Emesiere reward! Ìsoko promise! Let your words enlighten, instruct and uplift. Avoid quarrels and foolish discussions (Titus 3:9). Stay away from those who claim to know GOD, but deny him by the way they act and live (Titus 1:16). Beware of confusing division with separation, sanction with disempowerment, popularity with credibility. Let your light shine! Go forward, make progress! If they do not repent, those who fight you will fall. They will die of their own poison. You will be a blessing beyond your generation.
** Emesiere = Good morning in efik (Nigeria)
** Ìsoko = Good morning in Jibu (Nigeria)
❖ (Mark 16:15-16, Semeur): "And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the Good News to all men. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
❖ (Acts 11:47-48, Semeur): "Then Peter asked: Can we refuse to baptize in water those who have received the HOLY SPIRIT as well as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of JESUS CHRIST. Then they begged him to stay with them a few more days."
❖ (Acts 2:38-41, NKJV): 38 Then Peter said to them, “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. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41Then those whogladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
❖ (Matthieu 28: 18-20, NKJV) : 18 And JESUS came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority [exoucia, Strong n°1849, Greek] has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT, 20 teaching them to observe (to practice) all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Previously, we have seen what baptism in Judaism is , what the baptism of John the Baptist is, why JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist, baptism in CHRIST is, and what the Gospel or Good News is.
Baptism into CHRIST is for those who commit themselves to follow JESUS, to walk in his footsteps, to become disciples or to have a good conscience towards GOD. Baptism is for those who, after hearing the Gospel, believe, confess, repent and commit.
❖ (Romans 10: 9 -17, Segong 21) "9 If you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS, and believe in your heart that GOD raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing with the heart that one achieves righteousness, and it is by confessing with the mouth that one achieves salvation, 11 as the Scripture says: Whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Greek, since they all have the same LORD, who is rich for all who call on him. 13 For whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear of him, if there is no one to preach? 15 And how will there be preachers, if they are not sent? as it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach peace, of those who bring good news! 16 But not everyone obeyed the good news. Therefore Isaiah says: Lord, who has believed our preaching? 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes from the word (Rhema) of CHRIST. "
🙂 The first step is to wait for the Gospel (Romans 10:14, Romans 10:17).
You can't believe in what you don't know. A measure of knowledge is essential (information + understanding). Knowledge is acquired through a combination of reading, listening (audio Bible, preaching, teaching), study, testimony and personal experience. You've either seen it, lived it, read it, heard it or been taught it.
There's a difference between knowing something and being informed about something. Information answers the questions who, when, what and where. Information is a fact about someone or something. Knowledge answers the questions why and how. Knowledge explains causes and effects (consequences). It is information that can be understood and used. Knowledge enables decision-making. The Christian faith is based on truth, not assumption - something accepted as correct, but which cannot be proved or explained. That's why, in addition to information, we need understanding. I'm not saying you have to know and understand everything. But a minimum is necessary. A good foundation is indispensable.
🙂 The next steps are: believing (having faith) and confessing JESUS CHRIST as Savior and LORD. (Mark 16:16, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 2:4, Hebrews 4:12, Colossians 1:12-14, Revelation 12:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Faith is demonstrated in four main ways: confession, obedience, gratitude and endurance. Confession is the beginning. Baptism is for those who confess. Faith is the product of three factors: knowing, believing and trusting.
Knowledge comes first (acquired and/or experienced). Then you have to believe in what you know. Then comes trust and obedience. To believe is to consider as true and sincere, to attach a truth value, to admit it as a certainty, to be persuaded, convinced. To trust a person is to believe in the good disposition of his or her heart (intentions, feelings) and/or to trust in his or her abilities (character, ability, competence, resources, availability). Trust is built. So it grows. Likewise, faith, born and bred, must be preserved and strengthened. The condition for baptism is not mature faith, but sincere faith.
Faith comes from hearing the Word (rhema) of CHRIST (Romans 10:17). What we hear audibly or with intelligence and what we hear inwardly with revelation ⇒ the word supported by the inner witness of the HOLY SPIRIT. To have faith is to believe in GOD and trust GOD. Anyone wishing to be baptized must :
It's believing that GOD is GOD.
⇒ GOD exists, is real, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Transcendent, Immutable.
⇒ GOD is Love, Truth and Holiness.
⇒ GOD is the creator of the universe, the master of time and circumstance.
⇒ GOD is FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT.
⇒ JESUS is GOD, Son of GOD, sinless man, REDEMPTER (Savior) and LORD.
⇒ JESUS has the name above all names (authority and power above all authorities and powers).
⇒ The HOLY SPIRIT is commissioned by JESUS and the FATHER to witness, teach, equip and lead.
Believe that the Bible is fully inspired by GOD, that it is the Word of GOD and that it has ultimate authority.
⇒ Therefore, believe GOD what he says: what he is able to do, what he has done, what he wants to do, what he will do.
⇒ Therefore, reject all supernatural teachings, practices and experiences that contradict the Word. The Bible is sufficient for salvation and the Christian life. It must not be modified, censored or supplemented. Teachings, experiences, books and testimonies are useful, but they will never surpass the Word itself.
⇒ JESUS was born, died, was buried, was resurrected, was glorified, intercedes and will return.
⇒ JESUS is GOD (see article)
⇒ There's no excuse for idolatry, necromancy, cannonizations, angel worship, prayers to demons, the departed, Enoch, Elijah or any other biblical figure.
Parenthesis: The Bible is true because GOD testifies that it is true. This through the Bible itself, inner testimony, the ministry of JESUS CHRIST (past and present), his resurrection, miracles in his Name, the fulfillment of prophecies and archaeological, historical and scientific evidence.
🙂 The last two steps are repentance and commitment. There is no Salvation without repentance (Acts 2:38, Mark 1: 3-4, Mark 1: 14-15, Hebrews 6: 1-2, Acts 20: 20-21, Acts 17:30). There is no repentance without faith, and there is no faith without a measure of knowledge (Mark 16:15-16, Romans 10:9-11, Romans 10:14, Acts 2:41, Acts 8:36-38, John 6:44, Romans 3:22-24).
True faith leads to repentance and obedience. Repentance and obedience are demonstrations of faith. JESUS says "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word... He who does not love me will not keep my words." (John 14:23-24)
A person is ready to be baptized when he repents of his former way of life and commits himself to living according to the Scriptures with the help of the HOLY SPIRIT.
In the Bible, whenever repentance seems to be demanded before faith, as the condition for baptism, the interlocutors address:
or to Jews, by which we mean people under the Old Covenant, with a measure of faith, a measure of knowledge of GOD and his Word.
or to people who practice syncretism (mixing). This is the case, for example, when the Apostle Paul addresses the Athenians (Acts 17:22-32).
I remember a lady who served in the administration of a church. She didn't teach, but was in charge of a department. Before her conversion, or so-called conversion, she was a member of an Asian sect. This sect is known for encouraging its members to practice divination by questioning demons or a satanic principality, by touching objects belonging to the sect or given as gifts by it. This lady had been baptized, but had never repented of divination. This meant that her conversion was false. She seemed to be speaking in tongues and devoted to the LORD. Her speaking in tongues was false. The so-called prophecies and words of knowledge they shared were inspired by spirits of divination. To this kind of person, we don't say believe, but repent.
🙂 Some people postpone their baptism on the pretext that they doubt the accuracy of certain passages or contextualize the translations of certain verses. Surprisingly, these same people never stop asking GOD to bless, heal, enrich and protect them. These are often people who don't rely on GOD to understand the Bible. They seek GOD's hand, not GOD's heart.
🙂 Some Christians postpone their baptism on the pretext that baptism is not indispensable for salvation. They seem to forget that GOD does not speak in vain. If baptism wasn't important, GOD wouldn't ask us to be baptized. As far as I'm concerned, baptism isn't a suggestion: it's a commandment. In the Bible, some believers were baptized on the very day of their conversion. To postpone baptism without a valid reason is to disobey GOD.
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