Mark 1 4-8
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:16
When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Many people fail to understand the importance of baptism. Many fail to understand what it even means. Even the disciples misunderstood when the told Jesus that they were able to drink his cup and take on the baptism that He was about to take on. They had no clue as to what they were saying. So it is today.
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance of sins. Mathew 3:11 points this out. The death of sin is signified by our baptism of water. We experience the washing away of our sins, so to speak with the water baptism. This is an obedience thing on our part. All new believers should come into this. Public profession of faith along with the obedient act of repentance is an easy first step of getting in line with God’s will. The sacrifices made in the tabernacle were all done in public forum in the outer court. The altar of sacrifice was there for all to see. There was also one other instrument in full public display – the brazen laver, where the priest would wash himself of the blood of the sacrifice. The sacrifice was an offering to God to cover over the sins. This sin offering was an act of obedience signifying the need to be cleansed of sins. Water was used to wash the effects of sin away. The same goes for our water baptism today. We ceremonially cleanse ourselves of the effects of sin through baptism right after we accept Jesus own blood sacrifice for ourselves.
But, baptism doesnt stop there. In fact, it just begins. As we see at Jesus own water baptism, an open Heaven was given to Jesus and He was baptized with the Holy Spirit. This same thing would happen in Acts as new believers came to Christ. The apostles would lay hands on them, and they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This baptism releases the gifts of God into the believer. It is free and available to all. Gifts like speaking in tongues are given and are offered as evidence of the baptism of the Spirit. This is also a key element to a believer’s maturing in Christ. The Holy Spirit is also illustrated in the tabernacle construct in the inner court and is signified by the candlestick. This is the first area of covering. No light comes except by way of the candlestick, which held seven candles. The believer gets new eyes to see the way when baptized by the Spirit. He sees new truth and gains insight into the deeper things of God that allow him to mature in his knowledge of God.
There is another water baptism. The baptism of living water. The Holy Spirit is often described at living water. It is this same water that smoothed over the stones that David used to kill Goliath. The water of the Spirit of God smooths over the rough edges of man. This takes time. But, it is this smoothing effect that brings a believer into a greater representation of Jesus. We are made more like Christ as the water pours over ourselves each day.
There is yet another baptism – that of fire. Like the smoothing effect of water to work out the rough edges, the baptism of fire removes the dross. This fire purifies the believer. It permanently removes the sin nature in an often violent way. This baptism brings a man to the end of himself. Often, people resist this baptism with great intensity. No one enjoys pain. This circumcision of the heart is never-ending. God will continue to refine us until the day we meet with him. However, the process becomes less violent as we learn to work with God and walk into the fire rather than resist Him. The desert experiences of life are often instruments used by God to bring about the baptism of fire. Great adversity is commonplace.
As one comes to know the goodness of God, he accepts his baptisms as good. Circumstances no longer define a man. Rather, it is his own intimacy with God that defines him. The more he knows the LORD, the more he joyfully walks through flood or furnace. Neither matters for the goodness of the LORD says that mourning may be for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. For our God is a consuming fire.
Bless God