How it is...

How it is..., yes? no?

God is dealing with us in a way which we can understand. And it is a way we will understand if we are hungry enough for the understanding. If we were fish, like salmon, and God had made us in His image as fish, perhaps our baptism would be in air instead of water. But we are human. God has arranged all of His creation with us in mind. His Gospel is the same: a design of the creator, everything in it and of it is suited to us, the objects of His pleasure. Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

God could have had us to be baptized in olive oil. He could have had us to be baptized in large vats containing wheat grain. He chose water. I think he made water to suit our needs rather that making us to be baptized in water. (see Mark 2:23-28)

God was about one thing: redeeming us from the hand of Satan, from the kingdom of darkness and restoring us to His own fellowship. He was doing these things and He is the One I worship. If He had chosen olive oil, I would be the first one in the olive grove weeding everymorning. Just how hungry are we to know Him, to know His person(s), and then to know and understand His works?

If we are hungry He will teach us. It has been said the devil is in the details. I believe God is in the details too, He made the details. But if we do not acknowledge God, we will often and perhaps always fail to understand His details. Then the devil is able to wreak havoc with our understanding. Put God before everything. He wants it that way and promises success if you will put Him first.

Proverbs 3
1 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

4 So shalt thou find favour (GRACE) and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him (believe Him), and he shall direct thy paths.

7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12 For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the LORD shall be thy confidence (your FAITH), and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

Now what I'm going to say next might be considered off by some. So I'm going to give it a disclaimer as being the thoughts of a mere man, moi. I don't want you to think I say God authorized me to teach it as His word. For I believe the Way that God has ordained is perfect, and I can make a mistake. And in spite of what I will say I still believe in water baptism.

God is, reiterating, interested in restoring us to Himself for all eternity. He has arranged for us to be born out of a womans belly rather than a seed pod on a tree. Nonetheless, He has told us that He will bear us to heaven, {"rebear" "bear (born) again"}, and He will do this by His own hand. We cannot do it for ourselves. How shall He do it? By restoring our hearts with and by faith that He can! He really baptizes us by faith in Him .

Wether our beginnings in saving faith are accompanied by "water baptism", or by "Spirit baptism", or by "fire baptism"; there is one thing for sure, it is into Him and most importantly into His Name that we are baptized, immersed, dyed (in the wool). This is why I believe most people miss the importance of Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: He doesn't say to baptize them in the water of the Father, etc., He says the NAME. Immerse them in the Name. Get them to know the NAME of God.

That is why I think Paul did say:

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 1 Corinthians 1:17

If water were all that were needed He would have sent Paul out to baptize in water. But He sent Paul to preach. Why? Because without a preacher there is nothing known in which to have or place faith . The idea of faith itself is a weak idea without God who ordains it.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? Romans 10.

1 Corinthians 1:21
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Believe God, not the preaching. God does send the preacher, and God does give the preacher the message, therefore it is God who will be believed and God who will save through faith in Himself by His grace. The fact that He will do it by sending a preacher to preach His word is very necessary. Why? Because people must know God by His Name. God must send the saved preacher man of God to introduce Him.

It began with God, and for everyman it begins and ends by the hand of God: sending the preacher with the word of God, and the Name of God, IN the Name of God, and IN the Spirit of God. This is why the endless discussion of the means of grace will never settle it for man. There is only one "means". God's hand moves, and moves to save or to condemn a man on the basis of that man's faith, or lack of faith.

We all want to put the matter in a box we can be comfortable with. Why? So we can store it in the hall closet and just haul it out when "the occasion arises". But the occasion is now. Right now. Faith is a right now "thing", a very living faith in a very lively God. God's endless life is very powerful. And if we will make our faith a now thing, the power will flow. What power? Faith power. But if we store it up on the shelf, well, it just sits there and does nothing. There won't be any closets for faith in Heaven, you might as well take it off the shelf and learn to use it now.

2 Corinthians 6:2
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

So you ask (this is how I came to write this): "Were these people rebaptized?" I don't know. The question is wrong. The question is: "Did they put their faith on the shelf, or did they use it in every 'now' moment of their lives?" And guess what: I don't know if they did or did not !!! But I know that it is their faith that saved them in every "now" moment of their lives, if they kept it. Keep the faith baby.

Romans12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith .

Please don't wonder "if I slip away into unbelief will I lose my salvation?" Just don't go there. Believe ! Now ! If you feel your self slipping, unslip! You, if you are born again, have the power of God available.

John 15:7 But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted! (NLT)

As I said, I still "believe" in water baptism. That is I still acknowledge it as a "tool" God has in the "tool box" which He allows we should use. And it is a sacred tool. I consider it a sacrament with the Lord's Supper. But I also believe it is for the spiritually cognizant, those who understand the Source, Object and the Goal of the act of FAITH which water baptism must be. (The Lord's Supper too) Can one be baptized in ignorance and go on to be saved? I think so. Many infants thankfully have. But how? Only by going on to believe the God of their creation.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (NIV)
Hebrews 11:6
So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (NLT)

I hope those who read this know that in greek the New Testament words for faith and belief (and trust) are the same word.