Today,
reply is on baptism as a sacred practice (sacrament) within the
church; having authority to approve, assess (judge), and witness to
the sacred essence of ones own faith; and ministering the things from
GOD to oneself. Redemption and the removal of sin from the life are
only through blood and the atonement made by Jesus Christ as High
Priest. Neither washing with water nor fire may substitute. Sinners
can not accomplish the establishment of their own new life through
human self-will and finite willpower. As developing Christians they
receive a new life wherein they are dead to sin and have ongoing
fellowship with divinity and those who are godly. Even so, there are
those in the church who operate displaying ambition, covetousness,
exaggerated pride, self-sufficiency, and self-will along with desire
for unmerited authority and power. Properly understood, Christian
belief focuses on acts of divine prerogative and sovereign will
completed by divinity on behalf of created beings and living
creatures. Thus, there are multiple sacred works that appear within
the many communities of faith that are to be carried out and
witnessed by those who are anointed, consecrated, ordained, and
sanctified. Included are exorcism, healing, laying on of hands,
preaching, prophecy, sacred events (miracles), sacrifice, speaking in
tongues, teaching, and witness. It is written: Matthew 20: 20-28,
King James Version (KJV): 20 Then came to him the mother of
Zebedee’s
children with her sons, worshipping him,
and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What
wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit,
the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.
22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able
to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with
the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my
right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it
shall be given to them for
whom it is prepared of my Father. 24 And when the ten heard it,
they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25 But
Jesus called them unto him,
and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion
over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26
But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among
you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to
be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many. A fighter in the “Yahoo! Answers” public forum on
Spirituality and Religion who uses the ID “Dennis Sagt” (Level 7
with 41,282 points, a member since April 06, 2010) posted the
following:
Why
can't I baptize myself?
THE
GOLDEN ARROW: Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye
shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols,
will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new
spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart
out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will
put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and
ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36: 25-27,
King James Version, KJV)
THE
DOUBLE DAGGER: Offering Yourself To Christ? (12/27/2018); Baptism,
Rebirth, and Resurrection (09/18/2018); Believers Must Become “Ripe”
(09/02/2018); The Church Of Jesus (06/18/2018); Starting A New Life?
(11/21/2017); Caution! Work In Progress (10/19/2017); Becoming Joined
To GOD (10/13/2017); Baptism Pools For Rebirth? (07/19/2017)
“Dennis
Sagt”, baptism is not a matter of changing ones own lifestyle by
breaking bad habits, by pursuing self-improvement, or getting
attention through self-promotion. Among Christian believers, water
and fire baptism must be acknowledged and received as gifts provided
from divinity because multiple aspects of eternal purpose that may be
completed by GOD only are to be actualized and fulfilled. Sinners
who turn to GOD in repentance must undergo the death and burial of
their own inborn spirit, so to speak, and are to display a fresh
endowment of life essence (breath; spirit, word) imparted from
the makeup of GOD. Inseparable aspects of divinity should appear
that will operate as divine DNA, the seed of GOD. Those containing
divine seed are “born again,” must “grow up again,” and must
become mature/ripe for harvest by the Lord at his appearing.
Meanwhile, developing Christian believers are edified and nourished
through continuous works of rebirth, discovery, gradual growth,
unselfish service, sacred study, and suffering. While still living
on the earth, believers exist as sons and daughters of GOD, the
offspring of divinity, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, and the new
creation.
As
a fruit and product from the workings of active presence,
Christians are to provide a visible image of GOD (we say,
Christ-likeness) upon the earth. All are to manifest sacred
substance such as faith, forbearance, gratitude, holiness, humility,
joy, longsuffering, lovingkindness, oneness without sameness,
personhood, praise, righteousness, wisdom, and wrath against sin.
Consider again the following that uses language from the Bible:
1.
Romans 6: 3-6, King James Version (KJV): 3 Know ye not, that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his
death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death:
that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be
also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of
sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
2.
John 5: 28-29, KJV: 28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is
coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the
resurrection of damnation.
3.
John 3: 1-12, KJV: 1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named
Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night,
and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from
God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be
with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of
God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is
old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s
womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into 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
Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind
bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but
canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every
one that is born of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto
him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him,
Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and
testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I
have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye
believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
There
is far more that should be said, correctly examined, and spiritually
apprehended. (For example, 4. Romans 8: 5-9, KJV: 5 For
they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be
carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against
God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But ye are
not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his.) Even so, I trust this
fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
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