FISH Ministry

BAPTISM DOOR AND GUARD OF THE SPIRIT ENDOWED CHURCH
(Requested by several)

Baptism in water of a professed believer in Christ Jesus as it was practiced in New Testament times and continues to today, began with one man: John the Baptist. He was sent from God to prepare a people for His only begotten Son. He baptized such as brought forth life-fruit appropriate to repentance. He knew no other method or practice than immersion or burial of a candidate in water. Consequently, the scriptures state that John was baptizing in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there. John 3:23.

John was austere, but most faithful to his calling. He refused to baptize the unrepentant. Realizing he alone had heaven’s authority to baptize, he must not violate its divine constraints. So it remained until the initiation of the public ministry of Jesus whom John baptized and announced to Israel. Upon the assimilation of the apostolic church, Jesus placed the authority for water baptism in the New Testament church. Presently, it alone has heaven’s authority to administer the ordinance as specifically stated in Matthew 28:18-30. Like John the Baptist, true churches must not violate its heaven-given restraints.

The importance of baptism is underscored in Luke 7:29-30, “And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.” Through the centuries, the Lord’s true churches though known by various names in sundry countries, one name identified them all: Anabaptist. They were, as true churches of their descendants are, adamant about the authority that makes a baptism valid.

Following the Divine order, disciples are made through repentance from sin and belief in Jesus as the only Savior. Baptism is then administered upon the authority of a New Testament church and by which the new convert is entered into the Holy Spirit endowed body, the baptizing church.

In recent times much has been done to erode faith in the Bible and in the work of the Lord’s churches, not the least of which is about baptism. False churches may sprinkle or pour and even admit infants to what they call baptism, but it is iniquity plain and simple. Still others, claiming to be scriptural and more conservative will not question a proposed member’s baptism as to method or administration. They may claim that so long as it is “Believers Baptism,” all is well. (Believer’s baptism is an idea that it does not matter who administers baptism on a believer). All is never well when man’s ideas supplant the Word of God. There is a bible word for that, too. It is called “Iniquity.”

The plain truth is folks who may be admitted to a scriptural church with invalid baptism are denied an understanding of the faith once delivered to the saints, and the unity of Jesus prayer in John 17. They will not stand in troublesome times. They cannot stand because they are in opposition to the counsel of God as much as the Pharisees were in Luke 7:30.

Let Satan’s counterfeits do as they may. It remains that heaven recognizes only the directions it has given. Far be it from any of us to assume editorial changes to the Holy Word.

AND THEY KNEW NOT. . .

“ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Matt. 24:38, 39.

The Divine description of life in the antediluvian world may cause one to ask, “Just what is wrong with what they were doing? It is not still just fine to eat, and to drink, and to marry and give in marriage?” It depends on what is understood by the statement. If those things were done in moderation, and in accord with the will of the Heavenly Father, then there was indeed no wrong done by those deeds. On the other hand if these were the driving forces of life, they speak of a sensual, epicurean society that did not eat to live, but lived to eat, drink, and gratify wanton lusts, the deciding clue comes from the rest of that description, “….And knew not until the flood came and took them all away…” This underscores the driving force of life then as sensual continuously. They had neither regard for God nor any sense of accountability to Him.

When people persist in debauchery, they exclude God from their thinking. Life then degenerates to the lowest level of “me only.” When that determination persists, God gives people over to a reprobate mind to do those things that and not convenient, but rotten, filthy, and without compassion. So, they continued on in a degenerate lifestyle which they must have thought would never end. And the flood came and took them all away, except the righteous man Noah and his family.

Jesus’ description of that time was given as a warning sign that the world would degenerate into that same condition as the time of His coming approached. Let the reader pause and read again the first chapter of the book of Romans. Certainly, this is a description of the dark side of civilization in Paul’s day. But that was nearly 2000 years ago. The kind of folks he described were the same kind as those before the flood. Moreover, this type of humanity has multiplied exponentially during the last two millenniums. On the American scene, at least, this has become considered normal and acceptable. It is not that warnings have escaped the scope of their knowledge; rather it is that they refuse to believe them and so discount them altogether.

What can be done? Keep sounding the alarm! This evil world system is going down, and all with it who love it. But there may be one here or there who will hear. Still, for the most part it shall be repeated, “And they knew not . . . “

So soon shall the Lord appear and the corrupters of men will cry for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them to hide them from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Rev. 6:16