Israel United in Christ does not practice water baptism. After reading this article you will understand why. According to Webster’s dictionary, the term Baptize is defined as: to be dipped under water; to purify; to cleanse; to sanctify as being baptized in the Spirit.
In today’s world, many Israelites are under the misconception that they still have to be dunked in water to be saved. Therefore, the question must be asked, what was the true meaning behind water baptism? Is it to be believed, that all it takes to receive salvation is a little water and the saying of the words, “I believe” and not the works of the Law in the faith of Christ?
John the Baptist’s water baptism symbolized the spiritual death of the disobedient-sinful person being dipped and he or she rises from the water a new creature repentant-keeping God’s commandments. But today all too often that same sinful person rises as a wet sinful person, nothing changes, except the frequent use of ‘God bless you’ and they attend church on Sundays more often.
Psalms 119:
v9– Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.” In order to “cleanse” your sinful ways and be baptized in Christ, repenting Israelites must take “heed” to the “word” of the Most High by keeping the Commandments of Christ, Read 1st John 2:3-4.
Jeremiah 2:
v22- For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.
The cleansing of the body with “nitre” or “soap” does not remove sin before the Most High. Therefore, it is the washing of the mind/spirit with the laws of Christ that will remove “iniquity.”
Jeremiah 4:
v14- O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
Jeremiah told Israel to wash their heart (mind) from wickedness! Only the law can wash the heart.
What’s In The Heart?
Christ explains what’s in our heart (the mind),…
Mark 7:
v21- For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
v22- Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
v23- All these evil things come from within and defile the man.”
Isaiah 1:
v16- Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;
So even Isaiah explains the Wash that makes us clean is putting away our evil doings.
How? Keep the Law!
I Peter 3:
v21- The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but The Answer Of A Good Conscience Toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
“Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,” meaning by sprinkling or dipping the body in water (water baptism).
Therefore, the only baptism that can “save us” is a “good conscience toward God,” which means the Israelites must keep the Commandments in Christ (spiritual baptism).
Ephesians 5:
v26- That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
The Most High will cleanses us from sin by the “law” which is in Christ, read John 1:1-4,14.
Again, only when an Israelite repents and keeps the Laws of Christ, will the Lord “sanctify” and “cleanse” them, and not by the dipping in water. This can also be proved in Psalms 19 and 1st Corinthians 10.
Psalms 19:
v7- The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The keeping of the “law” through Christ is the wisdom that converts the soul from sin. This is truly being born again/baptized.
1st Corinthians 10:
v1- Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
v2- And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
v3- And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
v4- And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
“And were all baptized unto Moses” meaning the Children of Israel were taught the Laws during the time of Moses after being delivered from the Egyptians. Likewise, today the Children of Israel shall be baptized/taught the laws in the faith of Christ.
Water Baptism symbolizes an Israelite cleansing their spirit (mind) from sin by prayer and by keeping the Commandments. In the same manner, as the body must be washed physically from dirt with soap and water, so must the mind be cleansed from sin with spiritual water by the Laws. Our minds are dirty with sin, adultery, hatred, lying, homosexuality, drunkenness etc. only the Laws can cleanse those sins, not water. The Israelites no longer have to be baptized in water as John the Baptist practiced, but must now be baptized with the commandments in the faith of Christ.
Matthew 3:
v11– I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He Shall Baptize You With The Holy Ghost, And With Fire.
John the Baptist did cleanse the Israelites from sin, by baptizing them in “water.” This act was symbolic since he was only preparing the way for Christ by teaching Israel to repent, whose baptism would be with the “Holy Ghost and fire,” which was fulfilled in Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:38.
St. John 3:
v30- He must increase, but I must decrease.
The ministry of Christ concerning repentance had to “increase,” whereas John‘s ministry of water baptism had to “decrease.”
St. John 4:
v1- When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John
v2- (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples)
This scripture clearly shows that Christ himself did not conduct water baptism but taught the scriptures that Israel may repent through Christ.
St. John 15:
v3– Now Ye Are Clean Through The Word which I have spoken unto you.” Christ taught that the baptism that made Israel “clean” was the keeping of the Commandments, which he had “spoken” to them.
St. John 17:
v17– Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” To “sanctify” means to cleanse from sin. The truth can be explained in Psalms 119:142.
Romans 6:
v3– “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were Baptized Into His Death?
v4- Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
The “baptism” of Christ is putting the old man to “death,” and then raising up the new man in Him,
Ephesians 4:
v23– And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
v24- And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”
This is how we ought to “walk in newness of life” as the keeper of the commandments and true worshippers in Christ.
Acts 3:
v19-Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.”
The Children of Israel must “repent” from their sins and be “converted” by applying the Laws in their daily lives, and not by being baptized with water. This is how their “sins may be blotted out” by the Most High.
Ezekiel 18:
v30- Therefore I Will Judge You, O house of Israel every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”
Finally, being baptized with water does not wash away the “transgressions” which are sins such as adultery, theft, fornication, and homosexuality, etc. Therefore, the Most High will “judge” every Israelite who refuses to “repent” from their sins, by keeping the Laws through Jesus Christ.
