Sue J Love
Loyal
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2015
- Messages
- 3,859
“The next day he *saw Jesus coming to him and *said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, “After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.” I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.’ John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.” I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.’” (John 1:29-34 NASB1995)
From before John the Baptist was born it was prophesied about him that he would be a voice of one crying (or calling out) in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” So he was called of God even before he was born to prepare the way of the Lord. And here he announced that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. For Jesus was the Christ that the Jews had long been awaiting. And he was the only begotten Son of God, and he is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist also mentioned that Jesus was a man who was a higher rank than himself, for he existed before him. But John the Baptist was born perhaps six months before Jesus was born, so he was not speaking of Jesus being older than him. He was speaking of the fact that Jesus existed before him because Jesus Christ always was, because he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was in the beginning with God, he is God, and he is our creator God, the one who made us.
[John 1:1-36; John 8:24,58; John 10:30-33; John 20:28-29; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 1:1]
Jesus Christ is also the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world because he came to this earth and was born as a baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and for the full intention that one day he would be put to death on a cross, and that in his death he would put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, we might die with him to sin and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living. For this is what it means to have faith in him, a faith which is gifted to us by God.
So, what does it mean that Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit, whereas John the Baptist was sent to baptize in water? We read in Ephesians 4:4-6 about one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, etc.
And regarding this ONE BAPTISM, I am finding that there are varied opinions on this subject, and that most seem to favor water baptism as the one baptism, but there is a problem with that theory. For many people are baptized with water in the name of Jesus Christ who have never been reborn of the Spirit of God and who do not know God because they do not obey him, but they have continued in their sins. They are just going through a religious ritual. And then there are the cases when people were saved and filled with the Spirit prior to water baptism (Acts 10:44-48).
And then we have John the Baptist’s words when he stated: “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 10:11-12) So, the indication here is that the baptism that we receive from Christ is not of water, but of the Spirit, in death to sin and living to righteousness.
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:3-7).
So, this is a spiritual baptism. And this can take place apart from water baptism, as well as water baptism is no indication that this spiritual baptism has ever taken place at all. So, I believe that our water baptism is more of an outward sign of an inward faith which has already taken place, and that this baptism into death (Romans 6) is of the Spirit of God, so this is also the baptism of the Spirit, since there is only ONE BAPTISM. And the only baptism that can literally bring about death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness is the one done of the Spirit and not of water. See:
[Matt 3:13-17; Matt 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mk 10:37-39; Ac 9:15-18; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 18:7-8; Acts 22:12-16; Rom 6:1-7]
So, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin and now we walk with him in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit.
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
By The Spirit
An Original Work / May 15, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
From before John the Baptist was born it was prophesied about him that he would be a voice of one crying (or calling out) in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” So he was called of God even before he was born to prepare the way of the Lord. And here he announced that Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. For Jesus was the Christ that the Jews had long been awaiting. And he was the only begotten Son of God, and he is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
John the Baptist also mentioned that Jesus was a man who was a higher rank than himself, for he existed before him. But John the Baptist was born perhaps six months before Jesus was born, so he was not speaking of Jesus being older than him. He was speaking of the fact that Jesus existed before him because Jesus Christ always was, because he is God, the second person of our triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He was in the beginning with God, he is God, and he is our creator God, the one who made us.
[John 1:1-36; John 8:24,58; John 10:30-33; John 20:28-29; Romans 9:5; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Peter 1:1]
Jesus Christ is also the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world because he came to this earth and was born as a baby to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and for the full intention that one day he would be put to death on a cross, and that in his death he would put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus, we might die with him to sin and walk in obedience to his commands in holy living. For this is what it means to have faith in him, a faith which is gifted to us by God.
So, what does it mean that Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit, whereas John the Baptist was sent to baptize in water? We read in Ephesians 4:4-6 about one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, etc.
And regarding this ONE BAPTISM, I am finding that there are varied opinions on this subject, and that most seem to favor water baptism as the one baptism, but there is a problem with that theory. For many people are baptized with water in the name of Jesus Christ who have never been reborn of the Spirit of God and who do not know God because they do not obey him, but they have continued in their sins. They are just going through a religious ritual. And then there are the cases when people were saved and filled with the Spirit prior to water baptism (Acts 10:44-48).
And then we have John the Baptist’s words when he stated: “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 10:11-12) So, the indication here is that the baptism that we receive from Christ is not of water, but of the Spirit, in death to sin and living to righteousness.
“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:3-7).
So, this is a spiritual baptism. And this can take place apart from water baptism, as well as water baptism is no indication that this spiritual baptism has ever taken place at all. So, I believe that our water baptism is more of an outward sign of an inward faith which has already taken place, and that this baptism into death (Romans 6) is of the Spirit of God, so this is also the baptism of the Spirit, since there is only ONE BAPTISM. And the only baptism that can literally bring about death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness is the one done of the Spirit and not of water. See:
[Matt 3:13-17; Matt 10:11-12; John 1:29-34; Mk 10:37-39; Ac 9:15-18; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 18:7-8; Acts 22:12-16; Rom 6:1-7]
So, by God-persuaded faith in Jesus Christ we die with Christ to sin and now we walk with him in obedience to his commands, by the Spirit.
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
Caution: This link may contain ads
By The Spirit
An Original Work / May 15, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
