Instruction About Baptisms

Wash Me Clean

There is the work of repentance where we surrender everything to the Lord. It is the space in which we bring the heaviness that of the things which are considered dead and give them to the Lord. We turn from those things and move away from those things.

There is the work of turning our faith toward God. In this we are activating our faith which prompts us to action.

The next is there is are baptisms that must occur in our walk of maturity.

In times past the work involves literal bathings in water that would wash the priest from their sin. There were waiting periods where even after the washing the priest could not be a part of the congregation. Such as if they came into contact with a dead body.

The work of baptisms is an active change that will happen with the believer. Each is washing away a part of the believer and breathing new deeper dimension into the believer.

Baptisms are an essential part of our Maturity in our Relationship with God

Psalm 51:7 ESV

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Baptisms lead to the something within dying and being renewed

David presents the washings that will be needed long before we see them in the NT

Psalm 51 will give us greater understanding of what those Baptisms are

There will four baptisms we can see in Scripture but each are dependent on our response to the Lord’s prompting.

Two main baptisms are spoken but in these are the added washings.

If we are to grow into maturity in the Lord it is essential to experience each of these baptisms.

Baptism of Water

Exchange with Nicodemus and Jesus tell us none can enter the kingdom of Heaven unless baptised in water and of the Spirit.

Psalm 51:1–5 ESV

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

The first baptism is Water baptism

This baptism acknowledges:

Our sinful nature

from birth

resulting from our parents sin

points back to Adam

We have sinned Against God

Only God can blot out our transgression

The death of our old Nature and dependency on God is revealed

Rom 6:1-2 continue sinning for grace to abound?

v.3 Baptized into Christ’s death

v.4 Newness of Life

This baptism focuses on who we once were, but there is another that will transform us into who we are to be.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit

Indwelling of the the Holy Spirit

Having Been baptized into Jesus the next are a result of Jesus

Luke 3:16 tells us that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit and Fire

Psalm 51:10–12 ESV

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

We are sealed in to the Body by the Holy Spirit

His presence becomes accessible to us

Restore and Uphold

His Spirit transforms

we do not need to beat people into submission

His Spirit brings us into His Presence

Joy is restored

His presence brings strength and courage.

Advancing in our maturity we go from dying to the old self and being born into the new.

Being sealed into the body because of the Holy Spirit which brings transformation, restoration, and strength to persevere.

Baptism by the Holy Spirit

Infilling of the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 ESV

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Advances us into the work of the will of God.

Presses us into Ministry

Psalm 51:13–15 ESV

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.

The transformative work draws us to serving the living God

We move from “I have to” to a posture of “I get to”

His power moves mightly through.

Baptism of Fire

Psalm 51:8 ESV

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.

Season of pressing testing and being refined

1 Cor 3:12-14 speaks to the nature of this type of baptism

you will build a foundation

what you build will become manifest

fire will sort out or sift out what each one has done

what remains yields a reward… your ministry is revealed

Matthew 4:1–2 ESV

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Jesus was baptized in water and immediately taken by the Holy Spirit to be tempted

Satan did not tempt Him in the fullness. He did it in the tiredness in the hunger

Yes even Jesus exemplifies what it means to be baptized by fire.

Water Baptism-brings death to the old me. Brings life into the Body of Christ.

Baptism of the Holy Spirit- seals us into the Body and causes radical transformations to occur

Baptism by the Holy Spirit- brings an end to our will and brings to life God’s will in us

Baptism of Fire- brought to by the Holy Spirit. causes what does not belong to fall away, our faith is refined.

David asks to be cleansed with Hyssop… this was an internal cleansing and transformation

that Hyssop for us is the blood of Christ which washes us clean, having been cleansed, the Holy Spirit causes the transformations and needed changes to live for Him.