Transcript: Understanding Water Baptism: Meaning, Importance, and Purpose

hello my dear friends good morning and good evening and a warm welcome to one and all of you as always it's a privilege to be part of these sessions and I want to thank God who has been merciful enabling these sessions and these are all like kind of glorious moments more than that we are able to cover so many topics through these sessions where we are going live in videos and many people are saying that you know there are a lot of recordings but we are not able to get this sneak peek therefore what i'm trying to do here through these videos are nothing but giving you the title the description and and if you want more description you know detailed explanations you can find it out in this series today's topic is going to be on the water baptism now to many people water baptism means especially people who are of this in pentecost circles and and who was in this charismatics and all that. Just jumping into the water tank and get water baptized and welcome Jesus in your life and your life changes. And after that, there are many things that are being taught about which we want to discuss. It's not a playful thing to jump into the water tank or the riverside, wherever you take. And there is no prescribed way of being baptized in the water. You can be baptized in the lake or the river or in the water tank or anywhere. No problem about it. But the point here is, what makes you believe that water baptism is the significant start for you to accept Christ in your life? It's like welcoming Christ to your life with a commitment. 2 Corinthians 3.17 says that. Sorry, 5.17 says that. All things have passed away. I've been born again. I'm a new creation in Christ. That is the significant start and that is the meaning behind water baptism. And why water baptism is important, why Jesus allowed himself to go through the water baptism is, it's the symbolic representation of me saying that I am dead to the sins of the past and therefore I will never look back on the sinful deeds. Whatever may be your sins, you are going to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The Bible says in 1 John 1 verses 7-10. You've got to confess your sins. You've got to repent. And you've got to accept Christ. And I'm going to read a couple of verses in a moment. Jesus allowed himself to go through this. Can you believe? The son of God who lived according to the old covenant standards. And who didn't have any problem living his life according to the old covenant standards. And what he lived. These principles he taught and that became new covenant. He preached on what he lived. But then he has gone through this submitting himself in surrenderance, in respect, in reverence and also in humility that I do this as a matter of fact that it's been asked by the Lord according to the book of Moses that I need to go through the water baptism. but the order of baptism which was introduced by John the Baptist is much different from what has been told by our Lord Jesus in the book of Luke chapter 20, sorry, Matthew chapter 28 verses 16 to 20. I'm going to read for you in a moment, right? John the Baptist what he did was I'm preparing the way for the Messiah to come and therefore as a sign of respect I want you people to repent and many people especially rabbis they approached him hey are you the Christ are you the Messiah please tell us and John the Baptist told very clearly I'm not the Messiah I'm not I'm not even calling myself a prophet but I've just come here to prepare the way in the wilderness right when I say when I say in the wilderness it means there isn't any rules there isn't any prescriptions but John the Baptist came to prescribe the basics the basics is repent why without repentance there is no forgiveness without forgiveness there is no reconciliation without reconciliation you won be in a position to receive the Holy Spirit in you the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in you because your body becomes a temple of God Now all of this happens in a sequence about which we have explained in many series especially body, mind, spirit and soul series we have explained. So the thing here is, do not be in a rush to get into the water baptism, but please make the decision. Once you get into the life of Jesus, once you get into the life accepting Jesus as your savior he is the life is the way is the truth in John 14 6 then no looking back looking back will become an offense right the wrath of God shall descend on you Bible says when you insult the blood covenant see when you get into the water baptism two three things you are doing I want to be very clear explaining that number one is you're acknowledging that Jesus is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings because every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is the Lord of Lords. You are accepting him as the Lord and the only God. There is no alternate. Many people get into water baptism, but they are not able to come out of their old doctrines, old religion, old gods, old goddesses and everything, right? Good example, I was a Catholic by birth and when I had to come out of Catholicism, I had to completely resign, subbing by resignation letter and I have to come up. Either you make a choice like that, else don't be in a rush to get into water baptism because before you make a firm decision that you are accepting Jesus as your only God, right? Philippians chapter 2 verses 10 and 11, I'm giving you as a reference. John 14 verse 6, Jesus says, I am the life, the way and the truth, right? And without him, there is no salvation. Without him, there is no deliverance. Without his name, there is no redemption without his blood there is no covenant made with the mankind hebrews chapter 10 verse 29 bible talks about the blood covenant made with the mankind yeah and jesus has to shed his precious blood to make that covenant because it's a sin offering it's a sacrifice that jesus had made to you and me therefore if you don't make such decisions the second decision is if you don't accept jesus and he's the life the way and the truth therefore no looking back if you don't do these, if you don't make a choice, if you don't make a firm decision in your mind, then point number three is, it becomes an offense to God. The wrath of God shall descend on you, Bible says in New Testament, John chapter 3 verse 36, because you have rejected the Son of God, you have rejected Him as the life, the way and the truth. Each time you sin after water baptism as a transgressor. Unknowingly you sin, fine. God, grace is there to forgive you. New sins enter into your life, unknowingly, fine. Right? Sometimes you make a decision but unwillingly you end up committing sins once or twice. Fine. Grace forgives you. I am not prescribing anything on God's behalf. I am telling you. Who is a transgressor? Right? Transgressor is the one who commits this sin willingly. You got into water baptism because you want to marry that girl. you took water baptism because you want to convert to marry that guy and Definitely this is this has got no sign. This has got no significance to the actual water baptism What's been described in the Bible you are insulting the blood covenant You are insulting the spirit of God you are trampling the son of God right under your feet can imagine Jesus lying down and you stamping on his feet and you're you know trampling him You're not able to believe Hebrews 10 29 you take and read That's why the wrath of God, God's anger descends on you. And God is going to be very, very upset. You sin and you ask for forgiveness, yes. With an attitude that you are willing to come out, but you are struggling, struggling. But I am going to fight it out. I am going to press on towards perfection, God. I don't want to be the compromiser of my spiritual deeds or my spiritual quality, God. And Father, please help me. And I am very serious about my Christian work. Because I understand how much it costs for Jesus on the cross when he shed his precious blood. every drop of blood I have to give an account for all the sinful deeds that I commit Sinful or any deeds anything that you commit in your life every word that you speak Matthew 12 36 and Ecclesiastes 3 15 tells that you have to give an account none of us can escape from that in that you know what is the most prime the prime account yeah I mean what is the most primary thing where God will kind of ask you for an account is how did you respect the blood of Jesus. How much of reverence you had shown towards the name of Jesus from the time you took water baptism. Because the beginning point, the starting point, will be the water baptism. Until then, you are living your old covenant life. Never yourself called. See, you are a person who is living in mainline church. I am giving an example. And you are attending services in charismatic churches and Pentecost and this and that. You don't take any pride in it. My dear brother, my sister. and you call yourself as a traditional person. Why? Because you have not yet submitted yourself and surrendered yourself just like Christ submitted. As an old covenant person, he obeyed the law of Moses. Following his footprints, you got to also go through the water baptism as a sign of respect because that's the symbolical representation of you being surrendering yourself and following the practices which Jesus had left behind, the law that Jesus had left behind. And I'm going to read from the scriptures before which I thought I will explain this. So do not take water baptism for the benefit of marriage, for the benefit of certain certificates you want to extract. Certain churches, without water baptism, we will not give you a certificate. Using that certificate, you get a job in some school, you get an admission for your children. Please don't do that. It's insulting the blood covenant. Accept Christ in your heart. Follow him with all your heart, mind and soul. Matthew 22, 37. If you have the love for God with all your heart, mind and soul, the first law that you will abide is law of obedience. What Jesus did is what you will practice. Yeah, that's very clear. Right. Let's turn your Bible to Mark chapter, sorry, Matthew chapter 28 and verse 16. Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. And they did not believe him completely. Then Jesus came and spoke to them saying, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. That's why Matthew chapter 18 verses 18 to 20 you take and read, when you bind in the name of Jesus here on earth, the heaven will honor, unbinding also heaven will honor. And he has given authority to trample the serpents and the scorpions, Luke chapter 10 verse 17, because the Satan had fallen down and he had defeated already. And second time also he defeated through his death. The first time when God pushed him out of heaven, Sessica 28, he became devil and he pushed him out of heaven and he had seen him fall like lightning. Therefore, Jesus says all authority will be given. But there is a condition. The condition comes in the next statement. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that have commanded you. Two important commandments. First of all, you will receive that authority in the name of Jesus. You will receive the powers. You will receive the salvation. You You will receive the blessed hope. You will receive the blessed assurance in the resurrection power of Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5, Titus chapter 2, verses 9 to 15. I am giving you references. I am not talking my own stories here. Right? I am talking pretty much from the Bible. Alright? All this authority will be given, but not without you going through the baptism. And I explained already why you should baptize, why you should surrender in baptism. I have already explained it. You have to remind the tale. And second commandment. yeah if you want to really feel the power in the baptism you got to fulfill these two commandments as part of water baptism along with water baptism immediately after water baptism right before water baptism and after water baptism two things before water baptism you're surrendering you need to accept jesus and after water baptism you need to immediately follow these commandments teaching them to observe all things that have commanded you teaching means what you've got to be grounded and rooted in the word of god you got to understand right from old testament all through all the way to the new testament holy spirit will become your helper he will guide you more than your pastor more than any bible teacher the holy spirit will become your personal guide and philosopher and teacher and pastor and anything that you want he's going to help you you don't have to be worried how am i going to read this bible i have not touched bible same was my situation at the age of 18 but at the age of 20 i finished bible once and i almost have an idea and after that i read bible multiple times and the holy spirit helped me each time right And that is the thing I'm telling you. You are staying away from the Word of God. Because I took water baptism, I had gone through this experience, it means nothing. You're insulting the blood covenant. That's exactly my point. Why? Because before baptism, there is a commandment that's to be fulfilled, that is the belief and surrender. After the baptism, immediately again, you have to go through certain commandment. That's what I'm reading and explaining it to you from the book of Matthew 28, 16 to 20. you've taken three teaching them and therefore things that i have commanded you and love i'm with you always yeah if there is nobody to teach you let me know or you go through a channel a lot of bible teachings available or please get yourself enrolled as a member in some spiritual church where they will systematically guide you right and again i'm reading you one words up from acts 2 38 where Peter says when he goes through that Gentile experience repent and let every one of you be baptized repentance is the number one step and baptism is the number two step in the name of Jesus and the remission of sins all the sins of your past which you had confessed which you had said I am dead to it God cleanses God forgives God erases and God doesn't remember it anymore don't you don't rewind the tape. God doesn't remember. Hebrews 8.12 says that. And the rest of the, sorry, in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. With that we will close, right? And the gift of the Holy Spirit is given for free. I hope you understood. I am recapping very quickly. Before baptism, you got to surrender, right? And make that decision. Don't make the choice for materialistic benefits. and after you get into the before you get into baptism understand why you are getting into baptism is because remission of sins you're dead to the past your new creation you're born again you're making a choice to say no that's called as repentance no to the sins of the past but then after baptism you get into new sins new habits unknowingly unwillingly no problem the grace is there grace of jesus is there to forgive you and don't worry about it but don't repeat that sense I mean don't report repeat the new sins that are entered into your life. Do not repeat that's not repentance That's regret. I've already explained that in another session and the remission of sins takes place instantaneously before water baptism you whatever since you have confessed all are erased and you are a born-again creation in life and Therefore you receive the Holy Spirit the anointing of the Holy Spirit the gifts of the Holy Spirit the fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5 22 23 1 Corinthians 12 1 to 11 and 1 Corinthians 12 28 all the gifts according to the desires of God the will of God you're going to receive you all understand now the significance of water baptism this is a shorter version of water baptism what I've prescribed here the longer versions you go through the truth about the cross series 20 hours of teaching given why you should walk in surrender and first of all understand Jesus why you should accept him as your Lord of Lords and King of Kings as your God, as the life, as the way, as the truth is explained very well there. God bless you. Take care. Pandemic situation. Please stay safe and do not go around unnecessarily. Live long and stay healthy. Pray well and may God bless you. Amen. Take care.