Some people say that in order to be truly born again we must be baptized.(original means 'to be dyed in', as those who dye clothes {to take on or impart color, permanently changing the color}). The word baptized is used two ways in the original; they are.

Bible Study Magazine, James Montgomery Boice, May 1989 "When used in the New Testament, this word.(baptism).more often refers to our union and identification with Christ than to our water baptism. Christ is saying that mere intellectual assent.(by some physical ritual such as being immersed in water).is not enough. There must be a union with him, a real change...":.Mark 16:16 "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved..."

Baptism, per se, is only a New Testament term and is not in the Old Testament at all. From where did the practice originate? Not from the Old Testament. Where did John the baptist latch onto baptism? Did he come up with the idea himself or did he get the idea from the ancient Sumerians, long before him? Who knows? What we do know today is that it is a physical thing and no longer necessary:.Hebrews 6:1,2.

Acts 11:16 "Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost."

John the baptist prepared the way for Emmanuel's coming to Earth and those awakened by John were baptized:.Luke 1:13-17.

John the Baptist was the forerunner of Emmanuel. The baptism he did was simply a ritual of promise of something greater to come, of which physical baptism also was the forerunner of spiritual baptism:.Acts 1:5 "For John truly baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Ghost.(Spirit)..."

Emmanuel was also baptized:.Matthew 3:1,11,13-16. But, after Emmanuel's death and resurrection, is physical baptism a ritual that should still be performed?.Hebrews 6:1,2.

What does God tell us about it all? 

The Creator inspired Peter to write that we are born again.by His word:.1Peter 1:23 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Emmanuel the Christ, which according to his abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a lively hope.(not the guilt, gloom and doom that religion all too often deals out).by the resurrection of Emmanuel the Christ from the dead."

What kind of 'washing' does the Creator do?.Titus 3:5 ".....he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Hebrews 10:22 "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.".(comprised from Barnes Notes: The disciples had been indeed baptized and their baptism was an emblem of purifying, but the thing here particularly.referred to is not baptism, but it is something that had been done by the Spirit of God upon the heart in cleansing them from these pollutions of the ego level. Paul here uses three words, washed, sanctified and justified to denote the various functions of the Holy Spirit by which the disciples had been recovered from sin. The first, that of washing of the Spirit by which the process of purifying was commenced in the soul and which came to be especially.signified in baptism, that is the work of regeneration or conversion to God was then signified by the act of being baptized. It was an ok thing, but is it and was it a necessity as many believe today? No, it wasn't. By the agency of the Spirit, the defilement of these pollutions had been washed away or removed, as filth is removed by ablution)

John 15:3 "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."

Ephesians 5:25,26 "...Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water.by the word."

1Corinthians 6:11 "And such were some of you, but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Emmanuel and by the Spirit of our God."

Acts 22:16 "And now why do you tarry? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Ephesians 4:22-24.

Isaiah 1:16 "Wash you, make yourselves clean. Put away the evil of your doings from before my eyesand cease to do evil." 

Jeremiah 4:14 "O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?"

What is the word of God?.John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." 2Timothy 2:15;.(*).

It is not the type of baptism that is the way to the Father, but the blood of He who is known as the One who became the Christ?.Ephesians 2:13 "But now in Christ Emmanuel you who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Hebrews 9:12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."

Made nigh to what? Made nigh.(Romans 10:8).to the consciousness of the Creator that Emmanuel came to reveal. The Father's nature in us.

And all this was to make possible a relationship with the Father:.Hebrews 10:19 "Having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Emmanuel."

Some spiritual individuals, called 'Christians' in the Holy Bible, believe in water baptism by immersion.(to completely cover in a liquid, here the liquid meaning water). Others by sprinkling. Yet others believe in the baptism by the Holy Spirit. That is, once the Creator has called you, you are immersed totally in His Spirit and spiritual growth begins. Without being 'in the spirit', one wouldn't even be interested in the spiritual things of love and caring and sharing.

Does it matter to us what form of physical baptism we may feel we have to choose? To some it does. Does it matter to the Creator what we may choose?

There were different baptisms for different times, as in what was called the baptism of John. And in ancient times:.1Corinthians 10:2,3 "And were all baptized.(a form of baptism with water surrounding them).unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea...".They had the cloud above and around them. They had the water raised up on each side of them:.Exodus 14:21,22. It was baptism!

Well, if the main thing is being totally immersed.(baptized).in His Spirit, anything else would seem second hand, redundant or irrelevant. This is the one baptism and it's beyond man to do it:.Ephesians 4:5 "One Lord.(who/what is the Lord?), one faith, one baptism."

Some spiritual individuals still ferociously cling to their righteousness using physical baptism.(water for sprinkling, pouring or immersion), making this a distinction point with importance attached beyond that of being washed by the Holy Spirit:.Titus 3:5,6 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost which he.(the Father).shed on us abundantly through Emmanuel the Christ.(who/what is Christ?).our Saviour."

Why did we need to be saved and from what? We need to be saved from ourselves, the low consciousness we have.

Ephesians 1:13 "In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom.(in Christ) also.after that you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.".After you believed, you were sealed.(original is 'marked', marked for being in the.Book Of Life; more on 'sealed').with the Holy Spirit. It does not say, after you are baptized.

The Bible, in both the Old and New Testament, evince a progression.(1Corinthians 10:11; John 20:31).in truth, where many things now, when one is, as they say, 'in Christ', have been moved on from, moved on from the religiosity of the past:.1Peter 2:2 "As newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby." 2Peter 3:18 "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Emmanuel the Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." Hebrews 5:14-6:2 "But strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil...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,.Of the doctrine of baptisms.and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead and of eternal judgment." Ephesians 1:17 "That the God of our Lord Emmanuel the Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him." Ephesians 4:1 "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Colossians 1:10 "That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

It is a progression in truth, as earlier in New Testament times it refers to baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit:.Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Emmanuel the Christ for the remission.(original means 'release from bondage or imprisonment', 'forgiveness or pardon of sins'; letting them go as if they had never been committed).of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
   The word 'in' above means...
   Baptism is figurative:.1Peter 3:21.

A union with Christ, is made possible by Him immersing you into the part of the family called the body of Christ, part of the family of the Creator, our Father. This immersing is done by means of His Holy Spirit, which is an act of the Creator by means of the soul, then through our spirit, thus affecting us in the way of love: 2Corinthians 3:3 "Forasmuch as you are manifestly declared to be the epistle.(means letter).of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." 1Peter 3:4 "But let it be the hidden man of the heart.(the soul), in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." 1Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."

As physical baptism surrounds you with water, likewise the Holy Spirt surrounds you and is more, in that, it is in you, as the pickle analogy shows.

....continue?