Baptism. Spiritual Power-Tool #2

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"And now why are you waiting?

Arise and be baptized,

and wash away your sins,

calling on the 'name' of the Lord."

- Acts 22:16

Baptism is an initiation Rite, required for conversion to the faith (Mar.16:16; Act.8:36-39). The - real - Believers of Yahshua are a royal priesthood (2Pet.2:9), and the Christian baptism continues the Hebrew custom officially beginning with the immersion of the Tabernacle priests in the time of Moses (Exo.29:4). To cleanse before presenting oneself to a Holy service was a common Hebrew custom first given in Genesis 35:1-3. It means purification is accomplished by washing with water by a full body immersion.

YAHWEH demonstrated baptism of “called out ones” very dramatically with Moses. To escape death, YAHWEH parted the Red Sea for Moses and his people to escape through. When the people reached the other side of the sea, they were soaking wet from the watery mist they had just hiked through. The symbolism teaches that YAHWEH washed and cleansed them before they received HIS Laws (1Cor.10:1-2).

The baptismal instructions of the CREATOR are outlined by Isaiah 1:16-17, and it breaks down into three steps: Repentance - admit to and then stop doing evil. Baptism - the cleansing. Live a converted life - learn to do well.

During Temple worship, pilgrims journeying a long way would have become ritually impure (not sinful). Before they went to worship, they would have to immerse themselves in one of the hundreds of dugouts around the Temple. They were about 10 feet long by 3 feet wide, and were called mikvahs (the ritual baths). During their immersion a Holy man recited prayers over them. The faithful would wash themselves to be clean and refreshed before showing their respects to YAHWEH, but full immersion also meant to become inwardly pure. The Dead Sea salts were probably added to keep the bath waters fresh.

Today the church’s baptismal fonts are filled with plain water, but in the early Christian era the baptismal font would be filled with “mothers water,” which is a heavy magnesium-laden salt water. It was thought to insure the health of the child. (“Mothers water” or some call it “mothers liquor” has tremendous health benefit for healing the young and the old. Click for more info. on salt.)

Our English word baptism comes from the Greek word baptizo, meaning “to whelm or plunge under liquid.” John the Baptist was a colorful, New Testament figure, who first began publicly baptizing people who would pledge to begin righteous new life in the expectation for the soon coming Messianic Kingdom of YAHWEH. Pouring or sprinkling water on people is not recognized in the Bible, only full body immersion will symbolically wash away sin.

John the Baptist, baptized Yahshua, as an example to all, “. . . He came up out of the water . . .,” and His lead is followed when His church - both men and women - are baptized as He was (Mat.3:16; Mar.1:10). It is through baptism that we publicly proclaim that we are members of the Covenant.

Technically speaking: Believers are baptized into the faith of righteousness to be spiritually saved (Act.2:38). The Messiah commanded baptism of the messianic faithful in three Sacred Names: the FATHER - YAHWEH, the Son - Yahshua, and the Holy Spirit - Ruach HaKodesh (Mat.28:19). Acts 4:12 clearly states, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The Apostles did it (Act.8:16, 10:48, 19:5, 22:16), and so should His church today. (If one does not yet know the Messiah, then just be baptized in the Name of our FATHER and HIS Holy Spirit.)

This brings us to one of those moments of truths in religion. Just try to find a priest who would baptize you in the simple righteous, Biblical faith, using the Sacred Names. Most just want to baptize you into their religion. One must remember, when the Messianic Church was born in Act.ch2, the Holy Sprit was not conjured up and distributed by the Apostles, the power came directly from Heaven. The Apostle Paul clearly states he is only a man, (Act.10:26). All the glory goes to the FATHER (John 14:12-15).

As always it is the purity of the heart that is most important. Many might be surprised to discover that some have even received the power of the Holy Spirit before they were baptized - our CREATOR obviously can see the heart (Act.10:9-48).

When to baptize has always been a fervent topic of debate in many churches. Today some churches baptize children shortly after birth, some baptize at 10-12 years old, some wait until the candidate is closer to adulthood. In Judaism, only Jewish boys at age 13 submit to a ceremony called “Bar-Mitzvah,” meaning a son of the Covenant. Yahshua was baptized at apx. twenty-eight years old, I believe He chose that time for a public baptism as the symbolic start of His public ministry. Some Christians priests say He was thirty years old and copied this example when starting their own ministries.

The Bible clearly states that there is a minimum age when our CREATOR no longer considers us children, but as mature adults and accountable for their actions - that age is twenty years old. The best example given is after Moses delivered the Hebrew people from their bondage in Egypt, they slipped into idol worship, it was those “. . . from twenty years old and upward . . .” which YAHWEH held accountable (Num.14:29). And when becoming a man, put childish things aside (1Cor.13:11).

Divisions by age are given in Leviticus 27:1-8: the people were divided into four age groups, from a month until 5 years; 5 to 20 years; from 20 to 60 years; and 60 and above. Other examples are, census counts for military service begin counting people at 20 years of age (Num.1:3); and the Temple tax, “. . . from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord,” Exodus 30:14.

HEALTH BENEFIT: It has been said, “cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Although the quote is not Biblical, the principle is correct. Life is a gift, and humanity is admonished to take good care of themselves. If one is a Believer then there is an extra responsibility because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.6:19-20).

Our CREATOR knows that many of the people’s illnesses are due to their own “less then meticulous” domestic habits - or simply put, they live in filth. The Biblical Laws of cleanliness, washing, and purification, were not merely customs or rituals for the high Holy Days. They protected the ancient Israelites from the dangers of contagious diseases and deadly plagues. Today’s modern principles of sanitation, cleanliness and personal hygiene come from these Biblical lessons given to Moses - it’s good GOD-given common sense (Lev.ch.13-15).

YAHWEH believes in the motto, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” HE cares about our good health. HE knows the dark side promotes disease to kill off HIS creation prematurely. To counter this, in all HIS spiritual exercises HE designed a side benefit of promoting good health.

All things being equal (good food, clean air and water, proper sanitation), the Scriptures paint a picture of a human life span of apx. 120 years. “To prolong our days” we should all take the advice of our CREATOR, after all HE designed us, and you ain’t gonna get there by takin’ a pill.

It is a proven fact, Bible readers use less commercial health care!

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,

baptizing them

in the name of the Father and of the Son,