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HOW TO BE BORN OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT

Filed Under: Baptism, Commandments, God's Love, Hell and Eternal Damnation, Holiness, Hope, Power, Prayer, Religion, Salvation, Truth of God's Word by Lynne — 4 Comments

05/10/2013

The Council of Nicea

In 306 AD, the fourth century, Constantine became the first Christian leader of the Roman Empire. At the time, there were all sorts of religions and beliefs circulating throughout the land. This, naturally, caused great controversies among those in this vast territory. One, in particular, I am sure caused Emperor Constantine many sleepless nights. It revolved around Jesus Christ.

Not everyone agreed that Jesus was divine. So, in an effort to quell the arguments, Constantine invited bishops from throughout the empire to his vacation home in the Turkish town of Nicea.

This gathering later became known as the Arian Controversy and was the first worldwide gathering of the Church. They met on June 19, 325 AD.

The Nicene Creed developed there established the basis for Christian ideology.

According to http://www.gotquestions.org/council-of-Nicea.html, “The Council of Nicea affirmed the deity of Jesus Christ and established an official definition of the Trinity—the deity of The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit under one Godhead, in three co-equal and co-eternal Persons.”

According to Heather Whipps, of www.livescience.com, these “bishops also used the Council of Nicea to set in stone some church rules that needed clarification, and those canons were the reference point after which all future laws were modeled.”

True Salvation

True salvation comes only when we believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died on the cross for our sins, and that He now sits at the right hand of our Father in Heaven. We must also make a public confession with our mouths of this belief. It is a two-step process. First, belief; second, confession to at least one other person. (Romans 10:9)

So, if you haven’t completed both steps of this process, folks, make sure that you do so your names will be written forever in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

When I pray for the salvation of others, I usually ask that their names also be written in that Book, to establish their true salvation in Christ.

Also, be sure to confess your sins to God and turn away – repent – of them. Ask Jesus to forgive your sins, and He will. It is His promise to us. But you must be sincere. There are conditions to being forgiven. Matthew 6:14-15 states: “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Water Baptism

Certain Scriptures designate that believers are to be baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ alone. (Acts 2:38) But such is not the case. In reality, believers are to be baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity of God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19)

It was through the Council of Nicea that the original true Christian form of baptism was established, based on the Truth of the Holy Bible.

Also, according to the example set to us by Jesus Christ Himself, the day He was baptized by John the Baptist, it is also clear that believers are NOT to be sprinkled but fully immersed in water when getting baptized. (See Matthew 3:16) In fact, the word baptism in the Greek language, baptizo, actually means to immerse or submerge (to make fully wet). It doesn’t mean ‘sprinkle’. This is one of the problems with the Catholic Church. Also, infant baptism is not Scriptural. Believers must reach the age of accountability, when it is established for a person to know right from wrong and make his or her own decision regarding his/her personal belief. Many believe that eight is the age of accountability, but there is no information available to substantiate this claim. Others believe it is 12 or 13, even 20. But again, such depends on the maturity of the person overall, when he or she can decide for him- or herself.

Considering much I have learned regarding Heaven and Hell, it seems there are no children in Hell. Which leads one to believe that all children who die young go to Heaven, where they can live out their childhoods in a wonderful way, with Jesus. Since babies are too young to know right from wrong, it only makes sense that they would go back to Heaven if they die early. So, baptizing them at all is pointless.

What many churches do is dedicate their babies or children to the Lord. Then, when they reach the age of accountability, they can get baptized by their own choice, by immersion. It is how my own children were baptized. And they were dedicated to the Lord as infants. This makes more sense than anything.

Baptism, by the way, is not the way to true salvation. It is merely a public showing of our belief, to the world, that we identify with Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. It is a sacrament, which is defined as “A religious ceremony or act of the Christian Church that is regarded as an outward and visible sign of divine grace, in particular.” (Google ‘sacrament definition’.) More importantly, baptism is a command for all believers, not just a personal choice.

Baptism Of The Holy Spirit

Once a person’s sins have been washed away by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Once a person has been forgiven and sincerely turns away from sin and wickedness and turns toward the true God of Heaven and gets baptized by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of God, there is one more gift God has for those who are His. It is for all believers, not just a select few. It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Being washed in the blood of Jesus is the qualifying factor.

Why are we given this special gift? Because, in John 14:16, it states that Jesus prayed for us. All of us. To receive the Holy Spirit.

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.”

The Comforter is the Holy Spirit of God. And we are promised His divine presence in our own hearts and spirits…forever, together with His divine power and authority.

According to the famous evangelist, Reinhard Bonnke, “our hearts are fireplaces for the Holy Spirit”, and “we are made for the fire of the Holy Spirit.” But it is only for all blood-washed Christians. Believers must be washed of their sins first before they receive that fire from Heaven.

So what is this exactly? Well, according to ww.cbn.com, “The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering for service that takes place in the life of the Christian (Acts 1:5,8). In it we are immersed in the Spirit’s life and power.”

Sometimes this baptism may occur at the moment you confess your faith in Jesus Christ. Other times, it may happen later, after you have been saved. People often have their own unique experience, and believe me, it is a wonderful feeling when this occurs. But in order to receive, you must fully submit to God’s authority over your life. Jesus will only respond to a totally yielded vessel, so keep this in mind. As the Borg on Star Trek would say, “Resistance is futile.” What would be the point anyways? Once you receive the Holy Spirit, you will know it, and you will relish the incredible feeling that comes over you. That is why it always boggles my mind when people say they do not believe in God. When baptized by fire, you will feel the incredible power of God fill you. There is nothing like it on this earth, I can assure you.

Now, to receive, you have only but to ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit, to baptize you. You also need to have faith in that God will give you what you ask for. You may, of course, have another born-again, Spirit-filled believer pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit as well. When the Spirit of God fills you, you will know it, so do not fear God will not answer your prayer for this baptism by fire, by His Spirit.

“Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” (Luke 11:9-10; Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)

“This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith?” (Galations 3:2 KJV)

It is always best to author your own words when speaking to God, especially for salvation, but if you are struggling with how to pray to receive the Holy Spirit, then the following prayer from www.cbn.com can help you, if you sincerely desire to receive the baptism of God’s Holy Spirit:

“Heavenly Father, at this moment, I come to you. I thank You that Jesus saved me. I pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon Me. Lord Jesus, baptize me now in the Holy Spirit. I receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your word. May the anointing, the glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now. May I be empowered for service from this day forward. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Sprit. Amen.”

The Fruits and Gifts of The Holy Spirit of God

Once a person has been saved, washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, baptized by water (by immersion), and prayed to receive and be baptized by fire for the receiving of the Holy Spirit of God, you may wonder what comes next. Actually, once the power of the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you may then find yourself with gifts that will help you in your walk with God. Not everyone has the same gifts. Some have the gift of tongues, the gift of healing, the gift of miracles, the gift of prophecy, or whatever. It is then you must determine what those gifts are.

The uniqueness of each believer’s gifts plays a major role in the Body of Christ. Each believer, as part of the Body, uses these gifts to further the Kingdom of God.

I will not lengthen this article by sharing more on this subject. I have posted several links below that go into great detail and explanation on the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, which you may peruse at your leisure. I merely want you to know that once you have the Spirit of the Living God within you, then He has blessed you with things that may surprise and amaze you. So please be sure to follow up on this topic.

Final Thoughts

In closing, I hope I have answered all of your questions regarding true salvation, baptism by water and of the Spirit. I suggest you find a salvation-preaching, Bible-based church to join or attend, if you haven’t found one already. If you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart as Lord and Savior, then make sure to get baptized by immersion, and pray for the Holy Spirit to come into your heart as well. The gifts will come, and you will be blessed beyond measure once you share your temple (your body) with the God of all creation, through His Spirit.

If you still have questions or just wish to express your joy at knowing God, feel free to write me at gideonsmessenger777@yahoo.com. And know also that God commands us to be holy, as He is holy. (1 Peter 1:16)

May the Lord bless you and guide you into all Truth and Righteousness.

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:” (Matt. 28:19).

(Please Note: The proper way to baptize in Jesus’ name is to say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” just before the person is fully immersed in water.)

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“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” ( Acts 2:38 KJV)

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“…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

“And these signs will follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

“They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:15-18 KJV)