The Grands Letter (Matt/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on December 23, 2024 5:44 am (CST)Dear Grands,
Matthew 3:13-17, “Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him.
14 But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
15 But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.
16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
It was a fitting climax to see a number of people baptized at the end of the church service. It was their testimony of having trusted Jesus as their Savior, as well as an act of obedience to the directive of our LORD Jesus Christ.
The first meaningful acts of baptism occurred during the ministry of John the Baptist. The word “Baptist” was appended to John’s name, due to his emphasis on personal, physical immersion in water, subsequent to one’s acceptance of the LORD Jesus Christ as his or her trust in Him.
Nowhere in Scripture is it taught that full, physical immersion in water adds anything to the spiritual activity of salvation. It is simply an overt submission on the part of the person that he or she has truly renounced their position in sin and has been transformed spiritually through the action of the Holy Spirit of God.
From the moment of one’s repentance of sin, the life is spiritually changed. The subsequent act of baptism is the personal acknowledgment of having turned from sin and trusting the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, you understand this procedure. If you are not, I would urge you to seriously trust Him. The day of accountability is coming! Please be ready!
Heartily in Christ Jesus,
(Dado III)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America
“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom
