Water Baptism and the New Birth

Today I would like to share a revelation of truth which the Lord let me see many years ago, that is desperately needed in the body of Christ today. It has to do with the new birth experience that Jesus suffered, died, and rose again to establish; and also how the idolatry of water baptism has suffocated this truth out of the spirits and minds of God's people. "And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year. And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha: and when the man was let down, and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood up on his feet" (II Kin. 13:20,21). I remember this eye opening experience like it was just a few hours ago, and actually it was probably thirty years ago when I first read this passage. As soon as I read this, a scripture just jumped into my mind and spirit, and it was this: "Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation [power] of God, who hath raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:12). The dead man who was "buried" with Elisha's bones was literally raised from the dead by the power of God that was still present with the great prophet's remains. And that was a perfect type of someone being "buried with [Christ] in baptism," and of being "also... risen with him" BY MEANS OF the POWER of God, as Colossians 2:12 clearly states. My dear friend, NOBODY is quickened by the power of God by means of water baptism. Jesus said that we would "receive POWER after the HOLY GHOST is come upon [us]" (Acts 1:8). And he said that immediately after telling his disciples, "For John truly baptized with water; but ye SHALL BE baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). It is the baptism of the holy Ghost with the heavenly sign of speaking with other tongues that buries us in Christ, and also that quickens us from all trespasses and sins, which is to say "raises us" (Eph. 2:1). The same apostle Paul said the exact same thing to the Romans in just a little bit different words: "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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" (Rom. 6:3,4). And again, NOBODY receives "newness of life" by means of water baptism. But rather the scripture says clearly, "Therefore if any man be IN CHRIST, he is a NEW creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become NEW" (II Cor. 5:17). So the measuring stick on whether anyone has "newness of life" or not, is whether they are "in Christ" or not. So the question becomes, how do we get INTO CHRIST? "For BY ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into one body [of Christ], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4). Yes, it is by BAPTISM that anyone gets into Christ, and this vastly overlooked scripture leaves no room for argument as to what baptism does the job.

You see, true, literal faith in Jesus and what he's done for us, results in truly and literally being "buried with him in baptism," as well as being truly and literally being "risen with him through the faith of the [power] of God," just like the scripture says (Jn. 7:38,39; Acts 5:32). The apostle Paul also said regarding the matter; "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have PUT ON Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Once again he is speaking of LITERAL things here. Jesus Christ is NOT WATER! But the scripture does tell us, "Now the Lord is THAT SPIRIT" (II Cor. 3:17). So we really and truly "put on Christ" by baptism because it is the SPIRIT BAPTISM that puts us INTO CHRIST [and he into us], LITERALLY! The observance and practice of water baptism in the body of Christ, meaning those who HAVE been baptized with THE SPIRIT, has just wreaked havoc on the faith of God's people by means of mass confusion [Who do you suppose is the author of that?]. It has totally erased the knowledge of what the new birth actually is, and therefore nobody even truly knows who is a brother or sister. There is no other new birth experience in the Bible beside the baptism of the Spirit, and there was no other point to the ministry, suffering, death, resurrection, and heavenly priesthood of Christ other that the SPIRIT baptism! (Mk. 1:7,8; Acts 1:4,5; Acts 2:4; Acts 2:33; I Cor. 6:11; I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:5). Go ahead, check the references and do the math. It's simple math my friend, I assure you of that. The fact is that those who have this overly religious reverence for Acts 2:38, are not even reverencing the part about receiving the holy Ghost. It's all about water baptism, and that reverence is just plainly an abomination to God. Jesus DID NOT die and rise again in order to implement water baptism. It was already there, and if it had anything to do with truly taking away sin and making someone truly right with God, he would NOT HAVE HAD TO SUFFER AND DIE! Hear the scriptures: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2:21). You don't think water baptism was a "work of the law?" Then do the math on these two references (Mat. 3:15; Mat. 5:17). Water baptism had its time and place my friend, just as all the law did; and that time and place was to lead Israel to faith in Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:24). And as that referenced scripture goes on to explain, there was no more reason to continue in the works of the law after Christ was manifested and completed his mission (Gal. 3:25). And just after THAT referenced scripture it is plainly explained that "[we] are all the children of God BY FAITH in Christ Jesus [NOT by ceremonial works]" (Gal. 3:26). And just exactly HOW are we made the children of God by faith in Jesus? Well, he goes on to explain THAT in the NEXT verse: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Oh yeah, I think we've already been there and done that previously, haven't we? Yes we have, and the only SCRIPTURAL conclusion is, that like the dead man was REALLY raised from the dead by the power of God as a result of being buried with the bones of Elisha, so a TRUE believer in Jesus is TRULY washed and cleansed from sin by the baptism of the power of the Spirit of God, and thereby given TRUE "newness of life." We need to throw the dead works off of the ship my friend, lest we sink it by our over much religious reverence for those dead works [which reverence ministers nothing but spiritual confusion and death], and we fail to reach safe harbor (Rom. 2:28; II Cor. 3:6; Gal. 5:4; Heb. 8:13). And that should be at the very top of the priority list of New Year's resolutions for every child of God that wants to be more real with God this year than they were last year. God bless.