Baptism means immersion. Water is physical and has no effect on the spirit. Believing it does is error.
We are baptised (immersed) into Christ by being transformed by His Word and filled with His Holy Spirit.
His Word is Spirit snd His Spirit is Spirit and to enter the Kingdom of Heaven we must be born again of the Spirit -because God is Spirit.
Ritual does not bring us to God. It is just religion. Christianity is about relationship - being One with Christ (immersed in Him)
Water Baptism was NEVER done by Jesus.
Water Baptism is a purification RITUAL.
Rituals do NOTHING of spiritual value.
They point to the real but are NOT the real.
Jesus was Water Baptized because He was under Judaism and had to perfectly follow its rules in order to be the acceptable sacrifice.
Baptize means 'immerse'. We are to be immersed in Jesus Christ.
Christianity is NOT supposed to have any rituals or sacraments because it is based on a real, permanent spiritual transaction in which the believer is Born Again of the Word Of Truth and the Holy Spirit Of Truth.
In the New Birth we enter into a Spiritual Marriage with Christ Jesus becoming ONE with Him.
To add any ritual or sacrament to that miraculous event pollutes the event.
The Jewish Apostles ASSUMED the 'John the Baptist WaterBaptism' was to be carried forward into Christianity but John himself said that the Messiah would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire.
John's baptism was a shadow/symbol of the real that would happen in Spirit Baptism.
When the real arrives you stop doing the type/shadow/symbol of the real.
Unfortunately, the Catholic Church fell headlong into ritual and sacrament completely discarding Holy Spirit Baptism as occurred on the Day Of Pentecost.
For 1800 years MOST Christians have missed the point of Jesus coming to earth thinking that He just wanted to keep us out of hell so we could go to heaven when we die.
Jesus came to Baptize us with His Holy Spirit .
The sacrifice and cleansing was to prepare us for that .
You can continue the error of the past 1800 years or you can listen to John the Baptist and to Jesus and to Paul each of whom told us to be BaptizedWithTheHolySpirit.
Christianity is as weak as water (baptism). It's strength is in
➛ the Word Of Truth and
➛ the Holy Spirit Of Truth
We are to be immersed in the Word and the Holy Spirit Of Christ Jesus.
Then we can worship in Spirit And Truth .
Please think about this:
➛ Baptism means 'immersion'
➛ Water Baptism is 'in and out' it is not truly immersion
➛ immersion into Christ Jesus is forever
➛ the name 'Jesus' is
→ the name of the Father and
→ the name of the Son and
→ the name of the Holy Spirit
So, when you are IMMERSED in the name of Jesus ( Baptized In The Name Of Jesus Christ) you are
➛ immersed in His Word and
➛ immersed in His Holy Spirit and
➛ certified by His body that was broken, pierced, died and raised for your eternal, abundant life.
Water Baptism is a ritual and rituals are only symbolic of the spiritual.
Rituals are NOT in and of themselves spiritual.
Focus on the Spirit. His Word is Spirit And Life and His Holy Spirit is the Spirit Of Truth.
Peter was a Jew used to Judaism, saw the Water Baptism of John and assumed the ritual as being part of Christianity.
IT IS NOT.
Jesus never water baptized anyone.
Paul received the clarification of salvation by Grace through Faith AFTER Pentecost. Paul stopped Water Baptizing believers as he came to understand the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Jesus came to Baptize us IN HIS HOLY SPIRIT. That is new covenant baptism. It is immersion in Christ by absorbing His Word and being absorbed by His Holy Spirit.
Catholics perverted Christianity by making it all about rituals, sacraments, vainly repeated prayers, polytheism and all other manners of error.
What is Christianity? It is becoming a new spirit being in Christ by the authority of His Word and power of His Holy Spirit. It is spiritual marriage to Christ by which we walk through this life in partnership with Him.
IT IS RELATIONSHIP.
Be blessed in the Truth!
Please step back for a moment and just think about water.
➛ It is 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom bound chemically.
➛ It is physical, not spiritual.
➛ At best it can be used as a symbol of something spiritual.
My point - water has NO spiritual efficacy.
Jesus never water baptized anyone. That should tell you how important it is.
Jesus came to IMMERSE us in His Holy Spirit and set us afire with His power and glory.
The Jewish apostles ASSUMED water baptism (that John started) was a part of Christianity, just like they ASSUMED becoming a convert to Judaism was a part of Christianity.
The Apostle Paul received the revelation of Grace through Faith () which should have clarified how one is saved.
When Jesus told us to be baptized in the NAME (singular) of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, He was telling us to be IMMERSED in JESUS CHRIST who is the incarnation of the Holy Spirit Father and He the Son.
Water baptism is for a day.
The immersion Jesus was talking about was FOR ETERNITY.
Tradition kills.
He said worship me in SPIRIT and in TRUTH - not ritual or ceremony.
Blessings upon you in Spirit and Truth.
It is Spirit Baptism that is needed.
Water Baptism is only a symbol but it has become an end unto itself. Satan was behind this switch.
Jesus never Water Baptized anyone.
Paul stopped doing it.
John the Baptist said Jesus would baptize with His Holy Spirit and fire.
Tradition kills. Truth brings life.