In this video, Riley shares his personal experience with water baptism and why he was confused about its significance and meaning.
As Riley visits an old work location, he shares how the Baptism in the Holy Spirit changed his life forever. However, it wasn't easy for him at first; he had to get out of his own way!
As Gloria Copeland says, “When you do what’s right, get ready for a fight!”
That’s why 1 Timothy 6:12 tells us to “fight the good fight of faith.” When it comes to healing, faith is only the beginning. It’s the stand of faith, or your patience, that takes you to the finish line. What you’re in the midst of is possessing the “land” called healing, and the devil has no intention of letting you walk into it without a fight.
Water baptism is a declaration to the world around you that you’ve made Jesus the Lord and Savior of your life, your old life is behind you, and you are a new creation in Christ. It symbolizes the transformation of your salvation.
A baby is unable to make this decision, which is why most Protestant churches conduct baby dedication ceremonies instead. During these ceremonies, the parents dedicate their child to the Lord and commit to raise him or her according to the Word of God.
There are multiple baptisms recorded in the New Testament. There is the baptism into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), baptism in water (Acts 1:5, 10:44-48, 19:2-6) and Baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4).
At salvation a very important ministry of the Holy Spirit took place in your life. But that ministry is different from the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
In the moment you made Jesus the Lord of your life, spiritual death was removed from your spirit, and there was born in you a new life, a new spirit. You were literally born of God. “Dear friends, we are already God’s children” (1 John 3:2). “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God” (1 John 5:1). Without encountering the Holy Spirit, man cannot be born again (Romans 8:9).
No. Only one requirement is made in order to go with Christ in the Rapture, and that is to believe on Him. You meet that requirement at salvation when you say with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Ephesians 1:13 says that at salvation you are sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Water baptism is not only significant to the person being baptized, but it also testifies to his or her community what happened when their life was changed by Jesus. It confirms and strengthens the new believer’s commitment to live a godly life. It also gives the believer the opportunity to openly testify to others of his experience of having been crucified with Christ, buried with Him and raised together with Him to walk in newness of life (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:4-6).
No. As important as water baptism is, we know from multiple scriptures that it’s not what saves a person. What does save a person is the new birth resulting from faith in the shed blood of Jesus, confession of Him as Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22; Revelation 1:5; Romans 10:9-10).
Some have thought Acts 2:38 tied water baptism to salvation. It says, “You must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
God sent the Holy Spirit to give us power, transform us into effective witnesses and to put us in contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 14:4, 2:10).
Before Jesus went to the cross, He gave an invaluable promise to His disciples: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:16).
At Eagle Mountain International Church, the church at Kenneth Copeland Ministries, our common practice is to hold baby dedication services where parents and guardians pledge to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.