The Baptism of Jesus is the Indispensable Process for Redemption (Matthew 3:13-17)
(Matthew 3:13-17)
“Then
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by
You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him,
‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus
came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened
to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
THE BAPTISM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
What is repentance?
Turning back from the sinful life and believing in Jesus in order to be sanctified.
Turning back from the sinful life and believing in Jesus in order to be sanctified.
So
many people in the world do not know why Jesus came to this world and
was baptized by John the Baptist. Therefore let us talk about the
purpose of the baptism of Jesus and about John the Baptist who baptized
Him.
First,
we should think about what led John the Baptist to baptize people at
the Jordan. It is explained in Matthew 3:1-12 that John the Baptist
baptized people to bring them back to God from sins by confessing their
sins.
“I
indeed baptize you with water unto repentance” (verse 11), and “The
voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make His paths straight’” (verse 3). John the Baptist, clothed in
camel’s hair and carrying a bunch of locusts, cried out in the
wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of
sins.
He
cried out to people, “Repent, the Savior of humanity is coming; prepare
the way for Him, make His path of salvation straight. Stop worshiping
the gods of the Gentiles and receive the Lord in your heart.”
Return
from what? From worshiping idols and all the other evil deeds of a life
full of sin. So what do we have to do? We have to be baptized into
Jesus in order to be sanctified. John the Baptist cried out in the
wilderness, “Be baptized by me. Be washed of your sins. The Savior, your
Messiah, is coming to this world. He will take away all your sins as
the sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament and wash away all your sins.”
In
the Old Testament, daily sins were passed on to the sin offering
through the laying on of hands. The yearly sins of all Israel were also
passed on to the goat by the high priest on the Day of Atonement, which
fell on the tenth day of the seventh month every year (Leviticus
16:29-31).
In
the same way, the sins of humankind had to be passed on to Jesus
through His baptism all at once so that they could be blotted out
through Him. So John urged the people to come back to Jesus and be
baptized by him.
The
primary importance of the baptism performed by John the Baptist was
repentance, which brought the people of Israel back to Jesus who was to
come later. Repentance means to turn back from the life of sin and
believe in the Messiah in order to be forgiven for all sins.
The
people of Israel could be redeemed by hoping for the Messiah who would
come later to wash away all their sins. Similarly, we are redeemed by
believing in Jesus, who descended from Heaven 2000 years ago and washed
away all the sins of the world. But the Israelites in the Old Testament
abandoned the law of God, offered the wrong sacrifices and forgot the
Messiah.
Because
John the Baptist needed to remind them of the law of God and of the
Messiah who would come later, he began baptizing people and eventually
baptized Jesus at the Jordan.
Many
people came to John and were baptized, repenting for worshipping idols
and abandoning the law of God. There are three indispensable elements in
the legitimate sacrifice―a live animal, the laying on of hands, and its
blood. All the people of the world are saved by believing in Jesus.
When
the Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized, John cried out to
them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to
yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father’” (Matthew 3:7-9).
These
Pharisees and Sadducees, groups of politicians and idol-worshipers,
thought that they were God’s people despite the fact they didn’t believe
in God’s word. They believed in other gods and in their own thoughts.
When
they came to John the Baptist to be baptized, he told them, “You should
not offer wrong sacrifices but turn back from sin and truly believe
that the Messiah will come and wash away your sins. You should believe
this in your hearts.”
To
repent is to turn back from the wrong path. True repentance is to turn
back from sin and false beliefs and to return to Jesus. It is to believe
in the redemption of His baptism and His judgement on the Cross.
Thus,
John the Baptist cried out to the people of Israel, who had abandoned
the law of God and the sacrificial system, in order to convince them to
return to God. It was the role of John the Baptist to bring people back
to Jesus so that they would believe in Him and be saved from all their
sins.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN REDEMPTION THROUGH THE BAPTISM OF JESUS?
What do all men have to do before Jesus?
They have to believe in Him to be saved from all their sins.
They have to believe in Him to be saved from all their sins.
The
first thing Jesus did in His public ministry was to be baptized by John
the Baptist. All the sins of the world were passed on to Him in this
way.
Thus
the baptism of Jesus was the beginning of God’s salvation of humanity
as well as the righteous act of Jesus that washed away all the sins of
the world. God redeems all who believe in the truth that Jesus took away
all the sins of the world through His baptism.
When
Jesus came to this world and was baptized by John the Baptist, the
gospel of the kingdom of Heaven began. The heavens were opened up with
His baptism and as described in Matthew 3:15, it was exactly like the
sacrifice of atonement described in Leviticus 1:1-5, 4:27-31 in the Old
Testament.
Everything
in the Old Testament has a mate in the New Testament and vice versa.
“Search from the book of the Lord, and read: not one of these shall
fail; not one shall lack her mate” (Isaiah 34:16).
BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS SPEAK ABOUT THE ATONEMENT OF ALL PEOPLE’S SINS
Do we have to repent for our daily sins every day?
No. True repentance is to admit all one’s sins and turn one’s mind back to the baptism of Jesus in order to obtain redemption.
No. True repentance is to admit all one’s sins and turn one’s mind back to the baptism of Jesus in order to obtain redemption.
In
the Old Testament, a day’s sin was passed on to a sin offering by the
laying on of hands. The offering would then bleed and be judged instead
of the sinner. And the accumulated sins of the whole year were also be
passed on to a sin offering by the laying on of hands, so that all
people could be forgiven for the year’s sin.
In
the New Testament, in exactly the same way, Jesus Christ came and was
baptized at the Jordan to take away all the sins of the world. Thus the
word of God prophesied in the Old Testament was fulfilled.
John
the Baptist, who baptized Jesus, was a servant of God who was sent 6
months prior to Jesus. He testified that Jesus took away all the sins of
the world, saying in John 1:29. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world!”
John
the Baptist passed the sins of the world on to Jesus by baptizing Him
at the Jordan. In this way, the Lord made atonement for all the sins of
humankind. All we have to do now is believe.
All
the sins of the world were passed on to Jesus. The disciples of Jesus
said in Acts 3:19, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins
may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the
presence of the Lord.”
They
were urging us to understand why John the Baptist baptized Jesus, why
he told people to follow Him. He said, “Repent and be converted. Believe
in the redemption of the baptism of Jesus. Be washed of your sins.”
The
Messiah came and washed away our sins all at one time by being
baptized. All the sins of the world were passed on to Jesus in this way.
Thus the Covenant of God was fulfilled with the baptism of Jesus, as it
is recorded in Matthew 3:13-17.
“Then
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I have need to be baptized by
You, and are You coming to me?’ But Jesus answered and said to him,
‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus
came up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened
to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
To
fulfill the salvation of God, Jesus came to John to be baptized. John
the Baptist was a special servant of God. Luke chapter 1 says that John
was a descendent of Aaron, the first high priest. God had chosen John, a
descendent of Aaron, because He wanted the representative of all
humankind to fulfill all righteousness.
So,
God had John born in the house of the high priest 6 months prior to the
birth of Jesus. John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by crying
out in the wilderness, “Repent, you brood of vipers! Repent and be
converted. The Messiah will come. Be converted to Him, or He will cut
you down and throw you into the fire. Believe in His baptism and His
blood on the Cross. Repent and be baptized, then you will be redeemed.”
The
gospel of redemption is described clearly in Acts 3:19. When John the
Baptist cried out about the sins of humankind, many were converted.
Because
John passed the sins of the world on to Jesus, all the sins of mankind
were blotted out at one time. Because John the Baptist testified that
Jesus took away all our sins, we know we can be saved by believing in
the gospel of redemption, the gospel of the water and the blood.
THE REASON WHY JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD TO COME BEFORE JESUS
What are the meanings of “For thus?”
① most proper
② most fitting
③ necessarily in this way only
(there is no other way)
① most proper
② most fitting
③ necessarily in this way only
(there is no other way)
Those
whose sins were washed away by believing in Jesus, the Savior, can
confirm their salvation through the testimony of Matthew to the gospel
of the baptism of Jesus. In Matthew 3:15-16, Jesus came to John and
said, “Baptize me.” And John answered, “I need to be baptized by You,
and are You coming to me?”
It
was John the Baptist who baptized Jesus, recognizing who He was. John
was the servant of God who was sent to pass all the sins of humankind on
to Jesus. Because Jesus came as the Savior to fulfill the prophecy of
the Old Testament, He commanded John the Baptist to baptize Him in order
to take all the sins of the world on to His head.
Why?
Because Jesus is the Son of God Almighty, the Creator, and the Savior.
He came to us in order to wash away all our sins. So, in order to save
all people, He had to be baptized.
“For
thus” Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and washed away all our
sins. He was judged on our behalf on the Cross. The baptism of Jesus was
the testimony to our salvation. As God had promised in the Old
Testament that all sins would be passed on to a sacrificial Lamb, the
Son of God became the Lamb and took all our sins upon Himself.
So
both the laying on of hands in the Old Testament and the baptism of
Jesus in the New Testament are the passing on of sins, and salvation and
everlasting life are given to those who believe in the gospel of the
water and the Spirit.
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS WASHED AWAY ALL OUR SINS
How can we put on Christ?
By being baptized into Christ
By being baptized into Christ
When
Jesus wanted to be baptized, John the Baptist tried to prevent Him,
saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”
But
Jesus answered and said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is
fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Permit it to be so now.
Permit it. He told John, “You must pass the sins of all people on to Me
so that I can bring to Me all those who believe in the gospel of the
water of redemption. I will then be judged for all their sins so that
all who believe in My baptism will be redeemed of all their sins. Pass
on to Me the sins of the world through baptism so that all who come
later will be redeemed of their sins all at one time. Therefore permit
it to be so now.”
Jesus
was baptized by John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus was in
accordance with the righteous law of redemption of God. Because all sins
were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized, we can be redeemed all at
one time when we believe in Jesus and are baptized. Because He took on
all our sins through the laying on of hands, died on the Cross on our
behalf and now sits at the right hand of God, we can be saved by
believing in the redemption of the water and the Spirit.
He
is Jesus, who saved us from all the sins of the world. We can be saved
by believing that Jesus took away all our sins and paid the wages of all
our sins on the Cross. The baptism of Jesus was the beginning of the
gospel of redemption.
The
baptism of redemption is mentioned often in the Bible and the apostle
Paul also says in Galatians that he was crucified with Christ because he
was baptized into Christ and put on Christ. The apostle Paul talks
about his faith in redemption through the baptism of Jesus and His death
on the Cross.
“PERMIT IT TO BE SO NOW”
What was the role of John the Baptist?
His role was to pass all the sins of the world on to Jesus as the high priest of all mankind.
His role was to pass all the sins of the world on to Jesus as the high priest of all mankind.
Jesus
said, “For thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” All
righteousness means to blot out all sins through His baptism and make
all people sinless in their hearts. “Then he allowed Him.” Jesus was
baptized at the Jordan.
Just
as the high priest laid his hands on the head of a goat, John the
Baptist laid his hands on Jesus’ head and passed all the sins of the
world on to Him. John the Baptist was the high priest whose task was to
pass all the sins of the world on to Jesus as the representative of
humanity. “God, I pass all the sins of the world on to Your Lamb,
Jesus.” Thus all the sins of humankind were passed on to Jesus.
John
the Baptist laid his hands on the head of Jesus, immersed Him into the
water, then took his hands away when Jesus came up out of the water. The
baptism of Jesus made for the righteous salvation. Thus Jesus saved all
humankind who believe in His baptism.
THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED AND A VOICE CAME FROM HEAVEN
From what time was the kingdom of Heaven opened?
From the days of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:12)
From the days of John the Baptist (Matthew 11:12)
“When
He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and
behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came
from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).
When
Jesus took away all the sins of the world with His baptism, the heavens
were opened to Him. Thus the Covenant of God which had been made
several thousand years before was fulfilled through the baptism of Jesus
at the Jordan.
Thus
Jesus, as the Lamb of God, saved all the people of the world from their
sins. All the sins of the world were passed on to Jesus and He
fulfilled the will of God.
It
is testified in John 1:29, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world!” Because all sins were passed on to Jesus, the Lamb of
God, He walked toward the Cross at Golgotha after three years with that
burden on His shoulders. After He took on all sins with His baptism,
everywhere He went, He told those who received Him by faith that all
their sins were forgiven.
In
John 8:11, He told the woman who was caught in the act of adultery,
“Neither do I condemn you.” He could not condemn her because the One who
had to be judged was Jesus Himself, who had taken on all sin. Thus He
told all people that He was the Savior of sinners.
Because
He, the Son of God, took away all our sins, every believer in the world
can become sanctified. The heavens were opened up when He was baptized.
The gates of the kingdom of Heaven were opened up and whoever believes
in the baptism of Jesus can freely enter.
JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AFTER HE TOOK AWAY ALL THE SINS OF THE WORLD THROUGH HIS BAPTISM
How did Jesus bruise Satan’s head?
By being resurrected from the dead after accepting the judgement for all our sins
By being resurrected from the dead after accepting the judgement for all our sins
Because
all sins were passed onto His head, Jesus had to be judged on the
Cross. He was deeply sorrowful and troubled when He thought about the
agony He would suffer on the Cross. He prayed until His sweat became
like great drops of blood. When He went with His disciples to a place
called Gethsemane, He cried out, “O My Father, if it is possible, let
this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). “I was baptized and took on all
the sins of the world, but let Me not die for it.” But God didn’t
answer.
On
the Day of Atonement in the Old Testament, the sin offering had to be
killed so that its blood might be sprinkled before the mercy seat by the
high priest. In the same way, Jesus had to be crucified and God decided
He could do it no other way.
The
altar is the judgement of God and the blood of the sin offering is
life. To sprinkle the blood seven times before and in front of the mercy
seat means that all judgement is passed on (Leviticus 16:1-22).
Jesus
prayed to God to let the cup pass from Him. But His Father didn’t allow
Him and Jesus finally said, “Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew
26:39). He prayed to God to do as He saw fit. He finished praying and
followed the will of His Father.
Jesus
gave up His own will and obeyed His Father. Why? Because if He had not
been judged after taking away all the sins of the world, salvation would
have not been completed. He was crucified because He took away all the
sins of humankind through His baptism. “For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans
6:23).
God
fulfilled the Covenant which said that He would send the Savior and
save humanity through the laying on of hands, the baptism of Jesus.
Jesus obeyed God’s will and accepted judgement for us.
It
was also the fulfillment of the prophecy in Genesis 3:15, “And I will
put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her
Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” God
promised Adam to send the Messiah, a Seed of Eve, and He would defeat
Satan’s power that made humankind a sinner and go to hell.
When
we know and believe in the baptism of Jesus and His death on the Cross,
all our sins are washed away and we are saved from judgement.
We
have to have sound belief in our hearts when we consider the baptism of
Jesus and His blood on the Cross. Believe it in your hearts, and then
you will be saved.
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE HEAVENLY GOSPEL
What was the last commandment of the Lord before He ascended to Heaven?
He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all nations by baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all nations by baptizing in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
The
baptism of Jesus was the beginning of the gospel, and He saved all
sinners with His baptism and blood. In Matthew 28:19, it is recorded,
“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.” Jesus
told His disciples to testify that the Father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit had saved all humankind from their sins and washed them all away
through His baptism and His blood.
Jesus
gave them the power to make disciples of all nations, to teach them
about the baptism of Jesus, the baptism of redemption, the baptism that
washed away all the sins of the world.
About
2000 years ago, Jesus came to earth in the flesh and was baptized by
John the Baptist. With the baptism of Jesus, all the sins of the world,
including all our sins, were passed on to Him.
How
much sin was passed on to Him? How about the sins of tomorrow? He tells
us that even the sins of tomorrow were passed on to Him. The sins of
our children, those of all the generations, past, present and future,
even those of Adam were passed on to Jesus.
How
can there be no sin? How can we be without sin? Because Jesus took away
all our sins and all the sins of the world with His baptism so that all
believers could free themselves from sin and gain access to the Kingdom
of Heaven.
“But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:21).
Jesus
washed away all our sins with His baptism, His blood on the Cross, His
death, and His resurrection. Therefore to believe in His baptism and His
death on the Cross is to be saved from all sin. This is the faith of
redemption.
When
we believe in the baptism and the blood of Christ, we are saved. When
we believe in Jesus correctly, are we the righteous or sinners? We are
the righteous. Are we without sin even if we are incomplete beings? Yes,
we are without sin. To believe in the baptism of Jesus and the
judgement on the Cross is to have complete and proper faith.
TO BAPTIZE AND BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS
What is the beginning of the heavenly gospel?
The baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus
Because
people are incomplete beings, ministers baptize those who believe in
the baptism of Jesus and His blood to make them confirm their faith. The
born again make sure their being saved by being baptized in the same
manner of the baptism of Jesus as the proof of the faith.
The
minister first prays with his hands on the head of a born again person,
asking for the blessing of God so that this person will worship Him
well until the end of his days. Then he baptizes him in the name of the
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
We
are baptized on the basis of our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His
blood. This baptism is to show that all sin was passed on to Jesus, that
the baptized person died with Jesus and was resurrected with Him.
To
be baptized is to proclaim one’s belief in the passing of sins on to
Jesus through His baptism, in being judged for one’s sins alongside
Jesus and in being resurrected with Him. It is to proclaim one’s faith
before the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, Satan, and one’s brothers
and sisters. It is to confess that one has been born again of water and
the Spirit.
Those
who believe in Jesus, knowing the true meaning of the baptism of Jesus
and His blood on the Cross, are saved from all the sins of the world.
Therefore they are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.
“Old
things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2
Corinthians 5:17). Our old things have passed away and we have been born
again as people of faith. To make it sure in our hearts, we are
baptized. We are baptized into Jesus by believing in the baptism of
Jesus.
LIFE AFTER BEING BORN AGAIN OF THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS
What do the born again live for?
They live for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, preaching the gospel all over the world.
They live for the kingdom of God and His righteousness, preaching the gospel all over the world.
Life
after being redeemed and born again must involve faith in the word of
God. It should not be an emotional life in which one has to repent for
daily sins every day. Rather, it has to be a faithful life in which we
are assured every day that Jesus took away all our sins with His
baptism.
All
our sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized. He then lived
for three years with this burden until He accepted the judgement for all
our sins and was crucified.
Therefore
we believers should have faith in the written word, not in mere
emotions. If we fail to do so, we will only worry about our daily sins
after we are redeemed and born again.
We
have to discard the subjective viewpoint of sin and believe only in the
gospel of the water and the blood. This is the life that the redeemed
person should lead.
What
did John the Baptist say about Jesus? He said, “Behold, the Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He testified that
Jesus took away the sins of today, tomorrow, and yesterday, all the way
back to original sin.
Didn’t
He take away all those sins? Were not all those sins passed on to
Jesus? The sin of the world includes all our sins of the past, the
present, and the future. We have to confirm the gospel of redemption
through the baptism of Jesus.
Those
who believe in the truth of the baptism of Jesus and His blood shall be
saved. Whoever believes in the baptism of Jesus has no sin in their
heart.
However,
many people think they still have sin because they are not aware that
all their sins were already passed on to Jesus through His baptism. They
are deceived by Satan. Satan whispers to them through their carnal
thoughts. “You sin every day. How can you be without sin?”
They
only have to believe in God to be without sin. But Satan tricks them
into thinking they are sinners because they still sin. No one is with
sin if he believes in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
Because
we live in this world as insufficient and weak beings, we can never say
we become righteous through our works and deeds alone. But we can say
with faith that we are saved by the truth of the baptism of Jesus and
His blood on the Cross. Once we understand that by believing in the
baptism of Jesus and His blood, our hearts become sanctified, we know
for sure that we have no sin.
“♬
I have been redeemed. You have been redeemed. We all have been redeemed
♬” It is such a joyous and happy feeling to live with the desire to
preach the gospel to all and know that we are led by the Spirit.
Of
course we believers sin every day but we have no sin. We have the
baptism of Jesus and His blood in our hearts. Our hearts used to be
filled with sin, but now that we believe in the baptism of Jesus, how
can we remain sinful.
“This
is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the
Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will
write them” (Hebrews 10:16).
Our
hearts are free of sin. Jesus made it possible for us to be redeemed
completely with His baptism and His death on the Cross. Salvation from
sin stems from belief in the word of God.
WHOEVER BELIEVES IN THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS CAN NEVER BECOME A SINNER AGAIN
Do we become sinners again when we sin?
No, we never become sinners again.
No, we never become sinners again.
When
we did not believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood, no matter how
often we prayed for forgiveness, there was sin in our hearts. But when
we came to believe in the true gospel, all our sins were washed away.
“Hey, how come are you so bright and cheerful these days?”
“You see, I don’t have sin in my heart anymore.”
“Really? Then I guess you can sin as much as you want now?”
“You
know, man cannot help but sin. That’s what man is. But Jesus took away
all sins with His baptism and accepted the judgement for them on the
Cross. For this reason I now devote myself to serving the gospel in
church. Romans chapter 6 says all of us should live like this. Since I
no longer have sin in my heart, I want to do the righteous thing. We
have to believe in the baptism of Jesus and in His blood on the Cross
and preach the gospel throughout the world! When we believe in Jesus,
our Master of redemption, we can never become sinners again. We have to
believe in the eternal salvation of the baptism of Jesus and of His
blood on the Cross. I am so full of gratitude!”
WHO RECEIVES THE SPIRIT?
What did John the Baptist testify about Jesus?
He testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world, namely, sins of the past, the present and the future, even original sin.
He testified that Jesus was the Lamb of God who took away all the sins of the world, namely, sins of the past, the present and the future, even original sin.
Whoever
believes in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross receives
salvation. How do we receive the Spirit? Acts 2:38-39 tells us the
answer. “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.’”
To
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ means to believe in the baptism
of Jesus and be redeemed. Then the Spirit shall be given as a gift from
God.
To
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ also means to become sanctified
by believing in Christ’s baptism and blood. When we embrace this
belief, we are redeemed and become righteous. Believers become white as
snow through the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross.
“And
you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When we firmly believe
that all our sins were passed on to Jesus through His baptism and that
He was judged for them with His death on the Cross, our hearts are
washed clean. Our new lives begin when we believe in the baptism of
Jesus and His blood and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and become
children of God.
“And
you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John
8:32). We should know the true meaning of the Lord’s judgement on the
Cross. The truth is that Jesus blotted out all our sins with His baptism
and His death on the Cross. Redemption is given to us when we believe
the truth.
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS REDEEMS US
Who receives the Spirit?
He who is redeemed of all sin through belief in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross
He who is redeemed of all sin through belief in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on the Cross
The
atonement for sin through the sacrificial system of the Old Testament
represents the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament. The baptism of
Jesus is the very core of all the prophecies of the Old Testament. The
counterpart to the laying on of hands in the Old Testament can be found
in the baptism of Jesus in the New Testament.
All
the sins of the world were passed on to Jesus through His baptism just
as the sins of Israel were passed on to the scapegoat through the laying
on of hands.
Do
we have to believe in the baptism of Jesus to be saved from all our
sins? Yes! We do! We have to accept the truth of the fact Jesus took
away all the sins of the world through His baptism. If we do not believe
in the baptism of Jesus, our sins cannot be passed on to Him. We must
believe in order to make our salvation complete. Otherwise, we cannot
become righteous.
Jesus
saved all the sinners of the world in the most fitting and righteous
way with His baptism. It could not have been done in a more fitting way.
Because the baptism of Jesus was the process by which all sins were
passed on to Him, we have to believe in it to have our hearts
permanently cleansed of sin.
We
should also believe that the blood of Jesus was the judgement for all
our sins. Thus, all who believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood on
the Cross are saved from sin.
We
have to believe in the baptism of Jesus in order to enter the kingdom
of Heaven. This is the only way we can be delivered from all sin and
escape just punishment.
The
baptism of Jesus in the New Testament and the laying on of hands in the
Old Testament are mirrors of each other. They are the connecting clasp
and loop between the Old and New Testaments.
In
the New Testament, John the Baptist came 6 months before Jesus. When
Jesus was baptized, it was “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). The gospel begins at the time Jesus took
away all the sins of the world through His baptism.
The
ministry of salvation of humankind was carried out through a chain of
events: the birth of Jesus, His baptism, His death on the Cross, His
resurrection, and His ascension to Heaven. When we know and understand
and believe in the process of salvation in this chain of events, we are
saved from all our sins. The baptism of Jesus was the beginning of the
gospel while the blood on the Cross was its completion.
“The
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). We
cannot omit any one of His righteous deeds ―His baptism, His blood on
the Cross, His resurrection, His ascension, and His Second Coming― from
the gospel of the Son of God.
Jesus
came to this world in the flesh and washed away all the sins of
humankind with His baptism. This was the beginning of the heavenly
gospel. If even one of these were missing, the heavenly gospel would not
be complete.
Therefore,
if someone is to be born again, he has to believe in Christ’s baptism
and His blood. These days, many people do not believe the truth of the
baptism of Jesus and His blood. They think the baptism of Jesus was
merely a ritual. This is a serious misconception. Anyone who believes in
Jesus must also believe in His baptism and blood.
How
can our sins be washed away simply by praying for forgiveness? All our
sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
There was no other way for Him to take on the sins of humankind.
We
have to be born again of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of
Heaven. There can be no redemption without the water of baptism, the
blood on the Cross, and the Spirit. Only someone who has been born again
can see God, as Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:5. True salvation
comes to us only when we believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
CAN WE BE SAVED WITHOUT THE BAPTISM OF JESUS?
How did Jesus become our Savior?
By taking on all our sins through His baptism
By taking on all our sins through His baptism
If
we were to omit from the Lord’s public ministry the fact that Jesus
came to this world and took away all our sins through His baptism, or
overlook the holiness of Jesus, who was born to the Virgin Mary, or
neglect to believe in the Cross of Jesus, Christianity would became
merely a superstitious religion that leads believers to chant “forgive
me, forgive me, forgive me” as Buddhists do in their temples.
To
omit the baptism of Jesus would mean that our sins were not passed on
to Him. Our faith would be worthless, making us no different from the
debtor who claims that he paid off his debts in full when in fact he
paid nothing at all. It would make us all liars. If a debtor said he had
paid off all his debts when in fact he had done nothing of the sort, he
would still be a debtor, in fact, also in his conscience.
Jesus
washed believers clean with the water of His baptism and made them
children of God. Jesus took away all the sins of the world through John
the Baptist, so that all believers could be sanctified. When we know and
believe this, our hearts become clean forever.
Thank
God for His grace. Luke 2:14 says, “Glory to God in the highest, and on
earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Our faith in the water and the blood
of Jesus brings us complete salvation and makes us children of God. The
baptism of Jesus and His blood saved us and whoever believes in these
two things is saved.
Nothing
can be omitted from His works. Some only believe in the blood, saying
the apostle Paul boasted of nothing but the Cross. But the baptism of
Jesus was included in His Cross.
We
can see in Romans chapter 6 that Paul was baptized into Christ and died
with Christ. And also in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life
which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me.”
And
in Galatians 3:27-29, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in
Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise.”
To
be baptized into Christ means to believe in all the things He did in
this world, His baptism and His blood on the Cross. To believe in the
baptism of Jesus and His blood is to believe in the truth that Jesus
already blotted out all our sins nearly 2000 years ago. There is no
other way that brings us salvation.
WE ARE SAVED BY GOD WHEN WE BELIEVE IN THE BAPTISM OF JESUS AND HIS BLOOD ON THE CROSS
Can our sins be washed away just by praying for forgiveness?
No. Forgiveness of sin is possible only through our belief that all sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
No. Forgiveness of sin is possible only through our belief that all sins were passed on to Jesus when He was baptized by John the Baptist.
“For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10).
“For
as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”
(Galatians 3:27). Our faith leads us to be baptized into Christ, to put
on Christ, and to become children of God. When Jesus came to this world
and was baptized, all our sins and the sins of the world were passed on
to Him.
Our
faith has led us to be one with Christ. We died when He died. We were
resurrected when He was resurrected. Now because we believe in the
baptism of Jesus, His blood, and His resurrection, His ascension, and
His advent, we can enter the kingdom of Heaven and live forever.
When
people believe in the blood of Jesus alone, they cannot but suffer from
the sin that remains in their hearts. Why? Because they neither know
nor accept the meaning of the baptism of Jesus, which took away all
their sins and cleansed their sinful hearts, making them as white as
snow for all eternity.
Do
you believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood that saves you from
all your sins? Please believe in this unalterable truth. Without belief
in the baptism of Jesus, your faith is in vain. Without faith in the
baptism of Jesus, you cannot be redeemed of your sins; you are engaged
in unrequited love.
Those
who only believe in the Cross say, “Jesus is my Lord, my Savior, who
died on the Cross for me. He rose again from the dead and testified to
His resurrection for 40 days before ascending to Heaven and now sits at
the right hand of God. I believe that He will come a second time to
judge us and I pray that Jesus will change me completely so I can meet
Him. Oh, my beloved Jesus, my Lord.”
They
ask for the forgiveness of their sins and hope to be without sin, but
there is sin in their hearts. “I believe in Jesus but I have sin in my
heart. I love Jesus but I have sin in my heart. I cannot say, ‘Please
come to me, my bridegroom’ because I have sin and I cannot be sure of my
salvation. So I hope Jesus will come when I am well prepared and only
after I pray harder and repent harder. I love Jesus with all my heart
but cannot dare to face Him because of the sins in my heart.”
If Jesus were to ask such people, “Why do you think you are not complete?”
They would answer, “Lord, I know I am not righteous because I sin every day. So please call me when you call the sinners.”
They do not know that God, the Creator and the Judge, will neither accept sinners nor make them His children.
The
bridegroom came and solved all the problems of sin for the bride, but
because the bride was not aware of this fact, she was tormented. When we
think we are sinners because we have sinned with the flesh, we do not
have faith in God. When we neither know nor understand the truth of the
word of God, the sin in our hearts keeps multiplying.
Why do some people suffer from the sin that remains in their hearts?
Because they neither know nor accept into their hearts the meaning of the baptism of Jesus, which took away all their sins.
Because they neither know nor accept into their hearts the meaning of the baptism of Jesus, which took away all their sins.
The
bridegroom took away the sins of the world. Where? At the Jordan when
He was baptized. Those who do not believe this are still sinners. They
remain defiled brides.
The
groom asks the bride, “How can you love Me when you are not My bride?
Before you call Me your bridegroom, all your sins must be washed away.”
Can
we be redeemed without the baptism of Jesus? No! We are created in the
image of God, so we seek justice in our hearts, and our consciences try
to be just, also. But it is impossible for us to think we are sinless if
our hearts have not been cleansed. Only when we accept and believe in
the baptism of Jesus can we truly say that we have no sin and we are
righteous.
Our
consciences can never become sanctified if we consider ourselves to be
without sin when in reality we have sin in our hearts. Nor can God
accept us under these circumstances. God never lies.
God
told Moses to take a census of the Israelites to count them and pay Him
a ransom for their lives. The rich were not to give more than a half
shekel and the poor were not to give less. Everyone had to pay a ransom.
Therefore,
how can someone become sanctified if he does not believe in Jesus who
paid him a ransom for his life? Such a person continues to have sin in
his heart.
When
we believe only in the blood of Jesus, we have sin in our hearts and
have to confess that we are sinners. But when we believe in the gospel
of His baptism and the Cross together, we can truly state that we have
no sin. Salvation and eternal life are ours.
THE BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT
What kind of sin condemns man to hell?
Sin against the Spirit, in other words, not to believe in the baptism of Jesus
Sin against the Spirit, in other words, not to believe in the baptism of Jesus
Romans
1:17 says, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith
to faith.” The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel. Jesus
Christ came to this world and washed away all our sins with His baptism
and His death on the Cross. The baptism of Jesus and His blood is the
power of the gospel. Jesus washed away our sins once and for all.
To
believe means salvation and not to believe means eternal hell. Our
Father in Heaven sent His only begotten Son Jesus to this world and had
Him baptized for the atonement of our sins. Thus, he who believes in Him
can be cleansed of all his transgressions.
The
only sin remaining in this world is the sin of not believing in His
baptism and blood. Not believing is blasphemy against the Spirit and a
sin that shall be judged by God, condemning the non-believer to hell. It
is the gravest sin of all. Any of you who commits this sin must repent
and be redeemed by believing in the baptism of Jesus. If not, you will
be ruined forever.
Are
you saved with the testimony of redemption through His baptism and
blood? Have you received the testimony of John as it is written in John
1:29, “Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Do
you believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood as it is written in
Hebrews 10:18, “Now where there is remission of these, there is no
longer an offering for sin.”
God
certifies those who believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood in
their hearts. God makes them His children. Those who believe in the
baptism of Jesus and His blood are redeemed through the righteous love
of Jesus.
Whoever
God sent speaks the words of God, but those who are of the earth, who
have not been sent by God, preach in accordance with their own thoughts.
There are many on this earth who preach the word of God, and those who
have been sent by God speak of the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
But
those who preach their own words are only expressing their own
thoughts. They say, “We are redeemed of original sin, but each has to
repent his daily sins.” They say we have to become sanctified gradually.
But
can a person be sanctified on his own? Can we become sanctified on the
strength of our own merits and through our own efforts? Are we
sanctified because God washed away all our sins, or because we tried to
achieve redemption on our own?
The
true faith is what sanctifies us. Can we make coal white by washing it a
thousand times? Can we make black skin white with lye? No amount of
soap or lye can wash away our sins, and our own righteousness is like a
dirty rag. Do we become righteous by believing in the baptism of Jesus
and His blood or by believing only in the blood on the Cross?
The
true faith comes out of the water of Jesus’ baptism and the blood on
the Cross. Salvation does not come as a result of our own efforts. Only
our faith in the baptism of Jesus and His blood frees us from sin and
makes us righteous.
The
Father has given all people into His Son’s hands, and those who believe
in Him shall have everlasting life. To believe in the Son means to
believe in redemption through His baptism and blood. Those who believe
shall have everlasting life as a child of God. Those who are saved live
on forever at the right hand of God.
Faith
in the baptism of Jesus and His oneness with God is also faith in the
Spirit. The word of truth allows us to be born again. We are saved by
believing in the baptism of Jesus and His blood.
Have
faith. To believe in the baptism of Jesus and His blood is to earn
redemption. Have faith in the true gospel and obtain the forgiveness of
sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment