Part 2 Manual PDF

# LEVEL 2: THE NEW BIRTH ## Part 1: Creation of Man and the Fall **Objectives:** - Why did God create man? - How did man fall and what were the consequences of the fall? - What is death and what are the three types of death? ### Creation of Man (Gen 1:26-27) Then God said, "Let us make man in o...

# LEVEL 2: THE NEW BIRTH ## Part 1: Creation of Man and the Fall **Objectives:** - Why did God create man? - How did man fall and what were the consequences of the fall? - What is death and what are the three types of death? ### Creation of Man (Gen 1:26-27) Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 2:7): the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. God created man in His own image. Man was created to have a habitual fellowship with God. God placed man in charge of the garden to take care of it. Everything was perfect. Everything God created was perfect and was good. ### The Fall (Man’s Disobedience) After God created man, he was free to eat from any tree but He was commanded by God not to eat from just one tree. (Gen 2:15-18) 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” 18 The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Man was created with freewill so he was supposed to obey this Himself. "There is no true obedience unless there is a chance to disobey"- Rick Joyner Man however disobeyed the command God had given him. (Gen 3:1-12) 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'" 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." 11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" 12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush b your head, and you will strike his heel." 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you." 17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return." 20 Adam c named his wife Eve, d because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side e of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. God told man in Genesis 2:17 that, he would die if he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man still lived after even eating. He was still moving about. Death means separation. That is, separation from God. God created man to have habitual fellowship with Him. Death brings separation to this habitual fellowship. ## Three types of Death: 1. **Physical death** The story of Lazarus and the rich man is not a parable as some suppose. Names are mentioned in this account and therefore cannot be a parable. (Luke 16:19-31) 19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, c where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30 ""No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' 31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'" This is when the physical body of a man stops to function. At this point, he stops breathing and his organs stop working. Both the rich and Lazarus were on earth but one day, both died. At this point, they stopped breathing and their physical bodies stopped functioning. (Heb 9:27) "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment," *****No matter how long one lives, his physical body would die one day***** 2. **Spiritual death** As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Eph 2:1-2) *Anyone who does not have a relationship with God can be said to be dead spiritually* He might be walking around as a normal human. He might be a rich man. The person might be a very beautiful lady or a handsome gentleman but still be dead spiritually. Gods hope is that, everyone who is dead spiritually would be made alive by coming into a love relationship with God. 3. **Eternal death** (Rev 20:11-15) 11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Eternal death is when one is separated from God forever. Anyone who does not have a relationship with God would be separated from God eternally when the person dies. There is no hope for anyone who becomes separated from God eternally. There is no redemption beyond the grave for anyone who does did not have a relationship with God whiles on earth. One who does not receive Jesus while alive would not have a chance to do so once He is dead. ## What Did The Fall Bring? What Changed After The Fall? 1. Because of the fall, sin was passed to every man (Rom 5:18) Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. (Rom 5:12) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned *****Everyone born out of a woman today is automatically born a sinner***** He can decide not to do anything bad and live a good life but he would still be a sinner. His nature is a sinner. Sin has been passed to him. 2. Because of the fall, it became difficult to obey God. (Rom 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, No matter how hard man tries, he finds it difficult to obey God. Nothing good is in Him. Because sin dwells in us, it is difficult to please God in our fallen state. (Isa 64:6) All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away. ## Part 2: The Promise And Provision **Objectives:** - What was God's promise after man fell? - What is the Divine Exchange? - What are four things the divine exchange brought? *****Because we needed a savior, God promised to send His Son***** God took the first step to restore our relationship with Him. God promised to make it possible to obey Him now. (Ezek 36:25-26) 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. We had rebelled against God and needed a savior. We deserved punishment. We deserved eternal death. But Jesus came to take our place. Jesus came to save us. (John 1:29) The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! After Jesus died to take our place. Our relationship with God was restored. We had peace with God one more time. Because Jesus took our place, one can become the child of God. One must however, believe in what Jesus did in order to be saved. (John 1:12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (2 Cor 5:21) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus makes it possible to have a relationship with God (John 14:6) Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. There was actually a divine exchange when Christ went to the cross. ## What The Divine Exchange Brought Us: 1. **Justification:** Justification is one of the main parts of salvation. This is the act of justifying someone. It is the act by which God declares the believing sinner righteous. Justification- "just as if you never sinned!" (Rom 3:25-26) 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished- 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Justification is not God just overlooking our sins. God had to find a way that he could justify the sinner while being just in his judgment. This is because man had sinned thus and the wages of sin is death. (Rom 6:23) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in b Christ Jesus our Lord. The solution was for God to send his son into the world to become the sacrificial lamb for us. Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life and then paid the ultimate price which His precious blood shed for us. (Rom 5:1) Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Justification is possible just because of Jesus Christ and the ultimate price he paid. Nothing else will do. Man cannot be justified by his own works. He must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. 1 John 2:2 1 John 4:10 2. **Imputation** Imputation is the charging to the account of one person, something which properly belongs to another. God takes his record of a perfect sinless life and records it be our record. God imputes Jesus' record on us. God takes our life and places it on the cross with Him. (Rom 4:1-8) 1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before God. 3 What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." God is able to declare a believing sinner righteous by the act at Calvary. Jesus paid the price! His record is imputed to the believing sinner. (2 Cor 5:21) God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 3. **Redemption** Redemption is defined as making payment for something. It is to buy back, regain or recover by payment of an amount due. It also means to pay a ransom, to liberate or to free. It is God making the payment for our sins. *****The payment price was God's own blood***** (Eph 1:7) In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace (Col 1:14) In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Rev 5:9) And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. Examples: someone steals your car, and takes it away. You find the person who stole your car, after finding the person, you pay for your car again which originally belongs to you to get your car back. It can be said that, the car has been “redeemed" back to its original owner. Man was created by God for His purpose and pleasure. Man belonged to God! Man disobeyed God and we were more or less sold to sin and its consequences. God "paid" to get us back and that is what is termed by redemption. God bought us with His blood. God regained or recovered us with His blood. God made payment for our sins. 4. **Sanctification** Sanctification deals with the saved person and his spiritual condition. What does it mean to sanctify? To ascribe holiness to. To set apart religiously for an office or function. Being justified and declared righteous is one thing. To be able to live a holy life is another. Sanctification is therefore a process by which one becomes more Christ like in his Christian walk. This happens when one yields more to the influence of the Holy Spirit living in him to please God. It is a process not a sudden change. *****The Word of God helps us to be sanctified!***** (John 17:17) Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (Eph 5:26) To make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, (2 Cor 3:18) And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. There cannot be true sanctification without the Word. We grow spiritually by the Word. (2 Tim 2:21) If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. (1 Peter 3:18) For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, (Isa 53:5-6) 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He came to take away the sins of the world. *****His bloodshed on the cross has the power to wash away your sins***** (Rev 1:5) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, Jesus rose again on the third day. His resurrection proves that He is alive forever. ## Part 3: Essential Steps to Salvation & Assurance of Salvation **Objectives:** - What are the three essential steps to Salvation? - What is "assurance of salvation"? ### Three steps that are essential to salvation: 1. **Repent** To repent means to turn around, to go in a new direction. What do we need to turn from? We need to turn from our life-style of sin and separation from God. We need to turn from living our lives our own way and from being our good. We need to turn away from trying to find true life in ourselves or in the world. We need to turn away from trusting in our own good works to save us. What do we turn to? We turn to God who loves and cares for us. We turn to faith in Jesus Christ as our savior. 2. **Believe** What is it that we must believe? We are told in the Bible we must believe that not only did Jesus shed his blood and died for us but that he rose again from the dead and is alive today. (Rom 10:9-10) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. We must believe that salvation can only be found in one name. (Acts 4:12) Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." We cannot just admire Jesus and just affirm him. We must believe in him. We must believe that there is no salvation anywhere else. We must believe that we cannot save ourselves no matter how hard we try. 3. **Confess** With the mouth confession is made unto salvation. What is it that we must say? We must say what we believe- that Jesus is our Savior. We must say what the Bible says about us- that God is our Father and we have become His children. (John 1:12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God ### Assurance of Salvation: We must be able to know absolutely that we are saved. We must be sure that we know this. We must be as sure as this more than being sure of any other thing in the world. We don't have to die before we know that we are saved. This assurance is for us today! ### Three means by which we can have this assurance: 1. **God Says So** Our first means of assurance is God's Word. We cannot fully trust what men say but we can trust what God says. Men can say something today and change their mind about what they said another time. We can however trust what God says at any time. The Bible is God's Word. When we want to know what God is saying concerning any issue, we must go to His Word. Hebrews 6:18 / Numbers 23:19 Bible says it is impossible for God to lie. Whatever God says stands firm forever (Psalm 119:89). God's Word is not vague. His Word is clear. His Word does not contradict itself. The Bible is God's Word to us today. The Bible is God's very Word inspired by Him (2 Tim 3:16). We can take His Word, believe His Word and trust His Word. We can believe what God's Word says about Salvation. The Bible says that, the Way of Salvation is a Person, Jesus Christ John 3:16 / John 14:6 / Acts 10:43 / Acts 16:31 He says that whoever believes that whoever believes that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead and confesses with His mouth that Jesus is Lord is saved. He says that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Romans 10:9-13 Have you done this? Have you believed in Christ and confessed openly that He is your Lord? Have you called on His name? If so, you are really saved. God says it, that settles it. 2. **The Holy Spirit Bears Witness** Not only do we have God's Word outside us telling us we are saved. We have a witness inside us, telling us the very same thing. What the Bible speaks to us from without, the Spirit confirms within. 1 John 5:10 Sometimes, after people receive Christ, they may not feel saved. However, if we look within the deepest part of us, we will find an assurance that we are the children of God. (Romans 8:16) Deep down anyone who is born again is an assurance that He is a child of God. This assurance goes beyond a feeling. It is a deep conviction. This assurance does not depend on anything external...it is eternal. This assurance does not depend on what others think about you or you even think about yourself. The Holy Spirit within you bears witness, “You are a child of God!" This voice is stronger than our feelings. This voice is stronger than what others think about us. 3. **Our love for the Brothers is Proof!** A saved person has a love for other brothers and sisters. He begins to care for others who he might not be related to biologically. A born again person desires to fellowship and enjoy Christ with others. 1 John 3:14 This is a spontaneous result of being saved. This love is impartial- it loves those who are different NB: There are two types of people: Those who are saved & Those who are perishing. There is not a third class of those who hope to be saved. 4. **You are a child of God.** Once we were born again, we are born into the family of God. God the father is our father. He is not only our God but He is now our father. Because he is our father, he comes for us! He cares for us! He is interested in us. He is interested in in each of us individually - not just as a group, or a body or a church. He is interested in each of his children and loves each one of us with the same love. God is the creator of all mankind, but a man must be born again to become his child. He is God to the world, but father to the new creation man. God is your very own father. You are his very own child and if he is your father, you can be assured he will take a father's place and perform a father's part. You can be certain that as your father he loves you, and will take care of you. ## Part 4: Spirit, Soul and Body **Objectives:** - What is the spirit, soul and body of a man? - What does it mean to renew your mind? (1 Thess 5:23) May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Man is a spirit that possesses a soul which lives in a body. (2 Cor 5:17-18) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! *****It is a man's spirit that changes at salvation. It is our spirit that gets regenerated***** That is how come we don't feel anything in our body or soul when we become born again. We cannot know God or touch Him physically. He is not a man, He is a spirit. We cannot communicate with God mentally, for He is a Spirit. But we can reach him with our spirit, and it is through our spirit that we come to know God. (John 4:23-24) 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." Before we become born again our spirit is dead. But after we become born again, God's spirit comes to live in our spirit. His work is to sharpen our spirit until we live by the influences our spirit receives from the Holy Spirit. Every communication with God occurs in our spirit. All we need for our walk is given once we are born again. We learn to renew our soul to access what we have in our spirit. ### Soul The soul is man's personality. The soul does not get regenerated at new birth. That is how come one can have evil thoughts and desires right after he becomes born again. Our soul does not get saved after new birth. Our souls must be renewed with time. The soul has to do much with the mind, emotions, intellect. Before someone becomes born again, his spirit which is dead is so surrounded by the leading of the soul. The soul is in charge before we become born again. Everything is controlled by the soulish nature. ***The regenerated spirit works towards changing our soul and body. Our soul is transformed by the renewing of the mind*** It is a believer's work to renew his mind with the word of God. This must be done every day. We must spend time reading and meditating on God's word. With time the soulish nature would begin to yield to the leading of his spirit which is under the influence of the Holy Spirit. One cannot renew his mind without the Word of God. This renewing of one's mind never comes to an end. It must continue. Just because a person is a Christian and even filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't mean that he has a renewed mind. (Rom 12:1-2) 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. ### Body The body is just a container. The body grows old but the soul is renewed with each passing day. After we are born again we still have troubles with our flesh, but we don't have trouble with our spirit (the real man). (Rom 12:1-2) 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. One must however, bring his body under subjection. Bring the body into subjection to what? To the inward man (the real man/ our regenerated spirit). Since the spirit is regenerated and therefore under the influence of the Holy Spirit, it can lead the body in the right direction. We don't let our body dominate us. We don't let our body rule us. We rule our body by the influence of the Holy Spirit. **Summary on Spirit, soul and body:** - Spirit- spiritual realm - Soul- mental realm. Man's intellect, sensibility and will. - Body- physical realm. The container of our spirit and soul. ## Part 5: Water Baptism **Objectives:** - What is water baptism? - Why should a Christian be baptized? - Who qualifies to be baptized? - What is the form of baptism? - What is the role of faith in baptism? ### What is Baptism? Baptism is the act that expresses union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. This union is made possible not because of the act but because of faith. The act is just an expression of the faith we have. It symbolizes our union with Jesus! It signifies our death, burial and resurrection with Jesus to newness of life. (Rom 6:3-4) 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Baptism has its meaning and importance only because the death and resurrection of Jesus are infinitely important for our rescue from the wrath of God and our everlasting joy in His glorious presence. Baptism is a ceremony that represents an outward representation of an inward reality. The inward reality is what we received through faith. The reality that our sins have been washed and that we are justified and new creatures. ### Baptism Is Like A Wedding Ring: The wedding ring symbolizes that someone is married. Just having the ring alone is not what is important. The covenant is what brings the people together. The ring shows that they are together. When someone gets up and just puts a ring on his finger, it does not mean he is married. In the same way, the act of baptism alone does not show that one is saved. ### Why should a Christian be baptized? 1. Because Jesus was baptized (Matt 3:13-17) 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." If Jesus Himself was baptized, then we as His followers have no option but also be baptized. Since we are His followers, we must do what He Himself did. (1 John 2:6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. If it was not that important, then Jesus would not have been baptized. 2. Because Jesus commanded it (Matt 28:19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (Mark 16:15-19) 15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Jesus commanded us to do so. We must not take His commands lightly. He won't have commanded it, if it was not that important to Him. 3. Because Jesus and His disciples practiced it during Jesus' lifetime (John 3:22) After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. (John 4:1-3) The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John, 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4. Because Peter taught this at Pentecost (Acts 2:38) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter taught this at Pentecost. He taught baptism when the church was birthed. Whatever happened or was taught when the church was birthed is a standard for the church today. To lay aside what the early church believed and to do away with major foundations of the Church. 5. Because it was preached during Philips's ministry in Samaria (Acts 8:12) But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 6. Ethiopian eunuch: (Acts 8:35-38) 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled