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Three Times Baptized

by Jerry Ousley
1/10/2025 / Christian Living

Three Times Baptized

By Jerry D. Ousley

When I was young, and trust me, that was a vey long time ago, I wanted to be sure that I was okay with God. As a result of that, I came to think that every time I sinned that I had to start all over again. I would go to the altar and “get saved” again, and again, until I discovered the truth. I was baptized at least twice thinking that I had to get “dunked” again.

The scripture says that we had to be baptized of the water and of the Spirit, “Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5). Taking only this verse, it seems cut and dry that we have to be baptized in water, then in the Spirit in order to be qualified as “saved.” But when we read the verse after it says, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:6). When read it all together it is saying that being born of the water is being in the flesh, while being born in the Spirit is spiritual.

It is curious how people mis-interpret the Bible to support all sorts of teachings and doctrines. I have stated many times how that we need to look at the Bible, first in its true context – how it was written and not just a single verse but in the full subject. Taking a single verse and creating a doctrine around it is no different than a lawyer insisting that a witness answer a question with a simple “yes” or “no” when the truth of the circumstance requires further explanation. To me, it seems that sometimes people interpret the Bible the same way. We also need to look at the original language. There are times when we get the wrong interpretation of a word and a look at the original meanings can be very revealing.

There’s another passage I want to quote and then explain the three baptisms. The verse is found in John 1:15-17 and it says, “Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, "’I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.’” This happened to John the Baptist and the quote was his words. The people confronted him wanting to know if he was the Messiah – “The Christ.” Of course, John denied it stating that he wasn’t even worthy to loosen His sandal. Then he said something else about baptism. John said that the One to come (Jesus) would baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. That passage concludes with the action to be taken, namely that in type, the winnowing fan (the fan used to stoke the fire) is in His hand, making the fire hotter and that He would completely clean out the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into His barn and burning the waste, the chaff, with a fire that can’t be extinguished.

With that being said, the doctrines emerge. Some say that you must be baptized with water or you aren’t saved. Others tell us that if you aren’t baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, then you haven’t got the goods (and folks, I believe in the gift of tongues but we’ll have to talk about that one later). Still others are saying that if you aren’t baptized with the Spirit then you are going to be baptized with the fires of Hell. Actually, none of that is true. I’m probably going to lose readers over this, and I can already hear the clothes being ripped and others crying out “Blasphemy!”

In the original Greek John 3:5-6 used the word “begotten” for “born.” It means to proceed from or “procreate.” Jesus was telling Nicodemus that he had to first be naturally born – when we are born the first thing that happens is that the mother’s water breaks. The birth sack that we have grown in is filled with a watery liquid that sustains us. When that water sack breaks and releases the water then we are ready to be born into this world. That is being born of the flesh.

When we accept Christ as our Savior, then the Holy Spirit enters our lives and we are spiritually born again. Elsewhere in scripture it is referred to as the putting off of the old man (the flesh) and the taking on of the new man (the spiritual regeneration of the soul).

In John 1 the Bible is telling us that it is more necessary that we be born of The Holy Spirit than to be dunked in the water. Jesus was coming to give us this spiritual baptism, to be filled with the Spirit of God.

Then, we are baptized with fire. It isn’t a punishment. In those days they beat the wheat on the thrashing floor until the grain was separated from all the bad stuff. Then the bad stuff was burned. That is the third baptism. That’s what Jesus was explaining.

Water baptism serves as a testimony to the world that we have made a commitment to Jesus Christ. We have been buried to sin and raised anew with Him. Now (and here goes some more clothing being ripped) I don’t care if you are dunked, sprinkled or sprayed (if they even do that). Water baptism is only a symbol. We should do it to follow the example of Christ and to let the world know that we have been changed. But it is just a symbol so it doesn’t matter what words are spoken over you or how it is done.

The three important baptisms are these:

Being born of the water – the natural birth.
Being born of the Spirit – the coming in of the Holy Spirit when we get saved.
Being born of the fire – to burn out the chaff in our lives. This step will take the rest of our natural life because we are ever being purified and growing in Christ.

These are the three baptisms that we all need. This is how we are saved. ‘Nuff said.

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of "Soul Challenge", "Soul Journey", "Ordeal", "The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional" and his first novel "The Shoe Tree." Newer books include "Finality" and "Dividing God's Church." Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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