“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” Matthew 28:19.

THE TRUE BAPTISM OF JESUS IS A HEART ISSUE.

So what do we mean when Jesus said we should go into the Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19)?

The best way to start on this is to look at the Law of purification and get some relevant point out of that as we go straight to the book of Numbers.

“And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is PURIFICATION FOR SIN. And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever. He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days. He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean. Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him. This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days. And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean. And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and RUNNING WATER shall be put thereto in a vessel: And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and SPRINKLE it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave.” Numbers 19:9-18.

Now can you notice those things that I highlighted?

The “purification for sin”, “running water not a river”, and “sprinkle” not dip or immerse.

And don’t forget that the whole world was in sin before Jesus came.

So what do we find today in the ministry of Jesus as a high Priest for us in the New Testament Order, same principle, watch this;

“For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh (human flesh by washing-baptism)” Hebrews 9:13.

“And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts SPRINKLED from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water (the word)” Hebrews 10:21-22.

Again, this can be confirmed from the words of God to Prophet Ezekiel as touching saving Israel from their captivity in the Nations.

“Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I SPRINKLE CLEAN WATER UPON YOU, and YE SHALL BE CLEAN: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A NEW HEART also will I give you, and a NEW SPIRIT will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an HEART OF FLESH.” Ezekiel 36:22-26

But how is God intending to carry out this change in the heart of the people?

The ministry of Moses showed the pattern with regards his proclaiming the name of the Lord to Israel;

“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.” Deuteronomy 32:1-3

And of course we do know that his Doctrine means his TEACHINGS. Meaning through his teachings, the Nation of Israel will receive the water of Life for transformation and change resulting from true repentance.

So you see! God’s pattern for saving Israel, by having her cleaned – baptism, is by the sprinkling – Dropping of the word – TEACHING, not literal water, and this of course is what the true baptism of Jesus that is commanding us to go to the Nation to have them baptized is supposed to mean.

So essentially God wasn’t sending us to carry nations and drown them in a River of our choice wherever possible.

It is the teaching of his word of life to the Nations.

To be continued…