Scripture reading: Hebrews 6:1-2
Let us look at the doctrine of baptisms today as described in Hebrews 6:2. For context, however, we are going to read from verse 1.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God. 2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.”
How many baptisms have you had? Well, I know somebody who was baptized in water seven times. Every baptism there was held, he wanted to go to get a dip. That is not baptisms, that is still one baptism, and he had never had it the first time. Amen.
Let’s take the basic. Baptism is a covenant, and the Bible says Jesus Christ came by water and by blood (1 John 5:6). Baptism is a blood covenant. It is a covenant unto death. So, if you were baptized in water and you never made that covenant in your soul, you were not really baptized. Remember now, Jesus is coming nearer to you, to the church. Whether you want it to be or not, it is not going to stop Him. Jesus has been creeping towards the church for 2,000 years. Amen.
I think of a man who they dropped in a deep, dark hole. They dug a deep hole and called it a dungeon. They dropped him down into that hole and the man was in that dungeon for three years. The man still lived and still praised God! We think of Paul being in a dungeon. What do you think these dungeons were like? They put them down there, and there was no restroom. Can you imagine a restroom in a dungeon? The dungeon is the restroom. So, every prisoner they had there would defecate and do everything there in the dungeon. Then they would drop another prisoner down there. I think of the worms and everything. The men were in there, standing up. In some of the dungeons, they couldn’t sleep on the floor; they had to lean against the wall to sleep. For food they would let down a piece of bread and a little water. There was no way of getting a change of clothes. There was no way of getting a bath. There was no way of having any kind of life down there and yet men lived in that for years, survived and praised God. Have you ever thought of it?
One time, I went into a restroom in London and it was in a part of the house that was set off from where everybody else was. When I tried to leave, the door wouldn’t open. I was locked up in the restroom, and I felt so awful. I said, “My God, suppose it was a dungeon that I was in?” You know what I mean. You knock, knock, knock, and nobody hears.
God is calling us to a higher level. He said, “Let us put aside all these foundations.” It was Paul’s way of saying, “Well, you need to have these foundations, or else you can’t go on to higher things. BUT, let us put aside these foundations and let us go on to higher things.” Praise be to God.
So, we have baptism in water, baptism in the Holy Ghost, and baptism into Christ. Have you looked at your baptism, and have you seen the thing accomplished? Because if you are baptized in water and you are not baptized in the Holy Ghost, you were not really baptized in water. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? You can go down in water and you can be wet, and come up wet. Dry Christian goes down. Wet Christian comes up, but you are not yet baptized. WHY? Because if baptism in water is without a commitment, without a contract with God unto death, then you haven’t yet been baptized. That contract, that covenant is what makes the baptism a baptism. Hallelujah! The proof of that baptism is that you are baptized in the Holy Ghost. But guess what? Some people are baptized in the Holy Ghost but because they got the inward baptism of the Holy Ghost and they weren’t baptized in the water, they think God will let them off the hook. They say, “Okay, I’ve got it! If baptism in water leads me to baptism in the Holy Ghost, and I’ve got the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then I don’t need baptism in water any more.” No. No. God comes to you and He says, “Go get baptized in water.” WHY? You must make the covenant. You must learn your lesson. You must have His writing on the tables of your heart, written in blood before you can go any further. Amen.
(Excerpt from Keeping in Touch, December 2007, pg. 5-6)
Thought for today: We need to have the foundations, or else we cannot go on to higher things. BUT, let us put aside these foundations and let us go on to higher things.
Sonlight Devotional 