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What does it mean to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?
We should know the reason for Jesus'
baptism. Paul preached the gospel of Jesus' baptism to some Ephesians
when he heard that they were only baptized into "John's baptism."
They were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and received the
Holy Spirit in their hearts by believing what Paul said about Jesus'
baptism. The nature of the baptism Jesus received from John and
that of John's baptism of repentance were different. Jesus' baptism
was to wash away sins, which was directly related to our receiving
the Holy Spirit.
Then what was the nature of John's
baptism? He shouted, "Repent, brood of vipers! Forsake foreign
gods you were serving, and return to the true God." His baptism
was that of repentance, which made people return to God. However,
the baptism Jesus received from John was in order for Him to take
over all the sins of the world. This is the difference between John's
baptism and Jesus' baptism by John. Jesus' baptism was to fulfill
all righteousness.
Then what is the baptism that has fulfilled
all righteousness? It is the baptism through which Jesus took away
all the sins of mankind starting from Adam to the last person in
the world. In other words, Jesus' baptism by John was to fulfill
all righteousness.
To fulfill all righteousness means
that God let His Son be baptized by John to take all the sins of
the world on to Him so that He could be judged for us by being crucified
on the Cross. God raised Jesus from the dead and sanctified all
believers.
This was done for all mankind. Jesus'
baptism and His blood on the Cross brought us eternal salvation,
forgiveness for all our sins and the chance to live together with
God forever. This is God's righteousness, love, and salvation for
all mankind. Here we can confirm that the baptism of the Holy Spirit
was fulfilled through Jesus' baptism and His blood on the Cross.
In order to be baptized in the name
of Jesus Christ, we need to have the witness of believing that all
the sins of this world were passed on to Jesus through His baptism.
Everyone who has received the forgiveness of sin by believing in
Jesus' baptism and His blood on the Cross should be baptized in
the name of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, we are baptized as the proof
of our faith in Jesus' baptism and in line with His commandment
saying, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). Jesus was baptized by John in
order to take away all the sins of the world, and because this truth
leads people to receive the Holy Spirit, so it is also called the
baptism of the Holy Spirit.
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