The OY had a ceremony, Accomplished on the 8th day of a males child's life. They cut the foreskin. And the child was seen as “cleansed”
Circumcision done by the hand of man was seen as a cleansing operation. Those who were circumcised were seen as holy, righteous set apart. Cleansed. According to the jew. If you were not circumcised you were not saved, or a part of Gods people. It was required.
But as Collossions says, it is not by the circumcision performed by the hands of man that cleanses, it is the one it represents. The circumcision done by the hand of God.
What surprises me, is so soon after the church was started. People made the same mistake as the jews made. Taking another ceremony performed by the hand of man, which represents cleansing being made holy and set apart. And accomplished the same thing, Instituted this ceremony which sym,obliges the same washing performed by the hands of God In Holy Spirit baptism, and saying it is required to be a child of God, If your not baptized in water your not saved, and your not a part of Gods people.
I think it shows the brilliance of Satan and how he can twist a spiritual truth just a little. And convince a whole population that it is from God.
I want to say at the onset if people would believe and obey God's command to be water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ their eyes would then be open to the truth.
Satan's primary objective throughout history has been to distort what is required of man in order to remain in covenant with God.
It was God who commanded obedience to circumcision in the Old Testament (Covenant). And it was God who stated that disobedience resulted in one actually being guilty of breaking God's covenant. (Gen. 17:11, 13-14) Would breaking the covenant through inaction result in death? Yes, it would have. See Exodus 4:24-26.
It was God who instituted water baptism in the New Testament (Covenant) as well. (Luke 7:30) Scripture confirms it's purpose. It is for remission of one's personal sin made possible through Jesus' sacrifice. (Luke 3:3, Mark 1:1-5, Acts 2:38, 22:16) According to the Word a spiritual reality takes place in one's obedience to God's command to be water baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Individuals are buried with Jesus into His death wherein their sins are destroyed as referenced in the scripture below.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
FOR IF we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Rom 6:3-6
As the scripture clarifies it is only possible to be in the likeness of Jesus' resurrection IF we have been planted together in the likeness of His death.
One's spiritual rebirth requires both obedience to water baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sin. (planted together in the likeness of Jesus' death) and receiving the Holy Ghost. Jesus pointed out that both are necessary in order to ENTER the kingdom of God. (John3:3-5) Consider how Jesus' words in John 3:5 parallel 1 Corinthians where we see two things that bring about righteousness:
1 Cor 6:9, 11
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?...
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but
ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, AND
by the Spirit of our God.
Again, notice the parallel in Acts 2:38: "...be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."
Water baptism for the remission of sin is to be done
in the name of the Lord Jesus and receiving the Holy Ghost/Spirit is the gift given by God.
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