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Baptism is a ceremonial ordinance of divine origin which enables a believer to publicly declare his or her faith in YAHUSHUA the Messiah by being momentarily submerged in water. It is an initiating service which symbolizes:

• Spiritual cleansing
• The burial of the past life
• And a resurrection to the new

According to the Savior's instructions all new converts should be baptized. Therefore, those believers who discover that they have not been properly baptized (immersed) ought to take earnest steps to correct this.

It should be remembered here that though the immersion ceremony is purely symbolic, for there is no virtue in the water used, the service itself is nevertheless a very essential and dramatic declaration of faith in YAHUSHUA the Savior. For the truth is that the believer at this service not only declares his/her need for spiritual cleansing, but is also baptized into the Church and not necessarily into any denomination or sect. Indeed the new convert at his baptism "puts on Messiah." He/she becomes part of Messiah; that is, part of His body, the Church!

The baptism we are considering in this lesson is, of course, the ceremonial washing in water, otherwise called the BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE. At this baptism the baptizer is normally an elder, deacon or minister of the Church; and the medium is water. The real baptism, however, is the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. In that the baptizer is none other than the Messiah and the medium is not water but the Spirit of YaHuWaH. When baptized in the Holy Spirit the believer is not ceremonially cleansed by being immersed in water, but rather he/she is totally saturated and submerged by the Savior in the Spirit of YaHuWaH the living Elohim. He/she is, consequently, cleansed through and through to a degree of purity and power that extends well beyond our ability to properly describe. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the subject of Lesson 20.

1. It is the express command of YAHUSHUA the Messiah that every believer of the gospel be baptized. (Matthew 28:19-20)

    

2. And to set us a perfect example He was baptized Himself in the Jordan. (Mark 1:9-10, Matthew 3:13-17)

    

3. Baptism is vital to salvation. (Mark 16:16)

    

4. The main prerequisites for baptism is 1. repentance for disobeying the commandments of YaHuWaH and 2. faith in YAHUSHUA.

    

5. The leaders of the early Church obeyed the Master's command in Matthew 28:19-20 by baptizing all new converts.

    

6. Baptism by immersion was obviously the method they used. (John 3:23)

    

7. Water baptism is a type of burial and a rising again to walk in newness of life. It points to the real baptism, the baptism of the Holy Spirit. (1 Peter 3:20-21)