The Shining Light of Glory Part 3
by Pastor Mark Downey
August 26, 2012
Scripture Reading Luke 11:33-38
Now that we've covered this subject from the Old Testament (which conceals the New Testament) we will move into the New Testament (which reveals the Old Testament). Smoke, fire and light have been referred to, and if I could relate these metaphors to you, they would represent the Word of God as smoke, the Holy Spirit as fire and Jesus Christ as the Light. They are all interconnected to Israel.
Well, where is the Shining Light of Glory today? With so much darkness in the world, how can there be any light? If there is a false light or harmful radiation impersonating the Shining, then there likewise must be a false baptism. We can't see anything if we're in the dark! However, since the advent of Christ 2000 years ago, our race has gained clarity as to our purpose and mission in life. The complete revelation of God to His people has now been manifested. In other words, the Scriptures have given us a total understanding of how to bring about God's will. Although there’s an illusion of free will, the admonition is ‘Thy will be done’ not ours.
It starts with smoke. Literal smoke is the result of friction. Friction is the resistance to relative motion between two bodies in contact with each other. The history of Christianity is a clash between believers and non-believers. The faith of our people has conspicuously become a distinguished feature on the world stage. So much so, that wars have been waged for those fully persuaded to contend or fight for the Lord and conversely wars initiated by those who think themselves superior to God. The smoke of the battle clearly becomes the conflict between divine light and man's feeble attempt to illuminate the world with his own carnal understandings, as evidenced with the dogmatic practice of full body immersion in water, an act of the flesh touted as the ultimate symbolism of faith and salvation. In today’s Scripture reading, we notice that the Pharisees were marveled (some versions say ‘wondered’) that Jesus didn’t wash before dinner. What do you suppose the Greek word for ‘washed’ in verse 38 is? It is baptizo (#907 Strong’s). Jesus did not physically and ritually wash His hands before sitting down to a meal. Likewise, today’s Pharisees wonder why any Christian would be recalcitrant to physically immerse themselves in water in order to be considered an official Christian.
Science has still not told us how light originates. Religious experts have still not explained to us how being submerged in water is God's plan of salvation. All we get is 'don't bother me with your insolent questions; just ‘do it or die'. We don't know where God came from; we cannot grasp infinity even with an understanding of lightyears. So why should we be so presumptuous to shove a superficial comprehension of water baptism down people's throat? I've been drawing analogies between light and baptism and it's becoming clear that we immerse ourselves in the Word of God, and in so doing, live our lives impacting the world for good. The world does not measure a Christian by a fleeting moment of ritual baptism in water. The world looks at us and can only see us in the light bestowed upon our souls.
Yet, we behold the audacity of scheming jews, like Adam Weishopt, to form a group called the Illuminati, to take over the world in a Pax Judaica in the guise of catholic ecumenicalism and Protestant Baal worship. It's most interesting and satisfying to read the Word of God and see that these false teachers and enemies of God will be consumed in fire. We saw it happen in Sodom and Gomorrah, and we'll see it happen again with the jews and their lackies: for God is not mocked.
This manifestation of the Sons of God, which the whole creation groans for (Romans 8:19), is the Shining. The Christian separatists and supremacists will shine above the satanic angels of light (the false messengers): "For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet" (Malachi 4:3). We have our work cut out for us. Indeed it is a divine calling. So don't ever let anyone quench your spirit with a false baptism, a work of the flesh. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” Eph. 2:8. With a holy countenance, we are to glow and radiate the intelligence of Jesus Christ, who said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against us" (Mt. 16:18). Having the motive to separate ourselves from the children of darkness means that we shall "Shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of our Father" (Mt. 13:43). Just before that, in verse 42, it's talking about the reapers who gather the tares (those who impersonate the children of light) and cast them into a furnace of fire.
Who else shined as the sun? It was Christ in Mt. 17, transfigured before Peter, James and John, and His raiment was white as the light. There are those who reveal themselves with animus towards God's servants. Wear the kind of white robe that is hated and find out. Having this ministry, we faint not at proclaiming the blood upon Calvary, for Jesus said, "They [the overcomers] shall walk with Me in white…he shall be clothed in white raiment" (Rev. 3:4,5); "These are they which came out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Rev. 7:14). This is not a literal physical ritual is it? No, it’s a lifetime of maintaining and advocating our racial purity with the Law of God. It’s not the righteousness of Christ for the Lord cannot be washed and made white in His own blood. It’s the ‘righteousness of the saints’ (Rev. 19:8) through the blood sacrifice of Christ to remove those sins that stain our covering from judgment so that we may stand justified and without fault before the throne. This shows that we have no trust in anything we can do for our own deliverance; that we have no dependence upon our own merits for grace is unmerited favor; that we have no righteousness for that is self-righteousness; but wholly entrusted to and dependent upon the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ; which is the only way to come out of tribulation and enter the Kingdom.
Not everybody is going to see the light or appreciate the Good News of the Gospel, as mentioned in II Cor. 4:3-4, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost. In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." We know God forms the light and the darkness from Isaiah 45:7. The good news isn't hidden from the lost sheep of Israel. It is hidden from the blinded minds of the unbelievers who do not believe God, but rather, believe the gods of this world; in other words: those who are opposed to God and promote blindness.
You cannot see if there is no light. And so the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ is withdrawn from them lest they shine. There are those who are not meant to shine, just like the Pharisees were not meant to understand the parables of Christ lest they be converted. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the power may be of God, and not of us" (II Cor. 4:6-7). And therein lies the problem of man exalting himself with power, the ordination of man-made authority.
It is through the traditions of man employing sacraments, rituals, sacred names, phony Sabbaths, calendar keeping, numerology etc. The list goes on and on ad nauseam. And some pious thinking people really believe they're in tandem with God. But we know that all power is given unto Christ in heaven and in earth (Mt. 28:18). That leaves little authority for anything or anybody including human devils, popes, politicians or pulpit pounders. As crazy and as corrupt as the world is out there, Philippians 2:15 says (and I’m paraphrasing), "That ye may be born perfect in our race, pure blooded and not mongrelized, faultless before God amidst a race crooked and perverse, among whom we shine as lights in the world." The jewish inspired Masoretic text removes the racial context of this verse, but the Greek is properly translated in the Ferrar Fenton and Christogenea N.T. with the racial connotation. If we are the light of the world (as was Jesus), Mt. 5:14 says we're like a city on a hill that can't be hidden and in verse 15, "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house." It's important where you put a candle or open flame, otherwise you could burn the house down.
Similarly, we don't cast our pearls before swine. I’ve read that the Korean Reverend Moon, who considers himself the reincarnation of Jesus Christ, got together with some very well known televangelists for a prayer fest; if you pardon the pun: this prayer theme for the unification of moonies and judeo-christians is jew inspired lunacy. I can only pray that their brotherhood of diversity ignites into a warm glow of gooey integration and drains into the cesspools of Gehenna, into the dark bottomless pit of race traitors and miscegenaters and every unclean pulpit pimp. It’s gotten so bad that the wolves are clothing themselves in wolf’s clothing and the sheep are wearing pigskins.
Well, why am I talking about light to you? According to Eph. 4:29, 'no corrupt communication is to proceed from my mouth.' I am to speak only what is helpful to build you up, so that you may receive the benefits of God's favor. If we fulfill the lighting requirements of the Bible and do not grieve the Holy Spirit, as Eph. 4:30 seals us for the day of redemption, then with verse 31 we are to put away all bitterness and anger and impulsive behavior and disorder, along with all evil things (that spoil); verse 32 continues the thought that we should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving yourselves, as God in Christ forgives us. I can communicate to you about what is corrupt in the world with all of the disdain and contempt that our Lord described, because there are no redeeming values of darkness. There’s this terrible misperception that the Christian faith must be friendly with all opposition, but history and our divine destiny show that a positive and hostile Christianity towards the adversaries of God and our race is a prerequisite in advancing the Kingdom of God. Those who reject the racial mandate also reject the New Covenant of Christ. They are reduced to darkening the Word of God to accommodate those whom God said He hath indignation forever.
As each of us radiate the Word of God in our lives, we become a brighter light, we become a beacon of hope for each other and will attract our lost kinsman who wander in the dark. My calling is not to merely inform, but to transform. Because I Peter 2:9 tells me, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." There are too many preachers who are whiners; long on diagnosis and short on remedy. This may make them wise in their own eyes, but rarely changes anything. Instead of lighting a candle, they just curse the darkness.
Jesus said in John 10:10, "I've come that you might have life." He didn't say, 'I've come that you may have religion'. Christianity, as we need to be reminded from time to time, is a way of life. Well, some may ask “So what? What difference does it make, the way we live in this crazy ole world?” Well, when we apply biblical doctrines and principles in practical and relevant ways, our lives get better, things brighten up.
Light (#219 in Strong's Concordance) figuratively means prosperity. Hey, how ‘bout that economy. Slavery is being under the control of someone or something. What controls your life and who wants to own you? We need to transform our lives, not the Bible. And we need to properly translate the Bible so that the lost sheep know that it's been mistranslated by the 'darkness that covers the earth' (Is. 60:2)... by the priestcraft of Baal. Is it any wonder why Jesus ran the moneychangers out of the temple? And He said, "Greater works than these, shall ye do." If we were to practice God's economic laws, do you think our pocketbooks would be as pinched as they are today in the economy of Babylon? I don't think so. If we could have less preaching about the forces of darkness and more sermons shedding light on how to kick the bastards out of our national temple, then these thieves and robbers would be history and we would be the recipients of Jesus giving us life and that we may have it more abundantly. For years, Christian Identity has been explaining that usury is not exorbitant interest; it is any interest, which calculates defrauding the borrower. “The borrower is servant to the lender” Prov. 22:7. God knew what He was talking about, but our people don’t believe what will make them free.
"In Him (Christ) was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4). "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). The following verse (v.38), "Be baptized every one of you…." is a favorite 'proof text' for the full body immersionists, and yet no such mode of baptism is ever suggested, let alone commanded. Acts chapter 2 is clearly addressed to the house of Israel and what we must do prior the Second Coming of Christ and it has to do with the preparations of our heart, in making our robes clean and white (as a bride readies herself for the groom). It doesn’t have anything to do with whoring after strange gods and getting dunked in the church baptismal pool. Does the Bible tell us how to be the light of the world? Jesus guarantees it in John 8:12 by saying, "You who follow Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on Me should not abide in darkness" (John 12:46). Therefore, the command is: following, believing and then acting upon His teachings. "As many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12). Jesus began His ministering to the people with the 'Sermon on the Mount' by sharing 8 secrets of genuine happiness. Then He talked about living an exemplary lifestyle, controlling anger, restoring relationships, of keeping promises and returning good for evil. He told us how to give with the right attitude, how to pray, how to store up treasure in heaven, how to overcome worry and how to deal with false teachers. He taught us how to obey the Law as a matter of love and to trust in Him as a cure for anxiety.
Mt. 6:33 tells us, "Seek first the Kingdom (or government) of God and His righteousness and all these things (the necessities of life) shall be added unto you." In spite of dark forces suspected of influencing the founding of America, God was not without influence in what has been called the manifest destiny of America. Did you realize it’s the 200th anniversary? What happened in 1812? Oh yeah, another war with Britain. America was expanding its western frontiers, but the British came to ally themselves with the injuns, arming the heathen to fight White settlers. These pioneers knew more about God’s government (being that the Law was written in their hearts) than the current batch of 501c3 theologians who don’t have a lick of common sense or the flicker of a birthday candle on its last drop of wax for light. Who is seeking the government of Christ today? The churches? I don’t think so. Shades of Cornwallis predict the betrayal of the shepherds.
It's not enough to simply proclaim 'Christ is the Answer' on a roadside billboard. We must show our lost kinsman how Christ is the answer. We do that by changing our ways and conforming to the ways of Christ. The bumper sticker mentality of taking John 3:16 out of context rarely tells us the rest of the story. Let's read the context for ourselves: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is already condemned, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." And that's how it works.
We are the children of light and our manifest destiny is to shine above the soothsayers of doom and gloom, purveyors of apathy, ministers of materialism, promulgating meaningless lives, waiting for flying saucers to rapture them off into outer space, which just may be what the Bible calls "outer darkness". They should really be more circumspect in what they pray for. I pray for White people to awaken to the great truth that our lives do have meaning; it is that the Shining Light of Glory is life.
Benjamin Franklin said, "A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." We know by now from this series that ignoring the Word of God is to be in darkness. We also know from several Scriptures that "Ye sometimes were in darkness… with the deeds of darkness… but ye have been called out of darkness into His marvelous light… ye have been delivered from the power of darkness, ye are no more darkness… cast off the works of darkness… therefore, walk in the light of Him in whom there is no darkness… walk as children of light." To reject the Word is to reveal one's true nature as not being of God's flock. Christ said, "My sheep hear My voice and obey Me." "Men prefer darkness, rather than light, because their deeds are evil" (John 3:19).
The saying is true that 'the truth sometimes hurts'; if the light hurts your eyes, you've been in the dark too long. We were not created to be nocturnal creatures. Literal light deprivation can affect our health and especially our vision. When we read in the Bible about those who have eyes to see, it's talking about not being in the dark. Multitudes of mixed peoples, racially and religiously, have tried to enter the true church by force of speech, doctrines, legislation, emotional guilt trips, mental confusion, physical effort etc, and the modern church has become the great whore of Babylon through the process. We are commanded to test the spirits and discern whether a person is allowed into the congregation. God commanded Israel to be separated from both non-Israelites as well as Israel's own sinful brethren. “A bastard [mongrel #4464] shall not enter the congregation of the Lord” Deut. 23:2.
Words which describe Old Testament Israel as being White or “fair” are #6703 and #3302, which literally mean 'to be bright, sunny, dazzling, glowing and beautiful.’ How fitting for those who were predestined to be the children of light, whose life is the true light. The Spirit of God not only gives us life, it causes us to shine. As Eccl. 8:1 puts it, "A man's wisdom makes his face to shine." There's something about the strength of our countenance that is changed. Mt.6:22 relates that "The light of the body is the eye. Then when your eye is pure, your whole body will be full of light." And in verse 23, "But if thine eye be evil [if the way you see things is good for nothing and causes spoilage] thy whole body shall be full of darkness." I think this works on the level of a body politic i.e. the body of Christ as well as the individual. Eph. 5:11 says, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." You might say this message is a rebuttal against the dogmas that deny sovereign grace and these schools of thought that have been antithetical to God’s will.
I'm going to give you some bold reproof and correction. This may shake some of your beliefs up, but hopefully we can see the need for pruning a few dead doctrinal branches from the tree. For the past several messages, I've also been talking about baptism without using that word exclusively. I originally started this series several years ago to identify some problems we have in our Movement. Because there are some pastors who are telling our people that you cannot be a Christian until you have immersed yourself in water from head to foot. They call it "baptism" (for the remission of sins). But this is a misnomer as we will see shortly. Using common sense and rightly dividing the word of truth, don't you think it's rather shallow (if you'll pardon the pun) for some pastor to go off the deep end and say that it's a ritual that makes us Christians? I've actually heard proponents of immersion say that it's a matter of obedience to get wet, as if being wet makes a difference!
Well, light and water are merely metaphors for a greater spiritual import. What do you think is more important to God: that we get wet with Him or that we get right with Him? Today, most of churchianity is practicing pagan rites that have nothing to do with true Christianity. Did you know that the word Lucifer (which is only found in one place in the Bible… Isaiah 14:12) means 'morning star' or ‘light bearer', albeit a false light, upon which many false doctrines emanate? We currently have a Luciferian Mormon running for president. Therefore, do we dare confuse Lucifer with the Shining Light of Glory? Is Mitt Romney the light bearer? How many people will be fooled into thinking that Masonic Mormonism is just another innocuous religion? By the same token, if we are to believe Eph. 4:5, that there's only one baptism, do we dare confuse baptism with water, and thus dilute its true meaning? "For by one Spirit [meaning the Holy Spirit] are we all baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13). Which begs the question: is the Holy Spirit literally water? If that's the case, we might as well get into nature worship and start deifying rocks and trees. The Holy Spirit is not one third of a man-made Trinity doctrine, it is rather a mindset; having the mentality that is in accord with God’s will. It’s how God motivates His people in the right direction.
The Bible does not teach water baptismal regeneration. Regeneration has to do with belief. "Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light. For the fruit of the Spirit [the light within you] is in all goodness, righteousness and truth" (Eph. 5:6-9). A degenerate religion will deceive you with words that are in conflict with the Word of God and God will reciprocate disobedience with judgment. What is regeneration other than cutting off our tails and watching it grow back? Again the Masoretic text of the KJV gives the wrong impression in Titus 3:5 referring to the “washing of regeneration.” Strong’s defines ‘washing’ not with the word baptizo, but rather loutron (#3067) thusly: “a bath, i.e. (figurative) baptism: washing.” In other words, it’s a metaphor for cleansing. So we could say ‘the cleansing of regeneration.’ But what does that mean? Strong’s defines regeneration (#3824) as “spiritual renovation; specifically Messianic restoration.” This restoration or rebirth should not be confused with the judeo-Christian mantra of being “born again,” which is another poor translation (because of race) that should have been rendered “begotten from above,” meaning exclusively the White race. Let’s give the complete thought in Titus to see what it means: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the cleansing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Now it’s crucial to understand how we renew the Holy Spirit or Spirit of God, which is the mentality of separating ourselves from evil and we find that in Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed [by full body immersion? No!] by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The ancient heathen world, going from the epitome of its glory to the threshold of decadence, exhausted all the human resources left to their own devices and had no principles of recuperation. A regeneration of society, White society that is, can only proceed from the Word of God. The modern conception of the church is a mutant hyphenated apostasy that has no restraints against vice, no charity towards the poor and oppressed except for third world subhumans and is itself the muddy baptism of lawlessness and immorality. It is the apostate church that has generated the divine wrath of His judgment. It takes quite a bit of study to show ourselves approved of God and churchianity is not willing to do that. They would rather listen to their Baal priests and be blinded by the light show of the Superbowl or the Olympics.
Did you know that there are four baptisms as Heb. 6:2 speaks of the teaching of baptisms (plural)? They are the baptism of water (which is the most popular and the most corrupted; this is the one baptism that Eph. 4:5 refers to), the baptism of fire, the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of death. Water baptism is really the baptism of repentance. It is the confession, admission and acknowledgement that we are sinners and we ask God to be forgiven. It is a change of mind that causes a person to turn away from sin. It is the intellectual realization of our need to move from darkness to light. John was baptizing with water, but the baptism by water was a baptism of repentance, not water. The use of physical water was an act of submission ,rather than an act of commission, accepting the sovereignty of Jesus Christ. An act of commission is the church demanding a work of the flesh be done to be accepted by a religion claiming sovereignty. This is really a shameful adulteration usurping God’s authority that quenches the Spirit; it extinguishes the Light of the world, covering the earth with darkness.
Even a thorough etymological history of the word 'baptizo' does not suffice an understanding for some people who do not grasp the significance of the ways and means to cause and effect. Take the word eat, for example, which suggests a desired objective, but it doesn't point to a mode of doing it. One could chew, swallow, suck, gulp, drink, or even take in food intravenously. A serious problem arises when you're told the only way to eat something is by drinking it. You would be forced to puree solids in order to “eat.” In the same manner, the word 'baptism' does not provide us with an unequivocal means to a desired effect. Every stripe of priests then takes it upon themselves to tell us the who, what, why, when and where of which way we are to baptize ourselves. An open invitation for chaos then ensues with religiosity. Here's the thing I want to get to: the church (not the building or institution, but the ecclesia, the body of believers, the racial collective of whom God has called, meaning the true Israel, the White race) is a spiritual oasis in the middle of a parched desert. We are called to offer the refreshing water of life to our own kindred who are dying of thirst. More often than not, they cannot drink this refreshing water that would revive them, and thus a roadblock to revival. The shining light of glory starts with milk for baby Christians and advances to strong meat for the mature in Christ.
Immersion can kill you. A couple of years ago an Orthodox priest in Romania was baptizing a baby and he killed the six week old boy. Witnesses claimed the baby died after Father Valentin failed to cover his mouth and nose when he immersed him in water three times. The priest denied being to blame for the baby's death at the ceremony and told the family he knew better than they did as to what should have happened. A similar incident in Indianapolis had a 1 year old wander into the church’s baptismal pool where he was found dead from drowning. Adults have also died in New Orleans, Sacremento, Atlanta and elsewhere. The arrogance of religious ritual is astounding. God didn’t drown those people. A man in priestly vestments of gold and glitter did and he should be prosecuted for murder. Nothing God commands will cause death.
Want more metaphors? "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light" (Ps. 36:9). Here we have a Scripture with water and light together in the same verse. "And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday" (Ps. 37:6). "For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13). This strongly suggests that water is God's Word which flows from the 'fountain of living waters'. A cistern would appear to be man's vain attempt to reinvent God's Word, i.e. the new improved versions of the Bible with a jew-friendly twist.
Do you really think that God wants us to immerse our entire body into water (as if that proves anything), as was the common mode of initiation into some of the ancient pagan mystery cults; something the priests of Israel or the disciples of Christ never engaged in, OR do you think God wants us to immerse ourselves in His Word? I think that’s a fair question. By the way, the Latter Day Saints, according to Wikipedia, says, “Baptism by immersion is the only way to be completely converted as a member; no other form is accepted in the LDS Church.” We are called to be the light bearers, the custodians of the Word, in the dark abyss of worldly religions to rescue our lost kinsmen. Unfortunately, the apostate church has confused the literal and figurative Word of God to such an extent that judaized Christians will say, 'I just don't feel lead to get involved', when actually it's another kind of lead… in the seat of their pants. Ever hear the admonition… 'get the lead out'? We need to get this kind of lead out of our leaders, because it's lead poisoning for our people. They think that just because they've been dunked in the church pool or went down to the river, that they are saved and can now just bask in their self righteousness, standing under their fancy chandeliers of their denominationalism, waiting to be raptured off to heaven or winning the big prize behind door number three.
Christian Identity might be a humble little nightlight, compared to the grandiose chandeliers of the extravaganza churches, but a little nightlight may be more help to a person fumbling around in the dark late at night. The point I'm making between the Shining Light of Glory and baptism has everything to do with our racial destiny. Are we going to figure out how deliverance from our enemies works or not? The words purge, cleanse, wash, purify, sanctify or set apart are used interchangeably in the Bible, meaning baptism or separation. Light also separates from darkness. "What communion hath light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6:14)0. Immersion in water does nothing and is good for nothing. Unless maybe you like recreational swimming.
Baptism literally means the beginning of faith by true repentance observed ceremonially with water in the assembly of Christ. However, some CI scholars contend that the water itself is totally unnecessary. John the Baptist did his thing before Christ was crucified and nailed the old Levitical ordinances to the Cross. Jesus complied with the old Law that was soon to be replaced by the baptism of the spirit. The writers of the New Testament were well aware that the words 'baptize' and 'purify' were synonymous. The Israelite law for purifying required sprinkling as Numbers 19:13 mentions that touching a dead body is reconciled by sprinkling the water of separation or washing himself. I've heard the Campbellite Church of Christ preachers sarcastically say that it was John the Baptist not John the Sprinkler, yet if they knew something about the laws of cleansing from physical defilement, they would know that he was not John the Dunker. These pastors with their old baggage should know that no amount of water can cleanse a person, as if by magic. Are they still in the dark, having a mongrelized mentality? The proof is usually in the excuses they make for non-Israelites to be Christians just like us. Interestingly, when researching the death-related baptisms, most of those who died were non-White. I think it’s a warning. However, a racial consciousness is a prerequisite to changing one's perspective in order to be in accord with God's will. It's the ethnic cleansing of repentance, separating ourselves from the stranger's gods. The consequence of which is being more like Christ, who was God in the flesh made perfect, whereby our sins are purged and we show forth the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Article on Baptism
"This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (I John 1:5-7). Did you hear it? Walking in the light for the remission of sins! Isn't that what it's talking about? Continuing in verse 9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Full body immersion is not a vicarious substitute for the remission of sins. Literal water is irrelevant. "Beware lest any man spoil you…" (Col. 2:8). Baptism is mentioned in verse 12 as the objective of this message: that we have faith in how God operates through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, not in the worldly wisdom of prideful man. "Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth" (I John 2:7-8).
The old and new command is to love one another and will work for you as it did with Christ and this mentality to get around obeying God's Laws will disappear and a whole new way of living begins. The occult has always been in competition with the supernatural power of God. One of the greatest miracles in life is the phenomenon of people's lives being healed, transformed and empowered. We aren't stuck with the character defects and emotional scars forever… we can change 180 degrees. From a lout, a bum, a fool, an idiot, a coward, a liar, a cheat to a dignified gentleman or lady, a scholar, humble yet courageous, a true and honest Christian… I ask you, can water rinse away the liabilities of our behavior, our sins? If that's what you think, then you're short changing God and yourself.
God looks at our heart as to whether or not we're worthy of forgiveness. He knows whether or not we are bringing every thought into subjection to His very mind. The word 'heart' conveys the meaning of personality and attitude. We are to be like Christ (not man deified), to have His personality in spirit and in truth. We go from the fallen nature of Adam to becoming the sons of God, heirs of the promise, by completely surrendering our intellect, our will and emotions to the care and leadership of Jesus Christ. Our maturing in Christ is an ongoing process where the other three baptisms reciprocate assimilation between us and God. We absorb the Father and He absorbs us. Everything He invested in us is returned to Him for His Glory.
Teachings that were never taught in the Holy Scriptures are just plain blasphemy. Our race perishes because of these perversions of the Word. Therefore, ponder these messages and battle for the truth in the Kingdom of heaven or more accurately the government of Christ here on earth and weigh things in the balance and see for yourself if these Bible symbols possess a far greater truth than what you previously supposed. Pray that our Lord will give you the mind to separate from the mongrel doctrines. "Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:2).
Light and water are but visible signs of something invisible. II Cor. 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things are seen are temporal [temporary]; but the things which are not seen are eternal." This ties into Romans 8:24, "We are saved by hope, but the hope that is seen is not hope. [Why not? Hold your finger there and let's go to Heb. 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." And again turn back to Romans, continuing in the Ferrar Fenton Bible] "For who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we see not, we shall receive it by patience" (vs. 25).
The Shining Light of Glory is more than a light bulb going off in your head and baptism is more than just getting wet. The divine manifestations of both shall make us free and that’s the truth. Don't listen to the preacher that tells you, “Faith is when you don't know why.” Listen to the Word of God and "Be ready always to give an answer… for the reason of the hope that is in you" (I Peter 3:15). God doesn’t want us jumping through hoops like circus dogs, He wants our minds at attention for Him. I pray these messages have been a blessing to you and that we, as the body of Christ, move ever closer to that glorious Day of the Lord where He is the head over all His people. Immerse yourself in the shining light of glory.
