with boldness. Some even starts to prophesy. There are also people that have been baptised and immediately start seeing visions and hear the voice of God. Some baptisms seem uneventful but are no less powerful, in the eyes of God.

Acts 2:38: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yeshua (Jesus) Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Sometimes these manifestations take place because the believer was unfaithful or unbelief blocked their spiritual growth. After they became obedient to God’s word, and move into obedience, to be baptised, God open up the heavenly Gifts as a blessing for their obedience. God is a rewarder of those who seeks Him.

What will happen to me if I am not baptised, will I go to hell?

This is the most common question been asked!

Luke 7:30: But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

I am not God to judge you! In some cases I will say “yes” you will still go to heaven, there are circumstances where you can’t be baptised. Example: the man on the cross next to Christ, he could not be baptised; yet he went to heaven.

If you know the truth and you reject it willingly and consciously; I would say you could miss eternity.

Choose today between life and death. Why gamble with your eternal life?

Understanding the water baptism is only possible by the working of the Holy Spirit. 

I did not understand the water baptism at all, especially why it is so important. After all, I was baptised when I was a baby, (sprinkled), so why must I be baptised as an adult, again?

I considered it embarrassing to be baptised in public and even worse to be baptised totally under water. I was struggling with this for quite some time and even had sleepless nights about it.

Then I decided to study the baptism and to wait on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding of these things. After a thorough searching of the Word of God, the Spirit of the Lord led me to baptism. The Holy Spirit showed me the lie that holds so many Christians from true baptism.

He led me to understand that a baby could not make the decision to be baptised as he did not have understanding. Yet the Bible say’s that we are to repent and be baptised. This shows that we need to be sorry for our sins and make a decision. Clearly, a baby cannot make any decision.

He also led me into understanding that it had a spiritual meaning as well, in the sense that I had to die in Christ and I had to be buried with Him (my old life). He showed me that a seed first had to die in the ground before it could grow and bear fruit.

I went in obedience because of my love for the Lord Yeshua (Jesus) Christ. I went to my pastor and I asked him to baptise me, and he said that there would a baptismal service in two weeks time. The drive of the Holy Spirit was so strong in my life that I said to him that I could not wait that long. I wanted to be baptised that very night, and if he did not want to, I would go and look for somebody that would. He decided to baptise me that night and announced it in church. I was baptised that evening, with some other people. Nothing happened to make me feel different.

I had hoped that I would experience something supernatural, but I did not. I know that I was in the will of God, because God’s word told me, the Holy Spirit brought peace into my life and I was no longer under condemnation about the baptism. I went to bed with joy and gladness in my heart. During the night, the Lord showed me a vision of what had happened when I was baptised.

 

This is what the Lord showed me. I looked down into a grave. I could see a coffin down at the bottom of the grave. I saw that the coffin’s lid was covered with a thin layer of soil. As I was looking, the lid of the coffin became like water. I was still looking when I saw something move beneath the water. Slowly I saw a golden cross rising out of the water. The cross arose slowly until it was above the coffin and then it stood upright in the grave.

The beauty of the cross took my breath away. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life. The cross was made out of solid gold and there were all sorts of precious stones moulded into it. This cross-shone like the sun and it was almost too much to look at. I was still admiring this cross when it was placed on a hillside nearby where the whole Earth could see it. My first thought was that this cross, before me was Yeshua (Jesus) Christ. In my heart, I suddenly understood: The old me had become new. “I was dead, as the coffin in the grave symbolised and after passing through the baptismal water in faith, it was me that was raised on the other side of the grave, as the cross.”

It was I that shone with that beauty and the glory of the Lord, because I had been washed clean of all sins. I had become a new creature in Christ Yeshua (Jesus). I was stunned, and even today as I close my eyes I can see that cross, its beauty and its slender. It always helps me to look forward in dark days and it gives me confidences in Christ Yeshua (Jesus) because it is He that is in me that makes me so beautiful. Believer, you will also look like that in the spiritual realm if you are obedient in this step.

The grave is symbolic of sin and death. The coffin is symbolic of my state of sin. The soil is symbolic of our fleshly nature. The water is symbolic of spiritual rebirth. The gold is symbolic of Divine Nature and the precious stones symbolise a solid foundation in Christ Yeshua (Jesus), and also means the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the cross is symbolic of the sacrifice I had made in laying down my old nature to take up my cross and the nature of Yeshua (Jesus) Christ.

 

To read more of my Personal Testimony http://hubpages.com/hub/Persecution-of-the-Church