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RevealingTestimony: Do You Need To Be Baptized?

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

The shoulders of the big man sitting across the table from me, began to shake and heave. "I’ve broken every single one of God’s commandments," he cried. "I need to be baptized!" This man, a World War II veteran and former Soldier, was very deeply conscious that he was a sinner in need of salvation. I was deeply struck by this man’s sincerely repentant attitude. He was coming to see himself, and he genuinely hated what he saw! He recognized his desperate need for a Savior. He came under "Conviction"

What about you? What do you see when you look at yourself? How badly do you personally need God’s forgiveness? Are you one who has led a "pretty good" life? If so, is baptism even really necessary for you? Do you, personally, really stand in need of a Savior?

Perhaps you have already been Sacarmentaly baptized or (Christened/Dedicated or Confirmed). Maybe it occurred when you were a child, and you do not even remember the event, or perhaps you received a dedication being Christened or confirmed as an adolescent or young adult, when you "made a decision for Christ." Is your Christening or confirmation really valid and acceptable in God’s sight? This is a truly vital question because your Very Salvation depends upon the answer.

Millions Have Been DECEIVED

It is important to realize that the vast majority of human beings on this earth—even religious people—have been DECEIVED. The Apostle John was inspired to describe Satan as "that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). It is hard for most people to fully grasp the fact that they, personally, may have been deceived into following wrong religious doctrines and practices.

Unfortunately Millions today have been DECEIVED into following wrong religious doctrines, traditions and practices that were never, Taught, Practiced or Approved by Jesus, His Disciples, or The Early Apostolic Church!

* See our on-line Sermon Archive document: "Revealing The Rise Of A Counterfeit Christianity" For insight!!

But we all need to carefully and open-mindedly compare the clear examples and teachings of Jesus Christ with what today is purported to be "Christianity." You will quickly see a VAST difference, as Dr. Rufus Jones candidly explained: "If by any chance Christ Himself had been taken by His later followers as the model and pattern of the new way, and a serious attempt had been made to set up His life and teaching as the standard and norm for the Church, Christianity would have been something VASTLY DIFFERENT from what it became. The heresy would have been as it is not now, a deviation from His way, His teaching, His spirit, His kingdom" (The Church’s Debt to Heretics, p. 15).

If Jesus and the early Apostles do not represent the "standard" for true Christianity, then what is that standard? Is it the confused and often contradictory ramblings of the so-called "church fathers" of the Roman Catholic Church and other churches and denominations that follow Catholic doctrine or their own humanistic doctrine, that went on through the Dark Ages and on into today?

Remember that Jesus Himself warned specifically about false religious leaders. He said, "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch" (Matthew 15:14).

The Apostate churches and Denominations of today preach a false gospel and a false salvation, just come into our church just as you are, they say, you don't need to Genuinely Repent, you don't need a True and Genuine faith, you don't need to have a genuine Biblical Baptism, just sit down here in the "Comfortable Pew" and say Jesus is Lord, sing some songs of praise and just mention Jesus's name and you are saved automatically and by the way, make sure you put something in the collection plate and Presto-Chango! your saved your going to heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth. You are still just as much a child of Hell as you were before, still being infected with "Seducing Spirits" just as you were and still are.

Frankly, I grew up absolutely BLIND to most of the basic truths of the Bible. I belonged to a mainstream Protestant church. An Anglican/Episcopalian church. I was the head of my Sunday school class at one point. Both my parents and I belonged to that church, the church of our family's tradition, which we were born into and which our family attended regularly.

Yet I had NO IDEA of the ultimate purpose of human existence, was totally ignorant of the Great End-Time Prophecies of the Bible and was never taught about the True and Genuine Faith, True and Genuine Repentance, the True Total Water Immersion Baptism as an Adult Believer or about receiving the infilling POWER of the Genuine, True Holy Spirit of God, to change my life and enable the living Jesus Christ to live His life within me! (see Galatians 2:20) Incredibly, however, I was regarded by dozens of my friends as more "knowledgeable" than they were about the Bible and things of religion. I was sincerely "Religious But Lost". These other church-going youth often asked me questions and were wondering about, and in confusion about, the very purpose of human existence.

What Is Baptism?

 What is baptism? The term "baptism" means "to completely immerse , to plunge under, to completely wet through and to soak ". This makes sense if you realize that “baptize” is a transliteration of the original Greek word baptizw (baptizo). In turn, (baptizo) comes from the root word (baptw) or (bapto). The origins of baptism are somewhat obscure in the ancient traditions, but there are some things that seem clear. The original focus on the word baptism denoted a complete immersion water cleansing that was obligatory in tabernacle/temple worship prior to the Levite priests entering the tabernacle/temple and presenting themselves to God who dwelled there at that time. (Exodus 40:12-15; Leviticus 16:4, 24).

 This doctrine of purification from sin was present in John the Baptist's Holy Spirit of God's Inspired practice of full immersion water baptism (Luke 3:3). This example of purification was also employed by participants entering the sacred Jewish temple. At any rate, it came to tell the story of one's purification from sin and uncleanness before they could appear before or come into the presence of God. We can never come into the presence of God in a state of sin or uncleanness.

*Child Baptism and The Age of Accountability - See notes at end of Sermon!!

Returning To Myself, I was unconsciously Systematically and Sacramentally baptized - Christened - splashed or sprinkled with a few drops of water - as a helpless young child —unable even to discern my left hand from my right hand, It was not my own personal decision, I didn't even know my own name or where I was. I had not even reached the "Age Of Accountability", where I had grown from being a devoid and unknowlegeable immature child into mature Adulthood. I didn't even know what Christianity was or who Jesus Christ was, let alone be able to grasp the enormity of sin and deeply REPENT of my sins and properly accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Later, as a young adolescent, still in Sin and utter ignorance, I was Confirmed as a full church member. Was I, then, a True Christian? Had I received God's True Salvation? Had I received The One, True, Genuine Holy Spirit of God? Was I Truly Born Again?--- Of course not!

So What About Baptizing Children?

We do not support the systematic sacramental baptizing of children who are too young to understand what a true genuine faith in Christ means or what a true and genuine repentance means. We share the love of God with them and seek to guide them into a proper understanding of what true faith in Christ is. When they are old enough and are ready to accept Christ as Lord of their lives, then we try to help them understand that baptism is an act of obedience to God and His Son Jesus Christ that allows for the forgiveness of sins and allows the One True Genuine Holy Spirit to enter into your life and lets others know of that child's decision to follow Jesus Christ faithfully and to live forever for Him in the fellowship of His true and faithful church.

The earliest child/infant or a systematic sacramental baptism that can be documented in the early church and where it comes from for it may help if you understand where the idea and practice of baptizing infants and young children came from. Around 400 AD, a Catholic Bishop named Augustine of Hippo came up with the heretical idea of Universal baptism for “original sin.” This basically said that everyone inherits the sin of Adam at birth and is therefore separated from God from the very beginning of their life. Of course, this caused parents to become concerned over the fate of their children, should they die before “getting right with God.”

Since only one of the four steps required to get right with God (Listed Below) could be done by (or to) a child or infant, they decided to systematically and sacramentally baptize them to “take care of the original sin.” Since it is risky to immerse an infant or young child, these people decided to sprinkle them with water instead. Thus, both baptizing infants or young children and baptizing by sprinkling came from human ideas. They did not come from the Bible. In the first five centuries of the church, the overwhelming majority of baptisms were of Adult believers and by full immersion. We have chosen to follow this strong biblical and historical precedent and only recommend the baptizing of those who have reached the "Age Of Accountability" and who have a genuine faith, have genuinely repented of their sins and have genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

If we look in the Bible we see that children are never seen to “accept Christ” (and therefore get right with God). It is also interesting that God never tells us what to do to keep a child safe. Did He just forget this important point, letting many children go to Hell and suffer eternally? No. A child is safe in the arms of God until they can understand how to be saved by genuinely accepting Jesus as their savior. (See 2 Samuel chapter 12, verses 22 and 23 along with Matthew chapter 18, verse 10.) Thus, only adults and older children (who can truly understand separation from God because of sin and so forth) are at the Age of Accountability when acceptance of Christ is possible.

 We also follow the mode of baptism that is found in the New Testament, namely, a true believer's baptism by full immersion. Although Jesus loved the little children and invited them to come to him, this was not for baptism (Mark 10:13-16). We encourage parents of children to present their children to the Lord in the church service. This is an act of dedication on the parent(s) part to raise their child in the church and to provide every opportunity to train the child in the ways of a true and genuine faith and a true, genuine understanding of biblical knowledge. We also encourage the church family to pray for the parent(s) and their children in this covenant of faith with the Lord. This is what happened to Jesus himself (Luke 2:27-32).

Systematic Sacramental Baptizm - the Devils Counterfeit

The Word "Sacrament" is not found in the Bible and is not part of the Word of God.

The Word "Sacrament" is a Catholic derived Roman Latin word (Sacramentis or Sacramentum) that means to religiously and systematically follow human derived and listed Catholic Eucharist Doctrines and Catholic traditions. The doctrine of Augustine.

The method of Baptism used by the Catholic Church and the other "Daughter" denominations and religious organizations, that follow the Catholic traditions, is not the Way of the True Baptism of the Bible.

The Catholic Baptism is nothing more then a "Superficial", "Feel Good" gesture, a mere "Token" or fractional representation of the Real True Adult Full Immersion Water Baptism as practiced by John the Baptist and Jesus, The Disciples and The Early Apostolic Church. It is the Devil's Counterfeit to the Real True Biblical Baptism. Christening/Baptizing or head dunking and sprinkling Babies, young children or young adolescents to young to know what is going on, is not True to the word of God.

John Knox founder of the Presbyterian Church, himself a former Roman Catholic Priest and reformist, stated in one of his Expositions Extracted from: Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559 writing on the unbiblical teachings of the Roman Catholic church, stated in:

Answers to Some Questions Concerning Baptism, etc. by John Knox:

"The baptism now used in the Papistry is not the true full immersion water baptism which Christ Jesus did institute and commanded to be used in his kirk (church); but it is an adulteration and profanation of the same, and therefore is to be avoided of by all God's children.That it is adulterated, and so consequently profane, is evident: First, for many things are added, besides Christ's institution; and all man's additions in God's perfect ordinance, especially in his true religion, are execrable and detestable before him. Secondly, the promises of salvation in Christ Jesus are not (in the Roman papistical baptism) lively and truly explained to the people; the truth of the word is not preached; yea, that which they read is not understood. The end and use of true Biblical doctrine are not considered, but rather the people are falsely led to put their confidence of true salvation in the bare ceremony." (John Knox - Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559)

The Biblical Examples of Baptism

Lets start with the Baptism of The eunuch

Acts 8:35-39 ~ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! "What prevents me from being BAPTIZED?" And Philip said, "If you BELIEVE with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." And he ordered the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he BAPTIZED him"

Here we have some examples of how the Real Biblical Baptism was to be done.

Mt:3:13: Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the [river] Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mt:3:16: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went [came] up straightway up 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:

My Personal Quest for Truth

In that famous Protestant church I was just like the MILLIONS of other deceived people who just grow up in the "church of their choice or tradition"—NEVER even considering whether it is truly GOD’S Church and whether it is fully teaching His Truth instead of the ideas and the imaginations of deceived men. Finally, in my late teens, God began to open my mind to what True Christianity was all about. Rather than just reading the Gospels or Psalms for "inspiration," I actually began to STUDY the Bible just as one would study a history book or a book about physics or chemistry. I asked God for understanding, and I continued for months to read and mark, reread and meditate on the ENTIRE New Testament—then the Old Testament—and try to understand what Jesus Christ actually taught!

In my personal study, I began to realize that True Christianity is not just, knowing about, or casually believing in the person of Jesus Christ, but Truly Believing and Truly ACTING on His MESSAGE. I found that a True Christian must totally surrender and be truly "Born Again" by letting Christ live within him, by properly receiving and accepting the True Holy Spirit of God into our lives.

 So just how then do we receive the True Holy Spirit of God permanently into our lives?? How do we become Truly Born Again?? Read - on!!

Jesus Said: "...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John:3:3)

And as the Apostle Paul wrote: "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). Also, Paul stated: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20, KJV).

I began to understand Jesus’ repeated warnings about accepting Him [Jesus] and using His name in vain: "But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). And again: "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21).

After intensely studying the Bible, I realized the truth of the matter. I realized that I was in a false church, for this particular denomination did not practice the True Biblical, Complete Immersion Adult Water Baptism. They practiced only infant or child baptism commonly known as a Christening, splashing, dunking or sprinkling your forehead with a few drops of water, from a cup or clam shell, or a finger dipped in a font. Other false churches end up baptizing children when they are to young to know what was going on and have not yet reached The "Age Of Accountability". Nowhere in my Bible Could I find such a thing. The deception couldn't have been much clearer.

Seducing Spirits - The Great Imposters

Oh I had a spirit or multiple spirits in my life alright, as every unsaved person does, but they were not the One True Holy Spirit. I was clearly not born again. These unholy, deceiving imposters, these "Seducing Spirits" (1Tm:4:1) these counterfeit, lying spirits did everything they could to deceive, blind and confuse me, leading me away from all the truth's of God and into following false doctrines, false teachings, false gospels, false religious traditions and into belonging to a false church. These "seducing spirits" made me feel quite comfortable and at home in my sin and ignorance, giving me a false sense of security and a false salvation. No one comes to the Lord unless he is led there by the one True Genuine Holy Spirit of God. (Romans 8:14).

False Professions of Faith, Repentance and Baptism only result in you being inhabited by "Seducing Spirits" True and Genuine Professions of Faith, Repentance and Baptism result in you being inhabited by the One True Genuine Holy Spirit Of God.

" Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (I John 4:1)

Oh how my heart aches for those millions who have NEVER received the ONE TRUE GENUINE HOLY SPIRIT, the world's churches are filled to the rafters with millions who have never received God's True Holy Spirit.

It was not until I had been cut to the Heart, having been sincerely and genuinely humbled and repenting of my sins, with tears and penitence and was properly Biblically Baptized as an Adult Believer by one of God's True Ministers, and had hands laid upon me, in one of God's True Churches, that I received The Gift of The One True, Genuine Holy Spirit.

The visitation and manifestation of The True Holy Spirit in your life, is an event you will never forget. You will know it when it happens. One night, As I prayed in my house, then, suddenly, a man stood before me in bright clothing, So brightly shining I could not see his face. He said: "Here am I, the one that has been sent to you because you have believed and obeyed." If you have not received such a visitation and manifestation, then you do not have a true and genuine faith, have not truly genuinely repented or been properly and Biblically baptized. It does not necessarily happen right away at the time of baptism but its not too long afterwards and usually in private.

The Apostles had to wait or "tarry" for 50 days or so until the True Holy Spirit of God came upon them at Pentecost.

Then that very day, the Apostles, now filled with the True Holy Spirit of God, and speaking in "Biblical Tongues" [unlearned foreign Languages] (Acts 2:6), went out and started calling all to repentance, speaking to them in their own tongues, that is, in their own languages and they began Baptizing many thousands of people. You can read all about it for yourself in the Second Chapter of Acts.

Argument - What about the thief on the cross? Did he not receive salvation without being baptized?

Answer - We don't know that he wasn't baptized. John The Baptist, through his Heaven commanded ministry (Luke 20:1-8), went around calling all that he met to Repentance and Baptism. He baptized many thousands of people, including Jesus and the disciples, who set the example for us all. Also Jesus and The disciples went about Baptizing many thousands even while John The Baptist was still alive. (John 3:22-24) All indications are that the thief had been baptized. It was quite easy for him to have fallen in with the wrong crowd as we all do at times and had gotten himself into trouble.

 Why do I say that? Quite simply, the thief's genuine repentance and admission of quilt, his acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as a Special Person of God, having His Own Kingdom and that He (Jesus) was innocent of having done anything wrong, leads me to believe that the thief had heard and witnessed the gospel message and had been previously baptized, before he was caught and prosecuted for his crimes, for he knew exactly who Jesus was! Only a person who had heard, witnessed and believed the gospel message and who had been in previous contact with John The Baptist and the ministry of Jesus would have known that. Just because the Bible doesn't mention this man in particular doesn't mean it didn't happen. We must not allow ourselves to be deceived in these very important matters. (Luke 23:39-43)

I fully believe that the thief had been previously baptized and I dare for anyone to prove he hadn't been.

What is Holy or Unholy in these "Last Days?"

The True Holy Spirit is exactly that, "Pure" and "Holy" - a "Perfect" Spiritual Entity - the perfect manifestation and character of God and is a Pure, Holy and a Perfect gentleman if you like.

When you receive the True infilling and True manifestation of the True Holy Spirit of God it is not an unholy, circus sideshow like public event.

When you receive the True Holy Spirit you do not - go into a state of Delirium: fits of hysterical laughter - jump around like a kangaroo - shake and roll uncontrollably around on the floor - go into a hypnotic trance - speak or babble utter gibberish (Glossolalia), fall limp on the floor or swoon into someone's arms - as you see and hear of people doing in phony T.V. ministries or so-called Charismatic revival meetings run by Apostate or False evangelists and ministers, pretending to be ministers of God and all the time they are raking in millions of dollars from the pockets of a deceived and gullable public."Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Romans 8:9)

 You can see all these same entertaining things happening at a Mentalist's [Mesmerizer] or Hypnotist's stage show. The Apostates and false ministers claim that these manifestations are the infilling of the Holy Spirit of God - Not So! These actions are only the deceptive manifestations of the Devil's imposters, counterfeit spirits or "unholy lying spirits". The doctrine of devils and demons manifesting in false signs and wonders."Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times many shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils..." (I Timothy 4:1)

But where do YOU stand?

Has God opened your mind to the fact that He REALLY is the Governor of the universe; that He is a REAL God who created and now rules over all things? Do you realize that His Son Jesus Christ not only came into this world to die for our sins, but is now ALIVE at the right hand of the Father in heaven, and that Christ is now our living High Priest? Do you understand that He will LIVE HIS LIFE in us through the One, True and promised Holy Spirit IF we Truly, Genuinely Repent and are Biblically Baptized, and that Christ will live within us the SAME obedient life He lived while in the human flesh? For your Bible says: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

All of us need help—a lot of help. We simply cannot overcome our own human vanities and passions, overcome the world and also overcome Satan the Devil through our own strength. The God who made us has promised that He will give us the spiritual help and the spiritual strength that we need. Jesus said: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26). And again: "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come" (John 16:13).

Do You BELIEVE What Jesus Actually Taught?

Jesus Christ came preaching a MESSAGE about the coming Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Mark records: "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’" (Mark 1:14–15).

To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and receive His True Spirit, you must REPENT of your sins and BELIEVE in Jesus Christ’s Gospel. The true Gospel message about God’s Kingdom involves one’s willingness to obey the LAWS of that Kingdom—the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel. When a young man asked Jesus how to gain eternal life, Jesus replied: "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. He said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’" (Matthew 19:17–19). Here Jesus is clearly naming the Ten Commandments as the WAY of life for those who desire to be in His Kingdom.

Later, as our High Priest and living Head of the Church, Jesus inspired the Apostle James to explain that True Christians must be obedient to and keep ALL of the "points" of God’s law. Indeed, we must live as those who will be "judged" by the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel, for they truly are the standard of true Christian conduct!

The beloved Apostle John warned those who would try to "water down" the clear biblical teaching of obedience to the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel, "He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

Many professing Christians and even many famous preachers may know about God, but they do not actually "know" or "Do" God—are not truly acquainted with Him—unless and until they fully SURRENDER to let the true Jesus Christ LIVE HIS OBEDIENT LIFE within them through the True Holy Spirit! They Talk The Talk but don't Walk The Walk. Then they would have experienced what it is like to express the very character of God. Then they will truly "know" God.

Does that mean that true Christians keep the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel perfectly at all times? Of course not! For the Apostle John also stated—clearly writing about Christians: "If WE say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:8–9).

This "cleansing" from sin is a continuous action, for the genuine Christian is to "GROW in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).

The newly converted "babe in Christ" will constantly make mistakes. All of us who are Christians will make mistakes. Yet we will get up and try again. We will occasionally "slip off the path." But we will REPENT each time with the help of the One, True Holy Spirit and get back on the path of obedience to the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel. For the great spiritual law of God—the Ten Commandments—is truly the WAY of life. The man "after God’s own heart," King David of Israel, stated: "Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with me" (Psalm 119:97–98).

What Should You Do?

 If you have been drawn to God by His True Holy Spirit and want to become a True and Faithful Christian, what should you do? The inspired answer was given by the Apostle Peter during the Very First Sermon ever preached on the first New Testament day of Pentecost. This sermon, preached by the True Holy Spirit, put in place the basic fundamentals, the basic "pillars" or "Foundation Stones" of doctrine, a "commandment" or "obligation" that all were to to be obedient too, to respond too, of and for the whole New Testament Era and that was Full immersion water Baptism.

After coming to realize the enormity of their sins, the repentant assembly asked Peter and the rest of the Apostles: "‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘REPENT, and let every one of you be BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call’" (Acts 2:37–39).

Your obedience to the command to be Baptized by full immersion, separates you and sets you apart from the world's crowd, you have then been accepted as a Special Person of God, now separated from the world, reborn by the infilling of the One True Genuine Holy Spirit, with the essence and nature of Christ and into the Family of God.

Think carefully about this fundamental instruction from God’s Word. we are to be baptized "for the remission of SINS." Obviously, then, we are to REPENT of sin.

But what IS sin?

Sin is living a life of REBELLION and DISOBEDIENCE Against God. It is willful open and unabated "Defiance"

The clearest definition of sin given in the Bible is found in 1 John 3:4: "Sin is the transgression of the law" (KJV). So we are to repent of breaking God’s spiritual law, the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel ! And we need to realize that Jesus Christ came to "magnify" the law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explained that we are not only not to kill, we are not even to harbor bitterness and hatred in our hearts—for that is the "spirit" or attitude of MURDER (Matthew 5:21–22). Christians are not only NEVER to commit adultery, they are not even to "lust" after another person (vv. 27–28).

Far from "watering down" God’s law, Jesus’ teaching made the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel even more BINDING!

It is ONLY through Jesus Christ living His life within us that we can increasingly reflect the spirit of the Ten Commandments in our daily lives. As stated earlier, we must indeed GROW in grace and knowledge continually.

Through the True Holy Spirit, the spiritual LOVE of God is given to us to enable us to keep God’s law. "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5:5). And what is the "love of God" which is given to the true Christian? How does it function? The Apostle John explains, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).

So the true love of God flows down the channel or riverbed of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel tell us how to love God and how to love our fellow man. And, contrary to the clever arguments of many religious leaders, they are NOT "burdensome." Rather, if obeyed, they become the "law of liberty" as we saw above in James’ epistle. They would FREE mankind from war, crime, adultery, broken homes, rebellious children and a host of other problems IF they were practiced by all mankind!

In the soon-coming Kingdom of God, mankind WILL obey the Ten Commandments and the True Word of The Gospel as a way of life. That is precisely WHY there will be PEACE, PROSPERITY and JOY in the coming millennial reign of Jesus Christ on this earth! "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Micah 4:1–3).

Be Sure You "Count the Cost"

Getting back to Peter’s sermon on the first New Testament Pentecost, remember that he exhorted these men to REPENT. To repent of sin means more than being "sorry." The Bible makes it clear that genuine repentance involves being fully convicted of the fact that you are truly a SINNER and that you have been REBELLIOUS and DISOBEDIENT having broken and SMASHED God’s law and DISOBEYED His Holy Word over and over—in the spirit if not in the letter. It means being convicted not only that you have done wrong, but that you are wrong! As the Apostle Paul explains: "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find" (Romans 7:18). And he stated again later: "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God; through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (vv. 24–25).

When you have been brought to this kind of real repentance, it is time to be baptized! You will need to honestly "count the cost" as Jesus instructed: "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it" (Luke 14:26–28).

 Ask yourself: With the help of God, will you really put God ahead of family, friends, job, money and social position, or will you be like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day who "loved the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43)?

Has God become REAL to you? Will you truly put Him ahead of EVERYTHING else? Or do you have some secret "idol"—something that, in fact, you put ahead of God and of your relationship with Jesus Christ?

Remember that repentance means CHANGE. Are you, personally, ready to accept in faith the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for your sins and then fully surrender to let Him come in and "take charge" and CHANGE your entire life?

Have you come to a heartfelt appreciation for the fact that Jesus Christ—the Son of God—emptied Himself of His glory and power and came in human flesh to DIE for your sins (see Philippians 2:5–8) and that He who had been with the Father from eternity was willing to divest Himself of all that magnificence to SERVE you and me—to make it possible for us to share eternity with Him and with the Father in the Kingdom as full sons of God? (see John 1:1–12).

As you proceed toward baptism, will you—with God’s help—dedicate yourself to express total love and LOYALTY to Jesus Christ as your Savior, your Lord and Master, your High Priest and your coming King? Will you?

These are VITAL questions that need to be asked—and need to be sincerely answered in the affirmative. For when you are baptized, you are HUMBLING yourself and making a sacred COVENANT with your Creator to love, to obey and to serve Him and His Son Jesus Christ now and forever!

God does not owe you anything. But, on the contrary, you and I owe Him and His glorified Son EVERYTHING. For God "created all things through Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 3:9; John 1:1–3). He created you and me. He created and sustains the earth we live in, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat. God the Father, through Jesus Christ, created our MINDS—the very instrument we humans sometimes use to reason around the fact that something GREATER had to be there to create our minds! Then we "reason" ourselves into excusing ourselves from stealing, lying, committing adultery and all manner of things we should know are WRONG. As the Apostle Paul explained in Romans 8:7–8: "The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

So we need FORGIVENESS. We desperately need a Savior. And we need the constant help of our Savior and High Priest who will not save us in our sins but FROM our sins—and give us the spiritual strength to OVERCOME and grow in the very character of God. And all of this can be accomplished ONLY through our coming to a place where we are willing to completely REPENT of our natural hostility toward God and to heartfeltly accept the shed blood of Jesus Christ—the very LIFE of the Son of God—as payment for our sins.

Have you come to such a time and place in your life?

The Keys to Changing Your Life

The Bible records stories of dramatic change in the lives of many individuals. How were they able to make such total "about faces" in their lives? Is it possible for you to make changes of equal magnitude in your own life? There are two vital keys. Most people overlook them entirely. Even those who acknowledge them generally misunderstand what they really involve.

In Acts 2 we read of the events surrounding the beginnings of the New Testament Church. Simon Peter preached a powerful sermon to multiple thousands assembled to observe the Feast of Pentecost. A number of those who heard him that day had stood in the mob assembled outside Pilate’s Judgment Hall a mere seven-and-a-half weeks earlier. At that earlier time, they had been shouting: "Crucify Him!" when Pilate was offering to free Jesus of Nazareth. Now, having FAITH, TRUSTING and BELIEVING the truth of Peter’s message, they were convicted of the magnitude of what they had done. It was with a deep sense of shame and personal guilt, that they now HUMBLY asked him: "What shall we do?" (Acts 2:36–39) He responded by telling them to "REPENT and be Baptized." Faith, Repentance and Baptizm are the vital keys without which real change is impossible.

Faith sets the stage for repentance. The kind of faith we are talking about is living and real. It produces a state of mind that wants to make an about face and turn to God. This faith is, Believing, Trusting and having confidence in a REAL God and in the promises He makes. It results in action! "Faith without works is dead," the Apostle James wrote in James 2:17. To really believe and trust, God makes it possible for us to absolutely, unconditionally surrender to Him.

Hebrews 11 is often called the "faith chapter" of the Bible. In Hebrews 11:13 we learn that the men and women of faith DID certain things. Understanding what they did helps us to understand life-changing faith. We are told that they "... saw the promises afar off, were persuaded of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

First, we must see and understand the promises that God makes, be convinced of both their value and their reality, and then we must embrace them. To embrace is to hold dear and precious. If we do not value and cherish what God offers, we simply will not hold on and endure through the ups and downs of life. Because the men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11 held dear what God promised, they demonstrated by word and action that they were not part of this world.

We CANNOT fit in with this world and fit in with God at the same time (James 4:4). In order to fit in with and cultivate the acceptance and approval of this world, a person must be in harmony with the values of this age. John summed up the values of this world as appealing to "...the lust of flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life..." (1 John 2:16).

This age and its corrupt, decadent value system is going to pass away, but there is a new world coming based upon eternal values. That new world, the coming Kingdom of God, will be permanent.

If we really believe that, then we will want to turn to God with all of our hearts and learn how to dwell in harmony with Him forever. Living faith produces action, and genuine repentance is one of the first actions it produces. That is what Peter’s audience displayed when they asked him: "What shall we do?" They offered no excuses. They did not attempt to minimize their actions. They did not begin blaming others. Rather, they were humble, teachable, and surrendered in their heart and mind. Peter had preached the Gospel and they believed his message. They evidenced faith by their heartfelt desire to act upon that faith. So they asked the question that day that all who desire genuine change in their lives must ask, "What shall we do?"

Does Our Future Obedience Earn Salvation?

God’s law tells us how to be like God (1 Peter 1:15–16). However, all of us have fallen far short of being like God. What can we do? No amount of future good deeds can ever make up for what we have done in the past. This ought to be obvious even from looking at man’s laws. If you were arrested for murder, would the promise to refrain from ever doing it again earn your acquittal? Of course not! If we keep the law in the future, we are merely doing what is expected. No amount of future law keeping can ever atone for past law breaking.

All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). God made possible our release from the death penalty, the curse of the law, by giving Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, to die in our stead. He took our place. We are, therefore, reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Romans 5:10).

God took the initiative to bring us into harmony with Himself, which is what reconcile means. He has demonstrated His love by giving the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His Son, to pay the penalty that you and I have incurred by our thoughts, attitudes, and actions (John 3:16). However, we must respond to God’s grace through faith and repentance. God’s intent is to save us FROM our sins, NOT IN our sins. "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?", Paul asks. "Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" (Romans 6:1–2). If we are to accept God’s freely offered gift of eternal life, which we could never earn or deserve in a thousand lifetimes, then we must respond to Him by turning from our ways to His ways (Acts 2:38).

An attitude of unconditional surrender of our life and of our will is the attitude of repentance. If we come to really see the reality of the glorious future that God offers and to genuinely believe His Word, then we will want to seek God and His ways with all of our heart. That is what led to changes in the lives of the men and women of faith of whom we read in Hebrews 11. Living faith ALWAYS results in action! Repentance is a response to living faith. While it starts on the inside, it will also be reflected in outward changes. If we really have come to hate the old ways, we will want to turn from them.

Have you been led by God to see that your very nature is wrong? Have you come to sincerely want to get rid of your own rotten, selfish, carnal human nature? Again, are you ready to repent of not only what you have done—but of what you are?

King David knew that this was what God required. He said: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart; these O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). Before anyone—and this does mean anyone—is really and truly converted, he has to be humbled, beaten down and made to realize his own nothingness by God. He has to go through a period of time when he is abhorring himself, acknowledging his sins to God and repenting of them—turning around in his heart, mind and will and determining to go the other way.

When that time comes, a person will quit arguing and reasoning with God or with His True Ministers doing His Work. He will not grudgingly hang on to false concepts of God. He will quit trying to reason around obedience to God’s commandments and the True Word of The Gospel and literally be living by every word of the Bible. He will not get his "feelings" hurt at the correction and exhortation of God’s chosen servants. Rather, he will GIVE his life to God as the Apostle Paul instructs us all to do: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:1–2). As Paul instructed, even our thoughts must be CHANGED by the "renewing" of our minds!

The Meaning of Baptism

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..." Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 12:13. John the Baptist said that the Messiah would offer two baptisms—Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11–12). Those who will not be "plunged into" the Family of God through the receiving of the True Holy Spirit of God, will ultimately be immersed in a lake of fire that will leave them "neither root nor branch" (Malachi 4:1). Jesus Christ compared the True Holy Spirit to "river of living water" (John 4:14; 7:38–39).

" Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (baptized) and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John:3:5)

Paul explains in Colossians 2:12 that baptism represents a burial. The "old man" is symbolically put to death. We emerge a new creature. Arising from the watery grave of baptism pictures our faith in the resurrection, which is our ultimate hope to become a new creature.

In Romans 6:4–5 we read: "Therefore we were BURIED with Him through BAPTISM into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection." Baptism is not an empty ritual or a magical rite. It is, however, a very important Commitment, and act of our devotion and Obedience, it is the Third part of the Salvation process and is not something into which we should enter lightly.

Reaching out to receive the Free Gift!

Are there any "Works" of "Soul Searching" "Self Examination" That I must personally do to receive Salvation? (Acts 2: 38-39)

*For Faith Without Works is Dead!

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James:2:20) -

 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James:2:26)

Obedience to these requirements will then complete the covenant promise of God, of and for your salvation.

Some People spend a whole lifetime "Working Out" whether they want to be saved or not!

They struggle year in and year out with their conscience and with conviction. They don't know for sure what they believe or what to believe.

Is there really a all knowing creator God? Is The Bible His True Word? Is Jesus the Son Of God? Is there really a place called Hell? Should I repent?, Should I be Baptized? Is there such a place as Heaven? Do I have any Faith to believe such things? Is it all myth and legend, a fantasy or for real? Some will say that if there is a Heaven, we will find our own way there, no need for a Savior or a Bible to guide the way, we will make it on our own, build our own stairway.

Year in and year out they struggle with these questions. The "Many", a "Great multitude" will never come to be "SAVED" because they won't believe. They can't or won't work it out, think it through, settle it in their hearts and minds. "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and VERY FEW there be that find it."

The Scriptures say: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always OBEYED, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, WORK OUT your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Phil:2:12)

Of course, the salvation process requires doing "works befitting repentance" (Acts 26:20). This means giving up habits that the Bible shows are wrong while committing to a life of obeying God’s law.

Following These Commands is your passport to heaven - your name will then be written in the "Lamb's Book of Life"

Baptism By Itself, Cannot Save

Baptism in and of itself does not save or provide salvation. You can be baptized and still go to Hell. Baptism by itself, without a True and Genuine Faith, Without a True and Genuine Repentance is a WORTHLESS and EMPTY gesture and cannot SAVE. But Predicated upon a Genuine and True Faith and a Genuine and True Repentance, baptism is a dynamic and public sign of our commitment and obedience to God. It represents a new beginning. The old person with all of his sinful past is symbolically buried and a new creature comes forth. The covering waters of baptism represent our "Death to the world and the things of the world" and the fact that we are going to be washed clean inwardly through the promised infilling of The True Holy Spirit. Christ’s sacrifice has paid for our sins, this is His Gift to us and as the baptism waters completely envelope and cover us, we come forth, up out of the water from our baptism, committed and clean in God’s sight. This represents not the end, however, but the beginning of the real conversion process!

Like any "Free Gift" that is given, you have to "reach out" and receive that Gift, you have to decide if you want the gift, if you are willing to receive the gift and then you must decide what you are going to do with that gift when you receive it. It can take some personal "works" that is, Conviction, struggle and self examination, sometimes over many years. The Free Gift of Salvation is not forced upon you, you must personally work out your Salvation, Do you want it? Will you accept it? What will you do with it after you have received it?

The Role of God’s True Holy Spirit

"Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22)

Following baptism, we find that it was the practice of Christ’s first century ministry to practice the laying on of hands (Acts 8:18; Hebrews 6:2). This laying on the hands covenanting a special setting apart by God. In the aftermath of baptism, it set apart the newly baptized person to receive God’s True Holy Spirit. In Acts 19:1–6 we read that Paul encountered in Ephesus some people who believed his preaching, and previously had been baptized. However, they had not fully understood the Gospel of true faith and genuine repentance when they were baptized and had never received the True Holy Spirit, nor indeed even knew of it. After counseling with them, Paul re-baptized them in Jesus’ name and laid hands on them for the receiving of God’s True Holy Spirit. God showed through an unusual miracle, such as had occurred on the first Pentecost of the New Testament era, that they did indeed receive The True Holy Spirit this time. Why was all of this necessary?

Peter told his listeners on the day of Pentecost that following repentance and baptism they would have "...the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38). What is receiving the true Holy Spirit intended to accomplish in our lives?

Peter explains that it is through the True Holy Spirit, God’s divine power, that we become "...partakers of the divine nature..." (2 Peter 1:4). It is through the True Holy Spirit that Jesus Christ dwells in us and empowers us to live the same kind of life that He lived when He walked the earth as a human being (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:5).

Since Christ dwells in us through the True Holy Spirit, our bodies are accounted as the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) and we are told to glorify God in all aspects of life (1 Corinthians 6:20). Having God’s True Spirit in us is what makes us a holy people, or what the Bible terms "saints." We cannot make ourselves (or anything else for that matter!) holy. God is holy and only He can impart holiness. If we truly repent and turn to God in faith, He promises not only to forgive us our past, but also to impart His True Holy Spirit to us. God’s True Spirit, given us as a gift, is intended to transform our lives by renewing our minds (Titus 3:5; Romans 12:2). We become a new creation because God is changing us by writing His laws in our hearts and minds (Hebrews 8:10).

Though it is the power of God that makes this transformation possible, nevertheless we have our part to