Footwashing is Necessary

Dear Brethren,

On the evening before He died, Jesus made a very strong point to the apostles after Peter balked at having his feet washed. "Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean." (John 13:8-11)

What did Jesus mean about being washed and clean?  The apostles had been "washed" i.e., cleaned all over at their baptisms.  There was a need for the New Testament ordinance of the footwashing that takes place at each Passover, so Jesus said, "If I wash [feet only] thee not, thou hast no part with me."  The Greek distinguishes washing all over, and washing the feet only by two entirely different words.

In the same way, we become "clean all over" when we are baptized.  God promises to give His Holy Spirit to the newly baptized person - as He did to the apostles, soon after, at the first Pentecost. "Repent, and 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 Spirit.  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:38-39)

Before baptism and receiving God's Holy Spirit, two things are absolutely necessary.  The first is, Repentance toward God, and the second is, Faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savoir. "...repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." (Acts 20:21)  Both, the repentance and the faith are granted and given freely by God. "God ...granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:18)  "...knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." (Romans 2:4)

God the Father, who calls us, and Jesus Christ, our Savoir, make it possible for us to share eternal life with them.  We are selected only by responding to the repentance and faith freely extended to us.  "[Jesus] said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." (John 6:65)  (Compare John 6:44) 

Baptism is the biggest decision a person will make in this life.  When Jesus' blood covers our sins at baptism, we no longer have to die for having violated God's way.  Our conduct before God was wrong. "...fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath." (Ephesians 2:3)

With His death, Jesus paid the price for our sin.  In baptism, we promise to yield our human will to the sovereignty of our heavenly Father.  We literally turn over our decisions and fate entirely to God.  "...yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." (Romans 6:13)

Our conversion is not total and instantaneous at baptism.  Some erroneously think of conversion in that way.  In reality, at our baptism we have only just begun the long process of conversion.  Conversion will not be complete until we have fully put on the mind of Christ.  Conversion is a process that must continue throughout our lifetime.

God tells us that our walk in faith will not be an easy road.  We have entered upon a new narrow path that leads to eternal life.   We have left behind us the wide way that leads to destruction.  "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."(Matthew 7:14)

Unquestionably, the true Christian life brings trials, and even persecutions.   It was that way for Christ, and it is that way for us.  "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." (2Timothy 3:12)  We are told to endure these things patiently.  "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." (Romans 12:12)

We counted the costs before baptism - these tests are to be expected as we walk in the steps of Jesus Christ.  "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" and, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps." (Acts 14:22, 1Peter 2:21)

With God's help and power, we are able to renew our mind, patiently endure the trials of this life, live as Christians should, and lay down our lives for the brethren.  Jesus encourages us with these words.  "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The great news is that when we are baptized and receive God's Spirit we are no longer children of wrath.  We literally become children of God.  We are baptized into the Spirit of God - the spiritual life of God.  "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." (1Corinthians 12:13)  At baptism, we become children of God - taking the Father's name.  "And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."  (2Corinthians 6:18)

We became an actual begotten son or daughter of God - His very own child - not adopted, but actually begotten of God by His Spirit Life entering within us.  He is now our Father in reality.  "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."  (Romans 8:16)

In baptism and the laying on of hands, we become the spiritual children of our heavenly Father - His Spirit life passes in to us as the children of God. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, [daddy] Abba, Father." (Galatians 4:6)

When we are fully born as divine children of God in the eternal Family of God at our resurrection, we will be a part of God’s infinite plan in developing all the universe into the Kingdom of God.  This is our inheritance for an everlasting possession.  "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God…Because the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:17,19,21)

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Sermon:  "Doctrine of Baptisms"  

More about Baptism: "Baptism"


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