So Peter lied when he said "baptism is for the remission of sins" and that "baptism now saves you"?
We need to explain where the remission of sin is placed in the plan, and how it ultimately saves, make us a blessing to the world,
We have to understand that the writers often used different terms to say the same things. Flesh, Law, Old Covenant, water, for example, all mean the same.
Baptism is always by using water. John’s baptism was by water and so was the baptism of Christ. So saying “baptism by water” means baptism is by using water is tautological. Like saying “water baptism” is by water. Wake up and smell the coffee, baptism into the Holy Spirit is by water too.
The best way to explain this is to lay out the steps.
Baptism with Water (AKA John's Baptism)
Baptism with water is started off by the candidate believing that God could save from living a life serving self interest for earthly gains by serving Him for heavenly treasure based on the great works He did in destroying the hold selfish interest personifed by the term Egypt. Israel and the disciples showed they had done this by leaving Egypt, even though the abandoning of the disciples was not geographical dislocation but by leaving stuff that was linked to serving self.
God accepts the oath to loyalty and demonstrates His ability to lead the believer into blessings by intentionally creating dangerous situations like water and food shortages and then supplying the needful. This is called drinking from the Rock. The great works God does is different from what He did in Egypt. The disbelief there was from the forces that refuse to let the believer go and threat is felt by these forces. Now the forces of Egypt are within the candidate, and it resists the persuasion of God to trust Him to overcome the difficulties that lie ahead of the believer.
Baptism is the act of the People of God in recognising the non reversible decision to leave the old life, symbolised by the closing of the sea behind the candidate. It isn’t the act that leads to drinking from the Rock, edification of the believer. That drinking is accessed by belief in God’s promise. Tongues is one of the ways in which the believer is edified, the way his trust in God can be built up. Baptism opens entry into the Camp, the assembling together of believers, so that the revelations from God can be tested and accepted, also known as foot washing. Tongues, prophesies, interpretations will reveal by their content (wood and straw? or gold and precious materials?) if the speaker is “clean” or needs to bathe again.
When the believer has been exposed to enough of the evidence of God’s ability to save, God calls. Those who are not afraid will believe and will enter His Rest. Since we are talking about the Old Covenant, this means observing the minor as well as the more important points of the Law. The believer receives lifes provisions as well as safety from enemies. Those who do not believe face God’s wrath expressed in the withdrawal of those blessings. However, in the Old Covenant, there is no justification, removal of sin so that one can be in union with God and be a blessing to the world, by having the ability to persuade other to leave Egypt through the manifestation of God’s great works through the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit Rest Covenant will only be available when the promised seed is given. It is the Isaac to the Old Covenant’s Ishmael, which is the pedagogos, babysitter, protector, until Christ was sent.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit (and fire, AKA the baptism into Christ)
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is started off by the candidate believing that God can save from living a life serving self interest for earthly gains, by serving Him for heavenly treasure based on the great works He did by destroying the hold selfish interest, personified by the term Egypt, has on the believer. Israel and the disciples showed they had done this by leaving Egypt, even though the abandoning act of the disciples was not geographical relocation, but by leaving stuff that was linked to serving self.
God accepts the oath to loyalty and demonstrates His ability to lead the believer into blessings by intentionally creating dangerous situations like sicknesses and then healing the sick. This is called drinking from the Rock. The great works God does is different from what He did in Egypt. The disbelief there was from the forces that refuse to let the believer go, and the threat was felt by these forces. Now the forces of Egypt are within the candidate, and it resists the persuasion of God to trust Him to overcome the difficulties that lie ahead of the believer.
Baptism is the act of the People of God in recognising the non reversible decision to leave the old life, symbolised by the closing of the sea behind the candidate. It isn’t the act that leads to drinking from the Rock, edification of the believer. That drinking is accessed by faith, belief in God’s promise. Tongues is one of the ways in which the believer is edified, the way his trust in God can be built up. Baptism opens entry into the Camp, the assembling together of believers, so that the revelations from God can be tested and accepted, also known as foot washing. Tongues, prophesies, interpretations will reveal by their content (wood and straw? or gold and precious materials?) if the speaker is “clean” or needs to bathe again. Sometimes a second wash of the words Jesus speaks to us through preaching can make clear what the oath of loyalty was made about. The test is not if signs and wonders are present but if the message conveyed is to follow Christ or other gods. And there are no designated prophets, everyone receives revelations, because all are members of the same body.
When the believer has been exposed to enough of the evidence of God’s ability to save, God calls. Those who are not afraid will believe and will enter His Rest. Since we are talking about the new Covenant, this means observing the Law of Liberty and love, with freedom in how justice, mercy and faithfulness to God is expressed. The believer enters the real Promised Land, Christ as well has the provisions of life added on to him. Those who do not believe face God’s wrath expressed in the withdrawal of those blessings.
This is how, in the New Covenant, there IS justification, removal of sin, so that one can be in union with God and be a blessing to the world, by having the ability to persuade other to leave Egypt through the manifestation of God’s great works through the Holy Spirit.
