Water Washes the outside of the Cup, but only the Holy Spirit can wash the inside, which is the heart of man. - Randall Nelsen
If water baptism is an essential component of Salvation then Grace becomes works and then it becomes dependent on an act of man in addition to the,"Redemptive work" that Jesus fully accomplished with the blood he shed on the cross. We must be baptized Jesus commands us to, but water baptism is not the same thing as the redemptive act of being born again through the baptism of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Jesus speaks of Spiritual rebirth, which is also the same as being born again. Being born again is a prerequisite for eternal salvation. Water baptism is very important and we should do it as he commands us to. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matt 28:18-20
The required Baptism for salvation is of the Spirit. This is also the new birth that Jesus spoke of. It is the only baptism that can bring about salvation because it is the one where God himself, his Spirit, indwells our eternal soul. It is the reception of a New Spirit which brings forth a New Spiritual Birth. This New birth is what Jesus called being born again. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a form of Spiritual rebirth. A person is reborn and "Spiritually Awakened" the exact moment you accept him as your personal Lord and Savior. Being
filled with the spirit is what Jesus spoke of in the book of Acts
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:4-8 NKJV
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is different than being born again. Being filled has to do with being daily equipped to do his work on earth. Being filled is a present tense process which we must repeat Daily. A person who is thirsty must refill their cup, likewise we are the cup that needs constant Spiritual replenishment. I want to clarify a very important point. I'm not saying you shouldn't be baptized in water. The Lord clearly instructs us to because it symbolizes our death and rebirth in Jesus Christ. Remember this simple fact. It doesn't matter what method of immersion you use, water baptism will never wash away your sins. The shed blood of Jesus Christ is the only liquid that can produce the eternal Salvation of a mans soul. The Blood that he shed, he shed for all mankind; but it only saves those who are born again of the Holy Spirit. Whosoever truly receives him in their hearts as Lord and Savior will be saved. Remember belief alone is not enough, even Satan believes in Christ and fears him. You must have a True Living Faith which acknowledges what he did for you on the cross, and then you must sincerely ask him to be your Lord and Savior. We should always carry a memorial written on the tablets of our heart reminding ourselves of what Jesus did for us on the cross. God takes Sin very seriously it is because of sin that we must become spiritually reborn. The only reason that Jesus suffered and died on the cross was to make an atonement for our sins,once and forever. He did this once for all time, for all sins, to bring forth life from death for all who receive him. Jesus did not die because of his sin, he was the only man whoever lived without comitting a single sin. He died because all have sinned, and the price of sin is death. The price of sin is death, so he paid the price with his life. Repentance is how we should respond spiritually as believers to the known sins in our life. This is very important, especially considering the Great Price that he paid to cleanse us of them all. Repentance means that we must turn away from known sin. This includes all sins that the Bible speaks of. Even things we might consider insignificant are important to God; all of the thoughts and attitude of our Heart.
The New Birth
John 3:1-9 NKJV
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
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