The first chapter of the Bible book of Genesis tells of God's creative six day work. A number of times in the chapter it says that God saw, looked at, His work and pronounced it "good." His work pleased Him and He ceased His creative work on the seventh day.
The second chapter tells of God creating man "in His image." (Genesis 1:26) In Genesis 2:7 it says that God "formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." John 4:24 tells us God is Spirit. As a spirit God is not bound by space and time. He has no lungs or no need to breathe, so what did He "breathe" into man to make him a living being? God put an "image," a part of His spirit into man.
God has no beginning or no end, He always was and will always be. The Bible says He is everlasting, no part of God will ever die. (Genesis 21:33, Psalm 41:13, and others) Now if God will never die and we contain a part, or image of God, then that part of us that is in His image will never die.
We are created to always exist. There will never come a time when we will not exist in a spiritual form. God originally created man to be in His image and to be with Him forever. The Garden Of Eden was created as a place where man and God could be together forever. We read in Genesis three that God "walked," or moved, through the Garden. Man and God were in the Garden together.
The third chapter of Genesis tells how Satan came into The Garden Of Eden and was able to introduce sin between God and man. Sin is any action we do against God that makes God less than what He is, it is also any action we do against His creation makes His creation less than what He created it or any action we do against ourselves that makes us less than how we were created.
There are many passages in scripture that tell us God is totally righteous. He does not sin. Sin is totally against His nature. He does not do things against Himself. He does not make His creation less than what He created.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. (Isaiah 59:2 NKJV)
Satan separated Eve from God by coming into the Garden and convincing her to eat of the fruit from the Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil in direct disobedience to God . Then as soon as she ate she then went to Adam "and he ate." Now both were separated from God.
We see this separation from beginning in Genesis 3:8. God comes in the Garden and they hide from Him. Sin is in the world and causes mankind to be separated from God. They can no longer share the Garden with God and God expels them from a place where everything was freely available to a place where they had to toil and work hard for everything they needed.
Once sin gets a toehold it grows and grows and grows.
By Genesis 6 we read it had grown to the point that God was sorry He had created man.
6 Now it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.” 4 There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:1-7 NKJV)
Genesis 6:8 begins the story of Noah and the Ark. Noah and his family were the only God fearing people on earth. Mankind had become so sinful they were completely corrupt. God has decided to purify the earth by removing sinful man from it and tells Noah to build an Ark according to His word.
When the Ark is built and stocked as God commanded He tells Noah go in. God then shuts the door and the rains begin and mankind is destroyed save Noah and his family. The earth is purified. Evil, violent mankind has been removed.
The earth has been purified by actual water.
God could have purified the earth any number of ways. He could have saved Noah a lot of work by having whatever method of destruction He used spare Noah and his family. He could have simply struck everyone dead but Noah and his family.
But He used actual water. He used actual water in a way actual water behaves - torrential rain resulting in torrential flooding. He saved Noah and his family in a natural flood escape - an Ark.
5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 “Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. (Numbers 8:5-6 NKJV)
Here Moses is told by God to use actual water for purification. Note (1.) this is not a physical cleansing, it's a ceremonial or spiritual cleansing and (2.) someone else was to put the water on them.
Then a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and store them outside the camp in a clean place; and they shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for the water of purification; it is for purifying from sin. (Numbers 19:9 NKJV)
Actual water for spiritual purification.
Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the Lord. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him. (Numbers 19:13 NKJV)
Again, we have actual water for spiritual purification.
‘But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from among the assembly, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. The water of purification has not been sprinkled on him; he is unclean. (Numbers 19:20 NKJV)
Yet again, we have actual water for spiritual purification.
In John 3:5 Jesus tells Nicodemus that unless one is born of actual water and the Spirit he cannot see the kingdom of God. One must be born again. One has to start over from an actual water involved Spirit purified state.
Many say the "water" mentioned in John 3:5 by Jesus is not actual water. They insist it is the amniotic fluid in the womb Jesus is talking about. The word found in the original manuscripts translated water in John 3 is the same word translated as actual water every place else it is used in New Testament scripture. In John 3:23 the Word says John the Baptist "was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there." Being consistent shouldn't we read that use of the word "water" in that passage to mean John "was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much amniotic fluid there"?
Continuing on in John 3:25 we read where John's disciples were disputing with the Jews over the matter of purification and they tell John that Jesus is baptizing all who come to him.
What does baptizing have to do with purification?
First of all it involves actual water. This is why John was "baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there." Secondly, the Bible says John was preaching a "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." If you have "remission of sins" you have a spiritual purification.
John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. (Mark 1:4 NKJV)
And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, (Luke 3:3 NKJV)
John's baptism, before Christ's death on the cross, was a saving, redeeming, purifying baptism. John's baptism pointed to Christ.
Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” (Acts 19:4 NKJV)
Once again, God uses actual water for a spiritual purifying.
After his resurrection from his death on the cross Jesus appeared to his disciples and gave them what has become known as "The Great Commission"...
15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:15-16 NKJV)
In Acts 2, not many days after, the Holy Spirit comes upon the 12 and the whole town knows about it.
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? (Acts 2:5-8 NKJV)
The multitude drawn by the unusual disturbance assumes the disciples are drunk and Peter stands up and begins to speak...
Peter tells them how Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah, they and their fathers and their fathers's fathers before them had deeply longed for for so many years. For generations the Jews had yearned for the coming of the Christ. It was what the Jews lived for. Their days were taken up looking for the Messiah to come and return Israel to glory. Old Testament scripture prophesied of him in practically every passage. They were extremely familiar with the eagerly awaited Messiah.
Then Peter drops the hydrogen bomb right at their feet. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:36 NKJV)
The Bible says in the next verse, Acts 2:37, that when they heard that they were "cut to the heart." You can't get cut any deeper than that. They were cut to their very core. Imagine realizing you had done the worst thing you could possibly do! They had taken the very thing that made up their existence and the existence of their family and ancestors and unknowingly destroyed it! Talk about being cut to the heart!
They were convicted of their sin, to use a common expression, and desperate for any relief. Acts 2:37 tells us they sought relief from "Peter and the rest," all twelve of the apostles, every one of them.
Acts 2:38 Peter gives them the answer, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When we read through we see in Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." You cannot be saved unless your sins have been remitted.
Baptism (water) for the remission of sins (purification). Once again, God has used actual water for a spiritual cleansing or purification.
7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 NKJV)
This passage plainly says God will take vengeance "on those who do not obey the "gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."
What is the "gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ?"
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 NKJV)
The Gospel is the "death, burial and resurrection of Christ according to the scriptures." The term, "according to the Scriptures," was so important Paul repeats it twice.
Now, if 2 Thessalonians 1:8 says God will take vengeance on those who do not obey the "gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ," how does one obey the death, burial and resurrection of Christ to avoid the vengeance of God?
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. (Romans 6:3-9 NKJV)
See the death, burial and resurrection of Christ in the passage?
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1 NKJV)
If one's sins have been remitted there is no longer any condemnation for those sins. In Romans 8:1 Paul declares that based on what he has written before in the letter (therefore) there is no condemnation to those who (1.) are in Christ Jesus and (2.) walk according to the Spirit's direction and guidance. No condemnation means spiritually purified.
How does one get "in Christ?"
Baptism puts us in Christ. Romans 6:3, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"
Romans 6:4 is also the answer to Nicodemus' question in John 3:4, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” "Newness of life" is "born again."
Now we come right back to Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." Actual water for a spiritual purification.
God has consistently used actual water for spiritual purification.
And then there is...
There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 3:21 NKJV)
Actual water for a spiritual, not physical, cleansing.
Friends, Jesus says baptism is essential to remission of sins and is the beginning of a new life in Christ. And the Bible shows us baptism is essential to remission of sins and is the beginning of a new life in Christ.
- John 6:45, Romans 10:14-17 ~ Must hear the gospel
- I Corinthians 15:1-4 - Death, burial and resurrection of Christ
- Romans 10:17, John 8:24 - Must believe the gospel
- Luke 13:3 & 5, Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30 - Must repent, change your way of thinking toward sin
- Acts 8:37, Romans 10:9-10 - Must confess Christ
- Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16 and others - Must be baptized
- Revelation 2:10, I Corinthians 15:58, Romans 8:1 - Must be faithful
