Dedicated to exposing false doctrine, and committed to focussing on The Truth of The Word, scripture is clear “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”. 2 Timothy 3:12. We cannot afford to be foolish in these very last moments of this present evil age, and it is considered irresponsible to teach prosperity in the face of imminent tribulation! Desperate for solutions, many are truly suffering as a result of misinformation and false expectations!
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, saith The Lord. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11 verses 28 to 30.
After Peter’s declaration of Jesus being The Promised Christ, The Son of The Living God, Lord Jesus made the way forward very clear. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it”. Matthew 16:24 and 25.
The gospel of salvation as preached in charismatic churches on Sunday nights presenting a quick fix solution to all our problems, is far removed from the reality of the experience of surrendering to The Lord Jesus Christ. The apparent resulting rebirth of the believer, is often fraught with difficulties as the intiate begins to follow Christ! Up front, “slipping up our hand to receive The Lord as Saviour whilst every head is bowed and every eye is closed”, is not remotely close to reality. We should know from the outset that if we are embarrassed in any way about our commitment, or if we think we can be secret about our walk with The Lord Jesus Christ, we will be seriously shocked to learn The Lord Jesus Christ will deny us in the judgment. Matthew 7:22 and 23, and Matthew 10:32 and 33.
The Baptisms directly translated means “the immersions”. In this brief study we will focus on the core values of what we are to be immersed in to walk triumphantly in Christ, for our Lord taught “the thief cometh not but for to steal, to kill, and destroy: I am come that they might have life and it more abundantly”. John 10:10.
Central to true Christian teaching is the fact Antichrist is at war with Christianity! Daniel 7:21 and 9:26. One would not say so seeing so many “churches” and more being built for large gatherings of believers, nevertheless, scripture makes clear the spiritual war rages here on earth, and our Lord taught no man buildeth a tower without counting the cost thereof lest he begin to build, and is not able to finish! Luke 14:26 to 30. Counting the cost of our faith in Jesus is prerequisite, and it is worth noting moments after accepting Christ during the Roman persecution, a believer might have been arrested, and delivered to the Colosseum dungeons for weekend “sport”. Teaching a man must hate even his own life or he cannot be a disciple, it truly drives home the essential take home message! God seeks a quality of believer in this hour who is totally committed to Him, and the spreading of the Gospel of The Kingdom of God. Embracing these ancient facts related to our Christian faith, puts everyday trials in perspective, as we trust God will not suffer us to be tempted or tried more than we are able to bear, 1 Corinthians 3:2, and 1 Corinthians 10:13, and after we have suffered a while, we will be perfected, stablished, strengthened, and settled. 1 Peter 5:10.
The Gospel of Mark reveals a “baptism of repentance” was preached by John The Baptist, and indeed cites THIS as the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ in verse one. Let us go to The Word, our source, to see the truth of the doctrine of repentance. “Nay but I tell you except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”. Luke 13:3. These are the words of our Saviour Himself, and we need to realize that without repentance there is no salvation, and repentance remains the vital ingredient for a victorious walk with Christ our Lord.
People come to Jesus for differing reasons, primarily, due to their having a need. It is a true saying that when life goes well, men put God on the side burner. Only when things get rough, when the waves begin to tower over their little boat, suddenly, even athiests are seen on their knees crying out to God to help them. Most people come to Jesus for healing, and for their problems to be solved. Some are simply curious, others want an experience with the Holy Spirit, and then there are others who want power and wealth. Importantly, with a great depth yet to fathom in prophecy, we need to realize the truth of dying daily to attain Christ. We need to put off the old carnal man, in repentance, to have the hope of a new life in Christ.
This said, there is a word of caution for those who come to Christ desiring prosperity. There may be a lot of preparation in store for such, and it is well to understand The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love The Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, Deuteronomy 13:3, for whom The Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son He receiveth. Hebrews 12:6.
The faith of Jesus is the way of a life of trials, and the fiery trial which is to try you, 1 Peter 4:12, to prove your faith, steel you for what is to come, encourage and strengthen you to stand in the evil day, is the backdrop of events sent daily to sift us. Appearing contrary to the teaching of our God Who has covenanted, (promised), to bless the obedient, the teaching points to a quality of believer, and therein is the key! The blessing is upon the obedient, and repentance, best described as an about turn, to turn away from our cursed sinful behaviour, is the first step! It is a decision we make to turn away from sinfulness, to come to The Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, to be washed, and made clean to stand in The Holy Presence of God Almighty, our King!
The significance of water baptism primarily relates to a Christian’s confession of faith, or the belief a person has chosen to follow! It is a very public demonstration both in the physical and the spiritual realms, of a person’s personal choice, and conviction! The believer’s decision to accept Christ as Saviour and Lord of their lives, is followed through with baptism, (immersion) in water, in the name of The Father, The Son, and the Holy Ghost. It is an outward, public declaration of one’s chosen faith, (confidence), values, and future spiritual path! Accompanied by repentance, water baptism has the promise that the gift of the Holy Ghost will be received. Acts 2:38.
Importantly, we need to grasp we are saved in the very moment we surrender, and accept Christ as our Redeemer and Saviour. The Word’s reference to future salvation in many verses, infers a growing up in Christ, to learn of Him, and the future Christ has prepared for us in eternity.
Sometimes a simultaneous event with water baptism, the baptism (immersion) in the Holy Ghost, is the filling of the believer with the Spirit of God. Ask and ye shall receive, and The Lord Jesus Himself officiates to fill the believer with His Spirit of Truth in that moment. It is not unusual for the believer to speak in an unknown language as the believer receives the gift of the Holy Ghost in thanksgiving, and is filled with The Holy Spirit. Most notably, the baptism of the Holy Ghost is not necessarily a public event, but a growthpoint that is reached, often occurring privately in a private devotion.
The Baptism of The Holy Ghost by The Lord Jesus Himself, is poorly presented and taught in charismatic “churches”. This is manifestly seen as believers become licentious, meaning unprincipled, being openly demonstrated in their disregard of The Lord’s Day! Teaching Sabbath observance is no longer required because “Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath”, and in Him everyday is a day of rest from our sinful works, they err exceedingly! Everyday in Christ is indeed a day of rest from our sinful works, however, there is no licence granted or excuse for breaking any one of God’s commandments. The matter is perfectly clear in The Word. God sees who regards the day, and God sees who doth not regard the day. Romans 14 verse 6. Moreover, The Word of God declares the Sabbath is a sign between God and His people. Ezekial 20:20
Believing that “no man should despise them for their youth”, 1 Timothy 4:12, as it is The Holy Spirit that has “taught” them, and they “have no need that any man should teach them”, 1 John 2:27, many Charismatics teach The Sabbath no longer applies because of our Lord’s death and glorious resurrection, and this doctrine is HERESY! Such have yet to learn that we need to study to show ourselves workmen approved of God, 1 Timothy 2:15, that the Kingdom of God, is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable unto God, and approved of men. Romans 14:17 and 18.
Receiving the Revelation of the baptism in the Holy Ghost that the believer is to be immersed in The Spirit of Truth, and THE TRUTH is in The Word of God, is the essential message! Indeed the vital issue of being Christian is revealed, that we SEEK God’s truth in The Word with all of our heart. 1 Samuel 12:24.
Many deceivers have gone into the world to deceive many, and we have the choice of seeking man’s truth, or God’s Truth. When we abide in The Word, we are assured that we seek God’s truth, that God’s truth is preferred to man’s truth, for our God is the Spirit of Truth, John 14:17, and a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
Being baptised in the Holy Spirit NEVER educates the disciple to disobey God, on the contrary, it is The Holy Spirit Who convicts us of sin, and TEACHES obedience to Christ, and of all things pertaining to Jesus. It is The Holy Spirit that leads us to accepting the free gift of God in Christ of forgiveness of sins, Who leads us to be immersed in God’s Truth in The Word, to a resultant repentance, and eternal life! 1 John 2 particularly verses 26 to 29. Amen.
Lester Oliver Thomas Flock © 2021