BAPTIZED -- FOR--

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                 BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS 
         (adapted from "Day of Atonement-- Proclaim Liberty)

"Then Peter said unto them, '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 Ghost'." Acts 2:38 
WE will not enter into discussion here about the different verbal formulas
pronounced over candidates at the time of Baptism.  It is not that we don't
KNOW what is correct, but because we wish to deal with other points of
Baptism. 
WE will "zero in" on the lowly word "for".  "For" the remission of sins, is
translated from a three-letter Greek word which is used in various ways in
Scripture. 
Strong's Concordance does not deal with the word at all.  Robert Young's
Analytical Concordance fully deals with it.       
THE literal meaning is "With a view to", or "Looking toward". 
HERE  are a few applications of the word,  in brackets [---]. 
Eph 1:14 "Which is the earnest of our inheritance [until] the redemption of
the purchased possession, [unto] the praise of His glory."  (Looking toward) 
Eph  2:21 "In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth [unto] an
holy temple in the Lord."
Eph 4:13 "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of
the Son of God, [unto] a perfect man, [unto] the measure of the stature of
the fulness of Christ."
Eph  4:30 "And  grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed
[unto] the day of redemption." 
Phil  1:10 "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye be sincere
and without offence [till] the day of Christ."
Phil 3:11 "If by any means I might attain [unto] the resurrection of the
dead."
Matt  3:11 "I indeed baptize you with water [unto] repentance--"
       
LET'S stop here a moment andanalyze what John said.  John was the forerunner
of Jesus, preparing the way before Him. He said,"I baptize you with water,
(looking toward) repentance."  Repentance, as we know it today, was not
available until after Jesus had been crucified.  John's baptism was an act of
faith, looking toward something which was coming later, but was not available
yet. 
"Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures, and said unto them, 'Thus it is written, and thus it behoved
Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day;  And that
REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS should be preached in His Name among all
nations, beginning at Jerusalem'." Luke 24:45-47 
JESUS made REPENTANCE a reality, and available to anyone and every one who
would take advantage of it. 
       
	BUT WHAT ABOUT REMISSION OF SINS? 
       
PETER,by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, said, "Repent, (take advantage of
what has been made available to you) and be baptized every one of you in the
Name of Jesus Christ, [looking toward] [with a view to], [until], [unto],
[till], [for] the REMISSION OF SINS--"  Acts 2:38 
        
THESE scriptures show water baptism in a different light than most of us have
seen it before.  It becomes an act of Faith, an act signifying faith in the
power of Jesus to complete the work which He has started in our hearts
through repentance from dead works.   It becomes, to us, the sign of the New
Covenant, as the fleshly circumcision was the sign of the Old Covenant. 
CIRCUMCISION was the sign which pointed to Jesus Christ.   Baptism is now the
sign which points to the Remission of Sins.  It points toward Liberty to do
the perfect Will of God in all things.   It points toward freedom from the
Nature of Sin.  It will, indeed, be a Glorious  Liberty        
BAPTISM, then, becomes an Act of Faith--faith in God's ability and intent to
completely redeem (buy back) everything that was lost in the disobedience of
Adam. 
       
THE DAY OF ATONEMENT SHALL DAWN, in the timing of God, and those who"look for
Him" shall receive the FULNESS of their inheritance.   The EARNEST, or
FIRSTFRUITS is GOOD.  The fulness    shall be SUPER ABUNDANTLY GOOD. 
       
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for
the Grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1
Pet 1:13 

WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION, we look forward to the day when we who are earnestly
preparing for it, will walk this earth in FREEDOM.  FREEDOM, that is, TO BE
WHAT WE SHOULD BE, DO WHAT WE SHOULD DO, without the hindrances presented by
the presence in our lives of the root principle of sin. 
       
OUR MINISTRY will then take on a new dimension---a full, complete ministry
free of error and tendencies to self-gain and self-exaltation. 
WHEN Jesus returns from the Holy of Holies, it will be for the purpose of
remitting (sending away) our sin (nature) 
WE are now to be baptized as a SIGN OF THIS HOPE we have within our hearts. 
       
AS circumcision of the flesh was a SIGN which pointed to the future cutting
away of flesh, so NOW baptism is our SIGN which also points to the same
sending (cutting) away of the flesh nature. 
       
We are trying,as best we can, to set your gaze on a plane somewhat higher
than the traditional teachings of the Church have been able to do.  

Too long, Christians have held the "defeatist" attitude, salved over with the
hope of an "any-minute-rapture" to give us victory by saving us from
anihilation. 

God is bigger than this, and Jesus gave His life for more than this. 
We have "licked our wounds" long enough.  It is time to throw off the
grave-clothes of tradition, and begin to equip ourselves with the
Freedom-giving Truth of the Word of God.  That Truth will lead us to an
overwhelming victory over the forces of evil, both individually and
collectively. 

	TRUTH AND TRADITION WILL NOT MIX!  
	WE MUST THROW OFF TRADITION 
	IN ORDER TO EMBRACE THE TRUTH. 

	GODS BEST TO YOU!